https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-110-Severe-Injuries-and-Milk-Tea/12831609/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-113-What-Do-You-Think-of-Mi-Junping-/12831611/
Chapter 111: Why Do These Spirit Stones Not Last?
Chapter 111: Why Do These Spirit Stones Not Last?
In the end, Luo Chen managed to create a milk tea that cultivators could enjoy in the Immortal Realm.
Using the milk from the Fuzhu Deer as the main ingredient, he combined it with tea leaves from a hundred-year-old spirit tea tree to brew the tea broth. He also added several medicinal herbs to mask the gamey taste of the deer milk.
The resulting Fuzhu Milk Tea was rich in milk aroma but had a slightly light flavor.
After the milk tea was prepared, Feng Xia, Luo Chen, and the weathered Dong Fang Liang were all forced to try it.
All three of them found it quite delicious.
It contained a trace amount of spiritual energy, and frequent consumption wouldn't cause any gastrointestinal discomfort.
If consumed as a leisurely beverage, it was no worse than ordinary spirit tea or spirit wine.
With the recipe successful, the next steps became relatively simpler.
The milk source would be ordered from the Beast Hall of the Broken Mountain Gang.
The tea broth would rely on the few hundred-year-old spirit tea trees discovered by the Medicine Hall in the Ancient Plains Mountains.
Hundred-year-old spirit tea trees sounded impressive.
In reality, they were the least valuable in the Eastern Wasteland Immortal Realm. Truly precious spirit tea trees were often thousands or even tens of thousands of years old.
Those few spirit tea trees were usually picked by some poor, scattered cultivators from the Broken Mountain Gang, who would take a few leaves to drink for fun.
The spiritual energy in the milk tea mainly came from one of the herbs in Luo Chen's recipe.
With the milk source and tea broth sorted, the remaining ingredients were the herbs in the recipe.
This time, he couldn't skimp on them from the Alchemy Hall.
The quantity was too large, requiring additional purchases.
In this regard, Feng Xia was the most familiar, having come from the Hundred Herbs Hall.
"Let's set up the stall in the next few days. I'll have Yuan Xiaoyue help you."
"This Fuzhu Milk Tea is a hot drink and needs to be heated frequently with the Fireball Spell. Do you have the necessary skill to control the Fireball Spell, Sister Xia?"
Feng Xia nodded confidently. She had started as a test subject and later became a helper in processing herbs.
Some herbs required high-temperature treatment, which they usually handled with manual Fireball Spells.
She was quite confident in her ability to control the Fireball Spell's power.
"Can you brew the tea broth?"
"No problem. When there were no customers, I and Xiaoling used to accompany Shopkeeper Liu in drinking tea to pass the time," she said in a hoarse voice.
Luo Chen hummed, then added, "When the time comes, make the process more showy to attract the attention of passersby."
After assessing Feng Xia, he continued, "Also, you need to change your style of dress."
"Hmm, how should I change it?"
"You're dressed too plainly. Learn from Sister Caiyi."
Feng Xia was taken aback, thinking of Gu Caiyi's usual attire, which made her feel uncomfortable.
To be honest, Feng Xia was quite ordinary in appearance, but her figure was extremely curvaceous.
However, her usual conservative clothing hid her natural advantages under a drab robe.
Luo Chen hadn't noticed it before.
But after he achieved great mastery in his abilities, the Spirit Eye technique rooted in his eyes revealed the truth.
"Everything is for business, to earn spirit stones for cultivation!"
Luo Chen feared she might not understand, so he added a word of encouragement.
Feng Xia twisted her body and softly hummed in agreement.
Hearing her hoarse voice, Luo Chen subconsciously frowned.
In business, advertising and attracting attention were always important.
But Sister Xia's voice?
...
"Know anyone who sings well?"
Gu Caiyi rubbed her white wrist. Today, Luo Chen didn't go to the Alchemy Hall, so she had to manage many tasks and even do some work herself, which was quite tiring.
Without hesitation, she answered Luo Chen's question, "Many. In the past, at the Heavenly Melody Tower next to our Feathered Garment Tower, there were many sisters with beautiful voices."
"What's up? Now that you have spirit stones, you want to have some fun?"
Luo Chen waved his hand, "Go away, all you think about is lewd things."
"Shame on you!"
"Help me arrange a meeting with a sister who has a sweet voice and understands music. I have a big business deal to discuss with her!"
"How big?"
"Forty to fifty spirit stones!" Luo Chen gritted his teeth, "No more, even the landlord has no surplus."
The tea didn't cost much in spirit stones, but the deer milk and herbs were the main expenses.
To set up his milk tea shop, he would need a substantial initial investment.
At least a hundred spirit stones!
Gu Caiyi smiled and agreed to the task. She hadn't seen Luo Chen's frugal side in a while.
