Chapter 200: 200. Chapter 197: Zhu Zhuqing's Invitation

200. Chapter 197: Zhu Zhuqing's Invitation

"Second Miss, we have to go back to rest; tomorrow we still need to enter the Star Dou Great Forest to find suitable soul rings," Uncle Han suddenly spoke, interrupting Li Xuan and Zhu Zhuqing's conversation, and said this to Zhu Zhuqing.

"Got it, Uncle Han, let's go back." Upon hearing Uncle Han's words, Zhu Zhuqing immediately stopped what she was saying, nodded, then turned and left, moving cleanly and decisively, without any hesitation.

"Brother, did we lose out? The Alchemy Pill just now was free." Bang Gun whispered to Li Xuan.

"Of course not, Bang Chui, you still have a lot to learn. Come, back to the stall; soon someone will come to buy things." Li Xuan laughed, shook his head, then turned and returned to his stall, sat down, and continued hawking.

Because of the obvious effect of Li Xuan's Alchemy Pill, the people around began to notice Li Xuan, and some also came to Li Xuan's stall.

"Little brother, can the toxin on my body be dealt with?" An old man came to Li Xuan's stall, extended his hand, revealing a finger as black as ink. The toxin was domineering, but the old man's cultivation was not weak; he forcefully suppressed the toxin on his finger using soul power.

"This toxin is domineering, you can try; if it has no effect, you don't have to pay." Li Xuan's eyes lit up, then took out a Detox Pill and tossed it to the old man.

Li Xuan was not familiar with poisons, so he did not know whether his Detox Pill could neutralize this toxin.

The old man did not hesitate; after receiving the Detox Pill, he immediately stuffed the pill into his mouth.

As the pill entered, the pure medicinal force began to act on him.

Gradually, he felt his originally cold, stiff finger slowly warming up.

Looking down, the once ink‑black finger had begun to fade.

In just a few minutes, the finger returned to its normal color, though it was still a faint gray.

"This toxin is very domineering; buy two more Detox Pills, take one each night, and after three days the toxin on your finger and in your body will be completely cleared." Li Xuan thought for a moment and said this to the old man.

"Little brother, give me ten!" The old man was unabashed, directly took ten gold Soul Coins from his pocket and handed them to Li Xuan.

"Thank you for your trust; here is your Detox Pill! Also I give you a Fasting Pill; after eating it you can go a day without food." After receiving the gold Soul Coins, Li Xuan took a porcelain bottle containing ten Detox Pills from his backpack, added a Fasting Pill, and then handed it to the old man.

"Thank you, little brother." The old man clasped his fists in thanks to Li Xuan, then turned and left.

"Give me two!"

"I want four!"

"Good stuff, give me twenty!"

……

Seeing the old man's toxin removed, the surrounding people began to believe Li Xuan's pills were effective, and thus started buying Detox Pills from Li Xuan.

Li Xuan stood up, smiled, and waved his hand.

"Sorry, everyone, I'm still young and my soul power level is relatively low; although condensing this kind of pill doesn't consume much soul power, I can only sell fifty per day—more would affect my cultivation. I have 29 left now; those who want to buy, act quickly." Li Xuan chuckled and said this to the surrounding people.

Although Li Xuan had tens of thousands of Detox Pills in hand, he couldn't bring them out all at once; after all, taking out too many at once would be too conspicuous.

A small amount can still be disguised as a food‑type soul master, but if the quantity is large, it would expose the secret of the pills.

Moreover, Li Xuan's outing this time was only to test the waters, to see if the pills could be sold, not to become a famous merchant.

If the pill sales prove good, although the profit isn't large, it would still be a way out; Li Xuan could sell some medicinal wine alongside the pills, giving him a regular income.

In the blink of an eye, all twenty‑nine Detox Pills were sold, and Li Xuan's stall was empty.

Watching all the Detox Pills sold out, Li Xuan thought for a moment, then packed up to leave, since his pills were gone and he had nothing else to do there.

Li Xuan and Bang Chui closed their stall and returned to the inn; Li Xuan sat at the table in his room and began contemplating the feasibility of selling the pills.

The Detox Pill can indeed be sold, but the quantity must be controlled; after all, the more pills that flow out, the higher Li Xuan's risk of exposure.

