Chapter 56: The Gift
One must offer something first to foster a relationship.
Building goodwill with a young mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator wouldn't be possible without some effort.
Watching He Song's departing figure, Ping'er thought for a moment before shaking her head and heading upstairs.
Her decision to personally attend to He Song this time was merely on a whim.
As one of the stewards of the Spirit Techniques Pavilion, she usually spent most of her time on the second floor.
Now that the gift had been given, all she had to do was wait.
Walking slowly on his way home, He Song occasionally glanced at the small box in his hand.
The box was exquisitely crafted, seemingly carved from some rare mortal wood.
Judging by the intricate patterns on it, the box would surely fetch a high price in the mortal world.
However, this was the world of cultivation, and such a finely crafted box was nothing more than a decorative item.
The true value lay in the tea leaves inside.
From He Song's perspective, the tea leaves in the box were of excellent quality—much better than the ones he normally used when brewing tea alone.
"Daoist He, if you ever find drinking tea alone dull, do call upon me. The days I spend on duty at the Spirit Techniques Pavilion can be dreadfully tedious," Ping'er had said to him when handing over the tea.
Her words had seemed both casual and deliberate, but He Song couldn't quite grasp her intent.
Still, since she had already given him a gift, her words probably weren't meaningless.
Unable to figure it out after much thought, He Song decided to stop worrying about it.
"When the time comes, and I really do find myself drinking tea alone, I'll just use the Transmission Technique to invite Ping'er over. Then her purpose will become clear," he mused.
Back at home, He Song placed the box into his storage bag and entered his meditation chamber.
Surrounded by the increasingly dense spiritual energy within the Spirit Gathering Formation, he sat down to cultivate.
Days passed in a blur.
One day, after casting the Spirit Rain Technique over his spirit farmland for half an hour, a paper crane imbued with spiritual energy flew in from the horizon and landed before him.
The crane shimmered faintly with spiritual light.
Once He Song released his aura, the crane transformed into a sheet of thin paper that fell into his hand.
"Daoist He, I've returned from Azure Cliff Immortal City. Come quickly to the Spirit Builder Pavilion; I have important matters to discuss with you."
— Wei Fan
Scanning the words on the paper, He Song casually stored it away before heading toward the Spirit Builder Pavilion.
Wei Fan was back.
Though He Song wasn't sure what this important matter could be, it must have something to do with him.
Still, given that He Song had remained in Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market this whole time, what could possibly connect the two?
Puzzled, He Song quickened his pace.
It didn't take long before he arrived at the Spirit Builder Pavilion.
Second Floor:
As soon as He Song stepped into the room, he saw Wei Fan fiddling with a small object.
There was no one else in the room.
"Come, have a seat! This is a gift Old Meng picked out for you in Azure Cliff Immortal City. Take a look," Wei Fan said, waving him over while holding up the item in his hand.
It was a small jade bottle.
Even the lid was made of translucent jade.
Upon closer inspection, the pills inside the bottle could be seen clearly.
Hearing Wei Fan's words, He Song approached curiously.
Taking the jade bottle from Wei Fan's hand, He Song carefully opened it.
A rich fragrance of medicinal herbs immediately wafted out, momentarily stunning He Song.
Even just by inhaling the scent, he felt a faint yet discernible increase in the spiritual energy within his body.
"This is... a mid-grade Qi Gathering Pill?"
Capping the bottle, He Song's mind raced through his knowledge of Qi Refinement period elixirs, though he couldn't confirm it with certainty.
During the Qi Refinement stage, several types of pills were commonly used:
Fasting Pills: Non-graded, used to suppress hunger.
Qi Nourishing Pills: Low-grade, suitable for boosting cultivation in the early-stage Qi Refinement Realm.
Qi Gathering Pills: Mid-grade, effective for cultivation in the mid-stage of Qi Refinement Realm.
Qi Condensing Pills: High-grade, used on the late-stage Qi Refinement Realm.
Breakthrough Pills: Specialized pills for overcoming bottlenecks between stages.
Of these, only Fasting Pills were simple enough for novice alchemists to produce. The others required skilled alchemists, making them highly expensive.
For example, a bottle of ten Qi Nourishing Pills cost ten spirit stones.
A bottle of ten Qi Gathering Pills cost thirty spirit stones.
A bottle of Qi Condensing Pills went for a staggering one hundred spirit stones.
Breakthrough Pills, naturally, were even more exorbitant.
If this bottle really contained mid-grade Qi Gathering Pills, its value would be no less than thirty spirit stones.
That Meng Guan would return from Azure Cliff Immortal City bearing such an extravagant gift for him left He Song momentarily speechless.
"Indeed, these are Qi Gathering Pills," Wei Fan confirmed, nodding. "Old Meng said he wanted to show his gratitude to us. He bought himself a Breakthrough Pill, gave me a bottle of Qi Condensing Pills, and brought you this bottle of Qi Gathering Pills."
Clicking his tongue in a mixture of amusement and disbelief, Wei Fan continued, "Three years in the mines, combined with the savings he already had, and he's managed to splurge like this."
Wei Fan sighed, though it wasn't clear whether he lamented Meng Guan's extravagant spending after years of scrimping, or something else entirely.
He Song sat down beside Wei Fan and examined the jade bottle briefly before carefully tucking it into his storage bag.
For He Song, this was the first time he'd ever received or seen a bottle of Qi Gathering Pills, valued at thirty spirit stones.
In fact, he'd never even used low-grade Qi Nourishing Pills before. His cultivation up to this point had relied solely on absorbing the spiritual energy within the market's bounds. Pills had always been a distant luxury to him.
This gift from Meng Guan truly opened his eyes to the world of alchemy.
Still, after his curiosity was satisfied, He Song placed the bottle away and turned his attention elsewhere.
"Where's Old Meng? Did he manage to break through to the late-stage Qi Refinement Realm? Why is it just you who returned?"
Pouring himself a cup of tea, He Song inhaled the fragrant aroma, speaking in an unhurried tone.
It was odd for two people to set out for Azure Cliff Immortal City, yet only one returned.
If Wei Fan hadn't been his trusted friend, He Song might have suspected foul play—murder and theft, even.
However, the Qi Gathering Pills now safely stored in his bag, combined with Wei Fan's calm demeanor, caused the thought to linger in He Song's mind only for a fleeting moment before he dismissed it outright.
The three of them had been friends for years, and each other's character was trustworthy.
Still, it left He Song wondering why Meng Guan hadn't come back with Wei Fan.
Could it be that Meng Guan had gotten too comfortable in the Immortal City and decided to stay?
With that thought, He Song turned a questioning gaze toward Wei Fan.
"Old Meng is still in the Immortal City. After breaking through to the late-stage Qi Refinement Realm, he told me he wanted to stay and develop himself there. He said Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market is too small and that only the Immortal City is suitable for someone at his level," Wei Fan replied, his tone carrying a hint of ambiguity.
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