Chapter 35: A Solution
Chapter 35: A Solution
"Ah..."
Fang Xing sighed as he opened the door.
The Ghost God Blade was difficult to master, and without a quick boost in his battle prowess, he felt a sense of insecurity.
Moreover, he hadn't gotten his revenge on those listed in his little book yet!
"Brother Fang..."
Just then, Meng Yi from next door happened to walk out and greeted him, "It's been a while..."
"I saw how formidable that demonic bird was, so I chose to stay in seclusion to avoid it. What happened afterward?" Fang Xing asked directly, feeling no shame.
"That demonic bird was taken down by the old ancestor of the Zheng family. As expected of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, their prowess is truly extraordinary. Brother Fang, you really missed a spectacle," Meng Yi replied, sounding a bit disappointed that he had missed out on the action.
'I bet you're not excited about seeing a Foundation Establishment cultivator in action; you're thrilled about the loot you snatched up!'
Fang Xing's thoughts betrayed his calm expression as he listened to Meng Yi.
He had encountered the demonic bird the other day, and Meng Yi had sent his wife into hiding while he eagerly rushed out. It was obvious that he hadn't gone to help fight the bird but to take advantage of the chaos and grab some benefits!
Fang Xing chatted with Meng Yi a bit longer, and their conversation turned to martial arts.
After all, there were many worthwhile aspects to this other world, and combining the strengths of both worlds was the true advantage of his unique ability.
"Oh? So, Brother Fang is cultivating a demonic art, but you're troubled by distracting and evil thoughts?" Meng Yi's expression remained unchanged.
As a fellow martial artist who had also cultivated some of the so-called 'demonic arts' of the secular world, he held no prejudices.
"Brother Meng, do you have any suggestions?"
Fang Xing's eyes lit up at Meng Yi's calm reaction, and he continued earnestly, "Please, I would greatly appreciate your guidance."
"Haha, you should know that to cultivators, our martial arts are mostly seen as extremely crude... Even the demonic arts that dominate the martial world are viewed the same."
Meng Yi laughed, "The mental demons faced by cultivators are far more terrifying than the distracting thoughts we encounter during our cultivation. It is even said that when high-level cultivators are on the verge of breaking through to a new realm, they may attract extra-dimensional demons who will materialize and obstruct their path. As such, cultivators have far more experience dealing with these situations, whether it's through special cultivation techniques, searching for related pills or artifacts... They have a wide array of options, and you should be able to find something useful. After all, we're just martial artists, and pills or artifacts that work on Qi Refining cultivators, or even those that aren't as effective on them, would be more than enough for us..."
"So, cultivators are the most skilled at dealing with these situations? Thank you!"
Fang Xing cupped his hands in gratitude and immediately set off toward the market.
He didn't fully trust Meng Yi's words, so he planned to seek advice from others as well.
Old Master Ding Bushan would be a good person to ask.
...
Several hours later.
Qingdan Pavilion.
Fang Xing looked up at the signboard and the mark of green leaves, then strode inside.
He had just come from a visit to Ding Bushan, under the pretext of buying spiritual rice, and had subtly inquired about his issue.
According to the Qi Refining cultivator in the middle stage, cultivators indeed had a plethora of methods to deal with mental demons.
However, most of them were far beyond the reach of ordinary Qi Refining cultivators.
As for martial artists?
That went without saying.
But Fang Xing was still determined to give it a try.
'Cultivators' secret techniques and artifacts for safeguarding the mind... Even if I get my hands on them, I can't use them because I don't have spiritual roots. Damn, they're hard to find and super expensive, too...'
'As for talismans, there's a 'Calm Mind Talisman' that's perfect for this situation, but bad luck me, it requires innate true qi to activate...'
'The only option left to try is pills...'
As he thought, Fang Xing looked up at the young woman who had approached him.
His luck seemed to be holding, as this was the same woman he had met on his first visit to Qinglin City's market, and she had a pleasant personality.
"Welcome, sir. What kind of pills are you looking for today?"
The young woman's smile was enchanting.
"Something suitable for martial artists, to aid in dealing with distracting thoughts during cultivation,"
Fang Xing stated his requirements.
The young woman fell silent for a moment after hearing his request, then replied, "For your situation, we only have the 'Peaceful Mind Pill' that might be of some help. This pill can slightly enhance a Qi Refining cultivator's spiritual sense and has the effect of purifying the mind... However..."
"When it comes to price, we can definitely work something out. How many spirit stones are we talking about?"
Fang Xing gave the impression that he had plenty of spirit stones to spare.
And it was true; with his drone for herb collection, even if he lacked spirit stones, he could always gather more herbs to sell.
Moreover, due to the recent beast tide, the danger of venturing out to collect herbs had increased, causing a significant rise in the price of spirit herbs.
At this point, Fang Xing could easily afford to spend a few dozen spirit stones.
If it weren't for his need for the Peaceful Mind Pill, he would have bought a Foundation Pill to keep in reserve.
He wondered if these cultivation world pills had an expiration date.
"The Peaceful Mind Pill used to be sold at thirty spirit stones per bottle... But unfortunately, we're currently out of stock here,"
The young woman offered an apologetic smile.
"What? Out of stock?"
Fang Xing was a little surprised, "Why is that?"
"To refine the Peaceful Mind Flower, a particular spirit herb called the 'Illusion Heart Orchid' is needed. In the past, we would occasionally receive a few of these orchids, but with the beast tide raging, the 'Illusion Heart Orchid' is very particular about its growing environment, mostly found deep in the Great Wilderness. No herb collectors can venture there anymore, so our supply has gradually run out..."
