>>5986516>87 + 1 week sooner than expected :In the end, both of you abscond. You have a quite fruitful harvest - finding a grand total of 3 skystones of various size and spiritual energy stockpile, the biggest of which you find really impressive.
Based on what you've seen in the cultivator's market, this one would be enough by itself to pay a few months worth of the due taxes.
You've also found something else; more like a small trinket. A gold marble that seems lowly attracted to you when you flare your Spiritual Energy. Exactly what you've been looking for.
Of course, you pocket it. You can't wait to work again on your Soul Affinity Measurement Contraption prototype.
>Obtained a Gold lodestone!You ride back to the acknowledged meeting point, finding an overtly happy kid.
"<span class="mu-r">Get ready to call me Big Brother! Not only I found two skystones, but they're at the very least 2nd realm and 4th realm!</span>"
Good. His smaller stone is roughly comparable to your middle sized one. But his 4th realm one is definitely at least one realm under your big one.
"Looks like I won this bout, both in quality and quantity, young Golden Skystone."
The harvest is clearly proof enough the Patrician have been overtly bullshitting you : such a boon of treasure in a couple hours? Fetched by two kids, although maybe lucky and promising?
The two adults are silent, their face unreadable.
>Play stupid - "So few rewards? I understand your difficulties to pay taxes">Stay silent for now>Directly confront the Patriarch, in the middle of the barren lands with no witness except his sons to his loss of face.>Write-in