Early in the morning, at the Chen Residence in Yongtong District.
After breakfast, Chen Mu carried a pile of herbs into the thatched shed and began to sort and process them one by one.
Some were ground into powder, some soaked for their juice, others boiled over a high flame.
Then, in a specific order, he mixed the processed herbs and poured them into a large pottery jar.
He heated it over a small charcoal fire, stirring all the while.
He continued until the jar of viscous liquid turned into a rubbery clay texture, only then did he stop heating and let it cool naturally.
Later, he poured the brown medicinal clay into smooth, polished hardwood molds, flattened and compacted it, pressing it into small cylindrical shapes the height of a mung bean and the size of a soybean.
He immediately set them aside in a shady place to dry.
After a busy morning, Chen Mu nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the molds lined up on the drying rack.
“These Blue Medicine Pills are enough for Jie Jia to sell for a month.”
The business of Blue Medicine Pills must continue.
Although he was now carrying a substantial amount of money, it would run out eventually.
He couldn’t wait until he urgently needed money to start thinking of a solution.
He certainly did not want to shoulder a huge debt again.
…
Five days later.
Lijiang Tower, east of the city.
Chen Mu arrived just in time for the lunch rush.
As usual, he chose a corner in the first floor hall where he waited for Jie Jia’s people to pick up the goods while surveying the flow of people in the hall and eavesdropping for news of the world.
Soon, his attention was caught by a small chubby figure.
The child, about six or seven years old, was also sitting in a corner of the hall, near the passageway to the kitchen.
Next to him sat a tall, thin, elderly man.
The old man was currently using a small knife to slice roast duck for the little chub.
For every slice the elder cut, the chubby kid would grab one and stuff it into his mouth, eating to the point of greasy lips, which made Chen Mu’s appetite grow.
He immediately ordered one for himself.
The waiter brought the sliced roast duck and set up various dipping sauces.
Unable to wait, Chen Mu tasted a piece and his eyes lit up.
Without hesitation, he gave a thumbs-up, “Delicious!”
The waiter beamed with pride, “This is one of the top ten signature dishes of our Lijiang Tower.”
“It boasts a hundred years of tradition, with exquisite ingredients and unique techniques.”
Chen Mu, tucking into another piece of duck, nodded in approval, “Both the raw ingredients and the condiments are indeed elegant, and the technique is delicate.”
The waiter’s face was full of pride, “That’s right! Only our Lijiang Tower in all of Nanyang knows how to make this! Even Fan Tower in Guard City does not have it.”
“Now there are two places,” a nonchalant voice suddenly sounded from behind them.
Chen Mu turned in surprise, “Why have you come yourself?”
He then turned his head, sending away the waiter who hesitated to speak.
Jie Jia said nothing, looking silently at Chen Mu, “You’re so brazenly filching techniques?”
“Just wait until I make it myself, then see if you can resist eating it,” Chen Mu rolled his eyes; you’ve never missed a meal.
Jie Jia slowly sat down without a word.
“The stuff.” Chen Mu kicked a medicine box at his feet over to Jie Jia.
Inside was more than just over a thousand Blue Medicine Pills; there were also core materials for Gentle Breeze Powder and spiritual sand pills.
“Hmm,” Jie Jia glanced at them and nodded.
“You, old Jie, have been making a fortune lately. For such a meager profit, why bother coming in person?” Chen Mu teased.
Jie Jia could make Zuming Talismans, selling for three thousand five hundred silver a piece, which made Chen Mu envious to the point of drooling.
“A mission,” Jie Jia said indifferently.
“You’re still taking orders?” Chen Mu looked at Jie Jia in surprise and whispered, “Isn’t making Zuming Talismans earning you enough?”
Jie Jia remained silent.
“It seems the employer must be paying a hefty sum,” Chen Mu shook his head with a click of his tongue.
What kind of grudge could it be?
To get Jie Jia to go on an external mission, the price would undoubtedly not be less than ten Zuming Talismans.
“I failed,” Jie Jia shook his head.
“You fail?” Chen Mu was surprised.
“The information provided by the employer was inaccurate. The price was too low,” Jie Jia stated calmly.
