After Zhaoyue Little Sable Girl finished her meal, she washed the pots and dishes, then took out a large leaf from her small satchel and flopped down on it.
"The Demon King called me to patrol the mountains, to see this human world... Ugh, I'm so sleepy."
Under the warm sun, she fell asleep again, not treating Li Xuan as an outsider at all.
A few more days passed. Under Li Xuan's meticulous planning, he paid the price of one hundred-year spirit ginseng in exchange for Zhaoyue Little Sable Girl finding him three ten-year-old ginsengs, all of which he upgraded into hundred-year spirit ginsengs.
After this, the Little Sable Girl no longer sought out mountain ginseng for him. When he deliberately tried to coax information out of her, he learned that these mountain ginsengs were actually planted by the Little Sable Girl herself ten years ago, which was why she knew their exact locations so clearly.
Li Xuan no longer forced her. Anyway, he already had four hundred-year-old ginsengs. Coupled with the 25 Spirit Stones he still had, his net worth reached 145 Spirit Stones.
As he was calculating, the Little Sable Girl called him over to eat, but she herself did not eat.
Li Xuan glanced at the Spirit Rice in the pot and asked in confusion, "Zhao Yue, why aren't you eating?"
The Little Sable Girl patted her belly and said, "I'm very full today."
Her eyes seemed to dart away.
Li Xuan slapped his head, stood up, and served her rice, saying, "Is there no more rice? It's fine, I'll go down the mountain to buy some later."
"Did I eat too much? I haven't helped you with anything," Zhao Yue asked, looking down at her little belly.
"So that's it, this Diao Niang is really sensible," Li Xuan thought to himself, handing the served rice to the Little Sable Girl.
"As the saying goes, 'raise soldiers for a thousand days, use them for an hour.' Your time to be used is still to come, don't rush."
"Really?"
"Really. From now on, you'll be my little assistant."
"Then I'll eat! Xiao Xuanzi, you're so nice!"
Zhao Yue joyfully took the bamboo bowl and scurried to the small table and chair Li Xuan had specially made for her, and began to eat.
A moment later.
"When I'm not here, if anyone comes, hide. Others won't be as easy to talk to as I am," Li Xuan instructed Zhao Yue before leaving.
"I know! I'm only good to you. I'll ignore others," the Little Sable Girl replied, clutching a few Talismans to her chest, nodding like a chick pecking at rice.
"Okay, I'm leaving then."
"Xiao Xuanzi, are you coming back tonight? I heard there are also fox spirits in the market down the mountain," the Little Sable Girl asked, her eyes full of worry.
"I'll be back. I don't like fox spirits," Li Xuan replied with a smile, then drove his spirit boat away. Zhaoyue Little Sable Girl found a hidden spot and took out a large leaf:
"The Demon King called me to patrol the mountains... Ugh... *sigh*."
Li Xuan arrived at the market. Today's market was quite lively, with a sea of people.
He found an old stall owner selling Spirit Rice and inquired, learning that an Artifact Refiner from the nearby Icefire Island had come to recruit Disciples, so many Cultivators from surrounding islands came to try their luck.
"If one can catch the eye of that Great Master, they'll be set for life! In our neck of the woods, if a family can produce an Artifact Refiner, it's like their ancestral grave is smoking green," the old stall owner said to Li Xuan with a look of longing.
"Excuse me, what Order Artifact Refiner is that Great Master?" Li Xuan casually asked, carrying a 20-jin sack of Spirit Rice.
"First-Order. Where would we get a high-order Artifact Refiner in our area? A First-Order is already very impressive. A Flying Sword sells for 50 Spirit Stones. If you make one a day, in a year... it's too much for this old man to count. Anyway, it's much better than farming."
After a simple conversation, Li Xuan learned that he was a Spirit Farmer from a nearby island. His young son had a Spiritual Root and had embarked on the path of cultivation, and was also at this market to seek a Master.
After getting the Spirit Rice, Li Xuan headed towards the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. The path was congested. As he passed the Spring Breeze Pavilion, he saw a long queue at the entrance.
"Don't push! Line up one by one! Prepare one Spirit Stone. It is your good fortune to have Master Li personally test your bone structure!" A young man in a black shirt with a flame pattern embroidered on the sleeve stood at the entrance maintaining order.
Li Xuan glanced into the Spring Breeze Pavilion's main hall and saw Master Li, dressed in luxurious black clothes, sitting on a chair with a stern expression. On the plate to his left were piles of Spirit Stones.
