"You!" Robert immediately became infuriated. He startled trembling, and couldn't even form words, only pointing in anger.
"What are you getting angry for?" Harry feigned innocence. "I'm concerned about your injury and wanted to make sure it got better. How about buying one of these healing pills here?"
He pointed to the sign on the stall and smirked at Robert.
"Bastard!" he unsheathed his sword, and charged at Harry.
However, he was stopped by Raymond.
"This is the Ox Ford Market," he warned sternly. "If you fight here, you will be punished."
And then turning to Harry, he spoke again.
"James, you are very lucky the rules here prohibit fighting. Leave the market now, and forget about those pills, and we will forget about this matter."
"You are the lucky ones here. If you want to fight, then let's fight. If you're too scared, then just admit it. You don't need to hide behind the rules. I don't mind teaching you idiots the same lesson again."
"Brat, you have a big tone!" one of the other disciples snapped. "You're just at the 6th level of the Body Tempering Realm, and five of us are at the 8th. You really think you can beat us?"
"Why don't you come and find out?" Harry smirked.
Even though there were 10 of them, he wasn't nervous at all. Just last night, he killed over 60 Ordinary Grade Scarlet Flames Wolves. Each were stronger and more vicious than the disciples in front of him. Not even that Earth Grade one was able to kill him. If they really had a fight, he was assured of his victory.
"Enough," Raymond commanded. "We'll deal with you later. You can't stay in the Ox Ford Market forever. We are just here for the pills. He's paying 24,000, right? We can pay you 500 extra Qi Crystals for the pills, so 24,500 in all."
"Actually, the boy doesn't have any Qi Crystals," the woman behind the stall awkwardly said.
The tense and hostile atmosphere abruptly vanished, and was replaced by laughter.
"Haha, hahaha!" the Ox Ford Clan disciples jeered. "Brat, you really have a lot of courage! You came to the Ox Ford Market without any Qi Crystals, and you still want to buy pills?"
"Are you a country bumpkin? How can you be this ignorant?" Robert mockingly sneered.
"You can go to our Sect and exchange this for 24,000 Qi Crystals," Raymond handed over an official-looking piece of paper with the Ox Ford Sect's logo drawn on it. "We would like the 24 high-quality Body Nourishing Pills."
'Boy, stop fidgeting. As long I'm here, these clowns won't get those pills. I've put the item in your pocket. Show it to her, she will definitely trade. Be careful when taking it out.'
Immediately after, he felt something appear in his pocket.
"Wait," Harry interjected.
"James, fuck off!" Robert snapped. "Beggars like you should scram!"
Harry's instinct was to pull out his sword and give him another big slap, but he refrained. He ignored the Ox Ford Sect's disciples and walked up to the woman behind the stall.
"I told you that I have something better. Please take a look before deciding."
With that, he reached into his pocket and carefully pulled out the item the cat gave him. He was also very curious as to what it was.
It turned out to be another flowerpot, though this was encased in a dome of glass. Sticking out the layer of soil was a short stem, maybe five inches long, with a tightly closed red bud sitting on top of it. Spikes and thorns protruded out the stem at all angles, like a cactus. Each point was wickedly sharp, with bright red veins snaking through. Both the veins and the bud were red like the color of blood. Just from a glance at the plant, Harry got a feeling of danger.
'Blood Infused Spiky Peony. This Heaven Grade plant requires blood to grow, and can be used to restore blood vitality and treat blood-related diseases. A fully matured plant can absorb the blood from a human body in mere minutes.'
The name of the plant immediately appeared in Harry's mind, and Harry couldn't help but wonder why the cat had all these plants on it. Did it have a hobby of collecting these things?
"Brat, are you illiterate? Can't you read the sign? You must pay in Qi Crystals!"
"Haha, this boy really is an idiot! He wants to trade a plant for 24 high-quality pills!" The Ox Ford Clan disciples loudly laughed amongst themselves.
But the old woman's reaction was completely different. She shot up to her feet, and was staring at the flower with a shocked expression.
"T-this, is this real?" Her voice quivered, and her hands shivered and shook as she made a motion to take the plant in Harry's hand. On her face was an intense expression of both disbelief and excitement.
"Senior, it's just a plant," Raymond hurriedly spoke. "We have 24,000 – "
"Ignorant boy, shut up!" the old woman snapped.
Not just Raymond, but all 10 of the disciples froze. It was like the woman's attitude went through a 180-degree change. None of them had ever been spoken to like that.
The worst part was, they didn't dare to retort. The woman in front of them was an Alchemist, so they couldn't do anything. If their Elders found out they offended an Alchemist, they would be punished severely. They could only direct their anger towards Harry.
"Young man, ahem, I mean, esteemed customer, is… this for me?"
"Yes, it's a Blood Infused Spiky Peony, for you. You can use it to create pills that recover blood essence, or cure blood-related diseases. Do you want this?"
