Immortality and Cultivation: Starting with Harvesting the Talents of Demonic Beasts

Chapter 198 Main Medicinal Herb with Roots, Taking the Opportunity to Demand
"It's him!"

Lin Changheng had an excellent memory and instantly recognized the man as the assistant who used to run around beside the middle-aged manager of the "Alchemy Pavilion".

Although we didn't interact much, I did come here to deliver medicine quite a few times, so we met several times.

Strangely, the original shop had a new signboard, the original owner was nowhere to be found, and the original employee had become the person in charge, seemingly the owner who was in charge.

Lin Changheng's divine sense gave direct feedback that this person's cultivation had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage, and he had hidden it well.

He's probably at the first level of Foundation Establishment, and has likely advanced for two or three years, so his aura has basically stabilized.

However, it still couldn't escape Lin Changheng's divine sense detection and his profound mastery of the fields of concealing qi and breath.

Furthermore, the young and beautiful woman said that the "Purple Jujube Grass" had already been sold, and this person happened to return from outside, bringing back this precious medicine, which also carried the smell of blood.

Lin Changheng pieced everything together in an instant, creating a seemingly absurd but actually highly realistic story.

"Interesting. This small shop is hiding a lot of talent, and what's hidden here is a fierce tiger, a wicked dragon!"

Lin Changheng's mind raced, and in just a few breaths, he had already used the joy of "finding the lost medicine" in the box to cover up the previous misunderstanding.

"Is this the Purple Jujube Grass?"

Lin Changheng confirmed it again.

“Indeed, sir, you may open the box and examine it.”

The male cultivator in charge nodded with a smile, his eyes filled with enthusiasm as he looked at Lin Changheng.

Or rather... it's fervent!

"Alright!"

Lin Changheng seemed oblivious, nodded slightly, and then carefully opened the long black jade box to look inside.

The moment the long black jade box was opened, a refreshing scent of grass and wood wafted out, faintly mixed with the aroma of sandalwood.

Inside the box lay a spiritual herb, its entire body radiating a dark purple glow. Its stem was gnarled and twisted like an old vine, and its surface was covered with tiny, bright-colored patterns.

The most eye-catching feature is the three date-shaped leaves at the top, each of which is crystal clear and seems to have purple liquid flowing inside.

"It really is [Purple Jujube Grass]."

Lin Changheng's mind flashed through the relevant characteristics recorded in the classics, and they matched one by one, confirming it directly.

A flicker of joy crossed my mind.

I've finally seen this precious plant!
Moreover, the three date-shaped leaves mean that it is at least thirty years old!
More importantly, this 'Purple Jujube Grass' still retains its roots, even though they are withered!

It might be useless to others, but it's completely different for Lin Changheng!

He possesses the true meaning of the "Glorious Life Divine Power"!
Having roots in hand means having the means to harvest crop after crop, endlessly!

……

Seeing this, the male cultivator in charge smiled and said, "Sir, you have a good eye. This purple jujube grass was picked by a rogue cultivator from a green swamp in the wilderness and eventually sold to our shop. Its roots still have the soil unique to that swamp attached to them. Look—"

He pointed to the roots, where there was indeed some dark green soil entwined.

Lin Changheng's gaze narrowed slightly, but he also noticed an almost invisible golden line on the back of the first and second jujube leaves.

"Ok?"

This is a sign that the Purple Jujube Grass is about to transform into the Golden-Veined Purple Jujube Grass. This means that if it grows for another ten years, this precious plant has the opportunity to transform into a third-tier plant!
The efficacy of the medicine will also double!
However, this point is usually only clearly recorded in some second-order alchemy and pharmacology classics, and is a secret transmission that ordinary cultivators cannot know.

He closed the jade box without making a sound, tapping the lid lightly with his fingertips as if he were considering it.

"How many spirit stones does your shop intend to sell this Purple Jujube Grass for?"

"Hehe, if you're really interested, I'll give you a fair price: two thousand spirit stones!"

The male cultivator in charge directly quoted a price.

"This...isn't it a bit expensive?" Lin Changheng hesitated.

"This Purple Jujube Grass has three jujube-shaped leaves, which means it can refine three Youth Preservation Pills. Each Youth Preservation Pill is something that even Core Formation cultivators would covet. It can be used as a gift to make friends, or even to gain favors from Core Formation cultivators. Considering all this, do you still think the price is high, fellow Daoist?"

The male cultivator in charge did not agree, but instead began to give examples, his inflammatory words making Lin Changheng's eyes light up.

"Very well! I'll buy it!"

Lin Changheng counted out two thousand low-grade spirit stones, put the black jade box containing the [Purple Jujube Grass] into his storage bag, and immediately took his leave.

After Lin Changheng disappeared into the crowd of pedestrians on the street, the male cultivator in charge smiled faintly and remarked, "Business is really good today."

