Chapter 176
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
Chapter 176
One old man crouched in a devastated field, a blank expression on his face. Another stood nearby, watching. Sometimes it wasnt the right moment to say anything.
Why? the first man asked. It was clear he wasnt seeking an answer- as if there couldnt be one. Why me? Why my fields? He reached down, picking up a handful of dirt. Sparkles of light reflected off fine grains among the soil.
Old man Abramsen was nobody of import. He was just another person living in Graotan, and thus there was no way his fields had been targeted specifically. Nor was there any benefit to those who did it. Properly ruining a field- with salt and some other strange minerals Anton could sense- was expensive, hard work. Several cultivators or one particularly powerful individual would have been needed to achieve what they did in the time available.
It wouldnt do any good for Anton to tell him it was his fault- and that was only true in small part. Despite him being the spark that lit everything on fire, the Heavenly Lion Sect had been piling tinder and kindling as high as they could. But it was more than just them- the others involved simply hadnt been sniffed out yet.
Abramsen laid down on his back, not minding the patches of mud in the field. Maybe I should give up and die. I tried cultivating like you, but my progress is abysmal. Theres no way I can seek revenge on whoever did this, or even feed myself and my wife.
Though he was dramatic about it, Anton felt he was quite entitled to his current stance. Honestly he expected more crying, but it seemed that Abramsen simply wasnt capable of that at the moment. Let me tell you a story, Anton said, pulling up a log that wasnt particularly nearby when he started. About a hero on a years long quest for revenge. At the end, what do you think happens?
Abramsen sighed, He succeeds and lives happily ever after.
Perhaps, Anton said, But I intend to tell you a true tale. What happens is nothing. Oh, the hero gets revenge on those who wronged him. There is a rush of feeling, of course. A satisfaction. Nearly as significant as collapsing into a bed after finishing up weeks of work raising a barn. Nothing compared to seeing a new child or grandchild.
Heh, Abramsen laughed mirthlessly, You think I can have children at this age?N0v3lRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.
Anton shrugged, Likely not. But let me tell you something. The hero of that story might indeed live happily ever after. But it had nothing to do with the revenge. What is the point? People died. Maybe it was good for the world, in the end. Satisfying. But not as personally fulfilling as that man wanted. Anton looked around the fields. But let me continue. You feel as if you have lost everything, do you not?
Even the house is gone. Were living out of a tent. Fields are ruined. Got nothing.
Your wife feels the same way? Anton asked.
Certain she does, Abramsen said. The way she said nothing instead of happily joking as we passed by says everything.
Yes, Anton agreed, It wont be easy to recover. We have a lot of work to do here. He stood up to look around. You use that pond for anything?
No. Abramsen sat up slowly, first rolling onto his side. Some years back a neighbor used it as a watering hole, but theres more convenient ones now.
Looks fine to me, Anton said. Want a salt pond?
-----
A veritable field of lotus flowers floated atop the pond. The flowers literally glistened and sparkled. It had been quite a bit of work to make that happen- first digging out mud at the bottom to make room for adding in the salty soil, and then managing for the other junk that was tossed in. Fortunately, mandrake lotus thrived in adversity. With nothing able to compete with them in salty and potentially poisonous water, they rapidly took over the pond.
Now that I think of it, old man Abramsen commented. You never told me what were doing with these flowers. Ill admit theyre a right beautiful sight, but for all that work Im not quite sure what well get out of it.
Is beauty not enough? Anton smiled, Because I have uses for them. Cultivator stuff. Ill be buying them. Anton held out a bag.
Whats this? Abramsen looked in the bag, raising an eyebrow.
Payment. For all of these.
Im not interested in accepting charity, he said. Thats hard to say after all youve done for me, but just handing me this much money he shook his head. Especially since you provided the seed and did most of the work.
