What does my ancestor's pregnancy have to do with me, a mere servant?

Lin Yuan pushed open the half-broken stone door and walked out of the cave.

The morning air was very fresh.

He took a deep breath and his gaze fell on the two acres of spiritual fields outside the cave.

This was his regular job as an outer disciple of the Xuan Yin Sect—taking care of the spirit fields and delivering mature medicinal herbs on time every month. He could receive a salary of ten spirit stones for completing the task.

Last night, Wen Yuci and Lin Feilu had a fight in front of his house. The aftershocks of their spiritual energy swept over, turning up a layer of soil. Most of the low-grade spiritual herbs, however, were able to withstand it.

However, two of the purple spirit grass plants seemed a bit off.

The edges of the grass blades are yellowed and curled.

In the past, he could only watch helplessly, at most pouring some spiritual spring water on his plants and leaving it to fate.

If the medicinal herb dies, the only solution is to pay compensation.

It's different now.

Upon being promoted to the eighth rank of spiritual plant master, he immediately identified the problem.

This was likely caused by the breakage of the main root.

If left untreated, these two purple grass plants will wither and die within three days at most.

Lin Yuan brought his index fingers together and precisely cut through the soil at the root. He then condensed a wisp of wood-elemental spiritual power at his fingertips and placed it on the severed root.

The spiritual energy transformed into wisps of life force, enveloping the wound and sealing off the seepage.

The surrounding spiritual soil, imbued with the energy of the earth's veins, was re-covered and compacted.

The yellowing leaves of the purple clover are visibly recovering, and it is estimated that they will be back to normal in a few days.

Lin Yuan brushed the dirt off his hands and stood up.

He unconsciously touched his brow with his finger.

It is the Soul Devouring Technique mark that is entrenched in the sea. With just a thought from Wen Yuci, he can be annihilated.

There is only one way to turn the tide—increase the strength of your soul, surpass Wen Yuci, and let the Soul Devouring Technique backfire on you.

Time is tight.

Lin Yuan touched the storage bag at his waist, which contained a thousand spirit stones that he had saved up over the years.

To continue making breakthroughs, one must refine pills like crazy.

To refine pills, you first need to obtain the materials.

……

The Danbao Pavilion is where the Xuan Yin Sect provides its disciples with a place to purchase materials and sell cultivation resources.

The moment Lin Yuan stepped through the gate, the aroma of burning pills mixed with the bitter scent of various spiritual herbs wafted towards him.

The hall was bustling with people, mostly outer disciples of the Xuan Yin Sect.

The shop assistant, dressed in the gray uniform of Danbaoge, was busy behind the counter, the abacus beads clicking rapidly.

Lin Yuan lowered his head and walked through the crowd, turning smoothly towards the spiritual materials area on the east side of the first floor.

He used to think everything was expensive when he came to this place.

Looking at the spiritual materials displayed on the counter now, it feels completely different.

His mind automatically began to break down the ingredients, estimate the purity, and calculate the yield of the pills.

Just like a chef inspecting fresh seafood, he can tell at a glance whether the fish is fresh or not, and whether the meat has been injected with water.

"Oh, isn't this Junior Brother Lin?"

A female deacon dressed in the Danbaoge uniform came up from behind the counter.

She has an ordinary appearance, but her features reveal the shrewdness of a businesswoman.

However, she soon noticed that Lin Yuan looked rosy-cheeked and energetic today, unlike his usual sallow and thin appearance.

The smile on his face suddenly became more genuine.

"Junior brother, what would you like to buy today? The usual?"

Lin Yuan waved his hand: "Could you please get me some materials for Qi Gathering Pills, high-grade ones, senior sister?"

"Top grade?"

The female deacon's eyelid twitched.

She took another look at Lin Yuan, her gaze lingering for a moment on the bulging storage bag at his waist.

The smile on his face grew even brighter.

"Junior brother, your timing is perfect!"

She turned around and deftly took out a series of brocade boxes from the medicine cabinet behind her, arranging them in a row on the counter.

"A batch of extremely high-quality Tranquilizing Grass, Qi-Gathering Leaf, and Rehmannia Essence has just arrived. Junior Brother, please take a look. They are all top-grade products appraised by the Pill Treasure Pavilion, and there is no deception!"

Lin Yuan lowered his eyes and looked at the row of brocade boxes on the counter.

The herbs were neatly arranged on a velvet background, making them look quite appealing.

Several stalks of calming grass have vibrant green leaves, exuding a lively and spiritual aura, and appear to be of superior quality. The veins of the condensed qi leaves are distinct, with a soft, lustrous sheen. The rehmannia essence has a deep, calming color, its surface covered with a faint, ethereal glow.

Judging from its appearance alone, there is not a single flaw.

But Lin Yuan's brow twitched slightly.

However, his knowledge of spiritual materials as an eighth-grade spiritual plant master made him feel that something was wrong with these spiritual materials.

After taking a closer look, he understood.

Inside these glossy medicinal herbs, the flow of spiritual energy was obscure and intermittent, as if they had been forced to grow by someone pulling up seedlings.

Then he pushed four of them to the left and six to the right.

"I'll take all four."

He pointed to the six brocade boxes that had been pushed open on the right.

"We don't want these six portions, let's get another batch."

The female deacon's smile froze for a moment.

"Junior brother, what does this mean?" she asked, her tone displeased. "These are all top-grade spiritual materials from the same batch, supplied by the same vendor. How could there be a problem?"

Her tone carried a hint of displeasure.

Most outer disciples are not good at judging quality and can only see the general grade. Lin Yuan usually picks and chooses even when buying scraps. Why is he acting like such a big shot today?

