The Demon Slayer Martial Saint Begins with Insect Refining

Chapter 324 Buying Medicine
Under Su Yan's orders, Yuan Ninghai had no choice but to place a dirty and smelly garbage can brought from the kitchen outside the Seventh Banner's courtyard.

All those who submitted their resignations were thrown directly into the trash can, their resignation letters not even allowed to enter the courtyard.

"This is outrageous! Where does he put colleagues' friendship and dignity?!"

When someone came to submit their resignation, they didn't expect their dignity to be thrown into the trash can like this. Many people turned pale, especially several deputy-banner level demon-suppressing guards.

Although they were not generals, they possessed considerable strength, having already reached the Danqiao stage, though not yet at the Zhuxingtian level.

They wanted to please both sides and avoid offending Su Yan too much, but they didn't expect to be mocked like this.

He threw down his resignation letter and went to work for Bian Yilan and Jin Haofeng without looking back.

The two men left the Seventh Division, and their former superiors naturally extended an olive branch to them.

Moreover, the Eleventh Division is powerful, and it may not be long before a new commander is selected. If they go there, they will always have a chance.

As a result, the resignation letters from the seven departments and seven banners of the Demon Suppression Guards arrived like snowflakes.

"This is how to do?"

The trash can in front of him was already full. Three days had passed, and Yuan Ninghai knew without counting that there were probably only a few people left in the Seventh Banner.

"What are you standing there for? Take the things to the adults."

A rough voice rang out, and Yuan Ninghai jumped in surprise when he saw who it was: "Master Zhai, what brings you here?"

"I've come to meet the new commander."

The newcomer was burly, with a stubble beard, dressed in plain clothes with one sleeve missing. He glanced at the trash can out of the corner of his eye, grinned, and said, "The new master has a temper."

He didn't mind that the trash can was dirty. With his remaining left arm, he lifted the entire trash can. Yuan Ninghai hurriedly tried to take it, but he avoided him. The two of them went into the yard together.

For the past three days, Su Yan has been meditating in the main hall of the courtyard. His inner world is beginning to take shape, and the ancient spirit insect and the spring and autumn withering insect are constantly pouring two kinds of power into it day and night, making his inner world more and more stable. The seeds he planted have already taken root and sprouted in his inner world.

The changes in his inner world are like the texture under a microscope, revealing every detail. Every bit of insight he gains is integrated into the strange phenomena of his ferocious insect universe, adding to his own foundation.

"grown ups"

Yuan Ninghai whispered, and Su Yan noticed the person who came. He opened his eyes and glanced at Yuan Ninghai. The trash can was full of resignation letters.

"How many left? How many are left?"

Su Yan remained calm, while Yuan Ninghai hesitated and said, "If I haven't miscounted, a total of sixty-eight people left, leaving... only seven people."

"Besides the two of you, who else is there?"

"Zhao Qier, Tang Wen, Zheng Tu, Yuan Bao, and the old man"

"Summon them to see me."

"Yes"

Yuan Ninghai jogged out, glancing cautiously at Zhai Long out of the corner of his eye before quickly leaving.

Su Yan's gaze fell on Zhai Long, and Zhai Long immediately felt a sense of pressure.

He placed one hand in front of him and clenched his fist, speaking in a steady and powerful voice: "Junior Flag Officer Zhai Long greets Your Excellency. Please don't mind my age, Your Excellency. I can still complete a few Class C missions."

"Your Golden Core is cracked, so your cultivation level has dropped?"

Zhai Long's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, then he nodded: "Yes, I once competed with others for credit and position, but I was injured by the thieves on the mission and fell from the Golden Core stage."

Although he spoke frankly, there was a lingering gloom in his eyes, clearly indicating that he had cut off his path forward.

Su Yan, curious, asked, "Why don't you leave?"

Zhai Long shook his head: "No one wants trash, and the Seventh Banner shouldn't be these people's playthings."

He stared intently at Su Yan, but Su Yan smiled faintly: "If it falls into my hands, it may not be any different from what they do."

Zhai Long's expression changed slightly, but he quickly calmed down.

Those who hadn't left were already prepared to be summoned, and soon arrived at the courtyard under Yuan Ninghai's guidance.

Two women and three men stood on the left. Zhao Qier and Tang Wen stood on the right, one of them wearing the uniform of the Demon Suppression Guard. He was very proper and the second-tier weapon in his hand was also a weapon of the Demon Suppression Guard.

The other person was a middle-aged woman with a full figure that made her martial arts clothes bulge. She had phoenix eyes and a sharp gaze.

Zheng Tu, Yuan Bao, and the old man were one tall, one short, and one old. Their appearances were not particularly unusual, but they all had an extraordinary quality.

"Greetings, Commander-in-Chief."

The five men bowed slightly to Su Yan.

