Plenty of Spirit Crystals to Spend

Before dawn, Zhong Wen, in a joyful mood, moved swiftly through the forest with incredibly agile steps. If one were to observe closely, he or she would notice that he touched the ground lightly, as if his toes were skimming the water's surface. His body seemed to float in mid-air, displaying a graceful and agile posture while moving at an extremely high speed.

Cloud-Soaring Immortal Steps was a highly advanced martial art for footwork, but in the eyes of the disciples of the Medicine King Valley, it was mainly used for collecting spirit herbs in dangerous places like cliffs and cliffs. To Zhong Wen, this was a waste of its true potential.

With the power of spiritual energy, he now executed this martial art, feeling the evening breeze rushing past his face. The trees on either side of the path seemed to retreat in his wake, and he felt like a young breeze himself.

"If I were to work as a delivery guy, would the other delivery guys still have a job?" Zhong Wen couldn't help but think that he had uncovered the true potential of the Cloud-Soaring Immortal Steps.

When he opened the ring in the Medicine King Valley, he was shocked by the items inside. The Valley Master of the Medicine King Valley didn't even bother to put Spirit Crystals in the ring.

Within the roughly ten-cubic-sized space, apart from the alchemical furnace and gold needles used for acupuncture that the Valley Master carried with him, various treasures and rare spirit herbs and seeds were scattered about. A pile of Spirit Crystal cores, like colorful candy, lay abandoned in a corner, accompanied by ordinary Spirit Crystals that Zhong Wen had placed there.

Unlike the spirit herbs cultivated in the Medicine King Valley, the herbs and seeds inside the ring did not wither with time; instead, they were full of vitality. This was one of the characteristics of the storage ring. Time stopped flowing within the ring's space, so things remained exactly as they were when placed inside.

However, because of this, living creatures couldn't be stored inside.

Besides becoming unexpectedly wealthy, Zhong Wen also received a surprise. Before leaving the Medicine King Valley, Zhong Wen, who was feeling thirsty, decided to fetch some water from the lake to quench his thirst. As soon as he took a sip of water, he choked and quickly spat it out.

"It's so salty! Salty to the point of bitterness!"

Zhong Wen first felt anger, then turned to surprise. It was a saltwater lake! After days of eating bland meals, Zhong Wen, without hesitation, took out the Medicine King Valley's alchemical furnace from the ring, filled it to the brim with lake water, and carried it with him. If the Valley Master of the Medicine King Valley knew that Zhong Wen had used the top-notch alchemical furnace he had spent a fortune on to hold lake water, he would probably be furious and crawl out of his bed to take him away.

By the time he returned to the Drifting Petal Palace, it was approaching the daybreak, and the sky was beginning to turn slightly pale. Zhong Wen, who had come quickly using the Cloud-Soaring Immortal Step, was still sweating profusely, even though this technique did not consume much energy.

He pushed the door open lightly and was surprised to find Liu Qiqi practicing her swordsmanship in the courtyard.

Did she need to be so diligent? The two of them locked eyes and a hint of awkwardness hung in the air.

"Did you go out last night?" Liu Qiqi asked with a hint of vigilance in her tone.

"I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep, so I went out for a run to exercise," Zhong Wen quickly came up with an excuse.

"Your body is indeed too weak," Liu Qiqi accepted his explanation as she noticed Zhong Wen panting and sweating profusely.

"Miss Liu, do you practice swordsmanship this early every day?" Zhong Wen asked.

"My master wakes up even earlier than I do," Liu Qiqi mentioned to her master, and a hint of admiration flashed in her eyes. "I wonder when I'll be able to reach her level."

"With your dedication, you'll get there," Zhong Wen encouraged her with a smile before running back to his room to fetch a washbasin and heading to the well in the backyard to fetch water.

Watching Zhong Wen's retreating figure, Liu Qiqi felt that there seemed to be some changes in him, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Shaking her head in confusion, she returned to her sword training.

Back in his room, Zhong Wen took off his shirt and began using a cloth to wipe his body with the well water. Even though it was summer, the mountain wasn't particularly hot, and the well water felt a bit chilly on his skin. Fortunately, Zhong Wen had started practicing the Longevity Technique, so he could tolerate it.

After wiping his upper body, just as he was about to take off his pants, there was a "knock, knock" at the door.

"Please come in!" Zhong Wen responded while quickly pulling up his pants.

Mrs. Wang, who entered the room, saw Zhong Wen shirtless and blushed slightly but didn't avoid looking at him. Instead, she seemed quite interested as she assessed him from head to toe.

"Do you need anything, Mrs. Wang?" Zhong Wen asked while reaching for his shirt to put it back on.

