5: Insights and unexpected gains from the exchange meeting

The refining of the concealment incense went smoothly.

Although General Manager Liu Yuan's cultivation was not high, he had a deep understanding of herbs.

Under Mo Chu's "guidance" (mainly using his tail to point out subtle deviations in material ratios), after three sticks of incense, a dozen thumb-sized grey pills with a faint, refreshing fragrance were formed.

This was a simple concealment incense; after crushing it, it could form a short-range aura barrier, masking the Spiritual Qi fluctuations of Spiritual Plants and Cultivators.

"With this, we should be able to avoid the eyes and ears of Black Wind Stronghold."

General Manager Liu Yuan carefully put away the concealment incense, a look of relief appearing on his face.

Liu Zhi and Liu Shan also breathed a sigh of relief, their eyes filled with increasing awe as they looked at Mo Chu—this little black snake always seemed to bring surprises at critical moments.

Although Wang Lan still didn't have a pleasant expression, she kept her mouth shut and didn't raise any more questions.

On the night before departure, General Manager Liu Yuan specially prepared a basin of clear spring water rich in Spiritual Qi for Mo Chu.

"This is the Spiritual Spring that seeps out from the Spiritual Vein in the back mountain; it is good for your body."

The old man looked at Mo Chu, who was swimming comfortably in the spring water, and smiled, "Tomorrow, the exchange meeting will be crowded and messy. You just stay in my sleeve pocket and don't run around, you hear?"

Mo Chu flicked his tongue, considering it an agreement.

He could feel the Spiritual Qi from the Spiritual Spring being rapidly absorbed by his body.

The "Rank" value on the System panel had loosened slightly, as if it were about to reach Rank 2.

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, at the first light of dawn, General Manager Liu Yuan set off with Liu Shan and Liu Zhi, carrying bags filled with Spiritual Plants.

Mo Chu curled up in General Manager Liu Yuan's wide sleeve pocket, only revealing his eyes, curiously observing the outside world.

The Qingmang Mountain Range was vast.

The exchange meeting was set in a flat valley in the middle of the mountain range, nearly a hundred miles away from the area where the Liu Family was located.

The three people and one snake walked for an entire morning before they could see the outline of the valley from afar.

The closer they got to the valley, the more people there were.

Most were Cultivators wearing various outfits, walking in twos and threes, carrying bags.

Their auras were strong or weak, and their faces were filled with anticipation.

"The exchange meeting is just ahead." General Manager Liu Yuan said in a low voice, "Cheer up, and crush the concealment incense."

Liu Shan and Liu Zhi immediately followed suit, holding a piece of concealment incense in their palms.

A faint blue smoke dispersed, and the Spiritual Qi fluctuations on the three of them instantly became blurred, as if they had become three ordinary traveling merchants.

Mo Chu also felt that the atmosphere outside the sleeve pocket seemed to be covered by an invisible thin film, and even his own sense of presence had decreased significantly.

Walking into the valley, the view suddenly opened up.

On the wide valley floor, stalls were densely packed.

All kinds of Spiritual Plants, Ore, and low-grade Magical Artifacts were dazzling.

The sounds of hawking and bargaining rose and fell, making it exceptionally lively.

"So many people..." Liu Zhi couldn't help but sigh in a low voice, his eyes full of curiosity.

He had grown up to this age, and this was his first time seeing so many Cultivators.

General Manager Liu Yuan, however, looked vigilant and pulled the two of them towards a corner: "Don't look around. We have a small goal; just exchange the items and leave."

They found an inconspicuous corner and laid out the Qi Condensation Grass they had brought along with a few accompanying low-grade Spiritual Plants.

Soon, someone came to ask about the price.

"How do you sell the Qi Condensation Grass?" A Cultivator in a blue short shirt squatted down, picked up a stalk of Qi Condensation Grass, and examined it.

"Ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones per stalk." Liu Shan said quickly.

This was the price they had agreed upon beforehand.

The Cultivator frowned: "Too expensive. Other places only charge eight."

"Our Qi Condensation Grass is of good quality and has sufficient Spiritual Qi..."

After some bargaining, it was finally sold for nine Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

Looking at the small grey stones with weak Spiritual Qi in his hand, Liu Zhi was so excited that his face turned red—this was the food money for the Family for half a month.

Mo Chu watched silently from the sleeve pocket.

Low-Grade Spirit Stones were the basic currency of the Cultivation world, and most items in the System mall were also priced in Spirit Stones.

In the next half hour, the Liu Family's Spiritual Plants were gradually sold, exchanging for over thirty Low-Grade Spirit Stones and a small bottle of Bigu Pills.

"That's about enough; it's enough for the clan to use for a while." General Manager Liu Yuan counted the harvest and nodded with satisfaction, "Let's go see if there are any suitable low-grade Cultivation Techniques to exchange for one for Zhi'er and the others to Cultivate."

Just as they were about to get up, a quarrel suddenly came from a neighboring stall.

