Dragging her weary body back to her shabby and simple home in Red Willow Alley, Ye Qiong nodded in greeting to a neighbor who had come out to fetch some water, then pushed open the door.
But the moment she did, she was startled to see someone sitting at the only table inside her small room!
It was someone she had been quietly fearing for some time now someone she hadn't expected to see again so soon!
"B-Blackwood Senior…"
Ye Qiong instinctively took a step back, looking a little frightened, as if she wanted to run.
"Close the door. Sit. We'll talk."
Li Ye spoke calmly. Ye Qiong didn't dare refuse and could only obey.
He casually flicked out a few streaks of spiritual light, immediately activating several talismans already hidden throughout the modest house. A subtle array enveloped the room, ensuring no sound or shadow could leak outside.
"You've been quite busy today. It's this late and only now you're home to rest."
Li Ye poured a cup of tea from his teapot and pushed it toward her.
"Have a cup and relax."
Seeing that this gloomy-aura senior wasn't angry over what she had revealed months ago, Ye Qiong finally let out a quiet sigh of relief. She cautiously sat on the edge of her seat.
Only then did she notice the tea's fragrance unusually rich and brimming with spiritual energy. It was a rare kind of spiritual tea.
Even though she'd often reported information to Li Ye at the teahouse, she had never dared to spend spiritual stones on luxuries like this.
While the tea was prepared in a simple manner far from the elaborate brews at the teahouse for her, this was already a precious treat.
Swallowing nervously, she raised the cup and took a small sip. Instantly, her mouth was filled with rich aroma and lingering sweetness, the spiritual energy sinking gently into her body.
Her face involuntarily revealed a trace of enjoyment.
Li Ye smiled faintly at her expression. "So, how have your efforts been these past few months?"
The spirit stones he had given her might not have been much to him, but to Ye Qiong, they were a small fortune.
Even after she was interrogated by various factions behind the local shops, likely receiving some rewards in the process, she still lived in this run-down part of the market district.
That alone said a lot about her character.
Jolted from her momentary enjoyment by his question, Ye Qiong quickly straightened up, reached into her clothes, and carefully took out the storage pouch Li Ye had given her before, offering it to him respectfully.
"Everything I've gathered over this time is in here… There are still some spirit stones left, and I used a few of the talismans."
Li Ye took the pouch and peeked inside. Sure enough, all three types of herbs had been collected and were well-preserved.
Even the rarest among them young seedlings of Earth Dragon Ginseng she had somehow gotten her hands on three of them!
"Blackwood Senior…"
Ye Qiong bit her lip, looking hesitant, but still spoke up.
"Some of these seedlings… were given to me in hopes of luring you out. If you show yourself in the marketplace, I'm afraid someone might use it as an opportunity to harm you."
"So that's how you managed to get three Earth Dragon Ginsengs… Someone's laying bait."
Li Ye chuckled. "Of course, I know. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come here, to your home, in secret."
"Two of the ginsengs were given to me, but the last one I intercepted from a few herb-gathering cultivators," she added softly.
Li Ye's satisfaction grew.
"This is already far beyond what I expected from you."
He transferred the herbs into his storage, then casually pushed the pouch back to Ye Qiong.
"The remaining spirit stones and talismans aren't much considered a gift. And here, this is a bottle of Qi Gathering Pills. You've done well this is your reward."
He placed the bottle of pills on the table and stood up. After taking just two steps, he seemed to remember something.
"If your cultivation breaks through, it'd be wise to move out of here sooner rather than later… This place is far too easy to rob."
With a casual wave of his hand, a cultivator who had been unconscious in the corner suddenly rolled out into view, frightening Ye Qiong.
Her face flushed with embarrassment.
But seeing Li Ye walking out, something stirred in her heart, and she couldn't help but call out, "Blackwood Senior, do you have any other instructions?"
Without even turning around, Li Ye replied,
"We're even now. From here on, you should look for work elsewhere."
"As for tonight… just pretend I was never here."
With that, he pushed open the door and left. By the time Ye Qiong instinctively chased after him, not even a trace of Li Ye could be seen.
....
"Shopkeeper, how's the preparation of those spirit plant seedlings coming along?"
As the shadowy figure in a black robe stepped into the shop, the elderly shopkeeper's pupils contracted slightly.
It had been more than half a year since the black-robed Daoist Blackwood made a name for himself in the market by wildly selling pills and purchasing large quantities of spirit plant seedlings. Now, he had finally reappeared!
So much time had passed that the powers behind the shop had stopped keeping a constant watch. Even if there were any surveillance measures left, they'd need to be reactivated.
The old man subtly signaled a shop assistant with his eyes to go report the news, while trying to buy time.
But Blackwood merely gave a cold, faint smile and lined up several jade bottles on the table, each sealed with a spirit-suppressing talisman.
"All the pills I'm offering are here. If you can't bring out the seedlings right now, I'll take my business elsewhere. I'm sure another shop will be happy to buy."
Seeing the number of bottles, the old man's eyes went wide.
Even though alchemists were a somewhat common sight in the Chidi Mountains, those with real skill were few and far between especially ones who would come to a remote place like this.
A seller of pills at this scale? The old man had never seen anything like it.
Just thinking about how this haul could potentially produce one or two high-stage cultivators and that he might let it slip into a rival faction's hands made cold sweat bead on his forehead.
He couldn't afford to take that risk.
So he quickly said,
"Please, fellow Daoist, no need to rush. Our shop has long been prepared… would it be acceptable to pay with both spirit stones and those three types of seedlings?"
"One hand for the goods, one hand for the payment," Li Ye replied calmly.
…
After finishing up at that shop, Li Ye visited several others, completing parts of his trades with similar tactics half coercion, half temptation.
At any sign of delay or hesitation, he simply took back his pills and left without another word.
Many shopkeepers were left dumbfounded and filled with regret, forced to watch helplessly as he stepped into a rival store.
This time around, the number of Earth Dragon Ginseng, Mindroot Flower, and White Yin Fruit seedlings he acquired far exceeded what he'd collected during his first visit.
After all, while these three herbs were key ingredients in Foundation Establishment Pills, their seedlings especially if not yet matured weren't considered particularly rare among Tier-Two spirit plants. You could even find them at street stalls.
It was only because of the massive profits Li Ye had brought with his pills that the factions behind the shops had begun stockpiling these seedlings, giving him access to a more ample supply.
That's what made this round of seedling purchases so smooth.
However, the downside was clear: this time, getting away cleanly wouldn't be so easy...
Li Ye silently calculated the number of seedlings he had acquired and the time he'd spent here. Once he'd reached a satisfactory amount, he decisively left the market.
But instead of heading deeper into the Chidi Mountains, he flew his spirit wheel in the opposite direction away from the area at full speed.
It didn't take long before he heard the faint sound of flying magical tools behind him. Glancing back, he spotted a burly man in yellow robes at the eighth level of Qi Refining flying toward him, shouting:
"I am Fei Xing'an, the warden of Sanhui Market. Fellow Daoist Blackwood, please stay your hand!"
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