“From her pulse, she has been hungry for a long time and has damaged her foundation.”
Qingquan Town, a medical hall.
Old Liu shook his head, looking serious as he took Lu Qiangwei’s pulse.
Lu Chen looked suspicious, “Uncle Liu, can’t you say something that isn’t obvious at first glance?”
“What do you know! Is what’s seen the same as what’s found through pulse diagnosis?”
Old Liu raised his eyelids and said leisurely, “Her condition is not optimistic, but don’t worry, I have my exclusive secret recipe, the Ten Great Tonics…”
“Will she get better if she takes them?” Lu Chen asked.
“Although it’s an exclusive secret recipe, it’s not an Immortal’s miraculous medicine. It depends on how she’s nursed back to health afterward.”
“How to nurse her back to health?”
“One pill a day, for a month first.”
“Will she get better if she takes them?”
Old Liu glared at Lu Chen, his beard bristling, “Is this the attitude for seeing a doctor? I’m not an Immortal, how can I guarantee anything? If you believe me, listen to me. If not, find someone else.”
Old Liu secretly glanced at Lu Chen.
He knew Lu Chen had saved a lot of money these past few years, farming sixty mu of land by himself without renting oxen, horses, or farm tools, alone with no burdens, living frugally, and never getting sick.
Old Liu had thought he would never earn a single copper coin from Lu Chen in his lifetime.
Lu Chen took out a silver ingot from his Pregnant, and Old Liu’s eyes widened.
“Please have a seat, I’ll go get your Ten Great Tonics right away!”
“Wait a moment.”
Lu Chen stopped Old Liu: “This isn’t for buying the Ten Great Tonics.”
“Then what is it…” Old Liu was puzzled.
“Tell me the truth,” Lu Chen pulled Old Liu a few steps away: “Is she really sick or not?”
“She’s definitely sick, look at her, she looks sickly and like she could die at any moment…”
“It wasn’t from taking her pulse?”
“Look, you still don’t believe me! Of course, I also found it from taking her pulse. As long as she takes my Ten Great Tonics…”
“White root grass, radish whiskers, lard mixed with flour… wouldn’t I just stew an old hen, isn’t that more fragrant than the pills you roll?”
“How did you know…”
Old Liu nervously looked towards the door, and only relaxed when he saw no one, then said to Lu Chen, his face flushed, “How did you know my exclusive secret recipe?”
“Anything that grows naturally in the ground, no matter how round you roll it, I’ll know what it is just by smelling it.”
“Xiao Chen, you’ve cultivated so much from farming you’ve become an Immortal!”
Old Liu exclaimed, then lowered his voice: “Her pulse indicates her oil is running out and her lamp is dying; no matter how much you supplement, it’s useless. Taking my pills can sustain her for one or two months. If you supplement her indiscriminately, she’ll be too weak to absorb it and will die even faster.”
“Is there no other way?” Lu Chen asked.
“No.” Old Liu shook his head, “For her to have lasted this long is already a miracle.”
Three days later.
Lu Chen finished his farm work and settled the accounts with the landlord.
He bought a carriage, loaded a few bags of new rice and his luggage, and Lu Chen left Qingquan Town.
Compared to the prepared bedding, Lu Qiangwei preferred to lie on Lu Chen.
“What else do you remember?”
“There are many things that wanted to eat me.”
“And what else?”
“There’s a ladder that can come down from the sky.”
“Is there anyone you can remember?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“You.”
Lu Chen and Lu Qiangwei chatted idly, but did not get any useful information.
Lu Chen only felt the floral scent on Lu Qiangwei growing stronger, and Lu Qiangwei wanted to “grow” on Lu Chen even more.
Half a month later, a huge city.
The Immortal Sect’s recruitment of disciples made the already bustling Panlong City even more crowded.
Lu Chen sold the carriage, holding the money box, and stared at Lu Qiangwei, who stared back.
Lu Chen did not give Lu Qiangwei “conservative treatment” but instead adopted “end-of-life care.”
His original plan was to bury Lu Qiangwei on the road.
However, Lu Qiangwei didn’t “disappear,” but his rice “disappeared.”
These days, Lu Qiangwei’s complexion was getting better and better, her skin was no longer wrinkled, and her small face was much rosier.
“What do you want to eat? I’ll buy it for you.”
“I want to eat candied haws.”
“Okay.”
“I want to eat meat.”
