Fruit Farmer In A Cultivation World

Chapter 8: Sky-High Price



The Sky Sword mountain was considered one of the holy lands of Green Wind Empire as it was home to one of the empire's three great sects – the Sky Sword Sect.

Many bright-eyed cultivators visited the mountain hoping to get admitted as a disciple but most returned empty handed. Still, it didn't dampen the mood of those who hadn't tried.

For hundreds of thousands of budding cultivators of the empire, visiting the three great sects to try their luck was almost like a religious pilgrimage.

Even the ones who got rejected weren't hit too hard by their failure to get accepted. After all, even though they wouldn't be able to join the sect, they'd still be able to experience the vibrant and vitality filled atmosphere of the Broken Sword city, the city built at the foot of the mountain.

Unlike the other cities of the empire, the Broken Sword city was practically inhabited by nothing but cultivators. Spiritual resources that were hard to find outside were a common sight and even immortal scripts and techniques could be purchased if one had spirit stones.

Among the many shops that had established itself in the city, the Silver Moon Emporium was the most reputable. In fact, they had such good standing in the city that they were recognized as the Sky Sword Sect's official trading partner in the city.

Because of this, most of the sect's disciples chose to do their business with the Silver Moon Emporium.

Liang Zhi, who was a personal disciple of one of the sect's elder was greeted warmly by a pretty attendant.

"It's a pleasure to be able to serve young master Liang. How can I help you today?"

Liang Zhi answered while putting on a calm front, "I'd like to sell some spirit fruits that I got my hands on."

"Oh my, what a rare commodity. Please wait for a bit. I'll go fetch the appraiser."

It didn't take long for an old cultivator to attend to Liang Zhi. The latter quickly retrieved a few pieces from his bag and handed them over to the appraiser.

"Interesting," the old man commented while looking at the plum through a tool that looked similar to a magnifying glass. "The concentration of spiritual energy inside isn't much but the fruits themselves seem to have changed because of the rich environment they grew up in."

Liang Zhi nodded to himself. The appraiser's assessment was similar to his master's. No wonder the Silver Moon Emporium could build up a reputation as the most trustworthy store in the city. The level of the appraisers they hired were indeed very good.

"It's difficult to judge the value from just the energy reading alone. Would you mind if I tried one?"

Listening to the appraiser's question, Liang Zhi signaled it was ok.

Being a professional, the old man didn't take a bite directly. Instead, he washed the fruit with special water that didn't have any taste or smell. He then wiped it clean using a special linen before holding it up to the light to check for any blemishes that would have appeared if the fruits were attacked by bugs or diseases.

Noticing no flaws on the fruit's beautiful skin, he brought it close to his nose and smelled the plum.

The moment the fragrance from the plum hit his nose, its aroma unfolded like a gentle invitation. The scent was intoxicatingly sweet, with delicate notes of honey and wildflowers. It was as if the fruit was packed with the very essence of a sun-drenched orchard.

Beneath the sweetness lay a layer of subtle tang, a crisp, green freshness that hinted at the fruit's ripeness. Accompanying it was a faint whiff of earthiness that made him think of a serene forest after a gentle rain.

Inhaling the plum's fragrance was like breathing in a promise of summer, vibrant and full of life.

"How is it?"

The appraiser was brought out of his reverie by Liang Zhi's sudden question. He coughed to dispel the awkward atmosphere and hide his embarrassment before taking a bite.

Just the fragrance alone had stunned him stupid, he couldn't even begin to imagine how good it would taste. Still, he steeled his resolve and readied himself for what was to come.

A torrent of flavor crashed into him. He thought he was ready, but the sudden explosion of sweet and tart taste still managed to catch him off guard.

Regardless of the surprise though, the old man showed why he was a professional. He didn't close his eyes and relish the taste like Liang Zhi's master or the little girl who had come to Sen Lin's kiosk with her grandfather.

The old man covered all his taste buds with the juices of the plum and tried to understand all the flavors. However, that wasn't all, unlike the amateurs who pretended to know what they were doing, he took his job very seriously and went all the way.

It wasn't just the taste buds on his tongue that went to work, he also used the ones present on the roof of his mouth.

The testing session quickly came to an end and the old man turned to Liang Zhi who was waiting nervously.

"These spirit plums are of amazing qualities. While we won't be able to sell them as cultivation resources, it wouldn't be a problem to market them as exotic spirit fruits that offer a unique culinary experience."

Liang Zhi breathed a sigh of relief at the old man's words. This meant that he would be able to recoup his losses and make some money on the side.

"So, what's the price you're willing to offer?"

"Hmmm," the appraiser thought for a while before answering. "It's hard to put a price tag on it as I've never seen anything like this being sold. How does a spirit stone sound for a kilogram? We'll take everything you have."

Liang Zhi's breathing quickened rapidly. While he had thought that he'd be making a tidy profit, he had never thought it would be to such a great extent. He quickly agreed to the offer and walked out of the store with ten spirit stones, all of which were the size of a green bean seed.

If possible, he'd have loved to sell everything he had brought and pocket twenty spirit stones. Unfortunately, doing so would make him suffer in the hands of his master.


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