Chapter 41: Ge Changfeng's Assumptions

Chapter 41: Ge Changfeng’s Assumptions

Ge Changfeng had studied under his master since childhood, learning the art of pill appraisal. Today, he had served the Treasure Pavilion for a full sixty years.

Throughout his life, he had examined countless pills. When it came to foundational pills like nourishing qi pills, his expertise was unparalleled.

Yet today, he had encountered a rare and unconventional pill forging method.

The batch of nourishing qi pills in his hands appeared ordinary at first glance, indistinguishable from standard specimens.

But upon closer inspection, one would be astonished to find that half the pills were perfectly identical to the other half.

This might sound obvious—after all, they were all nourishing qi pills—but Ge Changfeng’s observational skills far surpassed those of ordinary cultivators. He could always detect minute differences between pills.

This time, however, even after repeated scrutiny, the two nourishing qi pills in his palm were indistinguishable, crafted with almost showy precision.

The logical conclusion? This batch must have come from a pill forging master.

Furthermore, the master likely hailed from Quanzhou, explaining why their subordinates wore Cloaks of Hidden Tracks to conceal their identities. This transaction was probably just a test to gauge local cultivators.

Ge Changfeng couldn’t be blamed for his suspicions. Recently, too many unfamiliar faces had arrived at Lihuo Bazaar.

With Quanzhou fallen to the Divine Flame Cult, countless cultivators fled to neighboring regions for refuge. Some chose Hezhou for its proximity, while others headed west to Li Province.

Among these refugees, some boldly entered the bazaar to integrate into local circles, like the recent wave of new shopkeepers. But most remained wary, sending scouts to probe the area repeatedly.

Under these circumstances, Ge Changfeng naturally suspected Xiao Chen harbored a hidden pill forging master.

Seeing Xiao Chen’s silence, he spoke kindly, “Fellow Daoist, if you’d rather not speak, we can proceed with a standard transaction.”

“These spirit pills are of qualified quality but exceptional craftsmanship. By standard pricing, they should be valued at one hundred twenty-eight spirit stones plus seven grains of ling sha.”

“I’ll round it up to one hundred thirty spirit stones—how does that sound?”

Xiao Chen’s voice remained calm, betraying no emotion: “That’s fine. As you say.”

The other party seemed to have misunderstood, but did it matter? Gaining an extra spirit stone was a small victory. Besides, wearing a Cloak of Hidden Tracks was meant for deception.

After finalizing the deal and watching Xiao Chen pocket the stones and leave decisively, Ge Changfeng smiled faintly.

He turned to the manager: “Remember this person’s aura. Within a month, they’ll return. When encountering similar pill transactions, notify me directly.”

“If I’m not on duty that day, send the pills to me first before storing them.”

After speaking, he glanced again in the direction Xiao Chen vanished, anticipating their next encounter.

Next time, what kind of pill would appear? A qi gathering pill? Or perhaps directly a heyuan pill?

But Xiao Chen, upon exiting, circled twice to confirm no one followed. Then, they proceeded to purchase ten portions of spirit herbs to continue their profit-making ventures.

The previous batch had cost eighty-five spirit stones and sold for one hundred thirty, yielding a profit of forty-five—a truly astronomical return.

Such lucrative opportunities were rare, so Xiao Chen planned to amass a substantial fortune to fund their pill forging practice and cultivation before slowing down.

Now that pill forging was on track, cultivation couldn’t be neglected either.

After all, pill forging was merely a means to secure resources for cultivation.

With newfound wealth, Xiao Chen generously spent twenty spirit stones on a bottle of qi gathering pills to aid cultivation.

Qi gathering pills were far more complex than nourishing qi pills, requiring significantly more spirit stones to practice.

While Xiao Chen’s current reserves were insufficient for sustained production, purchasing remained necessary—for now.

This, however, was a minor issue. The profits from pill forging already covered the cost of consuming qi gathering pills daily.

Over the next twenty days, Xiao Chen alternated between cultivation and pill forging, maintaining a disciplined routine.

Though cultivation time was limited, the effects of the qi gathering pills ensured progress didn’t lag.

Each qi gathering pill, worth twenty spirit stones, equated to four months of standard cultivation subsidies.

Ten days of pill-assisted cultivation roughly matched twenty days of arduous unaided practice—even surpassing it slightly.

This batch saw Xiao Chen’s pill formation rate rise again, reaching an astonishing ninety percent.

The final few batches were particularly successful, yielding ten perfect pills each time, boosting the average by a full ten percent.

Combined with the ["buy one get one free"] effect, Xiao Chen now possessed eighteen bottles of nourishing qi pills.

Returning to the Treasure Pavilion with practiced ease, they opted for resale.

This time, the manager quickly summoned a young man: “Quality is fine. At current market rates, seven spirit stones per bottle.”

“Eighteen bottles total. Deducting fees, we’ll round it to one hundred thirteen spirit stones.”

Xiao Chen’s first reaction was irritation—the “rounded” figure had stripped away four grains of ling sha.

Secondly, they noted nourishing qi pills had risen again, now seven spirit stones per bottle.

From their perspective, this was favorable—more profit.

But for solitary cultivators outside, this was another burden.

Xiao Chen even wondered: At this rate, would any common cultivators still afford these pills?

Not their concern.

“No problem. Accept the price.”

After finalizing the deal, Xiao Chen gained another fifty-three spirit stones in profit.

They circled the bazaar again before returning, purchasing ten portions of spirit herbs and another bottle of qi gathering pills.

Thankfully, prices for these hadn’t risen further—spirit herbs had already spiked multiple times, while qi gathering pills were inherently expensive.

Back at Azure Water Peak, the disciplined routine resumed.

Meanwhile, the manager packaged the pills and sent them to the rear courtyard, notifying Ge Changfeng immediately.

Ge Changfeng had been on leave but rushed back to the Treasure Pavilion upon hearing of the new transaction.

“Hmm? Nourishing qi pills again? Why would this master forge another batch of the same pills? What’s the meaning?”

Ge Changfeng scratched his head in confusion.

Just then, the young appraiser arrived: “Master Ge, why are you here? Wait—isn’t this the same batch resold earlier?”

Examining the pills closely, he asked nervously, “These are the same pills I appraised earlier. Did I misidentify something?”

Seeing the usually composed Ge Changfeng so serious, the young man felt uneasy.

Ge Changfeng shook his head: “No mistake. But look closely—observe these two pills.”

He selected a pair and handed them over.

“I must admit, I don’t see anything special,” the appraiser replied after scrutinizing them for a quarter-hour.

“Look again. From any angle, using any detection technique, these two pills are absolutely identical.”

Ge Changfeng’s voice still carried awe: “In my decades of work, I’ve never seen such mastery.”

Guided by his mentor’s words, the young appraiser finally noticed the replicated pills from the ["buy one get one free"] technique were indistinguishable in every detail.

“Could this… could this truly be the work of a pill forging master?”

Ge Changfeng smiled: “Naturally! Only a master would possess both the creativity and skill to achieve this.”

“A pill forging master from Quanzhou is testing our waters outside the bazaar.”

“Mind your tongue—this is critical intelligence about foreign cultivators.”

The young appraiser nodded earnestly: “Understood. I’ll keep this secret.”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end