Mei Man didn’t agree to go exploring the spirit market with him, and Yu Guiya didn’t press her. He only said they could go together another time if the opportunity arose.
That afternoon, she went to the spirit market alone.
First, she disguised herself and went to a secluded little shop to buy a Meridian-Changing Pill.
The thing had serious side effects. Buying too many at once would easily attract the shopkeeper’s attention, so over the past few days she had bought one here and another there.
But once she bought them, she had to sell something as well. Otherwise, how could she ease the pain of watching her spirit stones disappear?
Mei Man really wanted to sell that golden bell. No matter how pretty something made of gold was, it couldn’t compare to the practical value of spirit stones in hand.
Unfortunately, Qiu Yingling had warned her about it long ago, so she could only suppress the impulse and think of another way—
Sell medicine.
She had been in the inner sect for nearly half a month. Most of that time had been spent reading, but in her spare moments she had also refined some pills.
Some of the shops in the spirit market bought medicinal pills and then resold them down the mountain.
Mei Man removed her disguise and went into a pill shop nearby.
Who would have thought that the moment she stepped inside, she would run straight into Fan Zilang?
Fan Zilang was standing with several cultivators, asking the shopkeeper about Foundation-Building Pills.
What rotten luck, Mei Man thought. She turned around to leave, but Fan Zilang spotted her first.
“Oh, it’s you.” Fan Zilang gave one of the people beside him a meaningful look. That man was a loyal hound and immediately understood. In two or three strides, he moved to block the doorway.
Mei Man glanced sideways at him, her expression displeased.
Fan Zilang raised his brows at his two friends. “You haven’t met her before, have you? She’s the new disciple Immortal Lord Shen just took.”
“Oh, her?” said the cultivator on the left. “But she doesn’t have any spiritual power. What can she learn after becoming his disciple?”
The one blocking the door clicked his tongue. “Immortal Lord Shen really has no eye for talent. He passed over someone as gifted as Zilang and accepted a mere mortal instead.”
A few flattering words made Fan Zilang beam. He looked at Mei Man and smiled. “Don’t blame them. They don’t know how to watch their tongues. But you—why are you leaving as soon as you arrive? Are the pills in this shop not good enough, or did you not bring enough money?”
Mei Man’s brows drew tightly together. She wished she could tear his mouth apart.
But then, all at once, her expression relaxed, and she lowered her eyes.
“I should have enough money to buy pills.” She glanced at him, seeming hesitant to speak. “It’s just that I’m worried…”
“Worried about what?”
“Worried I’ll upset you.”
“Upset me?” Fan Zilang laughed coldly, as though he had heard the most ridiculous joke in the world. “What could you possibly do to upset me?”
“It’s because you seem to care so much about Immortal Master Shen taking me as his disciple. Now that I’ve received my monthly allowance from him and am using it to buy medicine, while you don’t have that money, wouldn’t you end up sulking by yourself again? Sulking is one thing—you’ll get over it in a few days—but it would be unfortunate if you went to the Immortal Master and badmouthed me again.”
Mei Man spoke with extraordinary sincerity, but her words nearly drove Fan Zilang mad. In particular, when he noticed the way the other two cultivators were looking at him, his anger grew even more intense.
“When have I ever cared?” he snapped. “They’re only a few pills. Who needs a monthly allowance? So what if I don’t have one?”
Mei Man said, “If you don’t have one, you can’t afford to buy them.”
“Utter nonsense!” The muscles in Fan Zilang’s face twitched. “Fine! Then tell me what expensive medicine you intend to buy. Let’s see whether you can afford it—or whether I can take it all!”
“All right. You said it yourself.” Mei Man’s face remained expressionless, but deep down she was nearly laughing aloud.
She had read so many books over the past few days. She couldn’t say how much knowledge she had truly learned, but at least she had mastered one thing perfectly:
Which pills were the most expensive and valuable.
