Before long, the three arrived at the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion.
The familiar old man, Sun Shou, stood by the entrance and waved them over.
Once they were inside, Sun Shou clicked his tongue in exasperation. "You youngsters know nothing but fighting and killing every day. Can't you treat yourselves a little better?
"This is the second time this hand of yours has been severed, isn't it?
"The way I see it, even if you attach a fresh hand, you'll never stand a chance at Foundation Establishment in this lifetime.
"Our bodies, hair, and skin come from our parents—they are our origin and foundation! How could you be so careless with them?"
Listening to his nagging, Qin Liangchen kept silent, while Murong Qinglian's face was lined with worry.
Moments later, he led the three of them to the door of a quiet room.
Sun Shou held out his palm.
Murong Qinglian immediately handed over a cloth pouch containing thirty medium-grade spirit stones. This was the fee for reattaching the arm, covering both the specialist's compensation and the cost of the materials.
Weighing the pouch in his hand, Sun Shou waved them on.
"Go on in!"
Qin Liangchen drew a deep breath and stepped inside.
Luo Chen and Murong Qinglian remained outside, waiting anxiously for good news.
Unable to sit idly, Sun Shou struck up a conversation with Luo Chen and Murong Qinglian.
"Charging three thousand spirit stones really isn't expensive. Even within the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, it would cost at least two thousand.
"The one reattaching Xiao Qin's limb this time is True Disciple Luo Tianhong, and the art he is using is called the Golden Silkworm Reattachment Technique."
Through his explanation, Luo Chen finally learned just what an extraordinary figure this True Disciple Luo was.
Not only did he hail from a prestigious clan, but his innate talent was also formidable, earning him the status of a true disciple early on.
Beyond his immense sword cultivation, he had also mastered an impressive level of medical art.
In other words, he was not just a sword cultivator, but a physician as well, and had even attained remarkable achievements in artifact appraisal and auctioneering.
His arrival at Dahe Market was part of the mandatory Foundation Establishment assignment that true disciples had to fulfill.
Once the task was finished, he would return to devote himself entirely to secluded cultivation.
After reaching the mid Foundation Establishment stage, he could very well vie for the status of a Jade Cauldron Dao Seed.
If he succeeded, nine times out of ten, he was practically guaranteed to become a future Core Formation Master!
"During the reattachment, a portion of Xiao Qin's own flesh and bone will be transplanted, supplemented by golden silk spun by a green gold silkworm. Only then can the new arm harmonize with his original body and move as naturally as his own limb.
"Speaking of which, Xiao Qin is fortunate to possess a metal spiritual root, which allows him to use the relatively cheaper green gold silkworm silk. If he didn't, he would have had to rely on the Heavenly Fragrance Reattachment or the Black Flame Reattachment Technique.
"Those two arts can only be performed by our sect's Core Formation Elders at present, and the price for their intervention is something none of you could ever afford."
Listening to the old man's rambling, Murong Qinglian's anxiety gradually eased.
She carefully asked about the precautions and recovery process once the new arm was attached, and how it should be conditioned.
Sun Shou held nothing back, giving her detailed instructions.
Suddenly...
"Aaargh—!"
A heart-wrenching scream tore out from the quiet room.
Luo Chen's brow twitched. This quiet room was protected by a sound-insulating array!
Just what kind of agonizing pain was it that Qin Liangchen couldn't suppress his cries, piercing right through the array?
Murong Qinglian clenched her hands tight, intertwining her fingers until dark bruises formed against her fair skin.
Sun Shou sighed. "I hope he pulls through. This kind of reattachment method is rarely used even within our sword sect. The pain involved is far beyond what ordinary people can endure.
"Keep watch here. I still have some business to attend to."
"Take care, Elder Sun."
"Take care, Elder Sun."
Murong Qinglian remained standing vigil outside the door.
Luo Chen escorted Sun Shou part of the way, taking the opportunity to ask about the handover progress of the Mountain Breaker Gang's former storefronts in the outer market.
By the time he returned, all sound inside and outside the quiet room had ceased.
A handsome man with a sword-straight posture stepped out from within.
Luo Tianhong!
Luo Chen recognized him.
At the auction, he was the one representing the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion, serving as both host and auctioneer.
Yet unlike his vibrant warmth at the auction, he appeared cold and aloof in private.
Without sparing Murong Qinglian a single glance, he walked straight past.
Luo Chen immediately stepped aside and bowed his head respectfully.
Suddenly, the footsteps halted before him.
Luo Chen felt a piercing gaze scrutinize him for a lingering instant.
A heartbeat later, the footsteps resumed.
Only a single sentence brushed past Luo Chen's ear:
"The spell was a success. Go inside after six hours."
Luo Chen froze. When he looked up, the figure had already vanished.
*Why did he look at me like that?*
*Is it because of Mi Shuhua, or Deacon Miao?*
Unable to find an answer, Luo Chen hurriedly conveyed the words to Murong Qinglian.
With no other choice, the two stood waiting outside the door, clinging to hope.
Only after six hours had passed did they gently push the door open and step inside.
With just a single glance, Murong Qinglian covered her mouth, two streams of silent tears spilling down her cheeks.
Upon the jade bed lay a naked man.
His abdomen was cut open, missing two ribs. Medicinal powder had been scattered over the wound, and the flesh was slowly knitting together.
Two large chunks of flesh had been excised from both of his thighs.
Where his right shoulder had once been empty, there now hung an arm as thin and frail as a boy's—jarringly deformed.
