First pot of gold

The next day, the two got up very early.

The mountain mist had not yet completely dissipated. Qian Jin and Ao Ming had already set off on the path leading to the back of the mountain.

Qian Jin clutched the treasure-hunting compass tightly in his hand, his eyes almost glued to its surface. The transparent crystal in the center of the compass spun even more rapidly than yesterday. Among the fine dots of light around its edge, the white dot representing the direction of the back mountain remained stable and bright, like the most dazzling star in the night. Further out, a pale red dot still existed, its color neither deepening nor diminishing, stubbornly pointing in the same direction.

“Ao Ming, look,” Qian Jin handed the compass to Ao Ming, her tone a mix of excitement and uncertainty, “This white light is getting brighter and brighter! Looks like there’s really something there! But this red one next to it… it seems to have always looked the same, never flashing or changing. I have a feeling this thing might be a bit too sensitive? Or… is there a batch problem? Last time it scared me half to death, and it turned out to be just a little spirit weasel and its food.” She couldn’t help but complain about the previous blunder again.

A hint of caution flashed in Ao Ming's eyes. Although he also felt that the compass's warning mechanism seemed somewhat peculiar, he dared not be careless. "The red light not changing may not be a good thing. Perhaps it's just that the thing is in a stable state and hasn't been disturbed. In any case, we must not let our guard down. Let's get closer and see what happens."

Following the compass, the two ventured deeper and deeper into the heart of the back mountain.

The surrounding trees grew taller and denser, their branches intertwining to almost block out the sky, with only scattered patches of sunlight filtering down. A strange fog, the kind Grandpa Chen and the wonton stall owner had described, gradually filled the air—white, damp, and sticky, carrying a refreshing coolness that definitely blurred one's sense of direction.

Fortunately, with Qian Jin's compass and Ao Ming's dragon senses far exceeding those of ordinary people, they did not lose their way.

The further they went, the quieter the environment became; even the chirping of insects and birds disappeared, leaving only the rustling of their footsteps on the fallen leaves and the sound of their heartbeats and breaths.

Finally, the white light on the compass reached its maximum brightness, almost overflowing the surface. The needle was fixed firmly on a mountain wall shrouded in dense vines ahead.

The two exchanged a glance, slowed their pace, held their breath, and carefully parted the layers of vines. Behind them was not some terrifying demon cave, but simply a naturally formed rock crevice, barely wide enough for one person to pass through.

Qian Jin peeked inside; it was dark, but didn't seem very deep. She turned and winked at Ao Ming, indicating it was safe, then slipped inside first. Ao Ming immediately followed, almost touching her as he entered, a faint blue, watery aura swirling around him, ready to handle any unexpected situations.

However, the anticipated danger did not materialize.

Behind the crevice was a small, less than ten feet square natural stone chamber. A crack in the ceiling allowed a beam of sunlight to shine through, illuminating a small area in the center of the chamber.

There, a peculiar plant was emitting a soft white light.

Its entire body is like jade, only about a foot tall, with seven round and plump leaves, each with clearly visible veins, as if meticulously embroidered with silver thread. At the top of the plant grows a crystal-clear silver fruit the size of a longan, its alluring luster and powerful yet restrained spiritual energy being the source of the compass's strong sensing.

"This is... a Seven-Leaf Spirit-Nourishing Grass? And it even bears Spirit-Nourishing Fruit!" A look of surprise flashed in Ao Ming's eyes. This kind of spiritual plant usually only grows in places where the spiritual energy is extremely pure and abundant. The pure spiritual energy contained in its fruit is of great benefit to cultivators. Although it is not a peerless treasure, it is still quite rare, especially since it appeared in this remote back mountain, which is even more unusual.

"Is it valuable?" Qian Jin's eyes shone brighter than the Spirit-Nourishing Fruit, and she blurted out the question that concerned her most.

Ao Ming chuckled and nodded: "Yes, a Spirit-Nourishing Fruit of such perfect quality should be able to fetch a considerable amount of spirit stones in major immortal markets or merchant guilds."

"Great!" Qian Jin cheered, carefully stepping forward. He took out a jade shovel and a specially made jade box, and gently and carefully dug out the entire Spirit-Nourishing Grass along with its fruit, placing it in the box and sealing it. Throughout the entire process, the red light spot remained unchanged, as if it were merely a silent observer.

It seemed to be another false alarm, or perhaps the red light source had no direct connection to the spiritual plants here. Although the two were puzzled, the joy of obtaining the treasure overshadowed their doubts.

"We're rich! We're rich!" Qian Jin exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear as he hugged the jade box. "Let's go! Let's go exchange it right now!"

