Chapter 278: Tier Six

It had just been a probe. Seeing him react with such fear, Chen Qingyang backed off, not wanting to make future business difficult. “Shopkeeper, why so alarmed? I was only teasing you!”

Shopkeeper Wang looked over, his eyes full of reproach. “Oh dear, Senior Brother Chen, please don’t play jokes like that in the future. It’s too much for a humble business like mine.”

It was clear he was still shaken from having loaned Chen Qingyang so much.

To reassure him, Chen Qingyang tossed over the cloth bag in his hand. Inside was a grand total of 500,000 Spirit Stones.

Shopkeeper Wang hurriedly caught it. After carefully counting the contents, his face lit up with joy. “Oh! Senior Brother Chen, you’ve come to repay the loan early! You truly are a man of your word!”

Chen Qingyang asked, “Since I’m paying it back early, can I get a discount on the interest?”

Shopkeeper Wang immediately shook his head. “We’re a humble business, and we rely on that bit of profit to get by. I really can’t give you a discount.”

Since he put it that way, Chen Qingyang could retort with a clear conscience. “Then why should I bother paying it back early? I’ll leave all 500,000 Spirit Stones here. Please help me find a piece of Wood Spirit Essence. How long will that take?”

In the past, business was always a matter of paying upon delivery. The only reason Chen Qingyang dared to leave the payment here upfront was because he owed them far more—they were the ones who should be worried.

While not as welcome as an early repayment, this at least proved the client had a source of income and wanted to continue their business relationship, which was good news in itself. Shopkeeper Wang said, “It will be ready in three days. You can come pick it up then, Senior Brother Chen.”

Chen Qingyang cupped his hands. “Thank you for your trouble, Shopkeeper. There’s one more item I’d like, but I didn’t bring much money with me today. Could you perhaps let me have it on credit?”

Shopkeeper Wang froze for a moment. “Senior Brother Chen, you’re not teasing me again, are you?”

“You misunderstand, Shopkeeper. It’s just a small thing, something Gentle Breeze is sure to have. It’s called Star Meteor Powder.”

“Star Meteor Powder!” He muttered the three words, and his eyes suddenly lit up. “But that’s…”

‘That’s a poison! What would a Pill Master want with poison?’

‘This was the very reason I’d rather have gone to Liu Tao than try to get Star Meteor Powder from Gentle Breeze. This guy must be thinking there was something wrong with the Elixirs I sold him before.’

‘That’s actually not a bad idea. Add a tiny bit to each Pill… it’s not like it would kill anyone. So what if I “borrowed” a bit of their Immortal Seedling in the process?’

‘But… that would be a bit too unscrupulous.’

‘I’ll save that option for when I’m truly desperate.’

He slammed his hand on the long counter. “Shopkeeper Wang, what kind of person do you take me for? Are you suggesting I poisoned the Elixirs I sold you before?”

At this, Shopkeeper Wang’s somewhat chubby face looked aggrieved, and his lips formed a pout. “If you add just a tiny bit of Star Meteor Powder to an Elixir, no one would ever be able to tell. Here at Gentle Breeze, our reputation is everything. How can I not be worried, Senior Brother Chen?”

Chen Qingyang bristled with righteous indignation. “The poison isn’t lethal, and there’s no way to detect it by taste—so what? Besides, I have no idea who you ultimately give your Elixirs to. Our business is a clean transaction. Tell me, what reason would I have to do such a thing? Do you really think I’m some ruthless villain from a Demon Sect?”

He slammed both hands on the long counter, looking as if he were about to tear the whole bamboo building down.

What could Shopkeeper Wang do? Chen Qingyang was a major client now, someone he absolutely could not afford to offend. “Then… if I may be so bold as to ask, Senior Brother Chen, what do you need it for?”

Chen Qingyang scoffed. “Do you really think Pill Masters do nothing but refine Elixirs? Let me tell you, we must also dabble in Gold and Stone Pharmacology. Star Meteor Powder wasn’t created to take human lives. It’s used to harness its latent Cold Yin Qi to neutralize Extremely Yin Medicinal Properties. This is the principle of Yin Yang Balance, the Path of Heaven and Earth itself! It has nothing to do with the sordid business you’re imagining…”

His words were righteous and his reasoning came thick and fast. The more Chen Qingyang spoke, the more ashamed Shopkeeper Wang became. “Oh, oh, my apologies, my apologies! I was only thinking of Gentle Breeze’s clients. Senior Brother Chen is a magnanimous man.”

And just as the shopkeeper said, Chen Qingyang was indeed magnanimous. “Very well. I forgive you.”

Seeing how readily he agreed, Shopkeeper Wang quickly added, “It isn’t a particularly valuable item. On my own authority, I’ll gift it to you, Senior Brother Chen. When you come for the Wood Spirit Essence in three days, I will have two taels prepared for you.”

‘Two taels… That’s far too little. Two catties would be more like it. But if I actually asked for two catties, that amount wouldn’t make sense for the study of Gold and Stone Pharmacology. Looks like I’ll have to ask Senior Sister Liu for this stuff after all.’

“Thank you. That will be enough.”

…

A light rain was falling outside.

Chen Qingyang sat before his Pill Furnace, mentally reviewing the formula for the Dongming Upper Mansion Pill. The Pill’s fundamental mechanism was the same as the Earth Root Biochemical Pill; the only change was in its medicinal properties.

The Earth Root Biochemical Pill was for Cultivating Yin Fiend Qi. In contrast, the Dongming Upper Mansion Pill neutralized Yin and Yang. Through the transformations of Yin and Yang, it could expand the Dongming Mansion, replenish one’s energy, and fortify the body both internally and externally.

When it came to the refining process, the main differences lay in the raw materials.

One had to understand that different Immortal Grasses possessed different medicinal properties. To draw out those properties, one had to employ different methods.

This was especially true for the refining duration, the control of the fire, the stages of transformation for the medicinal properties, and the extraction of those properties… many aspects would change significantly.

Chen Qingyang’s current Fire Control Ability was exceptionally strong. Paired with his powerful Divine Soul and the Conscious Fish, there was no need to waste an Immortal Seedling. He could simply rely on his own comprehension.

He processed the raw materials, placed them in the Pill Furnace, controlled the fire for the refining, and used a Late Fire to preserve the properties. After completing the entire sequence, a finished Elixir was already resting in his palm.

It was the color of ink, with an apricot-yellow sheen. It gave off a rich, medicinal fragrance, and the pill formation was excellent.

[Tier Two Dongming Upper Mansion Pill: (0/1000)]