“I’ll take you to a restaurant.”
Lu Chen inquired with the waiter about the Immortal Sect’s recruitment of disciples; he had three choices.
Tianlong Gate, Bi Yun Sect, Tian Yuan Merchant Guild.
Tianlong Gate cultivated demons and tamed beasts, and its sect only had pastures and no spiritual fields, so Lu Chen immediately ruled it out.
Bi Yun Sect had strict recruitment and many rules, and although it had spiritual fields, there weren’t many, so Lu Chen also ruled it out.
In comparison, the Tian Yuan Merchant Guild was more to Lu Chen’s liking.
Lu Chen couldn’t just farm in one place. He heard that the Tian Yuan Merchant Guild was spread across various cities, had spiritual fields everywhere, and maintained close ties with major Immortal Sects.
In terms of relationships, it was free, just a merchant guild clerk.
In terms of actions, it was also free; he could go wherever he wanted.
“You also have the surname Lu? We are from the same family.”
Lu Yuanshan looked at Lu Chen with interest. He had noticed this young man when he entered; his steps were light and steady, not raising dust, indicating at least Body Refinement Realm fifth level.
“Greetings, Lu Daye.” Lu Chen cupped his hands.
“…” Lu Yuanshan stroked his white beard. This address was so unfamiliar.
“Not going to an Immortal Sect but coming to a merchant guild, your vision is good.”
Lu Yuanshan said, “Although our merchant guild’s resources are based on more work, more gain, the upper limit is much higher than Tianlong Gate or Bi Yun Sect; you will understand later. Now, tell me, what do you want to do?”
“Oh, right, let me first introduce what our merchant guild can do.”
“Working as a clerk in a shop, you can become a Vice Presidents in a small city, or a manager in a large city. Escorting resources and trading with Immortal Sects, often involving long journeys…”
Lu Chen interrupted: “I want to farm.”
“Farm?” Lu Yuanshan was a bit surprised, “You’re already in the Body Refinement Realm, why are you still farming? This kind of work should be left to farmers.”
“I am a farmer.” Lu Chen said.
“…” Lu Yuanshan looked at the ordinary Mortals lining up at the door waiting to be recruited.
Lu Chen also looked over and said, “I am not an ordinary farmer; I can farm one hundred mu of land by myself.”
“One hundred mu?” Lu Yuanshan chuckled, “You want to get rich?”
Lu Yuanshan said with a smile, “The Tian Yuan Merchant Guild only has spiritual fields, which supply the Immortal Sects. Spiritual fields cannot be cultivated with oxen or horses because oxen and horses will steal and eat the seeds and seedlings.”
“I don’t use oxen or horses, and I don’t steal or eat seeds or seedlings.” Lu Chen said.
Lu Yuanshan looked at Lu Chen seriously, and he found that Lu Chen was also very serious.
“At your age, you should be focusing your energy on cultivation…”
“With Dao in one’s heart, what is not cultivation?”
“???” Lu Yuanshan was stunned, opening his mouth several times but finding himself speechless.
He wanted to say that Lu Chen didn't understand cultivation at all, but this sudden sentence...
“Alright, good, very good.”
Lu Yuanshan directly gave three affirmative responses.
He couldn’t remember the last time he was speechless. He flipped his hand, and a contract appeared on the table, “The Tian Yuan Merchant Guild is not a stepping stone where you can come and go as you please. If you wish to seek other employment in the future, you will need to pay liquidated damages.”
“Of course, while you are a clerk of the Tian Yuan Merchant Guild, the Tian Yuan Merchant Guild can provide you with opportunities, convenient resources, and safety protection.”
Lu Chen looked at the content on the contract. He found that even if he left later, the compensation required was only twice the resources provided by the merchant guild.
For the merchant guild, this was a profitable deal. For Lu Chen, these terms were certainly acceptable.
“I need good spiritual fields, where are they?”
Lu Chen placed his hand on the contract, and the ordinary paper imprinted Lu Chen’s clear palm print.
“Panlong City has no spiritual fields; you can come with me to Sifang City.”
“When are we going?”
“The merchant guild has many benefits for its clerks, free basic Cultivation Technique, Martial Skill, and Spell. Don’t you want to learn about them first?”
“I want to know first if the spiritual fields are fertile enough.”
Lu Yuanshan looked at Lu Chen strangely, “You seem to be in a hurry?”