"That's right, no need to doubt—it's for you," Li Xuan said, handing a flowerpot to Bai Wen with a serious expression. "But there's one condition—you have to help me with something."
Bai Wen clutched the pot like it was a precious treasure. His eyes lit up, and his whole demeanor changed, as if someone had plugged him into a power outlet. "Don't worry! Whatever it is, I'll get it done!"
"I want you to spread the word that I can cultivate seeds. For every ten seeds I grow, I keep one as payment. Or, if they prefer, I can trade nine pots of seedlings in exchange for ten seeds," Li Xuan explained, his tone calm but firm.
It was a fair deal—generous, even. A simple one-in-ten cut for cultivation services. If someone handed over a hundred seeds, they'd still get ninety healthy plants back. That would be more than enough to pass any inspection from... well, let's just say someone very picky.
It wouldn't take long before the other flower slaves—er, plant enthusiasts—started lining up to exchange seeds with Li Xuan like desperate bargain hunters on clearance day.
"Can I ask you to help me cultivate my seedlings too?" Bai Wen asked anxiously, gripping the flowerpot tighter like it might escape.
To put it kindly, Bai Wen's plant-growing skills were... questionable. Every attempt felt like a gamble with fate, and the plants always lost.
"Of course," Li Xuan said with a reassuring smile. "As long as you've got seeds and are willing to pay the price, I can help you grow them."
"I've got forty seeds!" Bai Wen declared, whipping out a small pouch from his clothes with the speed of someone worried Li Xuan might change his mind. He practically shoved it into Li Xuan's hands.
These forty seeds were Bai Wen's personal stash—the ones he had no confidence in growing himself. He'd been carrying them around hoping to trade for easier ones.
"Forty seeds, got it. I'll take four as my share. You can choose to let me cultivate the rest, or you can pick from the flowerpots over there and take home anything you think you can manage," Li Xuan said, gesturing toward a small jungle of potted plants behind him.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Bai Wen bowed deeply, then eagerly dashed into the garden to start browsing.
However, what Bai Wen didn't know was that earlier that morning, Li Xuan had already traded away his easy-to-grow seeds for more exotic, high-difficulty varieties. The seedlings in these pots were all high-tier and fussy—a plant nerd's dream and a beginner's nightmare.
Bai Wen made a full round, examining everything with increasing despair. Finally, he emerged from the yard with a sigh and a single pot in his hands, his expression one of gentle defeat.
"Your seedlings are... amazing. I've never seen most of these before, let alone tried to grow them. I'll just leave my seeds with you and come pick up the seedlings when they're ready," he said with a sheepish grin.
"Alright. Once they've sprouted, I'll let you know. Just bring enough pots when you come to pick them up," Li Xuan nodded in agreement.
"Thank you again!" Bai Wen bowed one last time before taking his leave.
Watching him walk away, Li Xuan shook his head, then turned to inspect the seed pouch Bai Wen had given him.
As he examined the contents, Li Xuan's brows began to furrow.
These... these are no ordinary seeds.
Somehow, Bai Wen had ended up with a treasure trove. Half of the forty seeds were rare varieties, and ten of them were of exceptional quality—ones even seasoned herbalists would kill to get their hands on. Looks like someone's been dipping into a hidden stash...
Li Xuan quietly pocketed five of the top-tier seeds for himself—finders keepers, cultivators get bonuses—then carried the rest into the garden.
Just yesterday, he had finished transplanting the previous batch of seedlings, leaving his cultivation trays conveniently empty. Perfect timing.
He carefully sorted the new seeds by type and rarity, then began planting them using the most suitable techniques for each one. No rush. Patience was key. Each seed received careful attention, as if he were tucking a baby into bed.
By the time he finished, it was already midday. Forty seeds, fully planted. Now all he had to do was wait for them to sprout.
Li Xuan sat down on the ground, wiped his forehead, and chugged the last of his bottled water like a parched traveler in a desert. His muscles ached, and he felt like he'd done a full workout.
After a short rest, he got back up. The seed planting was done, but now it was time for the real magic—the green potion from the little green bottle.
Li Xuan held out his hand. A flash of light, and the small jade bottle materialized in his palm. He retrieved an old ceramic jar from a water tank, filled it with clean water, and added a few drops of the emerald liquid.
Instantly, the water turned a vibrant green, glowing faintly like enchanted spring water from a fairy tale.
Li Xuan hesitated for a moment, then decided to use the entire dose on his Voidgrass.
He didn't have any urgent plant projects at the moment, and if the Voidgrass matured, it would produce a Void Pearl—a magical storage bead with an internal space. And if there was one thing Li Xuan needed right now, it was storage.
The moment the Voidgrass absorbed the green liquid, its leaves perked up like they'd just had a shot of espresso. It began growing rapidly before his eyes, shooting up from ten to thirty centimeters in seconds. The leaves doubled in size and thickness, going from five to ten in the blink of an eye. Not a trace of malnourishment—this plant was thriving.
That's when Li Xuan noticed a faint glint beneath one of the lower leaves.
A dark, shimmering bead was wobbling, about to fall off.
He instinctively reached out to catch it—
—but before he could, the bead dropped from the leaf and landed softly in the dirt.
"Wait... is that—?"
Li Xuan crouched down and carefully picked up the bead.
It was the size of a lotus seed, jet black and glossy like a pearl made of obsidian. It was cool and smooth to the touch, and surprisingly dense—almost like a polished stone.
[Congratulations! You've obtained a Void Pearl. Gained 1 point of Herbalist experience.]
"So that's how it works—producing fruit grants experience for my side profession," Li Xuan murmured, eyes gleaming with interest. "Now I'm curious what happens when I level up."
He held the Void Pearl in his palm and slowly infused it with soul energy.
As his power flowed into the pearl, he could feel it responding. The space within began to shift, twist, and stretch, until it finally stabilized.
A storage space roughly the size of a large cupboard—about three cubic meters—was now his to use.
"A real storage space... this is incredible!" Li Xuan said, turning the bead over in his hands with awe.
He pulled out a small seed pouch from his clothes, focused his thoughts, and—poof—it vanished into the Void Pearl. Another thought, and it popped right back into his hand.
It felt so natural, like moving his own fingers. The storage space responded to his will without delay, effortlessly.
He didn't have anything particularly valuable to store right now, but he wasn't about to leave this precious treasure lying around.
Li Xuan carefully tied the Void Pearl to a string of grass rope and looped it around his neck like a lucky charm.