After Zhang Hong left, Lu Xuan didn't waste any time. He gathered all his belongings and prepared to go out in search of a solution for the Black Bud Worm larvae.
Before leaving, he took out a small white stone, about the size of a fingernail, and approached the Straw Puppet. This small stone was a Spirit Fragment, created from a low-grade Spirit Stone, and was quite useful for low-level cultivators like Lu Xuan.
“Make sure to guard the place well after you’re well-fed!” he said, stuffing the Spirit Fragment into the gray lump on the Straw Puppet's head, giving it a serious reminder.
With the Spirit Fragment providing energy, the Straw Puppet emitted a faint spiritual glow, seeming more spirited than before. Although Lu Xuan wasn't entirely confident in this slow-reacting guardian puppet, he had no other choice but to hope that everything in his yard would be safe while he was away.
Once outside, Lu Xuan quickly walked along the stone path. His home was in the northern part of Linyang Market Town, where many low-level cultivators like him lived, all dreaming of breaking through their limits and changing their fates, crowded together in this small area.
In contrast, the center of the market was dominated by powerful families and big forces, a place Lu Xuan rarely visited.
Having not gone out for a while, he felt a bit out of place, looking at everything around him—familiar yet strange. A half-meter-long yellow paper bird floated by, carrying a cultivator. The bird had uneven spikes on its body, showing it had been in use for quite some time.
Next, a multi-legged mechanical beast flew overhead, with two or three dozen cultivators sitting on it. This type of beast was a common means of transport in the market, costing just a few Spirit Fragments to reach the center in no time.
There were no restrictions on flying in the outskirts of the market, and many flying spirit beasts and magical tools could be seen. Occasionally, a streak of sword light would zip across the sky, indicating a high-level cultivator flying on a sword, something that was far out of Lu Xuan's reach at this moment.
He couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. Riding a sword through the skies was a distant dream for him, both in this life and the last.
Shaking off his thoughts, he quickened his pace and soon arrived at a gathering spot for cultivators in the northern area. This place had many shops and stalls, which, although not as impressive as those in the center, were more than enough for a low-level cultivator like him.
As he navigated through the crowd, he quickly spotted a middle-aged cultivator in a corner. This man was also at the second level of Qi Refinement, thin and gaunt, with high cheekbones and a pair of twirled mustaches on his upper lip. His eyes darted around quickly, scanning the other cultivators.
Lu Xuan knew his surname was Huang and that he lived not far from his own home. He had been hanging around the gathering spot for a long time and was well-informed about the various rumors in the northern area. However, Lu Xuan knew he would have to pay for any information he wanted.
Noticing Lu Xuan's gaze, the middle-aged man’s mustache perked up slightly as he forced a smile and approached him. “Lu, my young friend! Long time no see. How can I help you today?”
Lu Xuan returned the smile. “I do have something I’d like to ask you, Brother Huang.”
“I’ve heard you have a wide network and know many cultivators at different levels in the northern area. Could you introduce a few to me?”
“I have a few requirements. First, they must be at the fourth level of Qi Refinement. Second, they should be skilled in powerful spells that can be finely controlled, or have similar magical tools.”
“Lastly, they need to be located within the northern area and available right away.”
Lu Xuan explained to the middle-aged man while handing him a Spirit Fragment. He didn't expect to find cultivators with higher levels, as hiring someone at the fifth level would cost much more than someone at the fourth level. Plus, since the Spirit Firefly Grass was already heavily infested, if he didn't act quickly, he would lose not just one but potentially many of the plants, along with the unknown rewards from the White Light Orbs that appeared when they matured.
So, being usually frugal, Lu Xuan reluctantly paid this much for the Spirit Fragment, hoping to find a fourth-level cultivator quickly to deal with the Black Bud Worm larvae.
The middle-aged man took the Spirit Fragment, and his smile became noticeably warmer. “There are indeed quite a few fourth-level cultivators in the northern area, but only a few meet your other criteria.”
“As far as I know, there are three nearby.”
“One is Fairy Lingyun, who has quite a high level of cultivation and possesses a set of Red Cloud Needles, which she uses with great skill, meeting both your requirements for power and precision.”
“Another is Qin Ming, who is very skilled in ice magic. His attacks might be a bit lacking, but his control is top-notch.”
“Lastly, there’s Li Xu, who is obsessed with swordsmanship and has the ability to use Sword Qi Threads, also fitting your needs.”
He then shared the addresses of these three fourth-level cultivators with Lu Xuan. After Lu Xuan nodded to show he remembered, the man smiled and said, “How about I accompany you to visit these three fellow cultivators?”
“Thank you for the offer, Brother Huang, but I can manage on my own,” Lu Xuan replied, knowing that would come with an extra cost. He clasped his hands in gratitude and turned to leave.
He wasn't worried that the middle-aged man would deceive him, as this was his livelihood, and he wouldn’t risk ruining his own source of income.
...
Back in the yard, the Spirit Firefly Grass, infected by the black threads, was quickly covered by a layer of frost that brought a bone-chilling cold. The Black Bud Worm larvae sensed the approaching chill and twisted, trying to escape from the leaves.
But they couldn't escape fast enough, and the black threads were frozen solid by the spreading frost. The frost quickly solidified, becoming hard, and with a crack, the thin layer of ice shattered, taking the Black Bud Worm larvae down with it.
A delicate white hand reached out to catch all the broken ice pieces. “Wow, Brother Qin really lives up to his name! Your Frost Armor Technique is truly masterful. I'm impressed!” Lu Xuan exclaimed, half in awe as he looked at the unharmed Spirit Firefly Grass leaves beneath the frost.
The owner of the white hand was a chubby cultivator who smiled as he tucked the broken ice pieces into his robe. “I’m glad I didn’t let you down. I managed to deal with the Black Bud Worm larvae without freezing the Spirit Plant leaves.”
“I took a look at the nearby Spirit Firefly Grass and didn’t find any signs of the larvae. You can rest easy for a while.”
“However, I noticed that the protective power around your small Spiritual Field is a bit weak. You might face similar issues in the future.”
The chubby cultivator reminded Lu Xuan. Lu Xuan waved his hand dismissively. “We’ll deal with future issues later. As for the payment…”
“Sixty Spirit Stones and fifty Spirit Fragments, as we agreed before.”
A Spirit Firefly Grass isn’t worth even close to six Spirit Stones, but the payment was high mainly to address the pest issue in the Spiritual Field, and also because Qin Ming was at the mid-level of Qi Refinement.
The chubby cultivator wore a harmless smile. Lu Xuan took out fifty Spirit Fragments, counted them twice, and then pulled out six Spirit Stones one by one from his waist, turning his head away as he handed them to the chubby cultivator.
“Thank you, my friend Lu.”
Qin Ming took the Spirit Stones and left the yard. Lu Xuan felt a pang in his heart as he sensed the distance growing between him and the Spirit Stones, unable to hold back a curse under his breath.
“Scammer!”
(End of Chapter)