Chapter 11

Ling Wuji was unwilling to go see Qiao Linglong. Chun Chou did not press him, only asked the young boy which inn Qiao Linglong was staying at. After that, he had the attendant lead them around the nearby marketplace.

The marketplace of Canglan City was just as bustling—shops and stalls everywhere, selling pills, artifacts, talismans, formations, even demon beasts and spirit beasts. Everything one could think of was there.

The three of them wandered about, stopping now and then, until Ling Wuji paused in front of a bookshop.

Seeing this Chun Chou said, “Ling… Cousin, are you tired? Then stay here and browse some books while you wait for us. I’ll go see if I can find anything interesting here. We’ll come back to find you in an hour.”

Ling Wuji felt his heartbeat skip when Chun Chou called him “cousin.”

It was as if a flower blooming in the depths of winter had suddenly burst into blossom.

The corner of Ling Wuji’s lips lifted slightly as he said slowly, “I will wait for you.”

Chun Chou’s cheeks flushed. He composed himself at once, gave a light “Mm,” and turned to leave.

In Ling Wuji’s mind, he was already imagining their wedding night—when Chun Chou, beneath the glow of candlelight in the bridal chamber, would call him “husband,” and how heart stirring that sight would be.

Others sought immortality; he sought only Chun Chou. After turning away, Chun Chou truly regained his composure. He felt he had chosen quite well for himself—good-looking aside, Ling Wuji was gentle and considerate, with eyes and heart only for him. Truly, he could not be more satisfied.

In his previous life, he had died too young and never experienced love. After transmigrating once, he had somehow begun a sweet and gentle romance instead. Chun Chou was very content.

As he walked through the marketplace with the young attendant, the boy told him which streets sold what kinds of goods, which shops offered better prices, and so on.

Once Chun Chou had a general sense of the layout, he asked the boy to take him to the stalls selling spirit herbs.

The boy immediately agreed with a smile and said earnestly, “Senior, are you still planning to rent lodging? You won’t be able to leave for the time being, and there’s no telling how long the beast tide will last. It could be as short as ten days or half a month, or as long as three to five months. It might be better for you seniors to rent a small courtyard and stock up on food and cultivation resources. Otherwise, when the beast tide comes, it will be hard to endure.”

Chun Chou frowned slightly. “We truly can’t leave in the short term? Is there no black market here? Perhaps spending some spirit stones could solve the problem?”

His younger siblings were still quite young. Over the past few days, a sudden worry had risen in him—he wanted to confirm their safety.

The attendant hurriedly shook his head. “Truly not! Senior can ask around the marketplace. When the beast tide comes, the teleportation arrays are damaged, nearby cities refuse entry to Canglan City’s residents—we can only stay here and wait until it ends.” Then he added in a low voice, “Actually, many cultivators who aren’t from Canglan City have also come here recently.”

Chun Chou found it strange. “Why would they come now? To experience being quarantined?”

The attendant blinked in confusion. “Quar… quarantined”? You mean separated? That does fit the people of Canglan City—when the beast tide comes and they’re sealed inside their homes, unable to go anywhere.”

Chun Chou’s mouth twitched. He hadn’t expected that after being quarantined several times in his previous life due to a pandemic, he’d be quarantined again in the cultivation world.

As for what to prepare for quarantine—he had plenty of experience.

He gave a light cough, signaling the attendant to continue.

The attendant said, “Though the beast tide forces the people of Canglan City to shut themselves indoors for a time, after it passes, the streets are filled with demon beast corpses. Outside the city, at the outer edges of the Ten Thousand Demon Forest, there are even more. Those with courage may venture a little deeper after the beasts have fought one another—perhaps they’ll find higher-ranked corpses, or rare spirit plants left unattended. Picking those can fetch a good price.”

Chun Chou began to understand. For the people of Canglan City, the beast tide wasn’t entirely a bad thing. Living by the mountains meant living off the mountains—relying on the Ten Thousand Demon Forest, they had found their own way to “strike it rich.”

But for him and Ling Wuji, since leaving was not an option for now, the urgent matters were twofold: first, to learn how to obtain identity documents—whether they needed to register, where to do so—so that a year later, when they sought the Guiyuan Sword Sect, they could enter Guiyuan City or even the sect itself; and second, to quickly earn spirit stones and rent a small courtyard.

Soon they reached a street where all the stalls sold spirit herbs.

Chun Chou did not appear anxious. Instead, he wandered, observing, quietly listening to prices and gauging the market.

In fifteen days—or perhaps even fewer—the beast tide would arrive, and they would need to settle somewhere. He had to find a way to make some “quick money.”

As for how—he could think of nothing but his old trade: cultivating spirit plants.

Not ordinary ones, but the kind that were expensive yet afflicted by pests or badly harvested—plants on the verge of death. Reviving those would fetch a good price.

Otherwise, with the mere two hundred spirit stones they had earned selling ordinary herbs and fruits before, surviving even half a month would be uncertain.

The attendant, unaware of Chun Chou’s plan, followed attentively without making noise.

