Chapter 10: I Want Ten!

The next morning at the break of dawn, Su Xuan woke up on the floor of the kitchen.

It had been late at night by the time he finished refining the pills yesterday.

His two disciples were already sleeping like dead pigs in his room, so he had no choice but to make do for a night in the kitchen.

Between the damp, cold floor and the pressing sense of urgency, he couldn’t stay asleep.

‘Those two little disciples have been sleeping here for several years, no wonder they harbor so much resentment.’

‘I should buy two beds later and improve the living conditions.’

After these silent reflections, Su Xuan performed a quick wash and immediately began his cultivation.

The original host of this body possessed poor aptitude and practiced the Evergreen Art, a technique so common it was practically cluttering the streets of the immortal world.

Aside from being mediocre and having no side effects, its only merit was that most cultivators used it as an introductory manual.

As he focused, he felt his cultivation level.

He was currently below the middle stage of Qi Refinement Level 2.

The spiritual energy in his dantian was like a stagnant pool of water.

It would take a great deal of hard work to break through to Level 3.

Two hours later, he silently stood up.

The surrounding spiritual energy was thin to begin with.

Despite two hours of bitter cultivation, the spiritual energy in his dantian had only grown by a minuscule sliver, though his legs were incredibly numb.

Much like romance, some things simply couldn’t be forced if the foundation wasn’t there.

Seeing that the sun was high in the sky, Su Xuan tucked his pills away and walked out the door.

If his natural talent was lacking, he would simply pay his way through.

He would use spiritual stones to feed his progress!

***

Su Xuan arrived at the Marketplace, where the crowds were gradually thickening.

He walked silently to his stall and set out five bottles of Inedia Pills and three bottles of Pill of Myriad Mysteries.

Then, he squatted obediently beside his stall and waited for customers.

Based on the experience from his past life, he knew he couldn’t shout to advertise these specific pills.

‘If he yelled it out, who would have the face to buy them?’

‘Who would admit they were “lacking” in front of a street full of people?’

“Friend Su, what brings you here? So diligent lately?”

Old Man Zhang from the neighboring stall leaned over again, clicking his tongue in wonder.

Previously, one wouldn’t see Su Xuan once in half a month.

‘How was he back again after only two days?’

“I’m short on spiritual stones, Brother Zhang. Why don’t you share some of your profits with me so I can go back and rest?” Su Xuan joked.

“Forget it!”

Old Man Zhang laughed, revealing two yellow teeth as he waved his hand dismissively.

“By the way, have you heard? In a few days, stalls won’t be allowed in the Outer Market anymore.”

He seemed to remember something and sighed, looking worried.

Su Xuan was stunned.

This was unexpected.

“Then where are we supposed to sell our goods?”

“Who cares about our survival? They probably want us to go sell at the Inner Market stalls,” Old Man Zhang sneered, his voice full of mockery.

It was no wonder he felt this way.

The Inner Market was where the prestigious cultivators lived, and the rent there was more than five times higher than in the Outer Market.

Loose cultivators at the bottom of the barrel like them couldn’t even afford to live there, let alone rent a stall.

“Sigh…”

Old Man Zhang sighed again and returned to his stall with a face full of gloom.

‘What’s going on? In my past life, I clearly lived here just fine.’

Su Xuan frowned, unsure why such a major change was occurring.

In the longest of his past lives, he had stayed here for several years and had nearly reached Foundation Establishment.

“Inedia Pills? How much for a bottle?”

Before he could think further, a man squatted in front of his stall, picking up a bottle to inquire.

“It’s you?”

Su Xuan looked up and saw the scrawny, middle-aged cultivator from yesterday staring at him with a hint of surprise.

“Oh, what a coincidence. One spiritual stone per bottle,” Su Xuan greeted him with a smile.

The middle-aged man recognized him as well.

Likely thinking Su Xuan was some sort of pervert, he put the bottle down and waved his hand to leave.

“Friend, please wait,” Su Xuan said quickly.

He remembered that this man was a regular customer of someone called Sister Li.

He was clearly a frequent visitor of the pleasure quarters.

Based on Su Xuan’s experience, this was exactly the kind of person who needed his Pill of Myriad Mysteries the most.

“I have something good here… something that can help you show your prowess in the Dark Alley.” Su Xuan winked.

The middle-aged man blinked and considered it for a moment before silently turning back.

He stared at Su Xuan with suspicion.

