The Immortal Clan begins with deductive intelligence.

Upon hearing this, Li Shan waved his hands repeatedly.

"Chief Xu, what are you saying? Although I am not talented, I am not a shameless and destitute person."

After saying that, he took out a cloth bag from his storage bag and slammed it on the table.

"This is two hundred and fifty low-grade spirit stones. Consider it a small fee for the Xu brothers to cover their expenses. Even if this matter doesn't work out in the end, we will never ask for the money back."

Li Shan was clearly determined.

"If we can rid the bandits of those beasts, I will offer them an additional two hundred and fifty spirit stones upon completion! Not only that, all the magical artifacts, pills, and storage bags seized from those bandits will belong to the Xu family, without my Li family taking a single penny!"

Xu Changqing's gaze fell on the brocade pouch, and his expression shifted slightly.

Five hundred spirit stones, plus all the spoils of war.

If that's the case, the Xu family won't have to worry about their expenses after the spring.

Moreover, how can one tolerate someone else snoring beside one's bed?

Even if Li Shan doesn't come to beg, since this group is loitering around, they will have to be dealt with sooner or later.

Xu Changqing had already made up his mind, his fingers gently stroking the rim of the slightly warm teacup.

The deductions of the Tongtianjian will take another three days.

These three days are extremely critical. If we launch an attack rashly without knowing the enemy's true situation, we could easily be caught off guard and suffer a disastrous defeat.

"Since Elder Li is so sincere, it would be unreasonable for me to refuse."

Xu Changqing reached out and put the brocade pouch into his sleeve, his tone calm.

"But this can't be rushed."

Upon hearing this, Li Shan's heart, which had just settled, tightened again: "Clan Chief Xu, the deadline is in four days, this..."

"Elder Li, go back first. I'll accept these two hundred and fifty spirit stones. When you get back, just pretend that you're still raising spirit stones to lull those thieves into a false sense of security. But secretly, make sure your clan's best fighters are ready for battle."

"I will have my own plan in three days, and I will give you a definite answer then."

Although Li Shan was extremely anxious and wished Xu Changqing would immediately draw his sword and kill him, he also knew that in the world of cultivation, one could not act rashly in battles.

"Alright! We'll listen to Chief Xu!"

……

A thousand miles away, at the Qinghe Sword Sect.

Deep in the clouds, where no one knows where, towering peaks rise, and cranes soar through the clouds.

Sword light occasionally pierced the sky. Compared to the gloomy Cangwu Island, the spiritual energy here was so rich that it almost turned into rain and dew.

At Hundred Beasts Peak, the roars of beasts and the cries of birds filled the air, which was permeated with a mixture of the fragrance of grass and trees and the faint smell of animal stench.

Xu Xining was sitting on a blue stone next to a secluded animal pen halfway up the mountain.

He was wearing a blue robe in the outer gate style, with the sleeves rolled up high, revealing his two thin arms.

Surrounding him were three or four young disciples, all dressed in green robes, their expressions eager.

"Junior Brother Xu, do you still have any 'Condensing Tobacco Grass'? My spirit fox has been feeling a bit feverish these past few days and urgently needs it."

A chubby disciple rubbed his hands together, his face beaming with smiles.

Xu Xining glanced at the fat man and slowly took out an oil paper package from his pocket.

"Senior Brother Fatty, as you know, this Condensing Tobacco Grass is a supplementary food for high-level spirit beasts. How could we possibly see it on a regular basis?"

"I risked being punished by the butler to painstakingly pry it out of that trough."

Xu Xining weighed the oil paper package in his hand, looking troubled.

"As for the price..."

"I understand! I understand everything!"

The fat disciple quickly took out ten spirit stones from his waist and stuffed them into Xu Xining's hand.

Xu Xining accepted the spirit stones, a smile finally appearing on his face, and tossed the oil paper package over.

"Deal! Come earlier next time!"

After seeing the others off, Xu Xining happily counted today's harvest.

Twenty spirit stones.

When he first arrived at Hundred Beast Peak, he actually fed the spirit beasts diligently for a few days. As a result, he was exhausted and almost got knocked away by a grumpy spirit rhinoceros.

Later, with guidance from "Senior Brother Chen," who was in charge of guarding the animal enclosures, he finally understood.

The Hundred Beasts Peak is home to numerous spirit beasts, and the amount of spirit grain meat they consume daily is astronomical. Even a tiny bit that slips through their fingers can be resold and become a considerable source of income.

What the spirit beasts left over or spilled were considered good stuff by these outer disciples.

The so-called middleman is nothing more than a middleman who makes a profit from the price difference.

Just as he was about to finish work and go home to count how much he had saved up,

A cool, fragrant breeze suddenly swept in from behind.

Immediately afterwards, a long, strong hand silently pressed down on his shoulder.

"Xu Xining, business is good."

The voice was clear and cold, like pearls falling onto a jade plate, yet it made Xu Xining stiffen and feel a chill run down his spine.

He stiffly turned his head.

Behind him stood a female cultivator dressed in a blue and white sword robe.

The female cultivator was about seventeen or eighteen years old. She was extremely beautiful, with her long hair tied up high and her eyebrows and eyes as exquisite as a painting.

Those phoenix eyes held a menacing aura that commanded respect without anger. She held a sheathed longsword in her hand and looked at him with a half-smile.

Xiao Hanyi is the personal disciple of the elder in charge of the Hundred Beasts Peak and is in charge of the affairs of the outer disciples.

"Senior Sister Xiao..."

Xu Xining forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, and instinctively shrank back, trying to protect the spirit stone in his arms.

"Senior Sister, you look radiant today. That sword robe looks so dashing on you... um..."

Xiao Hanyi's gaze swept over his bulging chest, but she didn't point it out. She simply said, "I heard you have connections here and can get anything?"

"Rumor! Absolutely a rumor!"

Xu Xining shook his head vigorously, speaking with righteous indignation.

"Junior brother, I was just happy to help others and resolve minor difficulties for my fellow disciples. I had absolutely no selfish motives!"

"Yeah?"

Xiao Hanyi's lips curled into a slightly amused smile.

"Since you are so willing to help others, I need half a pound of 'Cold Element Ants' within three days."

Xiao Hanyi held his sword, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Hansu ants?"

Xu Xining groaned inwardly; that thing was not only irritable but also poisonous.

"Senior sister is joking. This... how could I possibly get this? I'm feeding pigs, not sending them to their deaths..."

"Can't do it?"

"My Netherfire Lion has been extremely restless these past few days. If it goes berserk and injures someone..."

"I told you it was you who fed it all sorts of random herbs."

Xu Xining's face turned green.

This is a complete frame-up!

"Don't!"

Xu Xining raised his hands in surrender. If he were to have his cultivation crippled and be expelled from the sect for such a trivial matter, how could he possibly face the clan leader again?

"Well... the Frost Ants are indeed difficult to obtain, but for Senior Sister's sake, and for the peace of the sect, I, your junior brother, would go through fire and water to get them for you, wouldn't I?"

Seeing Xu Xining nod, Xiao Hanyi snorted coldly and casually tossed a bag into Xu Xining's arms.

"Here are fifty spirit stones. Deliver the Cold Essence Ants to the entrance of my cave in three days."

After saying that, she didn't even glance at Xu Xining before turning and leaving.

Fifty spirit stones!

Xu Xining hugged the bag, feeling its weight; the fear he had felt earlier had long since vanished.

"Wow, this tigress is really generous..."