I Refused To Be Reincarnated
Chapter 586: A Lucrative Transaction

Chapter 586: A Lucrative Transaction

"You’re quite a unique cutie with your blue hair. I’m sure you’ll become a handsome cultivator in a few years. Don’t forget me when you grow up!"

His eyes widened when he saw her wink, and his mind thundered, making him forget his real age.

’I’m only seven! What the hell are you thinking, temptress?!’

But he couldn’t expose himself despite the displeasure of feeling her... things press on him and the guilt he felt toward Misha.

"Ahem. Miss? Could you please let me go? I’m uncomfortable."

"Huh?" The woman gazed at him between her chests, raising a brow before understanding flashed in her eyes. "Oh! You’re too young to appreciate physical contact." She let him off and scratched her cheek awkwardly. "Anyway, I’m Xie Lian, this poison shop owner and the next core disciple."

She leaned forward, her violet eyes as vibrant and dangerous as poisonous lotus leaves, making him roll his eyes.

"As for your request, I usually use my dying herbs to refine poor poisonous pills. It’s not really worth it, you know? So, I’d be grateful if you bought them." She shook her head, her voice shifting to curiosity. "Every alchemy shop would be. But why do you need them? I don’t want to scam my cute junior brother of his hard-earned sect points."

Adam retrieved his alchemist robe and showed her the two bronze stars embroidered on the chest.

"I just set up my shop and need to make it profitable as fast as possible. So, I’m aiming for quantity over quality. I’ll sort the pills later and sell the ones with enough medicinal properties while I’ll throw the others."

Xie Lian raised an eyebrow, a thoughtful expression on her face. "A bold strategy, and what talent," she murmured, impressed by the young kid’s skills. After all, she was an alchemist, too. But always failed the official tests because of her poisonous tendencies and special physique.

Meanwhile, Adam continued.

"The tier doesn’t matter. I’ll find use for them one way or another, so don’t feel bad about scamming or whatnot. But don’t ask for more details." He stretched his palm out and grinned. "Do we have a deal?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly before she nodded.

"Everyone has secrets... But I can guess someone will refine them for you or that you’re planning to train with them in preparation for the three-star test since they are worthless. Very well. I’ll not only sell you my herbs, but I’ll help spread the word for you."

She closed an eye, her consciousness rummaging through her vast spatial ring until she found a pile of withered herbs and leaves. After counting them, she shook Adam’s hand and smiled upon seeing his sparkling eyes.

"We didn’t discuss the price yet... What do you think about a third of the alchemist’s union?"

His heart almost exploded at the killing he’d make with such cheap materials.

"Sure, I’ll buy in bulk! What do you have on hand?"

"Oh, not much. Around fifty plants ranging from tier one to three. It should amount to." She tucked her fingers around her chin and tapped her finger as she counted. "Eighty-three sect points."

Without a word, he imbued his jade card with Qi and flashed it against hers.

He saw her agree to the transaction before she handed him one plant after another. Honestly, it felt like he had just traded worthless copper for gold, and it excited him to no end.

Once the last plant vanished into his spatial ring, he cupped his trembling fist and nodded.

"Thank you for this deal, Senior Xie Lian. I’ll take my leave now, but feel free to stop by my shop. You can’t miss it. It’s right before the inner sect gate."

Without waiting for an answer, he scrambled out, hearing her chuckle and goodbye.

"Have fun, junior brother. I’ll visit you if I find more materials." Watching the empty spot he had stood on, she smiled. "It’s weird he didn’t ask why I disguised. What an interesting fellow."

As she lowered her hood and returned to her middle-aged man persona, Adam cleaved through the streets and burst through his shop’s doors.

"You won’t believe it, Misha!" He rushed on the clean floor, the scent of soap filling his nose as he hugged and raised her. "I got a ton of materials for peanuts."

She congratulated him for the excellent idea after he recounted his meeting with Xie Lian.

A moment later, he winked and pushed her to the door. "Buy a few trinkets, have fun with the other disciples, or try the sect’s food. I’ll start refining these. We’ll have a good stock ready for tomorrow."

Still uninterested in crafting, she beamed and left as he arranged the herbs on the counter. Instead of a field of green, a few yellowed and many dark orange stalks met his eyes. Yet, he rubbed his palms, the corner of his lips raising.

"Time to cheat death, my precious materials!"

With a touch, the natural dominance he had inherited from Decarabia’s bones activated.

Natural energy surged with a low hum, shooting into the almost-dead materials. As if time ran backwards, they ruffled softly, moisture returning to their dry leaves before their colors shifted from orange to yellow, then bright green under his scintillating eyes.

He ran his finger on their stems, feeling the cold dew and their incredible vitality—they were ready for refinement.

Without waiting, he summoned his furnace and moved to the back room to begin the long but fun process. Of course, he used yesterday’s technique to bring out Xie Lian’s poisonous herbs’ full potential with two different recipes.

After three hours, he picked up two violet and golden pills out of a mound of three hundred. The thick aroma, a complex blend of poison and medicinal properties, tickled his nostrils as he smiled.

"One refines the body by poisoning and healing it, while the other rids the organs of impurities. I can already hear the customers go crazy after testing their effects."

He stored them in two separate mounds in his spatial ring—a hundred and twenty for the first type and the rest for the second. Then, he put the fire out and left the store.

Enjoying the evening’s fresh breeze after a fulfilling day, he waited for Misha before she emerged from the crowd half an hour later.

They returned to Shen’s house and shared a hearty dinner, during which Misha recounted her exploration of the mountain forest by the sect’s edges and the bizarre beasts living in the ranches.

Winged serpents, six-legged mounts, her eager voice enlivened the gazebo with wild descriptions as he nodded in wonder and promised to go see them with her in the future.

Then, he recounted the shop’s renting process and why they chose the outer sect before Shen nodded in approval.

Once done, they bid him goodbye and returned to the shop to spend their first night in their own places. Fortunately, the kind Mei Lan offered them clean blankets, towels, and a warm hug as they promised her to dine with them every day.

And finally, as the first stars brightened the night sky, they buried themselves under the blankets, chuckling in anticipation for the shop’s grand opening tomorrow.

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AN: I’ll take a day off tomorrow. Happy New Year everyone!"