Li Xi maintained his憨厚 (honest and simple) smile and replied, "Brother Huang, don't worry, I've arranged everything on my side. I'm just waiting for your order, and then we can go all out."

A look of satisfaction flashed in Master Huang's eyes. He patted Li Xi on the shoulder and said in a serious tone, "Brother Li, I trust you to handle things. We're sure to make a fortune this time. Don't forget to treat me to a drink to celebrate."

A sly glint flashed in Li Xi's eyes as she smiled and said, "Brother Huang, don't worry, there will definitely be plenty of wine. However, if this deal goes through, we should have a proper celebration. How about we go to the best restaurant in the city, invite a few girls, and enjoy ourselves to the fullest?"

Upon hearing this, Master Huang laughed heartily, patted Li Xi on the shoulder, and said, "Alright, Brother Li, your suggestion is good. Let's make it a deal then."

He then changed the subject, "I wonder if you've found a house yet, brother? It needs to be secluded enough..."

Li Xi smiled innocently and said to Master Huang, "Brother Huang, please rest assured, I have already informed Brother Feng about the house via carrier pigeon, everything is fine."

Master Huang nodded in satisfaction, then asked curiously, "Brother Li, may I ask which prefecture this house is located in?"

If he could purchase a residence in Kyoto, he would be even closer to the core of power. Currently, he has no good plan to enter that circle.

To maintain secrecy, his master wouldn't offer him much assistance. But if he could establish himself in Kyoto through his own abilities, his master would surely summon him soon.

Li Xi knew what he was up to, but it was best to keep this person under their watchful eyes.

So, she deliberately showed a slightly embarrassed expression and said, "Oh, it's in Mu City. That's Brother Feng's territory. In the end, I still had to ask him for help to resolve the house issue smoothly."

Master Huang frowned. Mu City? Isn't that east of the capital? It's quite far from the city center.

But then he thought that buying a house there might be an opportunity. After a moment's thought, he said, "Brother Li, it's a good thing that you have a house in Mu City. Perhaps we can find new opportunities there in the future."

Establishing a relationship with the Hidden Sage Manor was undoubtedly good news for him. The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, eager to go to Mu City immediately.

He asked impatiently, "Brother Li, when are we setting off for Mu City?"

The imperial decree from above hasn't come down yet, so Li Xi doesn't have any ideas for the time being, but she's still very good at fooling people.

“Brother Huang, the house over there is currently under renovation, so there’s no need to worry. The people from Yinxian Manor are reliable. For now, let’s wait for my brother. He said he’ll be coming here in a couple of days.”

This is such a pleasant surprise! I never expected to see Master Feng in person. Why not?

"Alright, alright, brother, I'll be waiting for your good news." Huang Er left satisfied.

It's not easy to fool people every day, Li Xi sighed.

Suddenly, she started yawning repeatedly, one yawn after another. Li Xi realized her craving for cigarettes was kicking in, and she wondered when Chen Quan would bring back the antidote.

The intense longing was unbearable for her. She couldn't help but feel anxious, wondering when Chen Quan would bring back the antidote so she could escape this torment as soon as possible.

Li Xi stepped back into the room, closed the door, sat quietly, and began to regulate her breathing and internal energy.

She took a deep breath, as if to take the whole world into her chest, and then slowly exhaled, as if to expel all the distracting thoughts from her mind.

She focused intently on feeling the flow of energy within her body, and after an hour, the urge to exert herself was suppressed.

However, this temporary relief was only temporary, and she decided to go out and find something to distract herself.

Fang Siqi went out to run errands, and Li Xi strolled alone on the bustling streets of Huangshi Town.

Although she had been in this place for some time, she had never truly experienced its local customs and culture.

Although Huangshi Town is a small town, it is bustling with activity, with shops lining both sides of the street, offering a wide variety of goods.

Li Xi looked around curiously, stopping to admire the view from time to time.

Suddenly, a crowd gathered in front of a pharmacy caught her attention.

Curious, she leaned closer to take a look and saw an old man showing everyone a magical herb.

The herb was deep purple and emitted a faint fragrance; the old man claimed it could cure all kinds of difficult and complicated diseases.

A thought struck Li Xi: she remembered her smoking addiction, and perhaps these herbs could help.

She squeezed into the crowd and asked the old man about the effects of the herbs.

Seeing her interest, the old man began to explain in detail, saying that this herb was extremely rare and that he had gone to great lengths to collect it.

At this moment, the shopkeeper came out impatiently and waved the old man away, saying, "Go away, you old man, you're talking nonsense again."

The old man seemed unmoved and continued to introduce the herbs to Li Xi.

"You old swindler, stop misleading people here!" the shopkeeper roared, his voice filled with anger and impatience.

Although the old man was frail, he was exceptionally agile. He skillfully evaded the shopkeeper's attempt to snatch the herbs, and clutching them tightly, he said to Li Xi, "Young master, I went through tremendous effort to find this; it truly possesses miraculous healing properties."

Looking at the old man's determined eyes and the herbs in his hand, Li Xi couldn't help but waver.

She looked at the pharmacy owner and saw that his expression was full of disdain and anger, as if he scoffed at the old man's words.

"Young master, don't believe him. This old man picked some weeds from who-knows-where and claims they're miraculous medicines. My doctor says they're just ordinary wild grass." He seemed afraid that others would be deceived.

Li Xi listened to the pharmacy owner's words, her gaze shifting between the old man and the owner.

She saw a flicker of disappointment on the old man's face, but his eyes remained firm and deep, as if they held boundless wisdom.

“Shopkeeper, you can’t say that. The old man has come all this way, weary from his journey, he wouldn’t be here to deceive us,” Li Xi said slowly, defending the old man.

The shopkeeper glared at Li Xi after hearing her words. "Young master, you are still young and do not know the wickedness of people. This old man often comes to our shop to cause trouble. Every time he claims that his herbs can cure all diseases, but our doctors say they are useless."

The old man spoke up, "Young lady, I know you find it hard to believe, but I can tell you, this herb is indeed special. I went through countless hardships to find it; if it were just an ordinary weed, why would I have gone to such lengths?"

Li Xi was conflicted. She wanted to believe the old man's sincerity, but she was also worried that she might be deceived. She looked at the herbs in her hand; their deep purple leaves looked particularly mysterious in the sunlight.