"We just saw one off, and another one is being delivered to our door."

After putting away the spirit stones, he turned to the young and beautiful woman, his eyes narrowed slightly as he instructed, "Take good care of the shop. I'll be right back! If any cultivators come to inquire again, just say the shopkeeper isn't here and will come back another day. Even if you delay for a day or two, I'll have brought back the medicinal herbs. Do you understand?"

"clear……"

The young woman was startled by that look and nodded hurriedly, like a chick pecking at rice.

"That's a good girl. If you had been this obedient earlier, you wouldn't have suffered so much before."

The male cultivator in charge nodded in satisfaction, pinched the young woman's cheek hard, and then quickly followed her out.

At this moment, Lin Changheng wandered around the market for a while before changing his clothes in a corner. He then put on his old human skin mask and swaggered out of the market without any attempt to conceal himself.

As soon as they left the market, they immediately steered their Dharma boat and flew away with a whoosh.

Throughout the entire process, a divine sense remained locked onto Lin Changheng.

"Heh heh, you're really careful. Your disguise is quite meticulous. If I hadn't broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage and gained divine sense, you really would have escaped..."

The male cultivator in charge, who was following behind, was somewhat overwhelmed by Lin Changheng's incredibly skillful movements and couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

"Unfortunately... you've run into me!"

"call out!"

A figure followed them outside the market, leaped into the air, and rode off in a beam of light.

However, all of this was also within Lin Changheng's grasp of his divine sense.

It's like you were spying on me, thinking I didn't know; in reality, what you know is only what I want you to know, and you don't know that I'm also spying on you...

Before long, the distance between the two continued to shrink.

Lin Changheng seemed to sense something, glanced back, and then hurriedly landed and disappeared into the forest.

"Hahaha! Don't run away, you brat!"

The male cultivator in charge, whose appearance was also distorted, unleashed a burst of escape light and roared in after him.

"what!"

The next instant, a shrill scream rang out, startling a flock of birds.

The male cultivator in charge still had a sinister smile on his face when he suddenly felt a chill on his neck, and then his gaze shifted downwards.

As he sank into the dust, the final scene came into view: a headless corpse standing in the same spot, its clothes and figure somewhat familiar...

Behind them, a streak of lapis lazuli streaked past, splashing a few drops of blood.

"That's not my body..."

His eyes widened suddenly, then his consciousness faded, and he was dead beyond dead.

This Foundation Establishment cultivator didn't even see what killed him...

"call out!"

A figure in black robes emerged from the forest; it was none other than Lin Changheng.

The azure-gold streak in the distance arced through the air before instantly flying back and obediently landing in Lin Changheng's outstretched palm. It was none other than his magical flying sword!

This was also the first time it had ever seen blood.

……

Reaching the side of the corpse, Lin Changheng reached out and grabbed, his magical power surging forth, drawing the "dusty" head into his hand.

He didn't touch it directly, but used magic to keep it away because he thought it was dirty.

Then, his divine sense instantly entered his mind and began to perform the [Soul Searching Secret Technique].

A moment later, Lin Changheng calmly withdrew his divine sense, and dark golden flames rose in his palm, burning the head to ashes. Then, he flicked out a spark, which also burned the corpse to ashes.

"This... really is a ruthless person."

"It's just a pity that I was the one who ran into him."

A strange light flashed in Lin Changheng's eyes.

Based on the fragments of memory obtained from the soul search, the basic facts can be pieced together, which makes Lin Changheng feel somewhat emotional.

The first thing confirmed was that this person was indeed the former employee of the "Alchemy Pavilion." I had met him several times, but we didn't have much contact.

Because Lin Changheng was a distinguished guest and a major client, he was usually personally received by the middle-aged manager.

This fellow was cunning and scheming. He was reprimanded by the middle-aged manager after suggesting several times that the fat customer be killed to steal the treasure.

From then on, he seemed to wake up from a dream, deeply reflected on his actions, and completely changed into a different person.

This has been the case for several years.

This led the middle-aged shopkeeper to believe that the young man was teachable and had decent spiritual talent, so he devoted himself to cultivating him.

This fellow's cultivation level also gradually improved as a result.

Later, during a land reclamation project, the family of the middle-aged shopkeeper encountered a rival family and became embroiled in a tug-of-war. Due to a decision-making error by the higher-ups, the family suffered a severe blow, and the surrounding families, eyeing the opportunity, naturally could not let go of this easy target.

One night, they joined forces to impersonate a traitor and exterminate his clan.

Only a few of the family's shops and markets remained isolated.

Because of the protection of the forces behind the market, it was not completely destroyed.

The middle-aged shopkeeper, whose family had been destroyed, plotted revenge, but his cultivation talent was lacking, and he was already old, with his path to immortality already predictable.

He then turned his attention to this fellow, whom he had known for nearly thirty years and who had become extremely excellent and obedient.

