txolops Chapter 4 Selling Herbs
Chapter 4 Selling Herbs
The night was as dark as ink, and the night breeze from Kuixing Island, carrying the salty dampness of the sea, quietly crept into the tranquil courtyard.
Han Xiaoliu sat cross-legged on a futon in the room, facing the quietly floating bubbles. Under the dim light, Han Xiaoliu's expression was solemn as he activated his storage bag and took out the items inside one by one.
"We only have about fifty spirit stones left." Han Xiaoliu frowned as he looked at the pile of spirit stones emitting a faint spiritual light in front of him. He said to Bubble, "These spirit stones are probably only enough to buy two more monster meats."
He then carefully took out three century-old medicinal herbs that had been sealed in a jade box.
He gently stroked one of the jade boxes with his fingertips, hesitated for a moment, and sighed, "It seems I'll have to sell a spiritual herb to make ends meet. Spiritual herbs are scarce here, and those that are too old are easily coveted. I'll try this Crimson Gold Ganoderma, which is just over a hundred years old; it won't attract much attention. I just don't know how many spirit stones it will fetch."
After saying that, he turned to look at Bubble, his eyes filled with anticipation: "When will you recover? Take some more resources from the magic treasure; cultivation cannot stop."
Bubble's green body twitched slightly, as if rolling its eyes. It said irritably, "I'm only level 5 now. My Dream Privileges have all been taken back by my sister. I'm lucky if I can even open a magic item for a second. I'll have to rest a bit longer. I found a few storage bags last time, but I didn't have time to take them out. I'll take those next time; there must be good stuff inside."
Upon hearing this, Han Xiaoliu couldn't help but sigh deeply. Although he had survived, the losses this time were simply too great.
Bubble lost his teleportation ability, as well as all the privileged abilities that helped him complete his mission.
Fortunately, the invisibility ability is still there, but now it can only be maintained using one's own spiritual power, and can no longer draw upon the spiritual energy of the Dream World. This means that the invisibility that was once passively activated has now become a skill that continuously consumes spiritual power.
But the most miserable one was Han Xiaoliu himself.
Starting over is a minor issue; with his home space closed, he has lost a crucial means of escape.
But what pained him most was the body he had previously inhabited.
After communicating with the spirit of the Samsara Disc within the Samsara Disc, he learned that his first body was an innate magical body condensed from the dream world.
That body was not only flawless and untainted by karmic retribution, but it was also naturally free from the five poisons of spiritual practice—greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and doubt.
These five poisons are huge obstacles on the path of spiritual practice: greed leads people astray, anger disturbs the mind, ignorance obscures wisdom, arrogance hinders progress, and doubt shakes the resolve to follow the path.
Furthermore, that body possessed the Netherworld Ghost Eye, a divine ability that could absorb the energy of the seven emotions and six desires. If he hadn't died and his body hadn't been destroyed, he could have effortlessly skipped the Nascent Soul stage and directly begun cultivating the laws.
But this body is now a result of the incomplete bloodline being reborn.
Not only did they lose their unique ability to be pure and flawless, but their personality also changed due to the corresponding side effects that occurred after the Dreamy Three Realms sect was activated.
Just like now, because he had previously activated the Fangcun Mountain and Underworld sects, he has become suspicious and lecherous.
This is why Yu Niangzi's constant teasing made him feel the same way he did when he looked at beautiful women in his previous life, even more intensely.
Compared to his previous indifference to Dong Xuan'er's seductive arts, Han Xiaoliu found that he actually preferred his current state.
This feeling of having desires and weaknesses made him feel more down-to-earth, more like someone truly living in this world, rather than a lofty immortal cultivator.
Looking at the spirit stones and herbs before him, he thought to himself: Although the losses were heavy, he still had the resources inside the Bubble Invisibility Cloak to use, which was better than having a new account.
This is also why he was able to cultivate to the sixth level of Qi Refining in two years and also master the Elephant Armor Technique.
Kui Xing City, the main city of this giant island in the southwest of the Chaotic Star Sea, is like a sleeping behemoth, breathing in the smoke and fire of mortals and cultivators.
In its bustling heartland, Tiandu Street, like a shimmering jade ribbon, cleverly separates the hustle and bustle of the cultivation world from the mundane hustle and bustle of the mortal world.
In a corner of Tiandu Street, there is a shop called "Gujiafang Market".
