13: Old acquaintance

As a county town under the jurisdiction of Danyang Prefecture, Qingyun City had numerous shops selling Medicinal Pills, and channels for purchasing Spirit Medicine were flourishing everywhere.

Many pill shops sold Medicinal Pills while also purchasing Spiritual Plants.

Lu Xian walked leisurely down the street.

Unknowingly, the surrounding scenery stirred up memories.

He stopped in front of a small two-story building and looked up at the plaque: Hundred Elixirs Hall!

Once... I had a job to make ends meet, but now I possess a miraculous little courtyard.

The difference between the two situations was like clouds and mud.

I'll go inside and take a look, Lu Xian thought to himself.

The people in the Pill Hall had been quite nice to him before, and there were no major conflicts.

"Welcome! What kind of Medicinal Pills would you like to buy, customer? Please feel free to look around."

An unfamiliar maid came forward to greet him.

Is this the new servant?

She hadn't managed Qi Drawing even after obtaining her Quasi-Immortal Certificate nearly three months ago; no wonder she had to work here.

Lu Xian didn't state his purpose directly but asked, "Is Zhang Tie here?"

"Brother Zhang is in the back processing medicinal ingredients. What do you need him for, customer?"

The maid, Jiang Ting, had a somewhat cold attitude. Since he wasn't buying Medicinal Pills, she didn't want to bother hosting him and would rather spend her time to Cultivate.

Lu Xian frowned. This newcomer was a bit too stuck-up.

He used to have to watch others' expressions, but now that he had stepped onto the path of the Dao, his own expression didn't work?

With a slight thought, he quietly stopped running the Xuanpin Qi Concealment Art, and a trace of his magic power's aura naturally leaked out.

Jiang Ting's face turned slightly pale, and she hurriedly lowered her head.

She hadn't even realized the other party was a Cultivator just now!

Normally, why would a Cultivator be so restrained toward a Mortal?

Furthermore, seeing Lu Xian in ordinary black clothes and not looking like he was there to buy pills, she thought he was some Mortal relative of Brother Zhang.

She had intended to keep him outside.

"Fellow Daoist, please forgive me, I was blind..." Jiang Ting apologized.

Lu Xian shook his head.

Addressing someone as Fellow Daoist before even reaching Qi Refining—this woman must have gotten in through connections.

No, perhaps... he should thank her?

Otherwise, he would still be working this 797 work schedule, and his cheat would never have arrived.

"Go call Zhang Tie out. Tell him Lu Xian is looking for him to discuss business."

"You're actually Lu Xian?"

Jiang Ting's beautiful eyes widened in disbelief.

Wasn't that her predecessor? Didn't they say he had no background? How did he become a Cultivator?!

After a moment of daze, she snapped back to her senses and hurried into the inner room.

Not long after, Zhang Tie walked over quickly in excitement. He sized Lu Xian up, then grinned broadly and slapped his shoulder heavily. "It really is you, Brother Lu!"

Seeing that he was still the same honest and simple man, Lu Xian also smiled. "Brother Zhang, I was lucky enough to find some Opportunity and have barely entered the threshold. How has business been in the shop lately?"

"Same as always. The daily turnover is less than a hundred Spirit Stones. Fortunately, Shopkeeper Huang hasn't been harsh," Zhang Tie scratched his head.

"..."

After a few pleasantries, Lu Xian got to the point. "Brother Zhang, I'm not here to buy pills this time, but to sell medicine. I remember the shopkeeper used to purchase various medicinal ingredients frequently, right?"

"Of course we do. What kind of medicinal herbs do you want to sell, Brother Lu?" Zhang Tie's expression became slightly more serious.

Lu Xian sent a voice transmission: "Medium Grade Pale Reed Fragrance."

Hearing this, Zhang Tie's face turned solemn. "This is no small matter. I need to ask Shopkeeper Huang to decide."

The two went to the second floor.

Zhang Tie pushed open a door, and cursing immediately came from inside. "Damn it! Why did it explode again! Ptooie, ptooie, ptooie..."

Shopkeeper Huang Moya was spitting out mouthfuls of black smoke, his face covered in soot.

"Hmm? Zhang Tie! Didn't I tell you not to disturb me during Alchemy?" he said heavily.

"Shopkeeper Huang, there's a special situation. Lu Xian wants to sell a stalk of Medium Grade Spirit Medicine, and it's the rather rare Pale Reed Fragrance. I didn't dare make the decision."

