"I am surnamed Liu, a steward of the Qiongyu Guild. May I ask Fellow Daoist's Daoist name? Are you looking to purchase pills or magic treasures, or perhaps sell some treasures...?"
Just then, Steward Liu caught sight of the medallion Qin Sang discreetly revealed. His pupils constricted sharply, and his demeanor instantly turned warm and cordial. He said repeatedly, "Please, Fellow Daoist, come right this way! Let us speak in detail in a meditation room!"
"Very well."
Qin Sang followed Steward Liu up to a quiet room on the second floor.
Steward Liu sealed the restrictions, took a seat across from Qin Sang, and offered spiritual tea. "So it is Daoist Qingfeng! Though I have remained in this remote place of Dayuzhou all this time, I have heard of you. I never expected to meet Daoist Qingfeng in person. Seeing you today proves your reputation is well deserved indeed!"
Qin Sang chuckled softly. "This poor Daoist merely did a few trivial favors for Old Zou in the Demon Sea. Later, due to my cultivation, I did not show myself for several decades. It is quite rare that Fellow Daoist Liu still remembers me."
Old Zou was a pillar of the Qiongyu Guild, so it was hardly surprising that Steward Liu knew him. What surprised Qin Sang was that the steward had even heard of him.
After leaving Poison Island, Qin Sang had rarely contacted people from the guild, and Old Zou was the only person who knew he intended to venture into the Hall of Seven Kills again.
Steward Liu let out a hearty laugh. After offering another round of compliments, he asked, "May I ask what important business brings Daoist Qingfeng to my humble post? I hold some degree of standing among the fellow Daoists nearby. Whatever is within my power, I will spare no effort to accomplish!"
"Fellow Daoist Liu is too courteous."
Hearing this, Qin Sang dispensed with beating around the bush and went straight to the point. "This poor Daoist requires a batch of spirit herbs. As the matter is urgent, they must be gathered as quickly as possible. Furthermore, these spirit herbs are uncommon items, so doing it alone would be exceedingly difficult. I can only turn to the guild and Fellow Daoist Liu for assistance..."
He produced a jade slip and handed it to Steward Liu.
Knowing the proper protocol, Steward Liu did not press Qin Sang on his motives and took the jade slip.
After reviewing the herb list, Steward Liu frowned, looking somewhat troubled.
Qin Sang was well aware of what Steward Liu was thinking and added, "Fellow Daoist need not worry. Once these spirit herbs are gathered, I will purchase them at full price in spirit stones. I will not put you in an awkward position."
At those words, Steward Liu beamed with a broad smile and readily agreed. "Naturally, I trust you, Daoist! However, there is a wide variety of spirit herbs on the list, and our branch inventory only has a portion of them. To gather the full list, we will need to purchase from other guilds or make urgent transfers from other branches. You will need to wait on the island for a few more days, Daoist."
"How long will it take?" Qin Sang asked with a furrowed brow.
Steward Liu pondered for a moment, held out an open palm, and said, "If you have urgent business, Daoist, I shall order my subordinates to see to it immediately. Within five days, we should be able to gather over eighty percent."
"Let us make it three days. However much can be gathered will suffice. I must trouble Fellow Daoist Liu," Qin Sang said.
Refining his demonic banners happened to be at a critical juncture anyway. Since he had already been delayed for so long, staying in Dayuzhou for a few days posed no issue. Once the banners were refined, his strength would rise by another level.
"By the way, this poor Daoist previously heard Old Zou mention that he intended to brave the Hall of Seven Kills to seek an opportunity to break through his realm. Now that so much time has passed since the Hall of Seven Kills closed, does the guild have any news of him?" Qin Sang asked with an air of concern.
He wanted to find out where Old Zou's cenotaph had been erected.
He had Old Zou's relics in hand, but he did not intend to bring them out like this. It could easily arouse suspicion and invite unnecessary trouble.
When an opportunity arose in the future, he could visit Old Zou's grave and secretly deliver the items to Old Zou's descendants.
