https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-54-The-Days-of-Cultivation-Are-Looking-More-Promising/12831528/
Chapter 53: All Good Things Must Come to an End
Chapter 53: All Good Things Must Come to an End
Time flies so quickly.
Almost in the blink of an eye, Luo Chen had sold all the Spirit Suppressing Pills and Marvelous Elixirs in his possession, and it was only midday.
Without much calculation, with his current Spirit Vision technique, just a quick glance told him how much he had earned today.
The Spirit Suppressing Pills brought in one hundred spirit stones, and the Marvelous Elixirs brought in four hundred and fifty.
It didn't seem like much, but considering this was just the earnings from half a month, and the cost was only two hundred spirit stones, it was a significant profit.
In other words, Luo Chen had nearly made a net profit of three hundred and fifty spirit stones!
Just half a year ago, he was a poor wandering cultivator earning only five spirit stones a month.
It just goes to show that once you get good at something, being a master alchemist is incredibly lucrative and in high demand!
Of course, Luo Chen was clear about the profit margins.
He was more focused on his current wealth. Adding the spirit stones he had left over, his savings had soared to eight hundred lower-grade spirit stones.
This was a historical peak for him!
Oh, that time he sold the Flying Swallow Sword technique didn't count; unexpected windfalls don't last.
It's the money he earned himself that feels the most solid!
After a quick tally of his wealth, Luo Chen started planning where to go next.
The Dahe Market was bustling with visiting cultivators from other regions, and there were plenty of stalls set up.
He wanted to see what unique cultivation resources these outsiders had to offer and see if there was anything that could help him.
Money in the bank makes a man bold.
In the past, he would rush to buy raw materials and head home to continue refining elixirs.
Not anymore.
Holding his head high, he scanned the crowded marketplace of wandering cultivators, feeling a sense of superiority over everyone else.
But when his gaze landed on the old cultivator Chen Xiuping, his confidence wavered.
Seeing Chen Xiuping packing up his stall, busy with a pile of bags and ropes, Luo Chen said, "Chen Daoist, business was good today, selling out so early."
"Ha, how can I compare to Luo Daoist!" Chen Xiuping chuckled sarcastically. "I work day and night, but only manage to produce a few hundred talismans, earning three or four hundred spirit stones. Luo Daoist, on the other hand, disappears for half a month and comes back with five or six hundred. I can't come close to your success, not even close!"
Was he mocking me?
Luo Chen gritted his teeth and, with a pang of pain, pulled out fifty lower-grade spirit stones, put them in a small cloth bag, and handed it to Chen Xiuping.
"Xiaolu's cultivation path has been tough, and I'm grateful for your support, Uncle Chen."
Despite the pain, his words were sincere.
Back when Chen Xiuping lent him fifty spirit stones, it played a crucial role in getting his elixir refining business off the ground.
At that time, his Marvelous Elixirs were still in the beginner stage, with a high failure rate.
Thanks to Chen Xiuping's financial support, he survived the most challenging period.
Taking the small bag, feeling its weight, Chen Xiuping fell silent for a moment.
His silence, deep and emotional, with red eyes from staying up late to make talismans, made Luo Chen feel uneasy.
"Uncle Chen, don't be so emotional!"
"I can't take it!"
But then Chen Xiuping sighed and said something Luo Chen hadn't expected.
"We're leaving."
"Ah!"
Luo Chen was taken aback, "Where are you going?"
Chen Xiuping affectionately patted his granddaughter Chen Shuyi on the head, "In a month, we'll be following the Divine Talisman Pavilion's cultivators to the Divine Talisman Domain."
Seeing the old man and the young girl, a thought crossed Luo Chen's mind.
He couldn't help but ask, "Is little Shuyi being accepted into the Divine Talisman Sect?"
"Luo Chen brother, not yet. But Shuyi is very confident she can pass the trials!" Chen Shuyi raised her head, her innocent face full of the fearless confidence of a young bull.
Chen Xiuping finished packing up his various bags and sat down on the stone slab.
"Not yet, but I've already discussed it with some familiar Divine Talisman Pavilion cultivators. This time, when they return to the sect, they'll take me and little Shuyi with them."
"Next year!"
