"We buy them, of course we do!"
"Our shop buys medicinal pills in bulk on an ongoing basis."
Zhang Chunming's interest stirred, and he spoke courteously.
Could this seemingly ordinary cultivator actually be an alchemist?!
He speculated inwardly.
Although the man was thoroughly covered, his bright, spirited eyes suggested that he could not be very old.
A young alchemist!
At that thought, the smile on Zhang Chunming's face grew even broader.
"What price would your shop offer?"
"My name is Hong Hao."
Liu Yu cupped his hands and spoke calmly, still using a false name.
"Ah, Fellow Daoist Hong. A pleasure to meet you!"
"My surname is Zhang, and I have the honor of serving as the Azure Pill Hall's shopkeeper. Might I ask whether you are an alchemist, Fellow Daoist Hong?"
"If you have more than fifty Pure Spirit Pills, our shop is willing to buy them at twenty-seven spirit stones per bottle!"
Zhang Chunming set down his teacup and spoke with considerable courtesy.
Liu Yu avoided answering the question about whether he was an alchemist.
Opening his Storage Bag, he waved a hand, sending seven jade bottles flying onto the counter, and said evenly:
"Here are seven bottles of Pure Spirit Pills, ten pills in each. Shopkeeper Zhang, you may count them."
Seeing that Liu Yu had avoided the question, Zhang Chunming did not press him. He picked up a jade bottle, took out a pill, and examined it carefully.
With forty years of experience, he naturally needed little time to confirm their quality.
After counting them, he said:
"Your pills are of excellent quality, Fellow Daoist Hong!"
"How about this? Our shop will buy these seven bottles of Pure Spirit Pills for one hundred and ninety spirit stones."
"If you have more pills to sell in the future, please be sure to choose the Azure Pill Hall."
"I guarantee that our purchase price will never be lower than today's!"
Zhang Chunming sounded utterly sincere, and his manner was exceedingly courteous.
If he could establish a connection with this alchemist, he would no longer have to worry about his future supply.
As he spoke, he ordered someone to bring up one hundred and ninety spirit stones and place them on the table.
"Certainly, next time!"
That was Liu Yu's spoken reply.
Inwardly, however, he had resolved not to sell everything at a single shop. Whether he would return in the future was far from certain.
With a sweep of his sleeve, he stored the spirit stones in his Storage Bag. After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Zhang Chunming, he took his leave.
Once outside the Azure Pill Hall, Liu Yu took turn after turn and deliberately wove through the crowds several times.
Only after finding no cultivators following him did he walk out of the market as though nothing were amiss.
Yet he failed to notice a pockmarked cultivator holding a small compass, who kept a certain distance behind him, always staying where he was unlikely to draw attention.
Tap, tap, tap~
As soon as he left the Market Ward, Liu Yu oriented himself toward his sect, lightly pushed off with his toes, and used the Wind-Riding Technique to travel at full speed.
Out of caution, he did not fly on his sword.
Sword flight consumed magical power too quickly. If he encountered an enemy cultivator along the way, he would be at a severe disadvantage.
Without resting for even a moment, Liu Yu sprinted dozens of li before finally stopping in a small grove.
He sat on a tree trunk, swallowed a Fasting Pill, and began recovering his expended magical power and stamina.
At this point, Liu Yu still did not know that the pockmarked cultivator was following behind him, compass in hand.
The pockmarked cultivator was named Yu Xiaotong. He was a rogue cultivator with a false spiritual root.
Although his aptitude was abysmal, he frequently purchased various cultivation resources with the wealth he gained from murdering others and seizing their treasures.
Stumbling along, he had nonetheless struggled his way to late Qi Refining.
The Qi Refining Period was the starting point of cultivation and was divided into nine layers:
The first, second, and third layers constituted the early stage,
The fourth, fifth, and sixth layers constituted the middle stage,
The seventh, eighth, and ninth layers constituted late Qi Refining.
There was a considerable gap between each minor stage.
Compared with cultivators at middle Qi Refining, those at late Qi Refining not only possessed deeper, purer magical power, but also slightly stronger Divine Sense, allowing them to control three magical artifacts simultaneously.