You want me to be honest? Anton said. Thats cheap. Consider it payment for letting me experiment with your pond and land. Ill be making significantly more than that off of these. Without a formal agreement, Anton was willing to concede more than he already had, but if he said how much he thought it would make Abramsen wouldnt have believed him. It would sound like a scam. One little pond would make more than all of the Krantz farm in a year from many fields and animals. In a few years these wont grow here anymore, I dont think. Theyre rapidly desalinating the water. Youd have to live on the coast to grow these properly.
I wont lie, Abramsen said, A lot of things about energy cultivation go quite over my head. But seeing these plants you brought a little bit of special care, and they grow so much.
Just like people, Anton smiled. Id be lying if I said I didnt get any benefits here. A season to complete the nineteenth star isnt bad.
Frankly, the other man said, It seems unreasonable. Here I am barely struggling to complete the second star, and you say it gets harder with each step.
Second is a real hurdle though, Anton reminded. The prime temperings take a bit more. You work hard though. Keep at it and you wont have to be surpassed by your wife.
Never thought shed be able to do so much from a seat. You said she might be able to walk on her own?
No promises about that, Anton said. If its just weak muscles, shell be able to totter about with a bit more work. If its deeper than that, it would require the help of someone with proper medical training- regarding cultivators.
... sounds expensive.
Right you are, Anton agreed. Then he clapped him on the back. But hey, you can just carry her around if not. Arent you lucky?
Abramsen laughed, Maybe I am.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Chapter 176
One old man crouched in a devastated field, a blank expression on his face. Another stood nearby, watching. Sometimes it wasnt the right moment to say anything.
Why? the first man asked. It was clear he wasnt seeking an answer- as if there couldnt be one. Why me? Why my fields? He reached down, picking up a handful of dirt. Sparkles of light reflected off fine grains among the soil.
Old man Abramsen was nobody of import. He was just another person living in Graotan, and thus there was no way his fields had been targeted specifically. Nor was there any benefit to those who did it. Properly ruining a field- with salt and some other strange minerals Anton could sense- was expensive, hard work. Several cultivators or one particularly powerful individual would have been needed to achieve what they did in the time available.
It wouldnt do any good for Anton to tell him it was his fault- and that was only true in small part. Despite him being the spark that lit everything on fire, the Heavenly Lion Sect had been piling tinder and kindling as high as they could. But it was more than just them- the others involved simply hadnt been sniffed out yet.
Abramsen laid down on his back, not minding the patches of mud in the field. Maybe I should give up and die. I tried cultivating like you, but my progress is abysmal. Theres no way I can seek revenge on whoever did this, or even feed myself and my wife.
Though he was dramatic about it, Anton felt he was quite entitled to his current stance. Honestly he expected more crying, but it seemed that Abramsen simply wasnt capable of that at the moment. Let me tell you a story, Anton said, pulling up a log that wasnt particularly nearby when he started. About a hero on a years long quest for revenge. At the end, what do you think happens?
Abramsen sighed, He succeeds and lives happily ever after.
Perhaps, Anton said, But I intend to tell you a true tale. What happens is nothing. Oh, the hero gets revenge on those who wronged him. There is a rush of feeling, of course. A satisfaction. Nearly as significant as collapsing into a bed after finishing up weeks of work raising a barn. Nothing compared to seeing a new child or grandchild.
Heh, Abramsen laughed mirthlessly, You think I can have children at this age?N0v3lRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.
Anton shrugged, Likely not. But let me tell you something. The hero of that story might indeed live happily ever after. But it had nothing to do with the revenge. What is the point? People died. Maybe it was good for the world, in the end. Satisfying. But not as personally fulfilling as that man wanted. Anton looked around the fields. But let me continue. You feel as if you have lost everything, do you not?
Even the house is gone. Were living out of a tent. Fields are ruined. Got nothing.
Your wife feels the same way? Anton asked.
Certain she does, Abramsen said. The way she said nothing instead of happily joking as we passed by says everything.