Lin Yuan wasn't annoyed and lowered his voice slightly: "Senior Sister, are you sure you want me to say it?"

"Junior brother, please speak, I am all ears!" She had seen these spiritual materials more than once, so she was sure there were no problems with them.

Lin Yuan casually picked up a calming herb that had been pushed to the right.

He held the grass stem horizontally between his fingertips and rotated it slightly in the cold light of the moonstone.

"The best quality calming herb should have veins as fine as hair and be extremely resilient, able to bend slightly without breaking."

He gently pinched the edge of a leaf with two fingers and applied a little pressure.

"Click."

The blade shattered instantly, leaving a rough cross-section.

The female deacon's eyelids twitched.

Lin Yuan's expression remained unchanged: "Senior Sister, would you like me to continue?"

The female deacon blushed and reached out to take the calming herb.

She channeled her spiritual energy into her eyes and examined them carefully for a long time.

He brought it to his nose and sniffed it again.

His expression finally changed.

Beneath the faint medicinal fragrance, there was indeed a barely perceptible sour, rotten smell—the unique odor of the lingering elixir.

Such a subtle flaw would be so minute that even the most experienced alchemists in the inner sect might not be able to spot it immediately, even with a magnifying glass.

How did this farming novice cultivator see through me at a glance?

The female butler forced out an awkward expression.

"Junior brother has a good eye... However, this batch is indeed top-grade. It's normal for one or two plants to have minor flaws, and it won't affect their use in alchemy. How about this, I'll give you a discount of two spirit stones per batch as an apology?"

She wanted to settle things peacefully.

"Senior sister, the calming grass soaked in the spirit-invigorating liquid has brittle internal meridians. If it boils violently after being put into the furnace, it could cause the furnace to explode at best, and at worst, the poison in the pill to condense within it."

He held up one finger.

"If you're lucky, taking this pill will cause poison to enter your body, block your meridians, and cause your cultivation to regress. If you're unlucky—"

"The meridians are severed, causing qi deviation and demonic possession."

Lin Yuan withdrew his gaze and looked at the female deacon.

"Senior Sister said it won't affect alchemy, but if someone dies, will the responsibility fall on the Pill Treasure Pavilion or on Senior Sister personally?"

The female deacon's face turned deathly pale.

These words may not sound harsh, but they carry immense weight.

Danbao Pavilion is a direct subsidiary of Xuan Yin Sect. If a serious incident involving medicinal herbs were to occur, and the matter were investigated, she, a mere steward, would not be able to bear the consequences.

Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead, and her lips trembled as if she wanted to say something, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Lin Yuan sighed inwardly.

Actually, he didn't want to make a big deal out of it. He just wanted to buy qualified materials.

But this woman takes advantage of the outer disciples' poor eyesight and sells low-quality goods soaked in spirit-enhancing liquid as high-grade ones. If he doesn't expose her, it would be truly fatal if he went back and consumed the pills he refined himself.

Just when the butler was so embarrassed that she wished she could crawl under the counter.

A series of lazy footsteps echoed from the wooden staircase on the second floor.

thump.

thump.

Unhurried and unhurried, each step is taken at a leisurely pace.

"interesting."

A soft, sweet voice drifted down from the stairwell.

"In all these years since Danbao Pavilion opened, when did our outer sect produce such a discerning expert in appraisal?"

His voice was languid, as if he had just woken up from a nap, with a hoarse quality that suggested he wasn't fully awake yet.

The already quiet atmosphere in the hall became even quieter, so quiet that you could hear the crackling of the spirit charcoal.

All eyes turned to the stairwell.

A small foot wearing a blue embroidered shoe peeked out first.

Her ankles were slender and snow-white, tied with a red string. The red and white colors, under the dim yellow light of the stairwell lamp, were unbelievably alluring.

Next came a light blue long dress.

The skirt had an extremely high slit, and with each step the wearer took, a pair of dazzlingly white legs were faintly visible. Her skin was as smooth as cream, shimmering with a subtle pearlescent sheen in the light, as if she were naturally glowing.

The person slowly walked down, holding onto the wooden handrail with one hand.

With each step, the slit in her skirt would sway open, revealing a section of her thigh before quickly closing again, like an unintentional tease or a deliberate seduction.

She looked to be around thirty years old, the prime of a woman's life.

She has a full and voluptuous figure, with curves like a ripe peach. Her waist is slender yet her hips are high and full, and she walks with a graceful sway.

The breathtaking curve of her chest trembled slightly with each step. Her pale blue collar was half-open, revealing a section of her jade-like collarbone and a deep shadow.

That face was a delicate oval face.

Her features were delicate and beautiful, and she wore no makeup, yet she exuded a natural charm.

His eyes flickered, a smile playing on his lips.

Her peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze lazily sweeping down the stairs before finally settling on Lin Yuan.

His gaze lingered for a moment.

It's like they're examining an interesting piece of merchandise.

At least seven or eight male cultivators in the hall had their eyes glued to her, unable to look away.

Lin Yuan also looked over.

Li Yang, manager of Danbao Pavilion.

He had heard of this name before.

It is said that this woman is not only the manager of the Danbao Pavilion, but also one of the few experts in the Xuan Yin Sect who is proficient in the identification of spiritual materials and the trade of alchemy.

Half of the spiritual materials business, big and small, in the outer market has to go through her hands.

Being good-looking isn't enough to secure a position of authority in a dog-eat-dog world like the Xuan Yin Sect.

Lin Yuan secretly became more vigilant.

Li Yang stopped on the last step of the stairs.

She looked down at Lin Yuan, a playful smile playing on her lips.

Those peach blossom eyes were brimming with interest.