Immortality Begins With The Alchemical Master Chapter 109: Sorry, Calling You Beggars Was Too Hasty - Novel Cool

Chapter 109: Sorry, Calling You Beggars Was Too Hasty

Chapter 109: Sorry, Calling You Beggars Was Too Hasty

"Name?"

"Lu Huaiben."

"Where are you from?"

"Qianshan, Yuanzhao Kingdom."

Ah, a fellow countryman! Luo Chen, munching on a celestial bean, raised an eyebrow. He was also from Yuanzhao Kingdom.

He never expected that the person hanging on the rack would also be from his hometown.

Uncle Mi Shuhua glared at Luo Chen and then signaled for Sikong Shoujia to continue the interrogation.

Lu Huaiben, who had been tortured all night with various cruel methods, was now barely hanging on. As a result, he answered almost every question without hesitation.

Sikong Shoujia continued, "Which faction do you belong to?"

"No faction, just an independent cultivator living in Snow Lotus Market."

"What about your leader? What's his name?"

"My leader is Shan Xiu, also an independent cultivator. We usually make a living by hunting beasts."

"Since you hunt beasts, why did you think of ambushing our Hall Master? Speak, was someone else behind this?"

"No, we just heard that alchemists are very wealthy. We planned to make a big score before leaving."

"Still lying, I see. Looks like you haven't suffered enough yet!"

Sikong Shoujia's eyes flashed with anger, and the three silver needles in Lu Huaiben's head suddenly sank a bit deeper.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!"

Lu Huaiben, who was already on the brink of death, started trembling violently, like a fish thrashing in its final moments.

Sikong Shoujia's hands moved through the air, and the silver needles floated up slightly.

Lu Huaiben gasped for breath, as if a drowning man had just surfaced for air.

"Please, no more, no more. I beg you."

Tears, snot, and blood streamed down his face.

Lu Huaiben sobbed, "We really just wanted to make a quick score. No one else was involved."

"Lies. Dan Chenzie rarely leaves the Alchemy Hall. How could you have coincidentally run into him? Someone must have tipped you off. Speak, who was it?"

"No one, really. We learned from a female cultivator named Yuan Xiaoyue that Dan Chenzie delivers goods to her every month. We figured he would be around these days."

Yuan Xiaoyue?

Sikong Shoujia turned to look at Luo Chen.

Luo Chen frowned and whispered to Sikong Shoujia, "Keep asking. What's the relationship between Yuan Xiaoyue and them? Why did she tell them this information?"

Under Sikong Shoujia's continued pressure, Lu Huaiben sobbed, "We bought all her celestial beans and asked if she had more. She said it would take a couple of days."

Uh!

Everyone was taken aback, and Luo Chen's face turned stiff.

Damn, with such smarts, why not go to grad school?

"Alright, one more question. Your leader is named Shan Xiu, right? Where does he stay in River Market? And in Snow Lotus Market?"

"I'm warning you, you must tell the truth. Otherwise, my Soul-Extinguishing Needles will pay you another visit."

Sikong Shoujia held a thick silver needle in his hand, looking at it with a twisted fascination.

Lu Huaiben's body trembled, his eyes filled with terror.

He quickly detailed every location where his leader stayed, even adding a few possible places.

With all the questions asked, there was nothing more to inquire about.

Uncle Mi Shuhua and Luo Chen stood up and walked out.

"Senior Sikong, continue the interrogation for a couple more days and see if you can get any more information."

"Understood, Elder."

Sikong Shoujia grinned, pulled out another set of silver needles, and stared at Lu Huaiben like a wolf eyeing a lamb.

Even if cultivators don't specialize in physical strength, they are far stronger than ordinary humans. He had some fun ahead.

Hearing the agonized screams coming from the dungeon, Luo Chen shuddered.

When Sikong Shoujia personally took charge of the torture, Luo Chen almost thought he saw Auntie Rong.

Isn't this little old man usually quite friendly?

"Boss, do we usually interrogate prisoners this way?"

