A god-level alchemist, starting by manually crafting forbidden pills.

Seeing Luo Fan shake his head and say that he only brought one this time, Zhao Heihu was somewhat disappointed.

It doesn't matter. As long as I befriend this young man, will I have to worry about not having any pills in the future?

His nose is incredibly sensitive; this kid smells strongly of medicinal herbs. Who would believe he's not an alchemist?

He took out a piece of blood-red jade ginseng from his pocket and handed it to Luo Fan.

"Young man, I'm deeply grateful! With pills like these, you'll have no trouble selling them!"

Zhao Heihu leaned closer and lowered his voice, "Take this piece of Blood Jade Ginseng as a thank you gift. If you need anything in the future, you can find me at the blacksmith shop on West Street!"

After patting Luo Fan on the shoulder a few times, Zhao Heihu clasped his hands in a fist salute, turned around, and strode away.

Luo Fan looked at the Blood Jade Ginseng in his hand, then glanced at the gazes around him, and lowered his head to touch his nose.

I've made quite a splash today, but luckily I've disguised myself as a rogue cultivator.

He was about to explain that he had found the pill, but then he thought better of it.

The more you explain, the easier it is to confirm; this is the origin of the idiom "protesting too much."

"Young friend."

Manager Wang approached, a smile plastered on his face. "There are too many people around here; may I speak to you privately for a moment?"

He led Luo Fan into the inner room, closed the door, and personally brewed a pot of tea.

"Young friend, your skills are extraordinary; I admire you greatly."

Manager Wang cut to the chase, "Young friend, would you be willing to cooperate with my Hundred Herbs Pavilion?"

He just stared at Luo Fan with a smile, like he was eyeing a piece of fatty meat, his mouth watering.

This kid's value is no less than that incomplete recipe for the Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pill.

The more he looked at him, the more eager he became.

Click!

A crisp sound came from outside the door.

"Shopkeeper, why do I feel like you're forcing me to buy something?"

Luo Fan pointed to the locked door and pouted in annoyance.

What? If he doesn't agree, just lock him up and not let him leave?

"No, no, this is for your safety."

The shopkeeper chuckled, "Let's get down to business. My Hundred Herbs Pavilion will be responsible for selling your pills, and we'll split the profits in spirit stones fifty-fifty!"

It seemed the old shopkeeper was certain the pills came from him, so Luo Fan stopped being coy.

He really needs an additional sales channel that can both obtain spirit stones and improve his cultivation.

Luo Fan raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you afraid my pills might have side effects and ruin your reputation?"

"What do you mean by side effects? That's what you call a unique feature!"

The shopkeeper's smile was cunning. "The cultivation world has no shortage of ordinary pills; on the contrary, those with a little something special can fetch a high price!"

Luo Fan's heart stirred.

Manager Wang is a sensible man.

"I can consider it."

Luo Fan did not agree immediately. "However, I need to take care of my own affairs first."

"Understood, understood!"

Shopkeeper Wang nodded repeatedly, "Young friend, come see me anytime when it's convenient for you."

He took out a jade token from his pocket. "This is a VIP token from Baicao Pavilion. With this token, you can get a 20% discount on any medicinal herbs you purchase from me."

Luo Fan accepted the jade token, thanked it, and this solved his immediate need.

Although the sect has fields of spiritual herbs, it can't stop him from refining pills in bulk. Sooner or later, the anomaly will be discovered.

That makes a difference; with external supplies, there will be far fewer problems.

Before stepping out of the inner hall, Luo Fan examined the Blood Jade Ginseng; its quality was above average.

This is an extremely rare spiritual material, and it is used in the refining of many antidote pills.

Even in the sacred fields of Peach Blossom Temple, it would take decades to cultivate a single plant.

He had been adopted by the old man for so many years, but he had only met him once.

After asking Manager Wang for ten more Qingxin Pills, Luo Fan finally left.

"Shopkeeper, why are you so optimistic about him?"

Outside the shop, the shop assistant next to Manager Wang scratched his head. "What if he's a conman? Shouldn't we at least ask him about his background?"

It wasn't that he didn't trust Luo Fan; it was just that the other party was too young.

Moreover, his cultivation level was low and his clothes were simple; he didn't look like a nobleman at all.

"Who dares to deceive our Baicao Pavilion?"

The shopkeeper didn't offer any further explanation and simply went back.

He could see Luo Fan's excitement, and he could also see his caution.

As for his identity, that was irrelevant; he trusted his own judgment.

If Luo Fan had come from humble beginnings, then the Hundred Herbs Pavilion would have given him the opportunity to rise to prominence.

