The woman's beautiful eyes glanced at Chu Lan, and she asked, "How much Yunxiang Grass do you have?"
"A large amount, about three acres' worth."
Chu Lan replied.
Hearing this, the woman nodded, evidently satisfied with the quantity of Yunxiang Grass.
"However, as for the price, one liang per stalk is far too little."
Chu Lan shook his head, dissatisfied with the price mentioned on the notice.
"Impudent!"
Before the woman could speak, the shop assistant nearby immediately shouted out in reprimand.
"This is the eldest miss of the Bai Family of Biyao City!"
"For Miss Bai to purchase Yunxiang Grass at the price of one liang per stalk is already your honor. How dare you stand here and bargain with Miss Bai?"
"Do you really take Miss Bai for a fool?"
Indeed, Yunxiang Grass was not an extraordinarily rare spiritual herb; the market price of a single stalk of Yunxiang Grass was half a liang, or even lower.
At the same time, Chu Lan was surprised to learn that this person was Bai Lingyi, the eldest miss of the Bai Family of Biyao City.
Towns were also classified into various ranks. If Luoyang City could be considered a third-rate town at best, then Biyao City was a proper second-tier town.
As for the Bai Family, they were far more powerful than all the aristocratic families in Luoyang City combined.
Even the Wang Family, the strongest family in Luoyang City, would have to bow their heads in submission before the Bai Family.
Yet, even so, Chu Lan had no intention of selling his Yunxiang Grass at a bargain price.
Ordinary Yunxiang Grass, if it only fetched one liang per stalk, he might let it go.
However, the quality of Chu Lan's Yunxiang Grass was several times higher than that of ordinary Yunxiang Grass.
Naturally, he had to strive for a higher price; moreover, Chu Lan was indeed very short of money at present.
Bai Lingyi did not get angry. Instead, she looked at Chu Lan and asked, "Give me a reason why I should pay more to buy your Yunxiang Grass?"
Her judgment of people was never wrong.
Although the young man in front of her had a lower cultivation level than her, he did not look like the greedy, unscrupulous merchant type.
Chu Lan did not waste words. He directly reached out and pretended to retrieve something from his storage pouch.
In reality, he was taking items out from the Divine Desolation Pagoda.
He took out a stalk of Yunxiang Grass and handed it to Bai Lingyi.
"This is!"
The Yunxiang Grass before her made Bai Lingyi's pupils contract.
The quality of this Yunxiang Grass was actually so exceptional!
If it was Yunxiang Grass of this quality, its medicinal effects might well surpass those of ordinary Yunxiang Grass!
Bai Lingyi raised her head, looked at Chu Lan, and immediately asked, "Is the Yunxiang Grass across those few acres all of this quality?"
"Indeed, the Yunxiang Grass on those few acres is all of this quality."
Chu Lan nodded in response.
"If that is truly the case, I can offer you three lians per stalk. What do you think?"
Bai Lingyi had no desire to haggle and directly tripled the price.
"Miss Bai, this is merely Yunxiang Grass; there is no need for the price to be so high!"
The shop assistant turned somewhat green with envy.
Three lians per stalk—three acres would yield nearly four thousand stalks.
That amounted to a full ten thousand and more lians!
Placed right here in Luoyang City, that was by no means a small fortune!
Chu Lan nodded, deeming this price quite fair.
"Very well. I want seventy percent in silver taels, and the remaining thirty percent converted into Qi-Gathering Pills."
Bai Lingyi agreed without hesitation: "Accepted."
"Go fetch some Qi-Gathering Pills."
She instructed the assistant.
The assistant nodded and immediately set about handling the matter.
Before long, the assistant brought back nine thousand one hundred lians in silver and one hundred thirty Qi-Gathering Pills.
"Where is your Yunxiang Grass, then?"
Bai Lingyi asked. "I have prepared everything for you."
Chu Lan had Bai Lingyi take out an idle storage ring, and then, through the Divine Desolation Pagoda, he transferred the Yunxiang Grass directly into the storage ring.