"Yes, the original Broken Mountain Gang had a torture chamber. I thought it was too harsh and disbanded it. Before the disbandment, Senior Sikong was the head of the torture chamber. How about it, his skills are pretty good, right? Once he gets involved, the person spills everything like beans from a pod."

Luo Chen quickly shook his head, "I wasn't talking about that. Don't you foundation-stage cultivators have soul-searching or mind-control techniques?"

As soon as he said this, Luo Chen noticed the atmosphere had changed.

Looking at Uncle Mi Shuhua's side profile, he saw the old man eyeing him with surprise.

"Where did you hear about these?"

Luo Chen carefully replied, "From the independent cultivators at the market, they were just boasting."

Uncle Mi Shuhua shook his head, "Whether it's soul-searching or mind-control, they are dark and evil techniques. In our Jade Dian Domain, and even the Six Eastern Realms, they are strictly forbidden."

"Really? I don't believe it!" Luo Chen insisted, "The demons at Heavenly Fragrance Tower are said to be very good at it!"

"Ha ha, that's a different technique."

Uncle Mi Shuhua smiled faintly.

The two continued walking and finally emerged from the underground passage.

By now, the night had passed, and the sky was bright.

Luo Chen returned late last night after a long chase, but he still couldn't catch up to Dan Xi, the cultivator at the ninth level of the Qi Refinement stage.

The Water Escape Talisman isn't a common item; it's a genuine Five Elements Escape Technique—Water Escape.

The most basic escape techniques in the Five Elements are all second-stage spells.

When activated, they can cover a hundred miles in an instant.

Moreover, Dan Xi was from the Snow Lotus Workshop, where most people were skilled in concealment techniques. Uncle Mi Hua searched for half the night but couldn't catch him.

That person had a keen spiritual sense and, upon sensing danger, activated the Water Escape Talisman without hesitation.

He even traded blows with Liu Qiang, taking a knife wound to escape.

The two stood under the eaves, watching the snowflakes fall gently.

"This matter will definitely be resolved to your satisfaction. However, from what we can see, it's unlikely that any major forces are behind it. It's probably just a random attack on a cultivator."

"Even random attacks can be simple!" Luo Chen suddenly mentioned a name. "What about Gao Tingyuan targeting me?"

Uncle Mi Hua thought for a moment and shook his head.

"It's unlikely to be him. After all, I already spoke with Wang Haichao last time."

"Besides, to be frank, if you sell the Jade Marrow Pill in other markets, we will also cooperate with the Great River Gang. He wouldn't be so shortsighted as to ruin a good source of income."

Luo Chen chuckled, "That's your perspective as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but it has nothing to do with Gao Tingyuan."

"You have a point!" Uncle Mi Hua thought for a moment and said, "I'll speak with Wang Haichao again and have him keep an eye on Gao Tingyuan. Whether it's him or not, we need to nip any danger in the bud."

"Your words put me at ease."

Luo Chen yawned, waved his hand, and was about to leave when he seemed to remember something.

"Leader, with the cold weather, the cultivators in the Alchemy Hall are having a tough time."

With that, he left, and four more cultivators accompanied him.

Each was tall and strong, with no less than the seventh level of Qi Refinement.

Once Liu Qiang recovered, his bodyguard team would grow to five.

Who in the Great River Workshop could match the treatment of having five late-stage Qi Refinement bodyguards?

Uncle Mi Hua stood under the eaves, still deep in thought.

He heard footsteps behind him and asked without turning, "Ping'er, what is it?"

Mi Junping said excitedly, "Sikong Shoujia brought over the Alchemy Hall's ledger from last month. I found that we refined over four thousand Jade Marrow Pills last month, including twelve hundred mid-grade Jade Marrow Pills!"

Uncle Mi Hua was stunned, then his face lit up with joy.

Twelve hundred mid-grade Jade Marrow Pills, ten per bottle, each bottle worth fifty spirit stones, that's over five thousand spirit stones.

If you add the low-grade Jade Marrow Pills...