After Fan Zilang called the shopkeeper over, Mei Man said, “I want three ninth-grade Gold-Congealing Pills.”
The shopkeeper had been looking listless, but his eyes lit up at once. He immediately realized a big sale had come knocking and hurried to fetch them.
“Certainly, you—”
“Wait!” Fan Zilang’s face filled with suspicion. “You’re a mortal. What do you need ninth-grade Gold-Congealing Pills for?”
Mei Man said, “My master told me to buy a few and take them back. He wants to teach me the difference between the Gold-Congealing Pills sold on the market and the ones he makes himself.”
Fan Zilang was so envious his teeth nearly cracked. He glared at the shopkeeper. “How many ninth-grade Gold-Congealing Pills do you have?”
“Not many. Only a dozen or so.”
“Good. I’ll take them all.”
The shopkeeper was startled. “Each one costs two mid-grade spirit stones.”
Fan Zilang said, “That’s cheap.”
“But…” the shopkeeper said, “in business, there is such a thing as first come, first served.”
“Give them to him.” Mei Man smiled, though the smile was somewhat strained. “He’s my senior brother.”
The shopkeeper felt even more sorry for her and was about to say something on her behalf when he heard her continue, “I could buy some Longevity Pills instead.”
“Longevity Pills?!” Fan Zilang stared at her in disbelief. “An Immortal Lord can live for thousands upon thousands of years. Why would he need you to buy Longevity Pills?”
“He may be immortal, but I’m a mortal,” Mei Man said. “This has nothing to do with the Immortal Master. I’m buying them for myself. I intend to take them myself.”
Fan Zilang’s face flushed with anger. But with his companions present, he forced himself to hold it in and sneered, “Longevity Pills can alter one’s fate. They’re even more valuable than ninth-grade Gold-Congealing Pills. You’re buying them for yourself, so don’t try to act rich when you’re not.”
Mei Man ignored him and said directly to the shopkeeper, “I’ll take ten, so—”
“I’ll take them all!” Fan Zilang interrupted her.
The shopkeeper could tell that he was deliberately causing trouble. His cultivation was not weak, and he instantly released his pressure. With a false smile, he said, “Young friend, this is not an ordinary mortal-world shop. If you deliberately interfere with my business, I won’t care whose disciple you are. I’ll beat you all the same.”
The pressure made Fan Zilang struggle to breathe, but he was still caught up in his anger. Acting on impulse, he said, “They’re only a few pills. I can afford them!”
He slapped down a bag of spirit stones. The mouth of the bag had come loose, and several high-grade spirit stones spilled out.
“Very well.” The shopkeeper looked at Mei Man. “Young friend, is there anything else you would like?”
Mei Man named several more medicines, choosing the most expensive ones each time.
Fan Zilang didn’t even ask the prices. He simply declared that he would take them all. Even his two companions began to look troubled. They tugged at him hesitantly.
“Zilang, why don’t we just forget it?”
But Fan Zilang was already too worked up to listen. He shook off their hands and said to Mei Man, “If you admit defeat now, I can still let you take a few pills back with you. It’s better than showing up empty-handed before the Immortal Master and having no way to explain yourself.”
Mei Man ignored him and asked the shopkeeper, “Shopkeeper, I heard that you acquired half a Spirit-Nourishing Grand Tonic Pill not long ago.”
The shopkeeper was startled.
The Spirit-Nourishing Grand Tonic Pill was extraordinarily precious. Some time ago, an unknown cultivator had contacted him and entrusted him with selling half a pill. Even half of such a miraculous pill could fetch an exorbitant price.
But he hadn’t even announced it yet. How did she know about it?
Still, doing business meant knowing when not to pry, so he nodded. “That’s right. But the price hasn’t been settled yet. Though it’s only half a pill, it’s highly sought after. The person who entrusted it to me said that if it couldn’t be sold for this amount, they would rather keep it for themselves.”
As he spoke, he held up two fingers.