However, now the tower is right here in Ladi Canyon, and the Fifth Rank Heaven-Shaking Cannon is just around the corner.

As long as there are enough Fifth Rank Heaven-Shaking Cannons in Ladi Canyon, even the Spirit Hall cannot trouble Li Xuan.

That will be the time for large‑scale pill sales; now Li Xuan also wants to get ahead, open some shops, operate them temporarily, so that when the Heaven-Shaking Cannon appears on day one, the pills will show up in those shops on day two.

Li Xuan would instantly have a huge fortune! "Alas… the pills sell well, but without a Heaven-Shaking Cannon to anchor the market, I really don't dare sell them. I know they sell well, but I can't sell them—what a waste, all these glittering gold Soul Coins! I can't deal with them for now." Li Xuan sighed helplessly; it's not yet time for mass pill sales.

"If it really doesn't work, in two days go to a nearby town to buy some shops, first spread out the stall, hire staff, increase subordinates; it takes time." Li Xuan stroked his chin and muttered.

Li Xuan still had many gold Soul Coins in hand, enough to expand the whole stall, but what he lacked was high‑end combat power; high‑end combat power is something that can be encountered but not easily obtained, and Li Xuan hasn't had time to cultivate it himself.

Li Xuan frowned and thought seriously; making money really isn't easy.

As he kept thinking, Li Xuan soon fell asleep.

……

Early the next morning, Li Xuan and Bang Chui continued setting up their stall, while also looking for suitable nearby shops to sell.

Li Xuan didn't want to keep running a street stall; after all, shops are also his assets here.

However, today just as Li Xuan set up his stall, Zhu Zhuqing, dressed in purple, appeared in front of his stall.

Zhu Zhuqing stood at the stall's entrance, looking at Li Xuan a bit shyly, as if she had something to say.

Li Xuan also looked at Zhu Zhuqing with a curious expression.

"Xiao Yan, I'd like to invite you to join my soul master squad and help me hunt a soul beast as my Second Soul Ring!" Zhu Zhuqing hesitated for a moment, then, with her face slightly flushed, said this to Li Xuan, but still showed little expression change, looking somewhat aloof.

"Ah? Invite me? Why invite me? I'm only a teen‑level food‑type soul master; what use could I be? If I go into the Soul Beast Forest I'll just hold you back," Li Xuan said, pointing at himself in disbelief. "The 800‑year‑old Netherworld Spirit Cat I'm after is in a deeper part of the Soul Beast Forest; we have to cross the territory of a 3,000‑year‑old purple‑glowing scorpion. We'll need some Detox Pills to pass safely, and I'm worried the Detox Pills you produce will lose their effect, so I thought of inviting you to go with me to the Star Dou Great Forest," Zhu Zhuqing whispered to Li Xuan.

At this time Zhu Zhuqing was still young, lacking the aloof big‑sister vibe she'd have when grown up, and looked more like a cute little loli pretending to be an adult.

"And then?" Li Xuan blinked, asking the little loli curiously.

"Three hundred gold Soul Coins a day!" Zhu Zhuqing said to Li Xuan, sounding a bit displeased.

She didn't expect Li Xuan to be so greedy for money.

"Hehe, that's right; my brother and I will accompany you, buy one get one free, you won't lose." Li Xuan laughed brightly, then said to Zhu Zhuqing.

Li Xuan also wanted to see the Star Dou Great Forest, after all his three soul rings were obtained from Immortal‑grade spirit plants, and he had never entered any Soul Beast Forest to hunt a soul beast.

Li Xuan was also very curious about what soul beasts are like in this world, which is why he went along with Zhu Zhuqing's invitation.

Moreover, although Li Xuan's cultivation was only a little over thirty levels, his combat power could rival that of forty‑ or fifty‑level soul masters, and he could even kill higher‑level enemies with the flames in his hand.

So Li Xuan's safety could still be guaranteed.

As for Zhu Zhuqing, that wasn't the reason Li Xuan agreed to the invitation…

"Alright, let's set off right now." Zhu Zhuqing was momentarily stunned after hearing Li Xuan's brisk acceptance.

A food‑type Soul Master surprisingly agreed so readily to his invitation; I don't know whether he's foolish or clueless, or perhaps just lacks social experience.

