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Chapter 14: Remember to Pay Back
Chapter 14: Remember to Pay Back
The Great River Market was situated at the very edge of the Jade Cauldron Domain, bordering the vast Eastern Wilderness. According to a travelogue written by a Foundation Establishment cultivator a few years back, the market, located on a first-tier spirit vein, was always bustling with over ten thousand cultivators.
Most of the cultivators were independents, with those from major sects only staying temporarily to manage business. Even then, the managers of the shops in the inner city would be replaced every few years.
Thus, the market was primarily driven by the spontaneous activities of independent cultivators. The market had both large and small fairs.
The large fair occurred once a month, while the small fair took place every first, fourth, and seventh day of the month. Of course, even on non-fair days, some cultivators would still set up stalls, but the foot traffic was much lighter.
It had been ten days since the last small fair. Early in the morning, a plump figure rushed into the market.
Zeng Wen had been fortunate this time. He hadn't spent long in the mountains before hunting down a first-tier beast, acquiring over a thousand pounds of beast meat! His storage bag, with a capacity of only one cubic meter, was barely enough to hold it all. So, once he had gathered a decent amount, he wisely retreated from the mountains.
A pound of first-tier beast meat could fetch a lower-grade spirit stone, and the beast's bones were also a valuable material. Thus, his haul was decent, enough to let him enjoy himself for a while.
After returning home yesterday, he found a familiar butcher to process the meat and then eagerly headed to the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion.
The experience, however, was a bit less satisfying than he had hoped. The women were excellent, and his performance was as stable and efficient as ever. But compared to his previous heroic feats, this time was a bit underwhelming.
So, early in the morning, he summoned the will to leave the "heroes' grave" to meet a promising young brother he had met before.
Arriving at the southern market, he found that some stalls were already set up, including the old Daoist Chen, who was calmly sitting on a small stool.
"Is Fellow Daoist Xiao Luo not here yet?"
"No, he's at home refining pills!"
"Will he be coming to the market today?"
"Usually, if he hasn't shown up by this time, he won't come to the small fair today."
Disappointment was evident on his face.
Zeng Wen was quite disappointed and chatted with Old Daoist Chen about his recent mountain adventures. When he saw a customer approaching, he decided to take his leave.
However, before he left, he noticed Old Daoist Chen carefully pulling a dissatisfied customer aside.
"Fellow Daoist, are you interested in the Concealment Talisman?"
"What's that? It conceals one's aura?"
"Do you know the Venerable Lingyin from the Divine Talisman Sect? Let me tell you—"
Zeng Wen's expression was peculiar. He felt a sense of deja vu in those words.
After walking a good distance from the market, he suddenly realized it.
Those words were a carbon copy of what Fellow Daoist Xiao Luo had said before!
"Damn, the old man has learned some tricks!"
He didn't think Luo Chen had deceived him. When Luo Chen had promoted the Wondrous Pill, he had never made any definitive claims, only using vague language. Moreover, the pill's effects matched Luo Chen's description perfectly.
He could only conclude that Old Daoist Chen had stolen Luo Chen's sales pitch.
At that moment, the "victim" Luo Chen was at home, wearing an apron and praying to Guan Yu.
"The first few batches failed, but I've laid the groundwork. Today, it should work!"
"Lord Guan, I've offered incense today. Please bless me!"
Muttering to himself, he continuously added herbs to the pot. The processed Fire Hound Whip emitted a natural stench, but when mixed with the fragrant aromas of the other medicinal materials, it created a peculiar, indescribable scent.
The process of boiling the medicine lasted from morning until afternoon. When he lifted the lid, he saw the deep red medicinal paste and inhaled the refreshing fragrance, clenching his fist tightly.
"Great, the sixth batch was a success! This is a huge improvement!"
"Lord Guan, I knew you cared for me, even after I crossed over."
"Tomorrow, I'll keep working hard!"
Half a month later, Luo Chen looked contentedly at the fifty small jade bottles on the table. This was the result of nearly a month of hard work.
Thirty of the bottles contained Spirit Grain Pills, which he had hurriedly made over the past two days.
