“Got into something big, and now I’m completely broke… Sigh…”
Chen Huaian quickly calculated his remaining balance, feeling the weight of the road ahead: “For now, I’ll focus on cultivating the Chaosheng Formula. Once the three eggs return, I’ll check the app to see if there are any suitable missions.”
Li Qingran’s return to the sect was now completely safe.
He no longer needed to keep an eye on her constantly.
Therefore, he stopped paying attention to the situation at the Sword Pavilion and closed his eyes to continue his cultivation according to Li Qingran’s teachings.
…
At the entrance of the Sword Pavilion.
The disciples looked at the severely beaten and unconscious Daha with fear.
“Sss—! This is the first time I’ve seen the chaotic demon dog Daha like this…”
“It’s said that a mysterious senior from our sect did this. That senior is also the Junior Sister’s master.”
“Is he so powerful?!”
“I think it’s good for Daha to get a beating; otherwise, he would be constantly bothering us in the back mountains of Sunset Peak.”
“Uh… If I remember correctly, it was the Pavilion Master who ordered the flying boat to be brought down, not Daha going up to get beaten…”
“Cough cough!”
The discussion became increasingly inappropriate.
Su Qinian quickly cleared his throat, making all the disciples shut up obediently. Then he smiled and welcomed Li Qingran and Yue Qianchi off the flying boat.
Just as the previous senior finished speaking and left, it was clear they were in disguise.
Those words seemed to be a warning to Daha, but actually, they were a warning to him!
This should make Qingran treat him better, right?
“Welcome back. How was everything? With those twenty low-grade spirit stones I gave you, I believe you could overcome any difficulties.”
Yue Qianchi rolled her eyes at Su Qinian but didn’t tell him about their encounter in the Spirit Intuition Valley.
Don’t let this Pavilion Master’s casual demeanor fool you.
If something happened to the Sword Pavilion’s disciples, he would truly step in. If Yun Suxin deliberately set up an illusion to harass them, he might even go to the Spirit Intuition Valley with his sword to demand an explanation.
“To the Sect Master, the medicinal herbs have been gathered, just two more ingredients are missing,” Li Qingran bowed respectfully, her face showing joy.
Returning to the sect, she could start preparing to refine the medicine. Every successful step toward helping her master detoxify filled her heart with excitement.
“Excellent, excellent!” Su Qinian grinned proudly, crossing his arms. “I believe our Sword Pavilion has a formidable reputation outside. The Spirit Intuition Valley wouldn’t dare trouble you! Hehehe~”
Yue Qianchi rolled her eyes again.
They hadn’t even started troubling them yet?
If not for her master’s timely intervention, they would probably still be returning humbly, and their flying boat would have been confiscated.
“After such a long journey, you must be tired. Why don’t you rest first? Qingran, I’ll take you to the herb garden later.”
With that, Su Qinian walked over to check Daha’s injuries.
Daha’s chest was completely caved in, the force of the kick had exploded from his back. Although his chest wasn’t pierced, his back was a bloody mess.
But since he was the sect beast, and the attacker didn’t finish him off, he still had a fighting chance. However, if not treated promptly, he might remain unconscious for days.
He shook his head, sighing and stomping his feet.
He thought he had made his intentions clear.
But Li Qingran stepped forward resolutely and bowed: “Sect Master, I am not tired and do not need rest. I want to go to the herb garden and find Elder Liu right away!”
Su Qinian: “…”
“Master, you can take my junior sister. I’ll take Daha to the main hall for the elders to examine,” Yue Qianchi covered her mouth and laughed, quickly taking the initiative.
With Yue Qianchi’s words, Li Qingran realized something. She glanced at the beast master, whose face was swollen like a pig’s, and felt her ears heat up.
But… so what?
Her master’s affairs always came first!
With this thought, she continued to look determinedly at Su Qinian.
…
Su Qinian took Li Qingran to the herb garden. Elder Liu was standing at the entrance, looking like he had been waiting for a while, though his expression was not pleasant.
“Elder Liu,” Li Qingran bowed.
Su Qinian teased, “Old Liu, why are you frowning? I haven’t been to your herb garden to admire the flowers these past few days.”
Liu Yuanqing snorted, ignoring Su Qinian and leading Li Qingran into the garden before slamming the door shut.
He ignored the shouting Su Pavilion Master outside.
