novelapdf Chapter 1: Earning the Price Difference
Chapter 1: Earning the Price Difference
Pukoufang Market.
Lu Family Pharmacy.
"Fellow Daoist Li, this is the prescription. Just go into the mountains and collect the herbs listed on it."
Inside the counter, a young Taoist boy of about thirteen or fourteen years old handed over a form.
Outside the counter, Li Wu took the prescription, glanced at it, and saw a line of tiny characters on it.
It reads: 10 aconite flowers, 1 pound of magnetite, and 10 autumn water grass plants.
These are all medicinal herbs that are not hard to find.
"Fellow Daoist Li, as usual, please deliver the medicinal herbs within one month. If you exceed this period, we will hire someone else," the young Daoist boy reminded him.
Li Wu nodded, folded the prescription in half and put it into his belt, then cupped his hands and said:
"Then I'll be going now."
Their profession is known as "mountain walkers." They collect medicinal herbs from pharmacies in the market and then go into the mountains to gather them, making a living and earning meager resources for cultivation.
It's not just the pill shops that need it.
Magic artifact shops need spirit ore, talisman shops need demon beast blood... they will all ask rogue cultivators to go into the mountains to search for it.
Therefore, the demand is very high.
Most of the independent cultivators in the market make a living from this trade.
This group of "mountain walkers" were traversing a mountain called Chi Mountain, a notorious demon mountain. It was rich in spiritual treasures, but also teeming with demons, including many powerful Foundation Establishment stage demons. For independent cultivators seeking to refine their Qi, it was fraught with peril.
After receiving the assignment, Li Wu did not go into the mountains like other independent cultivators, but instead turned around and returned to his residence.
Outside the market, in Zone B, number twelve.
This is a courtyard with white walls and black tiles, inside which there is a small pavilion with stone tables and chairs, where friends can come to visit.
Aside from the lack of spiritual energy, everything else is fine.
In the world of cultivation, only things related to cultivation have value. For cultivators, even a palace in the mortal world cannot compare to a dimly lit cave dwelling.
Therefore, most of the people living here are poor, wandering monks.
After Li Wu returned home, he went to the rice jar and scooped out about fifty catties of spirit rice.
The rice container is almost empty.
Then, Li Wuxin had a sudden thought.
…………
Li Wu looked around at the surrounding mountains and fields, which were now in another territory.
This place is the Yue Kingdom, another world of cultivation.
They follow a path called the "Purple Mansion Golden Elixir Path." One must absorb a breath of spiritual energy from heaven and earth to build a foundation for immortality, develop supernatural powers in the Purple Mansion, forge a trace of golden nature, and thus attain the Dao fruition.
This is completely different from Li Wuyuan's original path of Qi Refining and Foundation Building, Golden Core and Nascent Soul.
After obtaining the cultivation manual, the cultivators in Pukou Market immediately began to draw qi into their bodies and refine it.
In this world, before one can refine Qi, one must open the six orifices to form a complete cycle of Qi, and then swallow a mouthful of innate spiritual Qi in order to become a Qi Refining cultivator.
Li Wu transmigrated to this world half a month ago. There are no cultivation techniques available here yet, so he has not yet opened his six acupoints.
But Li Wu still found an opportunity to take advantage of a loophole.
That's reselling spiritual items!
In this world, the transmission of all the arts of cultivation is sealed off by aristocratic families and immortal sects, preventing their circulation to the outside world. They also continuously harvest cheap materials, then process them into talismans, elixirs, and other finished products for sale.
This makes the prices of medicinal herbs and other spiritual items sold by independent cultivators exceptionally cheap.
Li Wu had already calculated that most medicinal herbs here were about 50% cheaper than in Pukou Market.
This moment instantly sparked Li Wusheng's idea of trading between the two worlds.
"Make a profit from the price difference, and then buy a book on enlightenment here."
Although Li Wu was already a cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining, he believed that the cultivation path in this world was significantly stronger.
