However, the intensity of the heat seemed rather extreme. Yang Kai had to channel his power just to ward off the discomfort. No wonder the laborers in the workers' quarters basically stayed holed up in their rooms every time they came back to rest. He had previously assumed they were indifferent by nature, but now it seemed that wasn't the case at all — they were simply exhausted from working in the orchard and truly needed to rest and recharge.
Since the few of them were newcomers, they knew nothing about the orchard. Zhou Zheng led the group inside and first explained the various details of how to tend the Fire Spirit Fruit Trees. Yang Kai and Ah Sun had already gathered some intelligence beforehand, and what they'd learned didn't differ much from what Zhou Zheng described — in some respects, their information had even been more detailed.
Judging by the expressions of the others, they had all clearly done this kind of work before, so there were no questions or confusion.
Zhou Zheng even took them to observe how other laborers tended the trees, pointing out every detail that required attention.
After wandering about for most of the day, Zhou Zheng finally led them deep into the orchard and assigned each of them to different plots.
Yang Kai received three mu of land, totaling thirty Fire Spirit Fruit Trees. Before leaving, Zhou Zheng handed him a restriction talisman, gave him instructions to tend the land well, and then departed with the rest of the group.
Standing in his little plot of orchard land, Yang Kai took a deep breath. His lungs and abdomen burned with heat, but his motivation was full. For the next month, this would be his home. Being a laborer for someone else was hardly a pleasant prospect, but what piqued Yang Kai's interest was the Fire Spirit Fruit Trees themselves.
If the opportunity arose, he might be able to get a few into his own medicine garden. That would make things convenient when he eventually refined Open Heaven Pills in the future.
The trees stood roughly three zhang tall, with bushy canopies and branches laden with red fruits the size of fists. Yang Kai first clasped his hands behind his back and strolled leisurely through his three mu of land for an inspection.
Die You had told him that every single fruit in this Fire Spirit Orchard was accounted for. Even one missing would be a serious matter, so naturally he needed to count carefully.
In just a short while, he had finished. The numbers matched the records on the talisman — not one fruit more, not one fewer. He stopped beneath a fruit tree, glanced left and right to confirm no one was around, then reached out and pulled down a branch. Three Fire Spirit Fruits hung from it. He leaned in for a whiff, and a sweet, refreshing fragrance surged straight to his mind, invigorating his spirit.
So this was the scent of Fire Spirit Fruits... He wondered what they would taste like refined into Open Heaven Pills. Yang Kai smacked his lips, suddenly feeling a bit of a craving.
But according to Die You, Fire Spirit Fruits took decades to ripen. The fruits before him were nearly mature — probably within the next few years.
He had only been assigned three mu because he was unfamiliar with the work. The veterans each managed at least several dozen to a hundred mu, and some even more.
The workers' quarters of the entire Fire Spirit Ground housed at least a thousand people. Doing the math, the total area of this orchard was quite considerable.
And this was only the Fire Spirit Ground. The Seven Skillful Grounds had six other spiritual grounds besides this one.
Gently releasing the branch, Yang Kai sat cross-legged beneath the tree and began quietly refining the jade talisman Zhou Zheng had handed him before departure.
This talisman was the key to tending the trees. The entire Fire Spirit Orchard was covered by various grand formations, and all of those formations were controlled by the talisman. Without it, one could accomplish nothing.
Even entering and exiting the orchard each time required the use of this talisman.
For the laborers of the Seven Skillful Grounds, this talisman was more precious than life itself. Losing it would be catastrophic.
While he was in the midst of refining it, he suddenly heard the rustling sound of footsteps. Yang Kai opened his eyes and looked over, unable to hide his surprise. "You?"
The other person stared wide-eyed as well, turning to look around in astonishment. "This plot was assigned to you?"
"That's right." Yang Kai nodded and rose with a smile. "What are you doing here?"
The newcomer pointed to the side and grinned. "My plot is right next door."
Yang Kai chuckled too. "What a coincidence. We're neighbors back in the workers' quarters, and we're neighbors here too. We must be fated to be together, old man."
The newcomer was none other than the old man who lived one partition away from Yang Kai. Earlier, Yang Kai had gone to him seeking information, but the old fellow had demanded payment right off the bat. When Yang Kai had ignored him and taken his leave, there had been no further interaction in the days after — yet now, in the orchard, they turned out to be right next to each other.
The old man looked Yang Kai up and down with a slightly odd expression, then shook his head and sighed repeatedly.
Yang Kai's face darkened. "What's the meaning of this, old man?"
"Judging by your look, you probably don't even know yet — disaster is about to fall on your head!" The old man pointed at Yang Kai, the very picture of anguish.
Yang Kai was so amused he laughed. "Old man, we barely know each other. At most we've crossed paths once before, and now you come to my plot spouting doom and gloom. Do you think I'm easy to bully as a newcomer, or have I somehow offended you?"
The old man shook his head. "You haven't offended me. And even if you had, what could I do about it? We're both laborers in the workers' quarters — neither of us is any more formidable than the other, right?" He sighed again. "You haven't offended me, but have you offended someone else?"
Yang Kai was at a loss for words. "I've only been here three days. How could I have offended anyone?"
The old man looked puzzled. "Then why were you assigned to this plot? There are so many places in the orchard — why specifically this one?"
Yang Kai frowned. "Is there something wrong with this plot?"