Chapter 5

It was just past the hour of the Tiger, and Zhong Wen, with a joyful heart, took light and nimble steps, swiftly advancing through the mountain forest.

If one looked closely, they would notice that his toes barely touched the ground, as if his body was floating in mid-air, his posture graceful and agile, moving at an incredible speed.

*Yunzhong Xianbu* was an extremely advanced technique, but it was only used by the disciples of the Medicine King Valley to gather medicinal herbs in steep cliffs and other difficult terrains.

To Zhong Wen, this was a waste of a great skill.

With his spiritual energy, he now performed this technique, feeling the cool night breeze on his face and watching the trees rush past him, he felt like a youth as light as the wind.

If I were to deliver packages, would the other couriers even stand a chance?

He felt he had discovered the true potential of *Yunzhong Xianbu*.

The moment he opened the ring in the Medicine King Valley, he was stunned by the items stored inside. The Medicine King himself didn't even bother to put spirit crystals in the ring.

In a space of about ten cubic meters, apart from the Medicine King's portable alchemy furnace and acupuncture needles, various treasures, rare medicinal herbs, and seeds were scattered everywhere. A pile of spirit crystals lay discarded in a corner like garbage, alongside the ordinary spirit crystals Zhong Wen had stuffed in.

Unlike the medicinal herbs planted in the Medicine King Valley, the herbs and seeds in the ring had not withered over time but were instead full of vitality.

This was one of the characteristics of the storage ring: time did not flow within the ring. Whatever was put in would remain the same when taken out, without any changes. However, this also meant that living things could not be stored.

In addition to becoming fabulously wealthy, Zhong Wen received an unexpected surprise.

Before leaving the Medicine King Valley, the thirsty Zhong Wen planned to fetch some water from the lake to quench his thirst. Just as he swallowed a mouthful, he choked and spit it out.

So salty!

Salty to the point of being bitter!

Zhong Wen was first annoyed, then pleasantly surprised.

It's a saltwater lake!

After days of bland meals, Zhong Wen, without a second thought, took out the Medicine King's alchemy furnace from the ring, filled it with lake water, and carried it away.

If the Medicine King knew that his top-tier alchemy furnace, which he had spent a fortune to have made, was being used by Zhong Wen to carry lake water, he might have risen from his bed to take him away.

By the time he returned to the Fragrant Flower Palace, it was almost the hour of the Rabbit, and the sky was beginning to lighten.

Rushing back using *Yunzhong Xianbu*, Zhong Wen, who had just entered the Human Wheel Realm, was still quite weak in spiritual energy. Despite the technique not being very energy-consuming, he was drenched in sweat.

He quietly pushed open the door and was surprised to find Liu Qiqi already practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard.

Is she that diligent?

The two exchanged glances, and an awkward silence filled the air.

"Did you go out last night?" Liu Qiqi asked, her tone tinged with a hint of suspicion.

"I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep, so I went out for a run to exercise a bit," Zhong Wen quickly improvised.

"Your body is indeed too weak," Liu Qiqi said, seeing Zhong Wen panting and sweating. She accepted his explanation, "Go to the back and rinse off. Since you haven't cultivated spiritual energy, you can easily catch a cold if you don't dry off after sweating."

Zhong Wen nodded, "Miss Liu, do you always get up so early to practice swordsmanship?"

"Master gets up even earlier than I do," Liu Qiqi said, her eyes shining with admiration, "I wonder when I can reach Master's level."

"With your hard work, you will surely achieve it," Zhong Wen smiled, encouraging her, then ran back to his room to grab a washbasin and went to the well in the backyard to fetch water.

Watching Zhong Wen leave, Liu Qiqi felt that something about him had changed, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Shaking her head in confusion, she resumed her sword practice.

Back in his room, Zhong Wen took off his shirt and used a cloth to wipe his body with well water.

Even in summer, the mountain wasn't particularly hot, and the well water felt a bit cold on his skin. Fortunately, Zhong Wen had started cultivating the *Yiqi Changsheng Jue* and could endure it.

After wiping his upper body, he was just about to take off his pants when he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Zhong Wen responded, quickly pulling up his pants.

Aunt Wang, who had come in, saw Zhong Wen's bare upper body and blushed slightly, but she didn't look away. Instead, she examined him with interest.

