Live Red Mushroom

Lin Qingsheng was stunned upon hearing this, and his pity for him deepened.

After thinking it over carefully, he said, "Nephew, the remote location of Qingxi Town is one reason, but more importantly, most of the townspeople are descendants of officials who were exiled there and have a lot of grievances against the Immortal Dynasty. It is said that there are also many registered criminals hiding in the town."

"They're even hiding cultivators who have been robbed! Is the town lord truly telling the truth?"

Uncle Fu remained relatively calm when he heard that the descendants of the disgraced official were there, but as soon as he uttered the words "robbery of the cultivators," he disregarded his composure and became moved, pressing for answers.

Lin Qingsheng nodded slightly and continued, "Qingxi Town was originally established by the Immortal Dynasty, and a separate garrison was stationed there. It was specifically used to imprison and release the families of convicted officials. It is said that the initial intention was to use these people as the vanguard to resist the Southern Barbarians."

"But that place is deep in the 'Thousand Lakes Wasteland', where conditions are extremely harsh. In addition, the Southern Barbarians and monsters frequently harass it, and it couldn't hold out for more than a few years. Later, the garrison commander of Qingxi Town used his connections to transfer Qingxi Town to Wancheng for management. Wancheng only managed it for more than ten years before handing it over to the cultivation families under its jurisdiction. Now it has fallen into your hands, my dear nephew."

"As for the 'robber cultivator,' it's just a rumor for now. If it really exists, I imagine the Wancheng County government wouldn't ignore it."

When Lin Qingsheng spoke of the Wancheng County Government Office, he emphasized it to remind Xu Yunxin that the head of his Xu family was the head of the criminal affairs department in the Wancheng County Government Office, which was in charge of criminal cases.

If there really is a calamity cultivator, Xu Yunxin can send a letter home to report it and ask his elders or the county government to step in and quell the calamity cultivator. He might even be able to add another merit to his record.

However, since it was their first meeting, he and Xu Yunxin had to keep to himself and not speak too frankly.

Xu Yunxin and Uncle Fu knew their own situation, but they couldn't tell Lin Qingsheng about it. The three chatted for a while longer and asked Lin Qingsheng to take good care of the convoy coming from Qingxi Town in the future. Then they prepared to say goodbye and leave.

As they parted, Lin Qingsheng ordered someone to fetch a bag of spirit rice seeds and a wooden box.

The wooden box was lined with rotten soil, and a mushroom with a bright red crown was growing on it.

Lin Qingsheng presented the wooden box to Xu Yunxin and said, "Nephew, although this red mushroom is not of high grade, it tastes very good. Regular consumption can even nourish the body. If you use this live red mushroom as a seed and cultivate it properly, you can also grow a red mushroom garden, which may be of some help to you."

Xu Yunxin was worried about his financial situation and had not been able to obtain any spiritual plant seeds. Unexpectedly, during this impromptu visit, the town lord of Shuangmu Town, who was not related to him at all, gave him a live red mushroom!

Although this red mushroom is not of high grade, its ability to nourish the body with long-term consumption is enough to help him win over most of the mortals in Qingxi Town and lay the foundation for him to train the town's troops.

This isn't just somewhat helpful, it's incredibly helpful!

The gift was too generous for Xu Yunxin to refuse. He solemnly accepted the wooden box, bowed deeply to Lin Qingsheng, and said, "Uncle Lin, I will come to visit again after I have settled the town affairs!"

Lin Qingsheng smiled and said "okay" repeatedly before letting Xu Yunxin and Uncle Fu leave.

After leaving Lin Qingsheng's residence, the two returned to the inn where they had stopped for a meal. As soon as they closed the door, Uncle Fu immediately said to Xu Yunxin, "Young Master, the methods of the robber cultivators are ruthless and vicious; they kill without blinking an eye. We really can't go to Qingxi Town! You must come back to the clan with me now and ask the clan leader to relieve you of your post as the town's guard. I'll find a way to pay the spirit stones you owe..."

Before Uncle Fu could finish speaking, Xu Yunxin interrupted him decisively: "Uncle Fu, we absolutely must go to Qingxi Town!"