"I saw this 'blood leaf orchid' first!" A young man in coarse cloth shouted anxiously.

"So what if you saw it? Can you afford it?" A burly man with a fierce face pushed the young man, "I want this blood leaf orchid!"

The young man stumbled back a few steps, his face pale with anger: "You... you are from Black Wind Stronghold!"

The burly man grinned hideously: "You know, and you still dare to snatch it from me? Be sensible and get out, or I'll break your legs!"

Seeing this, the surrounding people were angry but dared not speak, quietly taking a few steps back.

General Manager Liu Yuan's expression changed, and he pulled Liu Shan and Liu Zhi to leave: "Let's go quickly, don't cause trouble."

However, Mo Chu's gaze fixed at this moment.

What the burly man was holding was an orchid with dark red leaves, and faint bloodstains flowed along the edges of the leaves—it was a blood leaf orchid!

He had seen this type of Spiritual Plant in the "Herbal Atlas" of the System mall.

It looked ordinary, but it was the main ingredient for refining "Body Tempering Powder," and Body Tempering Powder could significantly improve the Physical Body strength of low-grade Cultivators.

More importantly, at the root of this blood leaf orchid, there was a tiny, golden-glittering thread wrapped around it—that was "Accompanied Spiritual Silk," an extremely rare auxiliary Material that could slightly increase the growth speed of Spiritual Plants.

For the Spiritual Field of the Liu Family, it was like charcoal in snow!

【Ding! Detected special item beneficial to the bound Family (blood leaf orchid and Accompanied Spiritual Silk), triggering temporary task: Obtain this item.】

【Task Reward: 50 Contribution Points, Spiritual Plant Growth Liquid x1.】

Mo Chu's heart jumped.

50 Contribution Points, plus the previous 10, would make 60, enough to buy a basic breathing technique!

But the other party was from Black Wind Stronghold, with a cultivation of Qi Refining Fourth Level, even higher than General Manager Liu Yuan.

Snatching it by force was definitely not going to work.

What to do?

Just as Mo Chu was thinking, the burly man had already paid the money, took the blood leaf orchid, and turned to leave.

Seeing the opportunity slipping away, Mo Chu thought of a clever plan and suddenly let out a sharp hiss in the direction of the burly man!

"Hiss—!"

The sound was not loud, but it carried a trace of the cold aura unique to snakes.

The burly man subconsciously lowered his head to look and happened to meet Mo Chu's cold snake eyes in the sleeve pocket, and was suddenly startled: "Where did this snake come from!"

His hand shook, and the blood leaf orchid in his hand fell to the ground.

Taking advantage of his distraction, Mo Chu suddenly darted out of the sleeve pocket like a black lightning bolt, accurately landing next to the blood leaf orchid, wrapping his body around it, and then quickly swimming towards General Manager Liu Yuan's direction.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye, and no one had reacted.

"My blood leaf orchid!" The burly man came to his senses, roared, and reached out to grab Mo Chu.

"Not good!" General Manager Liu Yuan's expression changed drastically.

Without thinking, he pulled out the wooden staff from his waist and blocked the burly man's hand.

"Bang!"

With a muffled sound, General Manager Liu Yuan was pushed back two steps, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

"Courting death!" The burly man was furious and smashed a fist towards General Manager Liu Yuan.

"Father/Old Ancestor!" Liu Shan and Liu Zhi exclaimed.

At this critical moment, Mo Chu suddenly spat a small mouthful of cyan liquid towards the burly man's feet—it was the "Weak Paralysis Liquid" (worth 5 Contribution Points) he had exchanged from the System space when he drank the Spiritual Spring in the morning.

The burly man didn't pay attention and stepped on it, immediately feeling his ankle go numb, his movements slowing by half.

It was in this half-split second that General Manager Liu Yuan had already pulled Liu Shan and Liu Zhi, picked up the Mo Chu and blood leaf orchid on the ground, and turned to run: "Run!"

"Catch them! Don't let them run!" The burly man was both shocked and angry, rubbing his numb ankle while shouting at his subordinates.

Immediately, four or five people from Black Wind Stronghold surrounded them from all sides.

General Manager Liu Yuan and the other two held Mo Chu, desperately running towards the outside of the valley.

Mo Chu was in Liu Shan's arms, tightly holding the blood leaf orchid, but he was calculating in his heart:

【Ding! Temporary task completed, rewards being distributed...】

【Contribution Points +50, Spiritual Plant Growth Liquid x1 has been stored in the System space.】

【Detected that the host actively assisted the Family in avoiding risks, triggering passive effect: Family member loyalty slightly increased.】

Worth it!

Although he had provoked Black Wind Stronghold, this blood leaf orchid, the Accompanied Spiritual Silk, and the 50 Contribution Points were absolutely worth it!

The shouting and killing sounds behind them were getting closer and closer.

General Manager Liu Yuan and the three of them didn't dare to look back, only burying their heads and running wildly.