The foreigner’s final statement, after carefully examining it, was no longer a low mumble but an exclamation of surprise.

Considering how utterly wrong the foreigner had been about the stone, one could only imagine the spectacular expression that must have crossed his face at that moment.

Suddenly, the already lively night market became even more boisterous. When the foreigner boldly offered four thousand, the crowd erupted. Many of them had genuinely believed the piece of jade was a true treasure, having initially thought Zhang Yang was merely feigning ignorance to snatch it up cheaply.

Now, it was clear the foreigner had simply misjudged the jade entirely.

Zhang Yang let out a cold laugh. He finally understood why this tall, foreign man had suddenly inserted himself into the situation and offered such an exorbitant price: the man had been grasping at straws, hoping to snatch a deal, and that’s why he’d been competing with Zhang Yang for the stone.

Ignoring the reaction around him, Zhang Yang pulled Mi Xue away from the night market. Behind them, a crowd had gathered around the stall, and constant arguing echoed from the spot.

“Boss, I misjudged this stone. I don’t want it anymore.”

“Hey? Why don’t you want it? How can you back out now!”

“I apologize, I was mistaken. I won’t take it!”

...

It seemed that both the greedy stall owner and the foreigner who tried to score a bargain were having a difficult time.

One was consumed by avarice, genuinely trying to pass off a common mountain rock as a premium jade piece. Not only did he fail to earn a single cent and end up with only false hopes, but the jade box itself had essentially been sold at cost, yielding zero profit.

The other man, suspecting the worst of others, was also brought down by his own greed. Now trapped by the crowd, unable to escape, he certainly wasn't about to spend four thousand yuan on what turned out to be just an ordinary rock.

These two perfectly illustrated the saying: you reap what you sow.

But this had nothing to do with Zhang Yang. Both the vendor and the foreigner would pay the price for their greed.

After leaving the night market, Wuying, who had been restless in the canvas bag, immediately shifted its focus from the stone to the jade box in Zhang Yang’s hand, chirping insistently, seemingly desperate to taste the Jade-Spotted Spirit Fungi within.

Lightning, too, widened its eyes and squeaked, drooling over the fungi. Only Zhuifeng was slightly calmer, though it still craned its neck to peer into the jade box Zhang Yang held.

Mi Xue walked beside him, arm linked with Zhang Yang’s, looking curiously at the box. “Husband, is this what you were truly interested in?”

Others might not have noticed, but Mi Xue certainly did. When Zhang Yang retrieved the clump of green moss, he had placed it with extreme care into the jade box. Though the moss only amounted to the size of a thumbnail, even Mi Xue, who had reached the second layer of Inner Strength (Nei Jin Er Ceng), could sense the spiritual energy contained within it.

Zhang Yang nodded, then smiled. “This is the Jade Plate Spirit Fungus. It’s specifically recorded in an ancient medicinal text kept by our Zhang family. It can enhance the efficacy of prepared spirit medicines by thirty to forty percent—a priceless ingredient among heavenly treasures.”

“As for you two little ones, don't rush. These Jade-Spotted Spirit Fungi are reserved for compounding spirit elixirs. I'll share them with you then. Be patient for now.”

Saying this, Zhang Yang chuckled and patted the heads of Wuying and Lightning. Today’s haul was far greater than he had ever expected.

Last time, in the same shopping center, Zhang Yang had effortlessly bought the Thousand-Year Jade Poria for eighty thousand yuan, securing a massive windfall without any setbacks.

But this time, at a small jade night market, he had discovered an ingredient as rare as the Jade-Spotted Spirit Fungus. Despite the minor incident during its acquisition, he had ultimately obtained it for the unbelievably low price of twenty yuan.

And arguably, this haul was even greater than the last!

Who would have thought that such a spirit medicine ingredient could be found at such an ordinary night market? Even Zhang Yang himself still felt a sense of disbelief.

Such a purely accidental event, like a pie falling from the sky—having it once in a lifetime was immense fortune. Yet, unexpectedly, this immense fortune, this grand pie, had landed upon him twice in a row, each time more shocking and delightful than the last.

This journey of treasure hunting had only just begun, and Zhang Yang had already secured a treasure. The joy was inexpressible.

Upon returning to the hotel, Qu Meilan and Qiao Yihong both rushed over. They had already heard from Mi Xue that Zhang Yang had acquired a great treasure while out browsing the night market.

So, they clustered around Zhang Yang, eager to see what kind of marvel he had found.

When Zhang Yang opened the jade box containing the small clump of Jade-Spotted Spirit Fungus, Qiao Yihong and Qu Meilan’s eyes widened. Though they couldn't identify the treasure, they could clearly sense the purity of the spiritual energy emanating from the small patch of moss.

