2 High-grade Spirit Stones, 100 Spirit Stones, a Tier 3 pill recipe, and the matching ingredients…
Su Xuan held the pile of items, silently calculating the harvest from this trip.
Originally, he thought that if he could sell 100 or 200 Spirit Stones’ worth of goods, it would be a massive success. He hadn’t expected to get so much at once. Especially the pill recipe and ingredients—they were worth far more than the Spirit Stones.
“Hm?”
As Su Xuan walked through the streets of the Inner Market, many Cultivators brushed past him. The occasional glances thrown his way immediately put him on high alert.
Aside from Cultivators like himself, the Marketplace also hid Rogue Cultivators who specialized in killing and looting. These people made a living by robbing passing Cultivators. Someone like him—young, with low cultivation, yet carrying a mountain of Spirit Stones and ingredients—was the perfect target.
A few malicious gazes were hidden among those looks, clearly showing he had attracted attention. He naturally understood the principle of not flaunting wealth. If he kept walking like this, he would likely be jumped the moment he left the Inner Market.
‘This won’t do. I need to buy a Storage Bag.’
Usually, only a Foundation Establishment Cultivator would consider a Storage Bag. They were used to carry various magical treasures, Elixirs, and talismans. They cost at least 100 Spirit Stones, making them quite expensive. However, there was no better way right now. Safety came first.
After a moment’s thought, he quickened his pace and headed toward the Wufang Artifact Pavilion. He pushed open the doors and stepped inside.
“Brother Su? You’re here?”
Seeing him enter, Shangguan Xiushen shuddered and hurriedly came to greet him. In just a few days, Shangguan Xiushen’s wretched appearance seemed to have softened significantly, and even the dark circles under his eyes had faded.
“Brother Su, do you have… that thing?” He grabbed Su Xuan and whispered, looking as if he had found a savior.
Seeing his eager expression, Su Xuan felt a bit awkward. Technically, Shangguan Xiushen’s 50 Spirit Stones had been his life-saving money, yet when he refined the Pill of Myriad Mysteries this time, he had forgotten to save any for him.
“In 2 days. I’ll refine some in 2 days and bring them over, Brother Shangguan,” he replied.
“As soon as possible, alright?” Shangguan Xiushen had a miserable look on his face, clearly unable to wait.
Ever since he experienced the thrill of being one against ten last time, he could no longer find interest in his old ways. Furthermore, now that Shangguan Yu was here, he, as a subordinate, no longer dared to go to the Dark Alley. So, these past few days had been extremely miserable for him.
“Brother, what are you here to buy?” Shangguan Xiushen asked in a low voice, remembering his duty.
“I want to buy a Storage Bag. One that can… fit all these things in my hands.” Su Xuan set down the pile of items.
The larger the capacity of a Storage Bag, the more expensive it was. For now, he only wanted one that was functional. Watching Shangguan Xiushen’s thief-like movements, he asked curiously, “What are you doing?”
“Shh! She’s resting upstairs. We can’t disturb her. Follow me.” Shangguan Xiushen made a gesture for him to be quiet and signaled for him to follow.
It was currently Shangguan Yu’s nap time—a schedule that was set in stone. If she were disturbed, she would absolutely fly into a rage.
“Fellow… *cough*… Fellow Cultivator Su is here?”
Unfortunately, the door upstairs was gently pushed open, and Shangguan Yu walked out, looking a bit dazed from sleep. Initially, it was a gentle female voice, but she immediately realized something was wrong. After clearing her throat twice, she switched back to a feminine but slightly deep masculine voice.
She straightened her somewhat messy clothes and walked quickly downstairs. Perhaps because she had gotten up too quickly, she kept shifting her body while adjusting her clothes. Her slender waist twisted like a water snake, and her hair was slightly loose, giving her quite a feminine charm.
“Are you alone? Did your disciple come?” Shangguan Yu looked behind Su Xuan. Seeing no one, she expressed some disappointment.
“Heh, just me.” Su Xuan was speechless at her behavior. She was openly pining for his disciple, and she didn’t even bother to hide it in front of him, the master.