Strand upon strand of golden thread, moving as if alive, wriggled in and out of the arm's flesh.
Beside the man's body lay a lifeless little gray silkworm.
Pursing his lips, Luo Chen walked over and gently sealed the lifeless gray silkworm inside a jade box.
According to Sun Shou's instructions, after enduring limb reattachment through the Golden Silkworm Reattachment Technique, brewing the dead green gold silkworm's husk together with abundant herbs rich in innate qi would yield an exceptional healing broth for the patient.
Once the arm grew back to its normal proportion, this would allow him to wield it with far greater ease.
After all, this green gold silkworm was a Tier 1 spirit insect, and every part of it was a treasure.
"Sister-in-law, stay here over the next couple of days to care for Brother Qin.
"Leave the medicine brewing to me.
"I've already spoken with Senior Sun. No one will disturb you in this quiet room for the next three days."
Murong Qinglian slowly sat down beside the jade bed and reached out to stroke the face that had contorted out of shape from sheer agony.
Choking back a sob, she whispered, "I'll trouble you, then."
Luo Chen pressed his lips together and forced a smile.
"Don't worry, Sister-in-law. True Disciple Luo said the spell succeeded. Brother Qin will be fine, and he won't be a one-armed swordsman anymore."
As he said this, he glanced at the tiny arm resembling a child's limb, then turned his gaze away, unable to bear the sight.
"I'll take my leave first!"
Luo Chen departed immediately, leaving the room to husband and wife.
...
"Two qian of dried slugs.
"Three stalks of fierce-bug beans.
"Do you have freshly picked Heavenly Sun Fruits? No old stock.
"And a hundred-year ginseng as well."
Listening to the names of these herbs, Bai Meiling gave Luo Chen a puzzled look.
"Have you been feeling weak lately? These are all intensely tonifying ingredients!
"Besides, while freshly picked Heavenly Sun Fruits have the most potent innate qi, they also carry scorching fire qi and aren't suitable for casual consumption."
Luo Chen sighed. "They're for Brother Qin. He just had his arm reattached and desperately needs to replenish his vitality."
Bai Meiling blinked, then trotted off to the back.
Before long, she brought out all the herbs Luo Chen needed.
After paying the spirit stones, Luo Chen chatted with her for a brief while, only leaving once someone came to summon her.
Returning to his courtyard, Luo Chen immediately set to work brewing the Qingjin Vitality Soup.
This could not be delayed. Qin Liangchen had to drink it tonight, or its efficacy would be drastically reduced.
It was not until nightfall that the vitality soup, centered around the green gold silkworm husk, was finally ready.
Pushing his flight speed to the limit, he managed to deliver the soup just before the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion shuttered its doors.
As he left, a fleeting glance revealed that his sister-in-law had grown so haggard over just a single afternoon.
*Perhaps she could accept a husband with a missing arm, but she couldn't bear to see the man who had always been so strong show such vulnerability.*
*And Brother Qin surely wouldn't have wanted his wife to witness him in such a state, either.*
*Just what kind of torment was it that forced him to cry out in agony?*
Luo Chen shook his head and returned to his four-section compound.
Glancing around, the courtyard felt desolate and quiet.
Duan Feng, Feng Xia, Gu Caiyi, and the rest were all staying over at the Luotian Association's side.
Due to the various factions carving up the Mountain Breaker Gang, the supply of milk from the Beast Hall had been completely severed.
For the time being, the Mixue Bingcheng milk tea shop could not continue operating.
Feng Xia had simply closed the doors and gone over to lend a hand at the Luotian Association.
Fortunately, the Li family and the Nangong family had recently reached a compromise, each conceding ground to divide the Beast Hall's resources fairly.
The fuzhu deer had fallen into the hands of the Nangong family.
After all, they already raised a herd of fuzhu deer themselves.
Once Luo Chen went over to negotiate with the Nangong family, securing the milk supply should not be an issue.
This wasn't merely about the milk tea shop; it was tied to Luo Chen's operational vision for the Luotian Association and could not be abandoned.
*Where is Bai Meiling, though?*
*At this hour, she should have returned home!*
*That girl really keeps to herself.*
Luo Chen had originally intended to invite her to dinner. The batch of herbs he bought this afternoon had all been top-grade goods.
The Heavenly Sun Fruits even had morning dew still clinging to them.
Brewing the vitality soup with such ingredients had boosted the benefits to Qin Liangchen by several tiers.
Pushing open the door to his room, Luo Chen's hand suddenly froze.
A small cauldron dropped into his palm, and he hung a pair of bells at his waist.
Yet in the very next instant, he put everything away, breaking into a grin.
"I knew it! Brother Wang, you're not the type to die so easily!"
...
Inside the reverse-facing room, where faint chills hung in the air, a man dressed in a long gray hemp robe turned around.
Looking at the grinning Luo Chen, he couldn't help but shake his head.
"I very nearly died."
Seeing Wang Yuan speak with such earnest gravity, Luo Chen asked in surprise, "Was it really that perilous?"
Wang Yuan lifted his gourd and took a swig of wine.
After a long pause, he gave a faint chuckle. "Fragment of a Dharma treasure, numerous high-grade Dharma artifacts, and a blood-legacy Dharma treasure—plus three enemies, all seasoned veterans of combat. What do you think? Was it perilous?"
*Hiss!*
Luo Chen drew in a sharp breath. He had thought the three major factions had already taken Crescent Moon Valley seriously enough back then.
To think that the force sent against Wang Yuan was even more terrifying.
Reflecting on it, it made sense.