“And then you just gave up?” Chen Mu rolled his eyes.
“If the client provides wrong information, I can directly confiscate their deposit,” Jie Jia’s eyelids lifted slightly.
Chen Mu: “…”
When it comes to making money, Jie Jia is the one to watch.
Abandoning a task still allows you to shear wool?!
That makes me want to… I don’t want to join!
…
On the way home, Chen Mu pondered over Jie Jia’s matters.
Despite mastering core technology, the old man still engaged in the assassin business.
He used to run errands in the past.
He earned thousands of Silver, and he also earned one or two Silver at a time.
Yet with all that money he earned, there was no sign of him spending it—he turned it all into beads.
But all those beads never seemed to be kept anywhere to be seen.
“Does Old Man Jie also have a storage treasure?” Chen Mu became more convinced as he thought about it.
As he pondered, he suddenly paused.
“The target of the mission even Jie Jia abandoned, indicating that the opponent is not weak.”
“Could it be that Lijiang City is not at peace either?!”
“I should have asked Jie Jia about the situation in Lijiang City just now,” Chen Mu regretted, then promptly quickened his pace back home.
It’s better to go out less.
…
Realizing that Lijiang Guard City might have hidden masters,
Chen Mu seldom went out.
Other than buying essential supplies, he stayed at home all the time.
He kept up with the Heavenly Serpent Breathing Method and constantly pushed forward with the progress of the Shape Cultivation Technique.
The Shape Cultivation Technique’s breathing method doesn’t require large movements. Once familiar, it doesn’t even require full concentration.
This left him ample time to read and brush up on his Pharmaceutical Technique, and tinker with the Fasting Pill.
Half a month later.
Under the thatched shed, Chen Mu lifted the top half of the square wooden mold to reveal several ping-pong-sized white balls lying quietly inside the bottom half of the mold.
He picked one up and popped it into his mouth.
It still tasted of rice balls—salty with a hint of sweetness.
It was a bit hard when chewed but quickly dissolved after being broken down.
“The texture is somewhat like chocolate,” Chen Mu nodded, satisfied.
In fact, it was a high-calorie, high-protein concentrated protein ball.
He had devised this nutritional supplement using his Third Rank culinary arts and Fourth Rank Pharmaceutical Technique.
“Rice balls can finally be retired.”
Your next chapter is on M V L
“Next time, I must invite Jie Jia to taste it—this should definitely qualify as a Fasting Pill now.”
…
The year 641 in the Da Liang era, July 29th.
At the Chen Residence in Yongtong District.
The Heavenly Serpent Shape Cultivation Technique achieved a breakthrough to the Fourth Rank without much ado.
A palm-sized Soul Strength appeared at the position of the chest.
The breaths became smoother and the body’s stamina increased to a certain extent.
“Fairly standard,” Chen Mu felt neither too disappointed nor overly excited.
“Another Shape Cultivation Technique without a developed Shell Soul,” Chen Mu sighed as he looked at the ‘limit’ text appearing on the screen in front of him.
He took out the four Shape Cultivation Technique books he had borrowed, with considerably less expectation.
“At most, it might just be a Wandering Soul.”
“Well, let’s train,” Chen Mu shrugged his shoulders.
He chose the last and simplest book of the Shape Cultivation Technique— “Cloud Mirage Shape Cultivation Technique.”
This was a Shape Cultivation Technique borrowed from Chao Tianwang by “Song Jiang.”
The variations in breathing numbered only one hundred and eight.
Quite a bit less than the other three books.
But this Shape Cultivation book required very few Active Cultivation postures, with only thirty-six variations in total.
“This should be quick to master.”
With fewer Active Cultivation movements, there’s less physical transformation, shortening the time needed to master it.
Having already layered six kinds of Shape Cultivation Techniques, his progress in Shape Cultivation was even faster.
Cloud Mirage, a kind of formless cloud-like creature.
That’s how the book introduced it.
Chen Mu was curious; it was the first time he had heard of such a creature.
After carefully reading through it, Chen Mu stood up to practice, smoothly entering the state he was familiar with.