"I was about to do some laundry and wanted to ask if Mr. Zhong has any clothes that need washing. I can take care of them for you," Mrs. Wang's voice was gentle and had a sense of tenderness. "Since Mr. Zhong is washing up, you can hand me the clothes you need to wash."

"I... I only have this one set of clothes," Zhong Wen scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Oh, dear!" Mrs. Wang was momentarily stunned and then burst into laughter. "I apologize for my oversight. Mr. Zhong, let me measure your size, and when I go down the mountain to buy groceries later, I'll get you some suitable clothes."

Mrs. Wang was naturally beautiful, and her laughter made her even more charming and captivating. Zhong Wen's heart skipped a beat.

"Mrs. Wang, are you going down the mountain? Can I go with you?" Zhong Wen's mentality had changed significantly overnight, and he was no longer timid. He was also curious about the world below.

"Qingfeng Mountain is around 800 meters high. Mr. Zhong has only recently recovered from his injuries. Won't going down the mountain be too tiring?"

"I'm perfectly fine now, no need for more rest. It's better to move around and help with my recovery," Zhong Wen shook his head. "And, Mrs. Wang, you don't have to call me 'Mr. Zhong.' If you don't mind, you can just call me Zhong Wen."

"Alright, Zhong Wen. Later, you can come with me to the village. I'll take you around, and we can buy some clothes on the way back," Mrs. Wang readily agreed.

"Well then, please wait a moment while I finish cleaning my... body," Zhong Wen struggled to say the word "lower body."

"I'll tidy up a bit, and we'll meet in the courtyard in a moment," Mrs. Wang quickly understood and left with a smile, closing the door behind her.

Relieved to see Mrs. Wang leave, Zhong Wen hurriedly finished washing up. His clothes were still damp, but he didn't have time to wait, so he quickly dressed and headed to the courtyard.

Mrs. Wang had been waiting at the courtyard gate, dressed in a light yellow robe with a rose-red sash around her waist, accentuating her graceful figure.

"What's this?" Zhong Wen noticed that Mrs. Wang held a large cloth bag in each hand.

"This is the garbage. I need to dispose of them down the mountain," Mrs. Wang, with her slender figure, carried two large bags without any apparent effort.

"Let me take those for you," Zhong Wen insisted.

"No need, no need. You're our guest; how can I let you carry the garbage?" Mrs. Wang shook her head repeatedly.

Zhong Wen didn't take no for an answer and snatched the cloth bags from Mrs. Wang's hands. "With a strong young man like me around, how can we let a beautiful lady do the heavy lifting?"

"What are you saying, Zhong Wen? With an old lady like me around, how can we let you men do this dirty work?" Mrs. Wang clearly didn't understand Zhong Wen's logic, as this was a world with extreme gender roles.

"Mrs. Wang, you're not old at all. If you hadn't told me, I would have thought you were a young lady in her twenties."

Mrs. Wang burst into laughter. "I thought you were an honest guy, but it turns out you're quite the smooth talker."

After a playful exchange, the two became closer, chatting and laughing as they made their way down the mountain. Zhong Wen carried the two large cloth bags and felt his spiritual energy flowing continuously through his body. After walking on the mountain path for a while, he didn't feel the slightest fatigue. He couldn't help but marvel at the remarkable aspects of the Longevity Technique.

Walking ahead of Zhong Wen, Mrs. Wang also moved lightly and energetically.

"Are you also a cultivator, Mrs. Wang?" Zhong Wen couldn't help but ask.

"I'm just a villager. How could I be so fortunate? I've been helping out at the Drifting Petal Palace and the palace master didn't want to see me working so hard, so she taught me some cultivation methods. I've been practicing daily, and my body has become much stronger. Climbing up and down the mountain like this doesn't tire me out," Mrs. Wang replied.

"It seems like the Palace Master of the Drifting Petal Palace is a good person," Zhong Wen praised.

"Palace Master Lin is like a living Bodhisattva, an extraordinary figure," Mrs. Wang said with a look of admiration.

The two quickly reached the foot of the mountain. Zhong Wen could see the green fields in the distance.

"That's Qingfeng Village over there," Mrs. Wang introduced. "Within a hundred miles around Qingfeng Mountain belongs to the Drifting Petal Palace. The land in the village is fertile and rich in spiritual energy. In addition to growing grains and vegetables, the villagers also plant some spiritual herbs as instructed by Palace Master Lin. They are collected by the Drifting Petal Palace and sold in Cangyun City."