Within a Soul Master squad, support‑type Soul Masters are the weakest and also the most frequently killed, so they are extremely careful when choosing teammates.

"Since he agreed, let's set out," Han Shu said suddenly.

"Han Shu, right? Hello," Li Xuan said without hesitation, leaping onto the carriage with Bangchui.

Because the Star Dou Great Forest often erupts in unrest, the Soul Master town is some distance from it, requiring a carriage ride to reach the forest.

After Li Xuan boarded the carriage, Zhu Zhuqing also boarded and sat opposite him.

Li Xuan, curious, examined the girl before him; he must admit that up close he found her increasingly attractive—though the girl was quite young, she was indeed beautiful.

"Kid, stop staring, or I'll gouge out your eyes," Han Shu, seeing Li Xuan, snapped at him.

Li Xuan merely smiled and shook his head, and Han Shu drove the carriage toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Zhu Zhuqing, your family is so large, why did they assign someone like this to accompany you in hunting Soul Beasts?" Li Xuan asked suddenly.

"The family rule requires a clan member to hunt the Second Soul Ring alone to complete the coming‑of‑age rite." Zhu Zhuqing shifted her gaze uneasily elsewhere, still unaccustomed to Li Xuan's stare, and whispered to him.

Li Xuan nodded; that made much more sense, for otherwise a noble girl having only a single guard would seem odd.

If it's a family test, it's even more reasonable, since it's meant to prove one's strength; the fewer guards one brings, the stronger one appears.

"Your target is an 800‑year Netherworld Spirit Cat?" Li Xuan asked Zhu Zhuqing again.

Zhu Zhuqing gave no answer, only nodded, clearly not inclined to speak with Li Xuan.

Seeing Zhu Zhuqing's demeanor, Li Xuan wisely fell silent; after all, he also dislikes being eager while the other gives a cold shoulder.

Closing his eyes, Li Xuan quietly waited to enter the Star Dou Great Forest.

The Star Dou Great Forest lies in the center between the Star Luo Empire and the Tian Dou Empire, most of its area belonging to the Star Luo Empire, and this place happens to be an entrance to the forest.

Two hours later, the carriage came to a slow stop, and Li Xuan opened his eyes, assuming they had entered the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Brother, I smell a Soul Beast," Bangchui said earnestly to Li Xuan.

"Here, take this and wear it; it can hide your scent," Li Xuan handed Bangchui a blood‑red bone taken from ten bats.

The bone has already been refined, and can perfectly neutralize the Soul Beast aura emanating from Bangchui.

Otherwise, Bangchui, a 100,000‑year Transformation Form Soul Beast, would be a tasty morsel in the eyes of other Soul Beasts.

"Thank you, brother!" Bangchui, knowing it was a 100,000‑year Soul Beast bone, carefully tucked it into his chest.

Li Xuan and Bangchui disembarked, and Zhu Zhuqing followed Li Xuan down as well.

"Second Miss, today we'll still follow the usual route into the Star Dou Great Forest; tonight we should rest near the Purple Luminous Scorpion territory," Han Shu said with a sigh.

"Do you have a brain cyst? Resting in that Soul Beast territory—what are you doing with nothing to do?" Li Xuan snapped at Han Shu.

"To the left is the territory of a 30,000‑year Red Fox Soul Beast; to the right is the 20,000‑year White Water Mystic Snake's domain; only the Purple Luminous Scorpion's area is relatively safe," Han Shu retorted to Li Xuan.

Li Xuan was stunned, then stared at Han Shu in disbelief, thinking, "What kind of game is this? The 800‑year Netherworld Spirit Cat we're after is surrounded by such powerful Soul Beasts."

"Fine, it's not a big problem; shall we set off now?" Li Xuan asked again.

"Of course!" Han Shu said without hesitation, then turned and plunged into the Star Dou Great Forest.

Zhu Zhuqing clung tightly behind Han Shu, while Li Xuan surveyed the surroundings and strapped the Great Teleportation Talisman to his wrist, ready to leave at any moment.

Compared with the other three, Bangchui was the most familiar with the Soul Beast Forest; standing beside Li Xuan, he silently protected him. Though Bangchui's combat power was low, he knew the Soul Beast Forest very well.

As Li Xuan plunged into the Soul Beast Forest, countless rare and strange flora and fauna appeared before his eyes. (End of chapter)