Chapter 9: Interception!

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

“Senior Brother, I’m a servant disciple who comes to help you clean the courtyard.”

Shen Ran knocked on the door of a three-story residential building with a separate courtyard.

Every official disciple of the Empyrean Sword Sect had better living conditions than the servant disciples.

Before Shen Ran was demoted to a servant disciple, he also had such a courtyard.

The door opened and an ordinary disciple with dirty hair and clothes popped his head out.

He sized up Shen Ran and said, “Are you the servant who’s cleaning the courtyard for me today? Then remember that other than cleaning the courtyard outside the house, you are not allowed to step into my room or peek! Otherwise, I won’t let you off. Do you hear me?”

Shen Ran did not immediately reply. His attention was completely attracted by the narrative that appeared on his body.

[This is an ordinary disciple of the Empyrean Sword Sect. He is obsessed with refining pills and often does not sleep or rest in order to refine pills, but he has made no progress. On the fifth day of the first month of the year 3074, at an ancient medicine stall at the entrance of Barter street, he accidentally spent 10 spirit stones to buy a supreme-grade Spirit Gathering Pill. With the help of the pill, he broke through continuously and became a core disciple of the Empyrean Sword Sect.]

The fifth day of the first month in 3074. Isn’t it today? 10 spirit stones can buy a supreme-grade Spirit Gathering Pill. There’s actually such a good thing?

Shen Ran was delighted as he read the narrative.

The Blood Cloud Powder he had consumed last night had brought him an experience that increased his cultivation speed by 10 times. It was unforgettable.

If he could always have a high-level pill like the Blood Cloud Powder as a supplement, he was confident that he would be able to break through to the same Illumination Realm as Wang Qingxuan in less than a month!

The Spirit Gathering Pill was a high-level pill with an effect similar to the Blood Cloud Powder.

Unfortunately, as a high-level pill, the Spirit Gathering Pill was naturally expensive.

As a servant disciple, Shen Ran only earned one spirit stone a month.

Previously, he had accumulated 100 spirit stones as an ordinary disciple.

Forget about the Spirit Gathering Pill.

It would take him decades to afford even the residue of the Spirit Gathering Pill.

And the effect of a supreme-grade Spirit Gathering Pill was 10 times that of an ordinary Spirit Gathering Pill!

That was something unattainable that Shen Ran could only dream of.

He did not expect to receive such good news after casually glancing at someone’s narrative.

He only needed10 spirit stones to buy a supreme-grade Spirit Gathering Pill!

Shen Ran could not help but smile.

“What are you giggling about? Did you hear what I said?”

Seeing that Shen Ran did not reply, the ordinary disciple frowned in anger.

“Yes, yes. Don’t worry, Senior Brother. I’ll definitely clean your courtyard and I’ll never step into your room.”

Shen Ran did not take the other party’s unfriendly tone to heart at all. After all, the supreme-grade medicinal pill that should have belonged to the Senior Brother was about to become Shen Ran’s. It was only right for him to be chided.

“Good to know.”

He could not hit a smiling face.

Seeing Shen Ran’s smile, the ordinary disciple could not vent his anger.

Snorting, he returned to the room and slammed the door.

Shen Ran chuckled and did his best to clean up the entire courtyard.

Then he returned to his residence and took the 100 spirit stones he had saved. He hummed a happy tune and made his way to Barter Street.

This street was for the disciples of the Empyrean Sword Sect to trade freely.

All the disciples could bring to the stall the items they wanted to sell.

There were only two ways to trade. They either exchanged items or used spirit stones filled with spiritual energy as currency to buy them.

When Shen Ran first arrived at Barter Street, it was evening. There were not many people setting up stalls on the street.

He took his time, waiting patiently as he crouched at the entrance to Barter Street.

Night fell quickly.

When a green-robed servant disciple took out the items he was about to sell and set up a stall, Shen Ran’s eyes lit up and he jumped.

“Fellow disciple, may I ask who you are?”

Looking at Shen Ran’s passionate expression, the servant disciple secretly swallowed his saliva.

“What are you selling?” Shen Ran asked, looking at the item in the other party’s hand.

“I’m selling ancient medicines I just found in an ancient tomb… 10 spirit stones each. Do you want to buy them?”

The servant disciple spoke hesitantly.

The so-called ancient medicines were pills that had been stored in ancient tombs or ruins for countless years.

With that, the servant disciple took out all the porcelain bottles containing ancient medicine from his bag.

All the porcelain bottles were sealed properly, emitting a rotten aura.

Many of the bottles had fine cracks.

The purchase of ancient medicines was also known as “betting on medicine.”

This was because these medicine bottles found in the ancient tomb had never been opened after they were found.

No one knew what the ancient medicine bottles contained.

No one knew how much medicinal power was left in those ancient medicine bottles after so many years.

Most ancient medicines were not very expensive.

However, most of the time, the ancient medicine that one bought with spirit stones might have lost all its effects and become completely worthless.

However, Shen Ran’s expression was ecstatic when he saw the ancient medicine.

He was different from other drug betters.

Shen Ran had come prepared after reading someone else’s narrative. He was not here to try his luck.

“How many ancient medicines do you have?” Shen Ran asked.

“Five… If you want all of them, I can give you a discount. One ancient medicine for eight spirit stones,” the servant disciple said slowly.

“Seven spirit stones for one. I want all of them,” Shen Ran said.

He knew that one of the five ancient medicinal spirit stones was a supreme-grade Spirit Gathering Pill.

However, he did not know which ancient medicinal stone was the supreme-grade Spirit Gathering Pill.

The safest way was to buy them all.

“Okay.” After hesitating for a while, the servant disciple selling the ancient medicine nodded.

After all, not many people were willing to bet on medicine.

Many times, he could not even sell a single one for the whole day.

“Happy transaction!” Shen Ran quickly took out 35 spirit stones and exchanged them for five ancient medicines.

Then, he ran to an empty place and opened the ancient medicine bottles one by one.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he opened the first bottle, the rich medicinal fragrance like that of the Blood Cloud Powder floated out.

Shen Ran was overjoyed. “Supreme-grade Spirit Gathering Pill, obtained!”

After putting on the bottle cap, he tried to open the other ancient medicine bottles. Unfortunately, the other four ancient medicine bottles were all filled with powder that had lost its medicinal effect.

However, Shen Ran was not disappointed.

Just one supreme-grade Spirit Gathering Pill was worth much more than thirty-five spirit stones.

…

…

Meanwhile.

The door to the courtyard that Shen Ran had cleaned during the day was pushed open.

The ordinary disciples who had just finished refining pills were about to go out to shop at Barter Street.

Unexpectedly, he had just stepped out.

He suddenly felt empty.

He seemed to have lost something important.

Feeling depressed, the disciple changed his mind about going out.

Retracting the foot that had stepped out, he closed the gate.