94 - A Farewell to Mr. Luo
Chapter 93 When Bai Fan reached the first floor, she approached the counter and whispered, "Excuse me, where should I go if I want to auction something?" The person behind the counter was momentarily taken aback upon hearing Bai Fan's inquiry about auctioning items. They quickly regained composure and cautiously said, "Please follow me." Following the person in front, Bai Fan was led to a discreet room. The room was dark, with no natural light; only a few luminous pearls were placed around to provide some illumination. A white-clothed man lay leisurely on a couch, his hands resting on his abdomen, with a book covering his face. He only looked up upon hearing their footsteps. "What is it?" "Boss, this young lady has something she wishes to auction with us," the attendant explained. Hearing this, the white-clothed man directed his gaze towards Bai Fan. He turned over and lay on his side, supporting his head with one hand as he asked, "What do you want to auction?" "A spiritual herb." "What kind of spiritual herb?" Bai Fan took out the spiritual herb she intended to sell from her storage bag. She did not know what kind it was, as it was not mentioned in any of the botanical books she had read. It was possible that she had just not read enough books on the subject. The stalk of the herb was milky white, and the roots had been partially broken when Bai Fan had recklessly harvested it. However, most of it was still in excellent condition, and the leaves were suffused with spiritual energy, indicating that it had been well cared for. The white-clothed man furrowed his brows upon seeing the herb. He stood up from the couch and took the herb from Bai Fan's hand, examining it closely. His initial confusion turned to astonishment, and his fingers started to tremble slightly. "May I ask, young lady, where did this spiritual herb come from?" he inquired. Bai Fan wasn't about to tell the truth, so she casually made up a story, saying, "I brought this herbal plant from the southern continent. I stumbled upon it in an uninhabited canyon and, seeing its age, decided to dig it up. Is there a problem?" The white-clothed man had an attendant bring over an ornate box. He carefully placed the herb inside and explained, "This herb is called 'Divine Serenity,' a rare spiritual herb used in spiritual awareness elixirs. It is highly effective for those with spiritual injuries and, being at least ten thousand years old, it is extremely rare and valuable." "How much can it be sold for?" Bai Fan asked, more concerned about the price than its benefits, as it held no significant use for her at the moment since her spiritual awareness was uninjured. "It's hard to say. We won't know until it goes up for auction. This kind of high-value herb can't be auctioned on short notice—it could fail to sell or be sold too cheaply," he explained. Bai Fan felt a headache coming on upon hearing this. She urgently needed spirit stones by tomorrow, otherwise, she wouldn't be able to pay her room fees. "How long do I have to wait? I need spirit stones urgently," she said. The white-clothed man quickly reassured her, fearing she might take the precious herb with her, "Not long, just three days. If you need spirit stones immediately, our Moonlight Lake can advance you some." He had an attendant bring over a small box and then opened it in front of Bai Fan, revealing ten large spirit stones inside. Bai Fan gasped at the sight—they were much larger and purer than ordinary spirit stones. "What kind of spirit stones are these?" she asked, unable to tear her eyes away from them. "Consider these an advance. After the auction, we will send the remaining spirit stones to you. Just leave us your address," he replied. Bai Fan was entirely focused on the ten large spirit stones, picking one up to feel the pure spiritual energy within. She wondered if these were the so-called high-grade spirit stones, which were said to be worth a thousand mid-grade spirit stones each. Since one mid-grade spirit stone equaled a hundred ordinary ones, these ten high-grade spirit stones were likely worth over a hundred thousand ordinary spirit stones. "I'll be staying at your inn. Just send the spirit stones directly to my room," she said. The white-clothed man nodded, took out paper and pen, and wrote a receipt detailing the transaction, including the ten high-grade spirit stones advanced to Bai Fan. After both parties signed and sealed the document, they each kept a copy, the words "Moonlight Lake" embossed in gold on the paper, implying luxury. After securing the ten spirit stones, Bai Fan intended to exchange one for ordinary spirit stones right away before returning upstairs, so she left Moonlight Lake Inn. The streets of Loulan were bustling with people, with occasional camels passing by. Just as Bai Fan made her way through the crowd, a group of practitioners, previously thrown out, spotted her. "There she is. Let's go," one of them said, and they split up to surround Bai Fan from different directions to prevent her from escaping. Focused on exchanging spirit stones, Bai Fan didn't notice she was being followed. She