However, when they excitedly returned to the town and inquired at several pharmacies and general stores, they were met with a cold reception. The townspeople were mostly simple and honest with limited knowledge. Although the shopkeepers could sense that the fruit was no ordinary product, they couldn't identify its origin or offer a suitable price. The highest price offered was only ten taels of silver.

"Ten taels?! Why doesn't he just rob me?!" Qian Jin was so angry that she almost pulled out her "fire poker" on the spot.

Ao Ming held down Qian Jin, who was jumping up and down in anger, and pondered, "This town is remote, and there are few people who know its value. If you want a fair exchange, you need to go to a major city. Three hundred miles west of here, there is a town called 'Xiyuan Town,' which is an important border trading town with frequent caravans and many cultivators coming and going. There should be a merchant guild there that can recognize this item and offer a fair price."

"Three hundred li?!" Qian Jin's face fell upon hearing this. How long would it take to walk that far? She wished she could immediately stuff the spirit stones into her pocket to feel at ease.

The hesitation lasted only three breaths.

She gritted her teeth, stamped her foot, and showed a pained expression as if her flesh had been cut off: "Fine! You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub!" With that, she carefully took out a talisman with an earthy yellow glow from her personal storage bag. The talisman was decorated with intricate shrinking patterns drawn in cinnabar on the paper.

"A Shrinking Earth Talisman? You have such a good thing?" Ao Ming was somewhat surprised. This kind of talisman is not easy to make and is quite valuable.

“I once helped a down-on-his-luck talisman master collect a debt. He had no money, so he insisted on giving me three of these to settle the debt, saying they were family heirlooms! I’ve never been willing to use them!” Qian Jin’s lips twitched with heartache. “These are life-saving and escape-proof artifacts! Today, for my first pot of gold, I’ll risk it all!”

She took Ao Ming's hand and channeled her spiritual energy into the talisman. A sudden burst of yellow light enveloped them both. The next moment, the surrounding scenery blurred and receded rapidly, as if space itself had been compressed to an extreme degree. In the blink of an eye, their feet found solid ground beneath their feet, and a completely different cacophony filled their ears.

They stood beneath a majestic city gate. The towering, gray-blue walls, weathered by time, bore the marks of years. At the gate, carriages and horses rumbled, and pedestrians thronged. Merchants, travelers, and even powerful cultivators carrying swords moved about, the air thick with the scents of dust, spices, livestock, and various spiritual materials—a scene of bustling prosperity.

Above the city gate, the three ancient seal characters "Xiyuan Town" are powerful and vigorous.

Qian Jin was stunned by the effect of the Shrinking Earth Talisman, but then remembered the important matter at hand. His heartache was immediately replaced by urgency: "Quick! Find the largest merchant guild!"

The two quickly found the "Baichuan Chamber of Commerce," the largest and most prominently decorated establishment in Xiyuan Town. Qian Jin took a deep breath, trying to appear calm and composed, and walked in carrying the jade box.

They were greeted by an old shopkeeper with a goatee. The moment he opened the jade box, a glint of light flashed in his eyes, clearly indicating he knew his stuff. He carefully examined the quality of the Spirit-Nourishing Fruit, then secretly sensed the spiritual energy it contained, stroking his beard and pondering for a long while.

"Hmm... The Spirit-Nourishing Fruit from the Seven-Leaf Spirit-Nourishing Grass is in perfect condition, full of spiritual energy, and is indeed of superior quality." The old shopkeeper said in a calm tone, trying to lower the price. "It's just a pity that the market demand for this kind of spiritual fruit is not very large, and it is not easy to preserve... How about this, considering that you two are newcomers, I will offer a sincere price of one hundred and eighty low-grade spirit stones, how about that?"

Qian Jin's heart skipped a beat. This price was higher than her estimated starting price, but there was clearly room for negotiation. Although she didn't know the specific market rates, her years of experience in debt collection honed her ability to read people and negotiate, instantly kicking in.

Her face displayed just the right amount of disappointment and a hint of "don't try to fool me" as she made a move to close the box: "Shopkeeper, your price... isn't very sincere. You know better than I do the effects of the Spirit-Nourishing Fruit; whether used for alchemy or direct absorption, it's a hot commodity. You're not the only merchant guild in Xiyuan Town. If the Baichuan Merchant Guild is only offering this price, then we'll have to go ask at 'Wanbaolou'." She had noticed it when she arrived; the "Wanbaolou" across the street had quite a large storefront.

The old shopkeeper's goatee twitched; he hadn't expected this young girl to be so smooth-talking. He quickly laughed and said, "Oh, young lady, don't be in such a hurry. Business is business, we can talk it over. Two hundred and twenty yuan! That's the absolute maximum!"

"Two hundred and eighty." Qian Jin said without changing his expression.

"That's ridiculous! It really can't go any higher!"

