A Stardew Valley farmer came to Gensokyo.

“Well, I helped out, so I should get paid. That’s only fair.” Yakumo Yukari smiled, her gaze falling on the food box in Natsumi’s kitchen.

As for her uninvited entry into Xia Xun's home late at night to spy on Xia Xun's cultivation, these were common occurrences and were simply ignored.

At the same time, from the gap behind her came another woman's soft yet coquettish voice urging her on, mixed with the clattering of bowls and chopsticks.

"Purple~ Is it ready yet? The banquet is almost over, and I'm hungry. I still want to eat those delicious vegetable dishes from before!"

"I'll be there soon, Yuyuko." Yukari Yakumo half-covered her face with her fan, her tone filled with helplessness and affection for her best friend.

She reached out again, opening a gap leading to the kitchen, her fair fingers reaching straight for Xia Xun's food box, intending to take some high-quality crops as a reward for helping Xia Xun.

As if it were an illusion, it disappeared directly into the tightly closed food box, and then it rummaged around inside.

The feeling of emptiness caused a hint of doubt to appear on Yukari Yakumo's elegant and composed expression. Her golden eyes stared with interest at the wooden box that had left her empty-handed.

"Oh? That's interesting."

With a light laugh, Yakumo Yukari closed the fan in her hand, her face becoming somewhat serious.

The power of her realm surged; she was about to get serious. There might be spaces in this world that she, Yakumo Yukari, couldn't open, but a mere wooden box was definitely out of the question.

Squeak.

With a flick of her wrist, she physically opened the wooden crate. Yakumo Yukari's lips curled slightly as she reached her hand back into the crate.

But it still feels empty.

In an instant, Yukari Yakumo's smile froze.

Behind her, Saigyouji Yuyuko's urging voice became even more urgent: "Yukari, it's not ready yet, I'm so hungry~!"

Interspersed among them were the panicked and apologetic voices of the gardener, Youmu: "Lady Yuyuko! You can't eat this, please bear with it a little longer! Lady Murasaki will be better soon, I'm so sorry!"

The languid smile on Yakumo Yukari's face vanished, replaced by a rare expression that blended seriousness and amusement.

Things are getting interesting; this new little farmer seems to have more secrets than expected.

Looking at Xia Xun, who was fast asleep on the bed, Yakumo Yukari stared at him, wondering if the box was truly empty, or if the storage space inside was so vast that even her realm power could withstand it.

However, I cannot go back on my promise to Yuyuko.

Her gaze shifted, as if she had thought of something. With a gentle wave of her folding fan, another slit opened at the edge of the distant magic forest.

Opposite them was the little treehouse of the three fairies of light—Sunnymilk, Lunacherud, and Stasafia.

The three little fairies were huddled together, sleeping soundly, with glistening drool dripping from their mouths.

Yukari Yakumo smiled slightly, and with a wave of her hand, she created a gentle breeze that swept up the three dazed little fairies along with the bed.

On Xia Xun's farmland, a gap was opened and the bed where the three sleeping fairies lay down, the starlight and moonlight shining down on them.

Wearing adorable pajamas, the three little fairies instinctively wrapped themselves in their blankets because of the warmer surroundings, then rolled over and continued to sleep soundly.

zzZ……

The moment they appeared on the farm, an anomaly occurred.

Centered on the three fairies of light, a soft and vibrant pale green halo rippled outwards like water, quickly covering the surrounding area.

Where the light passed, the soil rippled slightly, as if one could hear the faint sounds of seeds absorbing water and their radicles extending.

The strawberry, potato, cucumber, peanut, and lettuce seeds that were planted not long ago sprouted at a speed visible to the naked eye. The tender sprouts, with their seed husks on top, quickly unfolded into two small cotyledons and then continued to grow upwards.

This is an innate ability of fairies to promote plant growth.

However, its passive effect shouldn't be this strong unless a special ceremony is held, but the rule of Stardew Valley is that plants favored by fairies mature rapidly.

