The Fasting Powder sold for eleven spirit stones, while the Myriad Wonders Pills brought in a hundred and fifty.
Added together, that came to a total of one hundred and sixty-one.
This was Luo Chen's earnings for the day.
After counting the spirit stones, Luo Chen was grinning so wide he could hardly keep his legs together.
After breaking even for so long, he had finally turned a modest profit.
If he added the ninety-two spirit stones contributed by that short-lived ghost, his savings shot up all at once to two hundred and fifty-three!
An unprecedented peak!
He could buy two low-grade magical artifacts, or two and a half bottles of Qi-Nourishing Pills, or dine on spiritual feasts at Zhongding House for nearly half a month.
He could even book several nights at Tianxiang Pavilion.
Yet none of these thoughts lingered in Luo Chen's mind for even half a second.
With so much working capital on hand, what should he use it for?
To expand production, scale up, grow stronger, and forge new glories, of course!
"Fellow Daoist Luo, about that... isn't it time to pay back..."
"Uncle Chen, care for some fish? I caught it yesterday and roasted it over a gentle flame with my Fireball Art for half an hour. Just heat it up a bit, and it's delicious."
"But..."
"The spirit stones! Of course I remember. It's etched in my heart. You see, I'm right in the middle of advancing my skills, so I need more herbs to practice with. Once I've earned enough, I'll definitely repay you. When the time comes, I'll host a banquet at Zhongding House and treat you personally!"
Zhongding House was the most upscale restaurant in Dahe Market.
Everything it sold was made of ingredients imbued with spiritual energy; the wine served was brewed directly from spiritual veins; and the casual snacks and fruits were all exotic delicacies brought in via river transport along the Lancang River!
Seeing that Old Daoist Chen seemed tempted, Luo Chen struck while the iron was hot.
"Besides, we're both great mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivators now. Would I really covet a mere fifty stones and not pay you back?"
"Don't worry, I'll definitely repay you when the time comes."
"I'm in a rush to buy medicinal herbs, so I'll be off now!"
Watching Luo Chen sprint away until he vanished from sight, Old Daoist Chen couldn't help but wince in exasperation.
That little rascal!
He really was a bit like Chen had been in his younger days, pinching every single spirit stone until it squeaked.
"I just hope that banquet at Zhongding House isn't some lie cooked up to trick an old codger like me!"
...
"Double the red flame chicken blood?"
"Yes, the more the better!"
"Only a few pieces of jade yam left? I'll take them all. Please set aside more for me next time."
"Give me five jin of this!"
Luo Chen worked up a sweat across his forehead amid the massive shopping spree.
The rogue cultivator market was great in every way except for the haggling. Even people who had done business with him several times loved to bring up the season and prevailing market rates.
In contrast, while Hundred Herbs Hall was pricey, it at least saved him from wasting his breath.
Besides, being expensive wasn't Hundred Herbs Hall's flaw—it was Luo Chen's flaw!
"Four hundred portions of conpoy, forty fire hound whips! Fellow Daoist Luo, are you sure you can handle that much inventory?"
The plump shopkeeper, Liu Hecai, looked somewhat astonished.
How long had it been? They had only traded two or three times, yet this minor Qi Refinement cultivator's purchase volume had quadrupled.
Even if someone's constitution was depleted, they shouldn't indulge to this extent!
"Your shop is a five-hundred-year-old brand with branches across four domains. You should at least have this much in stock, right?" Luo Chen asked.
Shopkeeper Liu shook his head. "We certainly have the stock, it's just that you..."
Suddenly, Shopkeeper Liu twitched his nose and asked in surprise, "Young friend, you wouldn't happen to be an alchemist, would you?"
"Merely crude skills, hardly worth mentioning. But you have a keen eye, Shopkeeper."
Good heavens, a wild alchemist in the flesh!
The way Shopkeeper Liu looked at Luo Chen changed, carrying a flavor that was hard to tell between mockery and admiration.
He could tell with certainty that Luo Chen was a rogue cultivator with no clan or sect background.
It was obvious from the man's clothing, demeanor, and even cultivation realm.
Yet that was precisely why he found it astonishing.
These days, even rogue cultivators dared to dabble in such an exalted craft as alchemy?
The young man truly didn't know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth.
Of course, in business, harmony brought wealth.
Shopkeeper Liu offered a genial smile. "Anyone who can practice alchemy at your age must possess remarkable talent. If you concoct any fine pills in the future, young friend, feel free to bring them by for me to have a look."
Those words piqued Luo Chen's curiosity.
"You buy pills too, Shopkeeper?"
