What shocked Lu Qingning the most was not even the absurdly overpriced food in the cafeteria; what shocked her most was that the average prices here were five times higher than those in the cafeteria next door.
"Senior Sister, why is the food here so expensive, yet people still buy it?" Lu Qingning couldn't help asking.
Xiao Hongyu pondered, "Most likely because the food at Xianzong Canteen can be used as weapons. The prices here are still relatively cheap compared to proper weapons, so many people buy them."
Lu Qingning was speechless. "So they aren't meant for eating after all... Xianzong Canteen? What's the other cafeteria called?"
"Xianweizhai."
Lu Qingning rolled her eyes.
Xianweizhai, my foot. Even mortal food tasted better than what they served in that place.
Seeing her junior sister roll her eyes, Xiao Hongyu smiled faintly. "Bringing you to Danding Peak today isn't about exploring the cafeteria or buying weapons here. You already have a weapon, and I will prepare medicinal pills for you separately."
With that, Xiao Hongyu took Lu Qingning by the wrist and led her out of the cafeteria.
"Huh?"
Lu Qingning tilted her head as she followed Xiao Hongyu, her gaze fixed entirely on her captured wrist.
She had a sneaking suspicion that their current posture looked rather strange in the eyes of passersby—she felt rather like a little chick being dragged along.
However, since Xiao Hongyu didn't let go, Lu Qingning felt too embarrassed to bring it up.
Passing through the two cafeterias and heading further inward revealed a small city.
"This is the destination of our trip today—the largest marketplace for medicinal pills in the Tianjian Sect."
"The largest marketplace? Wait, then what were those small stalls near the entrance selling?"
"Those sell medicinal pills as well, but most of them are refined by outer disciples or a handful of inner disciples. Their quality is poor, so they're only suitable for outer disciples who don't have many Spirit Stones.
As for the pill shops in Danding City, the pills sold here are mostly refined by inner disciples and direct disciples. Not only is the quality excellent, but the taste is wonderful too. Take the Bigu Pill you ate earlier, for instance—I specially commissioned a direct disciple to refine that for one."
With wide eyes, Lu Qingning gazed at the endless stream of people around her as Xiao Hongyu led her forward. Listening attentively, she stretched her neck to peer into the various pill shops.
"I see. Thank you for all the trouble, Senior Sister."
Lu Qingning sidled up to Xiao Hongyu, blinking cutely.
Xiao Hongyu froze for a second, let out a muffled hum, and turned her head away.
After two seconds, maintaining a calm expression, Xiao Hongyu continued, "Today I am taking you to meet the Fifth Elder's direct disciple, Ye Nanxing."
...
After walking for about ten minutes, the two finally arrived at a shop that looked completely different from all the others.
The entire building stood three stories tall, and the entire structure could only be described as resplendent and magnificent. The first floor was dedicated to displaying various medicinal pills, each resting inside a sandalwood box. The air carried not only the rich fragrance of medicinal herbs but also the subtle scent of sandalwood, though Lu Qingning could only detect the heavy scent of unbridled wealth.
Yet, despite such a luxurious shop, not a single soul was visiting.
After stepping inside, Lu Qingning stood in a daze for two seconds. At first, she thought the place was empty, but then she spotted a dark, shiny bald head rising from the floor behind the counter.
"Yo, Eldest Senior Sister is here!"
The bald head flashed a row of pearly white teeth and grinned at the two of them.
"Pfft!"
He looked just like a tea egg...
Unable to hold it in, Lu Qingning burst out laughing.
Her attention had been entirely on Xiao Hongyu until now, and it was only when Lu Qingning laughed that Ye Nanxing noticed her presence.
"And this is...?"
Seeing Xiao Hongyu holding Lu Qingning's hand, Ye Nanxing made a few guesses.
"This is our newly initiated Junior Sister, Lu Qingning. I haven't had the chance to introduce her to all of you yet."
Xiao Hongyu let go of Lu Qingning's hand and made the introduction.