Taking the storage ring, Bai Lingyi swept her divine sense across the interior to inspect the Yunxiang Grass.
Without exception, every single stalk of this Yunxiang Grass was of high quality.
"Very well, everything is correct."
Bai Lingyi said, "The next time you have Yunxiang Grass of this quality, you may come directly to find me."
With that, Bai Lingyi produced a token and handed it to Chu Lan, saying, "If I am not here at Qingyun Market, you can go to the Luoyang City post station and find people from the Bai Family."
"Present this token, and they will conduct the transaction with you."
Chu Lan reached out to take the token, nodded, and then asked, "Pardon my asking, but why do you need so much Yunxiang Grass?"
Bai Lingyi's face and eyes grew cold as she said in a chilly tone, "That is not something you should be inquiring about."
"You only need to know that however much Yunxiang Grass you have, I will buy it all."
Since the other party refused to tell him, Chu Lan had no intention of probing to the bottom of it.
He left Qingyun Market directly.
After Chu Lan departed, Bai Lingyi spoke up: "I must return to the Bai Family now. If anyone else comes to sell Yunxiang Grass, buy it all without hesitation."
"If they produce Yunxiang Grass of the exact same quality as that person just now, acquire it at a high price immediately."
"Understood, Eldest Miss."
The assistant nodded repeatedly.
As she walked out of Qingyun Market, Bai Lingyi harbored a quiet prayer in her heart: "I hope this batch of Yunxiang Grass can alleviate his condition for a little longer."
Bai Lingyi's grandfather had contracted a strange affliction, a condition that currently could only be resolved by a grade-five alchemist.
Although the Bai Family was an aristocratic family of Biyao City and possessed vast financial resources, lacking the necessary connections, they simply could not invite a grade-five alchemist.
At present, Yunxiang Grass was the only thing capable of easing her grandfather's condition.
As for Chu Lan, upon leaving Qingyun Market, he headed straight for the Hundred Thousand Li Great Mountains near Luoyang City.
The Hundred Thousand Li Great Mountains were infested with fierce demonic beasts, but at the same time, countless opportunities and spiritual herbs were hidden within them.
"If I can discover rare spiritual herbs inside the Hundred Thousand Li Great Mountains and transplant them into the Divine Desolation Pagoda, I can sell them for money or have alchemists refine pills for me."
Although Qingyun Market also sold seeds of spiritual herbs, those were all relatively common varieties.
Chu Lan stepped into the Hundred Thousand Li Great Mountains.
Meanwhile, back at the Chu Family.
A full day had passed, and yet there was still no trace of Chu Lan.
The fury in Chu Nie's heart could no longer be suppressed.
He reported the death of his son to the Patriarch, Chu Tianxiong.
"Patriarch, that little bastard Chu Lan murdered my son and has now even fled to escape justice!"
Chu Nie said in a deep voice, "If we do not apprehend this fellow, I fear it will bring great trouble to our Chu Family!"
Chu Nie's words caused the other elders of the Chu Family to nod in succession: "Indeed, this fellow even dared to slaughter a member of his own clan."
"Heaven knows what other beastly acts he might commit next!"
"He's nothing more than a cripple anyway. Let's just catch him and execute him."
Chu Tianxiong raised an eyebrow: "I will send people to search for Chu Lan."
"As for whether to execute him, we shall decide after he is caught and brought back!"
Chu Tianxiong cared not whether Chu Lan lived or died.
What he cared about was the Spirit-Gathering Array in the North Courtyard.
Control of the Spirit-Gathering Array rested with that brat; if he died, how would Chu Tianxiong's son, Chu Beichuan, obtain the array for his cultivation?
All of this was in preparation for the Cloud Mist Sect's arrival to accept disciples in half a month's time.
Chu Beichuan was already a pre-selected disciple of the Heavenly Dao Academy, but Chu Tianxiong still hoped his son could join a formal sect to bring glory to the family name and allow him, an old father, to share in the honor.
"Announce it downward: the entire Chu Family is to search for Chu Lan, even if they have to dig three feet into the ground!"