"Qi ascends to Heaven's Gate, the mind anchored in the heart's field—how should one interpret this?"
"My Qi-Nourishing Pills are growing less and less effective. Should I switch to Dust-Cleansing Pills?"
"Tsk, tsk. The day before yesterday, I ran into a monkey that could actually speak human words, even though it was only first-rank. It must have eaten a stalk of Language-Comprehension Grass. That grass is worth five hundred spirit stones—what a waste on such a beast!"
Inside Bright Moon Hall, a gathering of cultivators sat in four distinct groups.
Before everyone had arrived, they chatted among themselves.
Some exchanged cultivation insights, while others shared recent news.
Such an atmosphere was rare among ordinary rogue cultivators.
Typically found only within sect and clan circles, the Mountain Breaker Gang had cultivated a similar communal air over its century of operation.
As their conversation flowed, hearty laughter rang out from beyond the doors.
"Fellow Daoists, Xiao Luo isn't late, is he!"
Accompanied by this crisp laughter, a tall, handsome man strode inside.
Perhaps from poring over scrolls in recent days or from years of alchemy, his face took on an ethereal, transcendent grace against the backdrop of his moon-white Daoist robe.
Behind Luo Chen, Sikong Shoujia and Gu Caiyi followed closely in his wake.
The pair accompanied him like personal attendants, entering Bright Moon Hall directly behind him.
Seated at the head of the hall, Mi Shuhua opened his eyes and gave him a nod.
Luo Chen nodded in return and took a seat on the chair closest to the main entrance—the lowest seat in the hierarchy.
Gu Caiyi obediently stood behind him.
Sikong Shoujia, however, took a seat near the very front, second only to Mi Shuhua.
Glancing across the room at Luo Wudi, Zeng Wen, Zhang Shicong, and the others, Luo Chen gave Wang Yuan a subtle wink.
"Now that everyone is here, let us begin this month's gang assembly!" Mi Shuhua announced, turning his gaze toward Luo Wudi's direction.
As the head of the three combat halls, Luo Wudi had the authority to speak on behalf of Zeng Wen and Yang Wei.
"Last month's profits and losses are all recorded in the Merit Hall, so I won't rehash them. I will speak on only one matter!"
"A new gang has appeared in Dahe Market, and they have already begun encroaching on our interests."
"I ask the Gang Leader to decide our stance toward them."
Mi Shuhua pondered for a long moment before slowly answering, "You must be speaking of the Xuanyi Society!"
"The Gang Leader knows of them?" Luo Wudi raised an eyebrow.
Mi Shuhua nodded. "This organization was formed jointly by the Duan family, the Nangong family, and three other Foundation Establishment clans."
Five Foundation Establishment clans!
At these words, everyone looked up sharply.
"The Xuanyi Society does not recruit many rogue cultivators; it consists primarily of descendants from those five Foundation Establishment families. Establishing the gang was merely a way to give their younger generations an opportunity to enter the mountains for combat trials."
"Never mind other ranges, but if you encounter them in the Guyuan Mountain Range, try your best to avoid conflict."
"On the contrary, if they hunt any demonic beasts, you may buy them directly at a low price. If they are unwilling to sell, simply let the matter drop."
With those words, the crowd relaxed.
Clan scions differed from rogue cultivators; though they valued resources, they were far from fighting tooth and nail over every scrap of profit like rogue cultivators did.
At times, they hunted beasts merely to hone their combat techniques.
As for the encroachment Luo Wudi mentioned, it amounted to nothing more than minor friction.
In Mi Shuhua's eyes, it was not worth fretting over, provided things did not escalate.
Furthermore, the presence of an outside gang would foster greater cohesion among the Mountain Breaker Gang's cultivators and encourage them to band together during daily operations.
"The Beast Hall's earnings this month fell short of the last. Ke Yuelin, what happened on your end?"
The speaker was not Mi Shuhua, but Mi Junping.
Ke Yuelin's face darkened. "A demonic roc flew in from who-knows-where, snatched away several white sheep, and tore a breach in the beast farm. A batch of half-tamed black shu swine managed to escape."
The Mountain Breaker Gang's beast farm was located in a grand canyon bordering the outskirts of the Guyuan Mountain Range. It primarily raised white sheep and black shu swine, alongside small herds of yellow cattle, Green Mountain foxes, and Fuzhu deer.
