Chapter 422: Chapter 422: Life-or-Death Battle Stage

“It’s another foreigner who’s here to participate in the Alchemy Competition!”

“However, she looks so young. It will be very difficult for her to win a spot in the competition.”

“Still, coming to an Alchemy Competition organized by the Alchemy King’s Mansion is worth it. She would gain some experience!”

“You’re right!”

After looking at Lou Qianxue once more, everyone averted their gazes.

However, Lou Qianxue’s sensitive ears caught their discussion.

“The Alchemy Competition organized by the Alchemy King’s Mansion? Didn’t that happen two years ago? Could it be...”

When she realized it, Lou Qianxue could not help but smile. “What a coincidence! I didn’t manage to make it for the Imperial Academy’s recruitment and the Alchemy Competition two years ago. And the moment I returned, I chanced upon it again...”

Despite such a coincidence, Lou Qianxue did not plan on participating in the competition.

“Lingxi Prefecture is the capital of medicine. It has a lot of medicinal herbs. I should look around and buy some.”

Lingxi Prefecture was filled with medical stores. Lou Qianxue randomly chose one and entered it.

The shop had a lot of medicinal herbs, including many fourth-grade and fifth-grade medicinal herbs, which were rarely found elsewhere.

However, that was it.

It was hard for shops of such a small city to have higher-level medicinal herbs. Furthermore, some herbs could not be easily bought despite their high demand. Unless one used special channels, it was hard to buy them.

A few medicinal herbs caught Lou Qianxue’s eye. She was about to buy them when she realized something...

“I don’t think I have enough money... There are quite a few blood ginsengs in the Mountain River Space. However, due to the nourishment of the magical tree, the blood ginsengs have extremely strong vitality. It’s not worth it to sell them for medicinal herbs.”

A frown appeared on Lou Qianxue’s face, and she started thinking.

Suddenly...

“Store Owner, I beg you. Please lend me a stalk of Xanthophyllum! I’ll return it to you later,” someone hoarsely pleaded.

“Return me? You’re so poor that you can’t even afford a stalk of Xanthophyllum. What will you return me?”

“I’ll go to the black market! After I get the Xanthophyllum from you, I’ll risk my life by participating in the life-or-death battle stage. If I win, I can get twice the amount of Xanthophyllum. I’m begging you! My younger brother needs the medicine. Just lend me a stalk!”

“I won’t lend it to you! Get out, you poor man! Don’t disrupt my business by staying here!” The store owner got annoyed by the man’s pestering. He became fierce, pushed the man away, and ordered someone to chase out the man.

“Black market? A life-or-death battle? I’ve heard of it before...”

Lou Qianxue followed the middle-aged man out of the shop and caught up to him. “Excuse me, Sir?”

The man stopped in his tracks. With a timid expression, he carefully asked Lou Qianxue, “Ma’am, may I know what do you want?”

“I want to ask you something. If you can give me a satisfactory answer, this will be yours.” Lou Qianxue took out a stalk of Xanthophyllum and waved it in front of him.

It was a medicinal herb she had gotten from Master Huo when she was still in the Fengyang prefecture.

The man’s eyes lit up, and he instantly became excited. “Ma’am, you’re so generous and kind! Thank you so much! Just ask me anything. It doesn’t matter what the question is! Just ask away! As long as it’s something I know, I’ll tell you everything!”

Lou Qianxue nodded. “You said that if you risk your life at the black market’s life-or-death battle stage, you can get double the amount of medicinal herbs. What’s this about?”

“The life-or-death battle stage....” The question stunned the middle-aged man. He then grimly advised her, “Ma’am, only desperate people who have no other choice will go to a violent and bloody place like that. A noble person like you—”

“It doesn’t matter. Just tell me everything.”