After My Rebirth, I Ended Up Happily Ever After with the Saintess - Chapter 18

The veiled attempts of the Ye family’s higher-ups and the shadow cast by her parents’ matter were like invisible threads tangling in her heart, yet they did not allow Ye Li to sink into despair. She knew profoundly that power was the only foundation to break through all difficulties.

With the Xuan Yun Sect’s selection trials imminent, she needed to make more adequate preparations for the journey ahead. The family head’s promised resource support had not yet materialized, and she was also unwilling to rely too heavily on the family. Thus, she disguised herself and once again quietly came to the Ye family market.

Compared to the desolation before the grand competition, the market was now much more lively and bustling. The legend of “Ye Li” was now common knowledge, but she deliberately restrained her aura, putting on a wide, gray cloak with the brim pulled low, concealing most of her face, and thus did not attract much attention.

Her goal was clear: to purchase some better quality healing and energy recovery pills, and perhaps to browse for a suitable low-grade protective gear for contingencies. The sect selection trials would definitely not be as “mild” as the family grand competition.

Weaving through the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, her gaze sharply scanned the various stalls. Her powerful divine soul perception allowed her to quickly discern subtle differences in energy and judge the authenticity and quality of the goods.

She stopped in front of a stall selling medicinal herbs. The vendor was a lean middle-aged man, gesticulating wildly as he boasted about a so-called “Centennial Blood Ginseng,” drawing a few cultivators to gather and comment.

The “Blood Ginseng” was entirely crimson and certainly looked good; its spiritual energy fluctuations were also quite active. But Ye Li only took one glance and slightly shook her head. The color was too vivid and uniform, the form of the roots was a bit stiff, and although the spiritual energy fluctuations were active, they lacked the deep, reserved quality that a centennial spiritual herb should possess—this was an inferior ginseng that had been artificially ripened and dyed using special techniques. Its medicinal effect was probably inferior to a ten-year-old wild mountain ginseng.

Just as she was about to leave, she heard a gentle, slightly hesitant voice next to her: “Boss, this Blood Ginseng… could you make it a bit cheaper?”

Ye Li looked sideways. She saw a young woman dressed in a pale-green skirt standing in front of the stall. The girl looked about fifteen or sixteen, with a delicate and graceful face, picturesque features, and a quiet, water-like temperament, resembling a secluded orchid in an empty valley. She was followed by a timid-looking little maid.

It was Miss Su family, Su Wan-Yun. Ye Li remembered her. The Su family was a small family affiliated with the Ye family, engaged in the medicinal herb business, and had a decent reputation. Su Wan-Yun also had a good reputation among the younger generation of the Ye family, known for her kindness and gentleness, and was virtually from a different world than the original “trash.”

The lean vendor, seeing Su Wan-Yun’s fine clothing and tranquil demeanor, a hint of cunning flashed in his eyes. He feigned difficulty: “Oh, Miss, this is Centennial Blood Ginseng, its medicinal power is immense, just look at its quality… Final price, fifty low-grade spirit stones, I can’t go any lower!”

Su Wan-Yun slightly furrowed her delicate brows, seemingly finding the price a bit high, but she clearly needed this particular herb. She spoke softly: “I can only offer thirty spirit stones at most… and, looking at this ginseng…”

She seemed to have noticed something slightly off but clearly lacked the experience to be certain.

The vendor immediately interrupted her, swearing sincerely: “Miss has sharp eyes! But this is absolutely genuine! If I wasn’t in urgent need of money, I wouldn’t bear to sell it at this price! Fifty spirit stones, not one bit less!”

People around started egging her on: “Miss Su, Centennial Blood Ginseng is a rare find, fifty spirit stones isn’t expensive!”

“Exactly, hurry up and buy it, or it’ll be gone!”

Su Wan-Yun showed hesitation, her slender hands slightly clenched, appearing troubled.

Ye Li initially didn’t want to interfere, but looking at Su Wan-Yun’s pure, gentle, and unfeigned gaze, and recalling that the Su family seemed to have a distant relative connection with her mother’s side (from the original owner’s memory fragments), her heart slightly stirred.

Just as Su Wan-Yun seemed about to be persuaded and prepared to take out the spirit stones, a clear, calm voice abruptly rang out:

“The color is gaudy without inner substance, the roots are stiff lacking spiritual grace, and the spiritual energy is active but lacks the required settling. It was soaked in Crimson Flame Grass juice to ripen it and then speckled with Illusion Light Powder to enhance its spiritual energy fluctuations. This technique is only good for deceiving outsiders.”

The voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone present.

Immediately, everyone’s attention focused on the gray-cloaked person who spoke.