After all, Wang Yuan had held first place on the Prodigy Roll at the Qi Refinement level when it first opened, and had displayed overwhelming might capable of crushing Qi Refinement ninth-layer demonic cultivators.
Most importantly, his relationship with Mi Shuhua had always been peculiar.
The Foundation Establishment cultivators would naturally have accounted for a variable like him.
"Then how did you survive?" Luo Chen blurted out, but an immediate sense of unease crept over him.
At such close quarters, an eerie fragrance grew increasingly distinct.
Noticing the shift in his expression, Wang Yuan frowned. "Is it that obvious?"
Luo Chen furrowed his brows as well. "You didn't actually study Xiao Wuyan's blood dao secret techniques, did you?"
"Why would I learn such crude arts?"
Wang Yuan gave a cold scoff, then lowered his voice. "Yet it did have its merits. So I integrated a portion of it into my path of body cultivation."
It was certain now: that bizarre fragrance originated from the smell of blood.
"If even I can smell it, wouldn't you be exposed instantly if you inadvertently run into a Foundation Establishment cultivator?"
"Why else do you think I hid outside for so long, waiting almost an entire month before coming to see you?"
*So you knew all along!*
Luo Chen let out a sigh. Then, with great care, he produced a beast parchment and handed it over.
"What is this?" Wang Yuan asked curiously.
"Inject a wisp of spiritual power."
Wang Yuan did as instructed. The next moment, surprise flickered across his face.
"Breath Concealment Spiritual Art?
"To think there exists such an exquisite spell for concealing one's aura!
"Wait... could this be Old Daoist Chen's..."
"Yes, it's the foundation of Old Daoist Chen's best-selling Qi-Concealing Talismans. Those talismans are derived from this spell, though one must cultivate it to Minor Accomplishment before seeing notable results."
Luo Chen shook his head. He didn't want Wang Yuan to end up a reviled demonic or blood cultivator.
Yet the blood-scented fragrance on him was simply impossible to hide, drawing far too much attention.
Thus, he passed the Breath Concealment Spiritual Art that Old Daoist Chen had gifted him along to Wang Yuan.
There was nothing improper about doing so.
Given Old Daoist Chen's personality, gifting it to Luo Chen meant he was free to handle it however he wished.
Besides, Wang Yuan and Old Daoist Chen shared a bit of history.
Wang Yuan lowered his head to read the spell on the parchment, his face frequently reflecting admiration.
Only after a long while did he set the parchment down.
"Earlier, I was lamenting that Chen Xiuping had departed, or else I could have bought a few Qi-Concealing Talismans to mask it a little.
"I never imagined he would gift the original spell to you.
"In this way, I owe each of you a personal favor."
Luo Chen twitched his lips. "Come off it, what's between you and me? Besides, this Breath Concealment Spiritual Art isn't easy to cultivate. Listen closely..."
Luo Chen had practiced the Breath Concealment Spiritual Art for a long time.
He had reached the Great Circle level, to the point where even approaching within a hundred meters of a Tier 2 monster wolf went unnoticed.
One could say Luo Chen had long surpassed Chen Xiuping in this spell, reaching the pinnacle of mastery.
He could not only conceal his aura, but even mimic the aura of others.
He could share insights off the top of his head with ease.
Following Luo Chen's oral guidance, Wang Yuan immediately began testing the cultivation.
The initial stage involved condensing spiritual power seeds to rein in spiritual power fluctuations and the blood qi of his body.
The intermediate stage required expanding the number of spiritual power seeds.
By the late stage, one no longer chased numbers, instead using the dantian as the foundation to actively gather and restrain one's entire physical state.
At this point, it could already be considered Great Accomplishment.
On the proficiency panel, that would roughly correspond to the Grandmaster tier.
As for the Great Circle tier, Luo Chen didn't hold high hopes for Wang Yuan.
In truth, so long as he didn't engage in combat, Wang Yuan only needed to reach the Minor Accomplishment stage, and that would be more than enough.
Chen Xiuping had been at that level back then, and the Qi-Concealing Talismans he crafted could fool even Tier 1 demonic beasts.
Wang Yuan listened intently, occasionally trying it out himself.
When a spiritual power seed failed to condense and went off with a dull pop inside his flesh, he didn't even mind, simply pressing his thumb against several acupoints to dismiss the impact.
Luo Chen's eyelids twitched violently at the sight.
"Brother Wang, just what tier has your physique reached?!"
Back when Luo Chen cultivated it, he had been exceedingly careful.
Condensing spiritual power seeds outside the dantian was relatively dangerous.
A single failure could damage the meridians at worst, or cause internal bleeding at best.
Yet Wang Yuan felt nothing at all, his expression completely unchanged.
Hearing Luo Chen's question, Wang Yuan replied casually, "The transition from Vajra to White Jade has concluded. According to the standards of ancient body cultivators, my physique belongs to the second realm."
Seeing Luo Chen still looking perplexed, he raised his head.
"Compared to a cultivator's Qi Refinement, it corresponds to the early Foundation Establishment state."
Early Foundation Establishment!
Luo Chen's eyes went wide. "Don't fool with me!"
"Hmm?"
Mulling over the slang, Wang Yuan roughly grasped Luo Chen's meaning and explained seriously:
"Body cultivation actually has relatively detailed boundary divisions: Body Surpassing Vajra, Ice Flesh and Jade Bone, and Body Becoming a Crucible. They correspond to Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, and Core Formation respectively.
"Back when we ran into that Deacon Miao at the Mountain Breaker Gang's headquarters, didn't he see through my progress at a glance?"
