Starting as a spiritual plant master, may I eventually become the master of all lands.

Upon entering, Song Chuan saw only two or three tables of guests scattered throughout the hall.

He arrived at the counter and was surprised to find a female shopkeeper sitting inside.

This woman was beautiful and at most in her early twenties, but she was quite plump.

She was resting her chin on her hand, smiling as she looked Song Chuan up and down.

Song Chuan suppressed his surprise, took out a piece of silver, placed it on the counter, and said, "One guest room."

The female shopkeeper glanced at the silver, then suddenly stretched her fair neck and made a strange "ga" sound.

This struck Song Chuan as odd. Could it be that this woman had some kind of illness?

Then the female shopkeeper patted her neck, as if she had swallowed something, before slightly opening her mouth to say:

"Fellow Daoist is no ordinary person. Offering us silver to pay for our lodging seems a bit stingy, doesn't it?"

Song Chuan was startled. After sensing her, he realized that this woman was actually a cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Refining!

He quickly bowed and said, "So we are kindred spirits. I was mistaken earlier."

The female shopkeeper then stood up and bowed to Song Chuan, saying, "This is a place for mortals, so it's normal that you didn't recognize me."

Song Chuan was somewhat troubled. He only wanted to spend one night in peace in Daicheng and did not want to have too much contact with cultivators. He did not expect that the only inn with rooms was run by cultivators.

The female shopkeeper seemed to see what Song Chuan was thinking and smiled, "Fellow Daoist, there's no need to worry. We are disciples of the Changshao Sect. We came to this mortal city to open a shop simply to experience the 'spirit of everyday life'."

Song Chuan suddenly realized, "So you're a top disciple of the Changshao School. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Song Chuan had learned about this sect from his family. It was one of the six major sects in Qi State, and was as famous as Teng Hua Valley. It was full of all kinds of "cooks".

They cultivate using the "smoke and fire energy," and the food they make can even enhance a cultivator's cultivation level.

Then I thought, since the name of this inn is "Changshaoju", I figured no one would dare to use the name of the Changshao School to cheat and swindle.

Just as the female shopkeeper was about to say something, she suddenly stretched her neck and made a "quack" sound, just like a duck, which was very comical and greatly ruined her beauty.

She frowned and patted her neck, saying, "I apologize for the commotion, fellow Daoist. This was caused by a mishap during cultivation. As for what happened earlier, it was just a joke. Please feel free to stay at the inn; it's free."

Then, with a hint of anticipation, she added, "However, fellow Daoist, would you like to sample the culinary skills of our Long Spoon Sect? It will only cost five spirit stones."

Song Chuan said awkwardly, "Although I have long admired the reputation of the Changshao School's spiritual chefs, I am truly short of funds, otherwise I would not have stayed in this mortal place. I hope you will forgive me, fellow Daoist."

After hearing this, the woman nodded, took out a wooden sign, and said, "It's alright, it's the fifth room on the left on the third floor. Fellow Daoist, please go and rest."

Song Chuan took the plaque, bowed slightly, and went upstairs.

The female shopkeeper watched Song Chuan's retreating figure, lost in thought.

At this moment, the only waiter in the shop came over. He was lean and capable, but had cross-eyed.

He looked at the counter and said, "Senior sister, this person looks unfamiliar; he doesn't seem to be a cultivator from Daicheng."

The female shopkeeper stretched out a delicate hand, turned his head slightly, making him face her, and said:

"This person's aura isn't as mixed as that of a rogue cultivator; he's probably a family cultivator from some town. Go to the kitchen and tell your senior brother to bring him along tonight."

The waiter squinted his cross-eyed: "Is that really necessary?"

The female shopkeeper looked worried and said, "I'm worried that we'll be discovered by that group of rogue cultivators surnamed Lin, and that it will ruin our plans. He's at the fourth level of Qi Refining, so he can be considered a helper."

The waiter's eyes widened, and he dashed off to the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Song Chuan was already sitting cross-legged on the bed in the room.

