Purple Datura Flower

Gao Xian looked at Wang's arrogant, weathered face, a lingering sense of fear gripping his heart.

Just a moment ago, when Wang had suddenly reached out, Gao Xian had nearly triggered his Ice Arrow Art. At this distance, he feared Wang would have been pierced through on the spot by an ice spike.

He steadied his emotions and let out a slow breath: "Bring the spirit stones first."

Wang glared at Gao Xian viciously and shouted: "Didn't we agree? I risked my life to get you the Purple Datura Flower, and you were going to give me the Deer Antler Powder."

"What, trying to welch on the deal!"

As he spoke, he gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist, looking ready to draw his blade and strike.

"We were clear from the start: you bring the Purple Datura Flower, and I will sell the Deer Antler Powder only to you."

Gao Xian did not want to fall out with Wang, but he could not back down now.

Having spent so many years in society, he knew that people like Wang were never satisfied; they always pushed for more, and the more you retreated, the more arrogant and vicious they became.

Gao Xian emphasized: "If you want the Deer Antler Powder, you must buy it with spirit stones."

"Kid,"

Wang said impatiently: "Don't force me to do something I'll regret!"

He squinted at Gao Xian, threatening: "With your meager skills, I could chop your dog head off with a single strike!"

"My master is a guest elder of the Lianyun Sect, and Shopkeeper Zhu of the apothecary is my martial uncle. Don't you dare act recklessly."

Gao Xian retreated slowly. He had seen it clearly now: people like Wang lived hand-to-mouth and were short-sighted; even the smallest profit was enough to trigger their violent nature.

He had to be careful; the man was truly capable of attacking him.

Reminded by Gao Xian, Wang calmed down slightly. He snorted: "All that talk is useless. I won't give you my Purple Datura Flower for nothing!"

"Fine, these Purple Datura Flowers will be valued at ten portions of Deer Antler Powder."

Gao Xian did not want to entangle himself with the man further. Once he refined the Soul-Bewildering Powder, he would no longer need to fear Wang.

He would yield an inch today.

Wang's eyes rolled: "No, twenty portions of Deer Antler Powder!"

"Then forget it."

Gao Xian took two more steps back and waved his hand dismissively, signaling for Wang to take the Purple Datura Flower and leave quickly.

Seeing Gao Xian's resolve, Wang had no choice but to agree reluctantly.

He spent another two spirit stones to buy the twenty portions of Deer Antler Powder.

Before leaving, Wang specifically warned Gao Xian that he must never sell the Deer Antler Powder to anyone else!

After this confrontation, Gao Xian gained a deeper understanding of the danger Wang posed.

As soon as Wang left, he hurriedly lit the fire and started the furnace to refine the Soul-Bewildering Powder.

Through the Wind and Moon Mirror, Gao Xian elevated the Soul-Bewildering Powder to the Master level. Combined with his previous alchemy experience, he refined the powder in less than a day.

A large handful of dust-like powder sat there, appearing almost transparent and colorless, emitting a faint, elusive fragrance.

Gao Xian used a small gourd he had prepared beforehand to store all the Soul-Bewildering Powder, tightening the lid to seal its potency.

He had just taken a White Dew Pill, fearing accidental poisoning.

The White Dew Pill could not directly neutralize toxins, but it could guard the spirit, ward off evil, and condense qi. While not a specific antidote, it was more than enough to resist a low-grade drug like the Soul-Bewildering Powder.

Yet, just now, he had caught a whiff of that faint fragrance and felt the world spin, nearly fainting on the spot.

The Master-level Soul-Bewildering Powder was unexpectedly potent.

Gao Xian felt a bit troubled; the substance had no antidote, so he had to be extremely careful when using it. If he ended up knocking himself out instead of his target, it would be a farce.

It seemed that relying on the Soul-Bewildering Powder for self-defense was not a brilliant strategy.

He still needed to find a safer and more reliable method of protection.

Gao Xian took out the Wind and Moon Mirror, noting that his stats had all seen a small increase.

His Ice Arrow Art and Flame Bomb had both reached the Proficient level.

However, according to Wang, these spells were too slow to cast and difficult to utilize effectively in combat.

Though Wang was a man of poor character, he was a cultivator who frequently hunted in the mountains and possessed rich combat experience; there was no reason for him to lie.

Gao Xian felt a bit insecure. The two spells looked powerful, but could he actually hit anyone with them? And how much damage would they really do if they landed?

