A Favor from an Old Friend

Luo Can looked at the woman before him. It was she who had lent him a hand twenty-five years ago, when he had just reached level ten.

Back then, Luo Can had harbored the mad plan of transforming from a cocoon into a butterfly, yet he lacked the strength to hunt even a hundred-year Spirit Beast.

So he had gathered his courage and sought out the Ye Clan, asking them to help him hunt a dragon-type Spirit Beast for his first Spirit Ring.

"A dragon-type Spirit Beast?" Ye Shengxin had frowned at the time. "Do you know what that means? At least two Soul Ancestors would need to be deployed, and the risk would be enormous."

"I can pay..." Luo Can had said anxiously.

"Five hundred Gold Soul Coins, or spiritual herbs of equivalent value." Ye Shengxin's price had made Luo Can's heart sink to the bottom.

Just as he was preparing to leave dejectedly, a soft, gentle voice came from behind the screen:

"Father, help him."

Ye Qingyu, who had only just passed twenty, walked out. She wore a pale green dress, her brows and eyes gentle, a medical tome still held in her hands.

"Qing Yu, this breaks the rules—"

"Father, rules are dead, but people are alive," she said softly. "Baican Village has been under our protection for generations, and it is rare for this child to have cultivated to level ten. How about... we consider this a personal request from me?"

Under her persistence, Ye Shengxin finally relented.

Not only had the Ye Clan helped him hunt his first hundred-year Iron-Armored Earth Dragon, but they had also assisted with his next six Spirit Ring hunts at prices far below market value.

Without Ye Qingyu, there would be no Golden Dragon Moth of today—or it would have taken him far longer to achieve what he had now.

As the memories faded, Luo Can looked at the herbs in his hands and let out a soft sigh.

"This is too precious. I can't accept it," Ye Qingyu said.

But Luo Can's gaze was unusually resolute. "Take it. Consider it a meeting gift for Lingling."

Ye Qingyu remained silent for a long while before nodding gently and carefully tucking the Ziyang Ginseng into her clothes. "Thank you."

"Sister Ye," Luo Can paused, "how long until Lingling awakens her martial soul?"

"Seven days."

Luo Can looked into Ye Qingyu's eyes. "Perhaps one day, I'll find a way to break the Nine-Heart Begonia curse."

Ye Qingyu froze.

"So," Luo Can continued, "how about I take Lingling as my disciple?"

The shop fell silent. Sunlight slanted in through the window, casting mottled patches of light and shadow between them.

Ye Qingyu looked at Luo Can's earnest expression. After a long time, a gentle smile appeared at the corners of her lips.

"Alright."

Luo Can watched her disappear around the street corner, then closed the shop door with a heavy heart.

By the time he returned to Fate-Defying Spring, dusk was near.

Luo Can stood by the spring and swept his gaze across the vast Herb Garden. These herbs were growing remarkably well; any one of them could fetch a good price outside.

But...

"It's still not enough," he muttered.

At most, these herbs could be considered above average. They were still far from truly top-grade medicinal plants, let alone the legendary Immortal Herbs.

His gaze drifted involuntarily northward—toward Heaven Dou City.

"Sunset Forest, the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well..."

That place had been described in the original work as one of the three great Treasure Basins. It gathered the essence of heaven and earth and grew countless immortal-grade medicinal herbs. If he could transplant the herbs there into Fate-Defying Spring...

"I need to make a trip there," Luo Can murmured.

Not only to seek a possible cure for the Nine-Heart Begonia curse, but also for the next stage of Fate-Defying Spring's development.

The next morning, the first thing Luo Can did after waking was head to the spring.

The Silver-White Fishing Rod landed in his hand. He cast the line, and it entered the water.

The upgraded Fate-Defying Spring truly was different—after barely two minutes, a clear tug came through the fishing line.

Luo Can flicked his wrist, and an item burst from the water.

What landed on the grass was a deep purple pill, its surface marked with cloudlike patterns.

[Soul Power Pill (Purple)]

[Description: Increases a moderate amount of Soul Power. Extremely effective for those below Spirit King rank.]

"A purple-quality Soul Power Pill..." Luo Can's eyes lit up, and he tossed it straight into his mouth.

The pill melted the instant it entered his mouth, transforming into a warm torrent that surged into his dantian.

His Soul Power rose at a visible pace—though still limited for a Title Douluo, it was at least five times stronger than a yellow-quality Soul Power Pill.

"About ten of these should be enough to get me to level ninety-two." Feeling the changes within his body, he made his judgment.

Today's Fishing attempts had clearly increased, from seven to eleven, and the quality of the rewards had also improved dramatically—

His second cast reeled in a Thousand-Year Gale Wolf Left Leg Bone, which Luo Can directly dismantled.

