***
According to the regulations of On-ju-seong, one could not take action inside another shop.
Wi Jin-ok gnashed his teeth and soon sent a hand signal with a gesture before sneaking around the vicinity of that shop.
"Welcome. Hmm?"
The old herb shop owner furrowed his brow when he realized the customer who entered his shop was a boy around ten years old.
He then let out a deep sigh and waved his hand dismissively.
"Kid. There are no toys or sweets like you are looking for here, so go somewhere else."
Lee An-jeong ignored the words of the old herb shop owner and checked the condition of the herbs displayed in the shop.
After looking around for a few seconds, Lee An-jeong marveled internally.
'Oho! Compared to that place earlier, this is almost the difference between heaven and earth? At this level, isn't it a collection of nothing but top-quality goods?'
At Lee An-jeong’s words, Jin Wi-dong replied as if he found it commendable.
- You’re quite something. You’re right. There are no extremely rare herbs, but the maintenance condition of them all is top-grade. Even for the same herb, there would be a two-fold difference in medicinal potency between the herbs at that place earlier and the ones here.
'As I thought, right? Let’s see. I wonder if the herbs I’m looking for are here...'
Lee An-jeong nodded his head and then began to examine the herbs one by one.
At the sight of Lee An-jeong like that, the old herb shop owner furrowed his brow deeply and shouted irritably.
"You brat... I told you there’s nothing for you to find! I’m telling you this place is full of nothing but herbs you wouldn't know well..."
However, at that moment, Lee An-jeong cut off the herb shop owner’s words and spoke out.
"Oh... it’s here. Clear-Heart Grass! The three blue leaves are upright, and the light blue luster is vivid, so the condition isn't bad."
"Wh-what?"
While the herb shop owner was startled by Lee An-jeong’s words and unable to continue speaking, Lee An-jeong discovered another ingredient and shouted.
"This is a Spirit-Refining Seed! Its color has a subtle purple flow while the star-cluster pattern is clear, so the condition of this is also decent!"
"Wh-what? Who on earth are you? No. Who might your esteemed self be?"
Before long, the herb shop owner’s way of speaking had turned polite.
Only then did the herb shop owner confirm Lee An-jeong’s gray training robes and think of the nearby sects with such attire.
Then, the herb shop owner, having recalled something, shouted with a startled expression.
"Ah, the Bu-yeon Sect! Now that I look at you, it seems you are a miscellaneous labor disciple of the Bu-yeon Sect."
At the same time, he could not hide his shock and admiration.
Even though he thought Lee An-jeong was a labor disciple and not a formal disciple, the fact that he did not lose his politeness showed how high the status of the Bu-yeon Sect was in this vicinity.
"Yes, I came to obtain herbs. How much of the Clear-Heart Grass and Spirit-Refining Seeds do you have here? And what are the prices?"
"Ah, yes. I have about three geun of Clear-Heart Grass and about two geun of Spirit-Refining Seeds. As for the price, per geun, the Clear-Heart Grass is 50 mid-grade spirit stones and the Spirit-Refining Seeds are 40 each..."
The owner spoke like that and carefully scanned Lee An-jeong’s expression.
It was because this was not a price that a mere labor disciple could afford.
However, Lee An-jeong nodded with a nonchalant expression.
"Then I will buy them all."
"Pardon? You’ll buy them all?"
The herb shop owner ended up with a look that was beyond surprised and bordering on stunned.
Just how much was all of this? It was an amount that would easily exceed two hundred mid-grade spirit stones.
And he was going to buy it all?
However, after hearing Lee An-jeong’s subsequent words, he could not help but take on an even more shocked expression.
"Ah, and also, do you happen to have Blood-Lotus Stone powder, Bright-Spirit Lotus, Silver-Bell Flower, and Small-Spirit Stone powder? Additionally, White-Spirit Flower and Cloud-Gathering Seed, and also..."
Lee An-jeong asked by listing all the medicinal materials from the Kon-XX and In-XX that Jin Wi-dong had taught him, all the way to the materials for making the Nascent Soul Pill.
At this, the herb shop owner went beyond being surprised to being absolutely horrified by Lee An-jeong, who fluently mentioned even rare ingredients that he himself was hazy on.
"Aigoo, such precious materials are not in our shop. You would likely have to go to a Trade Fair to find such rare ingredients. The Bright-Spirit Lotus, Silver-Bell Flower, and the Blood-Lotus Stone and Small-Spirit Stone powder you mentioned just now are here. Anyway, how does someone as young as you know all of that...?"