Luo Chen's memory flashed back.
He vaguely recalled Deacon Miao indeed remarking: *Quite a fine seedling. Looking at this physique transitioning from Vajra to White Jade, he must be bordering on Foundation Establishment!*
In other words, after the battle along Qingjiang Long Street, Wang Yuan had completely bridged the transition from Vajra to White Jade, acquiring a physique comparable to the early Foundation Establishment stage?
This revelation truly shook Luo Chen.
Without him even realizing it, a friend beside him had become comparable to Foundation Establishment?
Gathering his wits, he couldn't help asking:
"Does that mean you possess combat strength on par with early Foundation Establishment?"
If that was truly the case, Luo Chen would possess a genuine backer.
And not a backer like Mi Shuhua or Miao Wen, who covetously eyed his alchemy skills!
Because Wang Yuan was truly good to him.
Even if they hadn't sworn to die for each other, they were practically sworn brothers.
Yet Wang Yuan doused him with cold water.
"Do you truly think the blade of Foundation Establishment lacks sharpness?"
"Uh..."
Wang Yuan shook his head and set down the parchment in his hand.
"Times change too fast, and the resources in the Eastern Desolation's cultivation world are extraordinarily abundant.
"Those Foundation Establishment cultivators possess at least one or two supreme-grade Dharma artifacts. Those with deep pockets can even afford Dharma treasures.
"Combined with their externalized spiritual sense and Foundation Establishment True Fire, a physique like mine doesn't amount to much."
Luo Chen still found it hard to accept.
He asked in confusion, "Then what's the point of being a body cultivator? You're clearly on par with Foundation Establishment, yet your combat strength falls short, and you don't even gain longevity."
"That's precisely why body cultivators declined!"
Wang Yuan sighed. "Why did I pursue the Blood Fiend Pill so desperately? Because the Blood Fiend Pill not only aids my body cultivation, but also allows me to cultivate both body and magic, giving me a slim chance to charge toward Foundation Establishment.
"If I can attain Foundation Establishment, my lifespan will double.
"At that point, I can use that time to strive for the third realm of body cultivation. Once my body becomes a crucible, it will also increase my longevity, and among peers of the same realm, my combat strength will not be inferior to a sword cultivator's—in fact, it will surpass it!"
*Is that how it works?*
Luo Chen felt a touch of disappointment.
Just a moment ago, he had even felt the impulse to switch to body cultivation.
Simply because the speed of progress had looked so astonishing.
Even though Wang Yuan had the foundation of a martial arts grandmaster, his years of cultivation added up to merely several decades.
And Luo Chen's current foundation wasn't bad either.
"Still, that isn't to say the second realm of body cultivation is entirely helpless against Foundation Establishment peers."
Wang Yuan spoke with a tinge of yearning. "The body cultivation technique I obtained was incomplete. I had to merge it with mortal martial arts to tailor a complete body cultivation technique suited to myself.
"According to the descriptions in that remnant technique, ancient body cultivators had specialized offensive techniques designed to complement their physique.
"Their might was by no means inferior to that of Foundation Establishment cultivators.
"If I mastered a few of those methods, why would I have to sneak around Dahe Market like this?"
Following that yearning came a hint of self-deprecation.
"The moves I use now are modified and adapted by me from martial arts, the blood dao, and the path of Qi Refinement. Their power is decent enough, but I've never tested them against a Foundation Establishment cultivator, so I can't be sure of my true combat strength."
Luo Chen picked up the thread.
"At the very least, within the Qi Refinement realm, you're practically invincible, right?"
"Haha!"
Wang Yuan suddenly burst into laughter. "Even before breaking through to the second realm, when have I ever feared an enemy in the Qi Refinement stage?"
At those words, Luo Chen couldn't help laughing too.
Indeed!
During the war between the two gangs, Wang Yuan had dared to fight across cultivation tiers.
On the Dao Discussion Platform, he had crushed a blood cultivator.
Along Qingjiang Long Street, he had fought three top experts all on his own.
Luo Chen had stated the obvious.
Suddenly, as if struck by inspiration, Wang Yuan pressed his thumb firmly against the region of his kidneys.
"Luo Chen, take another whiff."
Luo Chen followed his cue, flaring his nostrils slightly.
The next instant, he was stunned.
"That bloody fragrance... it's gone?"
Wang Yuan nodded in understanding. "Sure enough, your insights can only serve as reference. This Breath Concealment Spiritual Art inherently involves blood and qi.
"Back in the mortal realm, I learned similar martial arts. With a slight adjustment, it already produces remarkable results."
Luo Chen swallowed hard.
Although he had entered the door easily back then, reaching this Minor Accomplishment level of restraining blood and qi had taken him a month or two.
Wang Yuan had connected the dots through analogous principles and achieved this within a mere two hours.
Martial arts and body cultivation truly had their merits!
Now that Wang Yuan could preliminarily suppress his blood and qi, didn't that mean he could move about freely?
Luo Chen's eyes lit up. "Brother Wang, in my Luotian Association, there's still a hall master's seat left vacant!"
...
A full month had passed since the downfall of the Mountain Breaker Gang.
The turmoil within Dahe Market had gradually subsided.
The Great River Gang and the Lianyun Merchant Alliance had both established firm footholds in the mountains.
Meanwhile, the Xuanyi Society, which had once been viewed with immense promise, had fallen into bitter infighting and numerous conflicts while dividing the spoils of the Mountain Breaker Gang.
