Inn’s main hall on the first floor.
Chen Mu leisurely sipped tea in a corner.
His ears were perked up, silently operating the Truthful Listening Technique to gather various bits of information.
Beside him sat a frowning, smoking Old Hao and an increasingly portly Shang Huan.
“Four White Jade Coins a month for rent, and that’s just for lodging. Adding food and cultivation, it’s at least nine White Jade Coins a month,” Old Hao complained with a bitter expression.
“The expenses are really too high!”
Chen Mu sighed outwardly, nodding with a troubled face, but he didn’t really care much in his heart.
Back in the Lower Courtyard of Tongtian River, the cost of cultivating with the Exquisite Jade Plate every month was a whopping ninety White Jade Coins.
Now that his Jade Seed was full of Mana, as long as he didn’t consume much, he basically didn’t need to use the Exquisite Jade Plate, and expenses were suddenly reduced.
The cost of lodging and food wasn’t even a tenth of what he used to spend.
“Although I earned a bit from clearing land at Peng Yue Mountain, it can’t sustain this kind of expenditure,” Old Hao said.
“I heard that Geng District has several Ling Boats hiring labor for unloading goods and also recruiting people to hunt aquatic beasts in the river.”
“Shall we go take a look?” Old Hao asked Chen Mu, puffing on his smoke.
Unload goods? Fish? Forget it. Better to ponder over Alchemy Secret Techniques with that time.
“Forget about it.”
Before Chen Mu could refuse, Shang Huan spoke up in objection.
“They’ll only pay you three to five White Jade Coins a month, barely enough for anything,” Shang Huan said, as he pinched open a roasted pine nut and tossed it into his mouth.
“At least it can cover something, help us hold out a little longer,” Old Hao sighed.
“Several old buddies are planning to leave once the inn’s monthly rent period is over.”
Shang Huan was startled, “Leave for where? Become wild cultivators?”
“Not exactly,” Old Hao shook his head.
“Go somewhere with lower living costs for a while, come back every so often to check in, and if Director Song is leading people away, then follow along.”
Shang Huan shook his head, “Leaving is easy, but coming back is hard. Once people leave, Director Song might not even recognize them. And what if they miss the opportunity?”
“We have no choice, do we?” said Old Hao, spreading his hands.
“You don’t plan to do the same, do you?” Chen Mu couldn’t help but ask.
“With no idea how long we’ll stay here, these expenses…” Old Hao spoke with a troubled face. He stopped mid-sentence, shaking his head silently.
Chen Mu finally realized.
This state of financial distress was probably the norm for disciples of the Lower Courtyard.
The nearly three hundred people who escaped this time, more than half of them were regular disciples of the Lower Courtyard.
Their eventual path might well be like what Old Hao mentioned.
Chen Mu thought of Song Wujie’s arrangements for him regarding the Alchemy Secret Techniques.
The other party seemed confident about rebuilding the Lower Courtyard.
But as for how long they’d have to wait here, even Chen Mu could not guarantee.
After thinking it through, he still gave a veiled reminder, “Although Director Song has only paid our room rent for one month,”
“he’s providing food and lodging for those disciples with Illusion Breaking Cultivation in Spiritual Light,”
“If the future was uncertain and hope dim, he wouldn’t spend this money,”
“Rather than depleting savings, better to wait a bit longer,”
“And if it really isn’t enough…” Chen Mu considered his savings of over thirty thousand, then looked gravely at Old Hao, “you can borrow some from Shang Huan to tide over for a while.”
Shang Huan: “…”
Why borrow from me?! Aren’t you the one with money!
Shang Huan glared at Chen Mu.
“It won’t come to that, don’t worry. He’s not wealthy either; worst comes to worst, I’ll just sleep on the streets,” said Old Hao, feigning a troubled sigh with a pained face.
Shang Huan immediately rolled his eyes at Old Hao, “Stop pretending. Do you really think I’d let you sleep on the streets?”
“I’ll cover your food and lodging, that should do it, right?”
Old Hao’s face instantly lost its bitterness, smiling and nodding, “That’s excellent! Excellent!”
“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?!” Shang Huan glared at Old Hao.
Immediately, Shang Huan spoke resignedly, “Fine, I’ll cover your food and lodging, but you have to help me gather some information.”
“Help you gather information?” Old Hao didn’t rush to agree, looking at Shang Huan with suspicion, “I’m just an ordinary fellow. I don’t have the connections you do. What could I find for you that you don’t already know … Hm? You want me to go talk to Little Mo?”
“Bingo!” Shang Huan chuckled.
Now it was Old Hao’s turn to be suspicious, “You’re not doing this on purpose too, are you?”
“Don’t worry, it’s all good things,” Shang Huan said with eyes narrowed into slits from smiling.
Chen Mu’s lips curved slightly as he watched the old fox spar with the young fox.
This fatty surely had his eyes on something belonging to Mo Wuzhou.