The room was bright and clean, with fresh air. On the table in the center was an exquisite incense burner with a stick of incense of unknown origin inserted inside.

Just to be on the safe side, Song Chuan did not light the incense.

Half an hour later, Song Chuan heard a knock on the door.

He frowned slightly, and the female shopkeeper's voice rang out: "Fellow Daoist, excuse me."

Song Chuan had no idea what this woman was up to. Logically speaking, people from the Changshao faction wouldn't offer any extra services, would they?

He spread his five fingers, and a wisp of magical power shot out, opening the door.

His expression changed slightly. He saw three people walk in from outside the door. The first one was a tall, strong young man with broad shoulders, thick eyebrows, and big eyes.

This person was clearly a cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refining, and his aura was profound, indicating that he was about to break through to the seventh level of Qi Refining and advance to the late stage of Qi Refining.

The other person was the female shopkeeper, and the remaining person was a cross-eyed, thin waiter who was at the third level of Qi Refining.

Song Chuan stood up, cupped his hands in a respectful greeting, and asked, "May I ask what brings you here, fellow Daoists?"

The female shopkeeper pointed to the tall, strong young man and the lean waiter, and said with a smile:

"Fellow Daoist, please don't misunderstand. These two are my senior brother Zhang Lao'e and junior brother Yu Banji. As for this lady, her name is Zhuang Xiuya."

Song Chuan, who was initially a little nervous, almost burst out laughing after hearing the woman's introduction.

Sanqin? A disciple of the Changshao School, is that a really strange name?

However, he dared not be careless; these three must have come for some reason.

"My name is Meng Chuan, a mere rogue cultivator. I am truly flattered to know a few of you," Song Chuan said.

Zhuang Xiuya said with a half-smile, "So it's Fellow Daoist Meng. I see that your earth-attribute spiritual power is quite pure, unlike that of an ordinary rogue cultivator."

Then she changed the subject: "The three of us have come here today for two reasons. First, we want to get to know you, fellow Daoist. Second, we hope you can help us with a small favor. Of course, we won't treat you unfairly."

Song Chuan immediately declined, saying, "My cultivation is shallow, and I will be leaving tomorrow morning, so I'm afraid I can't help you. I hope you fellow Daoists will forgive me."

Zhuang Xiuya waved her hand and said:

"Fellow Daoist, there's no need to refuse so readily. We won't delay your departure. Tonight we're going outside the city to gather a spiritual plant, and we hope you can lend a hand. Afterwards, we'll reward you with thirty spirit stones, how about that?"

Thirty spirit stones! Song Chuan was secretly shocked. This was no small sum; his family had only given him this much.

Even though this woman was a disciple of a major sect, Song Chuan found her incredibly extravagant, and he felt that this matter was not as simple as picking spiritual plants.

Song Chuan said, "Forgive my bluntness, but you are all disciples of major sects. Gathering spiritual plants should be a piece of cake for you. Isn't this going a bit too far?"

Before Zhuang Xiuya could speak, Yu Banji interjected, "We're afraid..." He spoke to Song Chuan, but his eyes were fixed on the windowsill beside him.

"Gah! We're worried about not having enough manpower, because this spiritual plant is quite special and requires three or four people to work together to harvest it, in order to ensure that the spiritual plant is not damaged."

Zhuang Xiuya let out a strange cry, glared at Yu Banji, and interrupted him.

"To be honest, I just want to rest peacefully for one night so I can leave Daicheng tomorrow morning. Why don't you find someone else, fellow Daoist?" Song Chuan asked with difficulty.

Although Song Chuan had never traveled far from home, he was not without experience. On the contrary, having lived two lives, he was much more mature than the average young man.

This matter certainly carries considerable risk.

At this moment, Old Goose Zhang, who had been silent until now, suddenly said, "If you're not going, Fellow Daoist, we won't be able to accommodate you. All the mortal inns in Daicheng are full these past two days. You'd better find a place outside the city for the night."

Song Chuan's face was grim. This is unreasonable!