Chapter 64: High Yield
"I greet my senior brothers!"
Gu Mo cupped his hands in salute. As he was still a menial disciple, he couldn't neglect the necessary etiquette when facing outer disciples.
"Junior Brother Gu Mo, you're too polite."
Seeing this, the outer disciples waved their hands dismissively. Though Gu Mo was technically still a menial disciple, his status was in no way inferior to theirs. Rumor had it that Steward Zhao had even promised to help him apply for promotion to outer disciple as long as he could consistently supply Water Spirit Rice.
In a few years, Gu Mo might very well stand among them as an outer disciple.
"Ahem!"
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the outer disciples quickly got to the point. "Junior Brother Gu Mo, how is this year's Water Spirit Rice yield?"
The yield of Gu Mo's Water Spirit Rice directly affected whether they could purchase the rice from him. The production of such high-grade spiritual plants was notoriously unstable—any mishap could lead to reduced yield, or in severe cases, complete crop failure.
This was precisely why Zhao Qiancheng had made his promise: only if Gu Mo could stabilize the yield would he help him secure a spot as an outer disciple.
After all, ensuring a stable yield of high-grade spiritual plants was no small feat. If Gu Mo could truly achieve this, becoming an outer disciple would be a certainty.
"I was just about to register the yield, why don't my senior brothers accompany me?" Gu Mo smiled. He was well aware that their enthusiasm was entirely because of his Water Spirit Rice.
"Good, good!"
Hearing this, the outer disciples nodded repeatedly. Without delay, they followed Gu Mo to the warehouse.
The steward responsible for recording yields perked up upon seeing Gu Mo. This was Gu Mo's second time registering his Water Spirit Rice yield, and this record would determine whether he could truly maintain stable production.
Under everyone's watchful gaze, Gu Mo took out the freshly harvested Water Spirit Rice. In mere moments, a small mountain of rice stalks had piled up.
This sight left both outer and menial disciples stunned.
In the Spiritual Plant Hall, only a handful of senior spirit farmers were capable of cultivating Water Spirit Rice. Their harvests were so rare that they were typically claimed by inner disciples before they even reached the warehouse.
Only a tiny portion was left for the rest of the sect's disciples to exchange for with contribution points. However, with the vast number of outer and menial disciples in Qinglu Sect, there was never enough to go around. Other than a few lucky ones who managed to grab a pound or two, most disciples had never even seen Water Spirit Rice before.
Now, a literal small mountain of it lay before them. The impact was overwhelming.
Although the precise yield hadn't been determined yet, everyone already knew—Gu Mo's harvest was a resounding success.
While the crowd remained in shock, the steward swiftly placed the rice stalks into a specialized artifact. Moments later, glistening grains of Water Spirit Rice emerged.
"Three hundred and thirty pounds!"
When the final figure was announced, the steward's eyes filled with disbelief. Gu Mo had increased his previous yield of three hundred pounds by another ten percent.
As per the agreement, two hundred pounds would be handed over to the sect in exchange for two thousand contribution points, leaving Gu Mo with one hundred and thirty pounds for himself.
With the registration complete, countless fiery gazes locked onto Gu Mo. One hundred and thirty pounds of Water Spirit Rice—this was an enormous fortune.
"Senior Brother Mai!"
Gu Mo scanned the crowd and spotted a familiar face. He immediately called out.
"Junior Brother Gu Mo!"
Mai Yunfa approached with a broad smile. The moment he heard Gu Mo was registering his yield, he had rushed over, and what he saw had left him speechless.
An acre yield of three hundred and thirty pounds!
If Water Spirit Rice had an "acre yield champion" like Spirit Jade Rice, this year's undisputed winner would be Gu Mo.
The Spiritual Plant Hall's Water Spirit Rice fields had been harvested a few days prior, and their yields had already been recorded. However, those crops never reached the warehouse—inner disciples had taken them all.
Even so, the highest yield among them was only two hundred and ninety pounds, while the lowest was one hundred and eighty pounds—a difference of one hundred and ten pounds. This alone highlighted just how difficult it was to stabilize the yield of high-grade spiritual plants.
And this was in a good year. If conditions were poor, the yield could drop even lower.
With this comparison in mind, Gu Mo's three hundred and thirty-pound yield was nothing short of extraordinary. Especially considering that he had already achieved a yield of three hundred pounds in his last harvest.
"Senior Brother Mai, I'd like to ask for your help with something."
Gu Mo pulled Mai Yunfa aside and whispered a few words.
A moment later, Mai Yunfa returned to the crowd with a broad grin.
"Everyone! Junior Brother Gu Mo has entrusted me to auction off his Water Spirit Rice. If you're interested in bidding, please come this way!"
As soon as he spoke, the crowd surged forward. Meanwhile, Gu Mo slipped away unnoticed.
Gu Mo knew that if he didn't offer up some Water Spirit Rice, it would be impossible to leave. But aside from Mai Yunfa, he wasn't familiar with many outer disciples.
So, instead of negotiating individually, he held an auction—whoever paid the most would get it.
And asking Mai Yunfa to handle the auction was simply because Gu Mo found dealing with people troublesome. With Mai Yunfa's connections in the Spiritual Plant Hall, there was no better person for the job.
Leaving the Spiritual Plant Hall, Gu Mo took out a paper crane, only to find that its spiritual energy had faded, rendering it unusable.
Without hesitation, he summoned his mid-grade flying sword.
At this point, no one doubted that Gu Mo deserved such an item. After all, anyone who could cultivate Water Spirit Rice could certainly afford a flying sword.
Infusing spiritual energy into the blade, the sword expanded, and Gu Mo lightly leaped onto it. With a swift activation of the Sword Flight Technique, he transformed into a streak of light, heading toward the marketplace outside the sect.
"Brother Gu Mo!"
Upon hearing of Gu Mo's arrival, Gou Youyu enthusiastically rushed out to greet him. This time, however, there was something different about his attitude.
It was simple—after their last meeting, Gou Youyu had secretly investigated Gu Mo through his spiritual grain acquisition network.
In Qinglu Sect, only the Spiritual Plant Hall had the right to sell spiritual grains, and Gu Mo was undoubtedly a rising star within that hall. It only took a little digging for Gou Youyu to uncover the truth.
The moment he learned that Gu Mo had successfully cultivated Water Spirit Rice, he realized—this junior brother didn't have some big figure backing him. He himself was the big figure.
A man capable of growing Water Spirit Rice was a powerful figure in his own right.
Knowing this, Gou Youyu's attitude naturally shifted when they met again.
Of course, since Gu Mo hadn't brought it up, Gou Youyu played along and pretended to be unaware.
Gu Mo, noticing the subtle shift in Gou Youyu's demeanor, smirked inwardly but said nothing.
After all, he had deliberately let this information slip.
He still had questions about the "Wine God's Divine Refinement Technique", and hiding his identity any longer would only make things more troublesome.
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