Chapter 74: You Want to Keep Me as Your Pet?
Chapter 74: You Want to Keep Me as Your Pet?
The night was deep and all was quiet.
In the room that once belonged to Qin Liangchen's son, Qin Xiaohu, Luo Chen still lay awake.
With his hands behind his head, his thoughts churned.
His mind was preoccupied with the events of the evening.
"Perhaps if I hadn't gone to the banquet, none of this would have happened."
Luo Chen felt a twinge of regret.
But he quickly dismissed this thought.
It was clear that Uncle Mi Shuhua had not acted on a whim. He had not just seen Luo Chen and decided to approach him. He had inquired about Luo Chen, learned about his background, and even had a Mid-Grade Pill of Wonders in his possession.
The Pill of Wonders had only been upgraded to Mid-Grade within the last two months.
Due to the special nature of this pill, cultivators typically consumed it quickly once they obtained it.
The fact that Uncle Mi Shuhua had gone out of his way to acquire one showed his intent.
"So, even if I hadn't attended the banquet today, he would have found a way to approach me."
"On the contrary, because Qin Liangchen was present, he treated me with respect, even adopting the demeanor of an elder and giving me earnest advice."
Having come to this realization, Luo Chen no longer dwelled on what could have been. Instead, he began to consider his next steps.
Run away?
Running away was not an option. Though he had some combat skills, his cultivation realm was still too low. He also knew little about the outside world. In the year and a half since he had crossed over, he had struggled to survive in the Great River Market. Moving to a new, unfamiliar place would be expensive, and who knew if he would be targeted by other forces for frequently selling pills as a solitary cultivator? It would only be a repeat of the same problems.
Staying with the Broken Mountain Gang might mean less freedom, but it had its advantages. The gang was filled with people he knew well, many of whom held high positions. Wang Yuan would definitely protect him, and the couple Qin Liangchen and Murong Qinglian had always been kind to him. There were others he knew, like Zeng Wen.
"Sacrificing the freedom of a solitary cultivator to become the head of the Alchemy Hall might not be such a bad thing."
In the face of the unchangeable, Luo Chen began to analyze his situation if he became the head of the Alchemy Hall.
"First, my status would definitely be high!"
Luo Chen was confident about this. In the world of cultivation, there were four main arts, along with other professions, creating a diverse and vibrant community. Among those who mastered these arts, alchemists were the hardest to become successful, but once they did, they were the most sought-after.
After all, pills were crucial to a cultivator's advancement.
No one would willingly offend an alchemist.
This was true for both large sects with Yuan Ying cultivators and smaller solitary cultivator groups. Everyone was keen to maintain good relations with alchemists, even if it was for the sake of future goodwill.
Luo Chen had been around long enough to know that many people had shown him kindness partly because of his alchemy skills. Even the two battles he had faced were more due to unforeseen circumstances rather than targeted attacks.
"With a high enough status, the next step is to consider the benefits!"
"And that depends on how well I can negotiate with Uncle Mi Shuhua and the Broken Mountain Gang."
Luo Chen felt a heavy heart. He could imagine that negotiations would be challenging given the enormous profits from selling pills.
But he had to do it.
No one wanted to be a mere tool.
Even though he had been a typical worker in his past life, used to being exploited, now that he had crossed over, he refused to work for free. If he had to work for others before and after crossing over, what was the point of crossing over at all?
"Finally, there are the additional benefits I can gain through the position of Alchemy Hall head."
Luo Chen immediately thought of his system.
The proficiency panel was his hope for immortality.
If the Alchemy Hall were established, his alchemy endeavors would no longer be small-scale, with every ingredient meticulously calculated.
With the support of the entire gang, he could expand his operations.
This would undoubtedly skyrocket his alchemy proficiency!
"Uncle Mi Shuhua mentioned that he has some alchemy books and even a couple of pill formulas."
"This is another benefit I can gain."
Luo Chen's eyes sparkled with a hidden excitement.
Both Uncle Mi Shuhua and Qin Liangchen believed his alchemy talent was exceptional.
But Luo Chen knew better.
His alchemy talent was far from outstanding.
He had exchanged a few words with the fragrant lady from the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion, and those conversations had not gone well. When she posed a few basic questions, he was completely at a loss.
At the time, the lady was puzzled. These were the most fundamental alchemy concepts—why did Luo Chen seem completely unfamiliar with them?
In reality, that was normal.
Luo Chen's alchemy was just a matter of following instructions, trying to replicate what he had seen.
He had never received systematic alchemy training and lacked basic knowledge.
Even the things he now knew about alchemy had been learned through trial and error.
The additional knowledge the system provided after each proficiency increase was limited to the Fasting Powder and the Pill of Wonders.
"If I can obtain the alchemy books from Uncle Mi Shuhua, a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage, my improvement will be significant."
"In the long run, if there ever comes a day when I can break free from the Broken Mountain Gang's control, these gains will be invaluable."
In the end, delving deeper into the Broken Mountain Gang and becoming the head of the Alchemy Hall might not be such a bad thing for Luo Chen.
