Nonsense! How could my adopted son be a villain?

The Formless Grass is the main ingredient of the Spirit Tempering Pill, which is primarily used to assist cultivators in tempering their souls and purifying impurities within their bodies. Only cultivators at least at the Divine Treasure Realm or above can use this pill.

Qingyu City is just an inconspicuous small city in the Shangyang Continent. There are only a few Divine Realm cultivators stationed in the city, so both Spirit Tempering Pills and Formless Grass are scarce.

But this time, an unknown expert suddenly approached Qianjinlou, wanting to buy Wuxiangcao at a high price.

Qianjinlou had two main objectives: first, to close this deal and make a high profit; and second, to use this deal to establish a connection with the cultivators behind the scenes.

The Spirit Tempering Pill affects the soul, and it's not something any alchemist can easily refine. The fact that the other party is buying up large quantities of the Formless Grass clearly indicates they have no shortage of alchemists to refine it, which is why Qianjinlou is searching everywhere for the Formless Grass, hoping to establish a good relationship.

However, Qingyu City is not the place where Wuxiang Grass is produced, and Wuxiang Grass itself is extremely fragile. It is snow-white in color and its shape changes with the surrounding environment, hence the name "Wuxiang" (meaning "without form").

The herb of no form is already difficult to identify, not to mention that it is easy to wither if not stored properly after being picked. Finding a large quantity of herb of no form in a short period of time is not easy for Qianjinlou.

This is why the shopkeeper wanted to ask the manager to come and talk to Xu Lingguang in person as soon as he heard Xu Lingguang say that he had the herb Wuxiang.

Xu Lingguang waited in the private room for a moment, when a middle-aged man with a beard and a ruddy complexion strode over. He was taken aback when he saw Xu Lingguang, probably not expecting him to be so young. However, he quickly adjusted his expression and greeted Xu Lingguang warmly but not obsequiously: "My surname is Zhao. May I ask how you are addressed, young master?"

Xu Lingguang's cultivation level had dropped, and his diligent cultivation could only control the rampaging spiritual energy in his inner palace. Seeing that his aura was not strong and that he looked young, Manager Zhao assumed that he was just a young cultivator who had just embarked on the path of cultivation.

"My surname is Xu." Xu Lingguang didn't know if Manager Zhao had heard of the Qingyu Sect Master's name, so he only gave his surname.

Manager Zhao addressed him as "Young Master Xu," composed himself, and inquired about the Formless Grass: "I wonder how much Formless Grass Young Master Xu possesses?"

"How much does Manager Zhao want?" Xu Lingguang asked in return.

In truth, he had no idea how many types of Wuxiang Grass there were. He had only seen it once in a mountain valley somewhere in the Ailao Mountains. The Wuxiang Grass was pure white, resembling a flowerless orchid, and was very eye-catching. When he passed by, he only thought that this plant grew strangely, so he took a few more glances at it.

I knew this was the herb without form from what Wuyao had told me.

According to Wuyao, the shape of the Wuxiang grass changes with the environment, mostly transforming into plants, but occasionally into insects; it comes in all sorts of varieties, which is quite interesting. Those unfamiliar with the Wuxiang grass would find it difficult to recognize them.

However, Wu Yao said that although this herb has many different forms, it has two unchanging characteristics: one is its lustrous color like snow, and the other is that there is an inconspicuous little red dot about an inch above the ground at the base of its roots.

The snow-white plants in the valleys of Ailao Mountain fit the two unchanging characteristics of the plant *Cymbidium goeringii*.

When Wuyao heard that there was such a large patch of Wuxiang Grass in the mountains, he was very eager to go and see it. However, after hearing that the mountain was Ailao Mountain, he fell silent and just sighed that Xu Lingguang was lucky and his life was not meant to end.

Xu Lingguang was also quite excited at this moment. Judging from Manager Zhao's words, he needed a lot of Wuxiang Grass, and he was in a hurry.

This means I can ask for a higher price.

Seeing that he looked completely at ease, Manager Zhao tentatively said, "We'll take whatever amount Young Master Xu has. Of course, if it's inconvenient to give it all to Qianjinlou, Young Master Xu can just name a number. We certainly won't let Young Master Xu suffer any loss."

Xu Lingguang nodded, suppressing his excitement and not showing much emotion: "Manager Zhao, please name a price first. If the price is right, we can naturally discuss it."

Manager Zhao sincerely wanted these Formless Grasses. If his sincerity was insufficient and the negotiations broke down, he would have nowhere to find a large quantity of Formless Grasses again. So after thinking for a while, he offered a very generous price, slightly higher than the market price: "The market price for a single Formless Grass is one hundred low-grade spirit stones, but Qianjin Pavilion can offer one hundred and twenty per grass."