Su Yan nodded, then asked, "Since you're not leaving, I won't ask why. Since I took over the Seventh Banner, it has become a hotbed of controversy. If you stay, you should be prepared for two things."

The group listened attentively, but no one asked a question.

"Listen to me and be prepared to die."

Su Yan spoke calmly, knowing that the seven people in front of him each had their own reasons for staying, and there were only a few possibilities.

Nobody wanted him, he was too unsociable, or he just wanted to stay in Seventh Banner.

"Yes"

Yuan Ninghai responded, and everyone nodded in agreement.

"Now there are only seven people left, and I'm afraid we won't be able to handle the quarterly assessment next month."

It was Zhao Qier who spoke, her expression still cold and indifferent, but her question was very serious.

Quarterly assessments are one of the sources of merit for the Demon Suppression Guards, and also a core matter related to rewards and punishments.

Although Su Yan spent the last three days cultivating, he also took the time to learn about these matters.

Zhao Qi'er said, "According to the rules, the Seventh Banner needs to complete one Grade B or above task, two Grade B or below task, or one Grade B or above task, and thirty Grade C tasks each month. In the past two months, Banner Commander Bian only completed one Grade B below task and fifteen Grade C tasks. There is still one Grade B above task, one Grade B below task, and fifteen Grade C tasks to be completed."

Zhao Qi'er spoke frankly, saying, "We only have these people left, and we can't be in two places at once."

Zhao Qi'er is only at the half-step Danqiao stage, but she can still be considered a genius.

At just twenty-five years old, he rose from humble beginnings in the chaotic alleys of the royal city to reach this position step by step.

Being straightforward can easily offend others and makes one unpopular.

Zhai Long frowned slightly and said, "Our predecessors were lenient, and if you fail to complete the task, the Prefectural Governor won't actually blame you. However..."

"It will only make people look down on you and give them a handle to use against you."

Su Yan said calmly, and Zhai Long didn't say anything more. Su Yan understood the implication.

The old man touched the bronze-colored pipe at his waist; the pipe bowl was as big as a golden melon, and its appearance was truly strange.

"The additional officers within the banner are recruited either from the Jianghu or selected from among the Demon Suppression Guards. There should be a group of Demon Suppression Guards in the manor with decent strength; perhaps you could go and take a look, sir."

The old man was clearly a heavy smoker, but his strength was not great; he was only at the fourth level of the True Intent Realm.

"Damn it, Bian Yilan is going too far!" Nan Anlian cursed loudly as he strode in.

"I've met General Nan."

The group bowed, Nan Anlian waved, then strode up to Su Yan and said, "Did Bian Yilan and the others really take so many people away?!"

Nan Anlian was shocked to see that only seven people remained, and his anger intensified.

"Brother Nan, what happened?"

"There are 400 candidates for the Demon Suppression Guard. Bian Yilan, Jin Haofeng, Ying Chenxing and a few others have already decided on most of them. When I arrived, I was only assigned about 30 people."

If they were to train them gradually, it would be reasonable to have these replacements for the Demon Suppression Guard. However, this transfer has resulted in a large number of personnel leaving, and each department and banner is trying to fill its quota as quickly as possible.

It's quite an achievement that Nan Anlian was able to snatch so many people.

When the old man heard the two talking, his face darkened, and a bitter smile appeared in his eyes. They had truly come to cut off his own lifeline.

Upon seeing Su Yan's condition, Nan Anlian immediately said, "Brother Su, all thirty of these men will be incorporated into your Seventh Banner."

There were more than thirty people, which was not many, and they had not yet been trained, but they could generally be of use.

"Can"

Su Yan agreed without hesitation.

"Bian Yilan and Jin Haofeng probably won't let you off so easily. You need to be careful. You are powerful, but if they try to ambush you..."

After Nan Anlian's reminder, he did not linger in the Seventh Banner.

After Su Yan saw him leave, he took out a porcelain bottle and gently waved it, and the bottle flew into Zhao Qi'er's hand.

"One for each of you, consider it a reward. Tomorrow, Yuan Ninghai and Zhao Qier, you two will point out the task hanging on the seventh flag and hand it over to me."

"Thank you, sir."

Inside the medicine bottle was a pill refined by Su Yan—the Insect Blood Rejuvenation Pill.

The quality is of the third-tier low grade, and it is made from the essence of blood bees. There are quite a few of them, but unfortunately, the grade is limited.

Using it as a reward here would be quite appropriate.

The group was overjoyed and immediately accepted the gift, their gratitude beyond words.

After everyone left, Su Yan muttered to himself in the hall, "These moves aren't enough, but no matter how many moves I make, it's just playing around."

Su Yan went out and headed towards the largest medicine pavilion in the royal city—the Lancang Medicine Pavilion.

Lancang Medicine Pavilion was founded at the beginning of the Dali Dynasty, supposedly at the time of the rise of the dragon, and provided a lot of help to the founding emperor of the Dali Dynasty.

