Chapter 47 First Encounter with Lu Ming

Leaving Revered Master Luo Li's bedchamber, Xiao Ming did not return directly to Holy Son Peak.

He looked within himself; after another "deep cultivation" session with his Revered Master, his cultivation seemed to have advanced slightly, and his aura was becoming increasingly thick.

This stirred his heart, reminding him of something.

'In the future, I will inevitably have to wander among the Righteous Path Sects. If I get into a fight and my Devilish Qi is rampant every time I make a move, it will be too conspicuous. I need to find a decent Righteous Path Cultivation Technique to cover it up.'

Of course, he hadn't considered redeeming one directly from the System, but he had already checked, and what he could afford with his villain points, he wasn't very satisfied with.

His thoughts turned, and he changed his direction, heading towards the bustling marketplace of the Sect.

In the marketplace, Xiao Ming's aura was restrained as he strolled into a large shop with a sign that read "Hundred Techniques Pavilion".

The shop was filled with a dazzling array of Jade Slips, categorized by type.

There was no shortage of famous Demonic Path Cultivation Techniques and Righteous Path Cultivation Techniques, ranging from basic ones like 《Everlasting Spring Technique》 and 《Demonic Desire Technique》 to more profound ones like 《Residual Sun True Fire》 and 《Spirit Swallowing Technique》, all of which were enough to allow someone to Cultivate up to the Soul Transformation or even Void Refining stage.

However, Xiao Ming's eyes were sharp. A casual glance was enough to tell that while these Cultivation Techniques were not common goods, they were by no means rare.

To him, ordinary high-level Cultivation Techniques were no different from trash.

Xiao Ming shook his head and smiled, feeling bored.

Just as he was about to go back and use his villain points to redeem one, he caught a glimpse of a golden Jade Slip surrounded by an aura of righteousness, placed alone on a multi-treasure shelf behind the counter.

The Jade Slip was tightly shrouded in a layer of Restriction, and only a few ancient characters could be seen on its surface — 《Haoran Righteous Qi Technique》.

The characters were upright and peaceful, faintly emitting a vast, righteous aura that repelled the surrounding Devilish Qi.

"Interesting."

Xiao Ming stopped and slowly pointed at the Jade Slip, saying in a clear voice, "Shopkeeper, how can I trade for this Cultivation Technique?"

The shopkeeper was an old man at the Early Nascent Soul stage.

Hearing this, he looked up.

Seeing Xiao Ming's extraordinary bearing, and despite his Golden Core cultivation, he did not neglect him, and slowly said: "Young Master, you have a good eye. But this 《Haoran Righteous Qi Technique》 is not for sale; it is one of the items the Young Lord of this Pavilion has designated for 'barter'."

"Oh? What is needed to exchange for it?"

Xiao Ming raised an eyebrow slightly and asked.

The shopkeeper looked apologetic and smiled: "The Young Lord has recently wanted to please his beloved, so he is seeking a high-quality Beauty Pill. It must be at least an Earth Rank Medium Grade or High Grade, and then it can be exchanged for this Cultivation Technique. If there is no Medicinal Pill, this Cultivation Technique will not be sold. I hope the guest understands."

Beauty Pill?

Xiao Ming was slightly stunned, then remembered the Medicinal Pill he had refined a few days ago.

He did have a few Beauty Pills; he had originally wanted to give them to his Revered Master, but hadn't he recently obtained 100,000 years of experience as an Intermediate Alchemist?

Now that he could refine Earth Rank Medicinal Pills, he thought he should take the time to refine another batch to bring to his Revered Master!

"Earth Rank Medium or High Grade..."

Xiao Ming pondered for a moment, then flipped his palm, and a mutton-fat jade bottle appeared in his hand.

He pulled out the stopper, and immediately, an elegant fragrance, like a secluded orchid in an empty valley and as rich as flowers just blooming, permeated the air, instantly filling the entire shop.

Just by smelling a trace of the medicinal aura, the shopkeeper felt refreshed, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to smooth out a bit.

Inside the bottle, three pills the size of dragon eyes, with a glossy, rosy luster and faint cloud patterns flowing on the surface, lay quietly.

The pill fragrance overflowed, and the Spiritual Qi was overwhelming.

"Earth Rank Peak Grade Beauty Pill, three of them."

Xiao Ming's voice was flat.

"Is that enough?"

The shopkeeper's eyes went wide.

Earth Rank Peak Grade!

And it was a Beauty Pill, a niche but highly sought-after Medicinal Pill among female Cultivators!