Hearing that there was a Spirit-Nourishing Grand Tonic Pill, Fan Zilang’s anger vanished, replaced by delight.
“Two spirit stones?”
The shopkeeper waved his hand. “Twenty.”
“Twenty?!”
“High-grade spirit stones,” the shopkeeper added.
“That’s highway robbery!” Fan Zilang shouted angrily.
The shopkeeper chuckled. “It’s a matter of mutual consent.”
"I'll take it," Mei Man said. "But I don't have enough spirit stones on me. Will this do instead?"
As she spoke, she pulled out the golden bell right away. It glinted so brightly that the entire shop lit up a little.
The whole room fell dead silent, and everyone stared at the golden bell in unison.
Anyone with eyes could tell how precious that intricately patterned golden bell was. Let alone the Spirit-Nourishing Great Restoration Pill, even buying this entire shop outright would not be a problem with it.
Fan Zilang was also utterly shocked, wondering where on earth she had gotten such a valuable thing. The next second he thought it was very likely given to her by Shen Shushi, and his expression twisted even more. He glanced left and right, saw that his two companions were both gawking dumbfoundedly at the gold in her hand, and felt even more irritated.
Just as the shop owner nodded repeatedly saying it was more than enough, Fan Zilang cut in sharply: "She's a mortal with no spiritual vein at all. What use would she even have for the Great Restoration Pill? Sell it to me instead, and I'll pay extra."
"Alright then," Mei Man quickly tucked the golden bell back, even faster than she had pulled it out. She was tightfisted, and hated letting other people look at it for too long, for fear their gazes would sully the golden bell.
Fan Zilang's expression froze, and he vaguely sensed that something was off.
But before he could figure it out, the beaming shop owner ushered him over, and he ended up signing the contract slip in a daze.
The next moment he saw the astronomical number of spirit stones written on the slip, and his face nearly turned blue.
That many spirit stones, even if he emptied all he had on his person, would not be enough.
Maybe I can find a way to buy it first, then resell it later—
"You're really rich," a faint, teasing sigh came from directly behind his left side.
Fan Zilang jumped in fright, turned his head, and met Mei Man's gaze exactly.
Mei Man said, "People always say cultivators are open and above board. You wouldn't do the petty, underhanded thing of buying it just to resell it later, right?"
"Of course not!"
"Good to hear that." Mei Man left Fan Zilang looking utterly miserable and started walking for the door. "The pill I wanted got bought up by you, so I'll just have to come back another time."
After leaving that shop, she turned right around and walked into a nearby pill shop, selling all the pills she had refined.
She hadn't brought many pills with her this trip, so the spirit stones she got in exchange were not many, not even adding up to a single high-grade spirit stone.
But it didn't matter. She was already set to make a huge profit from that Spirit-Nourishing Great Restoration Pill Fan Zilang had just bought.
After receiving the reminder on her communication jade slip, she took a face-changing pill, then headed back to the very same pill shop she had just left and slipped in through the back door.
"Little friend, where is the pill? The buyer is still waiting outside," the shop owner asked without beating around the bush.
While the person in front of him was rummaging for the pill, he sized her up too. He had run his business in this immortal estate for so many years, and he had never seen this cultivator before.
She was a tall female cultivator, with a delicate and pretty face, yet her features felt vaguely indistinct. As soon as you shifted your gaze away, you could no longer remember what she looked like.
He was just wondering about that when Mei Man had already found the pill and handed it over to him.
The shop owner was very straightforward. As soon as he got the Spirit-Nourishing Great Restoration Pill, he kept one spirit stone as his reselling fee and gave all the rest to her.
He said cheerfully, "Little friend, if you have more high-quality pills in the future, you must think of me first. Prices and buyers, all of that is easy to work out."
Mei Man nodded. "Thank you."
She still looked gloomy, as if no commotion around her could catch her attention, but deep down she felt more relaxed than she had in ages.