She then married her daughter to him.

He also promised that the shop would belong to him in the future, only asking that the other party remember the family hatred, slowly plot revenge, but not to be impulsive, and to patiently wait for the opportunity.

But the middle-aged shopkeeper never got to see the day of revenge. Instead, he encountered his son-in-law's butcher's knife while he was out.

The opponent's cultivation level was at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining, which he had nurtured bit by bit with resources and effort.

Now, however, he slashes and slashes, as if he wants to vent the resentment, anger, and gloom that he has accumulated under the disguise for thirty years through his wails.

You want to repay my debt of gratitude with my hard work?

The middle-aged shopkeeper was incredulous, but that didn't stop the other man from grinning maliciously. He continued his ruthless attack, and the man died a gruesome death.

Using the resources accumulated by the middle-aged shopkeeper in his quest for revenge, and the right to inherit the shop, he managed to obtain a [Pulse Protection Pill].

And on one occasion, he ambushed and killed a cultivator from a clan, and surprisingly obtained a [second-grade Foundation Establishment Pill]. It is suspected that he went to the auction alone and died halfway to reunite with his clansmen.

And thus, the foundation was laid in one fell swoop.

With his cultivation level, his true nature was revealed, and he began to carry out his plan to kill the fat man even more recklessly.

After all, how can honest business compare to robbery and murder? People get rich by getting windfall gains, and all the cultivation resources for Foundation Establishment stage cultivators end up here!
But who knew that they would encounter a Foundation Establishment cultivator who was even better at disguising himself?

If Lin Changheng hadn't been so cautious and evasive in that market, he would have been more careful and mindful, and wouldn't have died so quickly.

……

Having achieved his goal, Lin Changheng did not return to [Huangxufang], but instead headed straight for the [Huang Family] at Lingqiong Mountain.

The market fell into the hands of the middle-aged shopkeeper's daughter, which can be considered a return to its rightful owner.

However, it is difficult for a woman in the mid-stage of Qi Refining to support a shop on her own. Once she realizes that her Daoist partner has died, the next choice will be crucial: continue to run the business or cash out and leave?
This will determine the future direction of her life.

Furthermore, according to the soul search, there were no other medicinal herbs that Lin Changheng needed there.

Therefore, Lin Changheng had no intention of interfering.

Lin Changheng then spent another month on the speeding Dharma boat.

Fortunately, he was able to multitask and didn't waste too much time.

Most of the time was spent deducing the replacement of medicinal materials for the incomplete formula of the [Spirit Communication Pill] passed down by Bai Zhen from the Immortal City.

When they picked up Yan Mingyi and returned to the Immortal City, they already had two ancient medicines, making a total of four replacement plans.

After sending Yan Mingyi back, Lin Changheng turned around and went to the [Spiritual Material Hall], which was operated by the Immortal City itself, in the inner city.

"Sir, what do you need?" A waitress came forward to greet you.

Lin Changheng took out the token that Bai Zhen had passed on, and it was obvious that the smile on the maid's face became more genuine and heartfelt.

"The true teachings have been passed down, and we will certainly do our best to meet your needs. Please come this way."

"Ah."

Lin Changheng nodded and sat down as instructed, whereupon he was respectfully offered tea.

At this moment, an elderly man who looked like a manager came over. His cultivation level was in the late stage of Qi Refining. He recognized Lin Changheng at a glance and said with a smile, "Alchemist Lin has finally arrived. The other two invited alchemist seniors have already come several times."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Changheng replied nonchalantly, "I am used to deducing before acting. I will only begin testing the medicine once I have a certain degree of certainty."

"Yes, yes!"

The elderly man in charge repeatedly agreed.

Lin Changheng said no more, flicked his finger and released a jade slip with six medicinal herbs written on it, which the old man caught in his hand.

"This……"

The old man hesitated upon seeing this.

"What? Could it be that there isn't one in the palace?"

Lin Changheng frowned, then said with a forced smile, "In that case, I can only report to Master Bai the truth. It's not that I'm incompetent, but that even a skilled cook can't make a meal without rice."

With a wave of his hand, the jade slip that the old man had been holding tightly in his hand while deep in thought suddenly trembled and easily broke free from the restraint of his five fingers, falling into Lin Changheng's hand.

"Ok?"

The old man in charge looked down at his hand and felt a tremendous force coming from it. Before he could react, the jade slip flew out of his hand, and his palm was still slightly numb.

This is……

"Wait! Master Lin, wait!"

The old man in charge, taken aback, immediately called out to Lin Changheng. Seeing Lin Changheng turn around with a calm expression, he quickly smiled apologetically and said, "Two of the medicinal herbs are quite rare and not easy to obtain, but since Master Lin has spoken, I will go and get them right away!"

His tone suggested he was in considerable pain.

(End of this chapter)