**Chapter 56: A Gift**

In the world of human relationships, one must first extend goodwill before any meaningful exchange can begin.

To befriend a young mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator, one must be willing to offer something of value.

Watching He Song's retreating figure, Pinger pondered for a moment before finally shaking her head and heading upstairs.

Her decision to personally receive He Song had been a spur-of-the-moment choice.

As one of the stewards of the Spirit Technique Pavilion, she usually spent her time on the second floor.

Now that the gift had been given, all that remained was to wait.

---

Market Area.

He Song walked slowly on his way home, his gaze occasionally drifting to the small box in his hand.

The box was exquisite, seemingly carved from some rare type of mortal wood.

Judging by the intricate patterns, it would have been quite valuable in the mortal world.

But this was the cultivation world.

In this realm, the delicate little box was nothing more than a pretty trinket.

The true value lay in the tea leaves it contained.

From He Song's perspective, the tea inside was indeed of high quality.

At the very least, it was better than the tea he usually drank alone.

"Fellow Daoist He, if you ever find drinking tea alone dull, feel free to invite me. My days on duty at the Spirit Technique Pavilion can be quite monotonous."

As He Song walked home, Pinger's words echoed in his mind.

Her tone had been casual, yet it also carried a hint of deliberate suggestion.

He Song wasn't entirely sure what she meant.

But since she had gone out of her way to give him a gift, it was unlikely that her words were meaningless.

Unable to make sense of it, He Song decided to stop overthinking.

When the time came, things would naturally become clear. If he ever found himself drinking tea alone, he could simply use a communication spell to invite Pinger over.

At that point, her intentions would surely be revealed.

---

Home.

He Song placed the box into his storage bag and then entered his meditation chamber. Sitting cross-legged within the increasingly dense spiritual energy of the Spirit Gathering Array, he began his cultivation.

And so, several days passed in this manner.

---

One Day.

He Song had just finished casting the Spirit Rain Technique for half an hour in the spirit fields he managed when a communication paper crane flew in from the horizon, landing swiftly before him.

The paper crane glowed with spiritual light.

As He Song released a trace of his aura, the crane transformed into a thin sheet of paper, settling into his hand.

"Fellow Daoist He, I have returned from Greenwall Immortal City. Come to the Spirit Construction Pavilion at once. There is an important matter to discuss."

"Wei Fan."

After glancing at the message, He Song tucked the paper away and immediately set off for the Spirit Construction Pavilion.

Wei Fan had returned.

Though He Song didn't know what important matter needed discussion, he assumed it had something to do with him.

But what could it be? He had been in Bamboo Mountain Immortal District the entire time.

A flicker of curiosity crossed his mind, but his steps didn't slow.

Soon, he arrived at the Spirit Construction Pavilion.

---

Second Floor.

As soon as He Song entered the room, he saw Wei Fan fiddling with a small object.

Wei Fan was alone.

"Come, sit. This is a gift Old Meng picked out for you in Greenwall Immortal City. Take a look."

While He Song was still processing the scene, Wei Fan waved him over and held up the object in his hand.

It was a small jade bottle.

Even the lid was made of translucent jade.

Upon closer inspection, the shape of the pill inside was clearly visible.

He Song approached and took the jade bottle from Wei Fan.

Opening it, a rich medicinal aroma immediately filled the air, causing He Song's spirit to tremble.

Just the scent alone made him feel a slight increase in the spiritual energy within his body.

"Is this... a mid-grade Qi Gathering Pill?"

Closing the lid, He Song recalled the records he had read about Qi Refining-level pills and ventured a guess.

There were several types of pills useful for Qi Refining cultivators.

Fasting Pills: Unranked pills.

Nourishing Qi Pills: Low-grade pills, useful for improving cultivation in the early stages of Qi Refining.

Qi Gathering Pills: Mid-grade pills, useful for improving cultivation in the mid-stages of Qi Refining.

Condensing Qi Pills: High-grade pills, useful for improving cultivation in the late stages of Qi Refining.

In addition, there were Breakthrough Pills, specifically designed to help overcome bottlenecks between minor realms.

With the exception of Fasting Pills, which were relatively simple to refine and could be attempted by novice alchemists, all other pills required the expertise of a true alchemist.

As a result, they were expensive.

A bottle of ten Nourishing Qi Pills cost ten spirit stones.

A bottle of ten Qi Gathering Pills cost thirty spirit stones.

Condensing Qi Pills were even more expensive, costing a full hundred spirit stones per bottle.

As for Breakthrough Pills, their price was naturally exorbitant.

If the bottle in He Song's hand truly contained mid-grade Qi Gathering Pills, its value would be at least thirty spirit stones.

Meng Guan, during his trip to Greenwall Immortal City, had brought back such a generous gift.

This...

He Song's mind raced, leaving him momentarily at a loss for words.

"Yes, they are Qi Gathering Pills. Old Meng mentioned he wanted to thank us. He bought me a bottle of Condensing Qi Pills, got you a bottle of Qi Gathering Pills, and bought himself a Breakthrough Pill."

"Tsk. Old Meng spent three years in the mines, and with his previous savings, he really managed to accumulate quite a bit of wealth."

Wei Fan nodded, confirming He Song's guess. As he spoke, he shook his head with a sigh.

It was unclear whether he was lamenting Meng Guan's quick spending of his hard-earned savings or something else entirely.

Sitting down beside Wei Fan, He Song examined the jade bottle for a while before carefully storing it in his storage bag.

Qi Gathering Pills worth thirty spirit stones—He Song had never used anything like them before.

Even the Nourishing Qi Pills used in the early stages of Qi Refining were unfamiliar to him.

Until now, he had relied solely on absorbing the spiritual energy within the immortal district for his cultivation. Pills were a foreign concept to him.

Now that Meng Guan had gifted him a bottle, it was his first time encountering such a treasure in this world.

Naturally, he wanted to take a closer look.

Once the novelty wore off, he stored it away.

"Where's Old Meng? Did he break through to the late stage of Qi Refining? Why did only you return?" Pouring himself a cup of tea, He Song asked casually, inhaling the fragrant aroma.

Two people had gone to Greenwall Immortal City, but only one had returned.

If it weren't for his friendship with Wei Fan, He Song might have suspected foul play.

However, the Qi Gathering Pills in his storage bag and Wei Fan's calm demeanor quickly dispelled such thoughts.

The three of them had known each other for years, and their trust in one another's character was solid.

Still, He Song couldn't help but wonder why Meng Guan hadn't returned with Wei Fan.

Had he become so enamored with the immortal city that he forgot to come back?

With this speculation in mind, He Song turned his gaze to Wei Fan.

"Old Meng is still in the immortal city. After successfully breaking through to the late stage of Qi Refining, he told me he plans to establish himself there.

Bamboo Mountain Immortal District is too small for him now. Only an immortal city is suitable for a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator."

In response to He Song's question, Wei Fan's expression was unreadable as he replied in a low voice.

(End of Chapter)