“It’s a pity I don’t have any good business myself.” He too wanted to earn White Jade Coins.
“I heard that Brother Mo has an unusual medicinal formula that can attract fish. It even works on Exotic Beast fish with Heavenly Demon Bloodline to some extent.” Shang Huan grinned, “You help me ask, see if it can be given to me for selling.”
Oh ho!
The fatty had his eyes on the enticing bait!
Chen Mu raised his eyebrows.
That thing, it seems, could indeed make money.
“I’ve inquired about it though, Heavenly River Water Mansion only wants Exotic Beasts. The formula’s main function is to lure ordinary fish; can it really make money?” Old Hao was skeptical.
“`
“People from the Heavenly River Water Mansion naturally disdain small fry.”
“But what about those wild cultivators?” Shang Huan said with confidence.
“Back in the Lower Courtyard of the Tongtian River, there were quite a few who made a living by hunting those miscellaneous fish.”
“As long as we tell those wild cultivator fishermen about the effects of this special bait, do you think they won’t buy it?”
They definitely will!
Chen Mu’s lips curved into a smirk.
Just like the fishermen from his past life. They would go to great lengths to buy fishing gear and special bait, even if it meant outsmarting their wives.
But…
“Is it safe? Won’t we become targets of envy?”
“Of course, some will be envious, that’s why I’m seeking out Brother Mo,” Shang Huan said, smiling like a blooming flower.
“We’ll use the same strategy we did with the insect repellent incense. Using Brother Mo’s name and giving him a share of the profits. Hehe…”
Chen Mu gave a sideways glance.
An old trick, but it surely works.
“I’m also planning to quietly spread the word that it’s the Minor Supervision Court of Liang that’s behind this. Knowing there’s a Condensing Aperture expert in charge, who would trouble us over some little fish bait business?”
“Aren’t you afraid that the Minor Supervision Court of Liang will come after you?” This fatty was truly bold.
“It’s just a matter of giving an additional share.” Shang Huan didn’t care at all.
With Mo Wuzhou as a mediator, this plan might actually work out.
Chen Mu looked at Shang Huan with a gaze full of affection.
This really is a good financier… fatty!
Well, it would be better if there were no fraud or tricks involved.
…
Night, third floor of the inn, inside Chen Mu’s room.
A lotus-shaped glowing algae lamp was placed in the middle of a square table, casting a warm white light all around.
Chen Mu sat in front of the table, holding a jade slip in hand.
Beside his right foot, there was a three-legged, two-eared black pottery-like alchemy furnace.
“Alchemy is really hard.”
Chen Mu set down the jade slip.
It contained the controls for the Primordial Five-Element Alchemy Furnace.
Together with the Qi Absorbing Technique for extracting essences and the Primordial Technique for condensing the elixir pills, even a basic Fasting Pill required mastering five talismans.
“Difficult!”
However…
“Definitely profitable, though.”
He had quietly inquired over the past few days.
One hundred jin of Yellow Bud Rice could extract one portion of the Essence of the Five Grains.
One portion of the Essence of the Five Grains sold for two White Jade Coins, doubling the price of the raw material.
And one portion of the Essence of the Five Grains could be transformed into forty to fifty Fasting Pills, with prices immediately rising to four to five White Jade Coins each.
The finished product’s price was four to five times that of the raw material.
“If I turn all my savings of over thirty thousand into Fasting Pills…” Chen Mu did some quick calculations and couldn’t help chuckling.
“I’d have the money to buy the Condense Aperture Secret Method.”
“I could even earn some Daoist Cultivation.”
Daoist Cultivation represented the contribution points for Jilong Road.
Only after meeting the required amount could he exchange for the Condense Aperture Secret Method.
“Ten years isn’t long, but it’s not short either,” Chen Mu shook his head and sighed.
If it were as stable as the previous environment in the Lower Courtyard of the Tongtian River.
Twenty years, fifty years, he could wait just the same.
But now, unrest was visibly starting to rise in the world.
He urgently needed more power for self-protection.
Ten years was a bit too long.
“If I learn how to make Fasting Pills, perhaps I wouldn’t need ten years; five years might be enough to accumulate enough Daoist Cultivation,” Chen Mu mused with narrowed eyes.
“I have to learn this Alchemy Secret Technique no matter how difficult it is!” Chen Mu made up his mind.
He relied on his gray wall for proficiency.
What he feared least was practicing Secret Technique Talismans.
Back in Da Liang, he had mastered seven Shape Cultivation Techniques in one go.
“Just five Secret Techniques.”
Chen Mu immediately put away the pill furnace; he still had no use for it.
Taking out a palm-wide jade slip, Chen Mu began to carefully study the Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique.
Mana was injected into the jade slip, and a shiny, brand-new talisman appeared inside the Jade Seed.
With a thought, a new entry naturally appeared on the gray wall.
Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique: 1/10000/First Rank;
Just perfect for staying idle in the Water Mansion.
Find your next adventure on empire
Time for some hard work!
“`