Yes, Anton agreed, It wont be easy to recover. We have a lot of work to do here. He stood up to look around. You use that pond for anything?
No. Abramsen sat up slowly, first rolling onto his side. Some years back a neighbor used it as a watering hole, but theres more convenient ones now.
Looks fine to me, Anton said. Want a salt pond?
-----
A veritable field of lotus flowers floated atop the pond. The flowers literally glistened and sparkled. It had been quite a bit of work to make that happen- first digging out mud at the bottom to make room for adding in the salty soil, and then managing for the other junk that was tossed in. Fortunately, mandrake lotus thrived in adversity. With nothing able to compete with them in salty and potentially poisonous water, they rapidly took over the pond.
Now that I think of it, old man Abramsen commented. You never told me what were doing with these flowers. Ill admit theyre a right beautiful sight, but for all that work Im not quite sure what well get out of it.
Is beauty not enough? Anton smiled, Because I have uses for them. Cultivator stuff. Ill be buying them. Anton held out a bag.
Whats this? Abramsen looked in the bag, raising an eyebrow.
Payment. For all of these.
Im not interested in accepting charity, he said. Thats hard to say after all youve done for me, but just handing me this much money he shook his head. Especially since you provided the seed and did most of the work.
You want me to be honest? Anton said. Thats cheap. Consider it payment for letting me experiment with your pond and land. Ill be making significantly more than that off of these. Without a formal agreement, Anton was willing to concede more than he already had, but if he said how much he thought it would make Abramsen wouldnt have believed him. It would sound like a scam. One little pond would make more than all of the Krantz farm in a year from many fields and animals. In a few years these wont grow here anymore, I dont think. Theyre rapidly desalinating the water. Youd have to live on the coast to grow these properly.
I wont lie, Abramsen said, A lot of things about energy cultivation go quite over my head. But seeing these plants you brought a little bit of special care, and they grow so much.
Just like people, Anton smiled. Id be lying if I said I didnt get any benefits here. A season to complete the nineteenth star isnt bad.
Frankly, the other man said, It seems unreasonable. Here I am barely struggling to complete the second star, and you say it gets harder with each step.
Second is a real hurdle though, Anton reminded. The prime temperings take a bit more. You work hard though. Keep at it and you wont have to be surpassed by your wife.
Never thought shed be able to do so much from a seat. You said she might be able to walk on her own?
No promises about that, Anton said. If its just weak muscles, shell be able to totter about with a bit more work. If its deeper than that, it would require the help of someone with proper medical training- regarding cultivators.
... sounds expensive.
Right you are, Anton agreed. Then he clapped him on the back. But hey, you can just carry her around if not. Arent you lucky?
Abramsen laughed, Maybe I am.
Chapter 176One old man crouched in a devastated field, a blank expression on his face. Another stood nearby, watching. Sometimes it wasnt the right moment to say anything.Why? the first man asked. It was clear he wasnt seeking an answer- as if there couldnt be one. Why me? Why my fields? He reached down, picking up a handful of dirt. Sparkles of light reflected off fine grains among the soil.Old man Abramsen was nobody of import. He was just another person living in Graotan, and thus there was no way his fields had been targeted specifically. Nor was there any benefit to those who did it. Properly ruining a field- with salt and some other strange minerals Anton could sense- was expensive, hard work. Several cultivators or one particularly powerful individual would have been needed to achieve what they did in the time available. It wouldnt do any good for Anton to tell him it was his fault- and that was only true in small part. Despite him being the spark that lit everything on fire, the Heavenly Lion Sect had been piling tinder and kindling as high as they could. But it was more than just them- the others involved simply hadnt been sniffed out yet. Abramsen laid down on his back, not minding the patches of mud in the field. Maybe I should give up and die. I tried cultivating like you, but my progress is abysmal. Theres no way I can seek revenge on whoever did this, or even feed myself and my wife. Though he was dramatic about it, Anton felt he was quite entitled