Admittedly, it was quite cute!
It was true that when a wealthy man was frugal, it was seen as a virtue and made him appear adorable.
When a poor man was frugal, it was just seen as being cheap.
When had the Fengqi in the Immortal Realm become so corrupt?
...
The next day, Luo Chen, through his bodyguard Zhou Yuanli, arranged a meeting with the Beast Hall Hall Master, Ke Yuelin.
They met in a small tavern in the inner city. The tavern was newly opened, located in the White Stone Square, serving the audience and participants of the Debate Platform.
Initially, the atmosphere was not friendly.
Ke Yuelin had long parted ways with Qin Liangchen and his wife and now followed Uncle Mi Shuhua completely.
Otherwise, Luo Chen wouldn't have needed Zhou Yuanli to arrange the meeting; he could have had Qin Liangchen bring him home.
After the meeting, the atmosphere became much more cordial.
"Five hundred spirit stones a month is a loss for me. But since you're a brother of my brother Liangchen, I'll take the loss."
"Give me the deposit first!"
Ke Yuelin smiled.
Luo Chen cursed inwardly. The Fuzhu Deer was only valuable for its meat; no one wanted the milk.
But the milk source was crucial. Apart from the Broken Mountain Gang, only the Nangong family raised Fuzhu Deer on a large scale.
He had no reason to go far when he could get it closer, so Ke Yuelin would have to take the loss.
He took out a bag of spirit stones and handed it to Ke Yuelin.
After a quick count, Ke Yuelin's expression changed.
"Wasn't it three hundred a month? Why are there only fifty spirit stones here?"
"It's a deposit. Who pays the full amount upfront?" Luo Chen rolled his eyes, "I need to test it for a few days! What if it's not popular, and people accuse me of using fake milk?"
Ke Yuelin's expression fluctuated. After much thought, he finally nodded.
"Fine, I'll arrange for someone to milk the deer, but the Beast Hall is short on manpower, so no one will deliver it to you."
With that, he left in a huff.
It was no wonder he was so resentful. He was supposed to get three hundred spirit stones a month, but he only received fifty.
Luo Chen grumbled as he went to pay, muttering, "What does she mean by arranging someone to milk me?"
Despite his complaints, his mood was undoubtedly excellent.
The issue of securing a stable milk supply was finally resolved.
Now, everything was in place—only the favorable wind was missing! And that favorable wind came from Yuan Xiaoyue that very day.
"He Dage has agreed. The small shop facing Luofeng Mountain at Bai Shi Square will be rented to us. However, it costs ten spirit stones per month, and it's a one-year lease."
"Ten spirit stones? Why doesn't his Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion just rob people?"
Yuan Xiaoyue patiently explained, "That’s a shop, not a stall for itinerant cultivators. Plus, many people want to rent it."
The "He Dage" she referred to was He Youjun, the cultivator to whom Luo Chen had gifted a ten-year-aged Yellow Pear Wine. He was at the Ninth Layer of the Qi Condensation stage, second in rank only to the current Foundation Establishment cultivator Miao Zhen, who was stationed in Dahexian, and the elder Sun Shou.
He was currently in charge of the miscellaneous affairs of the Luofeng Mountain Discussion Platform and the shops and stalls at Bai Shi Square. Because Luo Chen had been consistently supplying him with wine, He Youjun had been quite supportive of Luo Chen's business.
After Yuan Xiaoyue reported the situation last time, he had the law enforcement team clear out the other stalls, collected fines, and set new rules.
Since then, Yuan Xiaoyue had secured the best stall and hung up the sign for the Dust Moon Snack Stand.
Now, if they wanted to rent a shop, even a small one, Luo Chen would definitely have to approach him.
Feeling helpless, Luo Chen had no choice but to go with Yuan Xiaoyue to find He Youjun.
He had initially thought the initial investment would only be around a hundred spirit stones, but it turned out to be much more than that!
Renting the shop cost ten spirit stones per month for a one-year lease, which was already over a hundred.
Buying the tea-making equipment and custom-made milk tea cups would cost a significant amount.
There was also the labor fee for the appointment with the young lady from Tianxiang Tower.
Oh, and he still needed to visit the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion to buy a low-grade magical artifact.
"Damn, how can spirit stones be so easily spent!"
...
...
A hundred spirit stones?
Pfft!
Luo Chen had severely underestimated the cost of opening a shop.
A milk tea shop was entirely different from a snack stand, requiring a much larger initial investment.
After a thorough calculation, the initial cost would be at least five hundred spirit stones.
This was after he found an excuse to delay the first month's payment to Ke Yuelin.
Otherwise, the cost would have been a thousand spirit stones.
"Shouldn’t it be a loss?"
