Pingwu County City

The Black Robe Old Man's Primordial Spirit, upon seeing Lu Xiaotian emerge, said with immense joy, "Good Disciple, you've finally come out! Please, let me out. I'll do anything for you, even be your slave. I'll agree to any condition."

These past few months, unable to cultivate, with no one to talk to, only the vast white mist and the sand on the ground, he could endure such monotonous days. However, in his current Primordial Spirit state, his Lifespan was also being consumed. This endless waiting was driving him mad. And during these months, Lu Xiaotian had repeatedly tested it. As long as he moved his mind, wisps of mist would envelop and protect him. Without any worries, Lu Xiaotian could calmly face the Black Robe Old Man.

"Be my slave? I don't have the fortune to enjoy that. You even killed those who entered the canyon with you to adventure. I wouldn't dare take that risk with my meager abilities," Lu Xiaotian said.

"In the Cultivation World, the law of the jungle has always prevailed. It's common for cultivators to scheme against and kill each other for treasures. If I hadn't killed them, they wouldn't have let me go either," the Black Robe Old Man sneered.

Lu Xiaotian exclaimed, "You really did kill them all!"

The Black Robe Old Man's expression faltered. He was an extremely cunning and sly old fox, and he quickly realized that Lu Xiaotian was trying to trick him. To have such scheming at such a young age, if his aptitude weren't a bit lacking, he would probably stand out sooner or later. It seemed that begging him was useless. This kid most likely wouldn't fall for it, so he could only continue to find a way to escape this prison himself.

Lu Xiaotian asked a few more questions, but after realizing he had been tricked, the Black Robe Old Man remained silent, or retorted with sarcastic remarks to try and trick him. Lu Xiaotian couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. He was shocked when he heard the Black Robe Old Man had killed the other three, and he misspoke for a moment. He didn't expect the old guy to react so quickly. However, based on the Black Robe Old Man's words, he could roughly judge the sinister nature of the Cultivation World. It seemed that he had to be even more careful in the future, otherwise, if he accidentally fell into someone else's trap, it would be too late to regret.

Thinking of this, Lu Xiaotian opened his eyes. The dense forest reappeared before him. He rode on the back of the leopard, heading outwards while cultivating. At the same time, he studied the method of controlling the Little Green Ant according to the Beast Taming Technique's section on taming insects.

Half a month later, in a bustling county city, the streets were lined with vendors selling bamboo crafts, candied haws, and wild animal skins. Lu Xiaotian, carrying a large backpack full of items, weaved through the crowd of gentry, merchants, and commoners. Occasionally, he could also see Jianghu heroes wearing swords and tight-fitting clothes.

"I didn't expect Pingwu County City to be like this. It looks even more lively than Qingzhu County."

Lu Xiaotian looked at the pedestrians and the shops on the side of the street with great interest. He had stayed in the canyon for more than half a year, and he had not seen a single person in the deep mountains for several months. Now that he had returned to this lively market, he was a little excited. According to his knowledge, Pingwu County was adjacent to Qingzhu County. He didn't know the way in the deep mountains, so he came here by mistake.

However, his mood quickly calmed down. He stood in front of a pharmacy with an antique plaque that read Miao Zhi Tang Pharmacy. This was the fourth pharmacy he had seen along the way, and it was the most impressive in scale. It should be able to give him a good price for his herbs.

There were three clerks in their early twenties, an old doctor, and a plump accountant with a ruddy complexion. Lu Xiaotian walked in, glanced at a few people, and asked one of the taller clerks, "Does the store buy herbs?"

"Our Miao Zhi Tang Pharmacy is the largest pharmacy in Pingwu County City. We don't care about ordinary herbs. What are you, a little kid, doing here?"

There were several customers in the store, and the clerk was busy greeting them, impatiently waving his hand. Most of the better herbs were in the deep mountains and old forests. These places were rarely visited and often had fierce beasts and poisonous snakes. Even some martial artists did not dare to enter easily. As for the ordinary herbs on the periphery, Miao Zhi Tang Pharmacy had its own source of herbs and did not care about these scattered individuals.

Lu Xiaotian frowned and took out a large Polygonatum from the bag on his back, which had dozens of fine nodes on it.

"Polygonatum with more than forty years!" The old doctor was most sensitive to herbs with the correct age. He could see the extraordinary nature of this Polygonatum at a glance. Although it was not a top-grade product, it was already an excellent herb.

"How much do you offer for this Polygonatum?" Lu Xiaotian asked.

"Little brother, you're really not simple. Polygonatum of this age is rare. I can offer you a price of thirty Silver Beans. What do you think, little brother?" The plump shopkeeper changed his expression at this time and said with a smile.

Lu Xiaotian did not answer, put away the Polygonatum directly, and turned to leave.

"Wait, if little brother thinks the price is low, we can talk about it again." The plump shopkeeper did not expect Lu Xiaotian to react like this. Seeing that he was about to walk out the door, he hurriedly stopped him.

"The price is several percent lower than the market price, and most herbs that are decades old are in short supply. The shopkeeper is doing good business." Lu Xiaotian looked back at the plump shopkeeper with a calm expression. He had just asked a few pharmacies, so how could he be easily fooled?

"Little brother is a shrewd person. Please forgive my poor eyesight. I'm very sorry. How about this, a fixed price of fifty Silver Beans?" The plump shopkeeper quickly cupped his hands and bowed with an apologetic smile.

It was almost a few Silver Beans higher than expected, and he was still quite satisfied. He used to work as a handyman, and it took him several months to save two Silver Beans. Now, a single Polygonatum could be sold for such a price. This money was enough for his family to live a worry-free life for decades.

Lu Xiaotian was about to agree, but suddenly he faintly felt a faint Spiritual Qi coming from the backyard of Miao Zhi Tang Pharmacy. Its aura was exactly the same as the Qi Gathering Pill. He couldn't help but feel a jump in his heart. That's right, it must be the Spiritual Grass used to refine the Qi Gathering Pill.

"I'm not selling this Polygonatum."

"Not selling? Then what did little brother come to Miao Zhi Tang Pharmacy for? Are you making fun of me?" The plump shopkeeper said with a displeased expression.

"I heard that Miao Zhi Tang Pharmacy has a complete variety of herbs. I need some relatively unpopular herbs, so I want to exchange them with the shopkeeper. Since this Polygonatum is worth fifty Silver Beans, the price will be adjusted accordingly when exchanging for other herbs."

Lu Xiaotian had been wandering in the wilderness for several months and had not been able to find Spiritual Grass again. Now that he had encountered it by accident, how could he miss it?

The plump shopkeeper's expression eased slightly, "So that's how it is. Easy to say, I wonder what kind of herb little brother wants?"

Lu Xiaotian said, "This herb has a unique smell. I smelled its aura. The shopkeeper doesn't mind me entering the backyard of Miao Zhi Tang Pharmacy, right?"

"No problem." The plump shopkeeper nodded.

The backyard of Miao Zhi Tang Pharmacy was very spacious. There were many herbs to be dried, ground, or baked. Dozens of people were busy. There was also a carriage, and two strong men were unloading the herbs loaded on it.