Yukari Yakumo watched this scene through the gap, and the corners of her mouth once again curled into the elegant arc of her habitual composure, as if she had everything under control.

With a wave of her hand, she took a portion of the rapidly growing crops as payment.

The figure then disappeared into the gap, and the torn space gradually closed.

Just as the space was about to completely close, the voice of Yakumo Yukari instructing her shikigami could be faintly heard from within.

"Lan, remember to go to the Human Realm tomorrow morning and buy some of the crops that the new kid named Xia Xun is growing."

"These stir-fried vegetables are really delicious, perfect for pairing with drinks."

"Yes, Lord Zi."

"Youmu, Youmu, I want something delicious too, come and go shopping with me!" Saigyouji Yuyuko's voice rang out immediately afterward.

"Yes, Lady Yuyuko."

Chapter 44 Flame Strike's Blessing

【Spring 3.6】

Fishing level 1 → 2, unlocking the fiberglass fishing rod.

Battle level 0 → 1, unlock the Solid Ring.

At six o'clock in the morning, when Xia Xun opened her eyes, her first feeling was that something was wrong.

Before he could even wonder why he was sleeping in bed, he threw off the covers, jumped off the bed barefoot, and rushed into the yard on the cool floor.

The cool morning air brushed against her skin, but Xia Xun didn't feel cold at all. On the contrary, it felt like a warm fire was flowing through her body, and every muscle was full of power.

Xia Xun raised his right hand, clenched his fist, and then swung it forward sharply.

call out!

A sharp whooshing sound exploded in the empty courtyard.

"Oh My God."

Xia Xun looked down at his fist, hardly believing that he had delivered such force.

His body, which had regained its youthful vigor, was still somewhat intact, but it felt completely different from what it was now. The explosive force of that punch just now, if it hit the tree trunk, would have left at least a fist mark.

He suddenly remembered something, quickly tore open his clothes, and looked down at his body.

Beneath his clothes, eight-pack abs were neatly arranged, with distinct lines. The muscles in his chest and arms were as agile and fluid as a cheetah's, full yet not bloated.

He raised his arm, his whole body brimming with power ready to be unleashed. It was the body of a warrior, tempered and refined, every inch exuding the quality of rigorous training.

Xia Xun stood there, stunned, her mind racing with all sorts of possibilities.

After a long while, he murmured, "Could it be... that after I fell into a deep sleep last night, some kind person picked me up and fed me some rare and precious herbs?"

He shook his head as soon as he said it. "There's no such thing as a free lunch."

He already had a premonition and focused on opening the panel.

Name: Xia Xun

Farm: Stardew Valley Farm

Favorite thing: Beautiful girls

Cultivation: 1

Collection: 1

Mining: 0

Battle: 1

Fishing: 2

Special abilities: Basic magic, Blessing of Plants and Trees lv1, Blessing of Water lv2, Blessing of Soil lv1, Blessing of Flames lv1.

Xia Xun carefully read through each line, her gaze finally settling on "Battle: 1" and "Blessing of Flame Lv1".

My combat skill has been upgraded from 0 to 1, and "Blessing of Flame Fighter" should be the blessing obtained from leveling up in combat.

In an instant, Xia Xun understood the reason for the changes in his body.

He couldn't help but marvel at how the blessing of upgraded combat skills truly transformed his fighting prowess.

Having understood the whole story, Xia Xun couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

He tried to move all the joints in his body—shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, and knees—each joint was flexible and powerful, like a precision machine that had just been serviced.

He felt that he could knock out the three men he had fought yesterday with a single punch.

At the same time, he discovered that his magic had indeed broken through, advancing from the beginner level to the elementary level.

Thinking of his cultivation last night, Xia Xun couldn't help but smile and raised his hand to use the Water Creation Technique.

A pale blue halo of cool air emanated from the water, and a stream of water shot out with far greater power than the previous night.

Upon seeing this, Xia Xun stopped releasing the magic, and the magic's power increased by about twice.

His gaze fell once again on "Flame Fighter's Blessing," a blessing that could enhance the effects of magic.

