As Long Huang walked through the streets, women flocked to him. He felt annoyed; the last time he had been out, there hadn't been much attention directed at him. What he didn't take into account was the upcoming Martial competition. Eventually, he reached the entrance of the Azure Lotus Sect. After pausing to gaze at the mighty gates for a moment, he walked in and headed to the Fifth Elder's Manor to inform Huang Min and her parents that he was back, having left without saying a word.
Upon arriving at the Fifth Elder's Manor, he greeted the guards as usual and entered. The guards were surprised to see him, as he was supposedly missing according to the Fifth Elder and thought to be dead by some. But here he was, standing right in front of them!
As he entered the Manor yard, he was greeted by the married couple, Huang Peng and Su Yan. Seeing him, they rushed forward and began checking him over. "Where have you been, kid?" "Why did you leave without saying a word?" "Why are you only back now?" They bombarded him with questions, flustering Long Huang, but he understood that they were concerned for him. After a few more questions, they finally stopped, giving Long Huang a chance to explain. "I was in the Archdevil Mountain Range in the Sky Cloud Forest, and I just got back today," he said.
"What!" the couple exclaimed in shock. It was a dangerous place for a Skin Tempering Realm cultivator.
"How did you survive?" they asked.
"Well, a deer helped me find some Yang fruits, and I broke through to the Meridian Tempering Realm," Long Huang replied, then he took out the last Yang fruit and handed it to the couple.
"It really is a Yang fruit," Su Yan said, staring at the fruit in Long Huang's hand. Long Huang then asked, "Where's Huang Min? I don't see her around." Hearing this, the couple's faces froze. They exchanged glances before Huang Peng finally said, "She's in her room, and it's been that way for a while."
"Oh, why is that?" Long Huang asked curiously. The couple looked at each other again before responding.
"After you left, we thought you were missing," Huang Peng began. "So we posted a mission to find you. After the first month with no news, rumors started to spread that you were dead."
"But Huang Min didn't believe it. She often got into arguments with fellow disciples who claimed you were dead," Su Yan added. "After that initial month, with still no news, we feared the worst. Huang Min has locked herself in her room since."
Hearing this, Long Huang was taken aback. He hadn't realized his sudden disappearance would affect them so deeply. "I didn't think you would notice," he said, a hint of sadness in his voice.
"Of course we'd noticed. You're like a son to us," Su Yan said in a motherly tone, and Huang Peng nodded in agreement.
Long Huang then bowed and made his way to Huang Min's room. When he arrived, he knocked, but received no response. He knocked again, but still no answer. Deciding to investigate further, he walked around to Huang Min's window, which was unlocked. He jumped through it and entered her room. As he looked around, he suddenly felt something cold at his neck. A knife was being held to him by none other than Huang Min.
"I know you're mad, but can you please put the knife down?" Long Huang pleaded, but Huang Min looked at him as if he were a ghost.
"I'm sorry I left without saying anything," he added apologetically, gazing into her ice-blue eyes that radiated a cold aura. Her face seemed carved from jade, and her hair looked a bit messy. Seeing her made Long Huang heart beat faster and his face flush red. But even noticing his expression, Huang Min still didn't react; she simply turned and went back to her bed.
"Oh, come on, don't be like that," Long Huang said, but she maintained her silence. "I brought you something," he said, pulling out the jade bed he had found in the cave. Even with that, Huang Min didn't say a word, so Long Huang decided to give her some space. He placed about 500 gold notes on the jade bed before leaving.
Once outside, Long Huang decided he should increase his cultivation a bit more before the competition, so he headed toward the medicine pavilion of the sect. As he was in thought, he heard something.
"Grass Snake, you're finally back! We thought you were dead or something…" At that moment, a clear, childlike, and familiar voice came from the right. Hearing this voice, Long Huang's eyes twitched, and he tightened his fists. Frowning, he turned to look at the source of the voice.
Not far away stood a male and a female. The one speaking was a youth dressed in a purple robe adorned with a black lotus on the back, exuding a slight, intimidating aura.
"It's him. My god, why did it have to be this annoying guy…" Long Huang sighed.
The male and female duo were Chi Wei and Zhao Xue. Zhao Xue was the female disciple who had insulted Long Huang the last time they met; she was a direct descendant of the Zhao family in Blossom City. She shot Long Huang a disdainful look, though deep down she wished to gain his favor and have him climb into bed with her. However, she acted this way to please the childish Chi Wei, as he was her ticket to a more cushy life.
"Brother Chi, he looks like he wants to buy something here," Zhao Xue said mockingly.
"Hmph, just him? Does he even have the right to enter the medicine pavilion? Anything from the medicine pavilion costs a few years of his income," Chi Wei replied disdainfully, glancing at Long Huang.
