Chapter 10: Jade Leaf Apothecary
Yuxi Town’s main street pulsed with life—merchants hawked their wares, cultivators bargained over rare herbs, and an occasional alchemist examined medicinal roots with practiced scrutiny. The scent of dried ginseng and fresh lotus resin mingled in the air, blending with the chatter of trade. Amid the bustle, the Jade Leaf Sect’s apothecary stood out—an elegant, two-story building adorned with verdant banners depicting blooming lotus patterns. Unlike the chaotic market, the apothecary exuded an air of controlled refinement, a place where transactions were made with precise calculations rather than haggled emotions.
Wei Lin adjusted the strap of his satchel, glancing at Chen Rui, who gave him a brief nod. They stepped inside.
The apothecary was cooler, the scent of crushed petals and aged tonics thick in the air. Shelves lined the walls, holding ceramic jars, alchemical tools, and delicate vials arranged with meticulous care. A handful of customers browsed, their hushed voices adding to the quiet ambiance.
At the counter, a young woman in plain assistant robes worked efficiently, organizing a set of glass vials filled with a faintly luminescent liquid, her movements measured and deliberate. Her gaze flicked toward them the moment they entered, assessing them in a single sweep.
“We’re here to sell,” Chen Rui said, stepping forward. He reached into his pack and produced the Voidbloom from a silk-wrapped bundle. The silvery petals shimmered faintly under the apothecary’s lantern light.
A small ripple of attention moved through the shop—subtle, but noticeable.
Wei Lin didn’t miss the way a figure near the back stilled, his fingers lightly tapping the wooden counter. He had been browsing a row of dried roots, his posture relaxed yet somehow attentive, like someone accustomed to watching without being watched.
The shop assistant, unfazed, leaned in slightly. “Voidbloom,” she murmured, almost to herself. “Intact and freshly cut.”
Wei Lin swallowed. “We were hoping to sell it to someone who understands its worth.”
She plucked a silver scaleblade from a set of alchemical tools and made a single, clean incision across the Voidbloom’s stem. A faint wisp of void-tinged mist curled from the cut.
She observed the reaction. After a brief moment, she retrieved a lacquered box from behind the counter and set down two small vials of a pale, translucent liquid.
“Ethereal Dew,” she said. “Two vials in exchange. That’s more than fair.”
Chen Rui’s eyebrows lifted slightly, but before either could respond, the man at the counter spoke, his voice casual but deliberate.
“Not many would trade away a Voidbloom for mere elixirs,” he remarked, still examining a small pouch of dried lotuses. “That kind of decision takes confidence… or inexperience.”
He turned, revealing sharp features, his gaze calm and unreadable. His dark robes were elegant but unassuming, and there was an effortless smoothness to the way he carried himself—too controlled to be just another customer.
“Young men such as yourselves might not fully grasp the true worth of such an herb.” His tone was polite, his words measured. “I would be willing to offer… let’s say, three hundred spirit stones. A generous offer, considering the nature of your wares.”
Wei Lin’s mind scrambled for context. He had no idea how much three hundred spirit stones were actually worth. Was that high? Low? Before he could ask—
“Oh yes, take the deal. And when he follows you and relieves you of your shiny new spirit stones—and your life while he’s at it—don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
The Talisman’s voice flared to life in his mind, dry and unimpressed.
Wei Lin stiffened. “No deal.”
The alchemist’s smile didn’t falter, but his eyes darkened.
The shop assistant's eyes followed the alchemist.“Senior, I hope you’ll understand if these two prefer a trade rather than spirit stones.”
The tension between them grew—subtly but undeniably—like two swords quietly pressing against each other’s edge.
After a long moment, the alchemist exhaled and stepped back.The alchemist’s expression didn’t change, but his fingers drummed idly against the counter before he let out a soft chuckle. “Fair enough,” he murmured, stepping back with an easy, practiced indifference. “Perhaps another time.”
His gaze lingering on the Voidbloom for a moment longer before shifting to Wei Lin. "Opportunities such as this are hard to come by. Let's hope you chose wisely," he said softly. With a measured pace, his cane tapping against the floorboards, he turned and strode toward the exit.
Wei Lin barely resisted the urge to shiver.
The shop assistant spared the leaving alchemist one more glance before turning her attention back to Wei Lin and Chen Rui. “Wise choice,” she said. "I suggest you take the Ethereal Dew while it's still on the table."
Wei Lin hesitated—until the Talisman spoke again.
“It's a worthwhile trade. Ethereal Dew is invaluable for strengthening your soul, and exactly what you need right now.”
Wei Lin looked at Chen Rui, his fingers hovering over the vials for a breath longer than necessary. Two vials of Ethereal Dew... was that truly worth a Voidbloom?