"Aunt Wang, is there something you need?" Zhong Wen asked, picking up his shirt to put it on.

"I was just going to do the laundry and wondered if Mr. Zhong had any clothes that needed washing. I can wash them together," Aunt Wang's voice was soft and gentle, "Since Mr. Zhong is washing up, you can give me the clothes you change out of."

"This... I only have this one set of clothes," Zhong Wen scratched his head, embarrassed.

"Ha ha!" Aunt Wang was taken aback, then couldn't help but laugh, "I'm sorry, I didn't think of that. Mr. Zhong, let me measure you, and I'll buy you a few sets of clothes when I go down the mountain to buy groceries."

Aunt Wang, who was already quite beautiful, looked even more charming and captivating when she smiled, making Zhong Wen's heart skip a beat.

"Aunt Wang, are you going down the mountain? Can I go with you?" Zhong Wen's mindset had changed significantly overnight, and he was no longer timid. He was also curious about the world below the mountain.

"Qingfeng Mountain is about 800 meters high. Mr. Zhong, you've just recovered from your injuries. Won't it be too tiring to go down the mountain now?"

"Not at all, I'm almost fully recovered. Staying idle would be worse. It would be good to stretch my legs and help with my recovery," Zhong Wen shook his head, "And Aunt Wang, please don't call me Mr. Zhong. If you don't mind, just call me Zhong Wen."

"Alright, Zhong Wen, you can come down the mountain with me later. I'll take you to the village and buy a few sets of ready-made clothes," Aunt Wang agreed readily.

"Then... then wait a moment, I'll finish... washing," Zhong Wen struggled to say "washing" without mentioning "private parts."

"I'll tidy up a bit. We'll meet in the courtyard in a moment," Aunt Wang, being a mature woman, quickly understood and smiled as she left the room.

Seeing Aunt Wang leave, Zhong Wen breathed a sigh of relief and quickly finished washing. His original clothes were still damp, but he didn't have time to wait, so he quickly put them on and went to the courtyard.

Aunt Wang was already waiting at the gate, wearing a light yellow blouse and a rose-red sash around her waist, accentuating her graceful figure.

"What's this?" Zhong Wen asked curiously, seeing Aunt Wang carrying two large cloth bags in each hand.

"These are lese, which need to be disposed of down the mountain," Aunt Wang, though slim, carried the bags without any difficulty.

"Let me carry them for you," Zhong Wen offered.

"No, no, you're a guest. How can I let you carry lese?" Aunt Wang shook her head.

Zhong Wen took the bags from Aunt Wang without hesitation, "With a strong man like me here, how can I let a beautiful lady do the heavy lifting?"

"Zhong Wen, what are you talking about? With an old woman like me around, how can I let you men do such dirty work?" Aunt Wang clearly didn't understand Zhong Wen's logic, as this was a world where men were highly respected and women were not.

"Aunt Wang, you're not old at all. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were a young lady in her prime," Zhong Wen said.

Aunt Wang laughed heartily, "I thought you were a straightforward person, but you're quite the smooth talker."

After this playful exchange, the two became much closer, chatting and laughing as they descended the mountain together.

Zhong Wen, carrying the two large bags, felt a steady flow of spiritual energy coursing through his body, making him feel no fatigue even after walking for a long time. He couldn't help but marvel at the remarkable effects of the *Yiqi Changsheng Jue*.

Aunt Wang, walking ahead of him, also moved lightly and energetically.

"Are you a cultivator, Aunt Wang?" Zhong Wen couldn't help but ask.

"I'm just a farmer. How could I have such good fortune? I've been helping out at the Fragrant Flower Palace for a long time, and the palace master, out of kindness, taught me some qi cultivation techniques. I've been practicing them daily, and my body has become much stronger. I don't get tired even when climbing up and down the mountain," Aunt Wang explained.

"It seems this Fragrant Flower Palace master is a good person," Zhong Wen praised.

"Palace Master Lin is like a living bodhisattva, a divine being," Aunt Wang said with reverence.

The two walked quickly and soon reached the foot of the mountain. Zhong Wen could see the green fields in the distance.

