The Happy Farmer Wanderer-Chapter 889 Dispute and Threat

"Discuss with the people who arrived first?" Li Qing asked, corner of his mouth twisting in a sneer, "Yet, I haven’t felt even a shred of your desire to talk, have I?"

The old man’s gaze flickered as he feebly said, "That’s not..."

"Not what? You think we’re too weak and not qualified enough to talk to you?" Li Qing asked angrily.

The old man neither confirmed nor denied but nodded slightly, "My original intent was to drive you away and then switch to someone from the Ninth Bureau with whom we can properly discuss this matter and settle it so that it ends well for you, me, and everyone else."

"But who could have thought that even though you are of low realm, you actually have two treasures in your possession... I truly didn’t think of that."

"Young man, why don’t you find someone with real authority? This matter is actually not simple. Given your looks, you probably don’t know what Hundred Trees Essence is. That spring is an invaluable treasure, but at the same time, there’s another secret behind it. Hundred Trees Essence is not a false advertisement like Hundred Flowers Honey; there’s a real reason behind it."

"Just say it. In this city, I have the authority to speak!" Li Qing said sternly.

He was somewhat infuriated by the old man’s condescending attitude.

"No, young man, forget it. I’ll just tell you straight—the Hundred Trees Essence can run." The old man became somewhat anxious, "These Hundreds Trees aren’t ordinary trees but a king among them, born with a spirit. It suppresses the surrounding trees that have developed spiritual nature and feeds them spiritual liquid to support their cultivation."

"If it senses a sudden decrease in the amount of spiritual spring water, it will lead the other trees that have developed a spirit to move elsewhere, disguise itself, and hide. If it truly hides, few in the world can find it unless one day it reaches the Tribulation Ascension stage and reappears in the world, becoming known to all."

"And I, I want to negotiate with your Ninth Bureau because I have found that King of Trees."

Having said this, the old man, reminiscent of a turtle, lifted his long neck high, his eyes filled with self-satisfaction.

Clearly, in his own view, this was a matter of great pride.

Li Qing felt as if he had heard a bizarre story; it was the first time he heard that a king could be born among trees, and that it could even flee when sensing danger.

And the old man’s words, while listening to them, didn’t seem to have many flaws and appeared to be true.

Li Qing’s eyelids slightly dropped as he stared at the old man and asked, "What are your conditions?"

"Just provide me with a certain amount of Hundred Trees Essence every month from the Ninth Bureau and ensure my information is kept confidential," the old man said decisively. "My condition should be considered quite lenient, right?"

The terms weren’t too demanding, but Li Qing could also hear an ulterior motive.

This old man probably intended to trade with the Ninth Bureau from the start rather than looking for a powerful backing.

In this world, not many clans and sects are willing to negotiate directly and give a small Qi Cultivation Stage cultivator a chance.

At least, if Li Qing were in the old man’s position, he definitely wouldn’t dare to negotiate with any clan or sect; he would surely gather all the Earth Spirit Spring Water he could, then find a place to hide and quietly cultivate.

As for whether the Tree King could run or would rage, he wouldn’t even consider it.

Weakness is the original sin. If he was just a loose cultivator in the Qi Cultivation Stage, he definitely wouldn’t have had the guts this old man had.

"Aren’t you afraid I might kill you now to silence you?" Li Qing suddenly said with a cold laugh.

The old man was suddenly stunned, "Young man, you... this... this is somewhat unkind. I’ve said all I have to say, and my actions weren’t too excessive. If you really have ulterior motives, how about this, I’ll tell you the location of the King Tree and we can split the Hundred Trees Essence and go our separate ways?"

"But, I have to add one more thing. It’s not easy for such a spring to appear in the world, let’s not turn it into a one-time deal and completely finish it off. If I had any ulterior motives, I would’ve done it long ago. Would I take such a risk unnecessarily?"

Hearing this, Li Qing suddenly felt like he was becoming the villain.

"Let’s go, take me to see that spring first!" said Li Qing. "But I advise you not to try any tricks, my arrows are incredibly fast, you won’t be able to dodge them."

"I feel it..." the little old man said with a downcast head, his expression instantly wilting.

On the way to the spring, Li Qing thought about it and decided to call Dian Chunqiu.

Informing Xuan Chen Zhenren secretly seemed a bit unfair since he was currently operating under the identity of the Ninth Bureau. It was both reasonable and proper to notify Dian Chunqiu first and listen to his arrangements.

As soon as the call connected, just as Li Qing mentioned the Hundred Trees Essence, Dian Chunqiu’s voice instantly grew louder, "You little rascal, your physique is truly against the norms. This kind of thing, which can be seen once every hundred, even a thousand years, you actually stumbled upon it."

"Chief, when did you start picking up habits from my master? If you praise me, just praise me, if you scold me, just scold me. Why mix both? Your attitude makes me think... the Hundred Trees Essence might run away later," Li Qing leisurely said.

"You little rascal, watch your words with me. If I hit you, your master might not necessarily be able to stop me," Dian Chunqiu’s voice suddenly darkened, "If the Hundred Trees Essence runs away, I will absolutely beat you until you are unable to take care of yourself."

"Chief, spare me the threats, even if my master doesn’t stop you, my woman is quite strong too," Li Qing said with a chuckle.

Dian Chunqiu suddenly fell silent. It took him a long while to speak faintly, "Living off a woman to this extent, you are truly unique. But, you have indeed convinced me. Keep the item safe, Lingji is in Ebei, I’ll have her rush over immediately."

"Also, inform your master as well. Since the discovery was yours, your sect surely won’t miss out on a portion."

Li Qing acknowledged, "The chief is generous, just now I was even hesitating whether to be a bit selfish or not."

"You little rascal, I’ve always been good to you, don’t turn us into enemies," Dian Chunqiu said with a mix of laughter and scolding, "Anything else?"

"What about the old man’s conditions? How should we handle them?" Li Qing asked. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"Let’s discuss those when I get there. I’ll sort out some things on my side first and then rush over," Dian Chunqiu said.

"Okay!"

Li Qing acknowledged, then hung up the phone.

"Old man, I’ve relayed your conditions. Unless something unexpected happens, at least half should be achievable, so I advise you to abandon any useless ideas," Li Qing told the old man. "I guarantee, if you dare harbor any crooked thoughts, you definitely won’t be able to leave this place."