At last, Chun Chou stopped before the stall of a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator.

The cultivator wore a bamboo hat and sat meditating amid the bustling marketplace. Sensing someone’s presence, he opened his eyes and said coldly, “Spirit plant cultivator?”

It was no strange guess. He himself was not skilled in tending plants and had not studied the craft. The herbs he had gathered from the outskirts of the demon forest were all damaged—some so badly their medicinal properties would soon be lost.

Thus ordinary cultivators did not spare his stall a glance. Only spirit plant cultivators, adept at nurturing such things, would pause here.

Chun Chou cupped his hands. “Senior, I am indeed a spirit plant cultivator.”

Fortunately, spirit plants changed little even after tens of thousands of years. Chun Chou had read most of the cultivation world’s books on the subject, so he could recognize and assess the herbs before him.

His gaze soon fell on the two pots placed at the center of the stall.

Spirit herbs were ranked Heavenly, Earthly, Profound, Yellow, and Unranked.

The two before him were Profound-grade: Marrow-Cleansing Grass and Jade Beauty Flower.

As the name suggested, Marrow-Cleansing Grass was the main ingredient for Marrow-Cleansing Pills, which removed impurities from a cultivator’s body and strengthened meridians. Such pills were especially needed when crossing major cultivation stages. In Canglan City, where mortals and cultivators mingled, those with spirit roots from the western district needed Marrow-Cleansing Pills to cultivate properly in the eastern district.

Yet most on the market were Unranked or Yellow-grade. Pills made from three-hundred-year Profound-grade Marrow-Cleansing Grass were far superior—but such herbs were rare.

However, this one was snapped clean in half. Its medicinal properties were nearly gone, and survival itself was uncertain. Otherwise, it would have long been bought.

The Jade Beauty Flower’s stem trembled weakly; its blossom had fallen into the pot and nearly dried. Fortunately, the stall owner hadn’t discarded it, or Chun Chou might not have recognized it as a three-hundred-year Profound-grade Jade Beauty Flower—the key ingredient for Beauty-Preserving Pills.

Chun Chou: “…”

He could imagine the fierce battle the cultivator must have fought to obtain them. But the damage was shocking.

After a moment, he said, “Senior, may I examine the Marrow-Cleansing Grass and Jade Beauty Flower?”

The stall owner’s eyes snapped open. “Those two? Kid, are you certain a sixth-layer Qi Refinement spirit plant cultivator like you can save them?”

Chun Chou replied confidently, “I’m not sure. But since I’m already here and I’ve seen them…” He might as well take a closer look and see whether he truly could.

The stall owner fell silent for a moment. Seeing that the plants were near death and had drawn no interest these past few days, he decided to let the boy try.

A long whip suddenly appeared in his hand. With a flick, he coiled the two pots and set them before Chun Chou.

Chun Chou: “…”

Well, no wonder they were in such a state.

He crouched, extending his hand—but stopped an inch away, not touching them. Closing his eyes, he sent out wood-element spiritual energy to probe their vitality.

He tested the Marrow-Cleansing Grass for about a quarter of an hour before opening his eyes with relief. He then examined the Jade Beauty Flower for even longer before finally looking up at the stall owner.

The man’s gaze burned. “Can the Marrow-Cleansing Grass be saved?”

Chun Chou stood, stepping back from the plants and stamping his slightly numb foot. “It can. What price does the Senior ask for this pot?”

“And the Jade Beauty Flower? You don’t want it?”

“…Better not. It’s a bit troublesome. And I don’t have much time lately…”

The stall owner cut him off. “So you can save them both?”

Chun Chou considered, then nodded. They would be in Canglan City for a year—his livelihood would be revealed sooner or later.

The stall owner sprang to his feet and gestured at the other pots. “And these? Can you save them too?”

“…But I can only buy two,” Chun Chou replied. The others, he had no intention of taking.

The stall owner sat again, closing his eyes briefly before reopening them. “Marrow-Cleansing Grass and Jade Beauty Flower—both for thirty low-grade spirit stones. Take them.” Even for dying Profound-grade herbs, that price was low. He continued, “But we will form a contract. Once you restore them, you must sell them to me. I’ll purchase each at market price—three hundred low-grade spirit stones apiece. What do you say?”

Chun Chou hesitated slightly. He didn’t like being bound by agreements, and he had no idea where he would even find this man later if things changed. Still, the price the stall owner offered was genuinely low. If he went looking for other half-dead yet high-value spirit herbs like these, he had no idea where he would find them anytime soon.

The stall owner added, “And the other spirit herbs on my stall—if you can save the Marrow-Cleansing Grass and the Jade Beauty Flower, then I’ll hire you long-term to tend the rest. The pay will follow the market rate for spirit plant cultivators. I also have a few daoist friends who aren’t skilled at caring for spirit plants. If you’re willing to help, they would surely be interested as well.”

Chun Chou answered at once, “Deal! Let’s form the contract!”

These days, it isn’t easy to find even temporary work. If there was one opportunity, he might as well take it first.

That was what Chun Chou thought.

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