"Miss Tang, it's mealtime. I brought back a wild ginseng from the mountains this time. How about I make some ginseng soup for you?"
Ji Mo, having finished washing up, warmly addressed Tang Xueyi.
The Ginseng King was almost scared to death. Mr. Ji was going to eat him!
What should he do now?
It was all his fault for questioning Mr. Ji before; clearly, this was settling accounts from the past!
The Ginseng King was filled with regret. He had grown ten leaves and ten flowers, thinking his great life was about to begin, only to realize it was about to end before it even started!
Tian Peng let out a gloating "cackle," thinking the Ginseng King had been arrogant just moments ago and was now facing consequences.
"How about ginseng chicken soup?"
Ji Mo continued to ask Tang Xueyi.
This time, it was Tian Peng's turn to be utterly terrified, fearing that if Tang Xueyi agreed, he would become a meal on a plate.
"Miss Tang, actually, steamed carp with ginseng is also quite good," Ji Mo added.
Immediately, all the dragon fish in the pond became restless.
Fortunately, Tang Xueyi said she wasn't hungry and told Ji Mo not to trouble himself, which finally ended the terrifying conversation.
"Indeed, when you are under a master, you must never be arrogant. You must always tread on thin ice."
The Ginseng King had completely lost his temper, now only thinking about how to please Ji Mo to avoid being stewed one day.
Ji Mo took out the Bodhi sapling and planted it by the pond, then irrigated it with well water.
In a short while, the sapling, which was only an inch tall, grew to over three feet.
"This seems to be the legendary Bodhi Tree!"
Tang Xueyi gasped, forcing herself to remain calm.
After observing it closely and feeling the spiritual aura unique to a先天灵根 (Xiantian Linggen - Innate Spiritual Root), she was certain her guess was correct.
She could never have imagined that Ji Mo would find this legendary item during his trip to the mountains and plant it in her own yard.
"It looks similar, but not quite. Legend has it that the Bodhi Tree was a sacred tree. This Bodhi Tree lacks some of that sacred aura and instead possesses a trace of malevolence."
Huineng, being well-versed in Buddhist teachings, could sense the unusual nature of the Bodhi Tree before him.
The combination of sacredness and malevolence was beyond his comprehension.
It was like water and fire, two opposing energies repelling each other. Theoretically, they should not be able to merge, yet here they were, harmoniously blended. It was truly incredible.
"The legendary Bodhi Tree has already disintegrated. This is a Bodhi seed that had long since died, and Mr. Ji revived it," the Ginseng King explained casually.
These words immediately sent ripples of shock through everyone present.
A dead seed sprouting again involved the mystery of life and death. Did this mean Ji Mo possessed the heaven-defying power to bring the dead back to life!
"What's wrong with you all? It's just planting a seed, why are you so surprised?"
Ji Mo said calmly, not understanding why everyone was staring at him with such admiration.
He was too lazy to bother with these easily astonished simpletons and began to inspect the progress of the courtyard's construction.
Indeed, during his absence, Huineng and Fan Jingxing had not dared to slack off for a single day, investing all their energy and their entire fortunes into expanding the courtyard.
Now, more than half of the construction was completed.
The Innate Eight Trigrams Array was taking shape, though there were still many issues with the finer details that Ji Mo would have to personally attend to.
However, overall, Ji Mo was very satisfied.
These two elderly men had done so much work; it seemed they hadn't eaten his rice in vain.
The poor Xuan Ao, who had put in the most effort, handling almost all the earth and stone work, seemed to have been overlooked by Ji Mo.
"I can't exploit the working people. Hmm, I should at least give them some wages."
Ji Mo felt a pang of guilt. He went back into the house and rummaged through chests and cabinets, finding a few pieces of silver.
Looking at the silver, which was now only the size of corn kernels, Ji Mo felt a surge of sadness.
If he hadn't been self-sufficient, farming and growing his own food, he probably wouldn't have been able to survive in this world.
Life as a mortal was truly difficult.
He divided the silver into two portions, wrapped them in discarded paper, and handed them to Huineng and Fan Jingxing.
"You two have worked hard during this time. It's just a small token of my appreciation."
Ji Mo looked embarrassed, feeling that this small amount was insufficient for the work they had done.
But his family was truly poor, so it could only be a token.
"Mr. Ji, we don't need wages. You're already providing us with food and lodging; how can we ask you for money?"
Fan Jingxing quickly refused, unwilling to accept it.
"Brother Fan, Mr. Ji giving us wages is an affirmation of our work."
Huineng kept winking at Fan Jingxing, thinking this old fool didn't realize this was a bestowed fortune from a master and was still refusing it.
He couldn't care less and respectfully accepted the silver Ji Mo offered.
After being prompted by Fan Jingxing, Huineng immediately changed his tune: "Mr. Ji's bestowal is too kind to refuse. Thank you, sir, for the wages. I will work even harder in the future."
"You are both doing very well."
Ji Mo was very pleased. These two had been ruffians before, but now they had reformed and finally understood the reward for labor, which was truly gratifying.
Giving a man a fish is not as good as teaching him to fish. Ji Mo felt great, having successfully saved two wayward individuals.
Xuan Ao looked on expectantly, wondering why the master hadn't shown him any special consideration.
He had done all the dirtiest and most tiring work, so why wasn't he included when the wages were being distributed?
The old Xuan Turtle felt very wronged.
Huineng and Fan Jingxing eagerly unwrapped the paper packages, eager to see what great bestowal Ji Mo had given them.
However, they found only a few small pieces of silver, nothing special.
"Alas, Mr. Ji is refining his heart in the mortal world. It seems he has completely come to regard himself as a mortal."
Huineng realized he had overthought things. It turned out the wages were simply wages, not the fortune he had imagined.
Fan Jingxing, however, saw something different. His pupils gradually widened, his face filled with astonishment, and a look of ecstasy appeared, almost making him want to roar to the heavens.
"This is too precious, truly too precious. Thank you, Mr. Ji, for your generosity!"
Fan Jingxing cupped his fists in gratitude to Ji Mo. He had wanted to kowtow, but remembering Ji Mo's personality, he could only express his thanks in the most ordinary way.
"What's going on? It's just a few taels of silver, why are you so happy?"
Huineng rubbed his bald head, his expression and demeanor utterly bewildered, like a monk who couldn't figure things out.
Tang Xueyi curiously leaned closer. Her beautiful face turned pale, and then she couldn't help but run to Ji Mo's side, shyly pleading, "How about I work for you too?"
Seeing the reward Ji Mo gave, Tang Xueyi was also tempted.
"You're a young lady, what can you do? I only have heavy farm work here."
Ji Mo didn't understand why a delicate beauty with pampered hands would want to get involved.
"I..."
Tang Xueyi bit her lip and said in a voice as faint as a mosquito's hum, "I can warm your bed."
"Ah, what did you say?"