Chapter 35: Stalking
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
"Oh? So you are an expert in botany! Pardon my disrespectfulness!"
Old Qian look surprised and waved his hands. "Since both of us are professionals in botany, I will not be explaining further. We only sell two types of spiritual plants. One is the Vermillion Jade Rice and the other is the Emerald Grass. Which type do you want? How about the Vermillion Jade Rice? However, you cannot buy that in bulk as the stock is limited…."
In fact, the majority would choose the Vermillion Jade Rice when they came here to purchase the spiritual plants.
After all, even if the rice stalk was not fully grown, it could still be eaten directly to boost one's elemental energy.
Such trickery when doing business was how the Four Seas Court earn money.
However, Fang Yuan wasn't interested in the Vermillion Jade Rice as he had sufficient supply of it back at his place.
"What effect does the Emerald Grass have?"
He immediately asked.
"Hmm? You don't want the Vermillion Jade Rice?"
Old Qian was surprised and answered, "Both the Emerald Grass and the Vermillion Jade Rice are spiritual plants of the lowest grade. However, many herbivorous spiritual beasts enjoy eating these plants and would, in turn, improve the quality of the soil..."
In fact, many who came here to purchase often traded for the Vermillion Jade Rice in large scales. In fact, Old Qian would be able to earn quite an amount, even though the customers already knew the source of the products.
"Then I shall have some of the Emerald Grass!"
Even though he wasn't totally satisfied, Fang Yuan was not prepared to give up on the Emerald Grass.
He began to imagine the Flower Fox Ferret eating the Emerald Grass in his mind and started to laugh at himself.
"What? You want the Emerald Grass and not the spiritual rice?"
Qian Fusheng was surprised but did not reveal it. "Every Emerald Grass seed is worth 1 gold tael. If you want 50 seeds at one go, there will be a discount!"
"This price…."
Fang Yuan was overwhelmed by the price and for once, he felt like a poor man.
'The prices of the spiritual plants are controlled by the rich. I am not rich and the price is definitely too overwhelming for me….'
He sighed while footing the bill. 'Even though the Emerald Grass and the Vermillion Jade Rice are considered the lowest grade among other spiritual things, the purchase would still attract a lot of attention. Maybe I should be more discreet next time…."
Because of this, he refused to bring any spiritual things to trade with.
A few dozen gold taels were unable to create a deep impression on the prosperous Four Seas Courts. But what if it was 1000 or 10,000 gold taels?
There was no absolute fairness in this world. There were only prices which you can or cannot afford!
"Great, please keep the seeds of the Emerald Grass well!"
After the payment, Qian Fusheng quickly brought out a Red Sandalwood wooden box. The handicraft of the wooden box was delicate and there was a fragrance coming out from it, clearly showing that it was specially made.
"The seeds of the Emerald Grass do not go well with metals. Please remember not to bring the seeds close to any kind of metallic objects…."
Qian Fusheng reminded Fang Yuan and opened the wooden box. The box contained the green seeds of the Emerald Grass, which had a jade green colour.
"Very well!"
Fang Yuan kept the box safely. Before he left, he enquired, "Is there any other spiritual land in the whole of Qinghe County? I'm personally interested in the places where these spiritual things are grown. Maybe you would know where I can find them?"
"This…."
Qian Fusheng's face changed and immediately shook his head. "Spiritual land is naturally created and it depends on one's luck to find it. I do not know the mystery behind of the origin of the spiritual lands!"
"I see!"
Fang Yuan exited the building. "I shall take my leave!"
After seeing him leave, Qian Fusheng paced a few steps and felt uneasy. "Little San!"
"Yes, shopkeeper!"
Inside the room, a painted wall automatically moved back and revealed a pathway. A person then came out from it.
"Report this to the Sect!"
Qian Fusheng sighed.
"It was just a small purchase of the spiritual grass. Why is there a need to report?"
Little San was a little surprised by Qian Fusheng's order.
"Buying a few seeds of the Emerald Grass was nothing. However, that customer even asked about the whereabouts of spiritual lands, making him suspicious. Send a person now to follow him!"
"Shopkeeper, you are indeed vigilant!"
At that moment, another person came out from the secret pathway. He was dressed in green and was a lean young master. He wore a Feline Eye Emerald on his head and his skin was glowing.
He waved a foldable fan around. "It is so boring in the Sect as there is nothing big happening there. It is still more interesting outside. Even a small purchase like this could be so interesting."
"You are here, Master Qing!"
Qian Fusheng and Little San bowed and were humbled to see him.
"I will personally follow this guy. You both should continue whatever you are doing!"
Master Qing looked in the direction Fang Yuan went and gave a mischievous look.
"Yes, Master!"
Qian Fusheng and Little San looked at each other, both looking helpless.
...….
"Hmm?"