"This is the first time I've heard of an Artifact Refiner testing bone structure, and they even charge for it," Li Xuan muttered to himself as he left.
When he was in the Sect, he had worked as an assistant in the Weapon Forging Hall for a few days and knew some knowledge about Artifact Refining.
Generally, a First-Order Artifact Refiner refers to an Artifact Refiner who can completely refine a First-Order Low Grade Flying Sword. And refining a Flying Sword is not just about bone structure.
Flying Sword refining is divided into three steps: forging, quenching, and inscribing formations.
Li Xuan had learned the first two steps, which were parts that everyone in the Bingxuan Sect could learn. Only the inscribing formations required taking a Master, who would personally teach it. He was naturally not qualified, as those who learned inscribing formations became First-Order Artifact Refiners and could enter the inner Sect, regardless of their Realm.
"It's clear he's short on Spirit Stones and came to earn some," he thought with a hint of malice.
Entering the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, Li Gengsheng was currently attending to other customers. Li Xuan waited a while before it was his turn.
After he entered, the attendant closed the appraisal room door, clearly having received instructions from Li Gengsheng beforehand.
"Senior Brother, have you heard about Master Li recruiting Disciples?" Li Gengsheng asked in a low voice.
"I just passed by and saw it. Senior Brother, what is this?" Li Xuan said, placing four hundred-year spirit ginsengs on the table.
Li Gengsheng, however, did not look at the spirit ginseng. Instead, he anxiously said, "Junior Brother, I have a connection here. For a price in Spirit Stones, one can become a Named Disciple of Master Li. Are you interested, Senior Brother? The Li Family is a prominent clan in this area, and they have produced a Second-Order Artifact Refiner who serves in the Sect. If you can establish a connection with them, Senior Brother, things will be much easier for you here."
"How many Spirit Stones? Also, what are the benefits of being a Named Disciple?" Li Xuan asked. If spending Spirit Stones could secure protection, it would certainly be worthwhile, as long as it wasn't too much.
Li Gengsheng held up three fingers: "300 Spirit Stones. A Named Disciple can receive one formation inscription lesson, ensuring they learn forging and quenching."
"This price... isn't expensive, but Junior Brother is short on funds, so I'll have to disappoint Senior Brother's good intentions," Li Xuan said, shaking his head.
"If it's just one formation inscription lesson, it's not worth it. After all, I already know forging and quenching. I might as well look forward to the insights from the Bronze Palace after its upgrade."
"That's a bit of a shame then," Li Gengsheng sighed.
"For Disciples like Senior Brother, who are stationed outside, if they become First-Order Artifact Refiners, they can actually apply to the Sect to purchase Lingxu Mountain. There have been precedents before, but once you become a First-Order Artifact Refiner, you can directly enter the inner Sect, so owning a wild mountain isn't very meaningful," he added after a pause.
Li Xuan's heart stirred slightly, and he silently noted this matter without changing his expression.
After selling the spirit ginseng, he gained 120 Spirit Stones. Subtracting the 10 Spirit Stones he previously spent on Spirit Rice, he now had a total of 135 Spirit Stones. Just as he was about to buy spatial crystals, he was informed that there was no stock here.
Because Cultivators would sometimes buy Materials themselves and ask Artifact Refiners to refine Storage Pouches, Li Gengsheng didn't suspect anything. Instead, he mistakenly believed that Li Xuan himself knew a Second-Order Artifact Refiner, which was why he didn't think much of Master Li. This also indirectly explained Li Xuan's previous behavior.
"I was being a bit presumptuous. How could a shop sell spatial crystals if there isn't a single Second-Order Artifact Refiner within a thousand li radius? What about the spatial crystal I saw at that Loose Cultivator's stall earlier?"
He was puzzled, so he asked, "Excuse me, Senior Brother, I once saw a spatial crystal at a small stall set up by a Loose Cultivator. What kind of arrangement was that?"
"Is Senior Brother referring to a Rogue Cultivator with a fierce appearance?" Li Gengsheng's expression changed slightly.
"Exactly."
"That person is a Rogue Cultivator from another island who specializes in selling stolen goods. While selling stolen goods, he also looks for easy targets, so Senior Brother, it's best to be cautious. I can apply for a spatial crystal from the branch for Senior Brother, but it will take a month. That Rogue Cultivator also comes here one day a month, so the timing is about the same. What do you think, Senior Brother?" Li Gengsheng said.
"Then I'll await your good news," Li Xuan said, paying the deposit and leaving. With his current weak strength and lack of protection, he had no desire to engage in risky endeavors.