Chapter 368 Anomaly
Li Lan pondered for a moment and replied:
"Hehe, Elder Zou, you flatter me. This junior is just trying to make a living."
"Moreover, Shopkeeper Lu treats me well. Working in Mirror Snow Pavilion is also quite good."
"Furthermore, Mirror Snow Pavilion is also a member of your esteemed Merchant Alliance, isn't it?"
Li Lan smiled slightly, his tone very tactful.
Hearing this, Zou Pinghai forced a smile, and no abnormality could be seen. He said directly:
"Actually, this old man has come this time due to a personal matter, wanting to invite you to become an Honored Guest of our Zou Family, to cultivate some High-Order Spirit Plants for our family."
"As for the conditions, they will be double of what Mirror Snow Pavilion gives you. Furthermore, if you have any other requests, they can also be raised."
After Li Lan heard this, he just thought for a moment and then politely declined, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Elder Zou."
"However, this junior has already agreed with Shopkeeper Lu and signed an Agreement to cultivate land in Mirror Snow Pavilion for thirty years. During this period, I cannot join any other Force. I'm afraid I will have to disappoint Elder Zou."
Zou Pinghai frowned upon hearing this. He had not expected such an Agreement between them, so he asked:
"Hehe! Then, if this old man could persuade Shopkeeper Lu?"
"Would you be willing on your end?"
Li Lan also did not expect the other party to be so persistent. The meaning of his tactful refusal was already very clear.
"This…"
Although Li Lan was now a Tier 3 Spirit Plant Grandmaster, he did not dare offend this Elder of the Myriad Paths Merchant Alliance who held a high position and great power.
For a time, he found it difficult to decide.
"Grandmaster Li seems to have some concerns? Then, why don't I go and chat with Shopkeeper Lu first."
After Zou Pinghai finished speaking, without regard for Li Lan's reaction, he bid farewell and left.
"Sigh!" Li Lan sighed heavily.
His wife had also just heard the conversation between the two of them and said with worry, "Husband, do you think something bad will happen since people from the Myriad Paths Merchant Alliance have come to our door?"
"Elder Zou's matter is nothing, I'm just afraid Shopkeeper Lu will misunderstand, alas!" Li Lan said.
Inside the Five Elements Spirit Field.
Qin Ming was holding a Spirit Hoe and tending to the Spirit Field when he saw a Purple Escape Light approaching from afar and landing outside the Formation.
He merely released his Divine Sense and swept it slightly, and he recognized the person as somewhat familiar.
"Why has this person come?" Qin Ming muttered to himself. Then, he put down the Spirit Hoe, opened the Formation, and went out to greet him.
"Yo! It's Elder Zou's Esteemed Presence, please forgive me for not welcoming you from further away! Please come inside!" Qin Ming put on a smiling face and bowed to Zou Pinghai.
Zou Pinghai did not have much Expression on his face, and he just waved his hand in a composed manner, "No need, this time I have come to discuss something with you."
"Oh? I wonder what Elder Zou wants to discuss?" Qin Ming revealed a hint of surprise. He had not expected this Senior Member of the Myriad Paths Merchant Alliance to have something to discuss with him.
Zou Pinghai then told Qin Ming about his intention to take a liking to Li Lan.
Qin Ming was stunned for a moment after hearing this.
For an Elder of his dignified Myriad Paths Merchant Alliance to come so blatantly to poach someone was indeed somewhat presumptuous.
However, the conditions Zou Pinghai offered were extremely tempting, both for Mirror Snow Pavilion and Li Lan, and could be said to be full of sincerity.
It was just—
Qin Ming was not short of these small gains now, so he smiled slightly and cupped his hands in refusal, "I'm afraid Lu will have to go against Senior Zou's kind intentions."
"My Mirror Snow Pavilion has just acquired this two hundred mu (approximately 33 acres) of Spirit Field and is in need of a Tier 3 Spirit Herb Master like Li Lan to manage and cultivate it."
"This Sect has also spent a lot of effort to nurture him, so we will not let him leave for the time being."
Zou Pinghai's Expression froze upon hearing this.