After deducting the costs of materials and labor, he would still have a net profit of at least two thousand spirit stones!

And that's just for one month!

With a few more years, he could afford a defensive magical treasure.

Even if he didn't buy a defensive treasure, the resources needed for advancing from mid-stage to late-stage Foundation Establishment would be almost worry-free.

And as Luo Chen becomes more familiar with refining the Jade Marrow Pill, the profits will only increase.

"Indeed, investing everything in Luo Chen was the right decision."

"From the moment I learned that a mid-grade pill was refined by him, I knew Luo Chen would be a great benefactor on my path of cultivation!"

Hearing her father's almost irrational self-talk, Mi Junping couldn't help but ask, "Is Luo Chen really that important?"

"Ping'er, you must remember. Alchemists are the most valuable talent in the cultivation world!"

"You can't offend them, can't let them have a negative opinion of you, and certainly can't have any conflicts with them."

"Even if there are conflicts, either resolve them immediately or eliminate the alchemist at all costs."

Mi Junping opened her mouth to protest but was silenced by the thought of the benefits the Alchemy Hall brought last month.

After the initial joy, Uncle Mi Hua gradually calmed down.

The profits weren't so easily obtained; he still needed to share some of the benefits with others.

"Ping'er, send an invitation to the Jade Tripod Sword Pavilion. I'll invite a distinguished guest to the Zhongding family banquet tomorrow night."

"Also, contact the Nangong family. They recently moved from the Snow Lotus Workshop and are familiar with that area. I need specific information on someone named Dan Xi."

"I'll be going to the Great River Gang later. Have someone inform Wang Yuan from the Dragon Hall to accompany me."

After a long speech, he seemed to have more to say. Looking at his daughter, a good idea came to mind.

In Mi Junping's shocked gaze, he brought up a topic.

"Your partner has been gone for many years. Have you considered finding a new one?"

...

...

Luo Chen had no idea that someone was arranging his marriage.

With a few bodyguards, he swaggered back to the inner city.

It was still early, so he first went to the Yuan family.

When settling the profits from last month, he found that he had fifty more spirit stones than before.

"I met a good person who said the Immortal Beans were delicious and wanted to buy more."

“Not all of it, I can't sell everything to him. I have other regular customers.”

“He refused, insisting on buying everything and even offered to pay more. The extra fifty spirit stones are from him.”

Luo Chen's expression was complicated. They were really willing to go to great lengths just to rob him!

After his moment of reflection, Luo Chen began to split the earnings.

Gross income: seven hundred spirit stones.

Now that he wasn't paying a fixed salary, he had to give Yuan Xiaoyue her thirty fixed spirit stones and then calculate the profit share after deducting costs.

As for the costs of items like Immortal Beans and popcorn?

Even at the highest estimate, they didn't exceed a hundred spirit stones.

High profit margins, indeed!

It was precisely because of these high profits that so many others were trying to follow suit.

The market was limited, making it difficult to scale up. Otherwise, Luo Chen would have considered setting up a processing plant outside the Alchemy Hall to produce these items.

"Here, your thirty fixed spirit stones, plus another thirty as profit share. Take it!"

Yuan Xiaoyue excitedly took the spirit stones.

She wasn't a naive girl anymore.

Living in the White Stone Square, interacting with many customers daily, she had a good understanding of the average income of wandering cultivators.

Earning sixty spirit stones a month almost surpassed all early-stage Qi Condensation cultivators.

Even mid-stage Qi Condensation cultivators without special skills didn't earn this much.

Even the maids and servants in the sect's shops only received a base salary of fifty spirit stones.

With these spirit stones, her future cultivation resources were secured, and reaching the fourth level of Qi Condensation was just around the corner!

Seeing her excitement, Luo Chen shook his head and asked, "How did the milk tea I sent you in the middle of the month sell?"

Hearing this, Yuan Xiaoyue's excitement dampened.

"Not well. It's too expensive. And when customers buy, they prefer Huangli Wine over milk tea."