“This is the Jade Plate Spirit Fungus. Just adding a tiny bit during the refinement of a spirit elixir can boost its medicinal effect by thirty to forty percent,” Zhang Yang explained with a smile, highlighting the fungus's most precious quality.

After Zhang Yang finished explaining the effects of the Jade-Spotted Spirit Fungi, Qiao Yihong and Qu Meilan were filled with envy. They looked at Zhang Yang with even greater reverence.

Everyone understood the value of spirit medicines, and a material that could enhance their efficacy by thirty to forty percent was exponentially more precious.

As successors of the Medical Saint Martial Sect (Yi Sheng Wu Zong), they were genuinely happy for Zhang Yang. The more powerful Zhang Yang became, the more powerful the sect became, and as members of the Medical Saint Martial Sect, they naturally felt a deeper sense of pride.

“Chirp chirp chirp!”

At that moment, Wuying hopped forward, refusing to be overlooked, and loudly squawked to the group, lest anyone forget that it was the first to spot the Jade-Spotted Spirit Fungus—it was the great contributor.

Wuying’s antics amused everyone.

“Squeak squeak squeak!”

Then, Lightning jumped out too, calling out loudly. However, it was arguing that even if it didn't have the credit, it certainly had the hard work, and thus it was demanding other spirit medicines on behalf of itself, Wuying, and Zhuifeng.

Zhang Yang smiled and shook his head. Finally, he took out three Essence Blood Pills from the canvas bag and distributed them to Wuying and Lightning, telling the two little ones to share one with Zhuifeng as well.

Wuying deserved a reward for its contribution today, which was significant. Lightning and Zhuifeng had guarded faithfully, so they also deserved recognition. While they couldn't eat the Jade-Spotted Spirit Fungi directly, they could be compensated with other spirit medicines.

The two little creatures happily took their medicines and scampered out of the hotel. The relationship among the three spirit beasts was growing ever better.

After carefully storing the jade box containing the Jade-Spotted Spirit Fungi, Zhang Yang urged Qiao Yihong and Qu Meilan back to their rooms to rest. They had to travel the next day, so it was best to retire early.

The next morning, Yan Yifei and Li Juan, the couple who had slept soundly, awoke to learn about the events of the previous night.

Upon realizing what they had missed, they were struck with regret, feeling they had forfeited a truly spectacular event. Both Yan Yifei and Li Juan had only recently begun cultivating and were intensely interested in everything related to the cultivation world. They regretted it even more upon learning that what Zhang Yang had acquired was an incredibly precious spirit medicine ingredient.

After enjoying a full breakfast together at the hotel, the whole group got into the car and continued their journey.

Zhang Yang chose the same route as last time: first to Yizhou, then boarding a ship there to travel north through Changjing, entering Sichuan-Chongqing Province (Chuan Yu Sheng) directly via the Yangtze River, disembarking near Lezhou, and then driving the rest of the way.

The purpose of this trip was similar to the last in many ways; however, last time he was accompanying Long Feng, whereas this time he was bringing disciples from the Medical Saint Martial Sect—Qu Meilan, Yan Yifei, Li Juan, and Qiao Yihong—out for experience and travel. Thus, Zhang Yang kept the itinerary unchanged.

He had not yet told Mi Xue and the others the true purpose of this journey: finding the Ten-Thousand-Year Peaches of Kunlun Mountain. He feared revealing it might disrupt the effectiveness of their current tour, so Zhang Yang decided to wait until they reached the Long Family Plain and met with Elder Zhang Pinglu and his maternal uncle Zhang Yunan before disclosing the matter.

After a day and a night of leisurely travel, passing through Yizhou and reaching Lezhou, everything remained peaceful. The group had not been so relaxed in a long time, completely absorbed in the natural scenery along the way, enjoying themselves immensely.

They were captivated by the beauty of the landscape; even several days on a boat didn't tire them but instead left them feeling exhilarated.

However, Zhang Yang noticed that the presence of cultivators here was remarkably scarce. This region, including Lezhou, Leshan, and further on, Mount Emei, all belonged to the Shu Mountain Range, which was the ancestral home of the Shu Mountain Li Family.

Yet, now, within Shu territory, Zhang Yang sensed very few cultivator auras. This suggested only two possibilities: either Shu Mountain had sealed its gates, hiding its entire sect’s presence, or the high-level cultivators, those with strong Inner Strength, had already left Shu Mountain and were not here.

The first option was clearly impossible; therefore, the second must be the truth.

This undoubtedly confirmed that news of the Ten-Thousand-Year Peaches of Kunlun Mountain had spread, and even the Shu Mountain Li Family had not forgotten about it. They had likely departed for Kunlun Mountain long ago to seize the advantage.

Zhang Yang, however, felt no urgency. The Ten-Thousand-Year Peaches had not yet ripened; arriving early or late made no difference at this stage.