Chapter 2 - Cultivator

The boy's hands moved with practiced precision as he harvested the Red Veined Horse Cabbage, each cut deliberately made to preserve the plant's delicate structure. He skillfully wielded the small sickle he had brought with him, its blade sharp enough to slice cleanly through the sturdy stems.

Within minutes, he had finished harvesting the first patch, which contained only six cabbages. After wrapping them in the cloth he had brought, he formed a bundle and placed it outside the rock basin, in a crack between the rocks where he had just harvested them. It would be troublesome to carry it with him while harvesting the other patches, especially since he would be taking the same route back. He could simply grab it on his way down; it would help him move faster. To feel safer, he covered the crack with a stone.

He then proceeded to the next patch, only ten meters away.

As he walked, the sun began its ascent, casting a golden hue over the mountains' rocky landscape. Shadows danced across the uneven terrain, and the boy paused not from fatigue, but from the sheer beauty of the moment. This place, secluded and untouched, felt like his sanctuary.

Like the first patch, he quickly harvested the second and then the others, repeating the same method. Soon, he had gathered all the bundles and carried them back to the first patch. The weight of responsibility pressed against his chest as he glanced at the cloth bundles accumulating by his side. Five bundles in total, each containing eight cabbages, adding up to forty cabbages. Each cabbage weighed at least 400 grams, so the total weight was at least 16 kilograms. He could carry that easily on flat terrain, but it might be difficult and dangerous in this kind of environment. He could easily slip and hurt himself.

While he mulled over how to proceed, he took out the baked sweet potato he had brought with him, found a relatively flat rock, placed the latest bundles beside him, and ate with relish. Working made him a bit hungry. After finishing the sweet potato, he clapped his hands a few times to remove the grubs, then drank some water. He grabbed the last bundle, stood up, his eyes still on the other stack of bundles in front of him.

"How are you going to carry all that?"

The boy's heart jolted at the unexpected voice. He had been so caught up in considering how to carry the bundles safely that he hadn't noticed someone approaching silently. He turned around, and a man stood behind him. His heart sank, and his face paled as his body began to tremble. One of the bundles he was holding dropped, its contents rolling down, but luckily, they became stuck against some rocks. The boy hadn't noticed anyone getting so close without a sound.

Sensing the boy's fear, the man quickly waved his hand.

"Oh, sorry if I frightened you, little brother. I didn't mean any harm. I just wanted to ask you if you need help with that" he said.



The man appeared to be in his thirties, wearing a blue Taoist robe. His hair was tied in a high bun with a black strip of cloth, adorned with a bamboo hairpin. He had a handsome face, a well-trimmed mustache and beard, and in his hand, he held a fly whisk made of long white animal hair of unknown origin. A wine bottle made from calabash hung at his waist. He didn't seem like a bad person, but who knew?

"I'm Muhsan from the Samang Sect, scouring the wild for herbs, and I saw those cabbages. Don't be afraid, I really have no ill intentions," he said, noticing the boy's hesitation to respond.

Upon hearing the man mention the Samang Sect, the boy calmed down slightly, though he remained wary. The Samang Sect was a place of learning, and its disciples cultivated the way of the immortals. They were known to be from the orthodox, white side of the cultivation world and quite famous for being helpful to the citizens of the kingdom, so they weren't bad people -at least, most of them weren't. That is, if he was truly a disciple from the Sect. The boy couldn't rule out the possibility that he might be lying. His grip on the sickle tightened, ready to act if the man made any sudden moves.

Seeing that the boy had calmed down a little, the man, standing about six meters away, made a hand gesture with his fly whisk toward the fallen bundles. Instantly, the bundles and the cabbages that had rolled away floated. The cabbages returned to their cloth bundles, and the entire lot levitated back to the pile where the other bundles had been stacked.

Seeing this, the boy's heart lifted. The man was likely a Magic Cultivator from the Samang Temple, and his abilities confirmed that. The boy now knew that the man was fully capable of harming him if he wished, but instead, he offered help. This showed that he truly didn't have ill intentions.

The boy watched as the bundles of cabbages floated back into place, his heart still racing from the unexpected encounter. The mans actions had been so smooth, so effortless, and the boy couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. Still, he remained cautious, his grip on the sickle loosening slightly but not entirely.

"I am Eshmund from the Isagani family. Are you interested in those cabbages?" he asked, wondering if there could be any other reason for the man's interest.

"Isagani? Is healer Tasan Isagani your grandfather?" Muhsan asked.

Muhsan smiled gently, noting the boy's continued wariness, and took a step back, lowering his fly whisk. "I see that you're not one to easily trust, little brother. Smart. But there's no need for fear. I'm here to make a good offer. These cabbages are of very high quality. You won't suffer a loss."

"Indeed, he is my grandfather. We live at the foot of the mountain in Glassy Rock Village," the boy said. It was clear his fathers name carried weight, well-known even among cultivators.

Muhsan's smile widened. "I've been traveling for some time, and I've been looking for good, herbs and fresh produce to bring back to the sect. These cabbages are usually very hard to find and only grow randomly in the wild. At first, I wanted to pick them up, but it crossed my mind that somebody might have planted them here. It seems you have found a way to cultivate them." He paused, taking a deliberate step forward. "At what price are you willing to let them go?"

The boy hesitated. He'd never sold his harvest before and was planning to give the extra sample in his rattan bag to his grandfather for an appropriate price, then sell them. But something about the man, his calm demeanor, his graceful movements told him this wasn't a a bad transaction. There was a certain nobility about him. The boy squinted, studying the cabbages as if seeing them through new eyes.

