The setting sun cast its dying glow across the street.
The tightly packed rows of houses bathed in a shimmering sheet of gold.
Standing before the gate of a small courtyard, facing the golden twilight, Luo Chen let out a long sigh of relief.
His negotiations with Old Man Yuan could be considered an initial success.
Perhaps it was because they had regular business dealings involving yellow pear wine, or perhaps because he had found Yuan Xiaoyue a safe job that earned spirit stones.
In any case, when he showed up at the door with the wooden wheelchair and explained his purpose, the old man hadn't refused.
Instead, Old Man Yuan promised he would try speaking with Coiled-Dragon Tiger, the new hall master of the Mining Hall.
Whether it would pan out or not, however, he couldn't make any guarantees.
From behind him came a soft, timid voice.
"Brother Luo, Grandpa told me to give this to you."
A jade-green gourd rested in Yuan Xiaoyue's hands.
"He said he really likes that wheelchair!"
Luo Chen took the green gourd and probed it slightly with his spiritual sense, unable to hide his astonishment.
The material was quite extraordinary, easily having aged for a century or more.
It simply lacked inscribed spell formations; otherwise, it would qualify as a low-grade artifact at the very least.
*Since when was Old Man Yuan so generous?*
The moment that thought flashed through his mind, Luo Chen chuckled to himself.
Then again, the old man wasn't like that old Daoist Chen Xiuping; he had never been a skinflint. He was a generous elder who never hoarded knowledge or held back, whether dealing with his own people or outsiders. Otherwise, he never could have trained two hall masters like Ravine-Leaping Tiger and Coiled-Dragon Tiger.
Luo Chen shook the gourd, and the sloshing sound of wine came from within.
"Xiaoyue, how did the stall go today?"
Yuan Xiaoyue twined her fingers together, her small face alight with excitement.
"Business was great! I tried hawking the snacks the way you showed me, and lots of people came to buy. It's just..."
When he had first met this girl, she had acted like a sheltered little cub who had never seen the world.
Even after plucking up the courage to set up a stall on the street, she had remained timid and terrified of strangers.
Now, after just a single day, although she was still soft and gentle, a newfound confidence shone through.
*Naturally!*
Back when Luo Chen was in college and started making money from his sock stall, he had become far more confident too.
Hard work and tangible reward invariably built self-esteem.
He smiled and asked, "It's just what?"
"It's just that a lot of people said you're a heartless boss, and warned me to watch out so you don't dock my wages."
Yuan Xiaoyue's voice shrank a little, and her eyes held a hint of nervous hesitation as she looked at him.
"Bah, let them talk all they want. Your Brother Luo isn't that kind of person!"
Luo Chen waved a hand magnanimously.
Yet as soon as he turned to leave, he gritted his teeth.
*All my life, I've been hardworking and earnest! I contributed so much to my country, to society, and now to this cultivation world!*
*How on earth did I become a heartless boss?*
*Whoever's spreading those rumors better not let me catch them, or they're in for a world of hurt!*
***
When he returned to the courtyard, he was greeted not only by Gu Caiyi, but also by Qin Liangchen and Murong Qinglian.
The couple was gathered inside his reverse-facing room, pointing and discussing the changes.
Catching sight of Luo Chen, Murong Qinglian broke into a smile. "Your place has been renovated. It's so much better than before!"
"Really?"
Luo Chen's eyes lit up as he stepped inside.
One look, and he was immensely satisfied.
The old reverse-facing room had certainly been spacious, but because it faced north and abutted the alley, it had no windows. Consequently, it had been dim and damp.
During the renovation, however, two skylights had been installed in the roof.
Fitted with glazed tiles from Xianzhu Residence, they allowed natural light to stream in from outside.
Furthermore, the young gang members who handled the work had been quite considerate, erecting thin partition walls to separate the space into a bedroom, living room, kitchen, and pill refinement room.
Only now did the room finally possess the layout of a proper home.
Delighted, Luo Chen grandly declared, "In honor of my housewarming, I'll cook dinner tonight and treat everyone!"
