Free Web NovelChapter 135: Chapter 135: New Medicine
Bu Huan reached out and pushed away the avian beast’s head as it leaned in.
The latter was quite docile and didn’t resist.
Hearing Bu Huan’s tone, the disciples from the Beast Taming Peak burst into laughter.
"Brother Bo, Junior Brother Bai, you’re overthinking things."
"Once we join the Beast Taming Peak, we can no longer eat and drink as we please. Otherwise, how could we get close to the Spirit Beasts under our care?"
"Exactly, exactly. There’s a lot of meticulous detail involved."
The methods of their Beast Taming Peak relied on cultivating a certain aura over many years to win the favor of Spirit Beasts.
This aura was very subtle, and low-level disciples couldn’t control it. Therefore, they had to be cautious in their words and actions, with their diet strictly following their training.
"No wonder it’s so hard for the Beast Taming Peak disciples to find a wife!"
Bu Huan had a sudden realization.
It was said that the Beast Taming Peak disciples had Spirit Stones, but they were difficult to get along with, so the female Cultivators in the sect didn’t look upon them favorably.
So that was the reason. He was only just learning this today.
Standing nearby, Bai Mo’s eyes widened when he suddenly heard this. He looked at this group of people who had made such a huge sacrifice for their path.
"What did you say, Senior Brother?"
A Beast Taming Peak disciple hadn’t heard clearly and looked over in confusion.
"Oh, nothing."
"I was just lamenting how full of hardships the path of cultivation is. We are caught deep within it, forced to be cautious in our words and actions, and to follow all the rules..."
"Junior Brother, the path of cultivation is a bitter one!"
The junior brother who asked the question gave him a strange look.
"Everyone in the sect knows that for us disciples of the Beast Taming Peak, our path of cultivation is basically cut off."
"We know our place. We just treat cultivation as a means of making a living. What’s there to be so sentimental about?"
As they spoke, they patted the necks of their avian beasts, which obediently followed them away.
This type of avian beast had a long wingspan and possessed great strength. Carrying three to five people through the air was no problem at all.
However, according to Bu Huan, this bird was mainly used for transporting goods. Its talons had the power to grasp gold and shatter iron.
It could fly with hundreds of pounds of goods in its grasp, almost effortlessly.
"Brother, the sect has peaks where the path of cultivation is cut off like this?"
Bai Mo asked curiously.
Bu Huan nodded.
"The path of cultivation is long, and not everyone can go far. The Beast Taming Peak is the best choice for some disciples who have no choice but to halt their progress. You can make a fortune there!"
"If you’re lucky, you might even be able to rely on a Spirit Beast you’ve raised to display some miraculous power and revitalize your chances..."
However, that was just a hopeful thought, something to console oneself with.
It was occasionally brought up in idle chat, but in all these years, no one had ever been heard of succeeding.
Bai Mo listened, nodding slightly as a different idea began to form in his mind.
"The senior brothers from the Beast Taming Peak are very rich?"
"Extremely wealthy."
Bu Huan nodded, quite envious.
"But are they willing to spend it on their Spirit Beasts?" Bai Mo asked again.
"It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they treat them like family. Some Cultivators even eat and live with their Spirit Beasts."
Bai Mo became thoughtful.
Bu Huan saw what he was thinking.
"Hey!"
"Junior Brother, are you thinking of scheming for their Spirit Stones?! That’s a bad idea, a very bad idea!"
Bu Huan waved his hand, trying to dissuade him. "The disciples of the Beast Taming Peak deal with Spirit Stones all year round. They’re incredibly shrewd and have a thousand tricks up their sleeves."
"Junior Brother Bai, don’t waste your effort on something that won’t pay off."
But it was a matter of catering to their needs, and Bai Mo wanted to give it a try.
"I’ve read about Feeding Pills in books. They’re a type of Pill made specifically for feeding Spirit Beasts."
"If I can make them, this could become a major source of income for my shop!"
Bu Huan shook his head.
"It’s hard to please everyone, and the Spirit Beasts of the Beast Taming Peak are all picky eaters."
"People have always tailored the feed to the specific beast. Only half-baked pharmacy apprentices would try to refine Feeding Pills. What Pill Master would waste their time and energy on such a thing..."
...
The senior brothers of the Xuandao Sect were almost certain not to attend.
The only exception was Shui Ziming.