'What is this? Is he perhaps an alchemist? I’ve never heard of a person becoming an alchemist at such a young age. My word... how does he have all those numerous medicinal materials memorized...?'
The herb shop owner shook his head like that and pointed out the four types of medicinal materials in order from the inside of the shop.
"Over there, those are the Bright-Spirit Lotus, Silver-Bell Flower, Blood-Lotus Stone, and Small-Spirit Stone powder."
A substantial amount of the four types of medicinal materials was packed there.
"I have two geun of each of these as well. The price is 40 mid-grade spirit stones per geun... would you perhaps want all of these as well...?"
"Yes, I will buy them all."
"Heh! A-all of them? Th-then, the price all added together... is 550 mid-grade spirit stones..."
Trailing off his words like that, the herb shop owner slunk his gaze toward Lee An-jeong.
It was because if he were a labor disciple, it was doubtful if he would even have a single mid-grade spirit stone, so he could not imagine that he would have this many mid-grade spirit stones.
At that moment, he saw Lee An-jeong pull out a bunch of some kind of medicinal pills from his storage pouch.
As the herb shop owner watched with his eyes wide open, Lee An-jeong placed 11 medicinal pills firmly into his hand.
"Some kind of pills... th-this? Could it be, a Spirit Gathering Pill?!"
The moment the herb shop owner saw the Spirit Gathering Pill, he was startled, opened his eyes wide, and examined it closely.
It was undoubtedly a Spirit Gathering Pill of at least middle-grade quality.
And there were as many as 11 of them.
"One Spirit Gathering Pill is worth about 50 mid-grade spirit stones, right? So I intend to pay with these; how about it? Is it possible?"
"O-of course. Naturally, the payment can be made with Spirit Gathering Pills. Since 11 Spirit Gathering Pills are worth 550 mid-grade spirit stones, it is a perfect match."
Lee An-jeong eventually put the four types of medicinal materials into his storage pouch and stepped out of the shop.
As the herb shop owner watched Lee An-jeong’s receding back and looked at the 11 Spirit Gathering Pills that had appeared in his hand in an instant, he wore an expression as if he were possessed by a ghost.
"Is he really a labor disciple? What kind of labor disciple has as many as 11 Spirit Gathering Pills? Ah! Could he be an inner sect disciple disguised as a labor disciple? That’s it! There’s no mistake! Yes, of course that’s it!"
The herb shop owner clapped his hands and nodded as if he finally understood.
Did it make any sense for a labor disciple to possess that many Spirit Gathering Pills?
He did not doubt for a second that it must be an inner sect disciple who had come out in disguise.
Moreover, an inner sect disciple who had properly inherited the alchemy of the Bu-yeon Sect.
If that were not the case, there was no way he could have fluently listed information on countless medicinal materials that even he, who had run an herb shop for over 40 years, did not know.
<><><>
As he walked after leaving the shop, he felt the presence of three or so people behind his back from a certain moment.
Undoubtedly, it was the rogue cultivator named Wi Jin-ok whom he met earlier and several people who were hiding at Baek-cho-gak.
Just in case, Lee An-jeong asked Jin Wi-dong internally.
'Are there perhaps any other cultivators of higher realms besides them?'
- That’s all of them. The one with the highest realm is around the 6th star of the Qi Condensation stage, the same as you.
Lee An-jeong was relieved at this and intentionally sought out a secluded alleyway and entered it.
At the moment he reached the end of the dead-end alley.
He saw several people blocking the path behind the turned-around Lee An-jeong.
Lee An-jeong discovered Wi Jin-ok among them and asked with an intentionally startled expression, pretending not to know.
"Wait, aren't you Cultivator Wi Jin-ok? And who are all those people? Why have you followed me?"
Then, Wi Jin-ok shouted out in a sudden burst of anger.
"To think this damned brat made his elders wait... Lee An-jeong, you brat touched someone you should not have touched. Therefore, you shall pay the price for that crime!"
"Pardon? Someone I should not have touched...?"
"I am talking about Lady Mak So-hyang! The precious daughter of the Mak Clan, Lady Mak So-hyang!"
'Ah! Mak So-hyang! So the mastermind was you?'
Only then did Lee An-jeong recall that Mak So-hyang’s Mak Clan was said to be one of the prestigious families of On-ju-seong.