"Hehe, since Shopkeeper Lu has made up his mind, then this old man will not disturb you any further."
Having said that, he also left in a hurry as he had come, and directly flew away. Qin Ming watched the direction in which the other party left, lost in thought. 'Isn't this Zou Pinghai doing Business with Hua Tianxiong?'
'Why is he taking a fancy to Spirit Herb Masters again?'
Immediately, he contacted Hua Tianxiong through the Black Talisman.
"Hua Tianxiong, are you still transporting Zou Pinghai's Goods recently?"
"Reporting to Master, I have already transported several batches of Goods. What's wrong?"
"Could it be that Zou Pinghai has a problem?" Hua Tianxiong replied from the other end, "I also feel that he has been a bit strange recently."
"Oh? What abnormal behavior has he shown?" Qin Ming asked upon hearing this.
"Zou Pinghai seems to be vigorously recruiting High-Tier Spirit Herb Masters in the past two years. I don't know what he is doing it for."
"Moreover, it doesn't seem to have much to do with the Myriad Paths Merchant Alliance. It seems to be purely his own personal matter."
"Alright, continue to keep an eye on him for me. Report to me in time if there are any developments."
"Yes, Master!"
…
Several days later.
The Heaven Devouring Rat emerged from underground of the Spirit Field and said to Qin Ming with a depressed face, "Master, I have dug through the Spirit Land below, but I haven't seen any High-Tier Spirit Ore?"
"Could it be that the people from Divine Path Mountain made a mistake?"
Qin Ming said upon hearing this, "Impossible? As the saying goes, 'one will not visit the Hall of Three Treasures without a reason.' The two Elders of Divine Path Mountain personally dispatched must have something in mind."
Immediately, he frowned and pondered for a moment, then said, "Otherwise, why don't you try digging around the Spirit Field in all directions?"
The Heaven Devouring Rat received the order and immediately nodded in agreement. Then, it continued to burrow in other directions to investigate.
But just as Qin Ming was working.
Hua Tianxiong's urgent voice came from the other end.
"Master, something bad has happened!"
"Our Merchant Caravan was ambushed near the Five Elements Mountain Range, and Elder Zou… Elder Zou Pinghai has Fallen…"
Qin Ming raised his eyebrows upon hearing this, extremely surprised, "Ah? Are you clear about who did it?"
"It seems… it seems to be done by Divine Path Mountain…" Hua Tianxiong stammered in reply, "A Merchant Alliance Elder has died, that's a major event… this… I will definitely be held responsible."
"I have another piece of News to tell Master. It turns out that the Goods Zou Pinghai entrusted us to transport is a Rank 3 Spirit Plant called 'Rotting Spirit Grass,' and the Quantity is quite large. He is secretly operating this matter, and it seems to be related to the Fourth-Order Spirit Vein of Five Elements Mountain controlled by Divine Path Mountain."
"People from Divine Path Mountain did it?" Qin Ming pondered for a moment in secret, feeling a bit confused… But he had some understanding of this Low-Grade Third-Order Rotting Spirit Grass. After this Spirit Herb rotted, it could release the essence of its entire life, turning into nutrients to help other Spirit Plants accelerate their growth.
It was a rare type of nutrient Spirit Material.
'It seems that Zou Pinghai spent so much effort to get such a large Quantity of Rotting Spirit Grass, probably to continuously fertilize some kind of Spirit Plant.'
This also aroused Qin Ming's curiosity.
In the next moment, Qin Ming's figure instantly disappeared from the spot.
Hua Tianxiong was an important chess piece for Qin Ming, and he still had to protect him.
…
An Incense Stick Duration later.
Qin Ming rushed over to the location Hua Tianxiong had given him.
When he arrived, Hua Tianxiong was alone, driving the Golden Luan Treasure Carriage, fleeing in panic near the Five Elements Mountain Range.
Behind him, there was a Golden Core Cultivator chasing after him relentlessly… Qin Ming unfolded his Divine Sense and swept it, and he immediately clearly saw the person who had come. It was precisely Yun Yangzi, the Late Golden Core Stage Elder of Divine Path Mountain.
End of Chapter