Cultivation begins with earning spirit stones

Chapter 16 Disguised Master

Zhang Lin nodded in satisfaction, stuffed the gray Taoist robe he had changed out of and the tattered sword sheath into the bamboo basket, hid them in a tree hole, and prepared to retrieve them when he returned to the mountain.

After doing all this, he leisurely walked along the official road toward Qingyun Town.

The morning market in Qingyun Town has already closed.

The streets were sparsely populated, mostly with vendors carrying loads and women holding children.

Several shops opened their doors, and the shop assistants stood at the entrances, yawning and chatting idly.

When Zhang Lin entered the town, he did not attract anyone's attention.

It's not unusual to see a young cultivator walking on the streets of Qingyun Town.

Although the town is small, it attracts many cultivators due to its location on the border between two continents.

Although cultivators at the late stage of Qi Refining are rare, they do exist; one or two of them pass by every now and then.

Moreover, Zhang Lin's demeanor was too upright, giving him an aura that made people feel he was not someone to be trifled with.

This kind of aura cannot be seen in independent cultivators in small places.

Zhang Lin walked slowly along the bluestone path, his eyes scanning the shop signs on both sides.

His first stop was Heming Hall.

Sun He has been operating in Qingyun Town for twenty years and is one of the most well-informed people in the area.

Zhang Lin needed to find out the details of the Black Wind Society from him, and also needed a plausible explanation for the quality of the medicine he possessed.

As for his/her identity.

He has already made up his mind.

"An outer disciple of the Danxia Sect, ordered by his master to go out on training and collect spiritual herbs."

This identity is plausible.

The Danxia Sect is one of the nine top-tier Xuanmeng sects, based in Yunmeng Continent, and is renowned throughout the world for its alchemy skills.

It is common knowledge that the disciples of the Danxia Sect travel all over the world to collect medicinal herbs.

It's perfectly reasonable for an outer disciple of the Danxia Sect to appear in a small place like Qingyun Town.

Moreover, the disciples of Danxia Sect are mediocre in combat strength, yet they are incredibly wealthy, which explains why he has so many spirit stones at his disposal and why he has good medicine to sell.

More importantly, the Danxia Sect is located far away in Yunmeng Continent. People in a small place like Qingyun Town could not possibly have seen real Danxia Sect disciples and would have no way to verify their authenticity.

As for the flaws, Zhang Lin had analyzed them repeatedly.

The biggest flaws are his martial arts technique and the lack of an identity token.

Although the "Shangqing Qi-Inducing Technique" has been systematically enhanced and is now an authentic superior technique, its foundation is still the inheritance of the Shangqing Temple, which is completely different from the techniques of the Danxia Sect.

If you encounter a true disciple of a major sect, you can see through their abilities with just a touch.

But where would a major sect disciple come from in a place like Qingyun Town?

Even if someone were to suspect him, he possesses a third-tier concealment technique, allowing him to hide his presence and escape without leaving a trace.

As for the token, the identity token of a disciple of a major sect is not something that can be looked at at will.

Zhang Lin suppressed these thoughts and stepped into Heming Hall.

A faint aroma of herbs wafted through the shop, mingling with the scent of charcoal fire in the alchemy furnace, a fragrance that instantly calmed the mind.

The person standing behind the counter was no longer the little boy from last time, but a woman in her thirties, wearing an indigo blue cloth dress, with her hair neatly tied in a bun, and a pretty face, with her eyebrows and eyes bearing some resemblance to Sun He.

"What would you like to order, sir?" The woman asked with a friendly smile as she put down the account book she was holding when Zhang Lin entered.

Zhang Lin looked around and said calmly, "Find Manager Sun."

"My father is in the backyard. Please wait a moment, sir, while I go and inform him." The woman turned and lifted the curtain, entering the backyard.

A short while later, Sun He came out from the backyard.

He was wearing a brand new blue robe today, his hair was neatly combed, and he looked much more energetic than when we last met.

He was still holding a medicinal herb in his hand, the very same Spirit Orchid that Zhang Lin had sold him last time, and he seemed to be studying something.

