Blazing Qilin Ginseng

The next day, nearing noon, the two arrived at Green Cypress City.

Green Cypress City was considered the closest medium-sized city to Li City in Southern Mangzhou.

The two had already inquired and found that the most famous medicinal merchant in Green Cypress City was Thousand Treasures Hall.

So, upon arriving at Green Cypress City, Xia Daoming headed straight for the largest Thousand Treasures Hall in the area.

In Green Cypress City, Xia Daoming naturally no longer needed to deliberately conceal his internal energy and aura.

Moreover, to ensure the other party wouldn't doubt his purchasing power, Xia Daoming intentionally and casually released his Fifth-Rank Great Martial Master aura as he entered Thousand Treasures Hall.

In Green Cypress City, a Fifth-Rank Great Martial Master was already considered quite capable.

Xia Daoming's intentional and casual release of his Great Martial Master aura immediately alerted the shopkeeper, who personally came out to greet him.

Xia Daoming got straight to the point, telling the shopkeeper he wanted the best pills for strengthening blood and internal energy.

With a big sale in sight, and the customer being a Fifth-Rank Great Martial Master at that, the shopkeeper was overjoyed. He quickly turned and gave a few instructions to a shop assistant.

Soon, the assistant brought over two antique-looking boxes.

"This is the Thousand Treasures Pill; our Thousand Treasures Hall was founded and developed because of this pill. This pill is refined using secret methods with various precious medicinal ingredients. Not only for Fifth-Rank Great Martial Masters, but even Sixth-Rank Great Martial Masters will experience significant nourishment the first time they take it. Of course, the price is not cheap, costing one hundred and twenty taels per pill," the shopkeeper said, opening one of the medicine boxes and pointing to a pill the size of a longan, with a smooth, rounded color, boasting about it.

Xia Daoming had taken many pills recently and often consulted Ji Wenyue, making him a quasi-expert in identifying them.

He picked up a Thousand Treasures Pill, brought it closer to examine it carefully, and sniffed its aroma. He knew that the pill's initial efficacy would definitely not be as good as the Ji Family's Three Yuan Blood Return Pill.

However, he had developed a significant tolerance to the Ji Family's pills. Even if the Thousand Treasures Pill's potency was less than the Three Yuan Blood Return Pill, its initial effect on him would be better than his current intake of the Three Yuan Blood Return Pill.

The market price for the Three Yuan Blood Return Pill was two hundred taels per pill. The "special supply" grade Ji Wenyue gave him would likely fetch three hundred taels per pill if sold.

Precisely because of this, Xia Daoming felt it was too wasteful to continue taking the Ji Family's pills and was willing to make a long journey.

After all, he could accept favors, but he wouldn't squander them; it was about managing resources sustainably.

"This pill is passable. I'll take ten of them," Xia Daoming said.

"Ten pills!" The shopkeeper's voice wavered slightly.

Ten pills meant one thousand two hundred taels – an absolute major order!

"What's wrong? Don't you have them?" Xia Daoming raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Yes, of course, we have them!" the shopkeeper quickly replied.

Xia Daoming nodded, his gaze falling on the other box.

The shopkeeper was perceptive and immediately opened the other box.

The pills in this box were much smaller, only the size of a broad bean, with average quality and a somewhat chaotic aura.

"This pill is the Hundred Treasures Pill. It's a notch below the Thousand Treasures Pill, but it also has nourishing and strengthening effects for Fifth-Rank Great Martial Masters, and the price is much more affordable, only ten taels per pill," the shopkeeper introduced.

"I'll pass on this one," Xia Daoming waved his hand without hesitation.

It was a joke. Considering the windfall he'd recently acquired and the pills he carried, he was equivalent to having eighty thousand silver on him, making him an absolute magnate in Green Cypress City.

He usually consumed pills costing over a hundred taels. How could a ten-tael Hundred Treasures Pill possibly catch his eye?

Seeing Xia Daoming dismiss it with a look of disdain without even considering it, the shopkeeper, while disappointed, felt a slight stir in his heart. He said, "We also have a prized medicinal ingredient at our Thousand Treasures Hall, a three-hundred-year-old Blazing Qilin Ginseng. This herb can be consumed directly for nourishment.

However, its medicinal properties are extremely potent. A Fifth-Rank Great Martial Master would experience their meridians feeling as if they were being sliced by a knife with just a small segment, requiring at least a month of recuperation before recovering, and they could only take it again after three months.

Sixth-Rank Great Martial Masters would fare slightly better, but they would still need to rest for eight to ten days each time and could only take it again after a month."

"Oh, its medicinal properties are that fierce! How much does this ginseng cost?" Xia Daoming asked, feigning a frown while his heart rejoiced at the news.

"Eight thousand taels!" The shopkeeper held up a hand.

"So expensive!" Xia Daoming frowned again.

"Considering its efficacy, it's actually not expensive at all; it's just that the medicinal properties are too potent," the shopkeeper said.

