Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 14 - 14 14 Acquisition! Sect Disciple! _1

14 Chapter 14 Acquisition! Sect Disciple! _1 The middle-aged shopkeeper decided to stop his work, silently waiting for one last fat sheep to wander in before he closed for the night.

You dared to haggle with me? Now, you won't even be able to hold onto those eight-point Spirit Stones!

He sighed, noting how the South Lake market was becoming increasingly desolate.

Once he had gathered a few more Spirit Stones, he planned to relocate to the markets at West Garden or East Mountain.

While stroking the spirit bracelet on his wrist, the shopkeeper gave idle orders to his busy servant boy.

However, despite the long wait, the peasant failed to appear even as darkness fully descended.

Anxiety began to gnaw at the middle-aged shopkeeper. Unable to restrain himself any longer, he barked:

"Go and check with Old Liu for me. That peasant’s Spirit Chicken—he didn't break the rules and snatch it for himself, did he?"

"Understood, shopkeeper!"

The servant boy hurried immediately toward Liu’s Shop.

He returned a short while later, wearing a strange expression on his face.

The shopkeeper asked with visible impatience:

"Erhu, what was Old Liu's response? Did he actually take that Spirit Chicken? That greedy old man! I’ll report this to my elder brother; Liu is truly being short-sighted!"

Erhu paused before speaking:

"He did take it, but Shopkeeper Liu claimed the man looked like a respected immortal from a Sect. He said even if the man isn't an immortal, his rank must be significant, so he didn't dare to haggle over the price..."

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper’s expression darkened instantly:

"Ridiculous!"

"Old Liu might fool a dimwit like you, but he can't pull the wool over my eyes!"

"Even though many immortals in the Sect ignore their clothes, which one would look that pathetic? A Spirit Chicken is worth something, but it’s not enough to interest a high-level immortal."

"But shopkeeper, Shopkeeper Liu said the man sold thirteen of them at once!"

"What?!"

The shopkeeper’s hand, which had been caressing his bracelet, suddenly jerked!

He bolted upright, his face filled with shock:

"How... how many?!"

"Thirteen Spirit Chickens, and..."

The boy servant trailed off, looking unsure if he should continue.

"And what? Get on with it!"

The shopkeeper urged him, his patience wearing thin.

"And... even though they were all lower-grade roosters, their spiritual energy was incredibly dense..."

The shopkeeper’s complexion turned even more pale.

Hesitating, the servant boy added, "Shopkeeper Liu... Shopkeeper Liu also told me to thank you. He said those thirteen Spirit Chickens would be very beneficial for his family."

Snap!

The spirit bracelet was slammed onto the table, carving a deep groove into the wood.

The shopkeeper’s chest heaved with heavy breaths, but he eventually forced his fury down.

He had no choice but to suppress it.

Anyone capable of producing thirteen Spirit Chickens at once was backed by a powerful force, even if they weren't a Sect Disciple themselves.

He simply did not dare to provoke such a person.

It wasn't just fear; the very idea was now unthinkable to him!

As his anger faded, a heavy sense of regret took its place.

"I completely misread the situation!"

"Had I known, I would have paid him three Spirit Stones!"

"I'm sure my elder brother could have used them. If he managed a breakthrough, I could have relocated to the East Mountain market..."

Buying thirteen at once would have been a fantastic bargain, whether for boosting his brother's Cultivation or for winning favor with superiors.

Unfortunately, he had driven the customer away.

In his frustration, the shopkeeper slapped his own thighs until they were red.

He paced outside for a moment, scanning the area.

But the figure of that peasant was nowhere to be found.

Wang Ba moved with trepidation along the pitch-black path.

The looming mountains were stacked high, their shadows resembling Sect Disciples peering down at him.

With every step, he felt the weight of the Spirit Stones in his pocket. Each time he mentally counted them, his heart raced with terror!

It was too much!

There were simply too many Spirit Stones!

Forty-two Spirit Stones and nine points!

He had nearly emptied the entire liquid reserve of a grain shop!

Truthfully, he would never have traded for so many Spirit Stones if there had been any other choice.

He felt incredibly exposed.

What was the difference between his current state and a child carrying a pile of gold through a crowded market?

If a Sect Disciple spotted him and grew greedy...

If he died at the hands of a Sect Disciple, his death would be utterly meaningless.

Thus, Wang Ba traveled in a state of constant panic, terrified of being followed. He took long detours, alternating between running and crawling through the brush.

He remained hyper-vigilant, watching for anyone else on the road.

He tried to avoid contact entirely; when he couldn't, he focused intensely on maintaining the Power of the Yin God.

Even when alone, he kept the Power of the Yin God active.

This led him to discover a specific benefit of the technique.

