My Synthesizer Has Talent

Chapter 190: Chapter 188: I’ve Given Myself to You, and You’re Still Hung Up on a Pill Formula?

Su Hongshang didn’t press him further. Instead, her eyes took on a deeply reproachful look as she gazed at Su Qing.

It made Su Qing feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Master Su, we barely know each other. Please don’t look at me like that." Su Qing couldn’t stand it; the situation was just too awkward. He would rather fight ten Nascent Souls at once than get entangled in this mess.

"Well, now I’ve seen everything. A man who turns down a beautiful woman when she offers herself to him?" Su Hongshang said, her tone filled with dissatisfaction.

Su Qing gave a faint smile but said nothing.

"Master Su, I will pay whatever price you ask. Please, don’t make things difficult for me."

Su Hongshang spread her hands. "There is no price."

"I don’t feel like giving them to you anymore. Kill me, torture me, do whatever you want." Su Hongshang knew the man before her wouldn’t actually lay a hand on her.

He seemed to be a man of principle.

Su Hongshang crossed her arms, pouting as if she were genuinely angry.

Su Qing found her expression amusing. ’You’ve lived for so long, and you’re still pulling faces like this.’

Fine. Su Qing decided not to say anything either.

He just sat to the side, sipping his tea.

His posture screamed, ’If you don’t chase me out, I’m staying right here.’ Su Hongshang’s reneging on her word was a real eye-opener for Su Qing.

Before him was a Tier Four Alchemist, and she had all the Pill Formulas Su Qing wanted.

’Should I just agree to be her Dao Companion, get the Pill Formulas, and then make a run for it?’ A wicked thought surfaced in Su Qing’s mind.

The moment this thought appeared, Su Qing quickly suppressed it. He was a man of principle.

’They’re just Pill Formulas, after all.’

’They’re just Pill Formulas,’ Su Qing mused. Then he recalled the puppet-crafting legacy he had received from the Sea-covering Master.

It included the techniques for crafting Tier Four Puppets.

"Master Su, what if I trade the legacy for crafting Tier Four Puppets for your Pill Formulas?"

Su Hongshang had thought Su Qing was about to compromise; she didn’t expect him to propose a trade.

’The legacy for crafting Fourth Realm Puppets.’

’That...’

She was a little tempted, but then she looked at Su Qing and said, "I’m a Tier Four Alchemist. What do I need with a puppet-crafting legacy?"

"I might as well just trade for a Tier Four Puppet. It would serve the same purpose."

"Er..." Su Qing fell silent again.

He said nothing.

"One Life-extending Spirit Fruit for one Tier Four Pill Formula?" Su Qing offered. To him, synthesizing Life-extending Spirit Fruits was an easy task.

For Su Qing, it was simply too easy. Getting a Pill Formula for such a small price was a guaranteed profit.

Su Hongshang was tempted. Life-extending Spirit Fruits were rare, after all.

But she felt it was a bad deal for a Tier Four Pill Formula.

Su Qing had also tried synthesizing Pill Formulas, but the new formulas he created recorded mostly Spirit Medicines that he had never even heard of.

Why else would he be trying to buy Pill Formulas?

Still, Su Hongshang shook her head, not satisfied.

"No deal."

And so, the two fell into silence once more.

Su Qing silently drank his Enlightenment Tea, while Su Hongshang went so far as to take out fresh Enlightenment Tea leaves to brew another pot.

Su Qing began to feel a bit embarrassed.

And so, day turned to night.

The moon hung high in the sky, which was dotted with stars.

Then, Su Hongshang stood up. She didn’t want the stalemate to continue.

"Are you even a man? I’m a beautiful woman, offering myself to you on a silver platter, and you still say no."

"Is there something about me you don’t like? I’m still a virgin!"

After saying this, Su Hongshang left the small courtyard, leaving only a helpless Su Qing drinking his tea.

’I’ve already made so many offers.’

But Su Hongshang just wouldn’t budge.

’Without Pill Formulas, how am I supposed to practice Alchemy? Am I supposed to figure out the properties of every single Spirit Medicine on my own?’

At this rate, he might as well just keep haggling and shooting the breeze with Su Hongshang.

But Su Hongshang was making things very difficult for him.

’She doesn’t even want Life-extending Spirit Fruits.’

’She doesn’t want Elixirs that improve Cultivation Talent either.’