"Heh!" Xia Daoming let out a sneer. "You can only consume a small segment each time, and a Fifth-Rank Great Martial Master needs a month to recover, only being able to take it again after three months. Which Fifth-Rank Martial Master can afford to waste that time?

What if an enemy shows up during that period? Are you going to tell them, 'I just took a potent medicine, wait until I recover and then we can fight again'?"

"That..." The shopkeeper was momentarily speechless, cornered by Xia Daoming's words.

In fact, that was precisely the case. Otherwise, such a potent and directly consumable medicinal ingredient wouldn't still be here; it would have been sold long ago, or the owner would have consumed it themselves.

"However, since you mentioned it, I haven't seen a three-hundred-year-old Blazing Qilin Ginseng before. Could you let me take a look?" Xia Daoming changed his tone.

The shopkeeper, being an old hand, understood immediately when Xia Daoming asked to see it. This fellow intended to haggle and wasn't entirely uninterested. His spirits immediately lifted, and he personally went to retrieve the Blazing Qilin Ginseng.

The Blazing Qilin Ginseng was thick and long, like a baby's forearm, entirely fiery red, as if burning with flames, and shaped like a qilin's horn, with five segmented lines.

As soon as the shopkeeper took out the Blazing Qilin Ginseng, Xia Daoming felt a violent aura rushing towards him, causing his blood and energy to fluctuate slightly.

"Its medicinal properties are indeed fierce! This shopkeeper probably hasn't told the whole truth. Only because my meridians are abnormal do I dare to consider consuming it. Otherwise, anyone below Seventh-Rank Great Martial Master wouldn't dare to take it," Xia Daoming narrowed his eyes, his thoughts racing.

"Esteemed guest, please look. This Blazing Qilin Ginseng has five segmented lines, and each line represents sixty years. Each consumption requires an entire segment, to be taken in five separate doses. Otherwise, the medicinal effect will be greatly reduced," the shopkeeper explained in detail.

Seeing the shopkeeper specifically explain the method of consumption, Xia Daoming knew the old man had seen through his intentions. He decided to stop beating around the bush and said directly, "Four thousand taels. I'll take this Blazing Qilin Ginseng."

"Esteemed guest is joking, simply joking. This is a three-hundred-year-old Blazing Qilin Ginseng. If it weren't for an elderly Seventh-Rank Great Martial Master who wouldn't dare to consume it easily, and since there are no young Seventh-Rank Great Martial Masters in our Green Cypress City, how could this Blazing Qilin Ginseng still be in our shop!" the shopkeeper exclaimed, a mix of surprise and anxiety.

The surprise was that Xia Daoming indeed had the intention to buy it.

The problem was that the price negotiation was too aggressive.

"A young Seventh-Rank Great Martial Master is a genius with the potential to become a Grandmaster. They are even rarer than your Blazing Qilin Ginseng. You'll likely have a hard time finding such a buyer!" Xia Daoming said.

"The esteemed guest speaks the truth. Our proprietor did intend to send this Blazing Qilin Ginseng to the nearest major city for sale, but the journey is long, and there's a risk of being robbed. Secondly, even if we reach a major city, we'll be unfamiliar with the place, and the buyers would surely be local big shots. If they decide to bully us, we'd have no choice but to accept it.

Therefore, the proprietor ultimately decided to keep it in the shop as a treasure, and if a buyer happened to pass by and fancy it, even for a lower price, it would be better than taking those risks. However, four thousand taels, as the esteemed guest offered, is simply too outrageous.

To be frank, a Blazing Qilin Ginseng of three hundred years would conservatively fetch at least ten thousand taels if sold in a major city. How about this: seven thousand five hundred taels. If you still disagree, we'll have to ask our proprietor to speak with you personally," the shopkeeper said.

Xia Daoming agreed with the shopkeeper. For a genius disciple like Xu Shixiong, what was ten thousand taels if it could improve his cultivation?

However, although he had been making money quickly lately, it was always good to save some.

Especially for such "luxury goods," saving hundreds or thousands of taels with just a few words was a no-brainer.

So, while he agreed, Xia Daoming immediately asked the shopkeeper to invite the proprietor over.

The proprietor soon arrived and warmly welcomed Xia Daoming.

After a friendly round of bargaining, Xia Daoming paid eight thousand taels, which included ten Thousand Treasures Pills, effectively making the pills a free bonus.

After paying, Xia Daoming immediately left Li City with Liu Qiaolian, not lingering in Green Cypress City for a moment.

Once outside the city, the two rode their horses at a gallop until they were thirty or forty li away from Green Cypress City, then they slowed down.

They were outsiders, and they had just made a large purchase of eight thousand taels. If they had stayed longer in Green Cypress City, once the news spread, it was hard to guarantee that someone wouldn't get greedy.

Although Xia Daoming was confident in his strength, when traveling, it was always better to avoid trouble if possible.