“Eight thousand catties of Yellow Bud Rice?” Bai Xiuwen’s brows furrowed.
He learned the Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique so quickly?
Could he have practiced it before?
Or… was he playing dumb and using a trick to fool me from the start?
Bai Xiuwen’s face looked somewhat unsightly.
“Hmph, fake or real, since he knows the Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique, he can obediently work as a laborer for Qi Hui,” Bai Xiuwen narrowed his eyes.
Having found another laborer for Qi Hui, perhaps he would share some more tricks of pill-making with me.
If I can solve the difficult problems, perhaps I will smoothly enter the gateway to the Golden Bead Talisman!
Just as he was about to leave, the white-haired storekeeper tapped the long table lightly with his index finger, and said with a smile, “That gentleman bought more than just Yellow Bud Rice.”
“I only need to know if he bought the Yellow Bud Rice; I don’t care about the rest,” Bai Xiuwen dismissed with a wave of his hand.
“Really don’t want to know?” The white-haired storekeeper asked teasingly, “You might regret it.”
Bai Xiuwen paused and looked at the old storekeeper suspiciously.
“Is it really that important?”
The corner of the old storekeeper’s mouth lifted slightly as he tapped the table again with his finger.
Bai Xiuwen’s face twitched.
That greedy old man!
After hesitating for a moment, he eventually took out three White Jade Coins and placed them on the long table.
…
“An alchemist?!” Bai Xiuwen’s heart leaped.
Such a deep secret!
“You’re saying he’s going to make Fasting Pills?” Bai Xiuwen suddenly remembered something and asked for confirmation again.
“Yes, and he took a large share too!” the old storekeeper said meaningfully.
Bai Xiuwen’s expression immediately changed.
“Can he finish making so many with the amount he took?”
“I don’t know,” the old storekeeper shrugged, “but I do know that his identity as an alchemist was personally verified by Pavilion Master Zhu.”
This is trouble.
The monthly Daoist Cultivation rewards for the Fasting Pill tasks are limited.
If he takes so much, Qi Hui will get fewer Daoist Cultivation rewards.
Bai Xiuwen immediately turned around and left briskly.
I have to make early preparations!
…
That very afternoon.
Bai Xiuwen called two good friends to his cave abode.
“That person can really make pills?” One of the dark-faced forty-year-old men asked dubiously.
“He is so young…” Another man with a black mustache on his upper lip also expressed skepticism.
“The Secondary Court is enforcing discipline around Jade Spring Mountain, forcibly conscripting disciples to go down the mountain.”
“A lot of people from the Transmission and Domestic Affairs Courts have been pulled to the frontlines; I’ve heard the casualties are quite severe.”
“It’s only our Pill Treasure Pavilion that’s special to have avoided this disaster. What if that person fabricated a false identity to seek refuge?”
The dark-faced man also followed up, “It’s said that young man comes from a background. It might actually be possible!”
However, Bai Xiuwei shook his head solemnly, “This is information from Zhu Laotie of the storeroom; his alchemist identity was personally verified by the Pavilion Master.”
“Zhu Laotie? That’s someone close to Pavilion Master Zhu; this won’t be easy,” the mustachioed man sighed, “Qi Hui will definitely be upset if his Daoist Cultivation is snatched away.”
“If he’s upset, he won’t be inclined to share his pill-making knowledge with us for a while.”
“Then our previous efforts would be for nothing?!”
The dark-faced man’s brow clouded with worry, “What’s more, if Qi Hui doesn’t need to make so many Fasting Pills, he won’t need so much Essence of the Five Grains.”
“We could very well be driven away!”
The three men’s expressions immediately turned grim.
“This person is very young?” the dark-faced man asked ominously.
“He looks to be in his twenties,” Bai Xiuwen’s pupils narrowed.
“To become an alchemist at such a young age, he probably didn’t have the energy to learn any murderous secret arts, did he?” the mustachioed man’s eyes were sharp.
The dark-faced man suddenly became grave, “Below Jade Spring Mountain, stray paths and evil doctrines run rampant.”
“They are being driven and hunted down by the Secondary Court.”
“For those seeking revenge, it’s only natural to sneak up the mountain and stealthily assassinate disciples.”
“You mean…” Bai Xiuwen’s pupils suddenly contracted.
…
Over a hundred meters away, in Chen Mu’s cave abode, inside the Alchemist Chamber.
Chen Mu sat on the soft couch, disbelief written all over his face.
He swore that although Truthful Listening hung on his ears every day, he never had the habit of eavesdropping on others’ privacy.