Luo Chen held a small round ball in his hand, feeling very uneasy.
He didn’t know that someone else was even more uneasy.
In the main room opposite, Feng Xia nervously walked out of her bedroom.
"Is this outfit really okay?"
"Of course! You’re so beautiful, it will attract the attention of many cultivators," Gu Caiyi said with a smile.
Bai Meiling, with wide eyes, exclaimed, "I never realized you were so stunning, Sister Xia!"
Feng Xia glared at her, still feeling uncomfortable.
Gu Caiyi shook her head. "This is the most conservative outfit I have, but your figure is too good, making it a bit too tight. I’ll make some adjustments later!"
"Do you really need to make changes?" Feng Xia asked nervously.
"Not just the clothes, but also your makeup. You have a good base, but you don’t use enough cosmetics to bring out your best features."
Gu Caiyi studied Feng Xia closely, offering various suggestions.
"Your hairstyle needs to be changed."
"You must wear accessories; otherwise, you look too plain."
"Don’t worry, they won’t be too cumbersome."
"These shoes are for work, right? We’ll buy a couple more pairs tomorrow. They’re not expensive; you can buy them with gold and silver, not spirit stones."
"Xiaoling, help Sister Xia with her eyebrows. She doesn’t suit willow-leaf eyebrows. No, I’ll do it!"
After a thorough makeover, Gu Caiyi let go of her hand.
"Perfect. It looks like you didn’t put much effort into it, but in reality, it’s a carefully crafted natural beauty."
Feng Xia was a bit confused. What did she mean by a carefully crafted natural beauty?
Her life had been vastly different from many female cultivators in Dahexian.
She had been an itinerant cultivator but lacked combat skills and any special talents.
With an ordinary appearance, she couldn’t even rely on others.
In desperation, she had to become a test subject at the Hundred Herbs Hall, leaving her with hidden injuries.
Fortunately, the Hundred Herbs Hall later had a benevolent manager, Liu, who transferred her from test subject to logistics, responsible for handling herbs.
Life had been tough for her over the years.
She didn’t even know much about basic grooming and always kept things simple.
Even renting a house in the inner city, she could only afford the smallest room.
In contrast, the radiant and poised Gu Caiyi and the lively and adorable Bai Meiling knew much more than she did.
So, she could only stand there like a doll, letting them work on her.
"Sigh, I can’t worry about it too much."
"As long as I can do this business, it will be worth it."
She sighed inwardly, forcing herself to accept the reality.
But looking at the beautiful, unfamiliar face in the bronze mirror, she couldn’t help but smile.
So, I’m not that ugly after all!
...
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Luo Chen, I know you’re home! Open the door!"
Early in the morning, someone was knocking on Luo Chen’s door.
Luo Chen, still half-asleep, opened the door and looked at the woman in front of him, speechless.
"Got so much free time, what do you want? Can’t be here just to chat in the morning, right?"
The first part was fine, but the last sentence made the woman blush.
Luo Chen shivered. "Mijun Ping, why are you blushing like that?"
Sigh!
Taking a deep breath, Mijun Ping suppressed her discomfort and asked seriously, "How long has it been since you last went to the Alchemy Hall? And you’re asking me why I’m here?"
"Oh, you mean that!"
Luo Chen leaned against the door and yawned.
"Too many things at home, can’t leave."
"What kind of things? I’ve heard from Zhou Yuanli that you’re always running around, doing nothing. Yesterday, you were shouting all afternoon and got complaints for disturbing the peace."
Mentioning the disturbance, Luo Chen felt a bit uncomfortable.
Yesterday, he had met a good sister from the Heavenly Melody Tower, and they had discussed music.
Some unromantic fellow ran to Sun Shou to complain, saying that Luo Chen was disrupting his cultivation, almost causing his neighbor to lose control and go astray.
What is this nonsense!
“I’m telling you, the Jade Marrow Pills are selling like hotcakes. Last month’s stock won’t last long. If you don’t get back to the Alchemy Hall soon, my dad will be furious.”
Luo Chen rolled his eyes, “If your dad gets mad, let him come find me! I’m not leaving the Inner City anytime soon.”
With that, he went straight back into his room and shut the door.
It was as if he had retreated into his little tower, oblivious to the world outside.
Mi Junping stood there, speechless for a moment, unsure of what to say.
She gritted her teeth, glared at the dilapidated house, and turned to leave.
...
In the Broken Mountain Gang, Mi Shuhua was reviewing the recent accounts while listening to Mi Junping’s report.
After a while, he put down the ledger, lost in thought.
“Luo Chen must still be worried about being ambushed!”
“Huh?”
Mi Junping was taken aback, not having considered that.
Mi Shuhua sighed after a glance at her.
His eldest daughter, while competent in financial matters, was otherwise quite mediocre.