"Young Master!" Uncle Fu tried to persuade him again.

Xu Yunxin quickly walked to the window, pushed it open, and pointed to the bustling street outside, asking, "Uncle Fu, what do you think of Shuangmu Town?"

Uncle Fu paused for a moment, then said, "Shuangmu Town guards the vital passage between the 'Thousand Lakes Wasteland' and Wancheng, with a dense flow of people and frequent caravans, and it's developing very well. But Qingxi Town is deeper inland..."

Xu Yunxin interjected, "Uncle Fu, Shuangmu Town is so good, could it be a suitable base for Lin Qingsheng's business?"

Uncle Fu was taken aback again. After a moment of contemplation, he nodded and then slowly shook his head, answering somewhat uncertainly, "Can...can't?"

Xu Yunxin said, "No, it's not possible."

"Uncle Fu, Shuangmu Town is good in every way, but it is too close to Wancheng and too close to the Lin family. The better Lin Qingsheng manages it, the easier it is for him to lose his position as town lord. He is still the town lord now, which must be very difficult for him."

"Uncle Fu, think about it again. If we develop Qingxi Town to the same scale as Shuangmu Town, will the Xu family or anyone in Wancheng covet it?" Xu Yunxin asked again.

This time, after a moment's thought, Uncle Fu shook his head firmly.

"Therefore, if we truly want to establish a foothold and make it our foundation, we must tackle a bone that they can't reach!"

Xu Yunxin stared intently into Uncle Fu's eyes and said solemnly, "Uncle Fu, Qingxi Town is a bone that the Xu family and Wancheng can't reach or don't want to gnaw on. If we work together, it will definitely become a foundation like 'Shuangmu Town' in the future, no, it will be even better and stronger than 'Shuangmu Town'! Now, are you willing to gnaw on this bone with me?"

Uncle Fu stared blankly at Xu Yunxin, a strange emotion surging in his heart, and nodded as if possessed.

"Master! Heaven has blessed us, young master has truly grown up."

After persuading Uncle Fu, the two joined forces, first organizing the supplies at hand, and then began planning the next steps.

In addition to spirit rice, live red mushrooms, and a half-tier magic tool for farming, there is also a spirit gathering array plate, two spirit stones, nineteen spirit sands, and twenty-four first-tier spirit talismans.

The majority of them are first-tier fireball runes and first-tier ice runes used for attack, totaling sixteen, while eight are golden light runes used for defense.

Uncle Fu handed all eight Golden Light Talismans and four Frost Talismans to Xu Yunxin, instructing him to keep them safe and categorize them. He told Xu Yunxin to activate the Golden Light Talismans immediately to protect himself should any danger arise, and to keep the Frost Talismans as a precaution.

Xu Yunxin only has the first level of Qi Refining cultivation. He can only use two golden light talismans to protect himself. If he has to use ice talismans to fight, he will probably run out of spiritual power and be completely exhausted after only a few.

With his Qi Refining Eighth Level cultivation, Uncle Fu could activate magic talismans faster and with less mana loss, making him the main force in combat and eliminating enemies. The remaining first-tier fireball talismans were kept by Uncle Fu to increase his combat methods.

After getting ready, the two sat down to rest and left Shuangmu Town early the next morning, heading towards Qingxi Town along the narrow path.

The deeper they went, the taller the trees became, and the occasional potholes made the path increasingly rugged. Even with a magnificent horse, their speed gradually slowed down.

After another day of travel, the two rested for the night in a market town spontaneously formed by cultivators and merchants. There were no more towns to stop in before they reached the next one.

At this point, we have truly entered the inner layer of the "Thousand Lakes Wasteland".

On the morning of the third day, Xu Yunxin and Uncle Fu rode their horses to a dense forest. The tall, dense trees formed a green barrier that completely blocked their view.

Along the way, Xu Yunxin could be said to have become more and more comfortable the deeper he went.

Especially after entering the inner layer of the "Thousand Lakes Wasteland", his physical strength and spiritual energy recovery were greatly enhanced, and his senses became more acute and powerful, especially his eyes could see farther and more clearly.

After carefully examining the area for a while, Xu Yunxin realized that something was amiss with the dense forest.