Qinghe Immortal Market, a spacious courtyard in the Inner Market.
“I’ve worked so hard for what? Isn’t it so you can get promoted! Why are you still blaming me? You heartless man… sob sob.”
Auntie Jin slumped over the table, wailing.
However, the fat on her face ruined the “pear blossoms in the rain” image, making her look more like a shrew shouting in the street.
“Oh, Xishan, how could I blame you? I just… I just spoke a bit harshly…”
Opposite Auntie Jin, a thin middle-aged man called her by her childhood name, whispering soft words of comfort.
His two thin eyebrows were knitted together, his beady eyes darting around.
His goatee was so sparse it looked like it had been plucked nearly bald.
This middle-aged man was a Steward of the Outer Market in Qinghe Immortal Market, as well as Auntie Jin’s lover, Wu Renyou.
“Then why didn’t you show your face? Would he have dared to refuse if you had? That lord will be here in a few days. How are we going to report back then?”
Auntie Jin roared at him, filled with grievance.
‘How the hell can I do this openly?’
Wu Renyou was speechless.
He was a Steward of the Immortal Market, while Auntie Jin was a brothel madam — one operated in the light, the other in the shadows.
It was one thing to be together in secret, but for him to personally step forward to buy girls for her?
What if his superiors found out?
What if his colleagues reported him?
Good heavens, it would ruin his career.
“I’m trying to help you move up, and you’re still being mean to me! Waaaah…”
Even though Auntie Jin understood, she refused to back down and started causing a scene again.
“Alright, alright. I found a good-looking one the other day. She happened to be dumped at a Medical Clinic. I’ve already arranged for people to secretly kidnap her. When the time comes, she’ll be placed in Woman Li’s courtyard under your command. You can take her and train her then.”
Seeing her like this, Wu Renyou grew a bit impatient.
He stroked his goatee and spoke crossly.
‘In the end, I still have to rely on myself. Once I’m promoted to Head Steward, I’ll kick this woman to the curb sooner or later.’
He thought to himself.
“Oh? Really? Is she as pretty as the one I found?”
Auntie Jin stopped crying and asked hesitantly.
She still couldn’t forget Lu Zhiyi.
In her eyes, that girl would definitely become a great beauty in the future.
“You’ll see when the time comes. Calculating the time, there should be a result soon.”
Wu Renyou picked up his teacup with a bit of pride and took a sip.
“Big brother! Something terrible has happened!”
Before he could enjoy his pride for long, a hurried voice sounded from outside.
The short cultivator who had tried to kidnap Lin Zhiwei ran inside.
“Big brother, sister-in-law, that little girl was snatched away! They even injured my brother!”
The short cultivator said urgently.
“What?”
Wu Renyou stood up abruptly, his face full of disbelief.
“Who did it?”
“I… I don’t know. That person’s cultivation was profound. He injured my brother in a single exchange. I barely escaped with my life to come back and report.”
The short cultivator gritted his teeth.
He didn’t dare admit he had run away, so he could only exaggerate.
“Who would be so bold… Investigate it for me!”
Steward Wu slammed the table fiercely.
“Xishan, what was the name of that girl you liked? Does she have a master? Who is it?”
He turned to ask Auntie Jin.
For now, he could only find another way.
“Her name is Lu Zhiyi, and her master is Su Xuan, a Loose Cultivator in the Outer Market.”
Auntie Jin answered quickly.
“Su Xuan? Him again?”
Steward Wu was stunned.
Was the girl he had his eye on also his apprentice?
He had just checked two days ago.
This person was at Qi Refinement Level 2, had no background, and his alchemy was mediocre.
‘That kid is quite lucky to have such beautiful disciples.’
“Look into it and see if he did it.”
Wu Renyou stroked his goatee.
If it was him, he would have to find a way to deal with it.
Su Xuan didn’t know he was being watched yet.
He was struggling to set out a large pile of jars and bottles, along with that shiny black pot.
Yesterday, he had thoroughly studied the pill recipe and refining techniques.
He knew it was a Second-tier Pill Recipe called the Pill of Myriad Mysteries.