When Mountain Breaker Gang cultivators captured live demonic beasts with taming value during hunts, they also deposited them at the farm.
Even Qin Liangchen and his wife's Spirit Fish Lake fell under the Beast Hall's jurisdiction.
One could say the Beast Hall's revenues ranked just below the three combat halls and the Medicine Hall.
It far outpaced the Mining Hall, as well as the newly established Flood Dragon Hall and Pill Hall.
Moreover, places like the beast farm provided employment for many low-realm rogue cultivators who lacked combat capability.
Hearing his explanation, Mi Shuhua could hardly place blame.
After inquiring further and learning it was only a first-rank demonic roc, he promised to make time to set up defensive measures.
Next, the Mining Hall, the Medicine Hall, and even Wang Yuan's Flood Dragon Hall reported their respective affairs.
Among them, the Mining Hall had suffered heavy casualties.
A nest of demonic serpents had been unearthed inside a mine shaft, killing more than half of the cultivators on site.
It seemed mining had been perilous work since ancient times!
Finally, the spotlight fell on the Pill Hall.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Luo Chen shrugged.
"Why look at me? I am only responsible for concocting pills. Purchasing raw materials and selling the pills are handled by Elder Sikong and the Merit Hall."
With that deflection, the crowd could only turn their attention to the other two.
Sikong Shoujia's expression stiffened. "I will speak plainly. A thirty-man Pill Protection Squad is too large; the Pill Hall cannot sustain their stipends at present."
His underlying implication was clear: he had no wish to shoulder their upkeep.
Mi Shuhua shook his head. "There is no need to disband them. During their free time, they can perform their original duties. But that number cannot be reduced; in fact, it may need to increase in the future."
Sikong Shoujia felt helpless. With that group around, his monthly share of spirit stones dwindled significantly.
"Luo Chen, the Pill Hall lost a full thousand spirit stones last month. As the Master of the Pill Hall, aren't you going to offer an explanation?"
Mi Junping glared at Luo Chen, her face frost-cold.
Luo Chen wore a look of pure bewilderment. "What explanation should I offer? I concoct pills dutifully, and whatever I produce is handed over to you to sell. Why question me about losses?"
"By the way, you haven't given me last month's dividend yet."
Mi Junping gritted her teeth. "After losing that much, you still have the nerve to ask for a dividend?"
Luo Chen shed his flippant demeanor and spoke solemnly. "We made an agreement back then: my dividend is calculated per pill type, deducting raw material costs and a portion of the cultivators' monthly stipends from the profits. Last month's losses did not stem from Myriad Wonders Pills, but from Jade Marrow Pills."
"If you have objections, I can stop refining Jade Marrow Pills from now on and focus exclusively on Myriad Wonders Pills."
Hearing this, Mi Junping hesitated.
Myriad Wonders Pills did indeed generate profit. Modest though it was, it remained a steady income stream.
Yet before she could ponder further, Mi Shuhua's voice rang out, calm but resolute.
"No!"
"The Jade Marrow Pill must be refined, and we must increase investment to produce greater quantities of higher quality!"
He gazed quietly at Luo Chen. "Going forward, you may even halt production of Myriad Wonders Pills and dedicate all your efforts to Jade Marrow Pills. The gang will grant you our utmost support!"
"Father, but—"
"Silence!"
Glaring at Mi Junping, Mi Shuhua forced a smile.
"Luo Chen, give me an honest answer: how long will it take for you to stably raise your success rate, or even produce middle-grade Jade Marrow Pills?"
After a month of observation, Mi Shuhua had verified that low-grade Jade Marrow Pills brought in virtually no profit.
Due to the dismal success rate, production costs had skyrocketed.
Selling the Jade Marrow Pills Luo Chen refined last month had resulted in a net loss!
A single cauldron of ingredients cost five spirit stones, while a bottle of Jade Marrow Pills sold for ten.
Yet it took ten cauldrons to yield barely more than a single bottle; anyone could do the math.
The Mountain Breaker Gang was hemorrhaging wealth!
To reverse the bleeding, they had to raise the success rate and elevate the pill's grade.