With this in mind, Li Wu walked along the long-abandoned path towards Jianxiawu.
Jianxiawu is a trading place for cultivators, where they can purchase the medicinal herbs they need for the day.
After walking for a while, Li Wu found a gathering place on the originally deserted mountain path.
The area was bustling with people, and the sounds of conversation were incessant, creating a lively atmosphere.
Li Wu strode in without attracting any attention.
Since he was new to the area, he wasn't in a hurry to make any transactions. Instead, he wandered around the streets for a bit, seeing all sorts of magical artifacts and spiritual items. Most of them were medicinal herbs, spiritual ores, and talismans.
Occasionally, one can see ritual implements and talismans. But they are rare, and it is unknown where they come from.
Li Wu randomly stopped in front of a stall selling medicinal herbs. The stall owner, whose face was covered, spoke:
"Fellow Daoist, what kind of medicinal herbs do you require?"
Li Wu picked and chose, finally picking up a dark, woody lump and asking:
"How much is this medicinal herb?"
"Aconite, one piece of spirit stone for fifty pieces."
Upon hearing this, Li Wu thought to himself, 'So in this world, aconite flowers are called aconite wood?'
Li Wu didn't dwell on the name for long and asked:
"Would two catties of spirit rice be enough?"
Whether in Pukou Market or in this world, spirit stones are rare commodities for independent cultivators.
Bartering was more common.
The stall owner was silent for a moment, then said:
"Could you please show me what kind of spirit rice it is?"
Li Wu then presented a handful of spirit rice.
The stall owner examined it for a moment: "The grains are plump and full of spiritual energy; they are good spiritual items. They can be traded."
"Okay, then give me ten aconite roots."
The transaction was completed quickly.
Li Wu took twenty catties of spirit rice and obtained ten aconite flowers.
Next are magnetite and colchicine.
The price of autumn water grass is the same as that of aconite flower, which is two catties of lingmi per plant.
As for lodestone, it has the effects of absorbing energy and calming the mind, and can be used to refine the [Spirit Gathering Pill]. Therefore, it is quite expensive, requiring ten catties of spirit rice for one catty of lodestone.
In about two hours, Li Wu completed the entire transaction.
But Li Wu wasn't in a hurry to leave. Instead, he stopped in front of a stall selling magic techniques.
He picked up a martial arts manual.
"Fellow Daoist, what is the price of this 'Convergence of Origins and Opening of the Secrets'?"
The stall owner glanced at Li Wu before speaking:
"Three spirit stones."
After saying that, he added:
"That's the price for everything."
Li Wu smiled and nodded, then turned and left.
Afterwards, Li Wu left Jianxiawu, found a dense forest, and left this world.
…………
Pukoufang Market.
Although all the medicinal herbs had been purchased, Li was in a hurry to deliver them, lest he be too hasty and attract attention.
"It's not too late to go in a few days."
After carefully preserving the medicinal herbs, Li Wu sat cross-legged on the bed, pondering:
"Although the stall owner said the 'Huiyuan Tongqiao Jue' would cost three spirit stones, judging from his appearance, there should be room for negotiation."
"All the spiritual items I have on me, if folded together, amount to roughly two spirit stones."
"After delivering this batch of medicinal herbs, we can get 100 catties of spirit rice, which can be converted into one spirit stone. So, that's three spirit stones."
This is almost equivalent to Li Wu's earnings over the past year and a half.
In the past, he would definitely have bought a few Spirit Nourishing Pills. But now he would definitely buy the "Convergence of Origins and the Opening of the Apertures Technique".
But three spirit stones are too expensive.
"Two and a half spirit stones shouldn't be a big problem," Li Wu said thoughtfully.
As the initial stage of cultivation, the corresponding techniques for enlightenment are certainly not too expensive.
After all, it needs to be affordable for all independent cultivators.
Otherwise, if there are fewer independent cultivators, how will those powerful families and immortal sects continue to exploit them?
"Yes, that makes sense."