Forging Immortality through the Dao Seed

He found himself facing the hopeful gaze of the woman at the door.

A hint of surprise flickered through Zhang Jing's eyes.

He was obviously not unfamiliar with this person.

Thanks to the Mist Root Spirit Ginseng he had received from her a few days prior, he was able to make such a swift breakthrough in his Qi Refinement midpoint.

But... in just three or four days, she had come back to sell more of the Mist Root Spirit Ginseng? Had this rare medicinal herb suddenly become as common as cabbage?

With that thought...

"Come on in quickly. Of course, I want the Mist Root Spirit Ginseng," Zhang Jing said casually.

"Thank you, Senior," the woman replied, her expression tense as she carefully followed behind Zhang Jing into the shop.

At the table...

After glancing at Zhang Jing, she took a deep breath and took out two five-inch long Mist Root Spirit Ginseng from her storage bag.

A thin mist instantly billowed out.

These two ginsengs had an even more profound scent than the one she brought last time, and in a few breaths, it seemed to permeate through every pore of Zhang Jing's body.

The spiritual power within his body suddenly became more active.

Zhang Jing's eyes subtly glanced from the Spirit Ginseng across to the face of the woman opposite him.

"What do you want in exchange?" he asked solemnly.

Without hesitation, the woman answered:

"Senior, I would like to exchange these two Mist Root Spirit Ginseng for some Purple Spirit Pills and talismans here."

"That can be arranged."

There was a bottle of Purple Spirit Pill appearing in Zhang Jing's hand. He then looked at the woman and began to explain:

"These two pieces of fifty-year-old Mist Root Spirit Ginseng are worth about eighty Tao Merits. I will give you a bottle of Purple Spirit Pills for twelve Tao Merits. The prices of the talismans are also marked on the counter, you can choose for yourself."

"Moreover," he continued, pulling out two middle-grade talismans from his storage space, "Middle-grade talismans can also be exchanged. The defensive talismans are eighteen Tao Merits each, and the attack talismans are twelve Tao Merits each."

"Thank you, Senior," the woman praised with gratitude.

In recent days, she had been inquiring quietly in the markets and had a clearer understanding of the value of the ginsengs.

So, she now realized how fair Zhang Jing was.

He hadn't taken any advantage of her at all!

Considering the recent rumours in the marketplace—

After a while...

The woman very carefully stored the pills and talismans away, especially the middle-grade defensive talisman which she placed in the deepest part of her storage bag with utmost care.

Once everything was taken care of...

She found herself stealing glances at Zhang Jing, her eyes depicting a hint of hesitance on her luxuriant face.

As if there was something she wanted to say but was reluctant to voice out.

On the other side of the table...

Every move she made did not go unnoticed by Zhang Jing.

A thought flashed through his mind that the real business was about to start.

From his first glance at the woman, he noticed the hesitance hiding in her eyes. It was as if she was wrestling with a tough decision.

What kind of secret could a Loose Cultivator have?

It must undoubtedly be related to the source of the ginsengs in her hands.

But for now, Zhang Jing only wore a warm smile, waiting silently without interrupting.

Time passed slowly.

A strong sense of determination filled the woman's face.

Finally...

She gritted her teeth and spoke to Zhang Jing with a trembling voice:

"Senior, I found a place of opportunity where this Mist Root Spirit Ginseng was taken from the outskirts. The place is filled with this kind of ginseng, along with even more precious medicinal herbs."

At those words...

Zhang Jing was suddenly alarmed.

He had considered the possibility that this woman might have found a place where Spirit Ginseng grew and was holding a stock of the Mist Root Spirit Ginseng, intending to sell them all to him.

But from what he had heard...

She seemed to know a location, something similar to an herb garden. And the Mist Root Spirit Ginseng was just the most ordinary medicinal herb there!

Suppressing his astonishment…

Zhang Jing managed to maintain his composure and asked: "What's your name?"

"Pei Xiaoshuang," replied the woman.

"Pei Xiaoshuang, so you want to use this opportunity to earn a promise from me?" Zhang Jing asked further.

The woman nodded her head firmly.

"What sort of promise?"

"I hope you can promise me a place as a disciple in the Dao Institute! Whether it takes ten or twenty years, I can wait!"

At that moment, Pei Xiaoshuang finally voiced out her deepest desire.

It was as if a raging fire was burning in her eyes.

On the other hand...

Zhang Jing did not answer hastily, but began to weigh his options.

Firstly, her request, which didn't have a set timeline, was not exactly difficult for him to fulfill.

As far as Zhang Jing knew, there were some disciples in the Outer Academy who had not entered through examinations like himself, but rather directly entered the Dragon Lake Dao Institute through their senior brothers from the Inner Academy.

From this, it can be deduced...

The Inner Academy must be in possession of some spots for the Dao Institute.

Or perhaps, the status of a regular disciple from the Outer Academy of the Dao Institute was of little importance in the eyes of the senior brothers in the Inner Academy. If they wished, they could probably get it done with just a small price.

As for his ability to enter the Inner Academy, Zhang Jing had no doubt whatsoever.

It was merely a matter of time.

Therefore—

Zhang Jing glanced at her once again.

The key point now was whether or not the news she brought was worth a position as a disciple in the Outer Academy!

"Firstly, why did you come to me?" Zhang Jing asked without a change in his expression.

Upon hearing this, excitement flashed across Pei Xiaoshuang's face.

Since this senior didn't refuse immediately...could it mean that she actually stood a chance of entering the Dao Institute?

After some consideration...

She replied earnestly: "Senior, when you bought the Spirit Ginseng from me the first time, I sensed that you were a true cultivator with elemental expertise. The second trade further confirmed my judgment."

After a pause, she continued: "More importantly, you were able to pressure all the other talisman shops in the market to lower their prices, you must be very capable. Also, you seem quite young so... "

"So you think I might be able to help you enter the Dao Institute in the future," Zhang Jing interrupted.

"Exactly."

Having said that, Pei Xiaoshuang lowered her head nervously.

"How many medicinal herbs are there in that place? And it doesn't seem to be a simple location, is it?" Zhang Jing looked at her half-mockingly, half-seriously.

"As expected, I couldn't fool Senior. There's a powerful deer demon in that place. I could only watch from a distance and wait until the demon finished eating the medicinal herbs and fell into deep sleep before I dared to quietly harvest some Spirit Ginseng from the outskirts," Pei Xiaoshuang answered with a bitter smile.

"Does anybody else know about this place?"

Zhang Jing inquired.

"No," she shook her head, "The location is extremely secluded, and it's impossible for an ordinary person to find it. I only discovered it by pure chance."

"How many medicinal herbs are there in total?"

"At least hundreds of them, and the closer they are to the center, the more precious the medicinal herbs."

After speaking, fearing that Zhang Jing wouldn't believe her, Pei Xiaoshuang swore aloud: "Everything I said is true. If I'm hiding something, may my soul scatter, and may I die a miserable death!"

Upon hearing her oath...

An unusual glint appeared in Zhang Jing's eye.

So, there was indeed a secluded spot, filled with hundreds of precious medicinal herbs worth thousands of Tao Merits at the very least.

After some thought...

He assured the woman, "I swear on my Dao Heart, as long as what you say is true, I will secure a place for you as a disciple in the Dao Institute in the future."