But he had never refined it before.
He didn’t know the temperature or the medicinal properties.
Refining it blindly was too risky.
He had originally planned to refine some Inedia Pills first and then experiment slowly.
Today, the prompt had directly given him cultivation requirements and a countdown, forcing him to speed up.
After all, anyone who played gacha games knew that once a countdown appeared, it was basically an “instant death” event.
‘You don’t do it? You’ll have plenty of time to do it in your next life.’
So, he went directly to the Marketplace today to buy materials.
Two sets of medicinal ingredients cost him all his remaining spiritual stones; the cost was four times that of an Inedia Pill!
But if he actually succeeded, a bottle of Second-tier Pills would be priced at 10 spiritual stones, which was a full ten times higher than an Inedia Pill!
He only had two chances now.
He hoped he would make it in time!
He took a deep breath and picked up a set of ingredients.
“Bian Que, Zhang Zhongjing, and Sun Simiao… senior predecessors, please protect your junior…”
Su Xuan silently recited a few names.
Thinking it wasn’t safe enough, he added names like the King of Medicine, Lord Guan, and even Jesus Christ.
Then, he skillfully set up the iron pot and began putting in the ingredients from the recipe, such as horny goat weed, one by one.
The various powders tumbled and merged in the pot, gradually taking on a ghostly blue hue and forming into a medicinal mass.
He constantly adjusted the flames.
Seeing the medicinal mass gradually about to form into round pills…
‘This is working!’
He was excited.
He was about to put in a bit more effort to succeed in one go.
Squeak! Squeak!
A sharp rat cry from above startled him, causing his Spiritual Power to falter.
‘Crap!’
His mind shook.
Looking back at the iron pot, the medicinal mass that had almost formed into pills completely fell apart.
The spiritual energy rapidly dissipated, leaving behind a pile of dregs.
‘What the hell…’
He was frantic.
He circulated his Spiritual Power and grabbed the culprits — two Grey-skinned Big Rats were now in his hands.
‘Interrupting my alchemy, are we?’
Malice rose in Su Xuan’s heart.
He shoved several handfuls of powder into the rats until they were stuffed, then opened the door and threw them over the wall.
He clapped his hands.
Having learned his lesson, he carefully inspected everything in the kitchen first to ensure there were no living creatures that could make noise.
After taking a moment to regulate his breathing and fully adjust his state, he took out the final set of materials.
‘It’s a matter of life and death. It all depends on this. Please protect me…’
Just like pulling from a gacha, he performed his ritual first.
It was a pity there was no “Good Luck” song in this world; otherwise, he would have played it at high volume.
Calming his mind, Su Xuan channeled his spiritual energy again and threw in the medicinal herbs.
He consumed a lot of Spiritual Power, and even the black pot couldn’t withstand the high temperature of the flames, showing several cracks.
Fortunately, the powder successfully formed into blue pills this time, releasing a dense medicinal fragrance.
The Pill of Myriad Mysteries!
Su Xuan looked at the three pills in the pot, his face full of excitement.
Although the quantity wasn’t as high as the Inedia Pills, as noble Second-tier Pills, he could put one in each bottle and sell them for the astronomical price of 10 spiritual stones!
The effect was similar to a certain small pill from his previous life, just more potent, with a wider audience and fewer side effects.
It really wasn’t a “proper” pill.
‘Sigh, I don’t know if I can even trade these for spiritual stones. We’re all cultivators now; how many people still have those kinds of desires?’
Su Xuan sighed as he carefully packed the pills.
Looking at the large black pot that was now covered in cracks, he felt a bit of pity.
So, he refined a few more batches of Inedia Pills until the pot was completely ruined.
He might as well use it while it was still hot.
[Countdown: 28 double-hours]
After packing everything away, he looked at the ticking countdown, feeling a bit uncertain.
In the future, he had to hurry and increase his cultivation.
It would be best to buy a new cauldron, refine more pills, and save more spiritual stones.
It would save him from being in a situation like this.
This sudden feeling of having an unknown outcome really annoyed him.