"Take it," the Talisman urged, exasperated. "Or I’ll remind you of this mistake every waking moment of your miserable existence."
Chen Rui nodded. That sealed it. Wei Lin picked up the vials, handing one of them to Chen Rui. “Deal.”
The woman nodded approvingly. “I'm Mei Yan,” she said at last, introducing herself. “Jade Leaf Sect disciple, though I doubt that’s much of a surprise. And I suppose you two are on your way to the Verdant Sky Sect?”
Chen Rui smirked. “And how exactly did you know we were heading to the Verdant Sky Sect?”
Mei Yan tapped the parchment slip she had been writing on. “Educated guess. You’re too young to be wandering cultivators, your qi signatures are raw, but you somehow walked out of the wilderness with a Voidbloom intact. That tells me two things—one, you’re not ordinary travelers. Two, you most likely don't belong to a sect yet.” Her lips curved into a slight smile. "And it just so happens that the Verdant Sky Sect has their recruitment trials coming up next month."
Her gaze flicked toward the door where the alchemist had departed. “Which means you’re vulnerable on the way there.”
Chen Rui narrowed his eyes slightly. “And what do you suggest we do about that?”
“The Jade Leaf Sect has an escort heading to the Verdant Sky Sect the day after tomorrow. I’ll be traveling with them. If you don’t want to be waylaid by that alchemist or worse, I suggest you come along.”
Chen Rui smirked. “You’re offering to babysit us?”
Mei Yan’s gaze turned wry. “I’m offering you a way to stay alive until you reach the trials.”
Wei Lin didn’t need the Talisman to tell him that sounded like a good idea.
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Below is a translation of the chapter into Chinese (via ChatGPT).
以下是通过ChatGPT将本章翻译成中文。
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封天遗志
第十章：玉叶药坊
玉溪镇的主街热闹非凡，商贩沿街叫卖，修士们为一株珍贵灵药讨价还价，偶有炼丹师驻足，指尖轻拂药材根茎，目光审慎如鉴玉。人声鼎沸间，干燥人参的浓郁药香与新鲜莲脂的淡雅清甜交织在空气中，仿佛连呼吸都染上一丝灵气。
在这喧闹之中，玉叶宗药坊却自成一派——两层楼阁，青瓦朱梁，飞檐间悬挂着翠色幡旗，上绣盛放莲华，流溢灵辉。与外头市集的熙攘不同，此处自有一股沉稳有序之气，每一桩交易皆精准如术法推演，而非凡俗商贾的唇舌较量。
魏林调整了一下肩上的包袱，望向辰锐，后者微微点头，二人随即踏入其中。