Offering help in times of need is always better than adding to someone's already good fortune.

If one comes from an extraordinary background, or is a disciple of a powerful figure who has come out to gain experience.

That would be equivalent to befriending the powerful figure behind him, which would certainly be of great benefit to the Hundred Herbs Pavilion.

Between the two, he prefers to believe the latter guess.

How could someone who doesn't even care about the recipe for the Soul-Returning Pill not have a powerful background?

With the VIP pass from Baicaoge, Luo Fan did not rush to leave the market.

Since we're already here, we might as well stock up on some alchemy materials.

He turned into a slightly deserted street and went into a shop with a sign that read "Herbal Medicine Shop".

After the VIP token was presented, the shopkeeper's attitude immediately changed from boredom to enthusiasm.

"What would you like, sir? Our shop has a full range of medicinal herbs at reasonable prices!"

The shopkeeper at the counter smiled very sincerely.

Luo Fan listed several commonly used auxiliary medicines, and added some materials needed to refine the Breath-Containing Pill.

Enjoying a 20% discount, the cost was much less than expected.

"Please take care, sir/madam, and welcome back next time!"

The shopkeeper, with a smile on his face, personally saw Luo Fan out of the pharmacy and even waved to him.

Every person holding their VIP pass is a prominent figure.

Although Luo Fan is young, the fact that he was able to obtain this token clearly indicates that he has a hidden identity.

As soon as Luo Fan stepped onto the street, the Netherworld Cold Fire in his mind suddenly flickered.

A chilling sense of warning traveled through his very soul.

He paused slightly, his expression unchanged, but alarm bells were ringing in his mind.

"What happened?"

Cold Fire was connected to his soul, and this warning meant that danger was approaching!

He didn't turn back and continued walking forward, but his mind was already on edge.

Turning a corner, he stopped in front of a grocery stall and pretended to bend down to pick out items.

He quickly glanced behind him out of the corner of his eye.

really!

There were two groups of people who seemed a bit off.

One group consisted of three men dressed in mixed clothing, who appeared to be rogue cultivators.

After seeing Luo Fan stop, he pretended to look at the items at the stall in front of him.

But their gazes kept inadvertently drifting in his direction, their eyes fierce and greedy.

"Driven by greed?"

Luo Fan sneered inwardly.

It's likely that he flaunted his wealth at Baicaoge and attracted the attention of these local bullies.

The second group of people made him even more wary.

It was a monk dressed in an ordinary gray robe, mingling in the crowd, seemingly strolling around, but always maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far from him.

Their pace and direction were almost synchronized.

He could also faintly sense the aura of the Peach Blossom Temple's martial arts from that person!

"Could it be one of Ji Kun's men? Or perhaps a disciple of the Hall of Affairs, worried that I won't be able to buy the pills?"

If he were a disciple of Peach Blossom Temple, then this was the only possibility he could think of.

This guy really went to great lengths to make him take the blame, and he had no doubt about it.

If he doesn't come to the market, a kind disciple will come and deliver pills to him.

Luo Fan was not prepared to reveal his cultivation level; he had ninety-eight ways to deal with this kind of person.

Instead of heading to less crowded areas, he turned towards the city center, to the busiest square for monks.

The place was packed with people setting up stalls, engaging in magical duels, chatting idly, and trading secret manuals—it was quite a lively scene.

Luo Fan plunged in headfirst.

He weaved quickly through the crowd, sometimes bending down to look at the stalls, sometimes stepping aside to avoid them.

A few breaths.

The three burly men's vision was blocked by the chaotic crowd, and they temporarily lost their target.

"Boss, what do we do? We think we've lost them?"

One of the burly men in plain clothes asked.

Then the two of them looked at the big man in the middle, and saw that he had a fierce look on his face.

"Hmph! There's a necessary route out of the market; let's go there and take him out!"

As soon as the sound faded, the three of them left the spot at an extremely fast speed.

Luo Fan did not shake off the gray-robed eyeliner, and continued to follow him at a distance.

"Ten levels of Qi Refining?"

Luo Fan scoffed inwardly, "Ji Kun's lackey is quite strong. Let's see if you can keep up!"

He quickened his pace and walked towards the edge of the square.

There was an old teahouse with a worn-out sign hanging at the entrance.

Juxian Teahouse!

It's called a teahouse, but it's really just a big shed.

Dozens of tables were set up and filled with all sorts of cultivators.

People were drinking tea, chatting, and even exchanging sparring; it was a chaotic mix of people, with a cacophony of emotions.

Luo Fan slipped inside without hesitation.