Chen Mu only wanted to manage neighbor relations well, hoping to understand more about his neighbors’ preferences.
But what he never expected was that the information he heard would be so explosive!
“Can this world ever be good again?!” Chen Mu’s heart brimmed with sadness and anger.
“I just want to honestly practice alchemy. Who did I offend?”
“Why do you all only think about conspiring against me?!”
It took him a while to suppress the grievances in his heart.
“Forget it, I should have adapted to this profit-driven world earlier,” Chen Mu sighed.
He quickly regained his composure, his eyes filled with calm detachment.
“Since you are all heartless, don’t blame me for being unrighteous!”
“After swallowing these three Illusion Breaking, the Five Ghosts Bag should expand quite a bit…” Chen Mu looked down slightly, his face shadowed, the corners of his mouth slowly curving upward, revealing his chilling white teeth.
At that moment, Bai Xiuwen’s voice came to his ears again.
“Are you saying that if we were to join Brother Chen, Qi Hui might send someone to assassinate the brother?!” Bai Xiuwen asked anxiously.
“Is Brother Chen an alchemist? How dare Qi Hui?” The bearded man was filled with incredulity.
“Blocking one’s path to wealth is like killing one’s parents!” the dark-faced man shook his head.
“Gentlemen, we can’t wait any longer. We must immediately inform Brother Chen, so that he can be prepared,” Bai Xiuwen said solemnly after taking a deep breath.
Over a hundred meters away, Chen Mu’s previously smiling mouth suddenly stiffened.
What do they mean, join me? Aren’t they here to kill me?
He was somewhat perplexed.
This is not what I expected at all?!
…
Sixty breaths later.
Chen Mu clutched the Five Ghosts Possession Technique in one hand, the Seven Souls Return to Origin Technique in the other, ready with Sand Shooting Shadow in his right hand, and Three Yin Slaying Demon in his left, while Fire Cloud Gourd stood by, with Five Ghosts Moving Mountain lurking.
After everything was prepared, he cautiously opened the door.
“Brother above! Please accept your junior brother’s bow!”
As soon as they finished speaking, the three men dropped to one knee, hands clasped in salute, their faces full of respect.
Chen Mu: “…”
Is everything this full of Jianghu flavor?
…
Inside the alchemist chamber.
It took a long while for Chen Mu to regain his senses.
“So, you wish to join me to help me absorb the Essence of the Five Grains?” Chen Mu asked skeptically.
“As long as you can guide us in alchemy,” Bai Xiuwen replied with utmost respect.
“You don’t want White Jade Coins?” Chen Mu was disbelieving.
“With money, one cannot buy the skill to perform alchemy,” Bai Xiuwen said with a bitter smile.
“Don’t you have secret techniques? Just cultivate, it’s not difficult, right?” Chen Mu failed to understand.
Isn’t it just crafting talismans over and over again? What kind of guidance is needed for this?
Not difficult?
Just cultivate?
Are these even human words?
The three of them looked at each other, dumbfounded. Could it be that Brother Chen… wants to raise the price?!
Chen Mu immediately saw what they were thinking and felt a bit wronged.
I know I’m possessive and don’t want others to learn my secret skills.
But I also enjoy teaching others and am willing to help solve their problems.
It’s just ordinary alchemy, not a method to multiply the number of Fasting Pills.
What’s there not to share!
Chen Mu felt he had to explain, so he said earnestly, “My success in learning alchemy is entirely due to diligence.”
“Apart from practicing over and over, I really have nothing else to guide you with.”
“We have also practiced hard, but still no progress,” Bai Xiuwen couldn’t help but retort.
“Then it goes to show that your practice is not yet diligent enough!” Chen Mu said with a stern face.
“Have you seen the first ray of sunlight on Jade Spring Mountain?”
“I see it every day!”
“Before the sun rises, I am already up trying to practice alchemy.”
“Only when the sky is completely dark do I wash up, rest, and finish my day’s cultivation.”
“Day after day, I finally learned alchemy!” Chen Mu looked at the three with an expressive sigh, “How can one succeed in anything without the sweat of hard work and effort?!”
The three of them were stunned and speechless, “But…”
“There are no buts!” The reason they didn’t succeed must be that they didn’t work hard enough!
“But…” Bai Xiuwen tried to argue again, but Chen Mu, losing patience, waved his hand dismissively, “Go back and practice hard!”
People who don’t put in the effort but expect others to teach them are not worth taking in!
“But when we practice alchemy, we are working hard all day without sleep!” Bai Xiuwen finally managed to say these words filled with unwillingness and sorrow.
Chen Mu: “…”
Is the competition really this fierce?!