Even though they had reached compromises and conceded ground to a point everyone could begrudgingly accept, the Xuanyi Society—an alliance of five families—now existed in name only.
At the end of the day, the Xuanyi Society had merely been a loose, temporary alliance formed to help the three newly relocated families gain a foothold and counter the Mountain Breaker Gang.
Now that the Mountain Breaker Gang was gone, the five families no longer banded together.
The Great River Gang had to tend to its waterways, while the Lianyun Merchant Alliance cared little for territorial control, focusing solely on harvesting resources.
Consequently, the rogue cultivators of Dahe Market suddenly realized that the heavy pressure of the gangs looming over their heads had lightened considerably!
Several smaller factions began to raise their heads.
Among them, the Luotian Association, having inherited the Mountain Breaker Gang's Pill and Medicine Halls, ceased open recruitment.
Outsiders assumed they had reached the limits of their scale.
Only insiders knew that President Danchenzi had embarked on his great endeavor of pill refinement.
The Pill Hall's location remained unchanged, situated deep within Crescent Moon Valley along the mountainside belly.
However, the alchemy equipment had undergone a tremendous transformation.
The original three pill rooms had now expanded to five.
The five rooms came in three tiers: one large, two medium, and two small.
The large pill room housed the Four Symbols Cauldron; the two medium rooms held the Xuanyun Cauldron and the Shenmu Cauldron; while the two small rooms were equipped with two low-grade Purple Cloud Bronze Furnaces.
Though Luo Chen's spiritual power was growing increasingly abundant, he still could not manage five pill rooms simultaneously.
Thus, he continued to use only the three largest rooms.
The other two smaller rooms were provided for Mi Li, Tang Quan, and others to use.
By now, Mi Li could refine Fasting Powder with ease.
After all, it was an unranked recipe to begin with, and many rogue cultivators in Dahe Market knew how to boil Fasting Powder.
Luo Chen assigned the task of refining Fasting Powder to her, partly to meet internal needs and partly to supply the Luotian Association's shops with more merchandise.
The only pity was that after all this time, Tang Quan had yet to successfully refine a single batch of Myriad Wonders Pills.
His alchemy talent was truly abysmal.
Zeng Wen would occasionally drop by for a look, grinding his teeth in frustration before beating the boy black and blue.
*This concerns your uncle's lifelong happiness down below, you little wretch!*
Today, the Luotian Association was under tight security.
Dressed in a brand-new high-grade azure Daoist robe, Luo Chen stepped into the pill room.
"Light the fire!"
His expression was solemn, yet a flicker of excitement stirred within him.
Finally, there was no one keeping watch over his alchemy around the clock.
From now on, he could freely concoct the pills he wished to make.
For an alchemist, this was undoubtedly the greatest joy.
Four hours later, Luo Chen brought his alchemy session to an end, feeling slightly fatigued.
Even though he had still used three pill rooms, one room had been upgraded to a mid-grade Tier 1 cauldron, allowing for an extra portion of raw ingredients.
He now had to oversee the refinement of eight portions of ingredients in a single run.
The drain on his mind and spirit was undeniably immense.
It wasn't merely a matter of adding one more portion; rather, where he had once operated with ease, he had now reached his threshold.
"I really must persist in cultivating the Mind-Brightening Fiend-Clearing Art!"
Luo Chen sighed with emotion, then instructed the pill-curers to enter and collect the pills.
The leader of the pill-curers was named Qiu Ying.
She was a female cultivator formerly of the Medicine Hall, at the sixth layer of Qi Refinement.
Currently, she oversaw both the pill-curers and the medicine apprentices, holding two roles at once.
In return, Luo Chen paid her a stipend on par with a late Qi Refinement cultivator.
One could not mistreat their workers!
"Twenty low-grade Jade Marrow Pills, eighty medium-grade Jade Marrow Pills!"
When Qiu Ying read out these numbers, she showed only a hint of surprise.
President Danchenzi's alchemy attainment was truly profound.
Yet in the hearts of the two surviving pill-curers, it set off a stormy tempest.
This was already a sixty percent success rate.
And in terms of quality, the ratio of medium to low-grade was four to one.
The Hall Master—no, the President's alchemy skills had improved yet again!
Luo Chen felt no surprise at this.
Grandmaster-level Jade Marrow Pill proficiency typically yielded only a fifty percent success rate.
However, he had refined low- and medium-grade Jade Marrow Pills countless times, reaching the point of consummate skill.
Achieving an extra ten percent was merely a pleasant surprise.
As for that extra batch of low-grade Jade Marrow Pills, it was a deliberate choice on his part.
Not to hide his alchemy skill,
but to diversify the product line.
There would always be poor early-stage rogue cultivators who couldn't afford expensive pills.
Luo Chen had to look out for those impoverished brothers as well!
"Take the pills to the pill-curing chamber and bottle them properly.
"Also, arrange for people to sweep the pill rooms and wash the cauldrons.
"Those who are free can go assist Mi Li with refining Fasting Pills."
After handing out the tasks, Luo Chen rubbed his temples and went to wash his hands.
Refining eight portions of Jade Marrow Pills at once was truly exhausting.
Even with his soul's strength, it pushed him close to his limit.
"I wonder how the Medicine King Sect refines pills, to be able to open Spirit Herb Pavilions across all five domains and still have surplus to expand outside the Far East Six Domains."
Luo Chen muttered to himself, filled with curiosity.
He felt he had done his absolute best, yet his alchemy efficiency still didn't seem fast enough.
After washing his hands, Luo Chen stepped into the small pill room for a look.