The third cast brought up a thousand-year Whale Rubber, which Luo Can chose to keep.

The fourth and fifth casts yielded a Yellow Soul Power Pill and a piece of Iron Essence respectively.

The sixth through ninth casts brought assorted miscellaneous items: several medical tomes, a set of forging tools, and two ordinary sets of clothing.

The tenth cast produced another item—yet another thousand-year Spirit Bone, this time a Flame Lion Right Arm Bone.

On the final cast, with thirty seconds remaining on the countdown, the fishing line finally moved. This time, he reeled in a deep purple crystal, with liquid slowly flowing within it.

[Soul Power Storage Crystal (Purple)]

[Description: Can store an amount of Soul Power equivalent to that of a Spirit King. Becomes invalid after three uses.]

[Ding! Harvest rating: Good+. Reward: 450 Points.]

Afterward, he dismantled both thousand-year Spirit Bones without hesitation, causing his Points to soar to 1,150.

"Save up for two more days," Luo Can decided. "Then I'll upgrade both the permission and the Fishing Spot together."

Putting away the fishing rod, Luo Can returned to the Wooden House. He took out paper and brush, then wrote several lines:

[Luo's Herb Shop Is Hiring]

- Two shop assistants

- Requirements: Careful and familiar with basic herb knowledge

- Benefits: Three silver coins per month. Outstanding performers may receive Spirit Master training opportunities.

- Address: No. 27 East Street, Yaowang Town

He rolled up the notice, spread his Dragon Wings, and flew toward Baican Village.

At the notice board near the village entrance, Luo Can posted the notice and heard the surrounding villagers whispering among themselves:

"Luo family's boy has really made something of himself."

"I heard he's already a Lord Soul Master."

"Three silver coins a month? That's much better than gathering herbs!"

Luo Can did not linger and headed directly to the herb shop in town.

As news of his return spread, the shop's business quickly picked up. Many old customers heard that he had brought back new herbs and came flocking over to make purchases.

Around noon, when the shop had temporarily quieted down, a young man and woman pushed open the door and entered.

Neither looked to be twenty yet. They wore coarse linen clothes faded from repeated washing, their expressions restrained.

The young man in front spoke with a slight stutter. "H-Hello, Boss Luo. We're here to apply for the job."

Luo Can nodded and put down the ledger in his hand. "Let me see your martial souls."

The two hurriedly complied. Two flashes of white light passed, and two plump White Silkworms appeared in their palms.

"Do you have Innate Soul Power?" Luo Can asked.

The woman answered first. "Yes. My Innate Soul Power is level 0.5."

The man followed. "M-Mine is also level 0.5."

Luo Can rose to his feet, a gentle smile appearing on his face. "What are your names?"

"My name is Bai Liuwu," the woman said.

The man pursed his lips and stammered, "Bai... Qiba."

Luo Can raised a brow slightly. Many children in Baican Village were named according to their birth order, so this was nothing strange. He did not ask further, instead turning to take out ten medicinal herbs from the shelf and laying them out one by one on the counter.

"Identify the age and effects of these herbs," he said. "If you're mostly correct, I'll hire you."

"Alright!" The two nodded repeatedly.

The White Silkworm martial soul possessed a special sensitivity to medicinal herbs. As long as the silkworm was brought close to an herb, it could roughly determine its age and medicinal properties.

"This is ten-year Hemostasis Grass. Its effect is to stop bleeding and disperse blood stasis."

"This Purple Ganoderma is about twelve years old. It clears heat and reduces internal fire..."

All ten herbs were identified correctly, with only two having an age estimate off by less than two years.

Luo Can nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad. From now on, you're my employees. Three silver coins a month, and if you perform well—" He paused. "I may even train you to become Spirit Masters."

"Really?!" Their eyes instantly lit up.

"Mhm."

Over the following hours, Luo Can thoroughly explained the price, storage methods, and precautions for every type of herb.

Bai Liuwu learned quickly. Bai Qiba spoke little, but took exceptionally careful notes.

As evening approached, Luo Can glanced at the sky. "From now on, you start work at the hour of the Snake and finish at the hour of the Dog each day. Understood?"

"Yes, Boss!"

When the two left, even their backs looked much lighter.

Over the next five days, Luo Can's life became extremely regular:

He fished at Fate-Defying Spring in the morning, observed his two new employees at the herb shop during the day, and returned to The Valley to cultivate in the evening.

Bai Liuwu and Bai Qiba's rate of improvement was pleasantly surprising. By the fifth day, they could already handle most daily business independently.

On the sixth morning, after Luo Can completed the day's Fishing, the system notification rang out once more:

[Ding! Harvest rating: Good+. Reward: 400 Points.]

His Points reached 2,700.

Luo Can looked at that number and drew a deep breath.

"System," he said softly, "upgrade the permission."