"Two hundred copper per cabbage," the boy said, almost as if testing the waters, unsure of the price but knowing it should be fair for such fine produce. He had seen one being sold before for 150 copper, but none were as good as his. He figured this price wouldn't be too high for such fine Red Veined Horse Cabbages.

Muhsan considered this for a moment, then shook his head with a small chuckle. "That's a bit too high, little brother. But I can offer you a fair deal." He reached into his robes and pulled out a small pouch. The sound of copper coins rattling inside caught the boy's attention.

"Two hundred... no," Muhsan said, "I'll offer you two hundred fifty copper for each cabbage, but I hope that if you have more in the future, you will think of me first. Well, if it's the same quality, it's only right for the price to remain the same. What do you think?"

The boy blinked, stunned. He'd expected less, but this was far more than he had imagined. Two hundred and fifty copper per cabbage was a generous sum, one that he couldn't easily refuse. The boys mind raced. He'd never seen this much copper in one place, and to receive it for a day's work, it was beyond his expectations.

"That's..." The boy hesitated again, not wanting to seem overly eager. "That's too much, and I can't really promise I'll be able to grow more. This success depended too much on luck."

Muhsan's expression softened. "It's not too much if the product is worth it. Quality always deserves a fair price. What do you say?" He smiled. "Whether there will be more in the future, we will discuss that then. If there's none, that's also alright."

The boy pondered for a moment. It was a really good offer, to be honest. He wouldn't lose anything, and the man didn't seem overly interested in the planting methods he was trying to hide. Probably, the other party knew that he didn't want to disclose it. If the other party were a bad guy, he could have just forced the information out of him and taken all the valuable cabbages away, leaving him with nothing. The offer would also instantly solve the problems of transporting and selling them, as well as many other complications he had been worrying about.

His heart beat faster, and though part of him wanted to refuse to be cautious, he couldn't deny the opportunity before him. A steady income, a connection to the Samang Sect, and no more worries about the dangers of the mountain... and other people coveting his wealth. It was indeed a great deal.

"I... I can do that, but I hope you won't tell others who you got them from," the boy said, still not fully believing the offer was real. "If there are more in the future, I can sell them to you. It will solve a lot of problems for me too."

Muhsan nodded approvingly, his smile broadening. "Excellent. And who knows, perhaps you'll even supply us with more exotic herbs and plants in the future. There are many rare things 'growing' in these mountains, after all." He smiled, jokingly, knowing that if there were more herbs of this quality and quantity, it would only mean that they had been intentionally planted. Eshmund smiled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head, knowing the man was teasing him.

The boy felt a surge of excitement, and at the same time, he still couldn't quite grasp the reality of it all. He was making a deal with someone from the Samang Sect, one of the most respected sects in the land.

Muhsan opened his palm, and a pouch magically appeared. Eshmund, who had expected such a thing from a magic cultivator, still watched with curiosity. He inspected it for a minute, took something out, and then handed the money pouch to the boy. "Check it to make sure there's nothing missing," he said.



Eshmund, without being polite, sat down, put the sickle down, and poured the contents of the pouch onto the ground. Carefully, he inspected it: one piece of a 50-silver note, two pieces of 20-silver notes, one 5-silver note, three silver coins, and 200 copper coins. Not a single copper less. That was 10,000 copper, or 100 silver in total. He nodded in agreement, signaling the amount was correct, his fingers brushing against the cool metal of the coins inside. He'd never seen this much money in his life.

"Thank you. This is correct," he said. He stood up, then held out his hand to shake on the deal, still a little shy and awkward. Muhsan, receiving the hand, replied, "Nice doing business with you, little brother," he said, half-teasing. He felt a sense of liking toward this kid.

Muhsan extended his hands toward the stack of bundles before him, his movements smooth and assured. One by one, the bundles floated toward his fist and vanished into the ring on his finger. Though Eshmund had already seen a pouch appear out of thin air, he was still utterly fascinated, his eyes fixed on Muhsans actions with an almost childlike wonder. He had heard that cultivators could perform feats like this, but witnessing it firsthand was an entirely different experience.

"I'll return to the sect soon," Muhsan said, looking toward the horizon, as if pondering something he wanted to say.

Eshmund, sensing what he was thinking, quickly spoke up. "The cabbages.. they take about 90 days to mature, if everything goes right," he said. "I will plant the next batch three days later... Three days before they're ready to harvest, I'll tie a red string on the branch of the big oak tree near the creek. It's easy to find."

Muhsan nodded, clearly satisfied with the arrangement. He had been worried about missing the right timing to harvest the magical cabbages. Their nature was specific, and if the timing was missed, the cabbages wouldn't reach their full potential.

"Great! That will be the arrangement, then," Muhsan smiled and turned around, leaping into the air. "Take care. Hope to meet you next time!" he called as he soared into the distance.

The boy watched him for a moment until Muhsan disappeared from view. Then he collected the bundles and tied them securely. He couldn't help but envy the magic cultivators who could simply pull things into their items and fly away like that. He dreamed of becoming one too.

"Wait, my silly brain stopped working because of the money! I should've asked him if I had the qualifications !" Eshmund thought, regretting the missed opportunity. It was strange he had entered the mountains alone that morning, hoping no one would notice him, and now he was thinking about meeting the person who had just saw him and left. "I'll definitely ask him tons of questions when we meet again," he sighed.

The copper pouch in his hand calmed him a bit. He made his way down the mountain, still lamenting about the person he had just met. Perhaps this was the start of something much larger than he had ever dreamed.