Mi Li had fully recovered. Under Luo Chen's care, she had taken several pills capable of patching her innate deficiencies.
While it couldn't cure her root deficiency completely, she no longer looked as sickly as she usually did.
At this moment, presiding over a pill room on her own, her face brimmed with excitement.
*Originally, Mi Shuhua was grooming her as an alchemist, which shows she has some talent for it.*
*Pity Mi Shuhua nurtured her the wrong way.*
*He was too impatient!*
Mi Shuhua's method of raising an alchemist had been far too rough, defined entirely by haste.
Luo Chen could understand; after all, Mi Shuhua held the Jade Marrow Pill recipe, a foreseeable mountain of wealth.
Anyone would be eager to monetize it immediately.
Yet raising an alchemist was something that could never be rushed.
Even with his system, Luo Chen had to advance step by step.
How could an ordinary person endure such reckless waste?
Therefore, Luo Chen planned to nurture Mi Li gradually.
Starting from the fundamentals of a medicine apprentice, up to unranked Fasting Powder.
Only when she could stabilize the success rate of Fasting Powder around thirty percent would he consider letting her try her hand at Tier 1 pills.
A thirty percent rate roughly corresponded to the Perfect proficiency on his panel, which already enabled one to produce medium-grade pills.
*Was I also too hasty in grooming Tang Quan?*
Suddenly, Luo Chen reflected on himself!
He realized that having Tang Quan refine Myriad Wonders Pills back then had perhaps been driven by nepotism.
Besides, back then it had been about letting Tang Quan practice; failures only wasted the Mountain Breaker Gang's spirit stones.
Now, however, every failure wasted his own spirit stones!
*Turns out I was blinded by a single leaf just like Mi Shuhua.*
Luo Chen chuckled softly. Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a small figure.
"Halt!"
...
"Halt!"
At Luo Chen's sharp call, the little fellow who had just slipped out of the pill room froze obediently in place.
Looking at the handsome young boy, Luo Chen beckoned.
"Come here!"
The boy walked nervously to Luo Chen's side. His height was nearly level with the seated Luo Chen.
Luo Chen looked at him with a stern expression. "Don't you know the pill room is dangerous? Who gave you permission to enter?"
The boy muttered timidly, "I wanted to help."
"Help?" Luo Chen couldn't help but laugh. "You aren't even as tall as the cauldron's legs. What could you possibly help with?"
"President! President! Did Lingjun offend you?"
An anxious, aged voice called out from the entrance of the pill room.
It was Qu Hancheng, currently responsible for training stakers and managing their shifts between the various pill rooms.
Qu Hancheng trotted over and immediately grabbed Qu Lingjun, raising a hand to spank him.
"This boy knows nothing but causing trouble all day long! He must be taught a lesson!"
Before his hand could fall, however, a strand of Luo Chen's spiritual power lifted his arm.
"Enough, drop the act.
"Who doesn't know that you, Old Man Qu, dote on your grandson the most?"
Qu Hancheng gave a sheepish grin, his weathered face blooming like a chrysanthemum.
He smoothly pulled Qu Lingjun out from behind him, making the boy stand properly before Luo Chen.
Luo Chen shook his head. "Work in the Pill Hall is quite hazardous. Cauldrons have exploded here before. Why bring a child along?"
"He's not that small anymore. He'll turn twelve soon, and then he can begin cultivating."
Qu Hancheng looked at his grandson, his tone brimming with affection.
"Leaving him at home just leads to mischief, and his mother can't manage him, so I figured I'd bring him along to Crescent Moon Valley.
"It makes looking after him easier, and I was hoping he might learn a thing or two."
As he said this, Qu Hancheng sighed with emotion. "Our Luotian Association has so many capable people. If Lingjun can pick up even a fraction of their skills, I won't have to worry about him when I'm gone."
There truly were many talents within the Luotian Association.
The Pill Hall, in particular, had absorbed the finest elements of the Mountain Breaker Gang's former Pill and Medicine Halls.
Even if Qu Lingjun merely learned a couple of spirit-planting techniques, he wouldn't have to worry about earning a living once he grew up.
"Grandpa, I like that big thing in there!"
Qu Lingjun blinked his large eyes, pointing toward the largest pill room.
*A big thing?*
There indeed was a big thing in there: the zhang-tall Four Symbols Cauldron.
Luo Chen scrutinized Qu Lingjun thoughtfully.
Beside him, Qu Hancheng's scolding reached his ears, telling the boy that it was far too dangerous and that it was the President's treasure.
After a long while, Qu Hancheng asked cautiously, "President, can I take Lingjun over to the Field Pavilion first and have Sister Xiu look after him before I come back?"
Sister Xiu was a former female cultivator of the Medicine Hall, gentle by nature and very patient with people.
To his surprise, Luo Chen shook his head.
Beckoning with his hand, Qu Lingjun trotted over to his side with lively steps.
"Do you know how to read?"
"Yes! My mother taught me."
"Then I have a task for you."
A book landed in the small hands, bearing the title *Illustrated Guide to a Hundred Herbs*.
"Within one month, memorize this entire book. You don't need to understand it; just memorize every word, including the illustrations."
The moment he heard he had to memorize a book, the boy's face slumped in misery.
Yet hearing there were pictures inside, curiosity returned to his features.
"Lingjun, thank the President quickly!" Qu Hancheng was overjoyed, hurriedly tugging the boy to offer thanks.
Listening to the crisp words of gratitude, Luo Chen paid it little mind.
