The Ghost Clan's pragmatic behavior pleased Liu Buli greatly.
However, the items he produced left Liu Buli immensely disappointed.
Watching the other party pull out a pile of junk, Liu Buli's eyebrows involuntarily furrowed. He raised a hand and pressed firmly on the spot between his brows, allowing his emotions to calm slightly before asking the person, "I asked you to give me the confiscated magical treasures, and you give me this? Do you think I'm an idiot, or what? Do I look that easy to fool?"
He was utterly displeased.
But unlike his situation, the Ghost Clan member appeared utterly bewildered. He checked the magical treasures he had taken out again, then hesitantly and conflictedly said, "But... this is all they gave me. Immortal Superior, I have truly given you everything I received. If there's nothing, you can't force me to produce it out of thin air."
He seemed genuinely distressed.
At least, judging by his facial expression, he didn't seem to be lying.
However, when dealing with others, Liu Buli had always been a suspicious person. He was no different when facing this Ghost Clan member.
Squinting slightly, he asked, "The cave from before had five exits. My friend and I entered two of them, leaving three more. There should be good things hidden inside. Look at what you've brought me. These are all mid-grade magical treasures, not even high-grade. Are you truly not afraid of us torturing you with such items to fool us?"
After this barrage of words, the Ghost Clan member was so anxious he was about to cry.
Shaking his head vigorously, he said, "I swear, I am not deceiving you at all! And honestly, apart from the one you captured, I have found all the other decoys that were released. They only gave me these things. What can I do?"
He spoke with all his might, looking utterly pitiable.
Liu Buli stroked his chin, pondering for a moment, then asked with a hint of frustration, "Is there a possibility that those people were deceiving you? They gave you some fake magical treasures and told you they were from the secret realm?"
This was the best explanation Liu Buli could come up with.
However, the Ghost Clan member hesitated for a moment, then shook his head with firm conviction, saying, "That is absolutely impossible! Even if I'm not sure about other things, I can be certain about this! They don't have the ability to deceive me, because my blood is in their bodies. If they tried to lie to me, I would feel it!"
He sounded particularly proud when discussing this topic.
Considering the intelligence of the Ghost Clan, Liu Buli believed that he was not lying this time.
If that were the case, things became rather peculiar.
While Liu Buli was still pondering the reason, Shen Muzhi on the side reacted first. His eyes widened slightly, and he patted Liu Buli's shoulder, saying, "Sect Master Liu, I have an idea. Do you remember what Si Qi said earlier about the things encountered in the secret realm being related to one's own level? Those people who entered were simply too weak. The things they would consider suitable would naturally be those rather unremarkable magical treasures!"
What he said was not wrong.
After all, according to the records in the novel, apart from Shen Muzhi, no one else seemed to have obtained anything truly noteworthy.
If this was due to their own qualifications not being up to par, it seemed understandable.
Feeling somewhat deflated, Liu Buli pouted. He threw the magical treasures in his hand onto the ground and said, "If that's the case, wouldn't it be equivalent to wasting three opportunities? Such a good secret realm, wasted three times, is simply a terrible waste of resources."
"That's not entirely true," Shen Muzhi shook his head. He didn't disdain them and directly picked up all the magical treasures and put them into his storage. He said, "Mid-grade magical treasures are still quite useful for ordinary cultivators. Moreover, these kinds of treasures have a better market than high-grade and divine-grade ones, and they can be sold for a good price."
Hearing his explanation, Liu Buli's eyes widened.
With a look of utter astonishment, he said, "Shen Muzhi, have you become so thrifty now?"
Shen Muzhi shrugged, implicitly confirming his statement, and said, "Mainly, I was the Valley Master of Medicine Valley before, and I didn't need to worry about expenses. But now, I'm affiliated with the Pill Sect. I don't do much on a daily basis, and if I go out sightseeing, I still expect the sect to provide financial support. That would be really unreasonable."
The implication was that he now understood the market prices very well, and ultimately, it was all for the convenience of traveling the mortal world with You Si Qi.
Hearing his reply, Liu Buli didn't know what to say for a moment. After a moment of silence, he said earnestly, "Actually, if you are short on money, you can directly ask me for it. Although I don't manage the Pill Sect's finances, you can just mention it to our Grand Elder. He's very reasonable and knows what to manage and what to turn a blind eye to."
Looking at Liu Buli's proud demeanor as a hands-off manager, Shen Muzhi once again felt fortunate that he had listened to You Si Qi's advice and hadn't stayed to help the Grand Elder.
Otherwise, the Grand Elder's current situation would clearly be his future.
Thinking of that exhausted and dedicated appearance for the sect, it was no different from his time at Medicine Valley.
No, there was a difference.
At Medicine Valley, he was at least the Valley Master.
Even if the people below didn't listen to him much, he still had status.
And at the Pill Sect, the highest he could reach was an Elder. This trade was simply not suitable from any angle.
However, he still felt Liu Buli's good intentions.
Smiling, Shen Muzhi shook his head and said, "There's no need for that. Mainly, I still have some skills myself. If I run out of money, I'll sell some medicine. Honestly, even if I've left Medicine Valley, the name Shen Muzhi is still very useful. Selling magical treasures and medicines on a regular basis, the money earned is enough for both of us."
Shen Muzhi's name was indeed useful.
After all, he was currently the most skilled physician in the entire cultivation world. Everyone in the cultivation world believed that "reviving the withered bones" referred not to the name of a medicinal ingredient in Shen Muzhi's case, but to his own abilities.
Liu Buli was very willing to acknowledge this statement.
After all, his own life was saved by Shen Muzhi, so no one probably knew better than him how high Shen Muzhi's medical skills were.
Thinking this, Liu Buli chuckled and said, "In that case, it seems that with you leaving Medicine Valley, people outside are even happier. Before, to get your medicine, you had to build good relationships with Medicine Valley. Now, with money, you can buy it, which is much more convenient."
"A physician practices medicine to heal and save people, which is a good thing," Shen Muzhi returned his smile and said, "Anyway, I'm quite satisfied with my current life, so this is fine. As for when things change, we can consider that later. At least for now, I want to enjoy the happiness I have with Si Qi."
Shen Muzhi spoke earnestly.
Liu Buli looked at him, feeling a hint of envy.
He also longed for this kind of ordinary happiness.
However, the external interference was too great. It was hard to say when he would achieve his wish.