She was just about to leave when she stopped, and asked casually, "It's pretty rare to see someone carrying that many spirit stones on them. Did that buyer hear the news ahead of time and come here specially to buy the pill?"
"Nah, that's not it," the shop owner said. "This whole thing can't be explained clearly in a few words. That buyer was a kid putting on a tough act, he almost couldn't scrape together the money, and had to call one of his friends over. Sigh, cultivating the Tao starts with cultivating the heart. Anyone with a crooked mind is bound to stumble sooner or later—sorry for rambling. Rest assured, the transaction is fully settled, no loose ends left."
Called one friend over?
Didn't he get the two cultivators who came out with him to help?
Mei Man looked thoughtful, then said to the shop owner, "Since I'm already here, I might as well buy some pills too."
"Please do, little friend—though we just made that big sale today, all our top-grade stock is sold out."
"I don't need those," Mei Man said. "I'll just buy some Bigu Pills."
Mei Man followed him out to the main hall. Fan Zilang was right there, face twisted with anger, ranting about something, while his two friends stood awkwardly by his side, not daring to say a word.
And the person standing in front of him talking back to him was none other than Yu Guiya.
Fan Zilang spat, "What is she even? How dare she scheme against me? Does she really think just because someone's backing her up, she can do whatever she wants?"
Yu Guiya said, "What if she really just came to buy pills? And you, you've always got a temper that flares up at the smallest spark. Didn't you learn your lesson last time?"
"I—" Fan Zilang bit back his anger the second the shop owner came out, and took the half Spirit-Nourishing Great Restoration Pill.
The shop owner smiled. "Do come again."
Fan Zilang's face was livid, he didn't even glance at the owner, but caught sight of Mei Man out of the corner of his eye, and flashed Yu Guiya a look. "Let's go, we'll talk outside."
The two other cultivators tried to follow, but he glowered at them fiercely. "You two useless wastes! You leech off me for food and drink all the time, but when the time comes you can't even cough up a single hair's worth of money. Get lost!"
Mei Man paid them no mind. She took her time to buy the Bigu Pills unhurriedly, then walked out.
She spotted their figures through the crowd and quietly trailed after them.
The two of them avoided the crowded areas and headed to a teahouse to have tea.
Mei Man couldn't just follow them straight inside, and if she tried to eavesdrop by crouching on the roof and got caught, that would just be embarrassing.
After thinking it over, she simply took another face-changing pill and transformed into the look of a teahouse waiter.
She stopped another waiter who was carrying tea. "This is for the second floor, right?"
"Yeah." The waiter was confused by her unfamiliar face, and the tea tray in his hand was immediately taken away. "I'll deliver it," Mei Man said, not waiting for him to reply, and carried the tea up the stairs.
There weren't many private rooms on the second floor, and she found Fan Zilang and Yu Guiya right away.
The door was left ajar, and Fan Zilang was throwing a fit inside. "What on earth is that Immortal Lord thinking? How is she even qualified? Is he blind, to take a mortal as his disciple? It's driving me crazy."
Mei Man kept a straight, cold face, holding back the urge to burst in and dump the whole pot of tea over his head.
Yu Guiya said, "Since he has already taken her in as his disciple, what's the use of saying all that? Besides, after observing her these past few days, Junior Sister Mei is really diligent and eager to learn. There are so many inner sect disciples, but very few of them can settle down and focus on their studies the way she does."
Mei Man froze for a moment, and lifted her eyes slightly.
"Diligent?" Fan Zilang sneered. "Hey, what's your deal? Why are you even defending her? Don't tell me you're having second thoughts, that you've already switched over to her side and want to be friends with her? No wonder I've seen you going to visit her all the time these days. Yu Guiya, you don't have a crush on her, do you?"
Mei Man gripped the tray tight, pressing her lips into a thin, straight line.
The room fell completely silent.
The next second, she heard Yu Guiya speak. "Of course not. It's just that if we don't keep up the act perfectly, how would she ever believe me?"
