“Those three are our Spirit Plant Department’s head, deputy head, and inspector.”
“The one on the left is Brother Liu Guilong, and the one on the right is Brother Li Li.”
After sitting down, Lu Jun introduced them to Chen Mobai using a voice transmission spell.
“Head, although I failed in my Foundation Establishment, my realm has not fallen. I think it’s better for me to continue holding this true disciple position.”
The pale-faced Liu Guilong was the true disciple of the Spirit Plant Department. However, as soon as he finished speaking, Li Li on the opposite side stood up to refute.
“Brother Liu, you know the rules of our sect, the capable ones should be in charge. I’m not trying to take your true disciple position, but the annual sect competition is coming up. Although you haven’t fallen in realm, you have failed in Foundation Establishment, which greatly reduces your combat ability. If you lose in the competition, wouldn’t it be a disgrace to our Spirit Plant Department?”
“I may not be talented, but at least within the sect, apart from a few exceptional talents, I’m confident I can win.”
“Why don’t you, Brother Liu, take a good rest and heal your injuries first? After you’ve recovered, you can do some sect tasks to repay the contribution points you owe us. I will immediately return this true disciple position to you.”
As soon as Li Li said this, many of his fellow disciples around him nodded in agreement, even some of Liu Guilong’s own disciples showed hesitation.
“Brother Liu’s obsession with power is unwise. It’s unlike his usual character. Could it be that his mind has been affected by his failure in Foundation Establishment?”
Teng Jie muttered to himself. Lu Jun, who was next to him, couldn’t help but nod, thinking that this should be the case.
The two continued to argue, while Chen Mobai sat quietly in the corner, not saying a word. When the three elders above had finished their tea, they finally spoke.
“Reason is something that can’t be clearly explained.”
The chubby Foundation Establishment elder on the far right said with a chuckle, then proposed a simple solution.
“Both of you, why don’t we follow the sect’s rules and have a duel? Whoever wins will be the true disciple representative of our Spirit Plant Department.”
Upon hearing this, Li Li suppressed a smile and nodded to the three elders above, indicating that he had no objections.
Although Liu Guilong looked pale, a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes. Just as he was about to teach Li Li a lesson, his ears twitched slightly, and a look of unwillingness flashed in his eyes, but in the end, he sighed.
“Never mind, we are all fellow disciples, there’s no need for violence. Brother Liu, you should focus on healing your injuries.”
The elder in the middle of the three Foundation Establishment elders suddenly spoke.
Lu Jun introduced him as the head of the Spirit Plant Department, Lv Zhiwen.
“The position of the true disciple will be temporarily held by Brother Li.”
As soon as Lv Zhiwen spoke, the decision was made. The Foundation Establishment elders on both sides had no objections and nodded in agreement.
In the end, Liu Guilong could only leave in frustration.
When he left, only one Qi Refining disciple followed him.
The remaining four people all gathered around the new true disciple of the Spirit Plant Department, Li Li.
“Let’s go, follow me.”
Seeing the three Foundation Establishment cultivators also get up and leave, Lu Jun immediately led Chen Mobai to follow the chubby Foundation Establishment elder to a courtyard.
“This is Elder Sun Gaochang from the Reward Hall, who is also our Spirit Plant Department’s inspector.”
Teng Jie and Chen Mobai walked together, introducing the people they were meeting now.
The Spirit Plant Department, as an important department in charge of thousands of acres of medicinal fields in the Shenmu Sect, had three Foundation Establishment elders from the three major halls.
This inspector was from the Reward Hall, responsible for supervising the output of spiritual medicine and spiritual rice to prevent corruption. Although his power was not as great as the head and deputy head, no one dared to neglect him.
Lu Jun and Teng Jie were his people.
“Sit down.”
After walking through the courtyard, the three of them came to a study. Sun Gaochang gestured for them to sit down, then took a document from Lu Jun and started reading.
It was the mission report of their trip to harvest the three acres of spiritual fields planted by Chen Mobai.
When Sun Gaochang saw the yield per acre, he couldn’t help but brighten up.
“Is Nephew Chen a new disciple this year?”
“Yes.”
Chen Mobai didn’t dare to say more, he could only pretend to be fearful, lower his head and answer.
Sun Gaochang then asked some questions about who had guided him into the sect, his spiritual root talent, his current cultivation progress, and even some very professional knowledge about spiritual planting.
Chen Mobai answered one by one. Regarding the planting questions, he carefully considered his answers to avoid revealing his advanced spiritual planting techniques from the Tianhe Realm, which made his responses quite strenuous.
However, even so, Sun Gaochang was satisfied after listening.
Indeed, he was a talent in the field of spiritual planting, especially in terms of farming, he had unique insights that even Sun Gaochang found enlightening.
“Well, if your talent can be fully utilized, it will be of great benefit to the sect. However, since you have just joined the sect, I can’t give you too heavy tasks all at once.”
Sun Gaochang spoke in a gentle tone, then led the three to the wall of the study, where a detailed leather map was hanging.
“Nephew Chen, you have opened up seven acres of spiritual fields here, right?”
Sun Gaochang pointed to a yellow triangle on the south side of the Giant Tree Ridge map. Chen Mobai took a closer look and saw that it was marked “Little Yang Ridge”.
“Inspector, it’s a bit further from Little Yang Ridge, it’s here.”
Lu Jun immediately pointed to three small red dots on the right side of Little Yang Ridge.
“Oh, it’s here. That’s perfect. Little Yang Ridge has a second-grade top-quality spiritual vein, and there are two acres of medicinal fields at the foot of the mountain. There are also scattered ten-plus acres of spiritual fields nearby. Why don’t we let Nephew Chen take care of them?”Sun Gaochang glanced at the map, immediately tracing a circle with his chubby finger around a yellowish triangle, encompassing two nearby blue dots and a large scattering of small red dots.
Chen Mobai followed his direction and looked at the outlined area, remaining silent.
Such a large area, and the spiritual fields were not even in one place. If he were to cultivate them all by himself, wouldn’t he lose all his time for cultivation?
This was not what Lu Jun and Teng Jie had told him before.
“Do you have any other opinions, nephew Chen?”
But facing the decision of Sun Gaochang, the Foundation Establishment elder, he could only nod in agreement.
“The arrangement of the inspector is very good, I have no objections.”
“Good, Lu Jun, you handle the procedures for Xiaoyang Ridge for nephew Chen. It seems there is still a sect disciple taking care of those two acres of medicinal fields. It’s the end of the year, just say the harvest is not satisfactory and replace him.”
After Sun Gaochang finished speaking, he waved his hand to indicate that the three of them could leave.
Chen Mobai followed Lu Jun back to the main hall of the Spirit Plant Department. Before he could speak, Teng Jie had already apologized and explained to him.
“Junior Brother Chen, Elder Brother Liu Guilong is the minister’s man, and Li Li is the deputy minister’s man. Only under Inspector Sun, there has not been a true disciple yet. You work hard, and it may not be impossible for you to succeed Brother Li Li.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai’s mouth twitched. He would not believe it anymore.
He was still too young, but since he had been fooled into the Spirit Plant Department, he could only go along with it for now.
If it really hindered his cultivation, he could simply give up and stop farming.