Wan Lihan packed his few remaining spiritual plants, packed a tight ration of smoked boar meat, and slung a flask of fresh river water over his shoulder. Turning his back on the abandoned house that had served as his sanctuary for two years, he stepped back onto the dirt path to continue his journey. He walked with a steady, unyielding stride toward the nearest mortal city, driven by the cold fire of unresolved revenge.
After half a day of traveling on foot, the towering stone gates of a bustling border city rose through the trees. Lihan blended into the crowd of travelers, his keen gaze immediately scanning the lively market squares until he stopped before a crowded alchemist stall.He peered at a round, pale pill resting inside a small glass display box.
"How much is this pill?"
Lihan asked flatly.The traveling merchant glanced up, sizing up Lihan's stitched-up, ragged clothing with a trace of disdain.
"That is a standard recovery medicine. It costs five gold coins.
"Lihan's face remained a blank, unreadable stone, but an immediate calculation sparked inside his mind. Five gold coins?
I refined a massive hoard of these exact same medicines back in my cottage. It uses the exact same properties as my basic healing pill. If I can sell my extra stock here, I can finally buy some decent clothes to replace these shredded rags.Lihan looked back at the vendor.
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"How about I sell you some of my own healing pills?"
The merchant blinked in surprise, his skepticism shifting into mild interest.
"If you truly possess pills of that caliber, I will look at them.
My current stock is running a little low due to the local beast migrations.
"Lihan dipped his hand into his leather pouch, pulling out five cleanly formed, fragrant medicines.
"Five pills for twenty-five gold coins.""Twenty-five gold?!"
the merchant scoffed angrily, waving his hand. "That is far too expensive for a rogue seller! Lower the price, or take them elsewhere.
"Lihan didn't flinch. He slowly began pulling the pills back into his grip, his voice dropping into a freezing, deadpan whisper.
"I might be the only rogue cultivator passing through this gate with a fresh batch today. Take it or leave it."
The merchant swallowed hard, his jaw tightening as he looked at the pristine, high-energy surface of Lihan's medicine. If I buy these at five gold coins apiece, my immediate profit margin will be razor-thin, the vendor calculated frantically in his thoughts. But the demand is immense. A massive swarm of low-level cultivators will fight to buy these the moment the sun sets. I can't let a competitor grab them.
"Fine!"
the merchant snapped angrily, slapping a heavy velvet pouch onto the wooden counter.Lihan calmly handed over the five healing pills. He picked up the velvet pouch, counting the 25 gold coins inside with absolute precision before slipping the currency into his vest.With his first real wealth secured, Lihan navigated the crowded alleyways of the market square, searching for a reputable clothier.
Tucked away in a quiet corner of the district, he finally spotted a modest tailors' boutique. Stepping inside, his eyes bypassed the bright, colorful silk garments worn by wealthy young masters, locking onto a rack of deep, solid black robes woven from durable, reinforced thread.He chose the black. Stripping away his caked servant rags, the six-foot-tall, seventeen-year-old rogue cultivator stepped back out into the sun wrapped in pristine, shadow-dark clothes, his quiet presence looking ten times more lethal than before.