After exiting the Four Seas Court, Fang Yuan went past a few shops and frowned.
The combination of his two techniques in martial arts allowed his inner power to be very powerful for a [Martial Artist (5th Gate)]. Additionally, he had a higher than average magical energy and therefore he could sense someone stalking him.
"Someone is following me? Could it be that the person wants to pick up a fight just over a few seeds of the Emerald Grass? Impossible!"
He realised his guess was wrong and found out the reason why. "Looks like it was a taboo for me to find out the whereabouts of the spiritual land….. After all, only the Spirit Returning Sect has control over the only spiritual land in Qinghe County….."
Even though his plan was well thought-out, Fang Yuan had lived in the mountains for so long and was therefore careless in handling the situation.
"How can the Four Seas Court afford to send a [Martial Artist (4th or 5th Gate)] just to stalk me?"
Such a skilled martial artist was not the common type, which surprised Fang Yuan.
At that moment, he swiftly turned into a small alley and disappeared.
"Hmm?"
Not long after, Master Qing also reached the alley. "Did he realise that I was stalking him?"
Master Qing was not afraid and decided to go after Fang Yuan instead of retreating.
The alley was short and led to a dead end.
"Thief, watch my claw!"
"Whiz!"
His clothing was torn into pieces.
Fang Yuan was ready to attack anyone who had ill intentions against him.
"Haha….. What an idiot! Who would reveal their position when ambushing?"
Master Qing laughed and folded his fan. Without looking back, he struck his foot backwards. "Flying Swallow Piercing Strike!"
The normal fan was comparable to a sharp sword when in Master Qing's hands. The fan pierced towards the black shadow and rustled through the air.
"Chi!"
The fan easily struck into the black shadow, but it was at this moment where Master Qing felt something was wrong.
"Oh no!"
He subconsciously retreated and defended himself with his fan.
The first wrong step snowballed into subsequent errors.
Missing his first move caused him to be at a disadvantage!
"Chi!"
Suddenly, the opponent's intense Eagle Claw appeared right in front of him.
"Good!"
Master Qing was excited as he witnessed this Eagle Claw Technique. He retreated a few steps and distanced himself away from Fang Yuan. "Great Eagle Claw Technique! Compared to Yu Qiuleng's, yours is only slightly inferior. Who is your master?"
With such skilful martial arts, he must have been taught by someone well-known.
"You have only attained 4th Grade of Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique? Looks like your skills are still shallow. I am a 5th Gate Martial Artist!
Master Qing proudly announced his skill.
"What an idiot!"
Fang Yuan looked into his eyes and felt sorry for him.
Such a person who would reveal his own cultivation level to his enemy was either extremely confident or a fool.
Unfortunately for Master Qing, he belonged to the latter!
"It would be slightly difficult to defeat a [Martial Artist (5th Gate)] executing the Black Sand Palm, but that is just a mere obstacle to me!"
Fang Yuan looked at the proficiency points of his Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique and exclaimed. Executing the Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique, his hands started striking out into space like a pair of claws.
"Hold on a second!"
Master Qing was anxiously trying to understand the situation. "This must be a misunderstanding!"
He only wanted to stalk and spy on Fang Yuan, so how did it become a fight to the death for both of them?
Also, he did not expect the person in front of him to be so hard to get along and violent.
'Luckily for me…..my inner power is far greater than his. He is using too much of his inner power to attack and will not last long. Once he has exhausted his strength, I will be able to…..'
Master Qing thought for a moment and was overwhelmed by Fang Yuan's quick and incessant claws, which suddenly increased by folds!
"[Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique (Grade 5)]! How is that even possible?"
When martial artists fight, a slight difference between the skills of the two would have a great impact on the outcome. How would it be possible for one to strengthen his power out of a sudden?
Master Qing was shocked and the Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique broke through his defences. His body flew up high into the air and knocked onto a wall.
"You….."
His became pale and he spat out a mouthful of blood. "You can't kill me…."
"Why?"
Fang Yuan went forward and hit away his crown, which revealed a long hair. "Just because you are a…..woman?"
"You found out?"
Master Qing screamed and her voice became crisp and high-pitched.
"Only the blind will not be able to see through such lousy make-up!"
Fang Yuan was speechless. "Who are you? Why are you stalking me? How are you related to the Four Seas Court?"
"Humph!"
He did not know why she could remain silent and unafraid after her real identity had been discovered.
"Oh?"
Fang Yuan popped his knuckles and snickered. "Lady, you better answer me now or else….don't think that I won't dare to hit a lady!"
She became afraid and started tearing after hearing Fang Yuan's threat.
Translator's Thoughts
JTJTY97 JTJTY97
Can't get enough of Carefree Path of Dreams? Visit https://www.patreon.com/carefreepathofdreams for early access to more chapters of your favourite boy dreaming his dreams!