Chapter 597: The Well
The Well
1. Spend a little spiritual energy per day to draw ten buckets of well water that enhances charm and fragrance.
2. Spend ten points of spiritual energy per day to draw ten buckets of well water that boosts intelligence.
3. Spend a hundred points of spiritual energy per day to draw ten buckets of well water containing spiritual energy.
After activating the inn system and checking the newly added attributes of the well, Lin Dong was almost overjoyed. Especially when he saw the third attribute—had he not had strong self-control, he might have punched the air in excitement. This third attribute once again confirmed his hypothesis. If an attribute that enhanced intelligence existed, how far was an attribute that extended lifespan? Its significance was undoubtedly extraordinary.
Eagerly, Lin Dong pushed open the door. His gaze swept to the corner—empty as it was—making him slap his own head in frustration. Overexcited, he had forgotten that Lin’s Inn on Snowy Peak was located too high to dig wells, forcing them to transport water from other inns temporarily. This issue would only be resolved once Peng Qiao developed a spiritual stone mechanism capable of collecting water vapor.
Without hesitation, Lin Dong dashed to the storage room and then used the transport gate to quickly arrive at Lin’s Inn in the capital city. He headed straight to the well in the backyard corner. Activating the inn system, he immediately enabled the first attribute of the well.
Taking out a porcelain bottle, Lin Dong didn’t bother using a wooden bucket. With a suction motion of his right hand, a stream of water rushed up from the bottom of the well and flowed into the bottle. Smelling the water, he found no odor. The water was clear and transparent, showing no changes.
Hesitating for a moment, Lin Dong tilted the bottle slightly, allowing some of the crystal-clear liquid to spill into his mouth. It was colorless and tasteless, just like ordinary well water.
Stunned, Lin Dong reactivated the inn system and checked the first attribute again. A set of numbers appeared: 0.002/10. Undoubtedly, the water in the bottle did possess the first attribute.
Quickly moving to the kitchen, Lin Dong lit the stove. He grabbed a unwashed Chinese cabbage, threw it into the pot, and poured in all the water from the porcelain bottle. With a hiss, a faint mist rose from the bottom of the pot. After stirring for a while, the entire cabbage began to emit a soft glow. There was no doubt—the effect of the well water had taken hold.
Ignoring the dirt on the unwashed cabbage, Lin Dong pulled it out of the pot and bit into a piece.
The taste is somewhat plain, but it’s fresh and crisp—by no means comparable to stir-fried cabbage made without well water. Even served as it is, it’s certainly on par with what a master chef would produce. This is despite no seasonings being added, and Lin Dong merely stir-frying it briefly.
After some thought, Lin Dong concluded that the first attribute of the well had been tested successfully. Ten buckets of well water would be sufficient to sustain the Lin’s Inn in the capital for over ten days. In terms of effects, although it somewhat overlaps with adding perfume, there should be no duplication, and well water also enhances color, something perfume cannot do.
Having completed the first attribute, Lin Dong returned to the well to activate the second one.
Once again, he drew in water, sending a stream into the porcelain bottle. Checking the inn system, he saw that the total amount of the first attribute had decreased slightly, while a new total appeared under the second attribute, with no reduction at all.
“It seems I need to fill the ten buckets first!”
Lin Dong drew in water with his right hand, causing it to gush out rapidly, quickly depleting all ten buckets. After filling another bottle, the total under the second attribute began to decrease. Lin Dong raised his arm, tilted his head back, and poured the entire bottle of water into his mouth. The water felt cool as it entered, but nothing else followed.
After waiting a while to ensure no further effects, Lin Dong realized that the amount of water was probably too small. He wasn’t completely foolish—drinking a small amount of well water from a porcelain bottle wouldn’t yield significant results.
He could test the second attribute slowly, so Lin Dong proceeded to activate the third one. He drew out another ten buckets of water, extending his right palm as the water formed a stream that rose from the bottom of the well.
Upon reaching the well’s mouth, the front end of the stream suddenly solidified. Lin Dong retracted his spiritual energy, and with a clang, the stream below the well’s mouth dropped back, while the part above turned into a long rod that fell to the ground.
Picking up the rod, Lin Dong’s eyes lit up instantly. The rod was entirely made of spiritual stones, all of which were of ninth-grade quality.
Suddenly, Lin Dong realized. The greatest surprise the well brought him wasn’t the ability to increase intelligence, which further confirmed his hypothesis about enhancing lifespan, but rather the third attribute: the presence of spiritual energy in the well water.
No wonder the daily consumption of spiritual energy for the third attribute required 100 points—ten times more than for enhancing intelligence. To be honest, even 1 million points would be worth it, let alone 100. If all of them were ninth-grade spiritual stones, that meant ten buckets were equivalent to over a thousand such stones.