He waved his hand, signaling the two to leave.
Sitting where he was, his eyes turned contemplative.
Only after a long while did he stand and enter Mi Li's pill room.
Watching Pill-Curing Deacon Qiu Ying and Mi Li joyfully counting the freshly baked Fasting Pills, surrounded by curling steam, the radiant excitement on their two lovely faces was unmistakable.
"The Luotian Association is finally getting on the right track!"
Luo Chen murmured with emotion, then turned to leave.
...
"This is the Nangong ancestral grounds!"
Zhou Yuanli and Liu Qiang flanked Luo Chen on either side, while behind them stood a ten-man team led by War Hall Elder Sima Xian.
Zhou Yuanli was introducing the sprawling complex of buildings below to Luo Chen.
"Over there, they're building a beast farm. Supposedly, the Nangong family will dispatch cultivators specifically to guard it.
"And over here..."
Looking down, Luo Chen's gaze grew complicated.
*The Nangong ancestral grounds?*
*It's merely the Mi family's old ancestral grounds!*
He recalled how, two months ago, when he had arrived here alone, everyone in sight had been members of the Mi family.
Now, the scenery remained, but the people were entirely different.
"Who approaches!"
A sharp shout rang from below, followed by a figure flying straight upward.
Luo Chen said nothing; Sima Xian stepped forward to meet him.
"Luotian Association President Danchenzi, bearing a formal calling card, has come to visit Senior Nangong Jin!"
As he spoke, a gold-embossed card shot forth.
The Nangong cultivator was taken aback and instinctively reached out to catch it.
Yet the moment it met his grasp, his expression shifted.
Suspended in midair, he was shoved back thirty feet by a surge of overwhelming force.
"You!"
Sima Xian was a cold man of few words; seeing this, he merely gave a faint twitch of his lips.
Eyes burning with anger, the cultivator spat, "Wait here!" before turning and flying back into the buildings below.
Once he was gone, Zhou Yuanli asked worriedly, "President, won't acting like this offend the Nangong family?"
Luo Chen shook his head in silence.
Sima Xian's impolite move earlier had not been his own idea, but Luo Chen's deliberate instruction.
In committing such an affront, Luo Chen wasn't acting out of blind arrogance.
In truth, he was testing whether Deacon Miao's name still carried weight.
And the result would show itself very soon.
Guided by a cultivator, Luo Chen met the master of the Nangong family in a reception hall.
The young master!
Looking at the handsome face with sword-like brows and starry eyes, as striking as Pan An, Luo Chen's brows twitched involuntarily.
It was Nangong Qin, not the Foundation Establishment True Cultivator Nangong Jin!
"You must be President Danchenzi of the Luotian Association! A long-admired name!"
Luo Chen relaxed his brow; after all, one did not strike a smiling face.
"I am Luo Chen. Greetings, Daoist Nangong."
Nangong Qin wasn't surprised; figures of their standing had long known Danchenzi's true identity.
Sitting down in the host's seat, he chuckled. "One doesn't visit a temple without a purpose. What brings you here uninvited, Fellow Daoist?"
In his hands, he toyed with the gold-embossed calling card that bore the title of Luotian Association's Danchenzi.
Luo Chen smiled faintly. "To discuss a small business matter. I wonder if your clan might be interested?"
"Oh?"
"It concerns fuzhu deer."
"Do tell."
After a lengthy explanation, Nangong Qin nodded in understanding.
"It is indeed a fine venture. Both you and I stand to make a tidy profit.
"However..."
The moment that word fell, the warm smile vanished from Luo Chen's face.
Nangong Qin smiled without warmth reaching his eyes. "We only just relocated here. Everything is waiting to be rebuilt, and construction is underway on every side. We truly cannot spare the manpower to provide a steady supply of fuzhu milk for your association. So..."
"My apologies!"
Luo Chen's face darkened slightly. After exchanging a few polite pleasantries, he took his leave.
Nangong Qin escorted him only to the hall entrance before halting.
Watching Luo Chen's departing back, a cold sneer curved his lips.
*A mere eighth-layer Qi Refinement cultivator, putting on the airs of a faction leader before me? He truly takes himself for somebody!*
Suddenly, his ears twitched, and he walked toward the rear of the complex.
Moments later, he arrived at an underground quiet room brimming with spiritual energy.
Stepping inside, he took a deep breath, feeling his entire body grow light and refreshed.
"Father, the spirit vein here is truly remarkable. It actually produces the effect of a Tier 2 vein."
Upon a prayer mat in the room, a seated middle-aged man opened his eyes.
His gaze drifted to a corner, a wisp of heartache flickering across his face.
"It was bought with medium-grade spirit stones. It cannot be used for long-term cultivation, only for emergencies."
Nangong Qin caught on immediately.
In the end, it was merely a Tier 1 spirit vein. The abundant spiritual energy here was converted from medium-grade spirit stones via a Spirit Gathering Array.
Using it for long-term cultivation would incur an enormous cost.
Realizing this, he grew even more puzzled.
"If that's the case, why refuse Luo Chen's proposal? A business worth over a thousand spirit stones a month would yield quite a fortune over a year."
What made fuzhu deer valuable were their antlers and blood; their meat, bone, and milk were otherwise worthless.
The Luotian Association's offer would have opened a new stream of revenue for them.
Yet Nangong Jin shook his head.
"Qin'er, you don't understand.
"In business, one does not look merely at profit, but at who sits across the table."
Nangong Qin was bewildered. "Isn't the Luotian Association backed by Deacon Miao? He comes from the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, so shouldn't we give him face?"