He had no confidence at all.

Wang had also said that blades were more reliable!

Gao Xian glanced at the Pine-Patterned Longsword leaning by his bed. With his amateur swordsmanship, he would likely die even faster if he tried to fight with it.

The extreme speed of the Lightning Dragon Hand helped with sword techniques, but it provided no substantial improvement.

"Right..."

A flash of inspiration struck Gao Xian. He thought of a certain sect leader who had castrated himself to master a peerless sword technique, and to fully utilize his speed advantage, he had simply switched to using embroidery needles.

His Lightning Dragon Hand might not have much of an advantage with a sword, but using it to flick flying needles should be quite simple.

Gao Xian had watched some videos on using flying needles, which involved flicking them with one's fingers, relying entirely on the strength of the fingers and wrists. At the time, he had thought it quite magical.

With his Lightning Dragon Hand, achieving this was incredibly easy.

Thinking of this, Gao Xian grew excited.

He packed his things, took all his magic talismans, and buckled his Pine-Patterned Longsword onto his belt.

A belt in this context was a multi-functional wide belt used to hang various items externally. The sword was attached to it via a sword-hook.

The sword-hook was a small attachment embedded in the scabbard. This method of carrying a sword was more stable and made it easier to draw the blade.

Although Gao Xian was not skilled with a sword, wearing one represented a tough stance, used to deter others and avoid trouble.

He held a Golden Body Talisman in his left hand, hidden inside his sleeve. Feeling fully prepared, he finally stepped out.

He had been here for a while, but the furthest place Gao Xian had been was the home of Old Wang next door.

Leaving his house, Gao Xian walked slowly along the dirt road.

The houses on both sides lacked any unified planning; buildings made of brick or rammed earth appeared quite haphazard, and the courtyard walls were all different, looking exceptionally chaotic.

The roadside was cluttered with firewood, bricks, and other debris, along with countless piles of household waste dumped randomly everywhere, attracting swarms of mosquitoes and flies that refused to leave.

Gao Xian was no stranger to this scene; his old hometown in the countryside had been like this, though this place was even messier and dirtier.

He encountered a few cultivators along the road, and everyone cautiously maintained a certain distance. However, two female cultivators looked at Gao Xian with great curiosity and scrutiny; their flickering gazes indicated a strong interest in him.

This was treatment Gao Xian had never received in his previous life; he was used to being ignored as a passerby, and drawing the interest of beautiful women just by walking down the street was the stuff of his wildest dreams.

This made Gao Xian feel very good, which in turn boosted his confidence and helped him relax a little.

Following the route in his memory, Gao Xian arrived at the busiest central street of Flying Horse Market.

This long street divided Flying Horse Market in two, and almost all the shops were located here.

Grain shops, clothing stores, pharmacies, taverns, weapon shops, general stores, and more—the shops on this long street covered every aspect of the cultivators' daily needs in Flying Horse Market.

In addition, many cultivators set up stalls along the street, selling items like animal hides, beast meat, and low-grade magical artifacts.

People came and went on the long street, with various shouts and conversations blending together, creating a lively atmosphere.

Such a scene allowed Gao Xian to truly relax.

In broad daylight, with so many people around, he figured no one would dare to cause trouble.

No one struck up a conversation with Gao Xian, as strange cultivators instinctively kept a distance of five or six feet.

What really made Gao Xian uncomfortable were the cultivators running stalls; they were all greasy-faced and obsequious, looking like petty merchants without a shred of a cultivator's aura.

Whenever he paused for even a moment, the stall-owning cultivators would immediately approach him with enthusiastic introductions.

The eager attitude, comparable to waiters at a high-end hotpot restaurant, made the already socially anxious Gao Xian even more uneasy, forcing him to quicken his pace and leave.

From afar, Gao Xian saw the pharmacy located in the center, which was the most imposing building, with a shiny plaque hanging at the entrance and a neatly dressed clerk loudly soliciting customers.

He did not want to run into Shopkeeper Zhu, nor did he want to see Qiniang.

Sneaking quietly into a nearby general store, Gao Xian spent a few pieces of broken silver to buy several dozen thick steel needles.

These ordinary household sewing needles were not worth much. It was only in a semi-enclosed area like Flying Horse Market that they could be sold at such a high price.

Successfully returning home, Gao Xian held a two-inch-long sewing needle between his middle finger and thumb, whispering with some excitement: "Whether this works or not depends on this..."