"This fellow Daoist is looking for an old Daoist..." Sun He looked up at Zhang Lin, but stopped midway through his sentence.

His gaze lingered on Zhang Lin for a moment, his brows furrowing slightly, as if he were recalling something.

Zhang Lin felt a slight tightening in his heart, but his face remained expressionless.

His appearance is completely different from when we last met. Last time he looked like a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy, but this time he is a young cultivator in his early twenties.

Her brow bone, cheekbone, and jawline have all changed, and coupled with her changed clothes and altered demeanor, Sun He shouldn't have recognized her.

But Sun He was, after all, a cultivator in the late stage of Qi Refining, and having lived in Qingyun Town for twenty years, his eyesight was extraordinary.

"Fellow Daoist, you look familiar," Sun He said slowly, his gaze lingering on Zhang Lin's face. "Have we met somewhere before?"

Zhang Lin smiled slightly, his smile carrying a hint of aloofness: "This is my first time in Qingyun Town, perhaps I have mistaken you for someone else."

"Oh?" Sun He stroked his beard, his gaze still holding a hint of scrutiny, but he didn't press further. "What is your honorable surname, fellow Daoist? What business do you have with this old Daoist?"

"My surname is Lin," Zhang Lin said, giving a false surname. He took out a wooden box from his sleeve, opened the lid, and handed it to Sun He.

"I've heard that Manager Sun is the best alchemist in Qingyun Town. I have a few medicinal herbs and would like to ask Manager Sun to take a look at them."

Inside the wooden box is a century-old ginseng.

This was just enhanced by Zhang Lin with ten spirit stones. It was of superior quality, with complete ginseng roots and a plump ginseng body. It exuded a rich medicinal fragrance as it shone with spiritual light. It was clear at a glance that it was no ordinary product.

Sun He's gaze fell on the ginseng, and his pupils contracted slightly.

He reached out and took the wooden box, brought it to his nose and sniffed it, then looked at it over and over again, his scrutiny gradually replaced by surprise.

"A hundred-year-old ginseng, of superior quality, brimming with spiritual energy, with intact roots and a plump body..." He raised his head, his gaze towards Zhang Lin now different. "Fellow Daoist Lin, where did you obtain this ginseng?"

Zhang Lin said calmly, "I am a Qi Refiner from the Danxia Sect of Yunmeng Continent. I was sent out by my master to gain experience and found this by chance in the deep mountains."

"Danxia Sect!" Sun He's pupils dilated slightly, his tone now filled with respect. "Fellow Daoist, are you a disciple of the Danxia Sect?"

"An outer disciple." Zhang Lin nodded slightly, his tone indifferent, as if he were talking about something insignificant. "After three years of cultivation, my foundation is still shallow. I apologize for making you laugh, fellow Daoist."

Sun He quickly waved his hand: "Fellow Daoist, you are too kind. Danxia Sect is one of the nine great mystical sects in the world. Being able to enter Danxia Sect for cultivation is already an immense blessing."

He paused, then looked Zhang Lin over again, as if trying to discern any trace of the Danxia Sect in him.

Zhang Lin remained calm and composed, allowing him to scrutinize him.

His demeanor and manner of speaking were all carefully crafted.

He possessed all the composure and reserve expected of a senior disciple.

As for his cultivation technique, he was currently using the Breath Concealment Technique to disguise his cultivation level as the late stage of Qi Refining. His true qi was thick but not impure. Although it was different from the cultivation technique of Danxia Sect, how could Sun He, a small-town alchemist, distinguish the differences between the nine major Xuanmen cultivation techniques?

Sure enough, Sun He's gaze gradually changed from suspicion to admiration.

"A century-old spirit ginseng is a rare item in Qingyun Town," Sun He stroked his beard and pondered. "This old Daoist offers two hundred low-grade spirit stones. What do you say, fellow Daoist?"

Zhang Lin quickly made a mental calculation.

A century-old ginseng can only be sold for about two hundred low-grade spirit stones in a city-level pharmacy.

But in a small place like Qingyun Town, two hundred coins is already considered a very high price.

Sun He didn't try to lower the price; instead, he offered a high one, clearly wanting to befriend this Danxia Sect disciple.