Hearing this, Luo Chen was puzzled.

The milk tea recipe he had developed used tea leaves from the hundred-year-old tea trees found in the mountains by the Medicine Hall, milk from several mother yellow cows from the Beast Hall, and a pinch of crushed spirit herbs stolen from the raw materials of the Jade Marrow Pill.

When he tasted it, it was quite delicious.

Selling it for five spirit stones, and people still wouldn't buy it?

Damn, these mountain pigs can't appreciate refined flavors.

Since they don't like the high-end tea, I'll lower the price and make it more accessible, like a budget-friendly chain!

In a flash, Luo Chen had a new plan.

He took out the Immortal Beans, popcorn, and beef jerky that the Alchemy Hall cultivators had prepared for him from his storage bag.

"These are for next month."

"Also, I might be very busy in the future and won't have time to deliver. Remember this old man's face. What's your name?"

Luo Chen turned around and stared at the new bodyguard.

The man's face turned red, "I'm Dongfang Liang. I just look old, but I'm actually only in my fifties."

Luo Chen raised an eyebrow and patted his shoulder, "Liang, in the future, you'll be responsible for delivering for me. This is Yuan Xiaoyue. You should know her; she's the daughter of the former leader of the Medicine Hall, Yuejian Hu. Now, she's my partner and the owner of the Dust Moon Snack Stand. Treat her as you would treat me, got it?"

The old Liang, whose face was still red, lowered his head under Luo Chen's gaze.

"Got it."

"Don't look so dejected. Following me won't make you lose out."

That's right, they won't lose out.

Liu Qiang was still at home, recovering from his injuries, almost beaten to death.

The bodyguards looked helpless. Who could blame them when the boss had given them strict orders to take good care of Luo Chen?

After Luo Chen and the others left, Yuan Xiaoyue also decided to open her stall for business.

As she passed through the alley, she was stopped by an auntie.

"Xiaoyue, be careful when you go out!"

"Auntie, what's wrong?"

"I just heard some male cultivators walking by. One of them asked the leader, a young man, if he had his eye on you."

Yuan Xiaoyue was taken aback, a blush creeping onto her face.

"Auntie, don't say such things. He's my boss."

"So, he is your boss?" The auntie was surprised, then waved her hand, "That's not important. Just make sure your grandfather keeps a close eye on things. I think that young man looks good, but he might have a sinister heart."

Does Brother Luo have a sinister heart?

Yuan Xiaoyue couldn't help but smile, thinking it might be true.

...

"Who said he has his eye on her? Yuan Xiaoyue isn't even an adult yet. Don't spread rumors."

"But Hall Master, women are considered adults at fifteen!"

"I didn't ask for your mouth!"

Luo Chen jumped up and slapped Dongfang Liang's shoulder. This guy was so old, yet he was so tall, almost as tall as Wang Yuan, over two meters!

"She's my partner. Business matters can't be mixed with personal feelings!"

"Anyway, take good care of her in the future. Her father is dead, and her grandfather is disabled. She's quite pitiful."

"Okay, I will." Dongfang Liang responded, looking dejected.

Why was Luo Chen both commanding and bullying him?

Because he was the only one in the bodyguard team at the seventh level of Qi Condensation, the same as Luo Chen, making him easy to bully!

"Alright, that's enough. You can leave now!"

The bodyguards dispersed, and Luo Chen looked curiously at Dongfang Liang, who hadn't moved.

"Why aren't you going back?"

Dongfang Liang pouted, "I live around here, in that big compound up ahead."

Isn't this area mostly inhabited by female cultivators and the poor?

Luo Chen took a closer look at Dongfang Liang and sighed, "So you're not doing too well either, huh?"

With that, he strolled into the alley ahead, hands behind his back.

Back in the courtyard, it was mid-morning, and there was hardly anyone around.

The courtyard had a faint medicinal smell, which made Luo Chen sniff the air.

"Could it be that my sister-in-law is boiling medicine for me because she heard I was ambushed yesterday?"

