Closed to Visitors

Shi Yue planned to close the Immortal Herb Pavilion to visitors and spend some time cultivating in seclusion. After this auction, the pavilion's business was bound to thrive. But trouble was sure to follow. Nascent Soul cultivators might pressure him to hand over the Thousand-Year Spirit Herbs as soon as possible, or demand that he take them to meet the so-called master he claimed to have.

Either way, Shi Yue was in no position to deal with it. He didn't think his lies could fool Nascent Soul cultivators. If he hadn't been able to produce Thousand-Year Spirit Herbs, no one would have believed his master was a Nascent Soul cultivator. He'd fabricated one lie, and now he had to tell more to cover up the first. It was all too easy to slip up along the way. So for now, he didn't want to meet with any Nascent Soul cultivators. He couldn't afford to provoke those old monsters; all he could do was keep well out of their way.

In a secret room, Qiao Zizai held a Gold Small Flower in his hand, his face alight with joy.

"Uncle-Master Qiao, Li Muxian refused to come over. He went straight back to the Immortal Herb Pavilion and put up a sign saying it's temporarily closed for renovations." A man's voice came from outside.

Qiao Zizai furrowed his brow and thought for a moment. "Have someone send him a Sound Transmission Talisman. Be polite, and tell him I want to see him about something important."

"Yes, Uncle-Master Qiao."

In a private room at the Gathering Immortals Inn,

Li Yang was drinking tea and chatting with two companions.

"I never expected this auction to have three Thousand-Year Spirit Herbs. And none of them were ordinary herbs; they were all quite rare." A tall,