I Can't Go with You

"Step right up and take a glance, cultivation life is a splendid dance!" "Five spirit stones won't break your back—can't buy a carriage, can't buy an artifact!" "Does this pill of ours do the trick? Your Dao companion in bed will know right quick!" "Pop a Myriad Wonders pill along your way, and scenic wonders will fill your day!" Listening to the young fellow beside him chant jingle after jingle, Chen Xiuping felt he had never suffered such humiliation in all his days. He dearly wished he had practiced the Earth-Cleaving Art properly in his youth. If he knew it, he could split a fissure into the ground right now and crawl right in. It was simply too mortifying! Granted, they were hawking goods at a street stall, but they were still men of cultivation after all! How could someone shout like a mortal street vendor, throwing away every shred of dignity? Chen Xiuping deeply regretted sharing a stall rental with Luo Chen. It was merely half a spirit stone. He wasn't hurting for that kind of money! Giving Luo Chen a plaintive glance, Old Daoist Chen pleaded, "Little Friend Luo, could we keep our voices down a little?" "Why keep it down? Did you skip a meal, or are you malnourished?" "None of the other Daoist friends are shouting like you!" Luo Chen replied with righteous conviction, "That's because they have no confidence in their wares! I'm different. A pill formula from a Golden Core Master, personally concocted by a master alchemist, taking a whole month just to yield a single batch of Myriad Wonders Pills! If I don't raise my voice, how can more Daoist friends get to enjoy it?" *Damn it all, a formula from a Golden Core Master?* *It's bad enough scamming everyone else, but now you actually believe it yourself?* Yet Chen Xiuping couldn't refute him. His own hot-selling Divine Concealment Qi-Concealing Talismans were currently riding on the coattails of Master Lingyin from the Divine Talisman Sect. How had he fallen for this kid's nonsense in the first place? Now, they had to share the embarrassment. Just as Chen Xiuping's old face flushed red with shame, more and more cultivators began gathering around their bluestone stall. "What kind of pill is this to warrant such bold claims?" "Myriad Wonders Pill? Never heard of it!" "What does this pill even do?" Unflustered, Luo Chen enthusiastically picked up a jade bottle and introduced it to the crowd. "Refined using Northern Sea jade conpoy and the spiritual beast flesh exclusive to the Medicine King Sect, personally concocted by a master alchemist, all to produce this single batch of Myriad Wonders Pills!" He said this without blinking or blushing. A master of Fasting Pills was still a master! He would dare swear to the heavens that not a word of this was a lie! "Take it, and your yang energy will surge while your desires soar, allowing you and your Dao companion to ascend the peaks of passion together." "This is no demonic pill either. It also possesses the miraculous effect of solidifying your foundation, nourishing your vitality, and causing no harm to your essence!" "In short, one pill brings supreme bliss, two pills make you an immortal or a Buddha, and three pills will have you reigning supreme across heaven and earth!" The gathered cultivators gradually caught on. This was no miraculous panacea; it was plainly the sort of aphrodisiac most sought-after in the mortal world. Still, the young man was exceptionally glib, and everyone listened with keen interest. They were rather skeptical that such medicine could actually work on cultivators. One among them, refusing to believe the hype, picked up a bottle, uncorked it, and took a sniff. "Does it really work?" "Genuine goods at a fair price, honest with young and old alike!" Luo Chen vowed earnestly. "But I still intend to achieve Foundation Establishment and pursue the Great Dao," the inquiring cultivator said, his expression solemn and resolute, as though he even believed his own noble nonsense. Luo Chen did not expose him. Anyone truly devoted to the Great Dao would never harbor such thoughts in the first place. Instead, his demeanor grew even warmer—this was his target customer! "Rest assured, as long as you take it in moderation, it won't breach the golden lock of the lower gate. Your true primordial yang essence will discharge without depleting your core." "Is that true?" "You'll know once you try it. At the crucial moment, the essence released is actually converted from the pill, not your own vital essence." The cultivator remained somewhat hesitant. The main issue was that many were watching, but no one had bought a single one yet. Just as the standoff dragged on, a plump man squeezed through the crowd. "Friend Zeng, long time no see." "Mm. Give me five bottles of Fasting Pills," Zeng Wen said with a calm expression, casually tossing over eleven spirit stones. The surrounding