That's incredible!

After checking all the changes in herself, Xia Xunxin contentedly withdrew her thoughts and turned to go into the kitchen to prepare today's breakfast and lunch.

Since the reserved vegetables were all eaten after the salamander incident and last night, today's dish consists of two silver star crucian carp.

Having experienced the effects of high-quality food, Xia Xun wouldn't mistreat herself.

After packing all the food and other items needed for the day into her backpack, Xia Xun checked everything and, once she was sure everything was in order, pushed open the courtyard gate.

The morning light had already risen from behind the mountain. He took a deep breath and strode towards the direction of the swan-swallowing pavilion.

As for why I woke up in my bed this morning when I had clearly fainted in the courtyard last night...

He searched the yard and house repeatedly, but found no trace of anyone having been there. After thinking for a while, Xia Xun decided not to make things difficult for himself and just consider it the Snail Fairy's way of repaying a debt of gratitude.

After all, this is Gensokyo, a land of demons, spirits, and gods, so it's not surprising that anything strange happens here.

The Nest-Swallowing Pavilion.

Xia Xun gently knocked twice on the wooden door and soon heard rustling footsteps inside.

The door opened, and Miyo Okunoda poked half her body out. When she saw him, a surprised smile immediately appeared on her face.

Good morning, Xia Xun.

She was wearing a navy blue apron with the sleeves rolled up to her forearms, clearly having been busy for a while.

She stepped aside to let him in, turning back to look at him as she walked, a hint of doubt in her eyes: "Why are you here so early? Is something the matter? Did Ms. Ibuki come to see you again after you drank last night?"

Xia Xun was taken aback upon hearing this, and paused for a moment.

Miss Ibuki, did she come to Minatotei again last night?

But seeing the girl looking at him with concern, he quickly shook his head: "No, no."

“I came this morning because I caught quite a few fresh fish yesterday,” Xia Xun said, reaching into her backpack and taking out a silver carp. “I wanted to ask if Nei Tun Ting would buy them.”

A large carp with golden scales appeared in Xia Xun's palm, struggling constantly, but its feeble resistance was like that of a loli when faced with a Xia Xun who was no longer the same.

"Wow, this carp is so beautiful!" Okunoda Miyo's eyes lit up when she saw the large carp that suddenly appeared in Natsumi's hand.

She quickly approached, bent down slightly, and carefully examined the golden carp. As the signboard girl of Minoton-tei, Okunoda Miyo had an excellent ability to appreciate ingredients.

She knew how to judge the quality of a fish and what kind of fish had the most tender and delicious flesh. At this moment, her eyes were full of surprise, and she was obviously very satisfied with the quality of the carp.

Upon hearing that Xia Xun wanted to sell to Ni Tun Ting, she nodded quickly, "Yes, yes, of course I'll take such a good fish!"

Seeing her like this, Xia Xun couldn't help but smile: "Thank you for your patronage."

The two then completed the transaction in a relaxed conversation.

After inspecting the fish, Okuno Miyoshi bought them at market prices: 12 mon per catty for carp and 13 mon per catty for crucian carp. The two ordinary crucian carp and three ordinary carp sold for a total of 147 mon.

Then came the silver-star quality fish. When Xia Xun took out two silver-star quality crucian carp, three silver-star quality carp, and one silver-star quality sea bass in one go, Mei Xiao's eyes lit up.

“This is the quality of the fish.” After carefully examining each one, she nodded confidently. “Sell me this one, and I’ll double the price.”

The price of crucian carp and carp doubled, while the price of perch, which was already 32 coins per catty, soared to 64 coins per catty after doubling.

After a quick calculation, Xia Xun earned 784 coins from this order of silver-quality fish.

In other words, this morning's trip alone brought in 931 coins from selling fish.

Adding the money left over from yesterday, the amount of money has once again exceeded four figures, totaling 1,580 coins.

Xia Xun looked at the jumping numbers on the panel and couldn't help but smile.

Fishing is truly a fantastic skill for earning gold coins in the early stages of the game.