Lu Qingning was momentarily stunned, then bowed with cupped hands. "Hello, Senior Brother."
Hearing this, Ye Nanxing burst into loud laughter. "Oh! So this is the junior sister you mentioned before! I remember, I remember! The Bigu Pills were refined for her, right? I know all about her!"
Lu Qingning was taken aback by this overwhelming enthusiasm.
As Ye Nanxing strode forward while speaking, Lu Qingning felt this person was rather eccentric, so she took a step back and shielded her senior sister behind her.
Xiao Hongyu said calmly, "We came today to let my junior sister meet you and the Fifth Elder. Where is the Fifth Elder?"
Scratching his head, Ye Nanxing replied, "Him? He seems to have gone into seclusion, saying he recently gained some new insights into pill refinement. Anyway, I can never make heads or tails of his logic."
Xiao Hongyu pressed her lips together in thought. "I see. In that case, my junior sister and I will come back to pay our respects another day."
Seeing that Lu Qingning and Xiao Hongyu were about to leave, Ye Nanxing hurriedly bolted out from behind the counter and rushed to block their path.
"Wait!"
Ye Nanxing spread his arms wide to bar their way.
Frowning slightly, Xiao Hongyu asked, "Is there something else?"
With an awkward expression, Ye Nanxing stammered, "Well... my little shop has been a bit tight on funds lately... Could Eldest Senior Sister lend me a few more Spirit Stones? Just a few! Once my next batch of pills is successfully researched, it's bound to sell like wildfire! By then, I'll be rolling in wealth and can even give you a dividend!"
Standing behind Xiao Hongyu, Lu Qingning rolled her eyes.
He's already drawing big pies in the sky, isn't he? There isn't a single customer in this shop, and yet he expects it to sell like wildfire? Go lie to a ghost!
Eh? Senior Sister, what are you doing? Why are you taking out a pouch of Spirit Stones?!
Catching Xiao Hongyu's wrist, Lu Qingning shouted, "Wait!"
Hearing Lu Qingning suddenly cry out—she had been quiet the whole time—both Xiao Hongyu, who was about to hand over the Spirit Stones, and Ye Nanxing, who had dropped to his knees to receive them, looked at her in confusion.
Releasing Xiao Hongyu's wrist, Lu Qingning put on a serious face and said, "Ahem! Senior Sister, you taught me that giving a man a fish is not as good as teaching him how to fish. Handing over Spirit Stones blindly simply won't work!"
With a face as bitter as a squeezed gourd, Ye Nanxing asked miserably, "Then what on earth do you mean?"
Frowning, Lu Qingning said, "Let me finish! I just looked at the pills in your shop. Most of them are of excellent quality and superior grade, so logically they should be in high demand. Why isn't anyone coming to buy them?"
Ye Nanxing looked embarrassed and stammered without making any sense.
Calmly pointing at one of the pills displayed on the counter, Xiao Hongyu said, "Junior Sister, eating that pill grants immunity to all poisons, but the drawback is that your whole body goes numb and you cannot move at all.
Eating this pill allows you to move as swiftly as the wind, but the drawback is that your own attacks also become as soft and gentle as the wind.
Eating that pill lets you summon the strongest ancestral spirit within your bloodline to fight for you, but the drawback is that the ancestral spirit will pick a fight with you, and if you fail to win, you will be directly possessed.
..."
After hearing all this, Lu Qingning suddenly felt that her senior sister's pouch of Spirit Stones was no ordinary bag of stones—it was practically a good-fortune pouch meant to save the cultivators of the entire world!
If these pills were ever let out into the world, they would wreak havoc for ten thousand years. What kind of brain could possibly come up with such things?
Lu Qingning was utterly baffled.
These pills were of superior quality; any ordinary recovery or enhancement potion would have flown off the shelves, yet he specialized in making pills that inflicted debuffs on oneself.
After listening for a moment, Lu Qingning massaged her temples and said, "Senior Sister, say no more. I've already figured out a way to help Senior Brother sell these pills."