Lu Fan smiled faintly. It seemed his Breath Concealing Art was quite formidable. That must have been a medicine boy managing the immortal medicine garden. His cultivation wasn't high, and he couldn't detect Lu Fan at all. However, seeing the disheveled old Daoist being chased in such a sorry state was extremely amusing. *This old fellow, you think you can keep up the act? Let's see how long you can fool them.*
"Damn it... you little brat, why are you chasing me relentlessly? Why aren't you chasing that little bastard!" the disheveled old Daoist yelled curses as he ran, being pursued.
"You old geezer! How dare you steal medicinal herbs and then spout such nonsense. Humph! See if I don't teach you a harsh lesson when I catch you!" The medicine boy, realizing the thief was a猥琐 old man, became even more enraged and cursed back.
One chased, the other ran. Lu Fan watched the spectacle from the side while picking herbs. Suddenly, Lu Fan's brow furrowed. *Whoosh...* His figure instantly moved towards the disheveled old Daoist.
*Whoosh...* A blur of motion. The disheveled old Daoist suddenly increased his speed several times, vanishing around the mountain peak's corner. The medicine boy stood there, dumbfounded, wondering how that old fellow suddenly became so fast.
*Swish...* A white-robed elder floated down from the mountain peak. Not only was he clad in white, but his beard and hair were also entirely white. He held a horsetail whisk in his hand, his movements graceful and elegant, exuding an aura of immortal demeanor. Clearly, this immortal demeanor was much more genuine than Mo Jiu's earlier pretense. That fellow was completely faking it.
This person was none other than the Third Elder of Zixiao Mountain, the foremost Grand Alchemist, Master Minghui, who was in charge of the medicine mountain.
"Yun'er! Why the commotion!" Master Minghui said with a hint of displeasure.
"Master! Someone just came and stole quite a few medicinal herbs. Yun'er is incompetent and couldn't catch this old fellow," Medicine Boy Yun'er said hastily, performing a bow.
"Someone stole medicinal herbs?" Master Minghui looked up in the direction where Lu Fan and the disheveled old Daoist had disappeared. He then shook his head and said, "Never mind. Perhaps someone was in urgent need of them. We can simply replenish the herbs later."
"Yes, Master!" Yun'er dared not say more and pouted as he went to replenish the herbs.
Master Minghui glanced once more in the direction Lu Fan and the disheveled old Daoist had vanished, then soared into the sky, returning to the mountain peak.
"This old Daoist clearly discovered us, so why did he let us go?" Lu Fan muttered in surprise from behind a large rock at the mountain peak's corner, watching Master Minghui depart.
"Silly boy! Why are you asking so many questions? We should leave quickly! That little bastard chased me until my legs were about to cramp," the disheveled old Daoist said, tugging at Lu Fan's arm.
"Old fellow! Tell me the truth, who exactly are you? You seem very familiar with this place! And why were you collecting herbs? Could it be that you can also refine pills?" Lu Fan, however, had no intention of leaving just yet and suddenly asked the disheveled old Daoist.
"I... I am who I am. Who else could I be! I'm not familiar with this place either. I just happened to see some herbs here, so I took some! Although I can't refine pills, who wouldn't take something for free! You... you didn't take any less!" the disheveled old Daoist said shamelessly.
"Humph! You won't tell me the truth, will you! I don't believe you can keep up this act forever!" Lu Fan said, standing up and starting to walk back.
"Hey! Kid! You have to believe me. We are alone and helpless here, so we must look out for each other! Otherwise, I'll give you all these herbs. They're useless to me anyway!" the disheveled old Daoist called out from behind, chasing after him.
"Alright! Take them out then!" Lu Fan said, directly extending his hand.
"Uh... actually... you could have been more polite!" Seeing Lu Fan actually reach out to take them, the disheveled old Daoist looked somewhat pained.
"Humph! We're already so familiar with each other, no need for politeness. Just give me the herbs," Lu Fan said, rolling his eyes.
"Fine... fine!" The disheveled old Daoist, looking resigned, took out all the herbs he had just stolen and handed them to Lu Fan.
Lu Fan didn't stand on ceremony and directly collected the herbs. Then, he started walking towards Lishan.
"Hey... hey... kid! Don't you have anything you want to give me?" the disheveled old Daoist shouted from behind.
"No!" Lu Fan said decisively.
"Kid! I wasn't really expecting anything, but you could at least offer something!" the disheveled old Daoist said unwillingly.
"No!" Lu Fan repeated decisively.
"Kid! I... I'm being chased like a dog, is that easy for me? You can't let me do all this for nothing, can you! How about you refine a Creation Golden Pill for me?" the disheveled old Daoist said resentfully from behind.
"Great Creation Golden Pill?" Lu Fan suddenly stopped in his tracks. He had only seen the Great Creation Golden Pill in the Shennong Health Cultivation Art. It was a pill that could allow a cultivator in the Spirit Severing Realm to enter a state resembling the Void Glimpse Realm, though not truly entering it. This process would increase the success rate of a Spirit Severing Realm expert by twenty percent.
"Old fellow! Are you a powerful cultivator in the Spirit Severing Realm?" Lu Fan asked, looking at the disheveled old Daoist in surprise.
"I... I'm not! I'm asking for a friend!" the disheveled old Daoist quickly denied.
"Regardless of whether you are or not, I cannot refine such a pill at the moment! However, I promise that once I reach the Spirit Severing Realm, I will refine one for you," Lu Fan said immediately.
"Good! Hehe! That's good then!" the disheveled old Daoist said with a grin.
The two returned to Lishan and suddenly found Qing He standing at the foot of the mountain, seemingly waiting for them.
"Two immortal friends! Master invites you!" Indeed, as soon as Qing He saw them, she stepped forward and said.
"Good!" Lu Fan replied. Qing He led the way, and the three flew directly towards the mountaintop.
On the mountaintop, in the Old Mother's Hall. Lishan Laomu sat on the throne with a majestic expression. Beside her sat Li Jingjing and Zhantai Ruomei. Standing below were five people: Zhong Wuyan, Fan Lihua, Liu Jinding, Mu Guiying, and Bai Suzhen. Further down stood over a dozen young Daoist nuns.
The entire hall exuded a solemn atmosphere.
As Lu Fan and the disheveled old Daoist entered, Lishan Laomu and Li Jingjing and the others immediately stood up. "Lishan Laomu greets Master!"
"We greet Master!"
"We greet Grand Master!"
Lu Fan was stunned. This scene was a bit too grand!