Chapter 103 - 102: Wanted order.

Chapter 103: Chapter 102: Wanted order.

7 days later, after spending most of her time treating the injured man, the woman finally made her way down the mountain and into the nearest town.

The reason being was that she wanted to sell the spiritual herbs that she gathered from last week.

The settlement was relatively small, with rows of wooden buildings lining its snow-covered streets.

Most of its residents were ordinary mortals who made their living through farming, hunting, trading, or working in the shops scattered throughout the town.

Cultivators occasionally passed through on their way to the surrounding mountains, but they were few enough that their presence rarely attracted much attention.

Smoke rose from the chimneys, and the streets were busy with merchants arranging their goods beneath fur-lined awnings.

The smell of freshly baked bread and simmering broth drifted through the cold air, while children ran between the stalls, their laughter carrying above the noise of bargaining customers.

The woman walked along the main street with her pale-blue fur cloak wrapped around her shoulders, carrying a wooden basket filled with carefully packed spiritual herbs.

She greeted several familiar faces along the way, occasionally stopping to exchange a few words with the townspeople.

By the time she reached a pharmacy near the eastern end of the street, the shopkeeper had already noticed her arrival.

"Ah, our little mountain fairy has finally come down!"

The middle-aged shopkeeper emerged from behind the counter with a broad smile, his attention immediately drawn to the basket in her hands.

"Come in, come in. I’ve been waiting for your herbs all week."

The woman raised an eyebrow.

"You’re making it sound as though I’ve kept you waiting for a month. I only came down a little later than usual."

"A little later?"

The shopkeeper laughed as he opened the basket and carefully examined its contents. Inside were several bundles of frost-veined leaves, pale roots, and small flowers preserved between layers of paper.

Each had been sorted and prepared with care, and he nodded in satisfaction as he inspected them.

"Excellent. These are all in good condition. As expected of our famous spiritual herbalist."

"Oh, stop flattering me. You’re going to make me raise my prices."

"Please don’t do that, Miss Qingyue. My shop is relying on you for our high end products to go through."

"What am I without you?"

Their laughter carried through the pharmacy, attracting the attention of several workers who were sorting medicinal ingredients behind the counter.

"Miss Qingyue!"

"You’re here! My mother said the medicine you prepared for her last month helped her recover much faster."

"Miss Qingyue, are you going back up the mountain today? The roads have been slippery lately, so be careful!"

The woman responded to each greeting with a smile, occasionally offering a few words of advice about the herbs they were carrying.

Even the youngest errand worker received a helping hand when she casually guided a heavy box across the floor with her spiritual energy.

Her presence seemed to bring a familiar warmth to the little pharmacy.

After finishing his inspection, the shopkeeper counted out the agreed payment and placed a small pouch of spiritual stones on the counter.

"Here you go. The usual price, with a little extra for the frost orchids, a total of 2300 low grade spiritual stones."

She weighed the pouch in her hand before slipping it into her waist pouch.

"You’re unusually generous today."

"Only because your herbs have been selling well. Besides, if you keep supplying me with such good ingredients, I’ll be able to expand the pharmacy before the end of the year."

"Then I suppose I should congratulate you in advance."

She was about to leave when one of the young clerks leaned over the counter with a grin.

"Miss Qingyue, since everyone in town likes you so much, have you ever considered settling down here?"

The woman raised an eyebrow.

"Settling down?"

"Of course! You could open your own herbal shop, become an important figure in town, and perhaps even become the lady of the town someday. I’m sure plenty of people would be willing to support you."

The shopkeeper chuckled, apparently finding the suggestion rather amusing.

"He’s not entirely wrong. If you wanted to stay, I doubt anyone would object. Even the imperial court would have to give way for you since this place is quite far and poorly managed by them."

Lin Qingyue burst into laughter, waving her hand dismissively.

"Me? Become the lady of this town? You’re giving me far too much credit."

"Why not?" the young clerk insisted. "Your knowledge of spiritual herbs is excellent, and your cultivation is certainly nothing to scoff at. There are very few 7th layer Qi Condensation cultivators around here, and most of them are in seclusions."

"That’s precisely why I know my limits." She shrugged, her smile remaining easy and carefree. "I’m not cut out to become some great cultivator, but I’m certainly not cut out to rule a town either. Imagine having to deal with arguments over property, taxes, and all sorts of troublesome matters every single day."

