Crossing the Two Realms: From a Trader to an Immortal Emperor - Chapter 4

After a long wait, the chubby manager finally strolled in at a leisurely pace.

With a polite but distant tone, he said,

“I’m sorry, sir. We are a law-abiding business. I truly appreciate your interest in our store’s products and completely understand your eagerness to make the fruit ripen faster.”

“But—”

“One million!”

Before the manager could finish speaking, Chen Le’an cut him off.

“What? This isn’t about money.”

The chubby manager swallowed nervously.

“Two million!”

“Sir, you—”

Sweat started forming on the manager’s forehead.

“Last chance, four million!” Chen Le’an said firmly.

“Got it, sir! Hurry up and pack up the ripening agent and expansion agent for this distinguished guest!”

“Sir, please wait a moment. I’ll make you some tea!”

The chubby manager’s enthusiasm skyrocketed, and his round body moved so fast it almost left afterimages.

The salesgirl standing nearby was completely stunned. Only now did she snap out of it and quickly pack the items for Chen Le’an.

“Sir, this is our store’s VIP gold card. You’ll get the highest discount on all future purchases.”

“And this is my business card. Call me anytime if you need anything!”

The chubby manager kept handing over things, eager to establish a connection.

Plenty of people bought expansion agents, but spending four million on them? That was unheard of.

Only a true rich heir could be this extravagant!

A seasoned businessman like the chubby manager wouldn’t miss an opportunity to befriend someone like Chen Le’an.

Chen Le’an didn’t refuse either and accepted everything. Having a VIP card might come in handy later.

After paying, he left the store carrying a pill furnace.

The manager and the salesgirl bowed deeply as they escorted him to the entrance, drawing curious glances from the other shoppers.

Back at the small inn, Chen Le’an requested a room change—his previous room was soaked.

The innkeeper was reluctant at first.

But with just 1,000 yuan, Chen Le’an made him shut up and comply.

Spending over four million in a single trip felt surreal.

But Chen Le’an didn’t care much.

Since he could travel between two cultivation worlds, making money was the least of his worries.

What mattered most was getting useful items!

He carefully packed the ripening agent and expansion agent according to the available space. With a thought, they disappeared into his hybrid dimension.

Then, as he silently activated his ability, a familiar feeling of emptiness washed over him.

Chen Le’an blacked out.

The Spiritual Energy World:

Chen Le’an woke up.

He was still in the farmland.

It was already dusk.

Not daring to waste time, he quickly applied the ripening agent and expansion agent to the spiritual rice.

Before his eyes, the grains swelled noticeably, and their color gradually shifted from green to golden yellow.

It seemed that using technology in the Spiritual Energy World made things even more effective!

Chen Le’an stayed busy in his small acre of farmland until the moon rose.

Looking at the thriving spiritual rice, he let out a long sigh of relief.

It seemed like he’d be able to submit his task tomorrow without any issues.

Following his memory, he made his way home.

Calling it “home” was a bit of a stretch. It was really just a slum near the city walls, where makeshift huts were pieced together with wooden planks.

Each household marked its territory with a simple fence, and the sounds of chickens and dogs could be heard from all directions.

This was where the tenant farmers lived.

The city guards never patrolled this area, but being close to the city at least provided some safety.

There were fewer instances of bandits raiding here.

Of course, that was probably because the tenant farmers were too poor to be worth robbing.

“Hey, Brother Chen! Back already? Want to have some fun? I heard the Red Blossom Pavilion just got a few new charm cultivators—so fresh they’re practically dripping with sweetness!”

Chen Le’an looked at the scruffy old farmer in front of him and couldn’t help but chuckle.

Like him, this man was a loner. He had a sixth-level Qi Refining cultivation, enough to grow spiritual rice with ease, and had helped Chen Le’an many times.

“Old Wan, I don’t have the money for that. You go enjoy yourself instead. Maybe you can finally shake off the ‘old virgin’ title. But at your age, be careful—those charm cultivators don’t mess around!”

Old Wan’s wrinkled face stretched into a grin, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

“Kid, what do you know? I’ve been keeping my pure Yang body for decades—if anything, I’m worried the charm cultivators won’t be able to handle me!”

Chen Le’an laughed.

“You should just settle down with a widow and have a kid instead of dreaming about nonsense.”

“Sigh… At my age, there aren’t many days left. What’s the point of thinking about that? They say wealth doesn’t last three generations, but poor folks like us can’t even last two! We don’t have money to marry and have children! I just want to experience a man’s pleasures before I go. You wouldn’t understand, kid!”

After speaking, Old Wan tossed a small bag to Chen Le’an, then walked away with his hands behind his back.

Chen Le’an opened it—it was a bag of spiritual rice.

“This old man…”

A wave of warmth filled his heart.

Old Wan knew he didn’t have enough spiritual rice to complete his task, so he had given him all he could spare.

Even though it still wasn’t enough, it was all Old Wan had.

Don’t worry, Old Wan. One day, I’ll get you the ten best charm cultivators in the Red Blossom Pavilion! You’ll experience the true joys of manhood!

Chen Le’an silently swore to himself.

The Next Morning:

Chen Le’an woke up early and went straight to his farmland.

The spiritual rice had fully matured.

Thanks to the expansion agent, the grains were large and plump.

He gathered all the rice, cast a small Spring Rain Spell on it to make it look even fresher, and prepared to deliver it.

His only concern was whether this high-tech trick would be exposed.

“Harvest collection time! Everyone, gather at the village entrance!”

A servant on a spiritual horse galloped through the fields, shouting the order.

Chen Le’an didn’t have a storage pouch, so he had to carry the rice on his back.

When he arrived at the village entrance, many people had already gathered.

A man sat there with his legs crossed, exuding arrogance.

His luxurious spiritual robe shimmered faintly with spiritual energy, and he didn’t even bother to look at the farmers.

His expression screamed superiority.

“Li Er, required rice: 800 jin. Submitted: 801 jin. Pass!”

“Zhu Ba, required rice: 800 jin. Submitted: 804 jin. Pass!”

…

Several guards were collecting the rice one by one.

Carrying his rice, Chen Le’an immediately spotted Old Wan standing off to the side, looking sneaky.

He walked over and lowered his voice.

“Old Wan, who’s that smug guy acting like he owns the place?”

“You don’t know him?” Old Wan glanced at the man and spoke in a hushed, reverent tone. “That’s Liu Qiang, the youngest son of Landlord Liu. Born when his father was old, he’s treated like a treasure. He’s already a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator!”

At that moment—

“Zhang Jia, required rice: 800 jin. Submitted: 300 jin.”

“Hmm?”

“What’s going on?”

The arrogant Liu Qiang finally lowered his head and looked at the trembling Zhang Jia.

Chen Le’an knew Zhang Jia.

Like him, he was only at the third level of Qi Refining—there was no way he could grow 800 jin of spiritual rice.

“Y-young master, I really tried my best! I worked from dawn till dusk every day, but this is all I could harvest…”

“Then get lost.”

Liu Qiang said coldly.

Zhang Jia’s face turned deathly pale.

Being exiled was as good as a death sentence.

He dropped to his knees, clutching Liu Qiang’s leg.

“Please, young master, give me another chance!”

“Annoying.”

Liu Qiang frowned.

“You filthy thing dare to touch me?”

With a flick of his finger, a golden light shot out—

It pierced right through Zhang Jia’s head.

Chen Le’an’s face turned pale.

It was his first time seeing someone killed up close.

And Liu Qiang had done it as casually as swatting a mosquito.

He could feel the brutal law of the jungle in this world.

“Weaklings are nothing more than ants…”

“Next! Chen Le’an!”