Why Do You All Want Shen Spirit Herb?

Wan Lin became one of Chu Xinghe's little fangirls.

And in the Vast Heaven Sect, Wan Lin was far from his only little fan.

Those who had followed Chu Xinghe and obtained spirit weapons all gave his character an emphatic thumbs-up.

"Senior Brother Xinghe has the best character of anyone I've ever met. He's the only person I'll ever admire in this life!"

"Back in the Spirit Tomb, I even suspected Senior Brother Xinghe was setting us up. I still can't sleep at night whenever I think about it. How narrow-minded was I to think that of him?"

"Three months of confinement is much too harsh a punishment for Senior Brother Xinghe. Couldn't they just confine him for three days...?"

Countless people were left speechless when they heard that three months of confinement was supposedly too harsh.

Come on... did these people even know what Chu Xinghe had done wrong?

First, he had bought three million stalks of Shen Spirit Herb. The Vast Heaven Sect had vast resources, so it wasn't enough to cripple them, but three million stalks... the price alone could have bankrupted a small country.

And that was one thing, but then he had used the Haotian Token without authorization. What was the Haotian Token? Only the sect master could use it... even the grand elder wasn't qualified to use it unless the sect master was absent.

That was an enormous overstep.

It was no exaggeration to say that anyone else would have been sentenced to death by a thousand cuts on the spot.

Even a core disciple could have been expelled from the sect.

But what about Chu Xinghe? Three months of confinement... in the Medicine King Palace, at that? Did that fucking count as confinement? Why not just say confining him to the Vast Heaven Sect would do?

He was a Spirit Crane Palace disciple to begin with. Even if he slept in a hundred rooms of the newly built Medicine King Palace every day, he wouldn't get through a tenth of them in three months. Was being confined to such a huge place really confinement?

Whatever anyone said, Chu Xinghe's punishment had truly left people convinced.

Three months of confinement for using the Haotian Token without authorization... it was the first time in the Vast Heaven Sect's entire history.

But there was no envying him for it. Every disciple in the Spirit Crane Palace had knelt to plead for him, and every single elder in the palace had come to intercede for Chu Xinghe. Was that kind of popularity even a matter of envy?

Even many disciples outside the Spirit Crane Palace had stepped forward to give Chu Xinghe their full support.

When the matter was reported to the sect master, he had merely acknowledged it after hearing the account, showing no intention of pursuing it any further.

So the outcome was set in stone.

But when the news reached the outer sect, Chu Cheng spat up another two liang of blood.

"Chu Xinghe is a dog of a thief... he's not what he seems... he's despicable to the core. You've all been fooled by his outward appearance. Every one of you has been fooled..."

Chu Cheng shouted about it all day, but who would care, right...?

At the Medicine King Palace, the grand elder was teaching Chu Xinghe as usual, helping him master the Medicine Saint Inheritance more quickly.

The grand elder never mentioned the earlier incident, as if it had never happened. Even so, he was secretly watching Chu Xinghe, worried that the punishment might have dealt him a blow.

But the grand elder was soon reassured.

Whenever the grand elder said or did something wrong, Chu Xinghe still jumped out to confront him head-on. Even when the grand elder said he would punish him again, he refused to give an inch!

When other senior brothers made mistakes, he likewise jumped out to plead for them, without the slightest fear of punishment.

Seeing this, the grand elder sighed that heaven was watching over Vast Heaven!

The child was pure and sincere by nature, and the punishment hadn't dealt him any blow. That showed he truly recognized his mistake in his heart and had willingly accepted his punishment without a trace of resentment. Everyone's pleas for the child had not been in vain.

Moreover, this punishment allowed the grand elder to properly teach Chu Xinghe and help him gain a better grasp of his knowledge.

In the mornings, Chu Xinghe cultivated the Haotian Battle Intent under the grand elder's personal supervision. In the afternoons, he studied and integrated his knowledge of alchemy, with the grand elder personally explaining it to him. Even his own son wouldn't have received better treatment.

At the Daxing Chamber of Commerce, Wei Deqian had returned from delivering the goods, but he still couldn't forget everything that had happened at the Spirit Crane Palace.

Wei Deqian didn't know who Chu Xinghe really was, but he knew this was someone he could never afford to offend in his lifetime.

Offend someone who could make the entire Spirit Crane Palace plead for him... and did he believe they would strike even harder when cutting people down for him than they had when pleading for him?

Wei Deqian wrote Chu Xinghe's name down in a little notebook and instructed all the head shopkeepers under him that there was a man named Chu Xinghe in the Vast Heaven Sect whom they must never offend. Whoever offended him should go home and hang themselves rather than drag the Daxing Chamber of Commerce into it.

Having given his instructions, Wei Deqian breathed a sigh of relief. He had only just put the matter of Chu Xinghe aside when a servant came to report.

"Master, Elder Ma of the Star Moon Sect has arrived!"

"Ah! Quick... quickly, show Elder Ma to the VIP room!"

"He's already been shown in. He's just waiting for you to come over."

"Good, good, good... let's hurry over."

Wei Deqian hurried to his feet. The Star Moon Sect was another power he couldn't afford to offend.

The Star Moon Sect was one of the ten great sects under heaven. Though it fell short of the Vast Heaven Sect, it was still a colossus, the kind that could ruin the Daxing Chamber of Commerce with a flick of a finger. Ordinarily, such a colossus would summon him to serve them in person, so why had an elder come himself today?

When Wei Deqian reached the VIP room, he repeatedly apologized to Elder Ma, saying it had been terribly discourteous of him not to come out and welcome him.

Elder Ma sat in his chair and gave Wei Deqian a casual glance before waving for him to sit down and talk.