Harry sounded knowledgeable, but in reality, he had no idea what he was talking about. It was just his plant identification ability that allowed him to pose as an expert.
"Yes, of course," the woman hurriedly said. "But how did you know?"
'How did I know?'
Harry's mind froze.
'How did I know what?'
What was he supposed to say, his cat gave it to him?
He nudged the Exalted Cat, but it paid him no attention, and acted like a regular housecat. In desperation, Harry blurted out the only thing he could think of.
"I am the most learned person in the Scarlet Phoenix Empire. There is nothing that escapes my notice."
Perhaps due to spending so much time with the Exalted Cat, he had grown used to its manner of speech, and subconsciously copied one of its lines. The cat in his arms let out a soft snort.
"Most learned person?" Robert mockingly echoed. "James, why don't you look yourself in the mirror before saying those stupid words?"
"Right, right. What part of you is knowledgeable? How can a plant compare to 24,000 Qi Crystals?" the man in the sling joined in.
Very quickly, the Ox Ford Sect disciples loudly mocked and berated Harry for his boasting. But the Alchemists' next words caused their taunts to fall silent.
"Haha, most learned person? I believe you," the old woman smiled. "Here, take these Body Nourishing Pills, they're all yours. Is there anything else you want? Just name the pill, and I'll gift them to you."
"Any pill?"
"Yes, of course. I am a person who believes in paying my debts. If I tried to buy this plant, it would cost me at least 70,000 Qi Crystals, assuming I could even find one. And to me, this plant is priceless. You've saved my life; how can some meager Body Nourishing Pills compare?"
'70,000 Qi Crystals?' Harry's mind screeched to a halt. 'Did she say… 70,000?'
He stared at the flowerpot now in the Alchemist's hands. That vicious looking thing was worth 70,000 Qi Crystals? Suddenly, he had the urge to snatch the plant back.
'Wait…,' he processed the other thing she said. 'I saved her life?'
'What is she talking – don't tell me, she's suffering from a blood disease?!' Harry suddenly made the connection. Looking at the excited expression on her face, he felt this must be the case. He glanced at the cat in his arms in shock. How could it possibly have known?
"I only need Body Nourishing Pills. Do you have any more?" Harry asked hopefully.
"Sorry, these 24 are all I have left. If you come back in a week, I will gladly concoct as many as you like."
'Decline it,' the Exalted Cat's voice rang in his mind. 'We don't have time to loiter around here for a week.'
"I'm leaving the city very soon, and can't stay. Could I just take some healing pills?"
The old woman was more than happy to provide them, and practically shoved the pills into his hands, thanking him over and over. He made his way to leave the market, but as he walked past the fuming Ox Ford Sect disciples, he stopped.
"Ah, that's right," he acted like he suddenly remembered something. "Didn't you say you would pay 500 more Qi Crystals than a country bumpkin like me? That flower is worth at least 70,000 Qi Crystals. Why don't you pull out 70,500 Qi Crystals and broaden my horizons?"
"You!" Even Raymond dropped his calm demeanor, and shot Harry a look full of hatred.
One of the most humiliating things was to have your own words used against you. Cultivators valued not just their strength, but also their pride. Earlier, he thought Harry was just an ignorant boy, an idiot who tried to pay for some precious pills with a plant he randomly picked from the roadside. How could he have known that the flower was an extremely valuable Magic Plant, and just so happened to be one the Alchemist desperately needed?
And 70,000 Qi Crystals… what a joke, where were they supposed to get 70,000 Qi Crystals? That IOU they were going to hand over was written in their names, and backed by their sect, but they barely had 25,000 crystals together. It was nowhere near enough for the price of that strange flower James produced.
"James, don't push your luck," Robert growled. "In this city, our Ox Ford Clan is in charge! Just wait until you leave the market area!"
Harry just laughed at him.
"Idiot, is there a problem with your brain? Did you forget the last time we fought, when I beat you in one move? You want to experience that again?"
Robert once again turned red with rage. Their previous battle left a deep trauma in his mind. He was beaten without even an opportunity to fight back. Even worse, the other party left an enormous bruise on his face, which was visible from far away. If it were anywhere else on his body, he could just hide it with clothing. But he couldn't walk around with a mask all day. His only option was to hide in his room out of sheer embarrassment.
And even worse than that, Harry had only been at the 5th level of the Body Tempering Realm! If the other party had been stronger than him, then his loss could be explained away, and there was nothing shameful in losing. But he actually lost to someone with a lower cultivation!
As such, Robert spent the past few weeks consumed with revenge, his thoughts growing angrier and angrier, frantic and more frantic. And now this person appeared back in front of him, and was even taunting him in public.
He made another motion to attack, but was again held back by his fellow disciples. Even if they were disciples of the Ox Ford Sect, they weren't above the rules against fighting in the marketplace.