If he could produce middle-grade Jade Marrow Pills, a single bottle could easily fetch forty or fifty spirit stones.
Even if rogue cultivators could not afford a full bottle, they could be sold individually!
Even with low-grade Jade Marrow Pills, if Luo Chen could push his success rate above fifty percent, operations could barely break even.
Under Mi Shuhua's penetrating gaze, a faint trace of Foundation Establishment pressure loomed.
Luo Chen felt a touch uneasy, but after spending enough time in this treacherous, profit-driven cultivation world, he had grown accustomed to his role.
He had learned to project the expected reaction in any situation.
Controlling his facial muscles, Luo Chen forced an utterly helpless, bitter smile.
"Gang Leader, it isn't that I'm holding back, but alchemy cannot be rushed. It requires immense accumulated experience."
"I know that. That is why I never blamed you for your past failures."
"Furthermore, my cultivation base is too low to sustain prolonged alchemy sessions."
"Each month, I will add another bottle of Qi-Nourishing Pills to your allowance."
*Oh?*
*Such a windfall exists?*
Luo Chen's heart gave a leap, but his expression remained unchanged.
He shook his head ruefully. "It is not a matter of pills, but of confusion in my cultivation. Xiao Luo simply lacks someone to guide him!"
At these words, everyone understood at once.
They were all rogue cultivators, and each had encountered bottlenecks and doubts along their path.
Yet outside of occasional gatherings, rarely did anyone have someone to resolve their perplexities.
Even when cultivators discussed the Dao, they guarded their secrets closely.
Luo Chen ventured tentatively, "I wonder if the Gang Leader has any insights on this matter? If you could offer even a few pointers, it would surely aid my refinement of Jade Marrow Pills greatly."
Mi Shuhua hesitated for a moment before his gaze fell on Mi Junping.
"Ping'er, give that jade slip to Luo Chen!"
Mi Junping froze, knowing she could not defy her father.
Reluctantly, she retrieved a jade slip from her storage bag and tossed it to Luo Chen.
The moment he caught it, Luo Chen tried to examine it, but channeling spiritual energy produced no reaction whatsoever.
"That is a jade slip crafted exclusively by Foundation Establishment cultivators; it requires spiritual sense to view. Since your spiritual sense cannot yet project outward, press it against your forehead to browse its contents,"
Mi Shuhua's voice sounded beside his ear.
Enlightenment dawned on Luo Chen, and he hurriedly pressed the slip to his brow.
*Insights on Qi Refining, authored by Mi Shuhua.*
Within this small jade slip lay Mi Shuhua's lifelong cultivation insights, spanning from the early Qi Refining stage all the way to late Qi Refining.
Virtually nothing was concealed; merely reading the notes on early Qi Refining brought Luo Chen a sudden sense of clarity.
Because the meeting was still underway, Luo Chen skimmed only a fragment before solemnly stowing it away.
Watching this, the others were consumed with envy.
Some even muttered internally: *Could Luo Chen truly not be Mi Shuhua's illegitimate son?*
*He treats him entirely too well!*
Had Luo Chen known their thoughts, he would have scoffed.
*I, Luo, have drifted all my life, never meeting a worthy master. If Mi Shuhua doesn't mind, I wouldn't object to taking him as an adoptive father—and then fleecing him for all he's worth!*
As the assembly neared its conclusion, Mi Shuhua dropped a piece of news.
"Come the onset of winter, Dahe Market will hold a major auction, as is custom."
"I have a few entry slots available. Those wishing to attend may let me know."
An auction!
That was a venue where countless rare treasures would appear. Many Qi Refining cultivators never had the chance to attend a major auction in their entire lives.
At these words, many hearts stirred with longing.
Luo Chen's eyes lit up as well!
***
After the meeting adjourned, Luo Chen sought out Mi Junping.
From her hands, he collected five bottles of Qi-Nourishing Pills, a box of Spirit Calming Incense, and a dividend of seven hundred and fifty spirit stones.
Throughout the exchange, Mi Junping wore a terrible scowl.
Even during her own cultivation in earlier years, she had never enjoyed such treatment; her father treated Luo Chen better than his own daughter.
She had even begun to suspect whether Luo Chen was her half-brother.
Luo Chen could not care less about her suspicions.
