Chapter 47: 46. Planning Ahead

46. Planning Ahead

【You spent the night with your wife Wen Zhiyun, Fire Spirit Root aptitude +1.】

【Fire Spirit Root: Lower Grade (1/100)】

Waking up the next day, Chen An looked at the notification message popping up before his eyes, unable to say whether he was happy or disappointed.

He had originally thought that being intimate with Wen Zhiyun would simply and crudely result in cultivation +1.

But the result was an increase in Spirit Root aptitude, not cultivation.

"Fire Spirit Root, huh..."

"It feels like that's not bad either."

Chen An was not too picky; he could accept any reward after being intimate with his wives and concubines.

Actually, thinking about it seriously, improving Fire Spirit Root aptitude is quite good.

As an Alchemist, the better one controls the Pill Fire, the higher the efficiency and quality of alchemy.

And the higher the grade of the Fire Spirit Root, the better the control over the Pill Fire.

Not to mention, the improvement of Spirit Root aptitude is inherently very beneficial to daily cultivation, as it can increase cultivation speed and the upper limit.

Lower Grade Spirit Root can achieve Foundation Establishment.

Middle-Grade Spirit Root can achieve Nascent Soul.

Superior Spirit Root can achieve Spirit Severing.

And so on, Peak Spirit Root, Immortal Spirit Root, Divine Spirit Root...

The more Chen An thought about it, the more excited he felt, feeling that improving Spirit Root aptitude was no worse than directly improving cultivation, and it might even be better.

As for the specifics, he would only know after the Spirit Root aptitude improved and he could see how much of a boost it gave to his cultivation speed.

Thinking this, Chen An moved his thoughts and pulled up Wen Zhiyun's panel to check.

【Name: Wen Zhiyun】

【Attributes: Peerless beauty, excellent bone structure】

【Affection: 1 star (1/100)】

【Fire Spirit Root aptitude provided: 1】

"Excellent bone structure?"

"As expected, my Dao companion's cultivation talent is higher than that of ordinary cultivators."

Chen An thought this and couldn't help but smile silently, thinking that he had finally confirmed the guess in his heart.

He tucked the quilt in for Wen Zhiyun.

Then he put on his own clothes.

Chen An quickly got out of bed and left the room, planning to eat something to pad his stomach before going to practice alchemy.

After last night, he and Wen Zhiyun were no longer in a co-renting relationship.

But a Dao companion relationship.

Or perhaps, a husband and wife relationship.

Regardless of which term, it actually made little difference to him.

Because he could treat them all equally.

He washed up briefly.

He came into the main hall.

Song Huaying was holding Chen Yuejian, sitting at the dining table feeding her breakfast.

She was eating thin porridge.

Chen Yuejian was already over nine months old now.

She had long since been weaned.

Now she could not only drink thin porridge, but even eat soft rice.

"Husband, I will go get you some porridge."

Seeing her husband arrive in the hall, Gu Xinyue, who was sitting at the dining table drinking porridge, immediately stood up and said.

Chen An smiled and said, "No need, I'll go get it myself."

After speaking, he stepped forward to tease the daughter in his little wife's arms, then turned and walked toward the kitchen.

"Husband, I will go with you."

Gu Xinyue followed closely behind.

Chen An smiled without a word, letting her follow him.

According to the schedule set previously, he was supposed to spend the night with the icy concubine last night.

But due to the special circumstances last night, he had to stay in Wen Zhiyun's room, so he could only neglect the icy concubine for one night.

Arriving inside the kitchen.

Chen An told Gu Xinyue to sit on the side for a moment, saying he would drink a bowl of porridge first.

Gu Xinyue was very obedient, sitting quietly waiting for her husband to finish.

A moment later, after finishing the porridge.

Chen An did not dawdle with Gu Xinyue.

He put down the bowl and chopsticks.

He closed the kitchen doors and windows.

The next second, he pulled Gu Xinyue, who had been waiting anxiously on the side, directly into his arms to properly compensate for his neglect of her last night.