"Wei Deqian, business has been booming lately, hasn't it? The Vast Heaven Sect has certainly bought a great deal from you," Elder Ma teased, stroking his little mustache.

"You jest, Elder Ma. The Daxing Chamber of Commerce is no more than a servant to great sects like yours. Whatever little profit we make is a gift from esteemed people like you. What virtue or ability do I, Wei Deqian, possess? It's all thanks to your favor, Elder Ma."

"Hahaha... Fatty Wei, that mouth of yours..." A few words were enough to make Elder Ma beam with delight.

"Elder Ma, now that you've graced us with your presence, what can this humble servant do for you? Just say the word, and I'll be at your service."

"My Star Moon Sect wishes to purchase a batch of medicinal herbs. Here's the list. Prepare them and deliver them to the Star Moon Sect. The price can be the same as what you charged the Vast Heaven Sect. I won't ask any more about it."

"Yes! Rest assured, Elder Ma, I guarantee every herb will be delivered without a single one missing..." Wei Deqian was just about to say he would deliver them, but he froze when he saw what was on the list.

"E-Elder Ma... this humble servant dares to ask you to look over the list again. The Shen Spirit Herb on it..." Wei Deqian presented the list to Elder Ma. He had no choice: everything else on it was perfectly normal, but what the hell was with the five hundred thousand stalks of Shen Spirit Herb?

Damn it, did all these great sects like making the same mistake? The Vast Heaven Sect had only just bought Shen Spirit Herb by mistake, and now the Star Moon Sect had gotten it wrong too?

"No need. The quantity of Shen Spirit Herb is correct. Just prepare what's on the list." Elder Ma waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need another look.

But when Wei Deqian heard Elder Ma's words, he burst into tears.

"Elder Ma... everything else is easy enough, but this... this Shen Spirit Herb... there really isn't any..."

"None? Your Daxing Chamber of Commerce can't even get Shen Spirit Herb? Five hundred thousand stalks is a lot, but surely it's not impossible to get!" Elder Ma frowned. Had Fatty Wei grown tired of living?

Tears streamed down Wei Deqian's face.

"Elder Ma... what you don't know is that it wouldn't have been difficult for the Daxing Chamber of Commerce to get five hundred thousand stalks of Shen Spirit Herb before. But... but a few days ago, the Vast Heaven Sect bought three million stalks all at once. I bought up practically every stalk of Shen Spirit Herb on the market... it's all in the Vast Heaven Sect's hands..."

"What?!" Elder Ma's expression changed drastically when he heard this.

"Then how much can you get now?"

"To tell you the truth, never mind five hundred thousand... I can't even get five thousand..."

Elder Ma was dumbfounded. He glanced at Wei Deqian. This fatty would never dare joke with him about something like this, so there was only one possibility. Could the Vast Heaven Sect know about that matter...?

It was possible... given how well-informed the Vast Heaven Sect was, it must already know. It had even struck first and bought up all the Shen Spirit Herb. It was cutting off the Star Moon Sect's path of retreat!

Elder Ma left the Daxing Chamber of Commerce with a heavy heart. After all, he had to report this matter to his sect immediately.

Wei Deqian saw Elder Ma off in fear and trepidation. He had just sat down to catch his breath when the attendants came in. "Master, Elder Shangguan of the East Moon Pavilion has arrived..."

"Ah?" Wei Deqian was stunned. What was going on today...? Were all these important people fucking sick in the head?

Still, Wei Deqian hurried to the VIP room. After he had flattered Elder Shangguan into a good mood, the elder also took out a purchase list.

One glance was enough to leave Wei Deqian dumbfounded.

The purchase list once again included Shen Spirit Herb... and once again, the enormous quantity was five hundred thousand stalks!

Was the place haunted today?

Had the Shen Spirit Herb that no one could sell before become something everyone was fighting over? What, were they buying it to weave straw sandals?

Wei Deqian gave Elder Shangguan of the East Moon Pavilion the same answer. Elder Shangguan was equally shocked and then left with a heavy heart.

What on earth was going on?

Wei Deqian was curious, but he didn't dare send anyone to investigate. Was a mere Daxing Chamber of Commerce qualified to pry into the affairs of the ten great sects? Had he grown tired of living?

But just as Wei Deqian breathed another sigh of relief, an attendant came again.

"Master... Elder Xu of Northern Nether City has arrived..."

"The VIP room, I suppose..." Wei Deqian walked into the VIP room with a numb expression, but the moment he entered, his face was once again wreathed in smiles.

Flattery was the usual opening, followed by the familiar list... the familiar Shen Spirit Herb... the familiar answer... and the familiar heavy heart...

Now Wei Deqian's heart was heavy too...

Did straw sandals woven from Shen Spirit Herb have some special effect? Or could eating a Stone-Breaking Pill grant eternal life? Otherwise, had the ten great sects all fucking lost their minds?

Chu Xinghe, who was at the Medicine King Palace, also had something weighing on his mind.

"That's not right! I caused the sect such a huge loss by buying Shen Spirit Herb, so why didn't the Misfortune Compass give me a reward?" Chu Xinghe had just realized it. According to the usual pattern, he received a reward for being punished, but he also received one for harming the sect, so why hadn't he gotten one?

Chu Xinghe thought about the question for several days. The only explanation he finally came up with was that, although he had bought too much Shen Spirit Herb, its price was right there. Even though it was piled up in the Medicine King Palace's warehouse, it still counted as a fixed asset. The Misfortune Compass didn't calculate a loss simply because he had bought the wrong thing; something actually had to be lost. Even trading something useful for a pile of junk wouldn't work. As long as the value remained unchanged, it didn't count as a loss.

Having worked it out, Chu Xinghe understood. It seemed buying things wasn't the way to make the sect suffer a loss. He had to do something more concrete...