He had bled for the Mountain Breaker Gang (scraping his skin against the cauldron during alchemy), and he had labored diligently for Mi Shuhua. Everything he received was well-earned!
Delightedly stowing his haul into his storage bag, Luo Chen called Gu Caiyi over, and together they returned to the inner city to embark on a shopping spree.
With a new month underway, he needed to buy medicinal ingredients for his Origin-Nourishing Spiritual Liquid.
A single box of Spirit Calming Incense lasted only twelve days, meaning he had to pay out of pocket to purchase more.
After this round of purchasing, the wallet he had worked so hard to fatten up deflated once again.
Only seven hundred spirit stones remained in savings.
Yet every bit was worth it; only by driving forward at full throttle could he advance with fierce momentum along the path of cultivation.
With resources fully prepared, Luo Chen looked forward with great anticipation to the sights of the late Qi Refining realm one month from now!
***
In the open-air courtyard, a copper pot set atop a stove bubbled and boiled.
Today, Luo Chen was hosting once again.
Somehow, ever since Fu Xiuxiu's departure, Luo Chen had taken over her role in bringing the neighbors together.
Treating everyone to a monthly meal helped cultivate harmonious relations among neighbors, after all!
Only this time, the others had contributed ingredients to varying degrees.
Qin Liangchen was the most generous, bringing over a slab of one-horned qian sheep meat.
This variety of demonic beast differed from common Green Mountain sheep, possessing a ferocious temperament and formidable combat strength.
Its power was gauged by the horns upon its head: a single horn for first-rank, and dual horns for second-rank.
Should it ever grow four horns, it would become a genuine Beast Emperor—the Qian Yuan Sovereign Sheep.
Beneath Luo Chen's exquisite knife work, everyone enjoyed steaming hotpot mutton in the brisk autumn evening.
"Dahe Market truly isn't what it used to be. In the past, who would have dared to hunt a one-horned qian sheep? That's among the strongest of first-rank beasts."
"Indeed. Those prominent figures on the Prodigy Roll not only battle human cultivators on the Dao Discussion Platform, but frequently venture into the mountains to temper themselves as well."
"Who knows whether they do it for immortality or simply relish slaughter?"
"Everyone probably has their own hardships!"
As the neighbors chatted idly, Luo Chen gleaned recent changes occurring within Dahe Market from their conversation.
For instance, the most renowned figures on the Dahe Prodigy Roll were almost all disciples of nearby Foundation Establishment clans.
Their matches on the platform involved far more than personal cultivation paths; they also represented clan prestige.
If someone maintained a long undefeated streak, their family would gain greater renown, securing an advantage in future alliances, commercial rivalries, and territorial disputes.
Luo Chen casually asked about the aftermath regarding the death of Mount Ailao's late Foundation Establishment cultivator.
However, no one could provide a definitive answer.
Qin Liangchen and his wife said the matter had quietly fizzled out.
Through friends at Tianxiang Pavilion, Gu Caiyi had heard that Mount Ailao's Golden Core Master had returned to his sect in a fury.
Bai Meiling, on the other hand, claimed Mount Ailao's Supreme Elder had traveled to the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect to demand accountability.
This last piece of news seemed the most plausible, yet also the most absurd.
While seeking accountability from the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect was natural, how could a mere Golden Core sect dare provoke a colossal Nascent Soul sect?
Thus, Luo Chen obtained no concrete information.
He did not take it to heart, either. Matters entangling Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, or even Nascent Soul sects had nothing to do with his life.
Amidst the idle chatter, the courtyard gate was pushed open.
A man with sword-sharp brows walked straight into the yard.
Perhaps unaccustomed to the sight of people gathered around a stove eating hotpot mutton, he paused in hesitation.
*Did I enter the wrong courtyard?*
*Is this not a residence for immortal cultivators, but a mortal peasant farmhouse?*
As the others looked at Duan Feng, debating how to address him, Luo Chen had already risen to his feet.
"Fellow Daoist Duan, returning so late!"
"Come, come, have a seat and take a few bites. Get to know the neighbors!"
Luo Chen backed his words with action, practically hauling Duan Feng into a seat.
Duan Feng felt awkward; accustomed to speaking coldly and keeping to himself, he sat there like a man perched on pins and needles.