After twenty years of wandering through the “bushes,” his “iron rod” had long since been ground down into a “sewing needle.”

Beyond simply being unable to perform, he required whips or candles to be used on him just to muster a shred of his former glory.

He had tried countless famous doctors and folk remedies, but nothing worked.

‘What could this young man possibly offer?’

“What is it?” he asked as he squatted down.

He didn’t have much hope, treating this as a desperate last resort.

“A legacy work of Zhezhi Daoren,” Su Xuan said mysteriously, pulling a pill bottle from his robes.

Hearing the name “Zhezhi Daoren,” the man’s eyes lit up.

A trace of respect appeared on his face as he took the bottle with trembling hands.

He took a light sniff and his eyes widened.

With just a single breath of the aroma, his dormant “younger brother” showed a slight reaction.

‘And this scent?’

“A Second-tier Pill?! How much?”

He gripped the bottle tightly as if it were a literal lifeline, asking in a low voice.

“Fifteen spiritual stones per pill.”

The corners of Su Xuan’s mouth curled upward.

He had directly increased the price by half.

He added, “Don’t think it’s expensive. Zhezhi Daoren has already passed away. There is one less of these in the world every time one is used.”

The middle-aged man didn’t think it was expensive at all.

After confirming Su Xuan had three pills in total, he immediately pulled out a small pouch and poured out the full amount of spiritual stones.

“My name is Shangguan Xiushen. If you find any more in the future, sell them directly to me.”

After speaking, he didn’t want to wait another second.

He tucked the pills away, popped one into his mouth, and hurried off into the distance.

A short while later, with a flushed face, he pushed open the doors of Xiuchun House.

“I… I want to book ten girls!”

***

Su Xuan watched the man’s retreating back with a blank expression.

For a moment, he didn’t know whether to praise the man’s wealth or comment on his impatience.

‘Truly a man of passion, brother.’

With a silent lament, he gathered the spiritual stones and the remaining pills from the stall and turned toward home.

He understood the principle of not flaunting one’s wealth; he couldn’t afford to be targeted with so many spiritual stones on his person.

Just as he reached the courtyard gate, the voices of his two disciples drifted from inside.

Su Xuan stopped in his tracks.

“Senior Sister, I’m hungry… Can I have one more bite?” This was Lu Zhiyi acting spoiled, seemingly not having eaten her fill.

“All you think about is eating, yet you don’t grow at all. You’re not allowed to eat! Keep that horse stance steady!” Lin Zhiwei’s tone was light and teasing as if she were supervising some training.

“You’re the one who grows too much. Be careful, it’ll be a burden when you walk in the future! Hmph!” Lu Zhiyi’s voice carried a hint of dissatisfaction and a playful pout.

“Don’t talk back!” Seeing that her junior wasn’t taking it seriously, Lin Zhiwei’s tone turned stern.

“Focus! If there’s danger in the future, you need to be able to protect yourself. Do you hear me?”

“But won’t Master protect us?” Lu Zhiyi muttered.

“Master? He’s… fine for now…” Lin Zhiwei lowered her voice, sounding hesitant.

She continued, “But what if he changes back one day? When that time comes, we can… do you understand?”

***

‘Damn, this eldest disciple is such an ungrateful wolf.’

‘I even saved her, and yet she’s still guarding against me and even trying to lead the second one astray!’

Su Xuan stood outside the courtyard, feeling a bit frustrated.

After a moment of thought, he intentionally coughed and deepened his footsteps.

The voices in the courtyard instantly went silent.

When he pushed the door open, he saw Lu Zhiyi holding a horse stance. her cheeks were slightly red, her body was trembling, and beads of sweat dotted her collarbones.

Lin Zhiwei stood behind her with her hands behind her back, her eyes looking a bit flustered as she looked at him.

“What are you two doing?” Su Xuan asked, pretending he hadn’t heard anything.

“I… I’m helping Zhiyi exercise. This way, she’ll have more strength when she washes Master’s clothes or does other chores in the future,” Lin Zhiwei said with a smile.

She looked pure and innocent, appearing entirely loyal.

“Oh, your physical condition is indeed better than hers,” Su Xuan said, nodding with feigned appreciation.

He continued, “Then the laundry for the household will be entrusted to you from now on. Thank you for your hard work.”

Looking at the stunned Lin Zhiwei, Su Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

‘Little girl, you think I can’t handle you?’