Mountains and giant beasts, cabins in the woods

The trade in Blood and Qi Potions proceeded as usual today. The three merchants paid for their goods and then left politely.

Liu Xingmo was supposed to go to work at the newspaper, but there were other arrangements at the last minute.

He went to the attic bedroom and woke his wife in bed: "Mary, let's go find your eldest nephew."

Su Mali paused for a few seconds, then quickly got out of bed.

The couple dressed themselves well and had Bao Hei pull the wagon to send the airship refugees' luggage back.

The destination was not unfamiliar; it was the Watercress Restaurant, a tree tower.

The tall cedar tree trunk has a beautifully carved bamboo gate at its base, guarded by an orange cat and a peregrine falcon on either side.

Liu Xingmo got out of the car and said, "Instructors, I am Liu Xingmo. I have something to discuss with the people inside."

The orange cat crouched down, stretched its front paws, and lazily yawned: "Hmm, let's go in."

Upon entering the lobby, the floor of this luxury hotel is made up of complete rings of tree trunks, and the exquisite furniture is arranged in a pleasing and orderly manner.

There were a few people guarding this place: two second-tier swordsmen and the third-tier old lady.

The old lady was the first to greet him: "Young man, you've arrived. I wanted to ask, when can we leave?"

"Don't worry, old man," Liu Xingmo said gently. "Look at what happened yesterday, so many people were injured. How can they withstand the arduous journey over mountains and valleys before their wounds have healed?"

That's an excuse.

With bird-patterned beasts, we can leave the Xing'an Mountains quickly. With a bloodline expert, our injuries can be healed quickly.

"Thank you for your kindness." The old lady saw through her intentions but didn't say anything. "Is there something you need today?"

"Sorry, I've checked your belongings and confirmed there are no dangerous items. They can be returned now." Liu Xingmo pointed to the van at the door. "Call someone to come and collect them, but the weapons will be returned to you last."

The old lady nodded: "Of course, of course."

Before long, all the young students who lived upstairs came downstairs in a rush, crowding in the lobby and looking at Liu Xingmo with wary eyes.

Liu Xingmo didn't care at all. He carried the luggage back and forth, took out his books, and called out his name loudly, waiting for the owner to come and collect them.

Match the notes with the names one by one, and memorize the people's appearances in your mind.

Once everything was over, Liu Xingmo casually said, "You all must have been cooped up in this place for a while, right? I see you're all good people, so I've made an effort for you. Now you can go for a stroll in the city."

The male and female students' gazes remained unwavering, fixed intently on the outsiders in the hall.

Liu Xingmo smiled and said lightly, "I've heard that many of you are top students in alchemy. Our Black Dragon Village happens to be rich in all kinds of medicinal herbs. Why don't we take this opportunity to show off our skills, earn some good medicine, and then go home? What do you say?"

The crowd remained unmoved.

Liu Xingmo's smile remained unchanged: "Oh dear, actually we have a favor to ask. How about this, we'll set up a medicinal herb market outside the building, so everyone can take what they need as they please. As for payment, just make a few pills, that'll be enough."

The group of men and women in the hall remained silent, but some of them began to exchange glances.

Liu Xingmo turned to look at the old lady, a smile playing on his lips: "Grandma, what do you say?"

"Well, alright then." The old lady nodded helplessly, then added, "Elder Liu Piaoxu promised to send us back. You'll keep your promise, won't you?"

"We would naturally not dare to disobey the elder's words." Liu Xingmo slowly paced around the hall, looking into everyone's eyes. "But since you have the opportunity to come to my Black Dragon Village, it would be impolite of us not to experience our local specialties. I hope that when you return, you will spread the word about our village's excellent medicinal herbs and remedies."

"We'll definitely do it when we get back," the old lady said casually.

Liu Xingmo led Su Mali out of the hall and out of the courtyard.

A large group of people gathered around a corner that was out of sight from inside the building.

"How's it going? Any chances?"

"What should we do next?"

"Let me make this clear first: our caravan contributed a great deal, so one person should be awarded a share!"

……

"Quiet down. I'll tell you, you take notes." Liu Xingmo rubbed his temples. "Wang Xiaomei, female, shoulder-length short hair, a mole on the left corner of her mouth. The diary shows she loves sweets. Li Zizhuang, male, buzz cut, a mole on his forehead, this guy's textbooks are stained with lard..."

One piece of information after another was uttered, and the people around hurriedly wrote it down before going back to prepare.

At noon, the sky was cloudless.

The sun hung high in the sky, illuminating the courtyard at the base of the tower.

A small market is set up here.

Yellowed, withered lotus leaves lay on the ground, while piles of nuts and fruits, exuding a rich spiritual energy, formed small hills.

The vendors were simple-looking elderly men and women. They used large, fresh lotus leaves stuck in the ground as sun umbrellas and lay leisurely on straw mats.

Some people simply took off their shoes, scratched off the calluses on their feet to relieve the itch. Then they continued to arrange the medicinal herbs, burying the inferior ones at the bottom and placing the good ones on top.

In the lobby of the Shui Shan Restaurant, young students took turns crowding to the windows, their eyes wide with excitement as they gazed at the fruit glistening in the sunlight.

Some people didn't believe it: "What's going on? An illusion?"

Someone angrily shouted, "You demonic sorcerer! Get your filthy hands off me!"

Some people wondered, "Am I seeing things? That color, that constant, luminous light—is it the kind of mystical elixir described in textbooks?"

Someone exclaimed in surprise, "A Xuan-grade treasure? In the hands of the vice dean, this kind of treasure is enough to refine a Di-grade pill for use by fourth-tier experts. Even a fifth-tier grandmaster would benefit from consuming it."

……

"You're wrong." The aged voice corrected, "The sunlight caused your misjudgment. That condition is called 'restrained radiance,' a characteristic of earth-grade spiritual herbs."

The students nodded, then were startled.

Looking back, I saw my teacher standing by the window, staring out with an unusually serious expression.

"Teacher!", "Teacher?", "Teacher..."

After a long while, the thin old woman waved her hand and said, "Go on, go on!"

The students were filled with excitement, yet dared not step into the place that shimmered in the sunlight, seemingly like a phantom.

"Sigh—!" the old woman sighed. "How many opportunities does one encounter in a lifetime? Children, try to seize them. Don't ask your teacher how to spot a trap; I... I don't know either."

The bolder students stepped out of the dreary hall and into the sunlit market.

One of the simply dressed young men cautiously peered around.

"Young man, here to buy medicine?" Under the lotus leaf umbrella, an old man smiled kindly, flicked his index and middle fingers together on a large peach that was half his height next to him, "Pop!"

"Listen to the sound, how solid! These peaches were just picked this morning, and they're incredibly sweet!" The old man gave a thumbs up.

"Sir, I don't have any money with me." The young man took a deep breath and asked hopefully, "How about I refine some pills for you to pay me back?"

"Alright!" The old man's dark, farmer-like face revealed two rows of white teeth.