With Luo Chen making introductions, the others exchanged greetings with Duan Feng one by one. Duan Feng did not feign arrogance, either, plainly stating his background.
"Try this mutton; it's one-horned qian sheep. Brother Qin bought it especially for tonight."
"I know. I was the one who killed it."
"Uh?"
Everyone's chopsticks froze in midair, but Duan Feng seemed entirely oblivious.
"If it was bought from the butcher shop in the west district, then it should be the one I killed."
Qin Liangchen nodded; he had indeed purchased it from the west district butcher shop.
The mood chilled for a moment, but Luo Chen's lively banter quickly warmed the atmosphere back up.
"Brother Duan's strength is formidable, being able to slay a one-horned qian sheep."
"I checked last time—you were ranked nineteenth on the Prodigy Roll. Truly impressive prowess!"
"I am fifteenth now."
"Oh?"
Luo Chen stiffened briefly, then continued chatting casually.
Through their few interactions, he had figured him out.
This new neighbor, Duan Feng, only seemed aloof and cold on the surface.
In truth, he was a man of cold exterior but warm heart.
He knew how to say thank you, and he never bluntly rejected goodwill. Once familiar, he was willing to exchange a few words, even if his replies often cut like a knife.
Such a person actually made a very suitable friend.
Normally quiet and aloof, he would not hesitate to lend a hand at crucial moments.
Of course, evaluating a person's character could not be accomplished in just two or three encounters.
After enjoying the mutton hotpot for a short while, Duan Feng felt a twinge of embarrassment.
He stepped into his room and returned carrying several pristine, pale eggs.
When he closed the door, everyone even caught the faint crow of a chicken.
"These are...?" Qin Liangchen asked with tentative disbelief, uttering a name. "Yangwu eggs?"
Duan Feng gave a quiet grunt of affirmation, washed the eggs, and dropped them into the copper pot.
Qin Liangchen and Murong Qinglian exchanged glances, smacking their lips in astonishment.
"These are genuine treasures. Word is each egg costs a spirit stone—you've spent a fortune on us."
"It matters not. That Yangwu chicken was an inheritance left to me by my mother. It lays eggs regularly, but I can only consume one a day myself."
Duan Feng spoke casually, but Luo Chen was flabbergasted.
*Wasn't that bird a rooster?*
*It crows every single morning!*
*Since when could Brother Rooster lay eggs?!*
Still, Luo Chen had to commend Duan Feng's generosity.
When Luo Chen had attended his first communal meal, he had freeloaded completely without contributing a thing.
Evidently, honest folks simply had thinner skin.
When he ate the Yangwu egg, it tasted all the more savory—after all, it came from Brother Rooster itself.
Cleaning up after the feast fell to Murong Qinglian and Feng Xia.
Gu Caiyi lent a hand at the side, her gaze drifting toward the three men drinking and chatting in the distance. She sighed softly.
"I thought that once Fu Xiuxiu left, our courtyard's tradition of communal meals would end."
"I never expected Luo Chen would carry it on."
Murong Qinglian brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear and smiled gently.
"Xiao Luo is like that. He seems cheerful and carefree on the surface, but he is quite sensitive inside. He must genuinely cherish the pure, simple atmosphere of this courtyard and wishes to keep it from turning into a cutthroat place like the Mountain Breaker Gang, where only profit matters!"
Recalling the scene at Bright Moon Hall during the gang assembly earlier that day, Gu Caiyi could only fall silent.
Interactions among cultivators were indeed far too complicated.
Profits, authority, cultivation resources, and fateful opportunities—no one yielded them lightly, haggling down to the last copper.
Consequently, everything felt cold, bare, and ruthless.
By comparison, although the neighbors in their courtyard came from all corners of the world, their interactions were far simpler and purer.
Inside his room, Luo Chen stepped out from the copper furnace.
Draping on his clothes casually, his gaze turned sharp beneath his damp hair.
The cultivation environment at home truly could not compare to the spirit vein cavern beneath Crescent Moon Valley.
Even with Origin-Nourishing Spiritual Liquid paired with Spirit Calming Incense, an entire night's cultivation progress fell far short of what he achieved in the cavern.
*It seems I will need to find more excuses to stay at the Pill Hall.*
Chapter 99