"Next year is when the Divine Talisman Pavilion will open its gates to recruit new disciples. Shuyi is only thirteen, has a spiritual root, and has been personally taught the basics of talisman making by me. She has a good chance of passing the entry test."
A few words, but they carried a sense of nostalgia and reflection.
Luo Chen stood before him, feeling a mix of emotions. Over the years, his life had been tough, but how much more difficult had it been for the old Daoist Chen?
Despite the old Daoist Chen making more money in the past, he had to support his young granddaughter's cultivation and teach her the basics of rune making. Cultivators learning the four arts of immortality was a bottomless pit, and usually, only major factions could afford to nurture new talents. For the old Daoist Chen, who was merely at the Sixth Level of Qi Condensation, the challenge was immense.
Not only did he have to save enough spirit stones for his granddaughter's education, but he also had to scrape together enough for their long journey. From the most remote market in the Jade Cauldron Domain, across the Sky Sail Domain and the Medicine King Domain, to the Divine Rune Domain, the journey would be arduously long. Most Qi Condensation cultivators might never travel such a distance in their entire lives.
For the old Daoist Chen to convince the cultivators from the Divine Rune Pavilion in the Great River Market to take them along, he must have paid a substantial sum. And that was just the first payment. There would be further expenses after they set off, and the costs of staying in the Divine Rune Domain for a year. If little Shuyi failed to enter the sect, they would need to think about how to survive. If she succeeded, they would need to continue supporting her. The total cost was staggering, no matter how one looked at it.
Even if Luo Chen was adept at earning spirit stones, it would take him a considerable amount of time to accumulate such a sum. The old Daoist Chen had saved every bit of it, bit by bit.
In the bustling market, the empty green stone stall stood silent. The old, the young, and the middle-aged man stood in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Chen Xiuping and Luo Chen were lost in the hardships of the past, while Chen Shuyi was filled with anticipation for the future.
"This green stone slab, I brought it back from the mountains years ago, just to distinguish my stall from the other scattered cultivators, to show that my stall was different."
"After I leave, go to the management office of the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion and change the stall's name. I'll give you this green stone slab as well."
"Of course, you'll have to pay a full spirit stone for the stall fee each month."
At this, the old Daoist Chen chuckled softly. Luo Chen pulled at the corners of his mouth, looking at the polished stone slab, and took a deep breath.
"Old Daoist Chen, this isn't a farewell for life or death. Why be so sentimental?"
"Come, let the Mid-Qi Condensation cultivator Luo Chen treat you to a farewell feast!"
Chen Xiuping was taken aback for a moment, then seemed to remember something. He stroked his beard and laughed heartily.
"Then I'll have to feast at your expense!"
Luo Chen waved his hand. "It's just a few spirit stones. Let's go to the Bell and Tripod House, and I'll treat you today!"
"May you not worry about making no friends on your journey; the world is full of those who know you."
"Spoken well. I, Chen Xiuping, have few friends in life, and you, little Luo, are one of them. Let's drink to the full, and if things don't go well for you one day, go to the Divine Rune Sect. By then, little Shuyi will surely have reached the Foundation Establishment stage, and she will take care of you."
"Ha, you underestimate me. How do you know I can't reach the Foundation Establishment stage?"
"Give it a rest. Your spiritual roots and aptitude are even worse than mine."
"Or what? Or you pay for this meal!"
"The friend has the potential of a Golden Core. It's my old eyes that failed me."
In the afternoon, Luo Chen bid farewell to the old and the young, heading home alone. His expression was grim.
"Shrewd merchants, damn them, all shrewd merchants!"
"Just a double set meal, a pot of wine, and two plates of meat, and they dare to charge fifty spirit stones."
"Who told me the Bell and Tripod House doesn't make money? The Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, they're making a fortune!"
Muttering to himself, Luo Chen's frown deepened. His pace remained steady, and he didn't look back. As he turned a corner, a small wooden armadillo nimbly dropped to the ground and disappeared into the shadows. Behind him, two figures followed at a leisurely pace.
---
Thank you to everyone who supported me with starting coins last week: Xu Heng (500 coins), Blackwind Fort (100 coins), and Remember to Drink Hot Water (100 coins), as well as those whose names are not displayed but whose support I can see in the chapter segments.
Thank you all for your support.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