"We're leaving," Raymond coldly uttered, and led his group of disciples away. Since there were no more pills here, there was no longer any reason to stay. As they left, they shot Harry venomous glances, who just smirked back and left the market area in the opposite direction.
The Exalted Cat mentally guided him around the city, but it wasn't until they had neared the outskirts when it started speaking again.
"Boy, why did you provoke those disciples?"
"I was hoping they would attack me," Harry sighed. "It would give me a justification to fight back, so I could take their Qi Crystals. Unfortunately, they didn't take the bait. Maybe I should have said some nastier words."
The cat burst into laughter.
"Hah, boy, that is a good attitude. It seems some of my lessons are able to get through that thick skull of yours. There's no need to be polite to those who have tried to kill you. We already let them off once, yet they actually came back for more. Next time you see them, don't hold back."
Harry nodded, and asked the question that had been burning in his mind.
"Exalted Cat, how did you know the woman was suffering from a blood disease?"
"This cat is the most learned being in the Scarlet Phoenix Empire. There is nothing that escapes my notice," the cat immediately answered.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Exalted Cat, can't you just answer this one question?"
"Ah, fine. I may as well answer a couple things for you. Would you believe me if I told you that Alchemist was only in her 30's?"
"No," Harry immediately responded. That woman looked like she was 80 years old, with more wrinkles than a raisin. There was no way.
"She is suffering from a blood disease that's sapped away her vitality. How would you feel if you were 30 years old, but looked like an old hag? That's why she desperately wanted that plant."
"Really?" Harry asked in disbelief. He trusted the cat, but this just seemed too unbelievable.
"Haha, when the Ox Ford idiot called her 'senior', why do you think she snapped at him?" the cat chortled.
"That part was strange," Harry agreed. Even he was shocked by that outburst.
"I know you're skeptical, but you'll just have to trust me on this. As for how I know, well, if you reach my level of cultivation, you'll be able to notice it too."
"Alright. What grade is the Heaven Grade?"
"It's the grade above the Earth Grade. Ordinary, Earth, then Heaven, representing the difficulty of ascending through the levels of cultivation."
'So, it's Heaven grade next. And there's also the Spirit Grade, and Profound Grade. I wonder how they rank,' Harry thought.
"How many Magic Plants do you have? Why do you carry them around with you?"
"This cat has the largest collection of plants in the entire empire. As for a reason, haha, it is my revenge," the cat let out an evil laugh.
Harry just sighed. When the cat didn't feel like answering, there was no way of getting a straight answer out of it. How was owning Magic Plants a form of revenge?
"Ok, fine, fine. What about that piece of paper those disciples were going to pay with? Why was it worth 25,000 crystals?"
"I would tell you, but there is a more pressing matter you should take care of."
"What?"
But that question turned out to be unnecessary, because a loud noise from behind him interrupted their conversation. Harry turned around to see what the commotion was.
It was the 10 Ox Ford Sect disciples again, running towards him. But this time, they looked prepared. Each of them was armed with a sword or spear, and dressed in some light armor made of metal links that covered their vital chest areas. Harry had no idea where they found that armor, perhaps the Ox Ford Clan had some equipment stored nearby.
"How did they find us?" Harry whispered to the cat.
'There are only four exits out of Ox Ford City. Based on the direction you left the market, it wasn't difficult for them to figure out which one you'd take,' the cat mentally replied.
'Besides, they were planning on attacking you this entire time,' it added as an afterthought.
'If you knew that, why didn't you tell me earlier?' Harry wanted to ask. But he knew he'd get an unreasonable answer out of the cat, something along the lines of forcing him to fight, so he didn't bother.
"James, surprised to see us?" Robert asked with a nasty smile on his face.
Harry just laughed at him.
"Your Ox Ford Sect is pathetic. Now I know why out of the 20 Tier 2 sects, you guys are ranked last. Five idiots at the 7th level of the Body Tempering Realm, joined by five cultivators at the 8th level, just to attack one person at the 6th level. All of you are wearing armor too. Do you also hold mommy's hand when crossing the street?"
The Ox Ford Sect disciples reddened, but they couldn't find the words to retort. Their actions were truly very shameful. Even they had no choice but to admit that to themselves. If word of their actions got out, their peers would definitely mock them.
"James, you only won last time because you caught us off guard, and sneak attacked us," Robert finally said. "You think you can beat the 10 of us this time?"
Harry's mouth curved into a smile.
"Sneak attack? I sneak attacked all five of you? Are you retarded?"
"James, I suggest you learn your limitations," Raymond warned. "I admit you're strong, since you were able to defeat five of my junior disciples. You also have big guts to run your mouth in the marketplace. But against the 10 of us, you have no chance at all. Hands over the pills, kneel on the ground, give us a sincere apology, and we might let you off."
"Your Ox Ford Sect is filled with trash. Not just in terms of strength, but also your characters. It seems I was too lenient the last time by letting you all go. This time, I'll give you a taste of true pain."
"Brat, you're asking for it. Go, attack!"