Purple Grains Kui Wood

Chapter 27: Purple Grains Kui Wood

The group of Demon Cultivators nearby, seeing that the spectacle had come to an end, felt a sudden sense of boredom and dispersed in all directions.

Chen Lin paid them no mind. He took another 31 low-grade spirit stones from his Storage Bag and handed them, along with the previous ones, to the short, stocky man. "There you go. Count them carefully. If there are no issues, I'll be taking this girl now."

The short man took the spirit stones and counted them with care. Once he confirmed the amount was correct, he tucked them into his Storage Bag with a satisfied grin on his ugly face; clearly, he had earned far more than he had anticipated.

"Heh heh, fellow Daoist, why not take another look at my stall? Are there any other cultivation materials that catch your eye? I'll be sure to give you the lowest price." Having finally caught such a big fish, the short man's eyes darted around as he enthusiastically pushed his other wares.

Chen Lin cast a quick glance over the stall, but finding only common materials, he shook his head with a lack of interest.

Seeing Chen Lin's indifference, a flash of regret crossed the short man's eyes. Nevertheless, he nimbly opened the cage behind him, pulled the young girl out, and shoved her toward Chen Lin.

Injured and unsteady on her feet, the girl let out a startled cry of "Ah!" as she stumbled, nearly falling. Chen Lin frowned, but reached out to steady her.

Once supported by Chen Lin's single hand, the girl immediately reacted, struggling to pull away from his arm until she stood on her own. Her delicate frame trembled, and she kept her pretty little face bowed, casting a timid glance at Chen Lin. Perhaps because Chen Lin did not look as hideous and terrifying as the other Demon Cultivators—appearing more like a human—the look of misery on her face, while not gone, had softened significantly.

The short man sneered at the sight and said to Chen Lin, "Heh heh, fellow Daoist, don't be fooled by this girl's appearance. She is cunning to the core. I nearly let her escape my grasp several times, and I even suffered a few minor losses because of it. I had no choice but to injure her and seal a low-grade 'Spirit-Sealing Talisman' within her body. I advise you to stay on your guard."

Chen Lin nodded and gave the girl a look, saying expressionlessly, "Come with me. Don't even think about running away. Not every Demon Cultivator in this Myriad Demon Sect is as easy to talk to as I am. If you get lost and fall into the hands of others, I think you can guess the consequences without me having to spell them out."

With that, Chen Lin turned and walked away, ignoring the girl entirely, as if he had no fear of her escaping.

The girl raised her head and stared at Chen Lin's retreating back. The look of misery and pity on her face vanished in an instant. Her eyes darted about with a flash of craftiness, and her pretty face flickered with indecision.

Yet, after a moment of hesitation, she gritted her teeth and chose to follow him. Before she did, however, she shot a vicious glare at the short man, only to immediately resume her sorrowful expression as she trailed closely behind Chen Lin.

Chen Lin was naturally unaware of these changes. As he walked, he felt a bit frustrated; ever since he had rescued the girl, the Main God Coffin had fallen silent, offering no explanation regarding the mission reward.

Could it be that the Main God Coffin had simply felt pity for the girl and issued a pointless task out of the goodness of its heart?

That seemed unlikely, didn't it?

"Hey, little girl, what's your name?"

"..."

The girl kept her head down, following silently behind Chen Lin, refusing to speak.

"How did you end up in the hands of that Demon Cultivator?"

"..."

"Speak up. You don't have to be afraid; I'm a good person."

"..."

Chen Lin glanced at the silent girl trailing behind him and rubbed his nose, feeling rather speechless. Throughout the journey, no matter how he tried to strike up a conversation, she remained sullen and mute, leaving him at a loss for what else to say.

"High-quality Dharma Artifacts! Engraved with four full formations, formidable power! Don't miss out, fellow Daoists!"

"A bundle of blank low-grade talismans! High-quality cinnabar! Any Daoists looking to craft talismans, come take a look!"

"Freshly picked Purple Jade Ginseng! Don't miss out, Daoists looking to refine top-tier pills!"

Chen Lin continued to browse the market with interest. The strange and varied cultivation materials dazzled him, and he was gradually becoming familiar with the common knowledge of the cultivation world.

"Hey!"

Suddenly, Chen Lin felt his robe being tugged by a pair of slender hands.

"Hm?"

