Due to the affairs of the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires, a day had been delayed.
The next day.
Ye Tian was ready to depart, leaving the East Sea Shore for Spirit City.
He summoned Chen Jian, Zhou Long, and the others before him.
Sweeping his gaze over them with expectation, he instructed, "While I'm away, all tasks must proceed in an orderly manner."
"Especially you, Elder Zhou. The expansion of the Hevanely Strategy Army must be done in absolute secrecy. It's better to take it slow than to let any other forces catch wind of it."
"I will keep the Young Master's instructions in mind," Zhou Long responded with a bow.
Thirteen stepped forward and reminded Ye Tian, "Young Master, although the forces of Heaven Dou and Star Luo have left—"
"There are still at least twenty spies around the farm, monitoring us day and night."
"The moment you leave, they will surely be alerted."
Hearing this, a slight smile appeared on Ye Tian's face.
It seemed the two empires were paying quite a bit of attention to him.
He waved his hand nonchalantly and said, "No need to worry. Qian Renxue's mask from before actually gave me some inspiration."
"After I leave, find a trustworthy soldier to wear my mask and remain in seclusion at the farm."
"This way, we can deceive these spies for a few months without any problem."
"The main purpose of this journey is to bring my sister back."
"At most, it will take three months."
"That's actually a clever plan," Thirteen agreed.
"Young Master, what about the Fire Spirit Chickens?"
Chen Jian stepped forward, his face filled with doubt.
"We spent a great deal of effort raising these Fire Spirit Chickens. The Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires buying so many at once—it's unlikely they only intend to eat them."
"They're probably planning to breed them on their own."
"If this is just a one-time deal, won't our losses be too great?"
After all, if the two empires established their own official Fire Spirit Chicken farms, the market price for these chickens would plummet across the continent.
Hearing Chen Jian's concerns, Ye Tian extended his hand and said, "If you have any ideas, speak freely."
Chen Jian composed himself and proposed, "My suggestion is to neuter all the Fire Spirit Chickens before selling them."
"This way, they will have no choice but to continue purchasing from us."
"That's an interesting idea."
Ye Tian shook his head, rejecting the proposal.
"However, we are still a small force. We cannot afford to offend the two great empires too much."
"Besides, breeding Fire Spirit Chickens isn't as simple as it seems."
"These chickens must live in high-temperature environments. Under such conditions, they instinctively cultivate soul power to resist environmental harm. Some regions in the southern Star Luo Empire might be suitable."
"But for a northern empire like Heaven Dou, it will likely be a problem."
"That's just one issue. The true secret to our farm's high-quality Fire Spirit Chickens lies in the abundance of insect-type soul beasts in the back mountains. The chickens feed on these, allowing them to absorb enough energy daily."
"So, even if the two empires attempt to breed them, within three generations, their Fire Spirit Chickens will revert to being ordinary chickens."
Hearing this, Zhou Long burst into laughter.
"As expected of the Young Master—there's no way those empires can easily copy us."
Chen Jian's concerns dissipated as well.
"No wonder you were able to cultivate wild Fire Spirit Chickens into a treasured commodity so quickly, Young Master. The environment played a huge role!"
Thirteen smiled slightly. "Following the Young Master always brings new knowledge."
"Survival of the fittest," Ye Tian chuckled.
"Ye Tian, is there a spare carriage on the farm? My belongings don't fit."
At that moment, the bespectacled Sea Witch approached.
She brushed aside her brown hair, her expression somewhat evasive.
Ye Tian was confused.
He had already provided the Sea Witch with two carriages.
When she had followed him back from Seagod Island, she was practically empty-handed.
Now, after just a few days, she had so many belongings that even two carriages weren't enough?
Curious, Ye Tian asked, "You don't have a storage soul tool?"
"I do, but it's only two cubic meters, and it's full."
Ye Tian clicked his tongue. Filling up two cubic meters—impressive.
He walked over to the carriages parked in the farm's courtyard and lifted the curtain of one.
Inside, it was packed to the brim with food.
Pickled vegetables, cured sea fish, and even perishable fruits like grapes.
Seeing this, Ye Tian moved to check the second carriage.
Good heavens, it was full of rare spiritual materials from the farm.
"Did you empty my warehouse?"
A while back, the Sea Witch had asked to take some spiritual materials from the farm's storage.
Ye Tian hadn't minded at the time. After all, with Chen Jian managing it, the farm produced a large quantity of spiritual materials annually.
He never expected that the Sea Witch would outright transport them away by carriage.
Feeling guilty, the Sea Witch defended herself, "I didn't! Your warehouse has at least a hundred carriage loads of materials. I only took one."
Lifting her chin slightly, she added, "Besides, I am a Titled Douluo acting as your bodyguard. Surely I deserve at least this much compensation?"
Truthfully, the Sea Witch had long coveted these materials.
Even though she had lived on the prosperous Seagod Island, she had never seen such rare spiritual resources.
Consuming them significantly boosted her cultivation.
Chen Jian chuckled.
"Miss Sea Witch, no offense, but these spiritual materials are unique to the continent and incredibly valuable. Your services aren't worth this much."
Hearing this, the usually composed Sea Witch couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed.
So, even a Titled Douluo wasn't worth that much…
"These materials—you cannot take them."
Ye Tian's expression suddenly turned serious.
The Sea Witch froze.
Realizing she was in the wrong, she felt a bit disappointed but still waved her hand in a show of nonchalance.
"Fine, you can keep them."
Just as she finished speaking—
A small, warm jade bottle suddenly appeared in her hand.
Ye Tian's voice followed.
"The effects of the pills inside are a hundred times better than those spiritual materials. There are three Heavenly Origin Pills—take one per month."
Hearing his words, the Sea Witch trembled.
She knew all too well the value of these pills.
Spiritual materials could still be purchased for a high price.
But these pills? They were likely impossible to buy at all.
"…Thank you."
It had been years since she had spoken those words.
Ye Tian was the first person in decades to make her say them.
"No need for thanks. Consider it your payment for being my bodyguard."
"I don't like owing people," Ye Tian said lightly.
(End of Chapter)
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