"That's Qingfeng Village," Aunt Wang introduced, "The entire area around Qingfeng Mountain belongs to the Fragrant Flower Palace. The village has fertile land and abundant spiritual energy. Besides growing food and vegetables, the farmers also plant medicinal herbs as instructed by Palace Master Lin. The Fragrant Flower Palace then buys these herbs and sells them in Cangyun City."

As they approached the village, Zhong Wen indeed saw patches of medicinal fields scattered among the large fields. The medicinal herbs were robust and vibrant, though not as impressive as the top-tier herbs in the storage ring, they were still quite remarkable.

After about a moment, they arrived in a bustling part of the village.

"Here we are, this is Aunt Liu's house," Aunt Wang pointed to a cottage, "Aunt Liu makes clothes for the villagers. I'm sure she has some ready-made men's clothes."

"Aunt Wang, I haven't recovered my memory yet, and I can't remember much. How much spirit crystals would a set of adult men's clothes cost?" Zhong Wen asked humbly, as he had no idea about prices.

"Spirit crystals?" Aunt Wang looked at him as if he were an idiot, both amused and exasperated, "Young Master Zhong, in the village, rough cloth clothes don't require spirit crystals. A set of clothes only costs one silver coin."

"Really? Spirit crystals are that valuable?" Zhong Wen glanced at the mountain of spirit crystals in the ring.

"You really don't remember anything," Aunt Wang explained patiently, "Spirit crystals are usually used for transactions between cultivators. It's hard to get even one spirit crystal for a hundred silver coins."

"So expensive? I saw that the lights in the house use spirit crystals, so I thought..."

"The spirit crystal lamps can last for a year with just one spirit crystal."

"This is awkward," Zhong Wen frowned, "I only have spirit crystals, no silver coins. What should I do?"

Aunt Wang: "..."

She didn't want to talk to Zhong Wen anymore.

Zhong Wen suddenly put down the bags and took out a spirit crystal from his pocket, though it was just a pretense to hide the storage ring.

"Aunt Wang, I'm new here. Can I exchange this spirit crystal for some silver coins?"

"But... I don't have that much silver."

"I don't need that much, just enough to buy a few sets of clothes," Zhong Wen said sincerely, "Spirit crystals aren't very useful to me anyway."

"This... This wouldn't be right, it would be too much of a favor to you," Aunt Wang, though tempted, kept shaking her head.

Zhong Wen took Aunt Wang's hand and placed the spirit crystal in her palm, "Let's make a deal. I'll also need your help to pick out a few suitable sets of clothes."

Aunt Wang's hand, though fair, felt rough like that of a common farmer.

"Alright... I'll keep it for you," the beautiful woman finally couldn't resist the temptation of the spirit crystal.

After receiving Zhong Wen's favor, Aunt Wang became much more friendly and carefully picked out a few sets of clothes for him. At Zhong Wen's request, she also helped him buy a clay pot, flint, and other items.

With all the necessary items for making coarse salt, Zhong Wen followed Aunt Wang to buy ingredients from a vegetable farmer. While Aunt Wang was carefully selecting and haggling, Zhong Wen noticed some old hens in the farmer's yard.

The hens were well-fed and full of vitality, strutting around the yard.

"Uncle, are you selling these old hens?" After two days of bland vegetarian meals, Zhong Wen almost drooled at the sight of the hens.

"Sure, if the price is right, there's nothing I won't sell," the farmer was quite straightforward, "You're not from around here, are you? Since you're with Aunt Wang, I won't overcharge you. Five silver coins for one, a fair price, take it or leave it."

"Aunt Wang, these hens aren't cheap," Aunt Wang looked reluctant.

"Miss Wang, you're mistaken. Go around and ask, who doesn't know that Old Li is the most honest in his business? You won't find better or cheaper hens anywhere else," the farmer argued.

"Uncle, you seem like an honest man. These hens look quite fat. If I buy more, can you give me a better price?" Zhong Wen smiled, trying to calm him down.

"I like the way you talk. How about this, if you buy five, I'll charge you twenty silver coins."

"Alright, Uncle, I'll pre-order twenty-five," Zhong Wen smiled and took out another spirit crystal, "But I don't have silver coins. Can I exchange this for them?"

"Is... Is this a spirit crystal?" The farmer's eyes widened, and he swallowed hard.