With this thought in mind, Luo Chen closed the door to his house.

Sleep didn't come, but the urge to check his inventory did.

Storage bag, open!

It wasn't his storage bag, but the one belonging to Lu Huiben.

Rustle, rustle, a pile of items spilled onto the ground.

Luo Chen's mouth dropped open.

After a long moment, he sincerely said, "I'm sorry for calling you all poor. I was too hasty."

On the ground, at least a thousand spirit stones were piled up, a sight that made Luo Chen swallow hard.

Besides the spirit stones, there were five magical weapons, mostly low-grade, but two were mid-grade.

One was a half-meter-long white board, and the other was a pair of bells.

Buried in the mountain-like pile, Luo Chen found a set of array flags.

Since they were scattered, they didn't reveal their grade individually, so he hadn't noticed them at first.

Now, when assembled with the array plate, it turned out to be a Concealment Spirit Array, primarily for stealth.

No wonder he hadn't detected Lu Huiben and his gang right away. It was only when they got close that Luo Chen, with his exceptional spiritual foundation and the Spirit Eye technique, barely noticed something amiss.

It made sense that bandits would have a concealment array!

"Good stuff! Just what I need to hide my spirit vein cave."

Hehe, this was like finding a pillow when you're sleepy.

Then, Luo Chen stared at the small mountain of items, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Yes, all the items he had mentioned didn't actually form a small mountain.

What truly formed a small mountain was something Luo Chen was very familiar with.

"Immortal Beans!"

The Immortal Beans they had bought were still there, uneaten!

Now they were back in Luo Chen's possession.

Luo Chen was deeply moved. What kind of cultivation world was this, where people sent warmth like this!

Spending spirit stones to buy Immortal Beans from his business partner and inquire about him.

Then, delivering magical weapons, robes, spirit stones, and even a few bottles of unknown pills, along with the Immortal Beans they had bought.

What should he do now?

Sell them again!

But he couldn't let anyone know, or they might think his Dust Moon snack stall was a black market.

After a moment of reflection, Luo Chen sorted the items into categories.

The bells were likely sound-based weapons, and their power wasn't suitable for testing at home.

The white board was a mystery. It looked like a flying magical weapon, but it probably wasn't very fast, as Lu Huiben hadn't used it when fleeing.

The other three low-grade magical weapons were two flying swords and a small flask.

"Those must be from their raids. Later-stage cultivators wouldn't carry low-grade magical weapons, so I'll sell them to the Merit Hall later!"

"This small flask... it looks familiar!"

Luo Chen's memory went back to his few visits to the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion.

He remembered a similar small flask displayed next to the Misty Rain Tower. What was it called?

"Wave Swallowing Sea Flask?"

Luo Chen remembered the name.

Its function was similar to a storage bag, but it could only hold liquids.

And the capacity didn't live up to its grand name.

The Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion loved to give low-grade magical weapons fancy names.

What was the Misty Rain Tower? Actually a smoke extractor.

What was the Lotus Cloud Fragrance Plate? Actually a low-grade flying magical weapon, slow as molasses.

This Wave Swallowing Sea Flask could hold at most a few hundred pounds of liquid.

It was mainly used by cultivators to store liquids that were hard to keep.

"Like the essence blood of cultivators!"

For some reason, Luo Chen thought of a main ingredient in the Blood Fiend Pill recipe.

He shook his head forcefully, dispelling the dangerous thought.

"Actually, it could be perfect for my milk tea business!"

Luo Chen was a man of integrity, and he did business the right way!

After putting away the magical weapons, Luo Chen examined the bottles of pills. He was sure they weren't from the Great River Market.

They seemed to be specialty pills from the Snow Lotus Market. Without knowing their effects, it was best not to take them.

Next, Luo Chen rubbed his hands together, his face glowing with excitement.

"Time for the most exciting part—counting the spirit stones."

"After a month of hard work refining pills, getting a few hundred spirit stones, nothing beats getting rich overnight like this!"

"One, two..."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end

Report