Liu Yuanqing forced a smile and asked Li Qingran, “Did you buy all the herbs on the list?”
“To Elder Liu, yes, we bought everything. Can we proceed to the next step?” Li Qingran’s eyes showed urgency and anticipation.
The refinement of the Hundred Herb Detoxifying Pill was very complicated.
It required an additional step of refining the essence compared to ordinary pills.
Refining the essence required a special alchemy furnace, which Elder Liu had promised to help her obtain before they went to the Spirit Intuition Valley.
“It’s good, but we need to consider how to refine the essence…” Liu Yuanqing sighed in difficulty.
“Why?” Li Qingran’s heart tightened, and her eyebrows furrowed slightly.
Liu Yuanqing stroked his beard, pacing back and forth for a while before saying awkwardly, “The Sect Master of Danzong, Zhou Xuanzi, has a dragon-patterned wave-cast tripod. This tripod, made from seawater, is precisely the kind of treasure needed to refine the Hundred Herb Detoxifying Pill.”
“In the past, I had some dealings with that Zhou Xuanzi. I thought borrowing the tripod would be easy, but he refused outright, even if I offered him spirit stones.”
“Why wouldn’t he lend it?” Li Qingran bit her lip anxiously. “This tripod is only for temporary use. Could it be that the Sect Master thinks the compensation isn’t enough? We can negotiate whatever he wants, as long as he lends us the tripod…”
“It won’t work.” Liu Yuanqing’s eyes flashed with anger, his voice growing cold. “That guy looks down on people. When I left Zhenwu, he treated me with respect, but now that I’m living in seclusion at the Sword Pavilion, what does he say? He says he doesn’t want to associate with beggars!”
“How dare he!” The herb garden gate was kicked open.
Su Qinian stormed in angrily: “Which son of a bitch said our Sword Pavilion is beggars? Old Liu, explain yourself clearly. I’ll go kill him right now!”
“Danzong, Zhou Xuanzi, Transcendent Core, you go!” Liu Yuanqing glared coldly at Su Qinian and pointed at the door. “One hundred low-grade spirit stones, pay up!”
“One hundred low-grade spirit stones, for your rotten wooden door? Why don’t you just rob someone?!”
“I’ll rob you right now, what of it?”
“Not enough money!”
“Then leave your flying sword.”
“No flying sword either!”
“You bastard!”
“You’re the bastard!”
Li Qingran: “…”
This wasn’t right. In her heart, Elder Liu shouldn’t be like Pavilion Master Su.
She originally thought so.
But now, Elder Liu’s image was overlapping with Pavilion Master Su’s?
“If Zhou Xuanzi indeed holds the tripod, then it will be troublesome,” Su Qinian rubbed his chin, looking displeased.
Although Danzong was founded on medicine, its nature was entirely different from the Spirit Intuition Valley.
The Spirit Intuition Valley specialized in spiritual medicines, while Danzong collected various cultivator lineages through its pills, making it a mixed bag with heavy martial arts world influences, connected to various forces, akin to a frog by the roadside that no one wants to provoke.
Being inferior to Zhou Xuanzi was secondary.
The main concern was the potential trouble it could bring to the Sword Pavilion’s disciples.
Usually, when Sword Pavilion disciples went out on missions, they had to interact with unfamiliar cultivators. At this moment, they feared being stabbed in the back.
“Isn’t there another way?”
Li Qingran bit her lip, her gaze uncertain.
They had come this far.
They absolutely couldn’t give up now…
“There is a way.” Elder Liu took out an ancient scroll and showed it to Li Qingran and Su Qinian. “This is a fragment of the Medicine King Valley. It records a method of using a cultivator as a cauldron to refine the essence of medicinal herbs, and it must be done by a cultivator with a water spirit root.”
Su Qinian flipped through a few pages and threw it on the ground angrily. “What kind of evil practice is this? Tear it up immediately. I’ll go to Danzong and steal that tripod!”
“Steal from Danzong? Are you crazy?”
“But it shouldn’t make our disciples suffer like this! Look, is that a method meant for people to use?”
In the midst of the argument between the two seniors, Li Qingran picked up the fragment, holding it carefully with both hands.
The words were chilling, but thinking of her master still suffering from demonic poison, her eyes grew more determined.
“Elder Liu, Pavilion Master Su,” she interrupted the quarreling seniors, bowing. “For my master, I am willing to try!”