Chen Lin turned back in surprise, staring at the girl. He seemed astonished that the girl, who had been silent the entire way, had finally broken her vow of silence. He stopped in his tracks, turned around, and crossed his arms, staring at her with a half-smile. "Heh, little girl, you haven't said a word this whole time; I actually thought you were a mute."

"Who's a mute? You're the mute!"

The girl arched her beautiful brows and glared fiercely at Chen Lin. Then, as if remembering something, her pretty face fell, and she muttered, "Hey, listen... how about we make a deal?"

"What kind of deal? If you're going to ask me to let you go, forget it. I spent quite a few spirit stones to redeem you," Chen Lin said, waving his hand.

"Hey, I can help you earn a fortune in spirit stones to compensate for the cost of my redemption, and you'll even make a huge profit. If I do that, you can let me go, right?"

The girl stared at Chen Lin's expression, looking nervous.

"Help me earn a fortune?" Chen Lin lazily glanced at the girl and said noncommittally, "Tell me how you plan to do that first. If it's feasible, I'll consider your terms."

"I hope you keep your word... Do you see that 'Purple Jade Ginseng' over there?"

The girl's beautiful brows furrowed, looking somewhat reluctant, but she still extended a slender, jade-like hand to point at a purple medicinal herb at a stall they had just passed. She whispered, "That isn't actually 'Purple Jade Ginseng.' It's a medicinal herb called 'Purple Grains Kui Wood,' one of the main ingredients for refining the precious 'Sea-Breaking Pill.' The stall owner is blind; if you buy it, you'll definitely make a killing."

"Oh?" Chen Lin looked in the direction she pointed and indeed saw a stall owner holding up a medicinal herb, shouting his wares. Still, he looked at the girl with suspicion. "How do you know that?"

"Although Purple Grains Kui Wood and Purple Jade Ginseng look similar, the Purple Grains Kui Wood is clearly more than half a foot longer. Furthermore, the base of the Purple Grains Kui Wood is a brownish-purple color, and it forms a growth ring every hundred years. I took a close look just now; this one has two rings, meaning it's clearly over two hundred years old. It's a top-grade medicinal herb worth no less than 300 spirit stones."

The girl raised her brows and said with great certainty.

"Is that so?"

Chen Lin stopped and pondered for a moment before slowly walking over to the stall. He pretended to glance at the herb in the owner's hand casually, but upon closer inspection, he indeed spotted two faint rings at the base. His eyes flashed, and he stared at the herb, silently querying the Main God Coffin system.

"Purple Grains Kui Wood, top-grade medicinal herb. Efficacy: One of the main ingredients for refining 'Sea-Breaking Pill' and 'Tide-Heart Jade-Clear Pill'."

It really wasn't Purple Jade Ginseng.

Chen Lin felt a secret surge of astonishment.

"Does this fellow Daoist have his eye on this spiritual herb?" The stall owner, a dark-skinned man of burly build, saw Chen Lin staring fixedly at the herb in his hand. His eyes darted, and he immediately spoke with enthusiasm.

"Indeed. I am looking to refine a certain medicinal pill, and this Purple Jade Ginseng happens to be one of the required ingredients. May I ask how you intend to sell it, fellow Daoist?"

Chen Lin kept his expression neutral and asked slowly.

"Heh, you have a sharp eye, fellow Daoist! This Purple Jade Ginseng is an excellent material for pill refinement. I feel like we hit it off the moment we met, so how about this: you need only pay 20 spirit stones, and this herb is yours!" The dark-skinned man said, feigning a magnanimous air.

"Hmph. The Purple Jade Ginseng is merely a low-grade spiritual herb, used only for refining basic healing pills. Its price shouldn't exceed 10 spirit stones. I will offer you 13 spirit stones for it; if you are unwilling, then forget it."

Chen Lin's face darkened as he let out a cold snort. He shifted his stance, his posture making it clear that he would walk away immediately if the stall owner refused the deal.

Seeing that Chen Lin was well-versed in the value of the herb and could not be swindled, the dark-skinned man thought for a moment before agreeing readily. "Fine! 13 low-grade spirit stones—take it, fellow Daoist!"

"Mm."

Chen Lin nodded impassively, traded the spirit stones, picked up the herb from the stall owner's hand, and without even a second glance, tucked it into his Storage Bag before turning to leave.