"Old Zou entered the Hall of Seven Kills?" Steward Liu was astonished, a look of admiration crossing his face as he confessed with some shame, "I had thought Old Zou was like me, having resigned himself to fate and lost his heart for the Dao. I never imagined Old Zou would have such a change of heart and stake everything on a single throw! The Hall of Seven Kills is fraught with perils, but with Old Zou's strength and cunning, he surely managed to turn calamity into fortune and escape unharmed! In the future, our guild might well gain another Nascent Soul stage expert..."
Qin Sang voiced agreement, but sighed inwardly.
Evidently, the guild had not confirmed that Old Zou had fallen. After all, it was entirely possible that Old Zou had gone straight into secluded cultivation upon leaving the Hall of Seven Kills; otherwise, news of his death would have surely reached them by now.
"Then I must ask Fellow Daoist Liu to inquire as well. If there is any news of Old Zou, please inform this poor Daoist in a timely manner..."
Steward Liu nodded repeatedly. "I shall dispatch people at once. I am eager to know as well. If Old Zou succeeds in forming his Nascent Soul, we will gain a mighty backer! Given the relationship between you and Old Zou, you will certainly be valued highly by him. When that time comes, I hope you will lend me a helping hand, Daoist."
After chatting a while longer, Qin Sang took his leave.
Steward Liu instructed a maidservant to lead Qin Sang to one of the guild's cave dwellings to meditate.
Watching Qin Sang depart, the smile on Steward Liu's face vanished. His eyes shifted with calculating thoughts. He strode swiftly back into the meditation room, sat down in thought for a moment, and produced a dainty bell, ringing it gently.
The bell made no sound.
Moments later, ripples appeared in the void of the quiet room, and a dark shadow slowly emerged.
***
Upon arriving at the cave dwelling, Qin Sang dismissed the maidservant. Rather than heading inside right away, he strolled about the cultivation market.
He entered shops one after another, occasionally buying items he needed.
His primary goal was to take Bai along to broaden his horizons and familiarize him with the modern cultivation world.
"The modern world is actually this barren, and Core Formation stage cultivators are so rare," Bai remained silent for a long time before remarking with a sigh.
"Fellow Daoist now understands how difficult it is to collect those spirit herbs, does he not? Aside from the ones I picked out, you can only try your luck at large trade fairs for the rest."
Qin Sang remarked calmly, "Late Nascent Soul cultivators are the pinnacle experts in the Canglang Sea. The hurdles of Foundation Establishment and Core Formation are no different from thousands of troops trying to cross a narrow stone bridge. Were it not for the discovery of the Demon Sea and the creation of fiend demon pills, Core Formation stage cultivators would be even scarcer in the Canglang Sea."
Bai sighed softly. "Let us return! There is nothing to see in this small city. If an opportunity presents itself, take me to Tianxing City, which you have praised so highly..."
"Alright."
Qin Sang nodded and returned to the cave dwelling.
The cave dwelling Steward Liu had arranged for him occupied an excellent location with dense spiritual energy, making it a prime site for cultivation. The furnishings within were also exquisite, resembling a manor.
Paying no heed to external matters, Qin Sang added several layers of isolating restrictions outside the cave dwelling before retrieving six demonic banners.
After days of continuous refining, he had grown quite familiar with the array formed by the six demonic banners. In a few days, he would be able to command the demonic fire as effortlessly as his own limbs.
Whoosh... Whoosh...
The Ten Directions Yanluo Banners whirled into the air, forming a banner array before Qin Sang.
Nine Nether Demonic Fire shot out from the banner surfaces, pooling into a cluster at the center with power far surpassing before.
The demonic flames danced wildly, as though demons lurked within.
Qin Sang rapidly cast incantation gestures and pointed at the demonic fire.
Under Qin Sang's restraint, the Nine Nether Demonic Fire gradually settled, gathering toward the center before scattering and coalescing at his direction through endless variations.
In the blink of an eye, three days flew by.
"Retract!"
With a sweep of his sleeve, Qin Sang stowed all the demonic banners, glanced around the cave dwelling, and strode outside.
Chapter 978