The remaining twenty vials all contained the Wondrous Elixir.
However, unlike the Spirit Grain Pill, which came in vials of ten, each Wondrous Elixir vial contained only one pill.
In other words, out of the nineteen attempts, only two vials were successfully refined.
With a success rate like this, and the fact that the quality of the elixirs was only considered low-grade, it was not a great outcome. Low-grade elixirs had significant limitations, with mediocre potency and strong side effects if consumed in large quantities.
But that was not his concern. He believed his fellow cultivators had enough self-control to enjoy the elixirs without overindulging.
"Currently, this is the best I can do, but once I gain more proficiency, the situation will surely improve!"
"The future is bright, and I must keep pushing forward!"
Packing all the jade vials into a bag, Luo Chen closed the door and dashed into the inner city of the Grand River Market.
Today was the day of the grand market, and he was determined to sell this batch of goods well.
When he arrived at the market, it was still sparsely populated. Luo Chen had come too early.
Elder Chen had not yet arrived, but his old acquaintance, Wang Yuan, was already sitting cross-legged on the floor.
"Young man, you really don't take care of yourself. The ground is so cold!"
Muttering to himself, Luo Chen greeted Wang Yuan and naturally squatted down in front of his stall.
"Hmm, you've got some new things here!"
Compared to the last time, there were several more old books and even a broken jade scroll.
The selection of magical artifacts had also increased by four or five, some of which were stained with dark, dried blood.
"Wang, have you pulled off a few big deals recently?"
Wang Yuan, with half-lidded eyes, warned, "Look, but don't touch."
Luo Chen eagerly examined the old books: Five Essential Spells for the Qi Refinement Stage, Miscellaneous Talk on Herbs, The Qi Refinement Chapter of the Everlasting Art. These were all things he wanted, but he lacked the spirit stones to buy them.
If Wang Yuan sold all these items, including the magical artifacts, he would make a fortune. As far as Luo Chen knew, a low-grade magical artifact cost at least a hundred low-grade spirit stones, and the prices for mid-grade and high-grade artifacts were even more exorbitant.
Killing and plundering were indeed the fastest ways to make money in the cultivation world.
Unfortunately, he was not skilled in such matters. He was just a simple cultivator who enjoyed refining elixirs.
Sighing, he picked up the unsold Chronicles of the Six Realms and read it with great interest.
The Six Realms of the Far East each had six major sects that had produced Immortal Adepts, such as the Jade Peak Sword Sect, the Bliss Sect, the Divine Talisman Sect, and the Medicine King Sect.
However, beyond these major sects, each region also had numerous minor sects and cultivation families.
The vast territory and abundant resources had given rise to countless talented individuals.
At various times, powerful figures would emerge, often accompanied by extraordinary tales.
The author of Chronicles of the Six Realms was a ninth-level Qi Refinement cultivator who, with no hope of advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage, spent his remaining years writing this book.
Due to his limited realm and knowledge, much of the content was hearsay.
Nevertheless, the book provided Luo Chen with a glimpse into the vast and mysterious cultivation world.
Even just the snippets he read made his heart race with admiration.
"Jade Peak Adept's sword that cleaved through mountains and stabilized the realm—what a magnificent sight!"
After a moment of reflection, Luo Chen reluctantly put the book down and prepared to set up his stall.
"Feel free to take a look. This travelogue has too many errors and hasn't sold in months."
Wang Yuan said casually, flicking his finger to send the book floating into Luo Chen's hands.
Luo Chen was surprised, then overjoyed.
"Thanks, Wang. I'll return it once I'm done."
Taking the book back to his stone slab stall, Elder Chen eagerly approached.
Seeing the old man's face, Luo Chen smiled, "Are you going to tell me how good business has been lately?"
"No, I just want to remind you to pay me back!"
Luo Chen was taken aback. He had just been thinking how kind people in the cultivation world were.
However, once he displayed his elixirs, Elder Chen did share some good news.
"Many cultivators have been asking about the Wondrous Elixir. You're about to make a fortune!"
(End of Chapter)
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