Chapter - 4
Fortunately, Yaozhu had a unique taste, and many people bought it to make soup.
However, Fire Dog Whip had a much more... specific use.
Why would a young man need something like that?
Heh.
"No need to call me 'Senior.' Just call me Shopkeeper Liu. And how should I address you, my friend?" The round-faced shopkeeper smiled warmly.
"Shopkeeper Liu, my surname is Gu. You can just call me Gu Shengtian."
Gu Shengtian, however, did not let his guard down. Though the shopkeeper seemed friendly, he exuded an aura that made him feel uneasy.
He had felt this kind of presence before—it was the unmistakable pressure of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Before such a figure, he naturally had to maintain a respectful demeanor.
Shopkeeper Liu chuckled. "So it's Daoist Gu. I do have the two medicinal materials you asked about, but I don't have a large stock."
Gu Shengtian had expected this.
Dahefang City sat on the border, far from the Eastern Wastelands, with vast inland territories stretching for thousands of miles.
One of the ingredients, Scallops, was a seafood-based spiritual herb. It had to be transported from distant coastal regions, making it rare in these parts.
"Limited stock is understandable. As long as you have it, that's enough!"
"Can you provide one hundred portions of Yaozhu? And I'll take ten Fire Dog Whips."
"That much? I must warn you—the price won't be cheap." Shopkeeper Liu gave him a knowing smile.
Not expensive? Maybe not for a wealthy cultivator.
But for someone like Gu Shengtian, who was only at the third level of Qi Refining, the price was certainly not cheap.
Especially considering his plain robes—they didn't exactly scream wealth.
"How much?"
"One hundred Scallops: ten low-grade spirit stones."
"Ten Fire Dog Whips: ten low-grade spirit stones."
Gu Shengtian's eyelids twitched.
Did this shopkeeper have clairvoyance?
Because he had exactly twenty spirit stones left!
"That's quite expensive…"
"Do you want them or not?"
"I plan to be a regular customer. Can't you give me a small discount?"
"Baicao Hall—a five-hundred-year-old establishment, with branches across the Four Domains. Fair prices. No deception. No haggling!"
"…Fine. Pack them up. Here's twenty spirit stones."
Gritting his teeth, Gu Shengtian reluctantly handed over the last of his savings.
The fat shopkeeper snatched the bag of spirit stones with a speed that was almost invisible to the naked eye.
"Xiaoling, prepare one hundred Yaozhu and ten Fire Dog Whips!"
With his purchase complete, Gu Shengtian slung his heavy bag over his shoulder and stepped out of Baicao Hall.
The shopkeeper watched him leave with a knowing smile.
Back Home
The sun was setting, and the streets were still quiet—no desperate rogue cultivators lurking around yet.
Carrying his large sack of herbs, Gu Shengtian rushed home, his pace quick and steady.
Upon reaching his wooden house, he dropped the enormous bag onto the floor and sighed.
Years of savings, gone in an instant.
After careful calculation, he realized that he had spent fifty spirit stones today—the entirety of what he had saved over the years.
And just the two main ingredients alone had cost him twenty spirit stones!
"Damn that five-hundred-year-old shop. I hope you go bankrupt soon!"
He cursed the profiteering shopkeeper under his breath, but soon shook it off.
"I'll make it all back. No—I'll earn even more in the future!"
Determined, he stripped off his dusty robes and, clad in only his pants, jumped into the nearby stream.
This place was remote, located near the Million Mountains of the Eastern Wastelands.
Cultivators often entered the mountains, but they mostly headed east, leaving this area deserted.
No one would be watching.
No one would try to steal from him.
He could relax and properly wash off the grime of the day.
Though he could use a Cleaning Spell, it was nothing more than a burst of spiritual energy that shook off dust. A real bath felt far better.
After scrubbing himself clean, Gu Shengtian returned to his wooden hut, dried his hair, and put on a simple gray robe.
Then, he reached under the floorboards and pulled out a leather-wrapped package.
Inside were three things:
A yellowed bamboo scroll
A thin booklet
A piece of parchment
The Secrets He Had Been Studying
The bamboo scroll contained Changchun Gong—his primary cultivation method.
It was said to be the introductory technique of the Medicine King Sect, leading up to the more advanced Yimu Medicine King Scripture.
The original owner of this body had discovered it in an abandoned cave.
Though he practiced it diligently every night, the progress was painfully slow.
Even after years of training, he was still only at the third level of Qi Refining, far from breaking into the fourth.
However, he had mastered the technique's fundamentals, pushing his proficiency to near perfection.
Perhaps once he fully mastered it, he could finally break through!
The parchment, on the other hand, recorded an incomplete pill recipe—Jade Dew Pill.
The previous owner of this body had wasted all his savings trying to refine this pill, which was designed for Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Gu Shengtian had no intention of repeating that foolish mistake.
Instead, his real focus was on the thin booklet.
Flipping through the first few pages, he saw the familiar recipe for Bigu Powder, which he had already mastered.
But now, it was time for something new.
Zhongmiao Pill
"Zhongmiao Pill: Balances water and fire, regulates Yin and Yang, strengthens Yang energy without harming the kidneys, and has the effect of promoting vitality and prolonging vigor."
Simply put—it was the cultivation world's version of a 'little blue pill.'
Except… it was red.
If he could successfully refine this, it would sell like crazy.
After all, as long as someone was human, they would have needs.
Even cultivators were no exception.
Dahefang City had a famous Tianxiang Pavilion, where countless lone cultivators sought companionship.
The demand for this pill would be immense.
Why hadn't the previous owner of this body attempted to refine it?
Perhaps he had been embarrassed to sell such an item?
Hah.
"Embarrassed? There's no shame in making money."
Taking a deep breath, Gu Shengtian carefully studied the five pages of the Zhongmiao Pill recipe.
He memorized the ingredient preparation, the order of mixing, the timing, the precise weight of each material, and the required level of heat control.
After committing everything to memory, he opened the panel in his mind.
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[Character Panel]
[Name]: Gu Shengtian
[Lifespan]: 27/75
[Spiritual Roots]: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth
[Realm]: Qi Refining (3rd Level) - 75/100
[Cultivation Method]: Changchun Gong (Master: 235/300)
[Spells]: Cleaning (Novice: 49/100), Binding (Proficient: 176/200), Fireball (Proficient: 268/300)
[Alchemy]: First-Level Alchemist, Bigu Powder (Grandmaster: 501/1000)
[Achievement Points]: 10
---
Finally, he had enough achievement points to unlock the Zhongmiao Pill's alchemy proficiency!
With a thought, he invested the points.
---
[New Skill Unlocked: Zhongmiao Pill (Beginner 1/100)]
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Tomorrow, he would begin refining.
Success or failure—this would determine everything!