At the same volume, a second-tier spirit stone contains more spiritual energy than a first-tier spirit stone by more than three times. A third-tier spirit stone contains more spiritual energy than a second-tier one by more than three times, which is roughly ten times that of a first-tier spirit stone. Fourth-tier, fifth-tier, sixth-tier… a ninth-tier spirit stone contains spiritual energy that is ten thousand times that of a first-tier spirit stone. The spiritual energy required by the inn system is equivalent to that of a first-tier spirit stone, meaning ten buckets of well water equal ten million points of spiritual energy. Lin’s Inn has over ten thousand branches. If all branches activate the third attribute of their wells, it means Lin’s Inn will gain over one hundred billion points of spiritual energy daily, amounting to trillions of points per year. Lin Dong believes that even all the spirit stones produced in the entire Great Han Kingdom each year cannot surpass those of Lin’s Inn. Moreover, this attribute of Lin’s Inn will continue to increase. As the inn upgrades, various attributes will also strengthen, including that of the wells. The driving force behind everything at Lin’s Inn is spiritual energy. With spiritual energy, all attributes of Lin’s Inn can be maximized, and it can even afford to use spirit stones to grow vegetables and raise chickens and ducks. If spiritual energy is available in abundance, Lin’s Inn can become self-sufficient. If not for the need to attract customers to increase its experience points and activate defensive attributes, relying on the attributes of the wells, it could be a place where no one can enter, free from worries about food and safety. If Lin Dong is willing, he could use all the spirit stones to enhance the spiritual energy across the entire continent. Of course, wells are not without flaws, with the biggest one being the amount of groundwater available. But this is not a problem for Lin Dong. If seawater has the same effect, with Lin’s Inn’s current strength, it could establish a dense network of water pipes beneath all its inns. Then, with Peng Qiao developing spirit stone-powered water pumps, connecting these pipes to the sea would provide as much seawater as needed. Even if seawater doesn’t have the same effect, connecting them to rivers and lakes would work just as well. Lin’s Inn has become a truly independent world, where no one can interfere with Lin Dong’s will. If he wishes, with his numerous powerful followers, he could enclose the entire continent with walls and turn it into part of Lin’s Inn, making the whole world belong to him. “Prosperity!”
Lin Dong didn’t know quite how to describe his feelings. Encircling the entire continent held little interest for him, but having an endless supply of spirit stones meant he could thrive independently outside this world. Silver, gold, clothes, fabric, food, grain—all of these could be self-sufficient at the Lin’s Inn. Concentrating his mind, Lin Dong rushed into the storage room, entered the branch at Snowy Peak through the transport portal, and knocked on Lin Shuang’s door. After introducing her to the new attributes, Lin Dong said eagerly, “Later, I’ll set up the wells in all branches. Inform Xiao Liu to send people to collect spirit stones and cut them into pieces for packing. Once they’re packed, bring them to me right away. Gather all the guards as well—we’re heading to the Sky Sword Sect!” Lin Shuang stared blankly, ignoring his words. “Xiao Shuang?” Lin Dong was surprised. Realizing his words had been too shocking, he waved his hand in front of her eyes. “Huh? Dad, after setting up spirit arrays in the wells, can we really get nine-tier spirit stones in quantities equivalent to a dozen buckets?” Lin Shuang asked in a daze. Lin Dong nodded. “So… we’re rich then?” she asked, eyes wide. Lin Dong couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. “We’ve already been rich. We no longer lack trivial things like silver and gold.” “Silver and gold aren’t trivial at all!” Lin Shuang took a breath and counted on her fingers. “With so many spirit stones, we can cultivate all kinds of high-tier spiritual materials and beasts. Even if we sell them like ordinary vegetables, we’ll be incredibly wealthy. I even set out to become as rich as a nation within ten years. Within a year, I guarantee Dad’s wealth will exceed that of the national treasury.” “It’s up to you. Let’s get back to the main topic!” Lin Dong said impatiently. “The main topic? Isn’t this it?” Lin Shuang asked innocently. Helpless, Lin Dong repeated, “I’ll set up all the wells in the branches soon. Go inform Xiao Liu to send people to collect spirit stones, cut them into pieces, and pack them. Also, have him prepare to gather all the guards—we’re heading to the Sky Sword Sect.” “Oh!” Lin Shuang suddenly understood and slapped her head. “I’ll inform Uncle Six-Pockmarks right away!” “Go! Hurry up. And from now on, there will be plenty of spirit stones every day. Find time to arrange their collection,” Lin Dong waved his hand. Lin Shuang nodded and rushed toward the front yard. After watching her leave, Lin Dong excitedly headed straight to Yun Lan’s room.