When Su Qing took out an Elixir that he claimed could increase one’s Cultivation Talent tenfold, Su Hongshang just gave him an ’I’m an Alchemist, remember?’ look.

...

However, Su Qing decided to stay there.

Su Hongshang had left, anyway.

So Su Qing made himself at home.

However, he didn’t go into her room. Instead, he reclined against a wall outside, his thoughts returning to Su Hongshang.

He couldn’t help but shake his head. ’What’s wrong with me? A woman just throwing herself at me... sigh!’

Female Cultivators were just different. They possessed a strange charm that made Su Qing hesitant to act.

"She doesn’t even want Spirit Fruits. She’s hopeless. This woman is hopeless. She doesn’t even want a longer life," Su Qing sighed.

It’s most frustrating when people don’t want anything. Su Qing hated dealing with people like that.

’I might as well ask around tomorrow and see if there are any other Tier Three or Tier Four Alchemists.’

Su Qing refused to believe Su Hongshang was that much of a rarity.

’A Tier Four Alchemist.’

’If I had the Pill Formulas, I could become a Tier Four Alchemist in a heartbeat.’

’Forget Tier Four—as long as I have the formulas and my own Medicine Cauldron, isn’t Alchemy a piece of cake?’

「The next day.」

He went to the Ju Family to make some inquiries.

He learned that across the entire island, including the wider Nether Sea, the number of Tier Four Alchemists could be counted on one hand. And other than Su Hongshang, no one could direct him to another.

Su Qing returned to Su Hongshang’s place.

She was calmly brewing tea there.

"Care for a cup?" Su Hongshang asked. Seeing him return, the corners of her lips curved into a subtle, knowing smile.

He didn’t refuse the offer. "Alright, you win. A Spirit Fruit that extends life by a hundred years."

He held up one finger as he spoke.

"No thanks. I don’t want it." Su Hongshang shook her head. She suddenly realized she enjoyed seeing that helpless look on his face, and the way he refused to use force against her, constrained by his own principles.

’It’s really quite amusing.’

Su Hongshang loved seeing this kind of expression the most.

Su Qing was exasperated. He suddenly understood the plight of those domineering CEOs in trashy novels when they meet a woman who can’t be bought.

And this woman was practically throwing herself at him, refusing everything else, insisting she only wanted him.

"..." Su Qing tried to remain calm.

He shot the woman a disgruntled look.

He downed his cup of tea in frustration.

"I just don’t get it! You don’t even want the Spirit Fruit? What’s going through your head? It extends life by a hundred years! It’s a rare treasure, and you’re just turning it down?" Su Qing was completely exasperated.

"I said I don’t want it, and I mean it. Like I said before, do your worst." Su Hongshang could hear the frustration in his voice.

This only made her look even more pleased.

"Sigh, I can’t be bothered with you," Su Qing said with a frown.

"If I can’t get the Pill Formulas from you, I’ll just find another Pill Master."

Su Hongshang shook her head with a sigh, a teasing glint in her eyes. She looked at Su Qing disdainfully. "You have a beautiful woman right in front of you, willing to give you anything, yet you insist on searching for some Pill Master you might never even find?"

"I don’t even know what you’re thinking."

Su Qing replied helplessly, "It’s exactly your kind I’m wary of. For other Pill Masters, I can at least afford their price. But your price... that’s one I can’t pay."

"Coward," Su Hongshang scoffed lightly.

The jab made Su Qing extremely uncomfortable.

"A Life-extending Spirit Fruit that adds five hundred years of life. This is my final offer," Su Qing said helplessly.

Su Qing was a man of principle. He did not want Dao Companions.

This would definitely be a good thing for his future.

Su Hongshang nodded lightly. She could sense Su Qing’s determination. With a soft sigh, she said, "Alright. One Life-extending Spirit Fruit that adds five hundred years of life, for one Tier Four Pill Formula."

Su Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief.

’Spirit Fruits—no, Immortal Fruits—are a simple matter for me.’

"How many Pill Formulas do you have?"

"Do you think Tier Four Pill Formulas are common? I only have three," Su Hongshang said calmly.

She took a sip of tea and said in a wounded tone, "I offered you my whole self, and you’re still hung up on Pill Formulas. You’re truly heartless."

’Hey, hey, hey! Lady... er, miss, there’s nothing going on between us! Don’t use that tone with me!’

Hearing this, Su Qing’s eye twitched, and he nearly crushed the teacup in his hand.

...