"Zhong Wen, you..." Aunt Wang was shocked by Zhong Wen's extravagance.

"Don't worry, I have plenty of spirit crystals. I might as well use them to improve everyone's diet," Zhong Wen casually threw the spirit crystal to the farmer, "Uncle, I'll come for one every day. If I don't come, just give them to Aunt Wang."

"Alright!" The farmer quickly put the spirit crystal in his pocket, fearing Zhong Wen might change his mind, and hurriedly caught an old hen to give to Zhong Wen.

Aunt Wang watched, torn between laughter and tears. She wanted to scold him but thought better of it since Zhong Wen was spending his own spirit crystals. She could only sigh in frustration.

"Left hand a chicken, right hand a duck!" On the way back up the mountain, Zhong Wen gallantly took the bags from Aunt Wang, holding a chicken in one hand and vegetables in the other, humming a tune, feeling very satisfied.

Aunt Wang followed behind, gazing at Zhong Wen's back, lost in thought...

***

Jin Yewai stood trembling in the hall, occasionally stealing glances at Dantai Jin, who sat in a grand chair.

Dantai Jin's gaze suddenly fell on him, making Jin Yewai shudder and break out in a cold sweat.

Dantai Jin, the eldest son of the Dantai family, had risen to a high position by his early thirties, and the unintentional aura of authority he exuded put immense pressure on Jin Yewai.

"Is everything settled?" Dantai Jin's voice was cold and emotionless.

"Please rest assured, Young Master. As long as there are no issues in Cangyun City, the Fragrant Flower Palace will never be able to repay this debt. We will definitely make Lin Zhiyun give up Qingfeng Mountain," Jin Yewai said with a fawning smile.

"The matters in Cangyun City will be handled by our Dantai family. There won't be any problems," Dantai Jin's face twisted into a cold smile, "Such a spiritually rich land should not be occupied by a few women. It's time for Qingfeng Mountain to have a new owner."

"Should I go to the Fragrant Flower Palace and put more pressure on those girls in the next few days, Young Master?"

"There's no need. It won't be very effective before the deadline. Since we can resolve this legally, I don't mind waiting a few more days," Dantai Jin's tone was filled with confidence, "In five days, I'll send someone to accompany you up the mountain. If the people at the Fragrant Flower Palace leave peacefully, that's fine. Otherwise, I don't mind using force."

"Can your people capture them and hand them over to me if those women don't cooperate?" Jin Yewai's eyes gleamed with lust as he thought of the Fragrant Flower Palace master's beautiful face, and a droplet of saliva formed at the corner of his mouth.

"Sure," Dantai Jin looked at Jin Yewai's ugly, pig-like face with disgust.

Once the matter is settled, this fat pig will no longer be useful...

***

"Palace Master Lin, the city lord is unwell and cannot receive visitors. Please return," the gatekeeper said coldly.

Seeing the gatekeeper's indifferent expression, Lin Zhiyun felt frustrated.

"Brother, I have urgent matters to discuss. Could you please inform the city lord again? I will reward you generously if you succeed," she tried to reason with the gatekeeper.

"Sorry, but the city lord's orders are clear. I can't disobey them. Palace Master Lin, please wait for ten days or half a month until the city lord recovers and then come back," the gatekeeper's tone was cold and firm.

It's easier to see the king of hell than to deal with a lowly gatekeeper.

If someone skilled in socializing were here, they would first give the gatekeeper some benefits before asking for help. However, Lin Zhiyun was not good at interpersonal relations and didn't understand these simple principles.

"The matter is urgent, and I can't wait ten days or half a month," Lin Zhiyun's tone became increasingly anxious.

"Palace Master Lin, you are a high-ranking cultivator. You must have many connections. Why not seek help elsewhere instead of making things difficult for a lowly gatekeeper like me?" The gatekeeper's tone was tinged with mockery.

"You..." Lin Zhiyun was about to get angry but eventually held back, "Farewell!"

"So what if you're a cultivator? If the Dantai family wants to deal with you, even the city lord can't protect you. Let's see how long you can hold out," the gatekeeper muttered to himself as he watched Lin Zhiyun leave, "But Palace Master Lin is quite beautiful. If she were willing to become the city lord's concubine, she might have a chance to resolve this crisis. What a pity..."