Zhao Xue provoked Chi Wei like this to belittle Long Huang, knowing that with Zhao Feng's background, it would be challenging for him to produce even a few hundred silver coins or gold notes. In comparison, Chi Wei's father and grandfather were both cultivators of the Qi Condensing Realm and held prestigious positions in the sect, making their wealth incomparable. She hoped to humiliate Long Huang just enough so she could later discuss a business proposal of sorts that might improve his situation.
Ignoring the pair, Long Huang walked into the Medicine Pavilion and began searching for resources that would aid his cultivation. The pavilion was bustling with disciples purchasing herbs and pills, some of whom stared at Long Huang as he entered, but he was too preoccupied with his thoughts to notice.
"Meridian Tempering Realm, the second most painful realm when pushed to the limit… This is when the body's qi becomes stronger. In this direction, common-grade pills and herbs are incredibly beneficial. They can consolidate one's foundation and even help some cultivators understand Inner Strength early…"
Long Huang contemplated this and confirmed his needs. Among all the available items, he opted for herbs rather than pills because of the impurities often found in pills. Although herbs weren't as effective as pills, they contained no impurities. He focused on herbs that aid in tempering the meridians and concluded that ginseng was the most useful for cultivators in the Meridian Tempering Realm.
Ginseng plants are categorized by age; older plants possess greater medicinal properties, making them more expensive. The reason was quite simply, the older the ginseng, the more beneficial its effects.
"One hundred-year-old ginseng, 50 gold. Two hundred-year-old ginseng.... 200 gold notes. Three hundred-year-old ginseng…. 300 gold notes and 50 silver coins….. Five-hundred-year-old blood plant… 1000 gold notes. Thousand-year-old ginseng.... 10000 gold notes huh, how do they even have this on sale?"
Long Huang meticulously scanned the price list of the various ginsengs displayed at the pavilion, his sharp eyes taking in each detail. For cultivators like him, the best available option was ginseng plants that were five hundred years old—something few could afford. Just then, Zhao Xue's voice cut through the ambient chatter, laced with a subtle but unmistakable hint of seduction.
"Brother Chi, if I could get my hands on a perfect-grade Skin Tempering Pill, I might be able to ascend to the peak of the Skin Tempering Realm in just half a year," she said, her tone both alluring and hopeful.
Chi Wei rolled his eyes, responding with a note of practicality. "That's not realistic. At most, I can manage to buy you a mid-grade pill. I've been trying to break through to the Meridian Tempering Realm myself, and I need every bit of my gold notes for essential materials to help me achieve that." While Chi Wei was indeed wealthy, he was far from reckless about his spending, well aware of Zhao Xue's attempts to manipulate him for her benefit.
"A mid-grade one is acceptable too," Zhao Xue conceded, a faint smile flickering on her lips. Yet disappointment was evident in her eyes, betraying her true feelings.
At that moment, a calm and authoritative voice pierced through the noise. "Elder, I would like to purchase two two-hundred-year-old ginsengs and two three-hundred-year-old ginsengs, please."
The voice commanded attention, drawing curious glances from several bystanders.
"It's him!" Zhao Xue thought, her heart racing as she spotted Long Huang standing confidently a short distance away. There was something about his demeanor that intrigued her. And his looks, of course.
"Three-hundred-year-old ginseng? He must be exaggerating," Chi Wei sneered, unable to conceal his skepticism. "There's no way a mere official disciple could afford such extravagant demands."
The elder's voice rang out, succinct and professional. "Two two-hundred-year-old ginsengs and two three-hundred-year-old ginsengs will cost you 1,100 gold notes."
As if on cue, Long Huang reached into his robe, producing an impressive stack of gold notes that he exchanged with the elder for the precious herbs. Chi Wei's previously confident smile faltered, morphing into an expression of incredulity.
"How… how is this even possible?" Zhao Xue whispered, her expression one of disbelief as she watched the transaction unfold before her.
"Elder, I would also like three bottles of high-level healing pills and three bottles of high-level blood recovery pills," Long Huang continued, his focus unwavering as he added to his purchase. The pills, all of high-level common grade, would complement his newly acquired herbs, and he casually spent another thousand gold notes without a second thought. Around them, whispers began to circulate among the other disciples.
"He purchased those pills without even inquiring about the prices."
"Exactly! He only picked up the herbs list, so there's no way he knew the costs of the pills."
"What a tycoon he is!"
" Who even is he?"
Disciples in the pavilion said in admiration. After concluding his extensive shopping spree, Long Huang turned and waved nonchalantly at Zhao Xue as he made his exit. She forced a smile, avoiding his gaze, the reality of his wealth making her feel a mix of admiration and frustration.
"Tsk… such a show-off," Chi Wei muttered under his breath, envy tinged with disbelief evident in his voice as he watched Long Huang walk away.