The Happy Farmer Wanderer-Chapter 741: A Romantic Rival Appears Halfway_1

Nine Truth Palace.

When Li Qing and his two companions walked into the true Nine Truth Palace under the guidance of an unfamiliar disciple, they suddenly felt bewildered.

It felt like he had walked into a marketplace.

The area outside the grand hall was filled with all sorts of stalls, displaying a myriad of strange and curious things.

"Brother Qulou, what’s going on here? Has Nine Truth Palace started a marketplace?" Li Qing asked with some surprise.

The young Taoist who had come to greet Li Qing slightly bowed and said, "Minor Uncle Master, you can simply call me Qulou. This was decided temporarily after discussions between various parties. They said that Third Master’s entry into the Nascent Soul stage is an undeniable major event in the Cultivation World today, and should not be settled hastily; there should be a grand celebration for a few days. Coincidentally, it also provides an opportunity for disciples from various sects and solitary cultivators to exchange ideas and practice, and a space should be designated for everyone to exchange resources."

"So that’s how it is," Li Qing said with a smile.

"This is a long-standing tradition in the Cultivation World," Jing Yan said with a nostalgic and delighted expression while watching the lively scene around her, speaking softly, "In the past, I really enjoyed browsing these markets. You can always find some very interesting things when you least expect it."

Seeing this, Li Qing immediately said, "Qulou, let’s not go to see my master just yet. Let’s take a look around first; you go ahead with your business."

"No trouble at all, Minor Uncle Master. I will lead the way for you," Qulou said with a smile.

He looked to be in his thirties, but his status was much lower than Li Qing’s.

Li Qing and his party followed Qulou and turned their way into the designated trading area.

As Jing Yan had said, there truly were many interesting things here, although most of the stalls were selling medicinal herbs with astonishingly high prices. Li Qing noticed several ginsengs wrapped in red cloth that were priced at several million, almost reaching sky-high prices.

After encountering several of these, Li Qing’s curiosity was piqued by these ginsengs. He had no intention of buying them, but he simply wanted to know what was different about them, making their prices outrageously high.

He stopped at a middle-aged man’s stall and pointed to the ginseng, asking, "Why is this little ginseng so expensive?"

The middle-aged man looked like a typical old farmer with dark skin and traces of weathering on his face, wearing a somewhat tattered straw hat. He answered with surprise, "Mine’s expensive? Brother, have you not seen the others? Mine only costs 3.6 million, while others’ ginseng spirits probably wouldn’t go for less than 4 million, right?"

After saying this, the man sized up Li Qing and remarked, "Brother, you’re new to this path, aren’t you?"

"More or less," Li Qing replied without expecting a casual question to expose his background, "What’s different about this thing?"

"The difference is that these little treasures are centuries-old ginsengs that have absorbed enough Spiritual Energy and have become sentient; they can even speak human language. They should be considered truly high-grade tonics. Brother, if you have the money to get one, I’ll teach you how to consume it," the middle-aged man said animatedly, "Just a small section of it, and your happiness will absolutely skyrocket in the future."

"Moreover, what’s more impressive about this thing is its life-saving property. As long as there’s a breath left in you, this thing can keep you alive. Not to mention other things, for this point alone, you tell me if it’s worth the price? It can also enhance your strength and solidify your cultivation. I’m not exaggerating at all these wonderful benefits," he added.

Li Qing was genuinely tempted; if it could indeed save lives, then this thing was definitely valuable.

Many times, what is lacking is the time to save a life; owning such an item would mean being prepared for any eventuality.

Although nobody wishes for accidents to befall them, who can predict when an accident may occur?

"Has it caught your fancy, husband?" Jing Yan whispered in Li Qing’s ear.

Li Qing nodded and shared his thoughts.

"If husband really wants one, I’ll catch a couple for you another day; this one is a fake," Jing Yan shook her head and said, "It’s a decades-old ginseng forcibly catalyzed by Spiritual Power. Ginseng is one of the treasures of heaven and earth, under the catalysis of Spiritual Power, it has a certain chance to develop sentience. However, its effects are far less than those of ginseng spirits that absorb Spiritual Energy and develop sentience on their own."

Li Qing was momentarily taken aback. People nowadays could cultivate such things themselves?

No wonder these were the most common items seen on the stalls.

The man’s face turned hostile upon hearing Jing Yan’s words. He was about to get angry when suddenly, a group of people approached from the side.

These young people, all dressed in suits, were markedly different from the more plainly dressed crowd around them.

"Has the beautiful lady taken a liking to this ginseng spirit?" The leading man with stylish hair approached Jing Yan, smiling cockily at an angle, and reached out to Jing Yan, "I wonder if I might offer this ginseng spirit to the lady, so that we might get to know each other."

Jing Yan’s gaze immediately turned cold, "I don’t want to know you."

"Come on, lady, give us a chance. Our family is prestigious, with resources in the Cultivation World and wealth and power in the mundane world; just getting to know us a little would be far better than struggling all by yourself," the man confidently trotted out his family background, "Any luxurious car or house is just a matter of me lifting a finger if you ask. What do you think of my sincerity?"

They seemed so used to this approach, apparently seeing Jing Yan no different from certain types of girls outside.

In a world awash with material desire, what he had described indeed often moved the hearts of young women.

While it’s not an absolute statement, it could mostly be applied to a large number of women.

However, saying this to Jing Yan clearly meant they had addressed the wrong person.

"Get lost," Jing Yan’s face turned frosty, and a formidable aura instantly emanated from her.

Li Qing stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Jing Yan, "Brother, trying to take my woman right in front of me isn’t a great move, is it?"

The man looked Li Qing up and down, "Average clothes, average appearance, not even an expensive watch—I guess your fortune might just be enough to look at this ginseng spirit. Truly, this lady is wasting her time with someone like you!"

"Besides, let me tell you responsibly that I haven’t even tried to take her yet; I simply wanted to get to know her a little and have a shallow exchange. But I don’t like your attitude, and now I do want to take her," he said, moving past Li Qing and addressing Jing Yan, "Lady, I’ll give you five million if you dump this piece of garbage and come with me!"

"Forget it, five million might be an insult to the lady. I’ll also give you a luxury car, a mansion, plus two maids and a driver. How about that?"