"Face must certainly be given. But it depends on how it is given.
"Give it the wrong way, and you will only earn his displeasure."
Nangong Jin did not explain outright, instead gently guiding the future patriarch of the Nangong family to think for himself.
Nangong Qin was accustomed to this mode of teaching and furrowed his brows in deep thought.
After a long silence, understanding seemed to dawn on him.
"Father means that Deacon Miao values Luo Chen's alchemy skills. If he has requests regarding pill refinement, we naturally ought to accommodate them.
"That way, we preserve Deacon Miao's face.
"As for other matters, there is no need?"
Having untangled this thread, Nangong Qin's thoughts expanded rapidly.
He paced through the quiet room, words flowing like water.
"Once someone possesses a faction and commands numerous subordinates, their ambitions naturally swell.
"Yet in Deacon Miao's eyes, he doesn't want another Mountain Breaker Gang under him. All he wants is a Luotian Association that reliably churns out pills.
"Therefore, outside of the pill business, we need not entertain Danchenzi at all.
"If we get too close, it might instead provoke that man's suspicion."
*A teachable pupil!*
Nangong Jin smiled faintly. "That is the reasoning. Moreover, you must consider that the Luotian Association rose from the Mountain Breaker Gang.
"In other words, that faction shares a blood feud, to varying degrees, with our five families, the Great River Gang, and the Lianyun Merchant Alliance.
"How many Mountain Breaker Gang cultivators died at our hands during that battle? Among the survivors, might there be their kin and close friends?
"Under such circumstances, every interaction with them must be carefully weighed.
"One careless misstep could provoke discontent from the other families."
Hearing this, Nangong Qin felt the weight of the words.
It wasn't just that the Luotian Association held grudges against them; their five families harbored no small resentment toward the Luotian Association either.
If nothing else, Qin Liangchen was an unbridgeable rift for the Nangong family!
Ten clansmen had perished in that shower of golden light, and even he had sustained severe external injuries.
Given the opportunity in the future, a reckoning would certainly have to be settled.
"Father, I understand.
"Since that's the case, aside from pill-related matters, I will treat the Luotian Association as nothing more than a minor rogue cultivator faction."
With that, he bowed out of the quiet room.
Walking along the silent secret passage, a realization struck him.
Today, Luo Chen had brought a calling card seeking an audience with his Foundation Establishment father.
Yet his father had sent him out instead, precisely to convey this message.
Face could be given to Deacon Miao, but there was no need to give face to this so-called "Danchenzi."
...
Across the wilderness, the party of thirteen walked at a steady pace.
They did not cast the Wind Riding Technique, nor did they soar on Dharma artifacts, simply traveling on foot.
Zhou Yuanli and Liu Qiang followed closely behind.
Sima Xian led his men, fanning out in all directions to guard against enemies.
The figure in the center wore a slightly sullen expression.
*Miao Wen's reputation as a backer doesn't carry as much weight as I thought!*
Luo Chen replayed the earlier interaction with the Nangong family in his mind, every detail coming into focus.
Their tolerance toward him had been remarkably high; they hadn't even mentioned Sima Xian's slight insolence.
That was Miao Wen's influence.
Yet when it came to business...
*No, Nangong Qin was interested at first.*
*It was only after hearing it had nothing to do with pills that he flatly refused.*
*So the Nangong clan guessed Miao Wen's mindset and made their decision accordingly?*
Reflecting on this left Luo Chen feeling somewhat stifled.
The Luotian Association was indeed centered around him and served his alchemy.
Yet a faction could never survive in the long run on alchemy alone.
Supporting so many people for nothing on ordinary days was far too wasteful.
Even if they couldn't achieve the comprehensive growth of the former Mountain Breaker Gang, they still needed multiple pillars to stand on.
Luo Chen had no intention of biting off more than he could chew.
He had planned to start small, opening up avenues with something as inconspicuous as fuzhu milk tea.
It was meant both to break ground and to test Miao Wen's tolerance toward him.
At the end of the day, Miao Wen wasn't Mi Shuhua.
Before taking advantage of Mi Shuhua, Luo Chen had gathered plenty of insight into his character from Qin Liangchen, Wang Yuan, Zeng Wen, and numerous cultivators of the Medicine Hall.
Only by understanding his personality, temper, and general way of handling matters could Luo Chen exploit him effectively.
Yet Miao Wen was a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator from a major sect.
Luo Chen had too little contact with him, and outside opinions were mixed.
Any understanding he had was imperfect.
Very likely, what Miao Wen showed was merely a deliberate mask.
Especially considering how Miao Wen had casually killed multiple birds with one stone back then, even putting him through a trial of the heart.
Such a man was nowhere near as genial as he seemed on the surface.
In this situation, Luo Chen had to consider Miao Wen's reaction in everything he did.
Judging by today's test, things weren't looking too favorable!
Suddenly, Luo Chen stopped in his tracks.
Sima Xian had stepped in front of him.
"What is it?"
"President, we may need to take a detour."
"Hmm?"
...
A colossal fortified manor stood tall upon the wilderness plains.
Corner towers loomed on all sides, and the perimeter walls were long and newly constructed, clearly built not long ago.
Banners hung high, fluttering in the wind.
Upon the manor's wall hung a dark cyan plaque, carved with two prominent words—Fu Family!
Looking upon this massive fortress, with roughly a hundred people visibly moving about inside and numerous mortals clearing farmland nearby,
Luo Chen's eyes slowly narrowed.
Chapter 148