“Oh… then why are you here?” Shangguan Yu asked, disappointed.
“I’m just buying a Storage Bag before I head back,” Su Xuan replied.
“Hm?”
He had only stated his purpose, but Shangguan Yu narrowed her eyes slightly, sizing up the items beside him. She remembered that the last time Su Xuan came, he had bought an iron pot, for which she had looked down on him immensely.
How long had it been since then? How did he suddenly have the money to buy a Storage Bag? And what was he doing with so many items?
“We’re friends, aren’t we? I’ll give you one!” Shangguan Yu’s eyes darted around as she turned to Shangguan Xiushen and instructed, “Go, get the best one for Fellow Cultivator Su.”
“No need! I haven’t done anything to deserve such a gift. I cannot accept your kindness.” Su Xuan waved his hand and refused decisively.
He didn’t want to have any connection with this Feng Aotian, especially when it came to owing favors. That would just give her an excuse to get close to his disciple.
Shangguan Yu was also slightly stunned. She indeed had those intentions, but she hadn’t expected Su Xuan to reject her so flatly.
The best Storage Bags in the Wufang Artifact Pavilion were more than sufficient for a Golden Core Cultivator; a single one cost over 15 High-grade Spirit Stones. Seeing Su Xuan’s refusal to take even a small advantage, her eyes actually lit up. The more difficult a person was, the more excited she became.
“Sorry for the trouble, Brother Shangguan. Just pick the cheapest one,” Su Xuan said.
Shangguan Xiushen glanced between the two of them. Only after receiving a nod from Shangguan Yu did he lead Su Xuan to the shelves. After looking through a few, Su Xuan chose one suitable for the Qi Refining Stage. Although the space was only 1 square meter, it was more than enough for him.
Insisting on paying 1 High-grade Spirit Stone, he tucked the Storage Bag into his pocket. Just as he was about to put the pill materials inside, he turned around and found Shangguan Yu crouching next to the pile of items, looking very interested.
She pondered for a moment and smiled. “Since Fellow Cultivator Su is unwilling to accept my kindness, would you be willing to make a deal with me?”
“What deal?” Su Xuan looked at her—she was acting like a fox—and became wary, asking instinctively.
“I need a Tier 3 Elixir called the Evil-Warding Pill. I wonder if Fellow Cultivator Su can help me obtain one?”
For the first time, a trace of worry appeared on Shangguan Yu’s usually proud face. She had gone to check the disturbances at the Ancient Battlefield yesterday. She estimated that the ruins of the battlefield would open in another half a month. Inside would be a massive amount of magical treasures, weapons, and even inheritances.
In the world of cultivation, strength spoke for itself. Naturally, she didn’t want to fall behind her second uncle, Shangguan Sheng, and wanted to search for her own opportunities. The problem was that the depths of the battlefield were filled with various types of Sha Energy. Entering without protection was suicide.
Shangguan Yu had inquired for a long time before she learned about the Evil-Warding Pill, which allowed one to remain unaffected by Sha Energy after consumption. However, she didn’t have the support of the Marketplace, and she didn’t even have the pill recipe. She had heard Shangguan Xiushen’s speculations and remembered that there might be a mysterious Alchemist behind Su Xuan, so she thought she would try her luck.
What if they actually had it? As for Su Xuan himself, she didn’t believe for a second that an iron pot could refine a Tier 3 Elixir.
“As long as you can get it, you can pick anything you want from my shop.” She looked at Su Xuan with a sincere expression. Then, her eyes darted around again as she instructed Shangguan Xiushen. “I remember Fellow Cultivator Su is lacking an Alchemy Furnace. Go pick a high-quality one to serve as a deposit.”
‘I want you to stay away from my disciple, is that okay?’ Su Xuan thought to himself.
However, since she also wanted this pill, and based on her tone, she didn’t know he was the one refining them, he realized he could make a fortune in silence by profiting from both sides!
“Sure, I’ll see what I can do.” After thinking it over, he accepted the request.