“You clearly wanted my master to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill, how could you not have any Purple Soul Grass?”
Luo Yong pressed coldly.
“Alchemist Luo, although I’ve been preparing to refine the pill, I truly don’t have any Purple Soul Grass,” Li An said darkly, but his tone remained calm.
Luo Yong started to falter. Could it be that this Wei Ming truly didn’t have any? Otherwise, how could he stay so composed?
If that was the case, then this favor he’d offered to Lady Xu would make him a laughingstock!
“Lies! I don’t believe you! Hand over your storage pouch. I want to check it myself!”
His eyes locked onto Li An, the urgency in his voice growing increasingly obvious.
Li An’s brows twitched, and a flash of anger crossed his gaze. But he still held himself back, gripping his storage pouch tightly as he gritted out, “I really don’t have it.”
“You don’t?!”
Luo Yong reached for the pouch. Li An clutched it tighter, and the two began to struggle, the scene turning tense and awkward.
“Are you trying to disrespect Lady Xu?” Luo Yong suddenly snapped.
Li An instinctively glanced at Xu Qiuhui.
Throughout it all, Xu Qiuhui had remained silent, quietly sipping her tea as if none of it concerned her.
She was tacitly allowing it.
Li An’s expression turned bleak. In the end, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and let go.
Luo Yong snatched the pouch and immediately opened it.
“Huh? A Soulbeast Core?!”
He blinked in surprise at the crystalline orb inside, holding it up to the light. Then he pulled out a Thousand-Spirit Vine as well.
“I told you. I don’t have any Purple Soul Grass.”
Li An stared fixedly at the core, visibly tense.
Luo Yong, however, let out a cold chuckle and handed it to Xu Qiuhui. “Lady Xu, this item’s effectiveness is on par with Purple Soul Grass.”
Xu Qiuhui nodded slightly and accepted the Soulbeast Core, then let out a soft sigh.
“Truth be told, I hadn’t planned to snatch someone else’s opportunity.”
“But since I failed to acquire that Third-Grade spiritual herb, I must now seek out Second-Grade substitutes.”
She looked at Li An.
“Fellow Daoist Wei, I would like to purchase this core from you. Would you be willing?”
“This is two thousand spirit stones—far above its actual worth. Consider it a small token of apology for delaying your cultivation.”
“Please rest assured, once this matter is resolved, I’ll personally help you seek out Purple Soul Grass and other spiritual herbs.”
“I merely ask that you delay refining your Foundation Establishment Pill for a while. What do you say?”
Li An’s face was ashen. “I already made an agreement with a friend. I’m providing the Soulbeast Core and Thousand-Spirit Vine, and he’s gathering the rest. If I sell this now, I’d be letting him down…”
Xu Qiuhui replied, “I’ll personally apologize to your friend on your behalf.”
Li An let out a long sigh. There was nothing he could do now.
“Very well… Lady Xu, I am willing to offer up this core.”
Xu Qiuhui nodded, then added, “Fellow Daoist Wei, surely that’s not your only one, is it?”
Li An stiffened, eyes darting to the side as his words stumbled. “I… I really don’t have another… I swear, that’s all.”
Luo Yong sneered. “I suggest you hand it over obediently.”
Xu Qiuhui remained calm. “Fellow Daoist Wei, I truly have no choice in this matter. I ask for your understanding.”
“I am not someone who forgets kindness—this I promise you.”
“If you’re willing to part with it, I’ll owe you a personal favor.”
“When this is over, I’ll help you find the materials for your Foundation Establishment Pill. When the time comes for your breakthrough, I’ll even serve as your protector. How about it?”
Her tone was perfectly courteous, but to Li An, it sounded like a velvet-wrapped dagger.
His expression twisted, clearly reluctant.
The change in his mood was far more intense than when he had handed over the first one.
“…And what if I refuse?” he asked through gritted teeth.
Xu Qiuhui smiled faintly. “Nothing would happen. White Tiger City is a haven for wandering cultivators. No one is allowed to rob others of their treasures—not even I.”
Luo Yong added leisurely, “Brother Wei Ming, think this through. Even if you hold onto that Soulbeast Core, what good is it? If you can’t find someone to refine your pill, it’ll never be more than just a rare material.”
“But if you give it up now, with Lady Xu helping you, everything you do in this city will go much more smoothly.”
The unspoken threat was clear: if Li An offended both Zhang Deyi and Xu Qiuhui, who else in White Tiger City would dare help him refine his pill?
After a long internal struggle, Li An’s expression turned utterly despondent.
At last, he pulled out another storage pouch with a bitter smile. “Fine… I give in.”
He tossed it to Luo Yong.
Sure enough, inside was another Soulbeast Core.
And quite a few High-Grade First-Rank artifacts as well.
“Lady Xu,” Luo Yong said as he presented the core with both hands.
Xu Qiuhui accepted it, then handed another two thousand spirit stones to Li An. “Many thanks, Brother Wei.”
“Please rest assured, I will keep my word. Perhaps you hold a grudge against me today, but in time, you’ll come to understand. The path of cultivation is long—we’ll have many chances to cross paths again.”
As she stood to leave, she suddenly asked, “By the way, do you craft talismans?”
Li An replied, “I know a little, but I’ve never studied them deeply.”
Xu Qiuhui nodded. “I don’t know why, but today reminded me of an old friend… He once obtained a Foundation Establishment Pill, only to have it stolen from him.”
Li An’s expression shifted. “Sounds like that friend had it worse than me.”
Xu Qiuhui smiled faintly. “Indeed.”
“I bring it up only to say—cultivation is long and filled with setbacks. Not everyone reaches Foundation Establishment without hardship. I hope you won’t take this too personally.”
Li An: “…”
He very much wanted to say, Isn’t it possible… that friend you mentioned… Was it me??
Xu Qiuhui added softly, “That friend once saved my life… Forget it. Brother Wei, may your path be long and your Dao eternal. I will remember what you’ve done for me.”
With that, she turned and walked away.
Luo Yong lingered for a moment, giving Li An a hearty slap on the shoulder. “Brother Wei, you ought to thank me. From today on, Lady Xu owes you a favor. Who in White Tiger City would dare trouble you now?”
“Thank you,” Li An said softly.
“Haha! I’ll be taking a break for the next few days, so don’t come looking for me to refine pills.”
Luo Yong chuckled as he walked off.
These past years, he had pretended and flattered in order to snatch Li An’s Second-Grade pill legacy. To someone as proud as he was, that had been agonizing.
Today, he finally felt free—finally himself again.
After the two left—
“If I hadn’t been so cautious, history nearly would’ve repeated itself.”
Li An let out a long breath.
Though he’d sacrificed two Soulbeast Cores, he had weathered the crisis.
The Purple Soul Grass, Thousand-Spirit Vine, and other herbs had already been hidden elsewhere.
Once the heat died down, he’d visit Gu Hong and her master to refine the Foundation Establishment Pill.
(End of Chapter)