to his current stance. Honestly he expected more crying, but it seemed that Abramsen simply wasnt capable of that at the moment. Let me tell you a story, Anton said, pulling up a log that wasnt particularly nearby when he started. About a hero on a years long quest for revenge. At the end, what do you think happens?Abramsen sighed, He succeeds and lives happily ever after.Perhaps, Anton said, But I intend to tell you a true tale. What happens is nothing. Oh, the hero gets revenge on those who wronged him. There is a rush of feeling, of course. A satisfaction. Nearly as significant as collapsing into a bed after finishing up weeks of work raising a barn. Nothing compared to seeing a new child or grandchild.Heh, Abramsen laughed mirthlessly, You think I can have children at this age?N0v3lRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.Anton shrugged, Likely not. But let me tell you something. The hero of that story might indeed live happily ever after. But it had nothing to do with the revenge. What is the point? People died. Maybe it was good for the world, in the end. Satisfying. But not as personally fulfilling as that man wanted. Anton looked around the fields. But let me continue. You feel as if you have lost everything, do you not?Even the house is gone. Were living out of a tent. Fields are ruined. Got nothing.Your wife feels the same way? Anton asked.Certain she does, Abramsen said. The way she said nothing instead of happily joking as we passed by says everything.Yes, Anton agreed, It wont be easy to recover. We have a lot of work to do here. He stood up to look around. You use that pond for anything?No. Abramsen sat up slowly, first rolling onto his side. Some years back a neighbor used it as a watering hole, but theres more convenient ones now.Looks fine to me, Anton said. Want a salt pond?-----A veritable field of lotus flowers floated atop the pond. The flowers literally glistened and sparkled. It had been quite a bit of work to make that happen- first digging out mud at the bottom to make room for adding in the salty soil, and then managing for the other junk that was tossed in. Fortunately, mandrake lotus thrived in adversity. With nothing able to compete with them in salty and potentially poisonous water, they rapidly took over the pond. Now that I think of it, old man Abramsen commented. You never told me what were doing with these flowers. Ill admit theyre a right beautiful sight, but for all that work Im not quite sure what well get out of it.Is beauty not enough? Anton smiled, Because I have uses for them. Cultivator stuff. Ill be buying them. Anton held out a bag.Whats this? Abramsen looked in the bag, raising an eyebrow.Payment. For all of these.Im not interested in accepting charity, he said. Thats hard to say after all youve done for me, but just handing me this much money he shook his head. Especially since you provided the seed and did most of the work.You want me to be honest? Anton said. Thats cheap. Consider it payment for letting me experiment with your pond and land. Ill be making significantly more than that off of these. Without a formal agreement, Anton was willing to concede more than he already had, but if he said how much he thought it would make Abramsen wouldnt have believed him. It would sound like a scam. One little pond would make more than all of the Krantz farm in a year from many fields and animals. In a few years these wont grow here anymore, I dont think. Theyre rapidly desalinating the water. Youd have to live on the coast to grow these properly.I wont lie, Abramsen said, A lot of things about energy cultivation go quite over my head. But seeing these plants you brought a little bit of special care, and they grow so much.Just like people, Anton smiled. Id be lying if I said I didnt get any benefits here. A season to complete the nineteenth star isnt bad.Frankly, the other man said, It seems unreasonable. Here I am barely struggling to complete the second star, and you say it gets harder with each step.Second is a real hurdle though, Anton reminded. The prime temperings take a bit more. You work hard though. Keep at it and you wont have to be surpassed by your wife.Never thought shed be able to do so much from a seat. You said she might be able to walk on her own?No promises about that, Anton said. If its just weak muscles, shell be able to totter about with a bit more work. If its deeper than that, it would require the help of someone with proper medical training- regarding cultivators.... sounds expensive.Right you are, Anton agreed. Then he clapped him on the back. But hey, you can just carry her around if not. Arent you lucky?Abramsen laughed, Maybe I am.
