"You want to eat it?" Shi Xuan felt that the little bird's black bean-like eyes were shining with desire to eat.
“But now that I see it, it’s mine,” Shi Xuan said. She dug out the grass along with the soil that was bigger than her head, tore off the lining of her skirt to make a big bundle, wrapped the snake grass and the big clump of soil under it together, and carried it on her back.
"Do you know any other treasures?" Shi Xuan asked the little white bird.
Black bean eyes were still trying to stare at the bundle.
"Stop looking, you can't eat it even if you look. If it's destined to grow up in the future, I might give you a piece to eat since you found it."
The eyes are dull and lifeless.
"Is that all? It's good that there isn't any more, so I won't run out of fabric for my skirts."
She flicked the little bird's tuft of feathers. "You were able to find the Spirit Snake Grass. Is your talent for treasure hunting?"
The little bird seemed to scoff at her statement, as if the boring attribute of treasure hunting was beneath it, and turned around again, turning its rear end towards Shi Xuan.
Shi Xuan looked at the ball of fluff and laughed, "So you admit it. Since we've reached an agreement, I'll name you Zhaocai (meaning 'bringing wealth')." Anyway, this silly bird can't talk, so whatever she says goes.
Zhao Cai was angry, but unable to express it, so he stuck out his hairy bottom and tried to peck at her hand. As a result, he was ruthlessly stuffed into the pocket of her skirt, and even after being inside, he still slapped Shi Xuan's thigh a few times in protest.
I don't know when the rain stopped that night, and the soil was no longer so damp.
Shi Xuan carried a large bundle on his back and a small pocket around his waist, and walked out of the small valley through the extremely narrow passage.
During her three years living in the Divine Cauldron Sect, the original owner had also come to the back mountain for training with other disciples of the sect. She judged her location and, heading in the opposite direction from where she fell, she could reach the market town of the Divine Cauldron Sect located at the foot of the mountain after crossing two more mountains.
Monsters often roam the mountains, and Shi Xuan was mentally prepared that the journey out would not be peaceful.
The biggest problem now is that the newly acquired spiritual root is incompatible with my body and is very unstable. Forcing me to cast spells might be too much for my body to handle. But if it really comes to a critical moment, I probably won't be able to care about that anymore. Survival is the priority. I can figure out what to do after I've suffered some damage.
Surprisingly, she didn't encounter a single demon beast until she reached the market town, as if all the demon beasts in the mountains had disappeared.
Shi Xuan looked down thoughtfully at the pouch hanging on his waist. Perhaps, bringing wealth really does have some use.
*
The market town of Shending Sect was very prosperous, with all kinds of shops and many small stalls.
The sale of elixirs is the main industry here, and an elixir shop will appear every now and then.
Shi Xuan's current problem is filling his stomach. He doesn't know how much time has passed since he was thrown down the mountain. He only ate a few wild fruits in the mountains along the way, and now he is starving.
But she had no money.
Having fallen from being the top alchemist to the point of starvation, Shi Xuan stood in the center of the market and deeply understood what it meant to be brought down by a single penny.
It seems I'll have no choice but to rely on myself.
She chose a medicine shop called Yongchuntang and went inside. The shop was decorated elegantly inside and out, and the medicines were neatly categorized and the prices were clearly displayed on the nameplates.
Shi Xuan looked at the prices of the various pills and raw materials, and then called the shopkeeper.
"How do we collect the Qi-replenishing pills?" Shi Xuan asked.
The shopkeeper glanced at her attire, which exuded a disheveled air from head to toe. Her face was so dirty that her features were unrecognizable, her clothes were all tattered, her frizzy hair looked like it hadn't been combed for days, and she was carrying a large, tattered bundle on her back. Clearly, she was not a proper cultivator.
He had seen many people in the market, and even the lowest-level rogue cultivators had never gone out dressed like that.
"All the pills in our shop are made by inner disciples of the Divine Cauldron Sect. We don't accept any from unorthodox sources." The shopkeeper looked her up and down with obvious disdain.
Shi Xuan pretended not to see it and asked again, "You won't even accept items in good condition?"
The shopkeeper scoffed impatiently, "I only accept top-grade items, one hundred low-grade spirit stones per stone."
The lowest-grade Qi-replenishing pill, the first-tier pill, is nowhere to be found in its best form on the market. After all, only master-level alchemists can refine the best Qi-replenishing pill; who would waste time refining such an introductory pill?
The shopkeeper's words were clearly an attempt to make things difficult.
Shi Xuan ignored his attitude and continued to ask, "Does the shop have alchemy furnaces for rent?"
These words only confirmed the shopkeeper's impression of her as poor and stingy. If she were truly a pill cultivator, how could she not even own a pill furnace and want to borrow one from the shop? What if she blew up the shop after they lent it to her?
The shopkeeper had completely lost his patience and, with a long face, chased him away, saying, "Go away, go away, if you're not buying pills, stop causing trouble here."
Everyone in the shop looked in Shi Xuan's direction. She did look a bit like a beggar, so they didn't react to the shopkeeper's attempt to kick her out.
Shi Xuan didn't feel embarrassed at all. She walked calmly to the door, then turned back and smiled at the shopkeeper, saying, "It's a bit presumptuous of you to look down on me, my friend."
The shopkeeper waved his hand impatiently at her, making a gesture to drive her away, "Go away, don't delay my business."
Several onlookers gathered at the entrance of Yongchun Hall. When they saw Shi Xuan being driven out by the manager, some of them pointed at her and made no attempt to hide their mockery.
I've seen plenty of people like this. They gain a sense of accomplishment by belittling others, but once they encounter someone stronger, they either fail miserably or become sycophants.
The best way to deal with this kind of person is to ignore them.
Shi Xuan stood in the middle of the street outside Yongchun Hall, looking left and right, calmly searching for his next target.
At this moment, a young man dressed as a shop assistant came out of a medicine shop called Baoshantang across the street. He greeted Shi Xuan very politely and said, "Our manager asked me to come out and ask if there is anything I can do to help this young friend."
Compared to Yongchun Hall, Baoshan Hall's facade is somewhat rustic. A wooden plaque looks old and worn, and it doesn't have as many customers as the glamorous Yongchun Hall.
Shi Xuan followed the shop assistant into the store. The shopkeeper, who had just finished serving the previous customer, came over and asked with a kind smile, "Young friend, have you encountered any difficulties?"
"May I borrow your alchemy furnace? I'd like to refine a batch of Qi-replenishing pills," Shi Xuan asked directly.
The shopkeeper paused for a moment, then replied, "Borrowing the alchemy furnace is not a problem, but our shop's rule is that the furnace cannot be taken out of the shop. I hope you will understand."
Shi Xuan: "I won't take it out; I'll just use it here."
The shopkeeper was quite generous. Without saying a word, he went to the counter and took out a cauldron for alchemy, and even thoughtfully prepared a kindling for it.
"Give me another batch of Qi-replenishing pill ingredients, I'll pay for them together later."
At this moment, the shopkeeper understood her intention: she was penniless, without even enough money for raw materials, and wanted to refine a batch of pills on the spot to sell them.
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