**药坊内幽凉静谧，药香凝于空气之中，或浓或淡，皆蕴含着千百种灵草精粹。**木架整齐排列，陶罐玉瓶错落有致，诸般丹鼎器具皆收纳得井然有序。几名顾客低声交谈，偶尔翻阅药卷，声音被这片沉静吞没，显得愈发轻缓。
柜台后，一名身着素色助手长袍的女子正整理着一组琉璃瓶，瓶中液体泛着淡淡幽光。她的动作不疾不徐，举手投足间透着习以为常的精准与冷静。二人踏入药坊的瞬间，她的目光便扫过他们，虽一闪而逝，却将二人看得分明。
辰锐径直上前，语气淡然：“我们来出售药材。”
说罢，他解开包裹，取出一株虚灵花，银白色的花瓣在灯光下泛着微微光晕，宛如夜幕中流转的星辉。
一瞬间，药坊内的气息微微一滞。虽只是一丝波动，却被魏林敏锐地捕捉到了。
他的目光不动声色地扫过四周。果不其然，远处柜台旁，一名男子的手微不可察地顿了顿，指尖轻叩木案。他原本似乎只是在随意翻阅几株干药，然而此刻，魏林却觉出一股若有若无的压迫感。那并非寻常药客，而更像是……一位习惯观察，而不被察觉的人。
柜台后的女助手依旧神色如常，微微倾身，轻声低喃：“虚灵花……完好且新摘。”
魏林咽了口唾沫，稳住心神，道：“我们希望能找到合适之人，出一个合理的价格。”
助手未再言语，而是取出一柄细薄如翼的银鳞刃，精准无误地在虚灵花的茎干上划下一道浅痕。只见淡淡的虚空雾气自切口处溢出，氤氲弥漫。
观察片刻后，她从柜台后取出一只黑漆木盒，随手放下两瓶通透如水的琉璃玉瓶。
“玄幽露。”她平静道，“两瓶换你们的药，已是极优之价。”
辰锐微微挑眉，似未料到对方竟愿如此交易。魏林尚未来得及回应，忽听一道不紧不慢的声音自侧方响起，语气平和，却带着一丝漫不经心的揶揄。
“寻常人可不会用两瓶灵露换一株虚灵花，”那人仍在翻看手中的干莲叶，语气随意，“这种选择……需要极大的自信，或者极大的无知。”
魏林抬头，只见男子缓缓转身，五官锋锐，神色不露情绪，身着暗色长袍，素雅却极见章法。整个人散发着一股不容忽视的压迫感，那并非刻意施压，而是行走世间久经风浪之人的沉稳。
“像你们这样的年轻人，恐怕尚不清楚这等灵药的真正价值。”他语调淡然，似是随口一提，“不如这样——三百灵石，此价足以让你们满意。”
魏林心中一凛。他对灵石的价值一无所知，三百枚究竟是高是低？
未及思索，脑海中便响起天命符那熟悉的讥讽声。
“哦，好极了，快答应他吧！等他在巷口埋伏，顺手取你性命时，记得告诉他，你很高兴得到了三百灵石的经验教训。”
魏林指尖一紧，蓦然回神，沉声道：“不卖。”
对方的笑意未变，唯独眼神微微一暗。
药坊助手亦不动声色地看了那男子一眼，语调温和却不容置疑：“前辈，若客人更倾向于以物易物，还请见谅。”
二人目光交锋，暗潮汹涌，如两柄未出鞘的利刃，相互试探，却未曾真正交击。
片刻后，那男子微微一笑，手指无声地敲了敲柜台，旋即轻笑道：“罢了。”
他的目光在虚灵花上停留片刻，而后缓缓移至魏林，语气平静，却隐隐透着深意：“机缘难得，愿你们没有选错。”
说完，他拄着手杖，步履不疾不徐地转身离去，杖尖敲击地面的声音，在寂静的药坊内回荡良久。
魏林直至此刻，才勉强按下心头那股不安，强忍住不让自己微微战栗。
那名药坊助手目送着那名炼丹师离去，目光微微一闪，但很快便收回视线，重新落在魏林与辰锐身上。
“明智之举。”她平静地说道，“我建议你们尽快收下玄幽露，机会可不会一直摆在面前。”
魏林犹豫了一瞬，直到天命符的声音再次响起。
“放心，这是值得的交易。玄幽露乃是温养魂魄的至宝，而你的魂力孱弱得令人不忍直视，正是你当下最急需之物。”
魏林抬头看向辰锐，手指在琉璃玉瓶上方略微停滞，心头微微发紧。两瓶玄幽露……真的值得用虚灵花换吗？
“快收下！”天命符不耐烦地催促道，语气不善，“否则我会在你余生每个清醒的时辰里，不断提醒你今日犯下的愚蠢。”
辰锐轻轻点头，示意魏林无须再多虑。那一瞬间，魏林心中终于做下决定，抬手拿起两瓶玄幽露，随手将其中一瓶递给辰锐。
“成交。”
那名女子微微颔首，眼底浮现一丝赞许之色，似是对他们的决断颇为满意。
“我叫梅妍。”她终于道出姓名，语气淡然，“乃玉叶宗弟子，当然，这点你们大概早就猜到了。”她目光微微一转，略带几分戏谑地道：“那么，想必你们正打算前往翠天宗？”
辰锐扬眉，嘴角带着几分意味深长的笑意：“哦？你怎么知道我们要去翠天宗？”
梅妍手指轻轻点了点案几上的一张纸符，语气不疾不徐：“推测罢了。你们年纪尚轻，显然不是流浪修士；气息虽有凝练之态，却尚且粗粝，显然未曾受过正统传承。但偏偏，你们能完好无损地带着一株虚灵花从荒野中走出。”她顿了顿，嘴角微微上扬，“这说明两点——其一，你们绝非普通行商旅人；其二，你们多半还未曾加入任何宗门。”
她顿了顿，目光意味深长：“而恰好，翠天宗的收徒试炼，就在下月举行。”
她扫了一眼方才那名炼丹师离去的方向，淡淡道：“这意味着，在抵达之前，你们处于最脆弱的时刻。”
辰锐眼神微微一沉，眼底掠过一丝警惕之色：“那依你的意思，我们该如何应对？”
梅妍目光平静，言辞锋利：“两日后，玉叶宗有一支护送队伍，前往翠天宗。我会随行。若是不想在路上被那位‘炼丹师前辈’或更危险的家伙盯上，不如随我们同行。”
辰锐扬唇一笑，带着几分戏谑：“听上去……你是打算照看我们？”
梅妍神色未变，语气带着一丝淡淡的玩味：“我是给你们一个活着抵达试炼的机会。”
魏林握紧手中的玄幽露，不需要天命符开口，他便已然明白——这个提议，的确极有价值。