entered a larger shop and bought some items casually. She preferred wearing men's clothing for comfort and convenience, as it was easier to navigate the world disguised as a man. Once her cultivation was sufficiently advanced, it wouldn’t matter what she wore. After making her selections and completing the exchange of the spirit stone, she noted that the new clothes were woven from ice silkworm silk, known for being impervious to water and fire and resistant to dust, so they wouldn't get dirty easily. As Bai Fan left the shop, escorted by an attentive clerk, she felt elated. With enough spirit stones in her pocket, she walked with confidence. "Alright, you don't have to see me off anymore," she said, dismissing the clerk with a wave. Just then, she noticed some familiar faces at the shop's entrance. Although they stood in different positions, their eyes kept glancing her way. She suddenly recalled where she’d seen them before. Scoffing inwardly, she thought, They’re trying to follow me? Such poor skills—they didn’t even bother to disguise themselves. Though my cultivation isn’t high, my memory is sharp. I never forget a face. Seeing an opportunity, Bai Fan hatched a plan. Let’s see what you all intend to do. She led them through narrow, shadowy alleys, making a point to leave some noises behind so they could follow. Once she reached a deserted area, Bai Fan stopped and turned, waiting for them to catch up. Five practitioners squeezed into the alley behind her. Among them was a man with a severed arm, the same one who’d lost an arm to He Yiman previously. "Well, well, you’re not running anymore? Surprising that you noticed us. Do you have a trap set up for us here?" the one-armed man taunted, scanning the surroundings. With her hands hidden in her sleeves, Bai Fan gripped six silver needles. She had always kept these needles poisoned, though they had lain idle after her venomous fangs regressed. Now, she was eager to test their potency. Seeing Bai Fan standing still for so long, the practitioners relaxed further, assuming she was an easy target. "Humph, even if I have no traps, killing you lot is a piece of cake," Bai Fan retorted, feigning disdain despite her uncertainty. She had only recently reached the Golden Core stage and had limited experience fighting Golden Core practitioners, aside from her encounter with the old man from the Clear Void Sect. That experience had left her with a skewed perception of their capabilities. Even among cultivators of the same level, the disparity in combat abilities can be immense. Those with sect lineage tend to be highly formidable in combat, while itinerant cultivators are often inconsistent, having learned a hodgepodge of techniques without systematic training, relying entirely on their personal accumulation of knowledge. "What a boastful claim." "You'll only know if it's boastful after you see for yourself." Bai Fan was not one to wait for others to strike first. She followed the adage "strike preemptively to gain the upper hand." As she spoke, the silver needles tucked in her sleeves were already flying out. The nearly invisible silver threads were held in her hands, and the needles shot towards the five men like arrows. The five cultivators quickly retreated, narrowly avoiding the needles that were aimed straight at their eyes. If their reaction had been even a split second slower, they would have lost their sight. The man with the severed arm turned and kicked one of the needles away, sneering maliciously, "How dare you use hidden weapons while we were caught off guard. Truly, the hand that strikes the hardest belongs to a woman. Once we subdue you, we'll dismember all your limbs." Bai Fan flicked her index finger, recalling the needles back to her. Hearing his words almost made her curse aloud, "You're truly despicable! You don't even deserve to talk. Disgusting." The six silver needles darted through the air, chasing after the group. Angered by the man's words, Bai Fan directed two of the needles specifically at him. However, fighting five opponents at once put her at a significant disadvantage. Dividing her attention among multiple targets made it difficult to manage. While she was locked in an even battle with the man with the severed arm, the other cultivators clustered together and managed to entangle her silver needles, eventually discarding them on the ground. "Do you really think such trivial things can harm us?" "Enough playing around, it's time to send her on her way." With that, they simultaneously drew their magical weapons and closed in on Bai Fan. The man with the severed arm had been slightly grazed by one of her needles in the scuffle. ※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※ Still typing... Thank you to the little angels who cast overlord tickets or irrigated nutrient solution for me~ Thank you to the little angel who cast [Grenade]: Searching for Home 1; Thank you to the little angels who irrigated [Nutrient Solution]: Thank you all for your support! I will continue to work hard! Previous Chapter Contents Next Chapter Homepage Computer Version Bookshelf Novel Directory Popular Novels