Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'

Chapter 543 - 378 Farming Cultivation Reclaiming Land

Xiao Genzi ran to where Li Banfeng was developing wasteland, which greatly shocked Li Banfeng.

When he saw Root lift the bucket, the situation became more than just shocking.

"Root, why did you come here to develop wasteland?" Li Banfeng repeatedly pressed his palm down, signaling Root to put the bucket down first.

Root carried the bucket on his back and said with a serious face, "Seventh Master, isn’t this the good place you were talking about? It’s a bit secluded, but there’s food nearby. Big Brother Zhang and I want to do business, and this place is very suitable."

Zhang Wanlong coughed beside him, signaling Root not to say too much.

His caution was unnecessary; no matter what, Root would never hide anything from Li Qi.

"This is Big Brother Zhang?" Li Banfeng looked towards Zhang Wanlong.

Zhang Wanlong hurriedly took off his straw hat and smiled at Li Banfeng. "My name is Zhang Wanlong. I’ve only just met Root, but we hit it off and became friends."

Li Banfeng wasn’t concerned with how they became friends; he was interested in the business the two men were doing.

Judging from Zhang Wanlong’s appearance and behavior, this man had far more experience than Root.

"The business you were just talking about is..."

"There’s no business. We mainly came here to cultivate," Zhang Wanlong tried to gloss over the topic.

Li Banfeng pointed towards Meng Yuchun’s territory. "If you want to cultivate, you should go over there. There’s food on that land, and there are more people too, so you’d have some mutual support."

Root shook his head. "We can’t go to that place. Big Brother Zhang said our business isn’t something others should see."

Zhang Wanlong looked somewhat embarrassed.

Li Banfeng asked Root, "What kind of business can’t be seen by others?"

Xiao Genzi lowered his voice and said, "We are here to create people."

Li Banfeng looked at Xiao Genzi, then at Zhang Wanlong, and asked seriously, "How do you two create them?"

Zhang Wanlong waved his hands repeatedly. "Seventh Master, you’ve misunderstood. Root likes to joke; we’re not really creating people."

Root held up the bucket and said, "It’s possible. As long as we have the materials, it can be done."

"Root, put the bucket down," Li Banfeng advised earnestly. "I think your materials are not quite suitable for creating people."

Zhang Wanlong shook his head. "Seventh Master, let’s drop the ’creating people’ idea for now. We want to clear a piece of land here to grow something."

Xiao Genzi said, "This Big Brother Zhang is a Farming Cultivator who can grow many good things. But for the plants to grow well, they need to be in New Land and also need my Golden Juice. I figured I should choose a quiet place in the New Land, which is why we chose here."

Root had chosen this location after careful consideration.

In fact, he could have chosen a location near Zhengjing Village, but he didn’t. He didn’t trust Zhang Wanlong and didn’t want to bring trouble to Zhengjing Village.

With so much New Land available, why not just pick any barren spot?

If he had chosen any random piece of land and Zhang Wanlong turned on him, Root might not even know how he died.

This was a place Li Qi had recommended. Perhaps the Local Deity here was acquainted with Li Qi. If Root really lost his life, at least Li Qi would get the message.

Piecing things together, Li Banfeng understood Root’s reasoning.

Li Banfeng looked towards Zhang Wanlong. "Brother Zhang, you said you came here to grow something. What kind of good thing are you growing? Can I have a look?"

Zhang Wanlong smiled modestly. "They’re just trinkets, not worth mentioning. But since Seventh Master asked, please allow me to demonstrate my modest skills."

Zhang Wanlong scattered a seed on the ground and dripped a few drops of potion on it.

About ten minutes later, the seed sprouted and grew into a sapling over a foot tall.

Li Banfeng had seen Grass Cultivation before. Grass Cultivators could make trees grow even faster than this, so this trick didn’t surprise him.

He touched the sapling, and then he heard a frail female voice.

"Gently."

Li Banfeng was stunned.

This tree can talk!

He hadn’t used Insightful Spirit Sound, nor had he used his Silk-pulling Earrings.

He heard it very clearly; this little tree was indeed speaking.

Xiao Genzi said, "Seventh Master, I wasn’t bragging. Big Brother Zhang is truly a capable man."

Li Banfeng stared at the sapling for a long time.

He had seen talking trees before; there were many in the territories of Shui Yongquan and Qiu Luoye.

But these Strange Monsters had no simple origins. Some had been humans in their previous lives—and high-level Cultivators at that. After death, their Souls went to the New Land and inhabited trees, transforming them into Strange Monsters.

Others were originally ordinary trees. After being steeped in the New Land’s essence for many years, they became Strange Monsters possessing a Spirit Attribute.

But according to Shui Yongquan, such trees needed at least a hundred years of growth before they could possibly develop a Spirit Attribute. Whether they could learn to speak also depended on the right opportunity.

For Zhang Wanlong to be able to grow such a peculiar thing, one that could speak in mere minutes, his methods were truly not simple.

This, however, reminded Li Banfeng of something else very peculiar.

Watermelons that could fight.

Li Banfeng turned to Zhang Wanlong and asked, "Brother Zhang, where did you make your fortune before?"

Zhang Wanlong shook his head with a smile. "What fortune? I wander the four seas as my home, just scraping by."

"You’re being too modest, Brother Zhang. Farming Cultivators endure great hardships to make their mark. At the Fifth Layer, they achieve supremacy and become Dukes. Your cultivation level seems to have surpassed the Fifth Layer long ago. I’d guess you’re not even on the Earth Skin anymore, right?"

Zhang Wanlong waved his hands repeatedly. "Seventh Master, you’re embarrassing me. My cultivation level isn’t something to be shown off; I wouldn’t dare flaunt it in front of you."

Root told Li Banfeng, "I boarded a train at Medicine King Valley, and not long after the train started, I met Big Brother Zhang."

This was Root informing Li Banfeng that Zhang Wanlong had likely also come from Medicine King Valley.

Zhang Wanlong said, "We just want to find a quiet place to plant some flowers and herbs, sell them to others as amusing trinkets. I truly have no other skills."