Xu Lingguang now had a basic understanding of prices and realized after doing the math that this was a considerable sum of money. One hundred Wuxiang Grass plants were worth 12,000 low-grade spirit stones, enough to buy a Rejuvenation Pill at an auction.

In that mountain valley, there grew a large patch of the Unparalleled Grass, with a number definitely exceeding one hundred plants.

If he harvests properly, it can be a sustainable development.

Xu Lingguang was somewhat excited. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, suppressed the surging excitement in his heart, and said in a calm tone, "Manager Zhao is indeed sincere, but such a large batch of Wuxiang Grass is not easy to find..."

Manager Zhao knew from his words that the deal was mostly done. After a moment's thought, he offered a further discount: "To be honest, for anyone else, 120 is the highest price Qianjinlou can offer. But you are a man of extraordinary character, and Qianjinlou wishes to establish a good relationship with you and have a long-term business connection..."

Xu Lingguang nodded: "I had the same idea. I need to cultivate in seclusion on weekdays and it is inconvenient for me to travel around. In the vast Qingyu City, only Qianjin Tower has the strength to do so."

Seeing that both parties had reached a consensus, Manager Zhao readily said, "It is an honor for Qianjinlou to think so highly of you, Young Master Xu. How about we set the price at one hundred and thirty per plant?" As he spoke, he took out a jade token from his sleeve and handed it to Xu Lingguang: "This is Qianjinlou's 'Heavenly' token. If you need anything in the future, Young Master Xu, just give us a call, and Qianjinlou will give you priority in reserving whatever it has."

Xu Lingguang hadn't expected such a good thing. This jade tablet was more valuable than spirit stones. It seemed that Manager Zhao was indeed in a hurry for the Wuxiang Grass, otherwise he wouldn't be so sincere.

He accepted the jade token and, without needing Manager Zhao to urge him, said, "I'm about to go home. Have someone go with me to fetch the Grass of No Form."

Manager Zhao was naturally delighted to hear this and immediately called over a waiter to fetch the magic artifact for storing the Formless Grass. At the same time, he gave the deposit to Xu Lingguang: "This is a deposit of five thousand low-grade spirit stones. After obtaining the Formless Grass, the remaining amount will be directly deposited into the jade token. Young Master Xu can come to Qianjin Tower at any time to withdraw it with the jade token. If it is inconvenient, you can tell Cui Ming, and I will have him send the balance over."

After saying that, he seemed to remember that Xu Lingguang was not a familiar face in Qingyu City, so he cautiously inquired, "Does Young Master Xu live in Qingyu City? If he is outside the city, I will have someone prepare a carriage."

Xu Lingguang sensed his probing intent and also wanted to intimidate them, so he smiled slightly and said in a very nonchalant tone, "I am temporarily staying in Ailao Mountain, so there is no need for a carriage. The mountain roads are difficult to travel, and I usually use a donkey for transportation. The donkey is currently tied up at the door."

Manager Zhao's flawless smile faltered for a moment, as if he had misheard. He glanced at the waiter Cui Ming beside him, who also looked bewildered, then turned back to Xu Lingguang, his tone unconsciously becoming much more respectful than before: "You said you're temporarily staying at...?"

“Mount Ailao.” Xu Lingguang continued, then fabricated a story to create the persona of a hermit: “Mount Ailao is peaceful and full of spiritual energy, a good place for quiet cultivation.”

Manager Zhao: "..."

He opened his mouth but stopped talking.

He suspected that Xu Lingguang was too young to know the legends of Ailao Mountain, but he quickly dismissed the idea. Even if he was too young to know the legends of Ailao Mountain and rashly entered it, he might have survived to enter, but he wouldn't have survived to come out.

Not long ago, he received news that the evil spirit of Senluoyu and the Nine Swords Master of Cangfengmen had broken into Ailao Mountain in order to seize the treasure, which angered Chenghuang, and their souls were crushed on the spot.

If Xu Lingguang really dares to enter and leave the Ailao Mountains, then he is certainly not as naive as he appears on the surface.

Shopkeeper Zhao thought of many things in an instant, and even suspected that Xu Lingguang might have some connection with the Chenghuang clan, otherwise how could he dare to enter and leave Ailao Mountain so recklessly, but he did not dare to ask.

It was his good fortune to run into such a person.

If this good relationship can be maintained, he might benefit from it in the future and be transferred to other more central cities.

Seeing Zhao's changing expression but remaining silent, Xu Lingguang felt a little uneasy, wondering if the name Chenghuang was really useful. Just as he was feeling anxious, he saw Manager Zhao come back to his senses and give him a fawning smile: "I'll have Cui Ming accompany you back, but as you know, Ailao Mountain is not a place that ordinary people can set foot in. Cui Ming can only wait at the border, so I'll have to trouble you to send out the Wuxiang Grass."

Xu Lingguang breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed he had been intimidated.

He laughed and said, "Whatever you prefer."