As it turned out, it seemed that Mak So-hyang, the daughter of the Mak Clan Head, had harbored a grudge and ordered them to harm him.
Lee An-jeong felt it was absurd, while at the same time, anger toward Mak So-hyang welled up.
Even though she was the one who first used a killing move, to go as far as doing this because she felt insulted.
He once again realized the ruthlessness of the Xianxia world.
Jin Wi-dong laughed loudly and shouted as if he had expected this.
- Wahaha! Look at this! Isn't it because your handiwork is clumsy that you leave behind such future troubles? You should have just killed that wench back then! So that she could never think of revenge again! If it were me, I would have done so!
'Aish. Does that make any sense? If you kill a fellow disciple, you get expelled from the sect. It’s not like the Bu-yeon Sect is some demonic sect...'
Even so, Jin Wi-dong’s words were not without merit.
Even if it were a situation where he could not kill her, there was a need to take more definitive action so that she would never think of revenge again.
While having such thoughts, Lee An-jeong acted with a frightened expression and asked.
"I-is Mak So-hyang’s Mak Clan such a famous family?"
Then, Wi Jin-ok sneered at Lee An-jeong with a pathetic expression and shouted.
"Heh! You haven't even heard of the Mak Clan? What an ignorant fellow. Listen well! The Mak Clan is a family that is prestigious among the prestigious families of this On-ju-seong. The ancestor, the honorable Mak Gyeom, is a cultivator who has reached no less than the Core Formation stage. He is a great cultivator who ranks within the top five in all of On-ju-seong. And you touched Lady Mak So-hyang, the precious daughter of such a Mak Clan! You stupid idiot!"
Wi Jin-ok spoke as if praising the Mak Clan while glancing at the men standing behind him.
Seeing how they held their chins stiffly and wore arrogant expressions, it seemed those men were indeed people from the Mak Clan.
"Hehe. So in the next life, look at where you're lying before you stretch your legs! Now, elders, please get rid of the brat! I will take the lead. You brat! Receive the price for your crime!"
Following that, Wi Jin-ok took the lead along with those words and rushed toward Lee An-jeong.
Before anyone knew it, a long judge’s pen was held in his hand.
Pyu-pyu-pyuk—
The judge’s pen, loaded with plenty of spiritual energy, aimed for and stabbed toward Lee An-jeong’s vital points.
Wi Jin-ok thought that since he was at the 2nd star, he could sufficiently suppress someone like Lee An-jeong, who appeared to be at the 1st star of the Qi Condensation stage.
Therefore, he tried to kill the brat faster than anyone else to earn merit with the Mak Clan.
"Hehe. Die!"
The judge’s pen flashed before Lee An-jeong’s eyes.
Wi Jin-ok did not doubt for a second that in the next moment, his judge’s pen would pierce through Lee An-jeong’s body like a skewer.
Until something ink-colored suddenly flew in front of his eyes.
Shweeee— Thwack—
'Wh-what? That black thing is...?'
That was the final thought Wi Jin-ok came up with in this world.
Thump—
The body of Wi Jin-ok, whose forehead was pierced through, collapsed onto the floor.
Lee An-jeong’s expression stiffened slightly as he looked at Wi Jin-ok’s corpse.
He had killed a person for the first time.
His stomach felt uncomfortable, and the fine hairs all over his body stood on end.
His head throbbed, and a slight dizziness seemed to wash over him.
However, he reminded himself that the battle was not over yet.
Then, as if it were a lie, his mind became calm, his head cleared, and his heart began to beat slowly once again.
After taking one deep breath, Lee An-jeong soon relaxed his expression and muttered.
"It turned out like this because your side used a killing move first. So don't blame me even when you go to the afterlife."
Upon seeing such a sight, the expressions of those who were leisurely watching from behind until then stiffened in an instant.
"Wh-what? Th-that’s a flying sword technique? Dammit! He was at the 3rd star of the Qi Condensation stage? That stupid Wi Jin-ok!"
Vrrr—
Surprisingly, the thing that had pierced through Wi Jin-ok’s forehead and was floating in the air was a single ink-colored flying sword.
"I wonder... would I only be at the 3rd star of the Qi Condensation stage?"
At that moment, Lee An-jeong, who had now completely regained his composure, wore a triumphant smile and sent the flying sword flying toward those bastards.