"Two hundred and sixty-five. Success or failure, we're leaving immediately." Qian Jin picked up the box, her tone resolute.

The old shopkeeper stared at her for a moment, then finally gave a wry smile: "Alright, alright, young lady, you're really something. Two hundred and sixty-five low-grade spirit stones, deal! If you ever have such good goods again, be sure to give priority to our Baichuan Chamber of Commerce!" He could tell that although this young girl was young, she was decisive and worth winning over.

"No problem." Qian Jin was overjoyed, but only smiled slightly on the surface.

When the heavy bag of spirit stones was finally handed to Qian Jin, her hands trembled slightly. This wasn't money she earned from working; it was her first real pot of gold, earned entirely on her own!

Stepping out of the Chamber of Commerce and onto the bustling street, Qian Jin still felt a little dizzy. She pinched her arm sharply—ouch! It wasn't a dream!

"Ah!! I'm rich!!!" She finally couldn't help herself, hugging the bag of spirit stones, she jumped up and down a little, her face beaming with an extremely bright smile, even more dazzling than the sunlight above Xiyuan Town.

After her initial elation, she slapped Ao Ming's arm with an air of magnanimity: "Come on! Ao Ming! I'll treat you to a lavish meal! Order whatever you want! I'm loaded today!"

Then, she pulled Ao Ming into a... very popular... wonton stall on the street.

Looking at the steaming wontons in front of him, which were essentially no different from those in the town yesterday, and then at Qian Jin's smug little expression that seemed to say, "Praise me for being generous," Ao Ming was speechless for a moment: "...This is the feast you were talking about? How is this any different from yesterday's meal?"

“That’s different! Yesterday there was only one bowl! Today, there are two bowls! Two bowls each!” Qian Jin said confidently, blowing on the wontons in her spoon. “The wontons here have big fillings, thin wrappers, and delicious soup! Plus, they have dried shrimp and seaweed! They look much better than yesterday’s! Most importantly,” she lowered her voice, her eyes sparkling, “they’re filling and cheap!”

Looking at her shrewd and calculating expression, Ao Ming couldn't help but laugh, yet his heart softened for some reason. He shook his head, picked up his spoon, and began to eat elegantly. Hmm, the taste was indeed quite good.

The atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant.

As Qian Jin ate, she began planning for the future: "Once I've saved enough money, I'll go back and build a beautiful, glittering temple for my masters! Let them have some glory too! And then..." Her eyes were full of anticipation, "I can retire in peace!"

As she spoke, she rummaged through her spirit stone bag and pulled out a few ordinary low-grade spirit stones, pushing them in front of Ao Ming with a serious expression: "Here, this is your commission! I owe you so much for coming with me this time and for helping me keep things under control! I, Qian Jin, always keep my word in business! I'll definitely share what's due!"

Looking at the few spirit stones with sparse spiritual energy on the table, and then at Qian Jin's "I'm being very generous, you should accept them" attitude, Ao Ming finally couldn't help but chuckle. He, the Dragon Prince of the East Sea, had treasures piled high in his storerooms; when had he ever been offered a few low-grade spirit stones as payment? Yet, holding these spirit stones in his hand, he felt they were more...meaningful than any other treasure.

He didn't refuse, put away the spirit stones, and smiled slightly: "Then thank you very much, boss."

"No problem, no problem!" Qian Jin waved his hand, full of vigor. "Let's keep up the good work! Let's pull off a few more big wins! Retirement will be just around the corner!"

The following days were perhaps the happiest time of Qian Jin's life.

With a compass in hand, she traversed famous mountains and rivers, towns and wilderness, searching for the glimmer of treasure. Although seven or eight out of ten times she found only worthless odds and ends, or "small fortunes" like Spirit-Nourishing Fruits, each excavation and discovery brought unknown surprises, keeping her entertained.

And Ao Ming stayed by her side the whole time. He didn't talk much, and was still a bit awkward at times, but when she was focused on digging, he would silently keep watch for her surroundings; when she encountered a merchant who didn't know his stuff, he would give him a cold look that would prevent the merchant from arbitrarily lowering the price; when they were camping in the wild, he would casually set up a barrier to keep out the cold and block out the sound; and when she was overjoyed because she found a little money, a smile would play on his lips that he himself didn't even realize.

He would even appear just in time when Qian Jin was once again terrified and fled in panic because of the red warning on the compass, while complaining that she was "cowardly as a mouse" and "she really executes the 'run away at the sight of red' strategy thoroughly," but at the same time carefully checking to make sure that she was alright.

With him around, Qian Jin felt incredibly at ease. This clumsy dragon, though a bit temperamental and stubborn, was... indeed a very good partner.

Her savings bag was getting fuller and fuller, and she was getting closer and closer to her calculated retirement target amount.

The retirement life I dreamed of seems so close.