After Wu De left, Lu Li silently stared at the street for a long while from his original spot. Finally, countless thoughts melted into a soft sigh as he stood up, settled the bill, asked the waiter for a room, and followed him to the guest quarters.
Once inside the room, Lu Li closed the door behind him, sat down at the table, and poured himself a cup of hot tea to ponder the previous events and his future plans.
The black-clad man earlier had served as a reminder. The incident at Bei Wang Valley left him with a lingering sense of unease. Why that beautiful black-clad girl and her companion had tailed him was something he still could not figure out.
"This trip to East State has accomplished half of its main purpose. The remaining task is to ferret out the person eyeing the old Liu residence."
Lost in thought, Lu Li produced a grayish jade token, turning it over in his hands with a furrowed brow. Suddenly, he sprang to his feet. "How could I be so foolish!"
"Those two might well have been coming for this jade token."
Realizing this, Lu Li's expression grew increasingly grave. It seemed the forces behind this jade token were more complex than a single person, and keeping it might easily invite disaster upon himself.
"No, I cannot keep this thing on my person."
Making a prompt decision, Lu Li grabbed the jade token, hurried downstairs, and headed straight out of the valley.
Once outside, Lu Li sprinted southward for over ten miles before stopping beneath an ancient roadside tree. He crouched down, buried the jade token deep in the soil, and quickly made his way back to the Jinyang Cultivator Market.
He had briefly considered capturing a Demon Beast, tying the token to it, and using it as a decoy to mislead any pursuers. However, reflecting that he might still find the token useful once his strength increased, he ultimately decided against it.
By the time he returned to the market, dusk had already fallen. Only then did Lu Li realize he had forgotten to ask Wu De where to find local earth fire for alchemy, nor did he have any acquaintances here.
Unawares, he found himself in the central plaza.
While deserted by day, the area was now brightly lit. Many people had set up roadside stalls, creating a scene somewhat reminiscent of the gatherings in Dihu Town, save for the absence of guards.
Curious, he wandered in. Upon closer inspection, Lu Li noticed the goods sold here closely mirrored those at Dihu Town-mostly first-tier spiritual herbs reasonably priced at around ten-odd True Essence Pills.
There were also inferior items below the first tier, where a single pill or two could purchase a massive bundle. Seeing nothing of interest, Lu Li was about to leave when he spotted a middle-aged man in a blue robe scanning the crowd.
His heart stirred. He strode over and cupped his hands. "Is Brother Tong also browsing the night market?"
The man was none other than Tong Yun, one of the Myriad Treasure Pavilion managers who had previously transacted with them.
Recognizing Lu Li, Tong Yun returned the salute without putting on airs. "So it is Fellow Daoist. I am merely trying my luck here to see if any rare items turn up. A pleasure to meet you."
Lu Li nodded. His eyes flickered as he said, "I see. Brother, might we step aside to speak in private?"
Tong Yun hesitated slightly before agreeing. "No problem."
The two walked over to a deserted corner of the plaza, where Tong Yun asked curiously, "What does Fellow Daoist wish to discuss? Speak freely."
Having witnessed this young man venture into the Great Marsh, he held a lingering respect for him. As a businessman, he naturally favored those possessing genuine courage and daring.
Without beating around the bush, Lu Li went straight to the point. "Actually, I would like to ask if there is any place near East State suitable for practicing alchemy."
"Alchemy?" Tong Yun started in surprise. "Fellow Daoist is an alchemist as well?"
"Heh, barely passable.
"Tsk tsk, Tong truly misjudged you." Hearing that Lu Li possessed alchemy skills, Tong Yun wore an expression of genuine admiration. Figuring this was Lu Li's first visit to the Jinyang Cultivator Market, he resolved to cultivate a good relationship and answered candidly:
"Younger brother may not know, but the Jinyang Cultivator Market has facilities designated for alchemy."
"Oh?" Lu Li's face lit up. "I must ask Brother to guide the way."
Tong Yun pointed down the western thoroughfare of the plaza. "Follow West Street all the way to its end, and you will find the Market Master's Estate. Becoming an affiliated alchemist there grants free access to their earth fire. I hear they are actively recruiting alchemists at present, so you should certainly go and try your hand."
"My sincere thanks, Brother. Otherwise, I would have wandered about like a headless fly with no notion of where to look," Lu Li said gratefully.
"Haha, Younger Brother is too polite. Do drop by the Myriad Treasure Pavilion for tea when you have time," Tong Yun replied with a smile.
"Certainly! Certainly!"
Cupping his hands in farewell, Lu Li glanced at the sky. Deciding to visit the Market Master's Estate the following day, he returned straight to the Hongyun Inn.
Back in his room, he first checked the medicine garden space. After planting over one hundred and eighty Soul-Calming Flowers, the space had expanded further to a full twenty miles in radius, acquiring a substantial scale.
However, weeds had sprouted in certain areas, leaving Lu Li slightly dismayed. He wondered if he would have to pull the weeds by hand; in a space this vast, that would consume an immense amount of time.
Suddenly, Lu Li's gaze sharpened as he spotted something extraordinary in the central open area.
It was a mass of gray qi the size of a washbasin, writhing continuously on the ground like a massive creeping bug.
He hurriedly sent his consciousness inward, manifesting his corporeal form to approach the gray entity. The creature seemed to possess eyes; seeing him draw near, it assumed a human-like posture and bobbed its 'head' at him.
This startled Lu Li considerably, leading him to wonder if it was some ancient monster, and he instinctively stepped back two paces.
Noticing Lu Li retreat, the creature tilted its head in apparent confusion before dropping flat and darting toward his feet. Just as Lu Li moved to dodge, he felt a soft, gentle pressure against his shoe, accompanied by minimal force.
Simultaneously, the gray qi rippled, emitting indistinct babbling sounds akin to an infant's cries.
Overwhelmed with astonishment, Lu Li sensed a solid entity concealed within the gray qi. When he tentatively crouched down to touch it, the gray qi vanished in a flash like a startled rabbit.
"What... exactly is this monster?"
Lu Li looked around in bewilderment, searching for the creature. Yet no trace remained, and even releasing his Divine Sense yielded nothing.
Left with no alternative, Lu Li withdrew his consciousness from the medicine garden and surveyed the entire domain using a vantage view.
Alas, the entity remained entirely untraceable.
Frowning slightly, Lu Li murmured, "Let us hope it is not an old monster like Qin Feng, or things will become troublesome."
With that, he entered the Time Palace to cultivate. Emerging in the early hours of the next morning, he washed up simply, partook of some breakfast, and set off toward the Market Master's Estate as Tong Yun had directed.