This shop is not glittering or ostentatious; rather, it appears somewhat rustic and understated. It was founded by Master Gu, who introduced Han Li to the area in the past.
Inside the market, the shelves were filled with a dazzling array of materials and pills needed for cultivation by low-level cultivators, ranging from the most basic talismans and magical artifacts to some low-level spiritual medicines for healing and stopping bleeding. It was small but complete.
At the same time, this place also opens its doors to buy up the scattered spoils and rare treasures in the hands of independent cultivators, providing a channel for those struggling on the edge of life and death to monetize their wealth.
The reason why Han Xiaoliu chose Gu Family Market instead of the bustling businesses of the major sects was not because he remembered his old friendship with Master Gu, which had long since faded away, nor because he believed that the Gu family was necessarily honest and trustworthy in business.
In this dog-eat-dog world of cultivation, people's hearts are unfathomable. When faced with interests, who can guarantee that they won't be opportunistic and treat others differently based on their status?
What he valued was precisely the deserted atmosphere of the place.
Compared to the bustling, diverse markets, the Gu Family Market was usually sparsely frequented by cultivators, making it exceptionally quiet. However, in Han Xiaoliu's eyes, this quietness served as a natural protective shield.
Trading here avoids exposing one's wealth in public and minimizes the risk of being targeted and killed by malicious individuals. After all, keeping one's wealth hidden and quietly accumulating riches is the ironclad rule for survival in this cruel world of cultivation.
Han Xiaoliu nodded slightly and whispered to Bubble beside him, "Come on up."
As soon as she finished speaking, Bubble leaped up lightly and landed steadily on Han Xiaoliu's head.
Then, it began to wriggle strangely, as if it were alive, extending and enveloping everything. In an instant, it transformed into a somewhat comical headgear, completely covering Han Xiaoliu's head, making him look exactly like "Big Head Son".
From the outside, all that can be seen is the grotesque shape of Bubble, round and grinning, with no trace of Han Xiaoliu's true appearance.
"How's it going, boss? Is it breathable?" Bubble's open "mouth" moved, and its voice went directly into Han Xiaoliu's ears, carrying a hint of mockery.
"Not bad, open your mouth so I can see." Han Xiaoliu's muffled voice came from under the hood.
Bubble did as instructed, and its "mouth" stretched even wider, revealing two rows of front teeth and a dark "mouth cavity" inside.
"Not bad," Han Xiaoliu picked up a bronze mirror, in which was reflected a strange person with a large head and a small body, whose face was completely unrecognizable. He examined him carefully for a moment, and a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes. "You can't see my own appearance from the outside at all. Very good."
With a thought, a black cloak neatly folded on the bed rose without wind, flying over as if it were alive, completely enveloping him from top to bottom. The cloak was wide and hung to the ground, and with his comical "big head," from the outside he looked like a dwarf with a large head and a small body, strange and inconspicuous.
"This is the effect I wanted, let's go!"
Han Xiaoliu was extremely satisfied with this disguise. He quietly activated the Luoyan Step under his feet, and with a sway of his body, he swept away from the house like a wisp of smoke, silently blending into the night of Kuixing Island.
Just as Han Xiaoliu's figure disappeared beyond the courtyard wall, another graceful figure silently emerged from the night.
Yu Niangzi rode on a mid-level flying magic artifact that glowed with a faint blue light, like a nimble cat that roamed the night, hanging far behind Han Xiaoliu.
She deliberately concealed her aura and kept her flying artifact at a very low altitude. Using the shadows of the buildings on Kui Xing Island, she carefully maintained her distance, afraid of being discovered by the deep-thinking "young master" in front of her.
Surprisingly, this seemingly gentle and delicate single mother, who appeared to be powerless, displayed a level of skill that was not to be underestimated.
Her spiritual energy flowed smoothly and evenly around her, and her aura was calm and steady, clearly indicating that she had reached the late stage of Qi Refining.
In the mortal settlement of Kui Xing Island, such cultivation level is enough to attract the attention of many independent cultivators.
She followed him closely, her gaze fixed on the strange dwarf figure with a large head and a small body, until she watched Han Xiaoliu walk into a shop called "Gu Family Market" without any suspicion, at which point she slowly stopped.
Lady Yu did not follow them inside. Instead, she flashed away and disappeared into a shadowy corner across the street.