When no one was around to be deceived, the Power of the Yin God required very little energy to sustain.

It only began to drain rapidly when someone actually laid eyes on him.

Even though the South Lake market was closing, the roads were still populated, and his reservoir of Power of the Yin God was nearing exhaustion.

Meeting several laborers along the way had further taxed his strength.

To his immense relief, just as the Power of the Yin God within his Yin’s Government had shriveled to the size of a single grain of rice, the manor came into view.

"Phew..."

Wang Ba let out a long, shaky breath.

That had been a terrifyingly close call.

Reflecting on his time at the market, Wang Ba felt a sense of irony.

To stay safe, he had initially projected the image of a simple, humble servant boy. Instead, the owner of the Knife and Miscellaneous Grain Shop had viewed him as easy prey.

The moment he left that shop, he realized his error and adjusted his disguise.

As he had hoped, the second shopkeeper was intimidated.

It seemed that even within an Immortal Sect, people were judged solely by their outward appearance.

He had taken a massive gamble, but fortunately, he had made it back alive.

Suddenly, Wang Ba froze in his tracks!

He felt an invisible, crushing pressure bear down on his Yin’s Government.

Inside that vast, internal space, the droplet of Power of the Yin God began to spin with violent speed!

It began shrinking at an alarming rate!

What was happening?!

As he realized what was occurring, Wang Ba’s heart hammered against his ribs!

He had never seen the Power of the Yin God react so aggressively!

Just then, a clear, pleasant voice called out from a short distance behind him.

"Senior Brother, might I ask for the path to the Merit Room?"

"Se... Senior Brother?!"

Confused and startled, Wang Ba’s mind raced.

Who was this person talking to? Was there someone else nearby?

"Apologies for the intrusion, Brother. I have only recently entered the Sect and achieved a breakthrough. I am still quite lost. Could you direct me to the Merit Room? My thanks!"

The voice sounded slightly hurried as the speaker stepped closer.

Wang Ba panicked further when he realized no one else was responding.

Time seemed to stand still.

A cold shiver ran through his limbs, and his mind went blank.

The rotation of the Power of the Yin God within his Yin’s Government accelerated as the stranger approached!

The grain-sized essence had now dwindled to the size of a speck of dust!

It looked as though it might vanish entirely at any second!

In the midst of his mental chaos, Wang Ba’s heart suddenly went still.

Senior Brother? Junior Brother? Merit Room?

Hiss...

Regarding the stranger's identity, a realization struck Wang Ba instantly.

In his frantic state, his mind connected the dots with startling clarity.

Without a moment's pause, he raised a hand and pointed in a specific direction.

"Thank you, Senior Brother!"

The voice didn't linger. After offering thanks, the person went silent.

Only when Wang Ba felt the Power of the Yin God stop its frantic spinning did he dare to slowly turn around.

The night was deep and the sky was vast. The wind howled through the mountains, which looked like hulking shadows, but there wasn't a soul in sight.

Everything that had just transpired felt like a fever dream.

Relief washed over Wang Ba so suddenly that his legs buckled, and he collapsed onto the ground.

His clothes were drenched in sweat. He sat there gasping for air, his eyes filled with the sheer joy of survival.

Was that truly a Sect Disciple just now?

The experience had been terrifying!

Even though he hadn't even seen the person’s face, he couldn't stop shaking.

This wasn't his first time encountering an immortal.

Back when he had tried to join the Sect to pursue the Dao, he had witnessed their power.

The Immortal who had tested his Spiritual Root had simply stepped into the air and vanished—a true immortal!

But back then, he knew he wasn't in any danger.

This situation was entirely different.

If that "Junior Brother" had seen through his mask and found the Spirit Stones on him in this lonely place, a single dark thought from the disciple would have been his end.

The thought made Wang Ba tremble uncontrollably!

"However, this Power of the Yin God can actually fool a Sect Disciple!"

"I must focus more on mastering this!"

Recalling how close he had come to disaster, Wang Ba turned pale again.

A few more seconds of delay and his Power of the Yin God would have run dry. He would have been exposed, and that would have been the end of him.

Luckily, he had acted quickly to distract the stranger.

He never wanted to feel that kind of helplessness ever again. This was a mistake he couldn't afford to repeat.

Despite his weakness, he feared the Sect Disciple might return if the Merit Room wasn't found, so he forced himself up and hurried back to the manor.

The moment he arrived, he found a spot beneath the chicken coop to bury his Spirit Stones.

The Precious Chickens naturally radiated spiritual energy, which served to mask the energy coming from the Spirit Stones, making them harder to detect.

Without even washing the dirt off, he retreated to his small shack and collapsed into a deep sleep.

When he woke the following morning, he found he had fallen ill.