Zhang Tie explained in a muffled voice.

"Lu Xian?" Huang Moya was somewhat surprised. "The Lu Xian who was dismissed last time?"

He stood up, walked to the door, and when he saw the person, the surprise in his eyes grew even more.

"It really is you? You've entered the path of cultivation? That old fellow Zhao Shouren's speed in saving up Spirit Stones is not slow at all."

Lu Xian was slightly stunned. What did Old Man Zhao have to do with this?

Could it be that Shopkeeper Huang was an acquaintance of his?

That's right. It was only after hearing the news about the Hundred Elixirs Hall hiring from Zhao Shouren that he successfully entered as a servant.

It seemed there was indeed some maneuvering involved.

However, it appeared Huang Moya had misunderstood something, thinking Zhao Shouren had sponsored him to get the quasi-immortal jade token.

But why would Zhao Shouren help me?... Lu Xian couldn't figure out the reason for a moment.

The three of them went to the reception room.

Huang Moya said, "Take out the Spirit Medicine and let me see its quality."

Lu Xian took a wooden box from his bosom and pushed it over.

Huang Moya used an Object Manipulation Technique to open the lid from a distance. Instantly, a sharp light flashed in his eyes. "Good! The medicinal power is full, it's quite aged, and there hasn't been the slightest loss of essence!"

As he spoke, he gave Lu Xian a meaningful glance.

"Did Zhao Shouren ask you to sell it?"

"Well..." Lu Xian had thought of a random reason before coming, but now it seemed he could find a more suitable one.

He took the Opportunity to change his story. "Exactly. Senior Zhao is busy today, so he specifically asked me to do it on his behalf."

"Hmph, that old thing is still as lazy as ever! Fine, for this stalk of Medium Grade Pale Reed Fragrance, I'll give you 65 Spirit Stones."

Huang Moya snorted and waved his hand.

A flash of spiritual light appeared on the table, and a pile of Spirit Stones appeared out of thin air.

A Storage Pouch!

Lu Xian was envious. He had seen this item several times, and each time he felt it was extraordinarily miraculous.

Should I go buy one later? It's much more convenient when traveling.

Lu Xian collected the Spirit Stones and cupped his hands. "Shopkeeper Huang is as generous as ever."

"Haha... Kid, in the cultivation world, calling someone 'generous' isn't necessarily a good term," Huang Moya laughed loudly.

Lu Xian felt he wasn't wrong.

Without those two hundred spirit shards of severance pay, he wouldn't even have had his startup capital... "Brother Zhang, no need to see me out."

"Brother, the immortal path is dangerous. Be careful in everything. Come by and sit when you have time."

"Understood." Lu Xian took his leave.

Jiang Ting appeared at the right time and watched from afar. "Brother Zhang, was that person really the Lu Xian who used to work here?"

"Yes, Little Sister Jiang. You should also practice hard. You know, Brother Lu got his Quasi-Immortal Certificate a month later than you, yet his cultivation is almost catching up to mine!"

Zhang Tie was always concerned about others and didn't forget to encourage her.

"Yes, yes... I understand," Jiang Ting replied with her head lowered, but her mind was wandering elsewhere.

Leaving the Hundred Elixirs Hall, Lu Xian felt the total of one hundred and twelve Low-Grade Spirit Stones in his bosom.

These were originally just two Mortal Chickens and a wild herb.

Now, they had turned into shiny Spirit Stones.

The profit behind it was heartwarming!

He could now go on a shopping spree.

He had intended to head straight for Jubao Pavilion, but when he reached a deep alley, his footsteps stopped.

Why not go to the Wujian Workshop and take a look? In the black market, I might be able to find some cheap good stuff, even if the origins might be questionable.

When the Xu hour arrived, Lu Xian slipped into the alley and paid an entrance fee of two Spirit Stones.

The underground streets were as bustling as ever.

He inquired slightly and found that there were many capable people here.

Most of the passing Cultivators were at the Middle Stage of Qi Refining, and many had obscure auras that were hard to discern, clearly possessing excellent breath concealment skills.

Lu Xian continuously ran the Xuanpin Qi Concealment Art, trying his best to blur his own aura.

All kinds of Medicinal Pills, Talismans, spirit ores, Yao Beast meat... even blood-stained Magical Artifacts were being sold at the stalls.

After a rough scan of the area, Lu Xian stopped at a stall filled with tender green leafy plants.

"Fellow Daoist, how much are these spirit plant seedlings?"