Chapter 94: Then It Will All Be Worth It

"Fellow Daoist Heimu, if you have more pills, don't forget our humble shop. We guarantee our prices will satisfy you…" 

The lean, white-bearded shopkeeper personally escorted Li Ye to the door, repeating his earlier offer with emphasis. 

Li Ye waved his hand casually and replied with a clear tone, 

"If the shopkeeper is truly interested in working together, then help me keep an eye out for those few herbs. I'm not exactly lacking in spirit stones. If your shop is willing to trade herbs for pills, I'm more than happy to oblige." 

"Trade herbs for pills, hmm…" 

The old shopkeeper was momentarily taken aback, his gaze flickering before he responded solemnly, 

"I will certainly do my utmost in this matter!" 

"Then I'll be waiting for your good news!" 

With a sweep of his sleeve, Li Ye turned and walked away. 

The shopkeeper stood at the doorway, eyes fixed on his departing figure as he disappeared into the crowd. 

"He casually sells high-grade pills and is specifically seeking the three main ingredients for Foundation Establishment Pills… Could he be an alchemy master?" 

With that thought, he hurried back into the shop and immediately reported the matter to the powers behind the scenes. 

As for any other actions… the man was already at the late stage of Qi Refining Level 7 enough to serve as a sect leader of one of the Seventy-Two Mountain Alliances. Other than relaying information, what other funny business would he dare attempt? 

At present, Li Ye had already advanced to Level 8, while "Daoist Heimu" maintained the façade of being at Level 7 using a breath-concealing technique a subtle but meaningful distinction. 

Still, the old man had underestimated Li Ye's ambitions. 

In just one day, nearly every store and street stall in Sanhui Market that dealt with pills or spirit plants had been visited by Daoist Heimu. 

What he did was simple: sell all kinds of pills and purchase seedlings or seeds of Earth Dragon Ginseng, Mindroot Flower, and White Yin Fruit. 

Such a repetitive transaction involving considerable value quickly became the talk of the market. 

Anyone with some knowledge in cultivation circles would recognize these three as the main ingredients in crafting Foundation Establishment Pills. But only herbs with sufficient age were suitable for use. 

If one were to plant them from the seed or seedling stage, they'd likely run out of lifespan before the first harvest was ready! 

Given this man's ability to produce so many pills, even if he wasn't an alchemist himself, he had close ties to one. There's no way he didn't know this! 

Yet he didn't want fully matured herbs. He was only after seeds and seedlings… What could that mean? 

Could he have discovered a spiritual land and was planning to build a foundation for his clan? Preparing for future generations? 

What's more, when all the shops compared notes, the total value of the pills he had sold and the materials he had purchased in just one day converted to spirit stones amounted to a small fortune! 

Massive wealth, a variety of rare pills and herbs, and a possible spiritual land… 

With all this stacking together, quite a few people suddenly became very interested in this Daoist Heimu. 

However, due to his high cultivation, most ordinary cultivators wouldn't dare make a move. 

And those with the strength to act arrived too late by the time they caught wind of the news, Daoist Heimu had already vanished from the market. 

Still, they wasted no time in combing through every detail he had left behind in the market. They quickly pieced together everything from the moment he appeared, even calling Ye Qiong in for questioning. 

But despite all this, their understanding remained incomplete. 

Even from Ye Qiong's account, all they learned was that he had once shown interest in spiritual lands, but now he was solely focused on acquiring spirit plants. 

Given this sudden shift, and the fact that he no longer even stayed in the residence he had rented in the market… who would believe he didn't have another dwelling rich in spiritual energy? 

Now their theory seemed even more plausible… 

This might involve a hidden spiritual land. Whether out of goodwill or ill intent, a growing number of people were now eagerly awaiting Daoist Heimu's next appearance. 

..... 

"Daoist Heimu?" 

Li Ye frowned slightly at the name, then nodded. 

"I know of him." 

"Back when I first arrived in the Chidi Mountains, I was unfamiliar with the area and tried asking him for directions. But he was arrogant and uncooperative, so we ended up fighting..." 

"Once he realized he was no match for me, he turned and fled without a word. I haven't seen Daoist Heimu since." 

"But that little scuffle did lead me to a secluded spot to rest, and it was there I happened to run into the Lan siblings. Otherwise, I'd probably still be wandering, not knowing where to settle for cultivation." 

As he spoke, a hint of relief appeared in Li Ye's eyes. 

Lan Xinyi clearly moved, nodded shyly, and gently took Li Ye's arm. 

"So that's how fate led you to me, Li-lang. What a stroke of luck it was for me! If you hadn't been there, Little Ming and I would've fallen victim to those vile scoundrels." 

Her delicate and affectionate demeanor made Luo Feibai a little envious. He couldn't help but remark, 

"Sounds like you've been quite fortunate, Brother Li!" 

"Hahaha! I'd say so too!" Li Ye laughed heartily, then asked curiously, 

"Brother Luo, did you come here specifically to ask about that man? Did something happen?" 

Luo Feibai paused for a moment. 

How could he say that the timing of Daoist Heimu's appearance so close to Li Ye's was too convenient? Or that even the fact he'd found a spiritual land suitable for growing rare herbs matched certain suspicions of the Vice Alliance Leader? 

But from how Li Ye was speaking now… he didn't seem to be lying. 

After a brief consideration, Luo replied, 

"That man sold a large quantity of pills at Sanhui Market and purchased all kinds of spirit plants especially the seedlings and seeds of every known main ingredient for Foundation Establishment Pills." 

"His actions drew the Alliance's attention. We're hoping to establish contact with him, so I was sent to ask around and see if anyone had information on him." 

"I see..." Li Ye nodded in realization. 

"Judging by what he bought, it's very likely he discovered a spiritual land. Otherwise, how would he expect to nurture so many spirit seedlings?" 

He couldn't help but feel a bit envious. 

"To think that the man I once drove off would end up stumbling upon such a fortuitous opportunity… fate is unpredictable." 

For all we know, it was precisely because you injured him and he fled in panic that he happened to find that spiritual land… 

Luo Feibai scoffed inwardly. After this conversation, his suspicions about Li Ye had all but vanished. 

The Chidi Mountains were far from the Huan Kingdom, and the havoc caused by the demonic tides over the past year had upended many things enough to bury countless past events. 

While Li Ye had made a name for himself back then, digging up solid proof now would be difficult. 

Without concrete evidence, all they could do was probe cautiously. 

Having gleaned nothing useful from Li Ye, Luo Feibai took his leave. 

After soothing Lan Xinyi, Li Ye strolled casually toward the spiritual fields. 

Passing through multiple concealment and barrier formations, he finally entered the inner area. 

The land, divided into three distinct sections, was noticeably more lush than when it had first been cultivated. No longer were there just a few scattered plants sparsely growing. 

"Sure enough, releasing a flood of pills in exchange for spirit plants stirred up a lot of interest…" 

Satisfaction gleamed in Li Ye's eyes. 

"But with this formation under my control, even if my identity is exposed, there's not much those people can do. This place's abundant earth fire has already attracted many alchemists and smiths, so even if I'm revealed as an alchemist, it won't be a big deal… at most, they'll assume I'm building a family legacy and cultivating herbs." 

"There'll always be trouble… but if I can gather enough spirit essence to craft Foundation Establishment Pills, then all of it will be worth it!" 

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