The young woman explained sincerely, "Perhaps after the beast tide subsides, you can come back and check again..."
"Thank you. May I ask for your name?"
Disappointed, Fang Xing prepared to leave, but looking at the young girl, he still felt it would be beneficial to foster a good relationship with her.
After all, he was now appearing with his real face, and in order to fully explore the potential of this world, it was important to cultivate every relationship.
Cultivation wasn't just about fighting and killing!
"My name is Xiaorui!" the girl said, her smile as beautiful as a blooming flower. "Next time you come, you can ask for me directly..."
"Alright, I'll remember that," Fang Xing nodded earnestly.
...
Even though he knew this, Fang Xing still wasn't quite ready to give up. After all, while the pill shops might not have any Ning Shen Dan in stock, they could possibly have some leftover inventory from previous sales, and there might be some available at the stalls.
But after browsing for a while, he began to lose hope.
Given the nature of solitary cultivators, if they obtained pills that benefited their cultivation, they would usually consume them right away to increase their strength, so it was rare for them to have any leftovers.
Moreover, even if there were one or two pills left at the solitary cultivators' stalls, Fang Xing might not dare to use them.
It would be best to buy a sufficient quantity for a single dose, test it on a guinea pig, and then try it himself. Of course, it would be even better if the jade bottle hadn't been opened yet.
The pills sold at the solitary cultivators' stalls, if they were of unknown origin and sold in bulk, would definitely be much cheaper than properly sealed, branded goods.
In Qinglin Marketplace, stalls selling pills were extremely rare.
Among the Four Arts of Cultivation—arrays, pills, artifacts, and talismans—pill refining was ranked second. Not only were the techniques hard to come by, but the resources required were also terrifyingly expensive.
Generally speaking, solitary cultivators wouldn't bother with the effort of learning pill refining on top of their other pursuits.
Even if there were one or two 'pill refiners' among them, they would usually specialize in refining only one or two types of pills, and even then, they would be extremely niche.
In fact, their competitiveness often paled in comparison to the large pill shops.
Precisely because of this, stalls selling pills were few and far between.
Fang Xing searched for most of the morning before he finally found a few stalls that offered pills, but even then, the selection was sparse.
"May I ask if you have any 'Peaceful Mind Pills' for sale here?"
He approached a stall run by an old man with a bun secured by a blackwood comb and a shimmering robe.
The old man's eyes lit up at Fang Xing's inquiry, and he replied with a smile, "You've asked the right person, my friend. There are very few channels for obtaining 'Peaceful Mind Pills' in this marketplace, and I happen to be one of them..."
"Oh? You have Peaceful Mind Pills? How much are they?"
Fang Xing's interest was piqued.
"They're still in the furnace..."
The old man stroked his beard, looking every bit the immortal cultivator.
Fang Xing turned and walked away without another word.
"Hey, wait... Hold on a moment, young man!"
The old Taoist priest immediately jumped up. "Let me finish, please. I am indeed a pill refiner, and I obtained the formula for the 'Peaceful Mind Pill' many years ago. I'm about sixty to seventy percent confident in my ability to condense the pill, so go ahead and ask around about my reputation as Wan Fenglin if you don't believe me!"
Fang Xing paused in his steps. "So, do you have the pill or not?"
"Well..." Master Wan stroked his beard and chuckled. "I've joined forces with a few other cultivators, and we've gathered enough materials for several batches of 'Peaceful Mind Pills,' except for one ingredient, the 'Illusion Heart Orchid'..."
"That's as good as saying nothing..."
Fang Xing turned to leave again.
"There's no need to rush, young man. I've already located a place where the 'Illusion Heart Orchid' grows, but it's a bit dangerous. A group of 'Purple Wing Scorpions' have made their nest there... I was just about to invite some fellow cultivators to get rid of those pests. Once we have enough 'Illusion Heart Orchids,' producing the 'Peaceful Mind Pills' will be a breeze."
"Then I'll wait until you've refined the pills before I come back to buy them... We can discuss the price then."
Fang Xing nodded and gave the old man a deep look.
"Well... Would you be interested in lending a hand? If we succeed, I can offer you a significant discount..." Master Wan tentatively suggested.
"How could someone like me, a mere mortal warrior, be of any help?" Fang Xing scoffed and turned to leave without hesitation.
"...'
The old man watched Fang Xing's departing figure, wanting to call him back, but the words stuck in his throat, and he could only sigh softly.
He continued selling low-level pills like the 'Avoid Food Pill' at his stall until sunset, when he finally started packing up and returned to his shack.
Master Wan didn't notice that, in a corner of his shack, there was now a tiny beetle, no larger than a fingernail, quietly perched.
Due to its minuscule size and lack of vitality, it seemed more like an inanimate object than a living creature, devoid of any spiritual energy.
To Fang Xing, this beetle-shaped listening device was nothing short of a divine tool.
The old man's behavior today had been somewhat suspicious. If he was simply trying to sell pills, he should have asked Fang Xing to come back in a few days.
What was this nonsense about recruiting a mortal warrior?
Unless he knew that Fang Xing wasn't as simple as he seemed!
Therefore, after leaving, Fang Xing immediately dispatched the beetle listening device.
Back in his shack, the old man first meditated and rested, then consumed an 'Avoid Food Pill' before heading to his adjacent workshop to process some medicinal ingredients.
Everything seemed perfectly ordinary.
It was only at the stroke of midnight that a knock sounded on the door—three long and two short knocks.
The old man immediately got up and opened the door.
As the wooden door creaked open, a figure stepped into view.
"You've arrived?" The old man's face twisted into a slight frown as he recognized the visitor.
(End of Chapter)
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