cultivators were stunned. Five bottles of Fasting Pills should only cost one spirit stone! "Right away! Here are your Fasting Pills, Daoist friend. May you enter the treasure mountain, explore the spirit spring, and return victorious on all fronts!" Luo Chen handed over an armful of jade bottles, about seven in total. Among them, two were unmistakably the bottles for the Myriad Wonders Pills. Zeng Wen remained completely impassive, tucked away the jade bottles, and turned to leave the crowd. The onlookers fell silent for a moment. Then, the cultivator who had been asking questions spoke up softly. "It seems I'm running low on Fasting Pills at home as well. Give me five bottles!" With that, he pulled out six spirit stones and happily took five bottles of Fasting Pills, plus the accompanying bottle of Myriad Wonders Pills. Seeing this, the surrounding cultivators had an epiphany. In an instant, everyone opened their purses generously, eager to purchase a few bottles of Fasting Pills so they could return home for 'secluded bitter cultivation.' Once this wave of customers dispersed, Luo Chen retrieved more pills from his storage bag. Beside him, Old Daoist Chen's eyelids twitched violently. He was astonished both by the speed at which Luo Chen earned spirit stones and by the young man's rapid progress in alchemy. They hadn't seen each other for merely a month, yet the pills he produced were far more plentiful than before. "Friend Chen, with so many customers around, aren't you going to pitch your talismans?" the busy Luo Chen casually reminded him. Old Daoist Chen snapped to his senses. In the past, Luo Chen had always ridden on his coattails to draw customers. How had he become so slow on the uptake today? He opened his mouth and muttered something too softly for anyone to hear. After a moment, he mustered his courage and shouted, "Premium Qi-Concealing Talismans! Hidden from demonic beasts, invisible to your enemies! You won't lose out, you won't be fooled—come take a look, everyone!" Luo Chen was taken aback. Then he gave Old Daoist Chen a thumbs-up. As expected of the man sharing a stall with him—old but vigorous! Perhaps the geomancy was favorable today, or perhaps Luo Chen's shouts were loud enough, or perhaps the recent conflict between the two gangs had kept the cultivators on edge for too long. Whatever the reason, sales of the Myriad Wonders Pills went remarkably well today. Even the Fasting Powder he had concocted on the side sold out completely in no time. By midday, only the last few bottles of Myriad Wonders Pills remained on him. Luo Chen intended to strike while the iron was hot, hawk the rest of them, and head off to purchase raw materials in the afternoon. Yet he had only shouted a few times before two ill-intentioned cultivators stopped in front of the stall. "You're Luo Chen, right?" Luo Chen's heart gave a thump, instantly realizing what this was about. However, his expression did not waver as he greeted them warmly. "Would you two fellow Daoists care to learn about the Myriad Wonders Pill?" "We're not here to buy pills. Tell me, do you know Gao Ting'e?" Luo Chen first shook his head. "Never heard of him." Then he asked curiously, "Who is that?" Duan Sanfu said coldly, "Gao Ting'e is the younger brother of our boss, Gao Tingyuan. A month ago, he vanished in the southwestern wasteland of the outer city. You ought to be very familiar with that place!" "Of course I'm familiar with it—that was my home!" Luo Chen nodded first, then spoke with righteous indignation, "I was out collecting medicinal herbs at the time, and when I went back the next day, my house had been burned to the ground! So it was your people who did it! Is there no justice left under the heavens, no law of the land?!" *Law of the land? The Great River Gang was the law!* Duan Sanfu sneered, exchanged a glance with his companion, and cleared his throat. "Who burned your house down, we don't know. But right now, you'd better come with us to meet our big brother." Luo Chen took half a step back with a serious expression, eyeing them warily. "Can I not go? I have a feeling you're going to hit me." "You don't have a choice!" Duan Sanfu let out a cold laugh. "Our big brother is the second-in-command of the Great River Gang, second only to Gang Leader Wang. If you refuse to go, the consequences will be dire." In his mind, a mere third-layer Qi Refining cultivator would have been scared out of his wits upon hearing the name of the Great River Gang! The next step should be obeying meekly and following them. Yet Luo Chen merely shrugged. "Then I definitely can't go with you to the Great River Gang." "Huh? Why?" "Because my big brother is Wang Yuan!" Luo Chen said with a beaming smile, pointing toward a spot not far away. At a nearby stall, Wang Yuan had already stood up, his cold eyes staring indifferently in their direction.