This Outer Sect Senior Brother did as he pleased. Although he was a conservative person, he was never rigid.
"Brother Shui said he would come that day to show his support."
Qin Yu, who had been left hanging somewhere, would definitely tag along to join the fun.
When he returned home, he saw that Wei An had already placed a large number of Pill Pills by his side.
The young man was meticulous, stacking the Pill Pills with layers of oil paper in between, one hundred to a layer.
Bai Mo came over, looked, and shook his head.
"Being so careful, how long is this going to take?"
With that, he dragged over a discarded water vat.
"Wash it clean, dry it, and pour all the Pills inside."
"The shop has a scale. From now on, we’ll sell them for three Spirit Stones per liang!"
"Huh?" Wei An’s mind went blank.
"Shopkeeper, how can we do that!?"
At Liu Liu’s shop entrance, he had seen the rival Pill Shop.
Customers and shopkeepers would argue endlessly, haggling over the price, before finally, and seemingly reluctantly, exchanging Spirit Stones and Pills.
It was a very meticulous process, but from start to finish, it only involved three Pills.
Now, according to Bai Mo, what was the difference between this and shopping at a vegetable market?
Bai Mo didn’t seem to care.
"They’re just some Pills for auxiliary cultivation. Their medicinal strength is very weak."
"Small profits and quick returns. Quite a few Loose Cultivators will still be interested. At the very least, they do benefit cultivation, and it’s not a big deal to eat them like candy on a normal day."
In the Pill Pills, he had added a lot of grains and other things, so they had some ability to sate hunger.
This should also suit the tastes of those Cultivators who can’t keep their mouths idle.
Wei An, muddle-headed, could only do as Bai Mo said and get busy.
Bai Mo, for his part, picked up the Spirit Wood and placed it under the bronze Pill Furnace he had been using for a long time.
He still had to prepare some Tier Two Pills to make a good showing.
As for Condensed Dew Pills and other such Pills, the scattered inventory he had accumulated before would be enough to handle things for a while.
And so, Wei An, who was diligently rolling Pill Pills at the side, witnessed his shopkeeper’s entire Alchemy process.
If Bai Mo’s previous style of Alchemy had given Wei An an impression of casualness, then the refining of the Fire Marrow Pill now shattered that impression once again.
Wei An was naturally unable to comprehend the dazzlingly complex hand seals.
He understood even less about the adjustments to the fire’s intensity at certain moments.
Bai Mo’s practiced ease and effortless demeanor were completely incomparable to Liu Liu’s anxious and impatient appearance.
For some reason, Wei An began to feel a sense of reverence for the Alchemy Dao.
WHOOSH!
Bai Mo pulled out a piece of Spirit Wood and flicked it to his side. The flames on it flared brightly before extinguishing.
A wave of heat washed over them. Wei An, who was already drenched in sweat, immediately broke out in another layer of it.
Bai Mo waited quietly for a moment for the Pill Furnace to cool slightly before preparing to open the lid.
"You should go outside."
Wei An was a little curious about the Pills in the furnace and felt a bit disappointed at these words, but deep down, he also felt as if he had been granted amnesty.
The stuffy heat in the Alchemy Room had already made his head feel groggy.
He immediately opened the door, walked out quickly, pulled off the silk gloves on his hands, picked up a wooden bucket, and poured the cool water over his head.
Bai Mo still had Talismans, but he didn’t use them for Wei An.
’A Cultivator involved in alchemy must go through the smoke and fire at some point to get used to this kind of environment.’
He lifted the furnace lid. Inside were two Fire Marrow Pills and a globule of shimmering white fluid.
A smile appeared on Bai Mo’s face.
’As expected,’ he thought, ’on the Alchemy Dao, one must constantly try new methods and new recipes.’
’After all my recent experiments, hasn’t my skill improved?’
He quickly touched the outer wall of the Pill Furnace. It was incredibly hot, but it was still far from its limit.
’The Spirit Wood’s fire is intense. I have to be extra careful with this old Pill Furnace.’
’A few more batches should be enough.’
After all, the number of Cultivators in Immortal Arrival City who could afford Tier Two Pills was small.
Sun Qiao’s gang of sycophants were an exception; those young masters had family backing.
But even though they were willing to spend Spirit Stones, it didn’t mean they had much disposable wealth. It would be good enough if they could just afford a moment of pleasure.