With its affiliated medicine merchants, aristocratic families, and sects stretching from the East China Sea in the east to the barbarian desert in the north, it has earned the name Lancang. Within the pavilion, as long as you have enough resources and spirit stones, you can find most of the medicinal herbs you want.

Arriving outside the Lancang Medicine Pavilion, the towering pavilion resembles a small imperial palace, with its green tiles and flying eaves, exuding a dignified and grand atmosphere. The faint fragrance of herbs wafts through the air, enveloping half the street in its aroma.

The medicinal fragrance wasn't due to poor preservation, but rather because it was a special incense crafted by the alchemists of the Lancang Medicine Pavilion, possessing a calming effect.

"Please come up to the second floor, sir."

As soon as Su Yan entered the door, a pretty and obedient maid came forward to greet him.

Su Yan narrowed his eyes and glanced at the maid's wrist, the light of the sealing artifact flashing by.

'Did they roughly determine my cultivation level using the spirit-sealing artifact?'

The maid's spirit-sealing artifact was not complicated, and the ability to discern her cultivation level was not entirely due to the artifact in her hand, but rather to the array contained within the entire Lancang Medicine Pavilion.

"I seek a living medicinal herb; please inform the higher authorities for me."

The maid looked slightly surprised, then immediately replied, "Yes, I will report this to the steward right away."

Su Yan was led by her to the second floor. The first floor had the most people coming and going, but there were quite a few people who could come and go on the second floor as well.

Su Yan glanced over and found that the lowest level among them were martial artists at the half-step Danqiao stage.

"The pills and medicinal herbs traded on the second floor are all of the second-tier high-grade or above. These kinds of items are mostly used by adults who are half-step Danqiao or Danqiao realm. Trading in the private rooms on the second floor is also more private."

The maid whispered her introduction, then led Su Yan into a room, poured tea, and offered it to him with both hands.

"Please wait a moment, sir, the steward will be right there."

Su Yan nodded, sipped his tea, and waited. After a short while, there was a knock on the door, and a beautiful woman in purple clothes entered.

The beautiful woman's eyes widened slightly in surprise when she saw Su Yan.

"You recognize me?"

"Qu Qinglan had met you once before."

Qu Qinglan waved for the maid to leave, revealing a smile. She sat down in front of Su Yan and said softly, "Back then at the auction in Nantianfu City, you were still a True Intent Realm martial artist."

This time, Su Yan was surprised. He didn't expect that there would be a Danqiao martial artist at the trade fair that day.

Although Qu Qinglan's aura was restrained, she was undoubtedly a Danqiao (a type of martial artist), but she was certainly not a Zhuxingtian Martial Artist.

"It's quite a coincidence."

Qu Qinglan smiled and said, "That day I was just going to collect a few precious third-grade high-quality natural treasures, not really to participate in the trade fair. If I had known that you were such a genius, I probably would have wanted to meet you and get to know you, even if I didn't want those spiritual herbs."

She was a shrewd person; she quickly built a closer relationship between the two with just a few words.

"Fellow Taoist, you are joking."

Su Yan replied, and then said, "I have come here today because I have long heard that Lancang Medicine Pavilion is rich in spiritual herbs. I would like to purchase some live spiritual herbs here. I wonder how many suitable ones you have?"

Qu Qinglan looked surprised: "Live plant? Fellow Daoist, are you trying to determine the type, or what kind of pill you want to refine?"

Medicinal herbs have always been specific; the kind of rare and precious herbs are needed to refine certain elixirs or cultivate certain techniques.

Although the demand for live medicinal herbs is very small, there is still some demand for them.

But Qu Qinglan rarely sees products that don't even specify the type of product.

She considered carefully and said, "Preserving live plants requires extremely high cultivation skills. Usually, the medicinal herbs that reach our Lancang Medicine Pavilion are lucky if their medicinal properties are still intact. Unless our own people do it, very few people sell live plants here. Fellow Daoist's needs may be difficult to meet, and if you need special medicinal herbs, it will be even more difficult."

Su Yan frowned slightly. His inner world was forming, and what he wanted now was to gather spiritual energy by planting living medicinal herbs, so as to comprehend the perfection of his inner world.

Although it is as perfect as a secret realm, from the moment the grass grows, the life force contained in the inner world gradually increases, and even the physical cultivation level increases. The benefits are obvious.

Therefore, he wanted to build a more complete system through spiritual medicine, from spiritual medicine to wild beasts, step by step perfecting his inner world and strengthening his physical body.

"Not a single one of the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, or earth?"

Qu Qinglan's eyes flashed with a hint of curiosity. She said, "There is a Water Jade Fruit tree, but its main value is its taste, not its medicinal properties. I wonder if the seeds of the rest are feasible?"

(End of this chapter)