As they approached the village, Zhong Wen did indeed see patches of medicinal fields in the large farmlands. The medicinal herbs planted there were robust and vibrant, though they didn't compare to the top-tier herbs in his storage ring; they were still quite remarkable.

After a short while, they arrived at the busier part of the village.

"We're here. Aunt Liu's house is up ahead," Mrs. Wang pointed to a simple house. "Aunt Liu makes a living by tailoring clothes for the men, women, and children in the village. There should be some men's clothes available at her house."

"Mrs. Wang, I haven't fully recovered my memory yet, and I don't remember much about prices. How many Spirit Crystals would a set of adult men's clothes cost?" Zhong Wen humbly inquired, as he was completely ignorant of the current prices.

"Spirit Crystals?" Mrs. Wang gave Zhong Wen that same look of someone dealing with a fool, a mix of amusement and exasperation. "My dear Mr. Zhong, why would you need Spirit Crystals to buy ordinary village clothes? A set of clothes costs just one silver yuan."

"Really? Spirit Crystals are that valuable?" Zhong Wen couldn't help but glance at the mountains of Spirit Crystals in his ring.

"Spirit Crystals are typically used for transactions between cultivators. You can't even exchange one Spirit Crystal for a hundred silver yuan casually," Mrs. Wang patiently explained. "You don't remember anything, do you? Those are so precious!"

"Is that so? I saw that they were used for lighting inside the house, so I thought..."

"The Spirit Crystal lamps inside the house can provide light for a whole year with just one Spirit Crystal," Mrs. Wang explained.

"That's awkward," Zhong Wen furrowed his brow. "I only have Spirit Crystals on me, and no silver yuan. What should I do?"

Mrs. Wang: "..."

She was beginning to lose her patience with Zhong Wen.

Suddenly, Zhong Wen put down the cloth bags and reached into his pocket, pretending to take out a Spirit Crystal. Of course, this was just a gesture to conceal the storage ring.

"Mrs. Wang, I'm new to this place and don't know my way around. Can I use this Spirit Crystal to exchange for some silver yuan with you?" Zhong Wen asked earnestly. "Anyway, these Spirit Crystals aren't very useful to me."

"But... I don’t that many silver yuan to give you," Mrs. Wang hesitated.

"You don't need that much. Just enough to buy a few sets of clothes will do," Zhong Wen said sincerely. "After all, the Spirit Crystals are of no great use to me as they are."

"This... How can I accept this? It's too much of an advantage for you," Mrs. Wang hesitated, despite her longing.

Without further ado, Zhong Wen grabbed Mrs. Wang's hand and placed the Spirit Crystal in her palm. "It's settled then. Please help me pick out two suitable outfits, Mrs. Wang."

Mrs. Wang's palms, though fair-looking, were calloused like those of a typical farmer. "Alright, I'll hold onto it for you."

After accepting Zhong Wen's generosity, Mrs. Wang's attitude became warmer, and she kindly helped him select a few sets of clothes. Following Zhong Wen's request, she also accompanied him to purchase pottery jars, flint, and other items.

After gathering all the equipment needed to make coarse salt, Zhong Wen and Mrs. Wang went to buy food from local farmers. While Mrs. Wang was haggling with the farmers over the items on their stand, Zhong Wen suddenly noticed some chickens in the farmer's backyard.

Several hens were well-fed and looked plump as they strolled around the yard, full of vitality.

"Uncle, are these hens for sell?" After two days of eating plain vegetarian food without any salt, Zhong Wen nearly drooled at the sight of the hens.

"As long as the price is right, anything is for sale," the farmer's uncle replied generously. "Young man, you don't look like a local. I see you came with Mrs. Wang. I won't overcharge you. Five silver yuan for one. It's a fair price. Take as many as you like."

"Zhong Wen, these chickens are quite expensive," Mrs. Wang, thinking Zhong Wen wanted her to buy them, showed a reluctant expression.

"Listen, Mrs. Wang, you can inquire around, and everyone knows that I am the most honest businessman around here. You won't find a better deal than mine," the farmer pleaded urgently.

"Uncle, you seem like an honest man. These hens look quite plump. If I buy a few more, can you give me a discount?" Zhong Wen smiled to appease the farmer.

"Young man, I like the way you talk. How about this? If you buy five, I'll give them to you for twenty silver yuan."

"Alright, Uncle, I'll place an order for twenty-five." Zhong Wen grinned and pulled out another Spirit Crystal. "But I don't have silver yuan. Can I use this instead?"

"This... This is a Spirit Crystal?" Farmer Li's eyes widened, and he swallowed hard.

"Zhong Wen, you..." Zhong Wen's extravagant behavior startled Mrs. Wang.

