Mu Chen was taken aback. He had originally thought that these two Combat Skill scrolls could be exchanged for two million Purple Elemental Crystals at most, but it was clear that was not the case. ’Master, what do you think?’

The Profound Old Ghost pondered for a moment before replying, ’It’s a deal, but let’s change the items. We only want two Weakness Pills. Exchange the rest for Medicinal Herbs of an equivalent value, and they must be at least Second Grade or higher.’

Mu Chen had no questions. He knew what his Master was planning, so he repeated the Profound Old Ghost’s request to the Second Elder. "Those are my terms. If you find them acceptable, I’ll sell you these two Combat Skill scrolls."

This time, the Second Elder fell silent, his expression extremely conflicted. Mu Chen knew the elder was making a difficult decision. After a moment, the Second Elder’s expression suddenly firmed. "Fine. I agree. But I only have one medicinal herb on me. Don’t worry, though. This one herb alone is more than enough to trade for your two Combat Skill scrolls."

With that, the old man spread his Spiritual Power, glanced around, and then took out a pendant-like object from his robes. The pendant flashed, and a milky-white Jade Box appeared in his hand. The instant the Jade Box materialized, the entire room filled with a rich fragrance. Just breathing it in once made Mu Chen feel the pain in his chest lessen considerably.

Just as the fragrance began to spread, the Second Elder’s Spiritual Power suddenly materialized, forming a tangible barrier that sealed every nook and cranny of the room. "Whew. As you can see, this medicinal herb’s fragrance is so potent that even this pure White Dragon Jade box can’t completely contain it. One glance tells you it’s an absolutely top-tier herb."

’Wait.’ Mu Chen froze. The elder had called it a top-tier medicinal herb, but he hadn’t specified its Grade. "Then what Grade is this medicinal herb?"

At this question, the Second Elder gave a wry smile. "I don’t know its Grade either. I came across this medicinal herb by chance. But based on the potency of its fragrance alone, I can determine it has to be at least a Sixth-Grade medicinal herb. As for its effects... to be honest, I don’t know, and I wouldn’t dare to test it recklessly, so its purpose remains a mystery to me."

Mu Chen furrowed his brow. "This is..."

Just as Mu Chen was wavering, the Profound Old Ghost’s voice echoed in his mind again. ’What "this"?! If you don’t want me to call you an idiot, agree right now! Holy hell, what am I seeing? To think I’d run into something like this in a place like this! Kid, you must be blessed with some insane luck. Make the trade, now! Wait, don’t look too eager. You don’t want him to get suspicious.’

Mu Chen was inwardly astonished to hear this, but he maintained his conflicted expression. Finally, as if making a great, painful decision, he reluctantly took another white Scroll from his Storage Ring. "Fine, I’ll trust you this one time. I just hope this medicinal herb of yours isn’t some worthless junk."

Seeing Mu Chen produce the Combat Skill, the Second Elder’s face lit up with joy, flushing red. He looked as if he could barely restrain himself from snatching it. Mu Chen glanced at the elder, and as he tossed the scroll over, he smoothly swept the four items from the table into his Storage Ring. "The Martial Power Pill, the Water-Repelling Pearl, the Fire Crow Grass, and this medicinal herb of unknown quality—I’m taking them all."

The Second Elder didn’t even spare Mu Chen a glance. He caught the Combat Skill scrolls, began poring over them, and after a moment, burst out laughing. He then left the room, clutching the two scrolls, looking so impatient that it almost made Mu Chen feel like he was the one who had gotten a raw deal.

Stepping out of the room, Mu Chen glanced to his right and saw that Han Jun, who had been exchanging items for Weakness Pills, was already gone. He couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. ’I was even thinking about robbing him of his Martial Power Pills.’

Shaking his head, Mu Chen quickly left the venue. After the Profound Old Ghost confirmed that no one was following them, Mu Chen ducked through several alleys, removed his black robes, and returned to his normal, youthful appearance.

"Master, what exactly is that medicinal herb in the box? I can clearly sense that it’s no simple thing," Mu Chen asked, recalling the fragrance he had inhaled.

"Haha, we’ve struck gold! We’ve really struck gold! Kid, you’ve made a huge profit! That’s a Heart Returning Lotus! Have you ever heard of a Heart Returning Lotus? And based on the size of the box it’s in and the fragrance it’s releasing, this is definitely no ordinary one. It’s very likely an Emperor’s Heart Returning Lotus—a king among Seventh-Grade herbs!" The Profound Old Ghost was ecstatic, but his words left Mu Chen completely bewildered.

"So, what are the effects of this Heart Returning Lotus?"

The Profound Old Ghost snorted. "What effects? It has tons of them! It’s a Holy Medicine for healing, able to rapidly cure any internal or external injuries. It’s a Holy Medicine for detoxification, granting immunity to all poisons below the Seventh Grade. This is an exceptionally rare, Top-Grade Medicinal Herb! I can’t believe that moron actually traded it for two trashy Combat Skills. I honestly don’t know whether I should thank him or curse him."

Perhaps because he was in such a good mood, the journey back seemed much shorter than the trip there. A faint fragrance still wafted from the Celestial Fragrance Pavilion, and a steady stream of people flowed through its main entrance. A smile touched Mu Chen’s lips as he walked straight to a side door and went inside. Only internal personnel of the Celestial Fragrance Pavilion were allowed to use this entrance, something Qin Wu had told him.

