Mortal: Reborn in Yellow Maple Valley, Awakening the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts

He possesses a wealth of resources from demonic cultivators. If he were to enter any of the markets of the seven sects of Yue Kingdom at this moment, he would easily arouse suspicion and cause unnecessary trouble.

Only the markets under the jurisdiction of the Tianxing Sect of the Yuanwu Kingdom are relatively independent, making them the safest place to sell resources.

He planned to convert all the demonic resources he possessed into pills and talismans suitable for his cultivation, as well as a sufficient amount of mid-grade spirit stones.

In the chaotic and turbulent south, only by having sufficient resources can one stand firm and protect oneself.

After traveling day and night for several days, Chu Zifei, covered in dust and grime, finally stepped into the territory of Tianxingzong Market in Yuanwu Kingdom.

After removing his mask, he did not rush to the trading pavilion under the Tianxing Sect, but instead followed his memory and headed straight for the pill pavilion in the southwest corner of the market.

He first needed to find Hyacinth, a man he knew well before, and Wang Laowu.

However, upon entering the Pill Pavilion, Chu Zifei did not see that familiar figure.

After asking the shop assistants, he learned that Wang Laowu had been kicked out by the shopkeeper several days earlier.

He patiently pressed for details and finally found out where Wang Laowu lived.

Without the slightest delay, Chu Zifei turned and left the shop, heading straight for the other party's residence according to the route.

He walked slowly through the alleys, making his way through a maze of twists and turns, and soon arrived at the gate of a secluded courtyard.

Bang bang bang!

Three soft knocks sounded on the door.

The courtyard gate opened slightly, and an old woman peeked out.

Seeing that Chu Zifei possessed an extraordinary bearing and was no ordinary person, the old woman dared not be the slightest bit negligent and spoke with utmost respect.

"Young master, may I ask who you are?"

"I know Wang Laowu and have come to find him," Chu Zifei said calmly.

  

"So it's Lao Wu's friend! Please come in, guest!"

The old woman quickly stepped aside to lead the way, her gaze falling on Chu Zifei, her expression hesitant, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

After a moment, she said in a low voice, "It's just that... Xiao Wu has been unwell lately and is unable to go out to greet guests. I hope the guests will not take offense."

Xiao Wu?

Chu Zifei couldn't help but smile inwardly.

Considering Wang Laowu's shrewd and mercenary nature, it's surprising that he would use such an affectionate term. Without a doubt, the old woman before him must be Wang Laowu's mother.

"It's alright, I can go in and check myself."

Chu Zifei nodded slightly and strode into the courtyard with the old woman.

The courtyard was small but clean and tidy. In one corner, there was a small vegetable garden, adding a touch of the leisurely atmosphere of an ordinary family, which was out of place with the hustle and bustle of the market.

Led by the old woman, Chu Zifei went straight into the innermost bedroom.

Wang Laowu, lying on the bed, looked several times more haggard than before.

His body was emaciated and withered, his face was dull and lifeless, his eyes were deeply sunken, and his breathing was weak and disordered, looking like a dying person who had exhausted all his energy.

Noticing someone enter the room, Wang Laowu barely managed to open his eyelids.

Upon recognizing Chu Zifei, he struggled to rise and greet him. But as soon as he moved, he was overcome with a violent cough and wheezing, feeling utterly weak, and could only slump back onto the bed.

His lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to apologize, but Chu Zifei raised his hand to stop him.

Chu Zifei strode forward and scanned the area with his divine sense. He immediately sensed a wisp of sinister demonic spiritual power swirling deep within Wang Laowu's chest cavity and understood what was happening.

Without saying a word, he took out a Nourishing Essence Pill and fed it to Wang Laowu.

At the same time, a wisp of spiritual energy condensed at his fingertips, probing into the other party's meridians and completely stripping away the demonic spirit that had been entrenched in his body.

In just a few breaths, Wang Laowu's sallow complexion gradually regained its color, his disordered breathing became steady, and his weak body visibly improved.

Once he had completely calmed down, Chu Zifei lowered his head and asked, "Tell me, what exactly happened that left you in this situation?"

By this time, Wang Laowu was breathing smoothly and able to speak normally. Overwhelmed with mixed feelings, he did not hide anything and recounted his experiences over the past month in detail.

A month ago, a mysterious cultivator dressed in a blood-red robe quietly approached him, wanting to use his connections to participate in an auction at a secret shop in the market.

Wang Laowu naturally followed his old habits, wanting to profit from both sides.

In his view, the market has its own rules, and even if their intentions are seen through, the other party will not dare to act recklessly within the market.

But to his utter surprise, the newcomer turned out to be a demonic cultivator, ruthless and violent, who completely disregarded the rules of the market.

The other party immediately saw through his attempt to profit from both sides and, without saying a word, slapped him hard on the chest.

This palm strike contained hidden spiritual power. Although it did not kill him directly, it ruptured his internal organs, leaving him severely injured and on the verge of death.

The commotion inside the store immediately alerted the guardian cultivators of the Pill Pavilion, who promptly subdued the perpetrators.

When the manager of the Pill Pavilion learned that he was actually Hyacinth, he immediately expelled him from the pavilion, cutting off his livelihood.

Wang Laowu dragged his badly injured body home in a sorry state, and from then on, he fell ill and never recovered.

With his savings accumulated over the years, he could have purchased healing pills to slowly repair his injuries.

However, the residual spiritual energy from that demonic cultivator's palm strike was extremely sinister and lingered in his meridians.

This wisp of spiritual energy specifically blocks the flow of medicinal power. No matter how many healing pills he takes, their medicinal power will be completely neutralized, making it impossible to nourish his injuries.

This wisp of spiritual energy is something a cultivator could easily eliminate, but Wang Laowu is just a mortal without any cultivation, so naturally he is powerless to do anything about it.

The only cultivator he knew was the guardian of the Pill Pavilion. But he had already been expelled, and it was already more than enough that he had been spared his life; the other party would certainly not offer him any further assistance.

Day after day, his injuries could only continue to worsen, and he was barely clinging to life, on the verge of death.

If it weren't for Chu Zifei's timely arrival to rescue him today, he certainly wouldn't have lasted more than three to five days.

After saying this, Wang Laowu had regained some strength. He struggled to get out of bed, knelt heavily on both knees, and respectfully kowtowed three times to Chu Zifei, his tone full of gratitude.

"Thank you so much for saving my life, my benefactor! I have no way to repay you. From now on, I am willing to serve you like a dog or a horse, without a single complaint!"

Chu Zifei accepted the grand gesture with composure, glanced down at Wang Laowu who was kneeling on the ground, and said calmly:

"There's no need for me to be your servant. I came here specifically to seek your help because I need your assistance."

Wang Laowu immediately stood up, looking very confident.

"If my benefactor commands me, I will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

Chu Zi didn't mince words and went straight to the point: "I need to go to the secret shop again. Now that you've just recovered, can you still guide me?"

"Leading the way is no problem!"

Wang Laowu immediately agreed, but then looked troubled and quickly added, "But my benefactor, the Secret Shop auction is currently suspended. If we go now, we're afraid we'll gain nothing."

"It's alright, you just need to lead the way."

Having said that, Chu Zifei said no more and waited for the other party to prepare.

"Please wait a moment, my benefactor."

Wang Laowu dared not delay, turned around and went into the inner room to take a bath, changed into a clean and tidy set of clothes, and reappeared a moment later, already dressed.