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Chapter 285: Perfect Quality Doesn't Guarantee Everything
Chapter 285: Perfect Quality Doesn't Guarantee Everything
In the spacious hall of the Hundred Herb Hall, the scent of medicinal herbs was thick in the air.
Over a dozen herb boys were diligently processing various spirit herbs, among them, a thin and elderly man stood out.
"He Guan Shi, these Spirit Firefly Herbs were just purchased today. Please help process them. A pill master needs them urgently this afternoon."
A middle-aged man carrying a large stack of Spirit Firefly Herbs walked up to the thin old man and dumped them in front of him.
"Okay."
The thin old man glanced at the large quantity of Spirit Firefly Herbs and grit his teeth as he replied.
After nearly an hour of bending over to tend to the herbs, He Guan Shi supported his waist and struggled to stand up straight.
With his cultivation at the fourth layer of Qi Refining, he usually wouldn't encounter such discomfort.
However, he was now advanced in years, and his physical functions had deteriorated compared to his younger and more robust days. On top of that, he had a few old injuries, and bending over for so long to process the spirit herbs had aggravated the pain.
As the manager of the Hundred Herb Hall, he shouldn't have been doing such menial tasks. But he was only a distant relative of the He family, and his backer had lost power a few years ago, which had caused his status in the herb hall to plummet.
In the past, he only needed to receive and account for the spirit herbs. Now, he also had to help process them, making his work much more tedious.
Nevertheless, the thin old man was content with his current situation. There were countless elderly loose cultivators in the city who led destitute lives. He considered himself fortunate to have a stable place, free from worries about his safety, and he could also earn some spirit stones for his family.
Just then, a boy who had walked into the herb hall caught the thin old man's attention.
The boy had a weak cultivation, only at the first layer of Qi Refining, and he clutched a dozen or so Spirit Firefly Herbs in his hands. With the old man's decades of experience in identifying herbs, he could tell at a glance that these Spirit Firefly Herbs were of extremely ordinary quality.
The boy approached the counter and spread out the herbs, asking the middle-aged cultivator if they could be purchased.
"Scram! We don't buy herbs from random people like you," the middle-aged cultivator scolded impatiently, waving his hand for the boy to leave.
"Fellow cultivator, please, I can sell them for a lower price," the boy pleaded.
"Lower price? How about two spirit stones per herb?" The middle-aged cultivator's eyes glinted with mockery.
"Two spirit stones?" The boy staggered, his eyes widening. This was half the usual purchase price and far below what he had expected.
He bit his lip, torn between the desire to sell the herbs for some spirit stones and his reluctance to accept the unfair price offered by the middle-aged cultivator.
"He Yong, the manager, that child looks pitiful. Why don't you lower the price a bit and buy his herbs? Think of it as doing a good deed," the thin old man said. He saw a familiar figure in the boy, reminding him of another boy from over a decade ago who had stood before him stubbornly and persistently trying to sell his ordinary-quality Spirit Firefly Herbs.
For a moment, the two figures overlapped, giving him a sense of traveling through time.
"Old He, we have so many cooperating spirit herb cultivators who can provide us with a large and stable supply of various spirit herbs. Why bother with this unknown little loose cultivator whose herb quality is questionable?" The middle-aged cultivator sneered.
"We can set the price based on the quality and quantity. What's the harm in buying them?" The thin old man felt a surge of irritation at the middle-aged cultivator's attitude.
"If you're so generous, then you buy them," the middle-aged cultivator retorted.
"Fine, I'll buy them. Come here, child, give me your Spirit Firefly Herbs, and I'll pay you the regular price," the thin old man said.
"I'll keep them for myself, then!"
The thin old man replied casually. His grandson had recently joined the hall and was experimenting with pill concoction, so buying these dozen or so Spirit Firefly Herbs would give him some practice.
The boy handed over the Spirit Firefly Herbs to the thin old man and accepted the thirty-odd spirit stones that were offered in return.
"The quality of your Spirit Firefly Herbs is mostly ordinary, and there's even one or two that are nearly defective. Do you have any objections to the price I offered?" asked the thin old man as he arranged the spirit plants.
"No, not at all. I'm already extremely grateful that you're willing to take them off my hands," the boy replied, his face filled with gratitude as he tucked the spirit stones into his clothes.
He was well aware of the mediocre quality of the spirit plants he had cultivated, and he was content with the spirit stones he received. With these, he could continue to buy spirit seeds and still have some left over for his cultivation and daily expenses.
"Sir, you're such a kind soul. I also have a few Spirit Firefly Herbs here of perfect quality. Would you be interested in purchasing them?"
Just then, a gentle voice echoed through the hall.
A remarkably graceful and tall young man strolled into the Hundred Herb Hall, holding several glowing stalks in his hand.
The plants exuded a compelling spiritual aura, their flickering radiance resembling countless stars in the night sky.
"Perfect quality Spirit Firefly Herbs?"
The middle-aged cultivator immediately scurried out, a fawning smile spreading across his face.
"Please, come this way, my friend. Here at the Hundred Herb Hall in Linyang City, we have an excellent reputation. If your Spirit Firefly Herbs are indeed of perfect quality, we will certainly offer you a satisfactory price for them."
Barely containing his excitement, he respectfully served a cup of steaming spirit tea to the young man.
Perfect quality medicinal plants, even of low rank, were extremely important to pill concoctors as they could increase the success rate and enhance the quality of the pills. With so many spirit plant cultivators in the hall, it was sheer luck to cultivate a perfect quality Spirit Firefly Herb.
If he could acquire all the perfect quality Spirit Firefly Herbs from this young man and present them to the pill concoctors in the hall, he would surely win their favor, and perhaps even improve his own standing.
"Is that so?"
The handsome young man regarded the middle-aged cultivator with interest.
"However, I'm just a small, unknown wandering cultivator. These few Spirit Firefly Herbs in my possession, though perfect in quality, may not meet your standards."
"Therefore, it would be best to sell them to this elderly gentleman here."
The handsome young man was none other than Lu Chen, and he had witnessed the previous interaction, prompting his current actions.
As for the perfect quality Spirit Firefly Herbs, while they no longer provided sufficient cultivation rewards, his focus had shifted to the second-rate Water Firefly Herbs. Nonetheless, with the abundance of spirit seeds he had kept, it was easy to cultivate some perfect quality Spirit Firefly Herbs in the inner sect's spirit-filled environment.
"Lu... Lu Chen?"
The thin old man asked in a soft, disbelieving tone.
It had been seven or eight years since they last met, and with Lu Chen's transformation in both cultivation and demeanor, the old man struggled to recognize him at first glance.
"Indeed, He Lao, it's me. I've returned to visit you," Lu Chen replied with a gentle smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
(End of Chapter)
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