She shuddered theatrically.

"No, thank you. Just thinking about it gives me a headache."

The shopkeeper laughed again while the young clerk shook his head in amusement.

"Then what do you want to do?"

"Travel, of course!"

Lin Qingyue spread her arms as though the answer should have been obvious.

"There are countless mountains, forests, and ancient ruins across this world. There are spiritual herbs I’ve never seen and places I’ve never visited."

"Why would I tie myself down to one little town when I can roam wherever I please?"

She picked up her empty basket and slung it over her arm.

"Besides, being an independent cultivator has its advantages."

"I can come and go as I please, and nobody can order me to attend some ridiculous meeting every morning."

"Until you run out of spiritual stones," the shopkeeper teased.

"Then I’ll gather more herbs and come here to sell."

With that, Lin Qingyue waved goodbye and stepped back into the street, leaving the pharmacy. The morning’s business had gone smoothly, and the pouch of spiritual stones at her waist felt pleasant.

She was already considering which ingredients she might gather on her next trip into the mountains when she noticed a crowd gathered farther down the street.

Several dozen townspeople had assembled around a large wooden bulletin board near the town square.

Most were curious residents who had stopped whatever they were doing to see what was happening.

A few cultivators stood among them, but they were no more numerous than the other onlookers.

At the center of the crowd stood a man dressed in the dark-blue uniform of the imperial administration, accompanied by two guards carrying long spears.

He was fastening a freshly printed notice to the board while the townspeople leaned forward to read its contents.

Lin Qingyue slowed her pace.

"What happened now?"

Curiosity got the better of her, and she approached the gathering just as the imperial official finished securing the notice.

"By the imperial decree!" the official announced, raising his voice so that everyone in the square could hear. "Let all cultivators and citizens of the kingdom heed this announcement. A grave incident has occurred within the Imperial City, and the royal family has issued an urgent order concerning the perpetrator!"

The crowd immediately grew restless.

"The Imperial City?"

"What happened there?"

"Could it be a demon invasion?"

The official raised his hand to quiet them before continuing.

"Several days ago, a masked intruder infiltrated the Imperial Palace and attempted to abduct the Second Princess of the kingdom."

"The intruder engaged two of the royal family’s High Lords in battle, causing extensive destruction to the palace and surrounding districts. Despite their combined efforts, the two High Lords failed to restrain the enemy."

Gasps spread through the crowd.

The official continued reading, his expression becoming increasingly solemn.

"Due to the severity of the incident, the royal family’s old Ancestor personally intervened. The masked intruder was struck by the Ancestor’s overwhelming might and subsequently vanished. His current whereabouts remain unknown."

He paused before unfurling another sheet of paper.

"By order of the royal family, a bounty of one million top-grade spiritual stones is hereby offered for reliable information leading to the masked intruder’s capture."

"Any individual who can provide information concerning his identity, whereabouts, or movements shall be rewarded accordingly."

"Those who successfully capture or deliver the intruder will receive the full bounty, subject to verification by the royal family."

The entire square erupted.

"O-one million top-grade spiritual stones?!"

"How many ordinary people could live comfortably with that much wealth?"

"Forget living comfortably! You could buy several cities and become a city lord directly!"

Even the few cultivators in the crowd looked startled. Such a bounty was enormous. Lin Qingyue had been passing along the edge of the gathering when the announcement reached her ears.

At first, she listened with the same curiosity as everyone else.

Then she heard the bounty.

One million top-grade spiritual stones.

Her steps faltered.

"Kh—!"

She nearly choked on her own saliva, coughing several times as she hurriedly covered her mouth.

"One million?!"

A few nearby townspeople turned to look at her, but Lin Qingyue quickly waved them off, pretending that nothing had happened.

Her eyes, however, had already shifted toward the large portrait being attached beneath the imperial announcement.

The artist had rendered the masked man’s appearance in considerable detail, depicting his loose grey robes, the shattered mask covering part of his face, and the damage along its edges.

Even without seeing his full face, the image was familiar enough to make her stomach sink.

She stared at the portrait for several seconds.

Then she slowly raised one hand and rubbed her forehead.

Yeah...

That’s him alright...

Lin Qingyue looked at the bounty again, then at the portrait, before quietly taking two steps away from the crowd.

"...One million top grade spiritual stones?"

"Or keep a wanted person that is evil... "

She slowly walked back home with a confused face all the way.