"No worries. Since I have so many Spirit Crystals and nowhere to spend them, I might as well use them to improve our meals," Zhong Wen casually tossed the Spirit Crystal in front of Farmer Li. "Uncle, I'll come back every day to pick up one. If I don't come, you can just give them to Mrs. Wang directly."

"Alright!" Farmer Li quickly stashed the Spirit Crystal away, afraid that Zhong Wen might change his mind. He hurriedly went into the backyard to catch a hen and handed it to Zhong Wen.

Mrs. Wang watched the whole scene, feeling a mix of amusement and frustration at Zhong Wen's extravagant nature. She was about to stop him, but then realized that since it was his money, he could decide how to spend it. Mrs. Wang signed helplessly.

On the way back to the mountain, Zhong Wen voluntarily took the bags from Mrs. Wang. With one filled with vegetables and the other with the hen, Zhong Wen hummed a little tune in great satisfaction.

Followed behind, Mrs. Wang looked at him and was deeply in thought.

Mr. Jin, with bowed head, stood in trepidation beneath the grand hall, occasionally stealing glances from the corners of his eyes at the composed figure seated upon the lord's chair, Tantai Jin.

Suddenly, Tantai Jin's piercing gaze swept across, causing Mr. Jin to shudder uncontrollably, beads of cold sweat forming on his back.

This eldest son of the Tantai family, barely in his early thirties, held a position of great authority. The unintentional aura of power emanating from him placed immense pressure upon Mr. Jin.

"Have the matters been dealt with?" Tantai Jin's voice was icy, devoid of any emotion.

"Y-Yes, my lord," Mr. Jin stammered, attempting to r himeassure. "As long as everything goes smoothly in Cangyun City, the Drifting Petal Palace will never be able to pay the money. I assure you, Lin Zhiyun will relinquish the Qingfeng Mountain when the time comes."

"Cangyun City is under our control; there should be no issues." Tantai Jin's lips curled into a cold smile. "For a place so abundant in spiritual energy, it's not something a few women can possess. It's time for Qingfeng Mountain to have a new owner."

"My lord," Mr. Jin inquired, his face plump with obsequiousness, "should I consider applying more pressure on those women at the Drifting Petal Palace in the coming days?"

"No need," Tantai Jin replied with confidence. "The deadline is not yet upon us, and a premature visit would be of little use. If it can be resolved through legal means, I don't mind waiting a few more days. Five days from now, I will send someone to accompany you up the mountain. If the inhabitants of Drifting Petal Palace willingly vacate, that's well and good. If not, I have no qualms about employing force."

"Lord, if those ladies don't cooperate, could your men capture them and leave them to my disposal?" Mr. Jin's eyes gleamed with lecherous intent at the thought of the exquisite beauty of Drifting Petal Palace's mistress, a drop of saliva escaping from his mouth.

Tantai Jin looked at Mr. Jin's repulsive, porcine countenance and felt a wave of disgust. "As you wish," he said indifferently.

Once the task was completed, this corpulent pig would have no further utility...

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"Palace Master Lin, the Lord is unwell and cannot receive guests. Please return."

Seeing the impassive expression of the gatekeeper, Lin Zhiyun felt a surge of irritation.

"Young sir, I truly have urgent matters to discuss. Could I trouble you to tell him about my presence once more? I promise there will be generous rewards for your help," she humbled herself, trying to be persuasive.

"I apologize, but the Lord's orders must not be disobeyed. Palace Master Lin, you may have to wait for another ten days or half a month until the Lord has recovered to pay your respects," the gatekeeper's tone remained icy and resolute.

If she were someone skilled in social interactions, she would have offered the gatekeeper some incentives before seeking his assistance. However, Lin Zhiyun was not adept at such matters and failed to grasp even this basic principle.

"I'm sorry, but I can't afford to wait for another half a month. It’s urgent," Lin Zhiyun's tone grew increasingly impatient.

"Palace Master Lin, as a respected practitioner of high stature, you must have a wide circle of acquaintances. Why not seek help elsewhere instead of making things difficult for a mere gatekeeper like me?" The gatekeeper's tone carried a hint of mockery.

"You..." Lin Zhiyun was on the verge of losing her temper but ultimately held back. "I bid you farewell."

“Even as a practitioner, what can you do? If the Tantai family decides to deal with you, not even the Lord can protect you. Let's see how long you can resist," the gatekeeper muttered with a cold smile as he watched Lin Zhiyun depart.

"But this Palace Master Lin is exceptionally beautiful. If she were willing to humble herself and become the Lord's concubine, it might have resolved her current predicament. What a pity..."