At the very least, he wouldn’t be a lone wanderer anymore.
There might be some internal conflicts and struggles within the gang, but those were internal matters.
Externally, he would be one of the nine hall masters of the Broken Mountain Gang, a cultivator who could openly reveal his identity as an alchemist!
Lying in bed, Luo Chen tossed and turned, pondering over various matters, weighing the pros and cons.
Gradually, his mindset improved, and he wasn’t as anxious as before.
Adaptability had always been one of Luo Chen’s proudest traits.
Whether it was his previous life as a hardworking employee or his penniless life as a solitary cultivator after crossing over, he always managed to adapt quickly, find joy in hardship, and believe in himself to persist until he achieved something.
"Now, it’s just another fresh start!"
With a hopeful heart for the future, Luo Chen fell into a peaceful sleep.
Establishing the Alchemy Hall wasn’t something that could be decided overnight.
Over the past few days, Luo Chen hadn’t gone to the Broken Mountain Gang. Instead, he stayed in the courtyard, watching his few subordinates repair his house.
He himself took up some high-quality wood and started working on a carpentry project.
"What exactly are you making?" Gu Caiyi sat on the swing, watching Luo Chen work with curiosity.
Swish!
Luo Chen waved his hand, and a chair with wheels began spinning in his palm.
Spinning chairs had been one of his specialties back when he was a student!
"It’s a wheelchair, for the disabled."
Gu Caiyi was surprised, "You mean the kind that allows people with mobility issues to move around swiftly, even fly in the sky?"
Luo Chen plopped down on the wheelchair, not even using his hands. A slight release of spiritual energy, and the wheelchair started moving.
It carried him around the courtyard, spinning and turning.
"Unfortunately, I know nothing about arrays. If I could add a few and power it with spirit stones, I’m sure someone would buy it!"
Wheelchairs, of course, had been invented long ago in this world.
It was said that the inventor was a Foundation Establishment cultivator who helped establish Tianfan City.
Over a thousand years, wheelchairs had become a representative magical artifact of Tianfan City.
However, in the Dahe Market, no one sold them.
The main reason was the low demand. Disabled cultivators were still cultivators and had their own means of movement.
Dahe Market was also too remote, far from the Tianfan Region, and the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower mainly sold portable magical artifacts.
Thus, many cultivators knew the name "wheelchair" but had never seen one.
"Let me try it!"
Gu Caiyi jumped up excitedly.
Sitting on a stone bench, Luo Chen watched as Gu Caiyi played with the wheelchair, feeling relieved.
This gift, though not expensive, was a sincere gesture.
It would make it easier to have a conversation with Old Yuan.
"Seems like you’ve been spending more time at home lately. Isn’t the Fragrant Heaven Pavilion busy?"
Gu Caiyi, who was having a blast with the wheelchair, said casually, "I’m planning to quit that job!"
Luo Chen was taken aback but quickly found it reasonable.
The personnel changes at the Fragrant Heaven Pavilion had been confirmed.
The next person in charge would be the Hua Senior Brother mentioned by Xiangxiang, a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Bliss Sect with unpredictable moods and a penchant for gathering energy.
Working under someone like that, with Gu Caiyi’s personality, would eventually lead to trouble.
It was better to quit before the new person arrived.
"What do you plan to do in the future?"
"I haven’t decided yet. I’ll look around the city to see if any of the six major shops need help. I’ll give it a try when the time comes."
The Yuding Region was conquered by the Yuding Sword Sect in alliance with fifteen other sects, with the five major sects as the main force. Therefore, the region was filled with the industries of these five major sects.
The Dahe Market was geographically remote but not small in scale.
Even with the number of cultivators increasing to two or three thousand, there was no sign of overcrowding.
Furthermore, it was close to the vast Eastern Wasteland, making it an ideal base for resource acquisition and future wars of expansion.
Thus, the market had the most complete industries of the six major sects and many shops of smaller sects from the Yuding Region.
Especially the six major sects, which would send Foundation Establishment cultivators to oversee the market, unlike the smaller sects, which only had Qi Condensation cultivators in charge.
Ten years was a sensitive period.
Every decade, some sect cultivators in the market would be replaced.
After all, no one wanted to stay in a market with a first-grade spirit vein for too long.
They would rotate!
This time, besides the Bliss Sect’s Fragrant Heaven Pavilion, other places like the Divine Talisman Sect’s Divine Talisman Pavilion and the Five Elements Divine Sect’s Spirit Source Hall would also have small-scale personnel changes.
With so many changes, some positions would naturally become vacant.
Gu Caiyi was attractive and at the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation.
Having spent years at the Fragrant Heaven Pavilion, she was well-versed in hospitality and social interactions.
If she wanted to find a new job, as long as her demands weren’t excessive, it should be relatively easy.
"Why are you asking this?"
"As a good friend, can’t I show some concern?"
"Pfft, I thought you were going to keep me as a concubine."
"Hmm, not impossible."
Suddenly, Gu Caiyi’s wheelchair stopped, and she looked at Luo Chen with a burning gaze.
(End of Chapter)
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