Longevity: Start Farming with Entries-Chapter 392 - 368: Abnormality

Li Lan pondered for a moment and replied:

"Hehe, Elder Zou praises me too much, I am just making a living."

"Moreover, Shopkeeper Lu has treated me well, and working in Mirror Snow Pavilion is quite good."

"Besides, isn’t Mirror Snow Pavilion also a member of your Commerce Alliance?"

Li Lan smiled gently, his tone extremely tactful.

Zou Pinghai heard this and forced a smile, hiding any abnormality, and got straight to the point:

"Actually, I’m here for a personal matter. I want to invite you to become an Honored Guest Elder of my Zou Family to cultivate some High-Tier Spirit Plants for us."

"As for the conditions, it will be double what Mirror Snow Pavilion offers you, and if you have any other requests or conditions, feel free to mention them."

Li Lan thought briefly after hearing this and politely declined: "Thank you for your generosity, Elder Zou."

"It’s just that I’ve already agreed to Shopkeeper Lu and signed an agreement to cultivate at Mirror Snow Pavilion for thirty years, during which I cannot join any other forces. I’m afraid this might disappoint Elder Zou."

Zou Pinghai frowned upon hearing this. He hadn’t expected such an agreement between them, so he asked:

"Hehe! What if I could persuade Shopkeeper Lu?"

"Would you be willing then?"

Li Lan hadn’t expected the other party to be so persistent; his words were actually a very clear refusal.

"This..."

Although Li Lan was now a Tier Three Spirit Plant Grandmaster, he dared not offend the high-ranking elder of the Ten Thousand Dao Business Alliance in front of him.

For a moment, he found it difficult to decide.

"Grandmaster Li seems to have concerns? How about I chat with that Shopkeeper Lu first?"

With that, Zou Pinghai left without waiting for Li Lan’s reaction.

"Alas!" Li Lan sighed heavily.

His wife had just heard the conversation between the two and said worriedly, "Husband, do you think there will be trouble with the people from the Ten Thousand Dao Business Alliance coming to us?"

"Elder Zou’s matter is not a big deal; I’m just afraid of any misunderstandings with Shopkeeper Lu... alas!" Li Lan said.

In Five Elements Spirit Field.

Qin Ming was holding a Spiritual Hoe, tending to the Spirit Field, when he saw a purple Escape Light approaching from afar, landing outside the Array.

He just released his Divine Thought slightly and recognized the visitor as somewhat familiar.

"Why is this person here?" Qin Ming thought to himself, then put down the Spiritual Hoe, opened the Array, and went out to welcome the guest.

"Oh! It’s Elder Zou’s esteemed visit, excuse me for not welcoming you from afar! Please come inside!" Qin Ming put on a smile and saluted Zou Pinghai.

Zou Pinghai showed little expression, simply waved his hand sagely, "No need, I’m here this time to discuss something with you."

"Oh? I wonder what Elder Zou wishes to discuss?" Qin Ming showed a slight look of surprise, not expecting a high-ranking member of the Ten Thousand Dao Business Alliance to come to him with business.

Zou Pinghai then recounted the matter about wanting Li Lan to Qin Ming.

Qin Ming was taken aback after listening.

A high-ranking elder of the Ten Thousand Dao Business Alliance coming so openly to poach someone was truly a bit audacious.

However, the terms offered by Zou Pinghai were highly tempting for both Mirror Snow Pavilion and Li Lan, demonstrating sincere intentions.

It’s just—

Qin Ming was not currently lacking those small gains, so he smiled slightly, cupped his hands and politely declined: "I’m afraid I have to refuse Elder Zou’s kind offer."

"Our Mirror Snow Pavilion has just acquired these two hundred acres of Spirit Field and needs a Tier Three Spirit Plant Master like Li Lan to manage it."

"We have invested a lot of effort in training him, so we will not let him leave for now."

Zou Pinghai’s expression immediately frozen upon hearing this.

"Hehe, since Shopkeeper Lu’s mind is made up, I won’t disturb you any further."

Saying this, he hurriedly left the same way he came, flying away directly.

Qin Ming watched Zou Pinghai’s departing direction, pondering, ’Wasn’t Zou Pinghai doing business with Hua Tianxiong?’

’Why is he now interested in Spirit Plant Masters?’

He immediately contacted Hua Tianxiong through a Black Talisman.

"Hua Tianxiong, are you still transporting Zou Pinghai’s commercial goods recently?"

"Replying to the master, a few batches have been transported, why?"

"Is there something wrong with Zou Pinghai?" Hua Tianxiong replied uncertainly, "I also feel he’s been acting a bit strangely lately."

"Oh? What unusual behavior has he shown?" Qin Ming asked upon hearing this.

"Zou Pinghai seems to have been heavily recruiting High-Tier Spirit Plant Masters for the past two years, no idea what for."

"And it doesn’t seem to have much to do with the Ten Thousand Dao Business Alliance, seems entirely his private business."

"Okay, keep an eye on it for me, inform me of any situations promptly."

"Yes, master!"

...

Days later.

The Heaven-Devouring Rat emerged from beneath the Spirit Field, looking dejectedly at Qin Ming as it said:

"Master, I’ve dug everywhere beneath the Spirit Land, but haven’t found any High-Tier Spiritual Ore?"

"Could it be that the people from Divine Dao Mountain got it wrong?"

Qin Ming replied, "Impossible? As the saying goes, they don’t visit us for no reason, with two elders from Divine Dao Mountain personally involved, they must have an agenda."

Then he frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "How about you try digging in other directions centered around the Spirit Field?"

The Heaven-Devouring Rat nodded immediately upon receiving orders and continued digging in other directions to investigate.

But just as Qin Ming was working.

Hua Tianxiong’s urgent voice came through.

"Master, something terrible has happened!"

"Our caravan was ambushed near the Five Elements Mountain Range, and Elder Zou... Elder Zou Pinghai has fallen..."

Qin Ming raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, extremely surprised, "Ah? Do you know who did it?"

"It... it seems to be people from Divine Dao Mountain..." Hua Tianxiong stammered in reply, "A business alliance losing an elder is a big deal, this... will definitely be held against me."

"I have another piece of news for the Master, it turns out that the merchandise Zou Pinghai had us transport was a Tier Three Spirit Plant named ’Decaying Spirit Grass’, and in considerable quantity, he secretly arranged this, seemingly related to the Tier Four Spirit Vein controlled by Divine Dao Mountain’s Five Elements Mountain."

"Divine Dao Mountain’s people did it..." Qin Ming pondered for a moment, a bit lost...

However, this Tier Three Low-Grade Decaying Spirit Grass, he knew a bit about it, that once it rots, it releases all its inherent energy, turning into a nutrient to help other spirit plants grow rapidly.

It’s a rare nutrient-type spiritual material.

’It seems that Zou Pinghai was putting in so much effort, acquiring so many Decaying Spirit Grasses, probably to continuously provide some spirit plant with additional growth.’

This also slightly piqued Qin Ming’s curiosity.

The next moment, Qin Ming’s figure suddenly vanished from the spot. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Hua Tianxiong was an important piece for Qin Ming, definitely worth protecting.

...

After a stick of incense.

Qin Ming headed to the location given by Hua Tianxiong.

When he arrived, Hua Tianxiong was alone, piloting the Golden Imperial Carriage, fleeing in haste near the Five Elements Mountain Range.

Behind him, a Golden Core Cultivator was relentlessly pursuing...

Qin Ming expanded his Divine Thought and immediately identified the pursuer as Master Yunyang, a late-stage Golden Core Elder from Divine Dao Mountain.