There was nothing behind the side door, but normally, no one would enter from here anyway. He navigated the familiar path back to his own room. After closing the door securely, at the Profound Old Ghost’s insistent urging, Mu Chen took the milky-white Jade Box from his Storage Ring. The same thing happened again—the moment the box appeared, the entire room was saturated with a dense, medicinal fragrance.

With the Profound Old Ghost’s Primordial Power sealing the area, the room was completely secure. Following the ghost’s instructions, Mu Chen carefully opened the lid of the box. Instantly, a medicinal herb resembling a white lotus came into view. It looked almost identical to an ordinary lotus, but its unique feature was that its leaves and stem were both as translucent and clear as White Jade. At first glance, it looked like a magnificent and exquisitely beautiful crystal carving of a lotus.

This lotus had only seven petals, upon which faint white specks of light seemed to flow. In the center of the flower, seven transparent, embryo-like seeds hovered silently amongst the petals, emitting waves of fragrance that looked like a white mist.

"Master..." After seeing this sight, Mu Chen was stunned. He dazedly called out to his Master and then fell silent.

The Profound Old Ghost, however, was the most excited of all. The moment he saw the seven petals, he had already confirmed the herb’s true identity. Seeing the seven floating seeds nestled within made him even more ecstatic. "There’s no mistake! This is absolutely a Heart Returning Lotus, and a genuine Emperor’s Heart Returning Lotus at that! Kid, you’ve really hit the jackpot!"

’I actually obtained a Seventh-Grade Medicinal Herb... Am I dreaming?’

Seeing Mu Chen still in a daze, the Profound Old Ghost became exasperated. "You brat, hurry and close the lid before its Medicinal Power evaporates! This herb can only be preserved with High-grade Jade. While this White Dragon Jade is considered High-grade Jade, it’s barely adequate for an Emperor’s Heart Returning Lotus. I have some Genmu Jade here, which is quite rare." As he spoke, the Profound Old Ghost flicked his wrist as if performing a magic trick, and an extremely ugly-looking box appeared in his hand.

The moment Mu Chen saw the box, he was reminded of a very ordinary object: a wooden box. It didn’t look like a Jade Box at all; it was clearly a box made of yellow, withered wood. Seeing Mu Chen’s expression, the Profound Old Ghost knew exactly what he was thinking. He chuckled and explained, "Shortsighted, aren’t you, kid? Don’t be fooled by its appearance. It may look like withered wood, but it’s not. It’s actually a type of jade, one that is formed after being nurtured by trees for thousands, or even tens of thousands, of years. That’s why it looks like Withered Wood."

"This Genmu Jade is universally acknowledged as the most suitable jade for preserving high-grade Medicinal Herbs. Not only does it provide a superior seal, but more importantly, it carries a dense life force of its own. Now, transfer it into this one."

Looking at the Gengmu Jade Box the Profound Old Ghost handed him, Mu Chen quickly took it. Sure enough, the moment his hand touched the box, he immediately felt a powerful surge of life force.

"Something like this actually exists." Marveling at the vastness of the world, Mu Chen swiftly transferred the Emperor’s Heart Returning Lotus into the Gengmu Jade Box. As he closed the lid, he was amazed to find that the lotus, which had been emitting a fragrance even from within the White Dragon Jade box, now seemed to be shrouded in darkness. Not a single trace of its scent escaped.

"This is truly amazing," Mu Chen couldn’t help but exclaim. After placing the Emperor’s Heart Returning Lotus into his Storage Ring, he took out a Medicine Bottle. Inside it lay two perfectly round pills.

’I’ve been stuck as a Third Ring Martial Artist for a long time.’ Looking at the Medicine Bottle in his hand, Mu Chen frowned. He then lay down on his side and began to rapidly circulate the Extreme Spirit Chaos Technique. Wisps of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi from the surroundings continuously seeped into his body through his pores. Guided by the Cultivation Technique Mantra, his depleted Ice Attribute Dantian slowly began to regain its original color.

However, Mu Chen wasn’t trying to enter a state of Cultivation right now; he was merely sensing the condition of his Primordial Power. A moment later, he sat up from his reclined position and exhaled. ’At this rate, as long as I can completely refill my Ice Attribute Dantian with Primordial Power, I should be able to break through in just three days.’

With this clear goal in mind, Mu Chen’s schedule became completely filled. Aside from taking short breaks to eat, he spent nearly all his time on Cultivation. This frantic state was frightening to Qin Wu, who was unaware of his goal. But even in that short span of three days, she could still see Mu Chen’s resolute spirit and diligent attitude.

’If I can’t win a man like him over as a friend, I must absolutely never make him an enemy.’

On the fourth day, the weather was the same as always, a mix of wind and snow with a slight chill in the air. The Celestial Fragrance Pavilion was as bustling as ever, but on this day, no zither music drifted from its upper floors. Although people were curious, no one inquired too deeply. While the zither music was a special feature, the main attraction of the Celestial Fragrance Pavilion was its ambiance.

While the guests were dining out front, in the backyard of the Celestial Fragrance Pavilion, a woman in colorful, flowing robes sat before a house, her fingers resting on a zither. A hint of worry showed in her beautiful eyes. This was none other than Qin Wu, the very person who was absent from the upper floors today. Beside her, Xiaoyu stared blankly at a few blades of grass at her feet, a bored expression on her face.