Like many places, there was a small town located about twenty miles outside the Sunset Forest. Although inconspicuous, this town controlled most of the herb and fur trade in the surrounding cities, making it the source of goods.
However, this twenty-mile distance nearly took Tang San and Tang Hao an entire day to traverse.
As soon as Tang San entered the town, he was greeted by a bustling crowd and enthusiastic shouts. However, the small vendors and peddlers quickly avoided them as if they had seen a ghost.
Tang San noticed this and quickly glanced at himself, immediately understanding the reason.
At that moment, they were still wearing the tattered and filthy clothes they had worn during the competition.
Tang San shook his head with a bitter smile. Blame it on their recent immobility and his somewhat despondent state of mind, he had forgotten to change into clean clothes.
Moreover, it wasn't just the clothes; both he and his father hadn't bathed in many days. From others' perspectives, they probably looked worse than beggars!
Casually glancing around the street, he noticed that there were no herbs being sold. Taking a deep breath, Tang San decided to ignore the stares of others and headed straight to the pharmacy with Tang Hao.
"Welcome... uh, welcome!" The pharmacy apprentice greeted them warmly upon hearing someone enter, but hesitated when he saw who it was.
Tang San had anticipated this and took out a few Gold Soul Coins from his Soul Guiding Device, waving them in front of the apprentice.
Seeing the coins, the apprentice quickly regained his enthusiasm and bowed forward, "What kind of medicine are you looking for, sirs?"
"Qi Blood Grass, Seven Fragrance Flower, Snake Grass..." Tang San listed eight or nine herbs he was missing.
The apprentice nodded repeatedly, jotting down the herbs Tang San mentioned. "We have all the herbs you mentioned, but Snake Grass and Seven Fragrance Flower are now controlled herbs. You'll need to register to purchase them."
"Controlled? What does that mean?" Tang San was puzzled.
"I'm not entirely sure myself. Just a couple of days ago, the empire suddenly started collecting herbs in large quantities and issued a decree stating that every pharmacy must keep some emergency stock. From now on, anyone purchasing these herbs needs to register, supposedly to prevent unscrupulous merchants from hoarding them."
"Lately, we've all been wondering if a war is about to break out," the apprentice glanced outside and whispered to Tang San.
Hearing this, Tang San's eyes flickered and then gradually turned cold. "So, I can only buy them if I register?"
"Please don't make this difficult for me, sir. These herbs are strictly accounted for, and we've only kept some emergency stock for those in dire need," the apprentice pleaded, likely having encountered similar situations recently.
Just as the apprentice finished speaking, several burly men emerged from the depths of the shop.
Tang San fell silent for a moment, realizing that he had no choice but to register. He exchanged a glance with Tang Hao, secretly gathering Soul Power within his body.
Seeing his father nod, Tang San decided to give it one last try. He extended his right hand, and a Blue Silver Grass appeared in his palm, with a Spirit Ring manifesting beneath his feet.
The apprentice's eyes darted around, and he quickly picked up a ledger from the table. Flipping through the pages, he suddenly stopped and compared the Spirit Ring beneath Tang San's feet with the record.
"Apologies, sir, but you've been blacklisted. According to the latest regulations jointly issued by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, Spirit Hall, and Heaven Dou Empire, our shop is prohibited from selling anything to you."
"Blacklisted?" Tang San was taken aback, thinking he had been wanted by the authorities.
"Yes, are you Tang San? The records indicate that you've been excessively hunting Soul Beasts. The recycling department advised you to consume them yourself, but instead, you sold them on the black market for profit."
"Although your actions did lead to the dismantling of a large underground black market, the sheer volume of Soul Beasts you sold is too significant," the apprentice said calmly, closing the ledger.
"I'd like to ask, how can such a regulation reach such a remote corner?" Tang San asked, puzzled, as he looked at the pharmacy apprentice.
The apprentice was momentarily stunned. "Don't you understand the combined influence of the Heaven Dou Empire, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, and Spirit Hall?"
"Moreover, most of the pharmaceutical industry in Heaven Dou is monopolized by Seven Treasure Pharmaceuticals. Small suppliers like us can't sell our products outside if we don't comply."
Tang San nodded, then exchanged a glance with Tang Hao before they both acted.
"Father, what should we do next?"
Walking along the forest path, Tang San's expression was heavy. He had thought he was being hunted, but this outcome was far worse than being wanted.
Tang Hao had been frowning since they left the pharmacy. After a moment of silence, he said, "I'll take you to a place where you can find a method to evolve your Blue Silver Grass. After that, you should go to the Clear Sky Sect to train."
"Father, won't you come back with me? The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, the Heaven Dou royal family, and Spirit Hall seem to be colluding. It's not safe for you to stay outside with your current strength."
"..."
The forest path fell into silence, with only the sound of their footsteps. After a long pause, Tang Hao spoke in a low voice, "I no longer have the face to return to the Clear Sky Sect."
"Father, don't say that..."
The finals of the Soul Master Competition were to be held in Spirit City. After three days of rest, Li Xun and the others set off with the main force toward Spirit City.
This journey included not only the fourteen participating teams but also a thousand Royal Knights and the diplomatic delegation led by Pope Bibi Dong, making the entire procession nearly two thousand strong.
With so many people traveling together, and not in a disciplined military formation, the journey that should have taken twenty days was delayed by two.
"Tsk tsk, we'll reach Spirit City tomorrow, and Bibi Dong still hasn't summoned Yu Xiaogang. How can both of them hold back so well?" Dugu Bo opened the carriage window, looking back at a luxurious carriage with a gossipy expression.
"Once we're in Spirit City, it's her territory. Why are you in such a hurry?" Li Xun glanced at Dugu Bo's mischievous demeanor and chuckled.
"I'm just wondering if Bibi Dong isn't afraid that Qian Renxue might confront her? It seems someone like Yu Xiaogang is still quite popular," Dugu Bo laughed.
"Perhaps it's nostalgia. If Yu Xiaogang had stayed in Heaven Dou, he might have been killed as soon as we left."
Ning Fengzhi sipped his tea contentedly. "Moreover, previous competitions only sent a thousand Royal Knights as escorts. The extra ones must have received other orders."
"It's all because that little girl couldn't keep her composure. If it were me, I would have quietly killed Yu Xiaogang without a trace. But she had to make such a big scene, first with a raid on his home. What could a mere academy possibly have?" Dugu Bo shook his head in disdain.
"You wouldn't understand the intricacies here. This is likely another one of Qian Renxue's tests against Bibidong and Yu Xiaogang," Li Xun sneered at Dugu Bo, earning a glare in return.
"Ahem, by the way, Teacher, have there been any updates about Yu Yuanzhen since Shrek Academy was raided?" Seeing Dugu Bo's anger, Li Xun quickly changed the subject.
"I heard the old dragon returned to Blue Lightning and sealed off the mountain, but the specifics are still unclear," Ning Fengzhi shook his head.
Sealing off the mountain to await death? A thought flashed through Li Xun's mind.
"Xiao Xun, what are you planning to do about the Nine Star Begonia family? That little girl Ye Lingling has been your spy for so long, and she kept calling out to see you when she left," Ning Fengzhi narrowed his eyes at Li Xun.
"Let's talk about it when we get back."
(End of Chapter)