The lean vendor’s face instantly changed color, like a cat whose tail was stepped on, and he shrieked: “You… what nonsense are you talking about! Where did this fellow come from, daring to slander my goods! If you don’t know anything, don’t talk nonsense!”

Su Wan-Yun also looked at Ye Li in surprise, her beautiful eyes showing confusion and a hint of inquiry.

Ye Li completely ignored the vendor’s clamor, her gaze turned to Su Wan-Yun, and she said plainly: “Genuine Centennial Blood Ginseng has a color that is dark red from the inside out, natural veins, roots that are flexible and spirited, and its spiritual energy is as settled as mercury. If verification is needed, scrape off a bit of the skin and smell it; it should have a faint scent of blood mixed with earth, not the pungent smell of grass juice.”

Her words were clear, logical, and hit the core issue, carrying an air of undeniable authority.

The vendor’s face instantly turned pale upon hearing her words, his lips trembling, and he could no longer utter a word in rebuttal.

The surrounding crowd instantly understood, and a commotion broke out.

“It was a fake!”

“Almost got fooled!”

“This boss is too wicked!”

Su Wan-Yun suddenly realized the truth, and her gaze towards Ye Li was filled with gratitude. She bowed gracefully to Ye Li, her voice gentle as water: “Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for speaking up. Wan-Yun is deeply grateful; I nearly bought a counterfeit.” Although she didn’t know who was under the cloak, her manners were impeccable.

Ye Li nodded slightly in acknowledgment, not saying much, and turned to leave. She had merely acted on a whim and didn’t want to get further involved.

“Fellow Daoist, please wait!” Su Wan-Yun gently called out, stopping her.

Ye Li paused her steps.

Su Wan-Yun walked a few steps forward, took out a small, exquisite jade bottle from her sleeve, and offered it to Ye Li. She said softly: “Thank you for your righteous words just now, which saved Wan-Yun from a loss. This is a bottle of my Su family’s secret formula, the ‘Clear Heart Pill.’ Although it is only a first-grade pill, it is quite beneficial for calming the mind, focusing the spirit, and alleviating fatigue. Please accept it as a small token of my gratitude.”

Her demeanor was sincere and gentle, without any pretense of a noble family’s young lady, making one feel as comfortable as a spring breeze.

Ye Li looked at the jade bottle, then at Su Wan-Yun’s clear, sincere eyes. After a slight hesitation, she reached out and accepted it: “Thank you.”

Her voice, though passing through the cloak, still sounded somewhat deep and cold, but she did not reject this kindness.

Seeing her accept it, Su Wan-Yun’s face blossomed into a tranquil smile, like spring flowers unfolding, refreshing the mind. She seemed very interested in this mysterious and knowledgeable “Fellow Daoist” and asked softly: “Are you also here to prepare for the Xuan Yun Sect’s selection trials?”

Ye Li’s heart stirred slightly, and she nodded.

“Then what a coincidence,” Su Wan-Yun’s smile deepened, “Wan-Yun, though unworthy, also received a family recommendation quota. I’ve heard that this selection trial is intensely competitive and fraught with danger. If Fellow Daoist doesn’t mind, perhaps we could look out for each other when the time comes?”

Her invitation was very natural and kind, not feeling abrupt at all.

Ye Li looked at the gentle girl before her. Her pure kindness felt like a ray of warm sunshine, subtly illuminating Ye Li’s heart, which had grown somewhat cold due to hatred and scheming.

After a moment of silence, Ye Li nodded again, briefly replying: “Can do.”

Though it was only a single word, it made the smile on Su Wan-Yun’s face even brighter: “Then it’s settled. May I know how to address Fellow Daoist?”

Ye Li hesitated briefly, choosing not to immediately reveal her identity, and simply said: “You will know when the selection begins.”

Su Wan-Yun did not press, nodding obediently: “Alright. Then Wan-Yun looks forward to meeting Fellow Daoist again at the Xuan Yun Sect. Goodbye.”

She bowed gracefully again before turning and leaving with her little maid, her figure gradually fading away.

Ye Li held the Clear Heart Pill bottle, which still carried a trace of warmth, and watched the direction where Su Wan-Yun disappeared, her eyes flickering slightly.

Su Wan-Yun… she is indeed an interesting person.

Perhaps, on this cold path of cultivation, occasionally encountering such a trace of warmth is not a bad thing.

She put away the jade bottle, pulled the brim of her cloak down, and merged back into the flow of people, continuing her shopping.

And this brief encounter with Su Wan-Yun was like a seed planted in her heart, setting the stage for an unexpected thread of fate in the future.