She lacked judgment, had followed her partner early on, and had a daughter named Millet, which cut off her path of cultivation.
She was petty, often deducted from the gang members’ shares, causing widespread resentment not long ago.
Her temper was also bad, and she lorded over everyone with her father’s Foundation Establishment status.
Mi Shuhua wondered what she would do if he couldn’t break through to the Core Formation stage within a hundred years and the Mi family didn’t produce another Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Perhaps there was no need to consider that.
Her talent could never break through to Foundation Establishment, and she would likely pass away before him.
Standing up, Mi Shuhua walked out, with Mi Junping following closely behind.
“The ambush in the Green Hemp Forest, in the end, we never gave Luo Chen a proper explanation.”
“That group of Snow Lotus Workshop cultivators appeared too suddenly.”
“Don’t think Luo Chen is carefree and casual. In fact, he is more calculating than many people.”
Mi Junping was puzzled, “Calculating? Him?”
Mi Shuhua sighed, “This calculation is evident in many ways.”
“In dealing with people, he remains humble to those of higher realms. With those at his level, he maintains good relationships. To those of lower realms, he never bullies them and is even generous.”
Mi Junping opened her mouth to speak but stopped, thinking about Luo Chen’s behavior.
She didn’t see him being that humble, even though her realm was higher than his!
Standing under the eaves, watching the snow gradually stop, Mi Shuhua continued.
“In combat, you may have never noticed, but he is not as cowardly as he seems. He is brave and strategic.”
“You all thought I saved Luo Chen back then, but before I arrived, he had already killed two enemies and was still capable of pursuing the remnants.”
“I privately interrogated Lu Huiben, who recounted the details of that battle three times.”
“Luo Chen used his speed to gain distance, then feigned weakness, falling into the forest. In that brief moment, he had already set up traps and hidden weapons. He then quickly released spells using unknown means.”
“Not only that, he had already planned his attacks. He first trapped the strongest, Lu Huiben, and then used a decisive move to kill the weakest enemy. For the remaining enemy with a high-quality magical artifact, he had the Four Symbols Cauldron ready for defense.”
“Even when pursuing the injured enemies, he never let his guard down and kept the Four Symbols Cauldron’s defensive abilities active.”
Each word made Mi Junping’s heart tremble.
Suddenly, she heard, “If three Ninth Stage Qi Cultivators were to ambush you, Ping’er, could you handle it like that?”
Mi Junping forced a smile, but it quickly faded into silence.
Mi Shuhua shook his head and sighed, “In dealing with people and in combat, he is both wise and brave. He also knows his limits. Knowing that I tolerate him, he keeps pushing for benefits but always within a range I can accept.”
“How many Qi Cultivators would dare to push their luck in front of a Foundation Establishment cultivator?”
At this point, Mi Junping finally realized that Luo Chen was not as simple as he appeared.
Even she, his own daughter, was cautious in front of the increasingly authoritative Mi Shuhua.
The fact that Luo Chen could get along so “harmoniously” with Mi Shuhua was something she had overlooked but was truly remarkable.
“Luo Chen is very calculating, and I know he knows I know. But with the interest in Jade Marrow Pills, it’s a minor issue.”
“But the appearance of those ambushers has made him feel insecure.”
“Do you think I gave him three late-stage Qi Cultivators for protection just like that?”
Mi Shuhua asked, then continued on his own.
“But he still feels unsafe!”
Mi Junping hesitated, “Then how can we make him feel safe? Father, you’ve already sent people to Snow Lotus Workshop to pursue Dan Xiu. I heard that Gao Tingyuan was pushed to the least profitable Light Stream Workshop. What else can we do?”
Sigh...
A long sigh.
To Mi Junping, it was piercing and harsh.
“Sometimes, absolute safety isn’t necessary to win someone’s heart. Sufficient benefits can make people overlook a bit of risk.”
Mi Shuhua’s expression was indifferent, as if that sigh of frustration had not come from him.
“I’ll give him what he wants.”
“Didn’t Mi Zifan lose badly to that Duan family’s outcast on the Dao Discussion Platform last month?”
“Go to him, take his small Spirit Gathering Array, and personally give it to Luo Chen. Tell him that constant alchemy work has held him back, and this array is compensation.”
Mi Junping was stunned, still in shock even after Mi Shuhua left.
The Mi family had only two Spirit Gathering Arrays. The larger one was always used by Mi Shuhua.
The smaller one was usually reserved for the most talented young members of the clan.
She had enjoyed it, and so had her third sister.
Unfortunately, none of the second generation in the Mi family had amounted to much, and now the small array was mostly used by the third generation.
But now, Mi Shuhua was actually giving the small Spirit Gathering Array to Luo Chen?
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
