Endless Ascension

Chapter 33: Chapter 33: Purchasing Spiritual Herbs

Arrogant, domineering, a spoiled young master.

Indeed, no one dared to do anything to Zhao Jiannan in Qinghe City, for the Zhao family was powerful, and as the sole heir of Zhao Wudi, he had every reason to be haughty.

The black market area in the west of the city was a melting pot of diverse forces and factions, yet no one dared to lay a finger on Zhao Jiannan, empowering him to behave even more recklessly, like a crab scuttling across the shore.

Encountering Qin Ze, he showed no mercy or respect at all.

Qin Ze had heard a bit about the Zhao family's influence, but he wasn't worried. He was currently a key figure in the Qin family's attention, and they would surely handle this matter for him.

The reason Qin Ze didn't hesitate to confront Zhao Jiannan head-on was partially due to the Qin family's complacency. Qin Ze felt almost obligated to stir up some trouble for them.

He didn't feel any sense of belonging towards the Qin family. Apart from his aunt who resided in the secluded Serenity Pavilion, there was no one in the Qin family worthy of his affection.

After Zhao Jiannan left, the crowd erupted in laughter, their faces beaming with joy as if celebrating the New Year.

Their gazes towards Qin Ze changed, and some well-meaning individuals came forward to remind him to leave as soon as possible, warning that Zhao Jiannan was surely going to bring reinforcements.

Qin Ze smiled back, thanking them for their concern but not in a hurry to leave. He had come to buy spiritual herbs, and he wouldn't leave until he had at least one in his possession.

"Th-thank you," said Yun Man, emerging from behind Qin Ze, her face flushed with embarrassment as she avoided eye contact and looked down.

"Silly girl, what are you thanking me for?" Qin Ze replied generously, eyeing the spiritual herbs on her stall and inquiring, "Are all these herbs yours?"

"Yes," Yun Man nodded, then bent down to start packing up her stall. She knew that Zhao Jiannan would return with backup, and she didn't want Qin Ze to get involved again.

Besides, Qin Ze was formidable, but he couldn't possibly match the strength of a Liangan realm expert, and the Zhao family boasted several such experts. It was uncertain whether they would appear next.

Therefore, Yun Man wanted to pack up and leave the black market as soon as possible.

Qin Ze also bent down, seemingly to pick up a spiritual herb, but at that moment, the attributes of the herb immediately appeared in his mental system.

Silver Lotus Grass

Grade: 2nd Grade

Note: A primary spiritual herb for crafting the "Guardian Spirit Pill."

As Qin Ze picked up another spiritual herb, the system immediately displayed its properties and the type of pill it was used to craft, acting like a comprehensive manual. Qin Ze couldn't help but feel overjoyed; with this system, crafting pills would be a breeze.

"How much are you selling these spiritual herbs for?"

"Eh?" Yun Man thought she had misheard Qin Ze's question, staring at him with confusion. These herbs were mainly used to make low-grade pills and weren't particularly valuable. She only gathered them to supplement her family's income.

Yun Man came from humble beginnings. She lost her father at a young age, and her mother struggled to raise her, earning a meager living by washing clothes for others. Over time, her mother developed various health issues and had recently fallen ill, confined to her bed.

Desperate for money, Yun Man resorted to collecting and selling spiritual herbs.

However, the shops in the southern part of the city offered extremely low prices for these herbs, forcing her to come to the black market.

"I'd like to buy some of these spiritual herbs. Can you sell them to me?" Qin Ze repeated.

Yun Man gazed at Qin Ze, her mind in turmoil. Why would a martial practitioner need these low-grade herbs? She assumed he knew of her difficulties and was trying to help her indirectly.

Feeling a surge of gratitude, Yun Man's eyes welled up with tears. Qin Ze noticed her distress and asked with concern, "What's wrong? I genuinely need these herbs."

The more Qin Ze insisted, the more convinced Yun Man became that he was helping her.

She desperately needed money for her mother's medication. After a long internal struggle, she softly said, "Fifty silver taels, please?"

"That's too cheap!"

Qin Ze was startled. Judging by the at least one hundred herbs on the stall, the price was way too low. Seeing Yun Man's head bowed in silence, Qin Ze guessed her situation and smiled. "I'll give you 2,000 silver taels, and all the herbs you collect in the future are mine. How does that sound?"

"2,000 silver taels?"

Yun Man stared at Qin Ze in disbelief, immediately protesting, "That's too much, too much..."

"Foolish girl."

Qin Ze couldn't help but tap Yun Man's straight nose affectionately before disregarding her protests and pulling out two thousand silver tael notes from his spatial ring, pressing them into her hands.

In this world, Qin Ze had little concept of money, let alone the actual value of two thousand silver taels.

But for Yun Man, it was the largest amount of money she had ever seen, leaving her stunned and unsure of what to do.

As Qin Ze stored the spiritual herbs into his spatial ring, he silently thanked his lucky stars that the spatial ring left behind by Cang Tianji still worked, as he wouldn't know where to keep everything otherwise.

Having collected the herbs, Qin Ze noticed that Yun Man was still standing there, lost in thought.

Passersby couldn't help but envy her; two thousand silver taels was a substantial amount, enough to sustain a middle-class family for a decade.

"Alright, girl, go home now," Qin Ze chuckled, and Yun Man finally snapped out of her reverie, trailing behind Qin Ze with her head down, deep in thought...

Zhao Family's Training Ground.

Zhao Jiannan strode in with a fierce expression, his face breaking into a smile as he approached Zhao Yi, who was engrossed in his training.

"Zhao Yi, haven't you always wanted to learn the 'Phantom God Palm'?"

Zhao Yi's eyes flickered, glancing at Zhao Jiannan before wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Speak up. What trouble do you need me to solve this time?" Whenever Zhao Jiannan approached him, Zhao Yi knew it meant business. And the mention of 'Phantom God Palm' sent a thrill through him, igniting his excitement.

Zhao Jiannan's lips curled into a sinister smile. "Kill someone for me. I want him to die a miserable, miserable death..."

"Not a problem. But about the 'Phantom God Palm'..." Zhao Yi's face contorted with greed as he stared at Zhao Jiannan, his heart already pounding with anticipation. The 'Phantom God Palm' had been his dream technique, and now it was finally within his grasp.

Zhao Jiannan pulled out a scroll containing the technique from his spatial tablet and handed it over, and the two of them exchanged sly grins...

Zhao Yi, a third-rank Agile Cultivator with impressive strength and a ruthless streak, would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

In Zhao Jiannan's eyes, he was a servant, willing to do anything for money.

Having been humiliated, Zhao Jiannan refused to let it slide. He needed revenge, and this time, it wouldn't be a mere slap in the face. He wanted Qin Ze to die, a miserable death.

The Zhao Family was well-staffed, and finding a few loyal henchmen wasn't difficult. A superior-grade technique was just a small price to pay for Zhao Jiannan.

He had faith in Zhao Yi's abilities. From what he knew, Qin Ze was merely a martial artist. No matter how strong or stubborn, he couldn't possibly stand against a third-rank Agile Cultivator like Zhao Yi.

His anger wouldn't be quenched until justice was served.

The deal was sealed, and Zhao Jiannan immediately led Zhao Yi out of the training ground...