The others laughed and readily agreed.
That evening, as Luo Chen poured wine from the jade-green gourd at dinner, Qin Liangchen and Murong Qinglian exchanged a glance and gave slight nods.
That was a specialty gourd of the Yuan family.
Years ago, Ravine-Leaping Tiger had transplanted a gourd vine from a spiritual site in the Guyuan Mountain Range. While not quite a true spiritual plant, given enough time, the gourds developed a mild spirit-nurturing property.
Old Man Yuan's yellow pear wine used ordinary ingredients, yet tasted extraordinary. The secret lay in the large, aged gourds he used to cellar and nurture the wine, imbuing it with the effects of spiritual brew.
Now that Luo Chen had received a gourd over a century old, it was clear Old Man Yuan had agreed to support him.
This was an excellent development.
If Luo Chen could truly secure control over the Pill Hall, it would provide the couple with another strong ally in the gang.
The Mountain Breaker Gang was no longer as pure as it had once been; they needed allies.
Of course, perhaps a gang formed by rogue cultivators had never been pure to begin with.
It was simply that Mi Shuhua had smooth-talked them into joining back then, and only now were they gradually realizing how complicated things had become.
After downing a cup of wine, Luo Chen brought up his proposal from earlier.
"Will there be any trouble with Sister Caiyi joining the Mountain Breaker Gang?"
Beside them, Gu Caiyi grew visibly tense.
This concerned her source of cultivation resources moving forward.
Without hesitation, Qin Liangchen said, "There will be trouble, but nothing major. The real issue is that you want to place her in the Pill Hall."
Murong Qinglian explained, "The Mountain Breaker Gang has always welcomed rogue cultivators from Dahe Market. Early-stage cultivators don't carry much weight, while mid-stage ones make up the bulk of our recruitment.
"When it comes to late-stage cultivators, things are handled much more cautiously, and a recommendation is required."
Luo Chen smiled. "With Brother Qin and Sister-in-law vouching for her, that shouldn't be much of an issue, right?"
Murong Qinglian shook her head. "That only applies to ordinary late-stage cultivators. For someone at the ninth layer of Qi Refinement, the gang leader's explicit approval is required. Back when Broken Blade Xu Renke joined, Mi Shuhua personally made the call."
Seeing Gu Caiyi's anxious expression, Murong Qinglian adopted a grave tone.
"Besides, once the Pill Hall is established, no one knows what its staffing structure will look like.
"If you try to reserve a spot for Caiyi in advance, I'm afraid Mi Shuhua won't agree."
Her words cast a heavy silence over the table.
After a long pause, Luo Chen said softly, "In the Pill Hall, I need a ninth-layer Qi Refinement cultivator I can trust!"
Qin Liangchen sighed. He already held an honorary elder title. Moreover, his newly attached right hand was still recovering and adjusting, making it very unlikely that he could join the Pill Hall himself.
Yet to ensure the new hall possessed adequate self-defense, the Mountain Breaker Gang would inevitably assign experts to it.
Naturally, that could also be understood as assigning high-level Qi Refinement cultivators to watch, manage, and supervise him.
Under such foreseeable circumstances, Luo Chen's demand was entirely reasonable.
"This matter will probably require careful negotiation."
"I'll have to trouble Brother Qin with this," Luo Chen sighed.
Gu Caiyi raised her cup to toast him as well. "I'm relying on your help, Brother Qin."
As the meal wound down, Luo Chen suddenly asked about the gang's progress.
"How far along is the establishment of the Pill Hall?"
"The location has already been chosen—Crescent Moon Valley, right next to our Medicine Hall. As for personnel, the late-stage cultivators remain undecided, but the Medicine Hall will assign ten mid-stage cultivators, and the main headquarters is considering assembling teams for transport and sales."
Murong Qinglian added with a touch of uncertainty, "In ten days at most, you'll have to attend the general gang assembly!"
*Ten days?*
*That should be just about enough time!*
Luo Chen thought to himself.
Chapter 75