I left the house as the sky deepened into a soft amber hue.
The laughter from inside still lingered faintly in my ears, warm and grounding, but my steps naturally turned toward the fields. Evening was the best time—few people wandering, fewer eyes watching.
As I walked, my thoughts shifted from warmth to clarity.
If I wanted to speed up my growth, relying on cultivation alone wouldn't be enough.
My body was still weak.
To truly strengthen it, I would have to begin body cultivation as soon as possible.
And body cultivation required one thing above all else—
Qi and blood resources.
Vermillion Blood Spirit Rice.
My gaze drifted toward the direction of my field.
The problem was obvious.
My land sat atop a Tier 1 medium-grade spirit vein. It was barely enough for basic spirit rice, let alone Tier 2 Vermillion Blood Rice. Forcing it would only lead to stunted growth or complete failure.
I needed to improve the environment.
Upgrading the spirit vein itself was impossible for now.
That left only one option.
A Spirit Gathering Formation.
I slowed my steps.
Going to the village chief was out of the question. The envoy is still there, any unusual movement would draw attention. I couldn't afford that.
But there was someone else.
Someone experienced.
Someone discreet.
"Old Han…"
Without hesitation, I changed direction.
Old Han's house sat near the edge of the village, close to a narrow water creek that reflected the fading sky. When I arrived, soft laughter greeted me before words ever could.
Old Han was sitting outside, crouched low, waving a piece of cloth in exaggerated motions.
In front of him stood a tiny figure, barely steady on her feet.
Han Yue.
His one-year-old granddaughter.
Her cheeks were round and soft, her eyes bright and curious. She wobbled as she tried to imitate his movements, letting out incoherent sounds that were closer to music than speech.
Old Han noticed me immediately.
"Oh?" he said, surprised. "Shen Yuan?"
Han Yue turned her head at the sound of my name.
Our eyes met.
She froze for a second—then raised her tiny hand and waved clumsily.
My lips curved upward without me realizing it.
I waved back.
As I approached, Old Han laughed. "She likes you. Usually, she just stares at strangers."
I crouched slightly and gently pinched her soft cheeks.
She giggled, squirming happily.
I nudged her tiny nose.
She let out another burst of delighted nonsense, flailing her arms.
Old Han stared at me.
Not at my actions—but at me.
There was surprise in his eyes.
I knew why.
He had known me since childhood. Watched me grow quiet, reserved, carrying burdens far heavier than my age allowed. I rarely interacted like this—especially not with children.
"You seem… different today," he said slowly. "In a good mood."
I straightened and smiled faintly.
"I suppose I am."
I didn't tell him everything.
Only what was necessary.
"I impressed the sect envoy earlier," I said. "He gave me a sect-affiliated spiritual farmer token."
Old Han's eyes widened.
Then he laughed heartily.
"Good! Good!" he said, clapping his hands. "I knew it. I knew you wouldn't stay buried in this village forever."
He leaned down and gently nudged Han Yue. "Hear that? Big Brother Shen did something amazing. Say congratulations."
Han Yue blinked.
Then babbled enthusiastically, her words meaningless—but her tone joyful.
I laughed softly. "That's adorable."
Old Han beamed.
After a brief pause, I got to the point.
"Uncle Han," I said, "I wanted to ask you something."
He looked at me attentively.
"I'm planning to experiment with some seeds I bought earlier," I continued. "But my field is only Tier 1. I was wondering… do you happen to have any Spirit Gathering Formation plates?"
Old Han fell silent.
Then he sighed.
"I do," he admitted. "A long time ago, I bought one with my savings. A Tier 2 plate."
He shook his head, a self-mocking smile on his lips.
"I couldn't make Tier 2 plants grow. Tried everything. In the end, I failed. I thought of selling it, but… I couldn't bring myself to."
He chuckled. "So I kept it. A souvenir of my hard work."
He looked at me seriously.
"If you want it, I'll bring it. Wait here."
Then he added with a grin, thrusting Han Yue into my arms—
"Hold my precious darling. If she cries, I'm going to kick you."
I burst out laughing.
"Deal."
Han Yue stared up at me with wide, innocent eyes.
I gently poked her cheeks again, then nudged her nose.
She squirmed happily, tiny hands grabbing at my sleeves.
For a moment, everything felt… light.
As the saying went—
A child's innocence could heal wounds even time could not.
Soon, Old Han returned.
In his hands was a jade formation plate, its surface engraved with complex runes. At the center was a shallow hollow, surrounded by five small grooves.
"This is a Tier 2 Spirit Gathering Formation Plate," he explained. "It gathers spiritual energy slowly but steadily. You can achieve similar results by consuming spirit stones, but this is more efficient long-term."
I accepted it carefully.
"Thank you."
I took out a small pouch and handed it to him.
Old Han frowned and pushed it back. "No need. Just return the plate when you're done."
I shook my head. "I heard Uncle Han's been having a hard time lately. Use this to buy some candies for Han Yue. Consider it rent."
He hesitated.
Then sighed and accepted it.
I had placed twenty spirit stones inside—enough to help, but not enough to raise suspicion.
Before leaving, I lowered my voice.
"Please keep this a secret."
Old Han nodded solemnly. "Of course."
I didn't head to the field immediately.
Instead, I wandered near the creek, letting time pass.
Only when I saw a streak of light cut across the sky—a flying boat departing—did I finally move.
The envoy was gone.
Only then did I enter my field.
I went straight to the hidden section at the back.
The Vermillion Blood Spirit Rice seeds lay beneath the soil there.
At the center, I placed the formation plate, embedding it carefully underground. I set five spirit stones into the grooves.
The plate shimmered faintly.
The earth hummed softly.
I buried it completely.
Old Han had warned me—I would need to replace the stones every fifteen days to maintain proper function.
At the same time, I activated the Speed Growth Card over one full mu of land.
The soil trembled.
Jade Spirit Rice sprouted rapidly, rising until it reached nearly three feet tall—forming a natural screen that concealed the Vermillion Blood saplings behind them, which had grown to about one foot.
Perfect concealment.
I surveyed the field one last time.
Satisfied, I left quietly, disappearing back toward home beneath the deepening night.
One of the things which has been bothering me has been taken care of now the next....