But he dared not make the decision, so he quickly bowed and said: "Enough! More than enough! Guest, please wait a moment. For such a treasure, I need to ask the Young Lord and the Pavilion's guest Alchemist to come and appraise it to ensure everything is foolproof before the transaction can be completed. Please move to the private room to rest for a while."

Hearing this, Xiao Ming nodded slightly and followed a maid to the back room to wait.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a slightly hurried but steady sound of footsteps came from outside the door.

The door opened slowly, and a person walked in first.

This person looked to be no more than twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, dressed in a brocade robe with a jade belt around his waist.

His face was as handsome as jade, his brows were clear, and his temperament was gentle and refined.

There was a natural ease to his movements, characteristic of a disciple from a noble family.

His cultivation was clearly at the Golden Core Peak, and his Foundation was quite solid.

Behind him followed a deep-breathed, sharp-eyed old man, who should be the guest Alchemist the shopkeeper mentioned, and then the shopkeeper followed slowly, remaining silent.

As soon as the young man entered the room, his eyes fell on Xiao Ming, a flash of astonishment and caution passing through them.

He saw that Xiao Ming had a handsome face, deep eyes, and a restrained aura, and since the other party could casually take out an Earth Rank Peak Grade Medicinal Pill, he was certainly no ordinary person.

He immediately cupped his hands, smiled, and said enthusiastically: "I am Lu Ming, the owner of this establishment. I was tied up with worldly affairs just now, so I failed to welcome you in time. I hope you will forgive me, Fellow Daoist. Your presence in my humble shop truly makes it shine!"

Xiao Ming raised his eyes and took a look.

Lu Ming?

He seemed to have heard this name somewhere, but he couldn't recall it for a moment.

He didn't think much about it and nodded slightly: "Xiao Ming! Young Master Lu is too polite."

For some reason, Lu Ming also felt he had heard the name, but he didn't think too deeply about it and focused his attention entirely on the jade bottle containing the Medicinal Pill.

At this time, the guest Alchemist had carefully taken the jade bottle from the shopkeeper and began to examine it carefully.

He slowly poured out one Medicinal Pill, observed its shape, smelled its aroma, and even used his fingernail to scrape a tiny, imperceptible bit of pill powder to taste it carefully.

The shock and admiration on his face grew stronger and stronger.

"Young Lord..."

The Alchemist turned to Lu Ming, his voice filled with excitement, "It is indeed an Earth Rank Peak Grade Beauty Pill! The pill halo is natural, the medicinal power is perfectly contained, and the refining technique is exquisite—it is the best I have ever seen in my life! The effect of this pill is likely not just for beauty and youth preservation, but can also harmonize Qi and blood and clarify the Spiritual Altar. For female Cultivators, it is truly a supreme treasure!"

Hearing this, the joy in Lu Ming's eyes deepened, and his gaze towards Xiao Ming held a bit more respect and a desire to befriend him.

A Cultivator who could produce such a Medicinal Pill was definitely worth befriending, regardless of his background or potential.

"Fellow Daoist Xiao," Lu Ming's attitude became more earnest, "The quality of this pill far exceeds what I was looking for. You may choose any one item from the treasury in our Pavilion. If you have any other needs, as long as my shop has it, I, Lu, will not refuse."

Xiao Ming was slightly stunned when he heard this.

Wasn't he just exchanging for that Cultivation Technique?

Seeming to see Xiao Ming's confusion, the shopkeeper standing aside without speaking explained it, and Xiao Ming finally understood that the Cultivation Technique was indeed one of the items in the Pavilion's treasury.

"No need! That Cultivation Technique is enough for me."

His tone was flat, and he did not take the opportunity to make exorbitant demands.

Seeing this, Lu Ming felt a shiver in his heart, and his evaluation of Xiao Ming rose a few notches.

He signaled for the Alchemist and the shopkeeper to withdraw, personally poured tea for Xiao Ming, and smiled: "Fellow Daoist is straightforward. Since that is the case, I will accept it with shame. I will not hide it from you, Fellow Daoist; actually, I did this just to win a smile from my beloved, so I hope you will forgive this clumsy tactic."

His words were sincere, and he also intended to befriend Xiao Ming.

"No matter! A fair lady is a gentleman's good match!"

Xiao Ming took the teacup and chatted with him for a while, having nothing else to do.

After drinking a few cups of tea, Xiao Ming left slowly with the scroll surrounded by the aura of righteousness.

Lu Ming saw him to the door before waving goodbye with reluctance.

Then, holding the jade bottle containing the Medicinal Pill, he also rushed towards the Sect with an excited expression...