Chapter 39: Cold Sun Mother Herb

"By the way, do you have any Cold Sun Herb here?"

Shaking his head to dispel the random thoughts in his mind, Zhang Xuan asked.

This stall not only sold various odds and ends but also some medicinal herbs.

After reading the books in the library, he already knew the solution to Zhao Ya's problem: a Pure Yin constitution should cultivate a gentle, neutral cultivation technique, which would resolve the issue of accumulated yin energy!

However, she had already been practicing a Pure Yin technique for so long that her meridians had adapted. Abruptly changing it could cause severe injury and a significant drop in cultivation. To prevent this, preparations had to be made in advance!

One of these preparations was using medicinal herbs to nourish the meridians!

Cold Sun Herb grows in cold, shady places yet loves sunlight. The spiritual energy it contains, with its clash of cold and heat and blend of yin and yang, was the perfect choice for nourishing her meridians. Since he was at the market, it was a good time to ask.

"Cold Sun Herb? You've come at just the right time. I'm not bragging, but I guarantee that in the entire Tianyu Market, I'm the only one who has this. I picked it a few days ago in a dangerous place in the Tianxuan Forest. I have ten stalks in total, 100 gold coins each. How many do you want?"

The stall owner smiled, turned around, and brought out a box. Opening it, several vibrant plants lay flat inside.

Red stems and leaves, with snow-white flowers.

"Let me take a look first!"

Zhang Xuan only knew about Cold Sun Herb from books and didn't actually recognize it. He reached out, took one stalk, and held it in his palm.

Buzz!

The Library trembled, and a book appeared.

"Cold Sun Herb, picked from an unnamed valley 200 kilometers into the Tianxuan Forest, two years of growth... drawbacks..."

The book recorded the herb's name, origin, and various flaws.

"It is Cold Sun Herb. This guy didn't lie to me!"

Seeing that the name in the book was correct, Zhang Xuan knew the other party hadn't deceived him—this was genuine medicinal material. He nodded and was about to speak when his eyes fell on the very back of the box.

"Why does this Cold Sun Herb look a bit withered and yellow? You didn't kill it with improper picking, did you?"

Picking medicinal herbs required the correct technique. If the method was wrong, it was hard to preserve the potency, and the price would drop significantly.

The Cold Sun Herb he referred to was withered, yellow, and thin, looking as if it hadn't matured. It had no vibrant color at all, drooping and listless, as if it might dry up at any moment.

"You jest, young master. I make my living from this—how could I make a mistake? This herb was never in good shape; it was like this when I picked it. If you want it, I'll give it to you at half price—50 gold coins and it's yours!"

The stall owner said.

"Hmm."

Zhang Xuan then picked up the withered Cold Sun Herb.

Buzz!

"Cold Sun Mother Herb, the root of other Cold Sun Herbs, picked from an unnamed valley 200 kilometers into the Tianxuan Forest, fifteen years of growth..." Opening the book, it recorded the name and details.

"Cold Sun Mother Herb?" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

He had read about this item in books—it was extremely precious, a rare find, and the very root of Cold Sun Herb. If used as medicine, its effects were at least ten times greater than the latter!

He never expected to stumble upon this while casually buying Cold Sun Herb, and with fifteen years of growth at that. This alone was worth a fortune!

If Zhao Ya used Cold Sun Herb to nourish her meridians, she would still need many subsequent measures to maintain the process and smoothly change techniques. But with this Cold Sun Mother Herb, the problem could be easily solved, and the other measures wouldn't be necessary without much impact!

It was absolutely the most suitable medicine for Zhao Ya, bar none!

"Wrap this one up for me!"

Though excited inside, his face remained impassive as he casually handed it to the stall owner.

If the other party knew this was a mother herb rather than a sick one, the price would likely skyrocket tenfold, and it might not even be available for purchase!

As a modern, civilized young man with integrity, he would naturally take advantage of a good deal rather than suffer a loss.

"50 gold coins!"

The stall owner, seeing that this young man was well-dressed, had expected him to spend a large sum on several stalks. Instead, he bought only one sickly one. The owner curled his lips, wrapped it up casually, and lost all his earlier enthusiasm.

Selling goods also depended on the customer. This fellow wouldn't even buy good herbs—he must be a pauper. Talking more was just a waste of time.

"Alright!"

Taking the herb, Zhang Xuan reached into his pocket, and his expression immediately turned awkward.

He had been so preoccupied with the Library that he forgot about money... His former self was a low-level teacher with a meager salary. After scoring zero on the teacher assessment, a large amount of money had been deducted... To be honest, he couldn't even scrape together ten gold coins in his pocket, let alone fifty!

"What's wrong?" Seeing his strange expression, the stall owner looked over.

"Ahem, can you... sell it to me for eight gold coins?" Zhang Xuan pulled his hand out of his pocket and counted carefully—only eight coins.

"Eight? Are you dreaming? If you don't have money, why come shopping..."

Seeing the few coins laid out in the other's palm, the stall owner nearly fell over.

He had seen stingy people, but never this stingy!

Eight gold coins for a Cold Sun Herb? Were you still asleep? Even if this one was sick, there was no way he'd sell it!

He snatched the herb back, his face full of impatience, and waved his hand: "If you don't have money, leave! I don't have time to waste on you!"

"Ahem! I don't have money, but are you sure you won't sell it to me?"

Seeing the other's attitude, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

"Nonsense! Even if this Cold Sun Herb doesn't look great, its medicinal effects are still there. At worst, I can sell it for thirty or forty gold coins. Eight gold coins? Are you kidding? Get lost now, or I'll call the enforcement team!"

Seeing that this penniless fellow still refused to leave, the stall owner waved his hand in anger.

Large markets, to prevent forced sales and troublemakers, all had dedicated enforcement patrols. With just a shout, they would come, and even a Fifth Stage Dingli Realm martial artist would be thrown out!

Moreover, resisting the enforcement team meant opposing the entire market—ordinary people didn't have the guts.

Seeing that this guy had no money and still wouldn't leave, the stall owner concluded he was causing trouble and spoke directly.

"Don't call the enforcement team. I genuinely want to buy!" Zhang Xuan interrupted him, looking completely unruffled, and smiled lightly: "I may not have money, but I'm not causing trouble. Do you believe that if I say something, you'll not only willingly sell it to me but might even give it to me for free?"

"Give it to you for free? Are you still asleep?"

Unexpected to hear such words from this penniless guy, the stall owner laughed in anger, looking at the youth as if he were an idiot: "If I really give it to you for free, I'll call you grandpa!"

In his view, this kid was simply brain-damaged—coming to buy something without money and then claiming he would give it away for free...

Was he crazy? Why would he give it to you?

Who did you think you were!

"Call me grandpa? That won't be necessary!" Zhang Xuan shook his head and looked at the other with a smile: "I said you'll give it for free, and you will. If you don't believe me... take two steps... ahem, throw a punch and see!"