Chapter 288: Chapter 286: Deterrence_l

Translator: 549690339

“This cannot be done!”

The thin and frail old man kept shaking his head in refusal, his attitude firm.

“You come from a background of loose cultivators, with unstable foundations, and probably hold a mediocre status in such a major Sect. So, it would be better for you to keep these treasures to enhance your own power.”

As the manager of ‘Bai Cao Tang’, he had dealt with many cultivators selling spiritual plants and his vision was nothing ordinary, instantly recognising that these items of Lu Xuan’s were extraordinarily valuable.

Be it the Stone Bead, the Charm, or the Spirit Fruits, they all emitted a dense aura of spiritual power and were very likely third-grade level treasures. The token was extremely precious; for small family cultivators or loose cultivators, holding this token provided a chance of gaining another life.

“Old He, please accept them! These items are not too valuable to me.

“You should know me, I can bicker with you for half a day over a piece of Broken Spirit. If they were really precious, how could I bear to give them to you?”

A smile appeared on Lu Xuan’s face.

The Explosion Bead came from the Flaming Fruit’s light cluster reward; having planted ten Flaming Fruits, he had harvested more than ten Explosion Beads.

He also has several unused third-grade Clean Lingfu. The remaining Jade Scale Fruit might be few, but they were perfect for the old man’s current state.

As for the Azure Cloud Order, every Inner Sect Disciple had one. Zhang Xiu Yuan had already accepted discipleship from another sect, and it was a waste for Lu Xuan to keep it. So, he decided to give it to Manager He.

In his eyes, these items were insignificant compared to the old man’s previous kindness.

When he was still a small cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Second Layer, the Spirit Firefly Grass he cultivated was bought by the old man at regular prices despite its average quality and quantity. This sale allowed him to survive in the market.

Later, he was introduced to ‘Bai Cao Tang’ by the old man, who provided him with different spiritual seeds, which accelerated his rapid advancement. He assisted even when his spirit plants were sick, leading to several spirit plant masters and helping Lu Xuan earn a large amount of Spirit Stones.

It could be said that Manager He played a crucial role in the early stages of his cultivation.

“Yes.”

The thin old man recalled how Lu Xuan had haggled over a few pieces of Broken

Spirit, and couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Then I will respect your wishes and accept it.”

He bowed solemnly to Lu Xuan.

“Good, Old He, then I’m off. We’ll meet again if fate allows.”

A sense of melancholy flashed in Lu Xuan’s eyes as he clenched his hand around the old man’s.

Shortly after, under the gaze of the lean old man, he rose into the clouds riding the Wind Falcon.

“Friend Lu, please stay!”

Just as the Wind Falcon hadn’t flown far, a steady voice echoed from behind Lu Xuan.

He turned his head to see an elder riding a flying sword rushing towards him.

“I am He Yuzong. I set up ‘Bai Cao Tang’ in the Linyang Market. Today, I learned that Friend Lu was passing through. How about returning to the market for a drink?”

“Also, those disrespectful individuals from ‘Bai Cao Tang’ have been punished by me. If there was any disrespect, I ask for your forgiveness.

The elder had white hair but a flushed face, he was at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment.

“So, it’s Lord He of Bai Cao Tang. I’ve long heard of your reputation.” Lu Xuan glanced at the elder. After establishing a partnership with’ Bai Cao Tang’, he was very familiar with the famous alchemy master of the market, but it wasn’t until today that he had the chance to meet him.

“I didn’t pay any mind to that incident earlier, there’s no need for you to feel guilty about it.”

“I’m here this time because I have a task from my sect. The reason I decided to come to Linyang Market was just to visit an old friend, so I won’t be returning to the market.”

Lu Xuan said lightly.

“May I ask which sect Friend Lu comes from?”

The white-haired elder asked curiously.

A smile grew on the corner of Lu Xuan’s mouth as he produced a black nameplate.

On the nameplate were countless swords, floating up and down, as if they were about to shoot out.

“This token… could it be the Sky Sword Sect?!

Looking at the Sky Sword Sect identity plaque in Lu Xuan’s hand, He Yuzong thought for a moment and understood its origin, replying in surprise and fear.

He knew a fair bit about Lu Xuan upon finding out that a Foundation Establishment Cultivator had come to ‘Bai Cao Tang’.

He even knew Lu Xuan had worked as a spirit plant master in partnership with ‘Bai Cao Tang’. After knowing this, he wanted to become acquainted with Lu Xuan and rushed to Manager He’s house, only to miss him. He had then made every effort to catch up.

However, Lu Xuan’s identity was far beyond his imagination; he was actually from the renowned Sky Sword Sect of the Cultivation World.

A normal Foundation Establishment cultivator and a Foundation Establishment cultivator from a major sect were worlds apart.

Thinking of this, he seemed two inches shorter. “Indeed, I did manage by luck to become an Inner Sect Disciple of the Sky Sword Sect.”

Lu Xuan spoke truthfully.

“Right, Taoist Friend He, Manager He from your hall is a good friend of mine. I hope that you will take a little more care of him in daily matters. I will come back from time to time to visit my friend, so I hope he won’t encounter any accidents.”

Lu Xuan’s tone held a hint of threat.

“Of course, Manager He is also a member of my He family, we will treat him as one of our own and won’t let him suffer any bullying or harm.”

After learning about Lu Xuan’s status as a disciple of the Sky Sword Sect, the white-haired elder attached several levels of importance to him and quickly promised.

He made a silent decision to take care of Manager He in every possible detail and tried his best to connect with Lu Xuan through him.

Although he was one of the only few in the Linyang Market to reach the Foundation Establishment, his status was high, but that was only on the surface, with underlying ripples.

He didn’t have many years left to live, and now he was barely maintaining’ Bai Cao Tang’, but he could imagine that ‘Bai Cao Tang’ would be eaten up by other forces some decades after his death.

The appearance of Lu Xuan gave him a glimmer of hope.

“That’s good.”

Lu Xuan nodded. Before leaving, he repeatedly warned the lean old man that he must keep the treasures he had given him safe. Even if they were kin, he could not casually reveal them.

Protected by treasures, coupled with the promise of He Yuzong, the personal safety of Manager He was guaranteed to the greatest extent.

He did not return to the Linyang Market with the white-haired elder. After a few exchanges, he bid farewell.

As for the Wang Family that controls the market, although they were somewhat overbearing when inviting him into the secret land, Lu Xuan didn’t lose much. He even gained the Ghost Faced Stone Mushroom and the Nurturing Xuan Sword Sheath.

Therefore, he upheld the belief that it’s better to avoid trouble where possible and didn’t seek out them. Seeing Manager He already satisfied him.

“Now that I have settled my affairs here, it’s time to go to the Boundless Sea to take on the garrison duty.”

“I wonder what strange marine plants and sea beasts I will encounter.

After adequately repaying Manager He for his kindness, Lu Xuan’s heart felt extremely refreshing. He sent a thought to the Wind Falcon under him.

The Wind Falcon gave a clear call, turned into a streak of green light, and quickly flew past the towering mountains and steep ridges.