Yu Xiaotong acted cautiously, targeting only weak "fat sheep." He always kept the principles of "bully the weak and fear the strong; the strong devour the weak" firmly in mind.
At that moment, a vicious grin spread across his face as he secretly gloated.
So what if you're cautious and as cunning as a ghost?
Once you've been marked with my Soul-Tracking Powder, don't even dream of escaping my pursuit!
The scent of Soul-Tracking Powder lasts for over half a year, and ordinary methods can't remove it!
Still, this "fat sheep" really can run. Dozens of li without stopping even once.
Following behind, Yu Xiaotong panted for breath.
Seething inwardly, he decided that once he succeeded, he would give this brat a proper "tending."
Although somewhat tired, Yu Xiaotong feared stirring the grass and startling the snake, so he still refrained from flying on an artifact.
He feared that the brat might have some unusual spell or talisman and flee clean away.
Delay invited complications. Although he had the advantage in cultivation, even a lion used its full strength to catch a rabbit. Taking his target down with a sneak attack would be ideal.
After running for an unknown length of time, Liu Yu removed his bamboo hat and black veil and sat cross-legged on a thick tree trunk.
He closed his eyes and remained motionless as he recovered his magical power, gradually entering a state of self-forgetfulness.
Cool moonlight spilled over his surroundings. Apart from the rising and falling chirping of insects, no other sound disturbed the grove.
But just then!
From behind a tree seven or eight zhang away, a faint glimmer emerged soundlessly from the darkness, shooting straight toward Liu Yu's head.
His keen spiritual intuition screamed a warning, and an intense sense of danger instantly gripped his heart!
"Not good!!"
In a flash, Liu Yu's eyes snapped open, a cold gleam flaring within them.
With no time to think, he pushed his palm against the tree and shifted his body a short distance.
That slight movement caused the glimmer to miss.
It struck a nearby tree, leaving a short length of silvery needle protruding from the wood. It was an exceedingly insidious flying-needle artifact!
"What skulking rat is there?!"
Liu Yu landed on the ground and stared toward the direction the needle had come from, his face dark as he shouted.
He slapped his Storage Bag, and the Black Tortoise Shield floated before him.
Forming a hand seal, he enlarged it to three feet across, and it circled his body, radiating brown spiritual light.
Meanwhile, seeing his sneak attack fail, Yu Xiaotong abandoned all concealment and stepped brazenly out from behind the tree.
After catching up, he had feared Liu Yu would continue traveling, so he had crept over without taking time to recover his magical power.
Yu Xiaotong wore a mocking smile, which looked rather hideous on his pockmarked face.
He unleashed his spiritual pressure without restraint, then aggressively brought forth a small red saber.
Whoosh~
It transformed into a streak of red light and slashed toward Liu Yu.
Yu Xiaotong had looted this red flying saber from a fat sheep. It was an exceptional Middle-grade Magical Artifact.
It was extremely handy to use and had been with him for many years.
"Late Qi Refining!"
Sensing his attacker's spiritual pressure, Liu Yu's expression changed.
But he had no time to dwell on it. The red flying saber was already slashing toward him.
With a thought, he calmly directed the Black Tortoise Shield to intercept it.
Clang, clang~
The Black Tortoise Shield shuddered. The red flying saber left a white mark on its surface, but the shield held firm and blocked the strike.
At the sight, Liu Yu steadied himself.
His hands immediately formed a rapid succession of seals, and two goose-egg-sized fireballs appeared before him.
The red flames radiated scorching heat!
He pointed with two fingers, and the fireballs shot toward Yu Xiaotong.
The best defense is offense!
Yu Xiaotong smiled contemptuously. Only when the fireballs were about to hit him did a golden barrier appear around his body.
Boom, boom.
The two fireballs struck the golden barrier, instantly sending small ripples spreading across it.
In the end, however, the fireballs went out, and the ripples on the barrier gradually vanished.
The attack came to nothing.
Thanks to readers Love Left and the Wind Stopped, One Thought ^v^ Unravels Heaven's Secrets, Mortal Fan Zining, May the World Treat You Gently pi, Days of Decadence, 140515160648205, God of the Bible, 2021050965241530, and others for your recommendation votes.
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