"The neighboring Spirit Herb Pavilion and my Hundred Herbs Hall both hail from the Medicine King Sect. Putting it that way, you understand, don't you?"
Luo Chen's eyes lit up as realization struck him.
If he could place his pills for sale in Spirit Herb Pavilion, it would be just like a small home distillery's liquor landing a prime-time advertising slot on state television back on Earth.
The spirit stones would come rolling in like water!
To say nothing of anything else, the most basic Qi-Nourishing Pills for Qi Refinement cultivators went for a flat hundred spirit stones a bottle at Spirit Herb Pavilion.
And they didn't haggle at all—take it or leave it.
Once you walked out that door, you couldn't buy them anywhere else!
Who would have thought this Shopkeeper Liu had the means to supply pills to Spirit Herb Pavilion?
For now, however, such matters had little to do with him.
Even though the market demand for Myriad Wonders Pills was immense, neither his proficiency nor his output had scaled up enough; he wasn't qualified to collaborate with Spirit Herb Pavilion yet.
The two chatted for a few more moments, and Shopkeeper Liu promised to guarantee the supply of conpoy and fire hound whips.
According to him, the fire hound whips came from a cultivation clan under the Medicine King Sect, and the annual output was exceptionally steady and reliable.
Meeting Miss Xiao Ling's odd gaze, Luo Chen packed the medicinal herbs into his storage bag and took his leave.
After he departed, Shopkeeper Liu clicked his tongue in wonder.
"In a forest this vast, you find all kinds of birds. Even low-level rogue cultivators dare to dabble in alchemy now."
"Pah!"
Miss Xiao Ling spat lightly, her cheeks blushing as she said, "I doubt he's refining anything decent anyway!"
...
Were Myriad Wonders Pills a good medicine?
That was a matter of opinion.
To a cultivator who aspired to the Great Dao yet still wished to enjoy worldly pleasures, it was a man's greatest blessing!
To those who cared nothing for the Great Dao and indulged purely in merrymaking, it was an indispensable weapon at the waist!
The only ones wronged were probably the spirit beast fiery hounds.
Every time someone took a Myriad Wonders Pill to partake in the clouds and rain of passion, a fiery hound in some unknown corner was bound to let out a heartbreaking, agonizing howl.
It was a true embodiment of the saying: *Though I did not kill Boren, Boren died because of me.*
On the journey home, Luo Chen was in high spirits.
Of all his trips to the market, this one had been the easiest.
He no longer had to carry a snakeskin sack on his back through the streets and alleys.
A storage bag was truly a wonderful thing, worthy of being called the greatest invention in the cultivation world.
A minimum retail price of ten thousand stones fully matched its noble status.
He wondered which sect manufactured these items; they were probably curled up in bed every day, driven mad with glee from counting spirit stones!
Since it was broad daylight in the afternoon, the outer district appeared quite safe.
Though patches of stained blood were scattered along the streets, Luo Chen had long grown accustomed to the sight.
Activating his Carefree Wandering at the adept level, he swept through the bustling market like the wind, eager to return home.
This shopping trip had cost him a full two hundred-odd spirit stones, leaving him with only forty spirit stones for emergencies.
Raw materials for Myriad Wonders Pills, ingredients for Fasting Powder, and daily living necessities.
It truly felt like his past life, when he would leave the house once a month for a massive haul at the supermarket.
After returning home and organizing everything neatly by category, Luo Chen began his cultivation for the day.
In addition to the Fireball Art, he also picked the Entangling Art back up.
After all, it was a foundational spell that came with the Eternal Spring Art, and with his proficiency at 176/200, it wouldn't be long before it advanced to the adept tier.
Even though the spell was generally held in low regard, it was a wood-attribute spell that matched the Eternal Spring Art perfectly, its power determined entirely by the amount of spiritual energy poured into it.
If he raised his proficiency in the Entangling Art, Luo Chen would have an extra means of dealing with enemies.
Besides, who said the Entangling Art couldn't kill anyone? *(A certain God-King gave this a quiet thumbs-up!)*
Night fell.
After washing up, Luo Chen sat cross-legged on the bed with his palms, soles, and crown turned upward to the heavens, circulating his cultivation technique to recover his spiritual energy.
The perfected-tier Eternal Spring Art was truly marvelous: it took little time, operated with high efficiency, and felt even more harmoniously attuned to his body, as though custom-tailored for him.
Even without the aid of Qi-Nourishing Pills, Luo Chen could sense a cultivation speed vastly different from before.
Concluding his circulation, he lay down to sleep.
Suddenly, Luo Chen opened his eyes just after closing them, staring straight toward the door.
Chapter 21