More than two hours later.

【Divine Sense strength +3】 x10

【Golden Finger Proficient +3】 x15

【Affection +1】 x2

……

Leaving the kitchen, he walked into the Alchemy Room.

Chen An proficiently set up the furnace and started the fire.

He planned to finish refining the Healing Pill to be sent to the Bamboo Leaf Gang logistics department in the morning, and finish refining the Severing Emotion Pill to be sold to the Treasure Pavilion in the afternoon, so as to clear his evening schedule to cultivate with his three wives and concubines.

"Husband, may I come in?"

The voice of his little darling wife, Song Huaying, rang out from outside the door.

Hearing the sound, Chen An extinguished the furnace fire to prevent the temperature in the Alchemy Room from continuing to rise, then said:

"Mm, you may."

"Creak—"

Song Huaying gently pushed the door open and entered.

She was all by herself.

He did not see his daughter, Chen Yuejian.

Chen An asked: "Where is Xiao Yuejian?"

"Xiao Yuejian is playing in the courtyard with Sister Gu."

Song Huaying smiled with a sweet expression.

After speaking, she walked up to Chen An and stopped, her beautiful eyes glistening with moisture as she said:

"Husband, Ying feels that her current alchemy knowledge is still lacking, and she would like Husband to impart some experience to fill the gaps."

"Ying seems very diligent and eager to learn."

"As long as Husband doesn't find Ying annoying, that is fine."

"Come, let Husband properly impart all kinds of superb Alchemy Experience to you."

"Hu, Husband, can you speak a little slower? It's too fast, Ying can't digest it!"

Song Huaying's voice carried a hint of a sob, worried that her husband would find her useless.

How could Chen An find her useless? He practically doted on her to the heavens. Since she wanted him to go slower, he would go slower, carefully and meticulously imparting his experience to her.

【Alchemy Experience +3】

【Alchemy Experience +3】

【Alchemy Experience +3】

【……】

"Let's stop here for today. Digest it well first, and I will continue to impart experience to you tomorrow."

"Then I will trouble Husband again tomorrow."

Having gained something from her studies, Song Huaying left the Alchemy Room with a satisfied expression, her mind full of Alchemy Experience.

No sooner had his little darling wife left than Wen Zhiyun walked in.

"How does your wound feel?"

Chen An asked with a smile, showing concern for Wen Zhiyun.

Wen Zhiyun's face flushed slightly; she did not dare to make eye contact with Chen An, instead looking up and surveying the Alchemy Room, pretending to be nonchalant as she said:

"Much better, there's basically nothing wrong. Thank you for helping me treat the wound yesterday."

"What kind of relationship do we have now, and you're still being reserved."

Chen An teased with a smile while reigniting the Pill Fire.

Although they had already consummated their marriage last night, Wen Zhiyun was unexpectedly thin-skinned when it came to matters of romance.

Being teased like this by Chen An, she was instantly so embarrassed that her head felt like it was about to smoke.

"Do you think everyone is as shameless as you!"

Wen Zhiyun bit her thin lip, habitually rolled her eyes at Chen An, and said with a huff.

That's right, this is the flavor.

The tsundere flavor of a mature, beautiful woman.

A mature woman's figure, a young girl's mindset.

Chen An loved this kind of Wen Zhiyun.

He extinguished the newly lit Pill Fire again, stood up, walked to Wen Zhiyun's side, pulled her into his arms with a smile, and chuckled: "Yun'er, actually, your husband is even more shameless than you imagine."

As he spoke, his hands began to move, taking liberties with the tsundere beauty in his arms.

"Don't touch me!"

Wen Zhiyun suddenly turned cold, slapped away his restless hands, and said with a hint of petulance: "You still owe me a wedding. When you marry me, then you can touch me."

After saying this, she broke free from Chen An's embrace and hurried out of the Alchemy Room.

It wasn't that she left because she was angry.

It was because she was truly too embarrassed.

Even though they had consummated their marriage last night, she was still not used to being overly intimate with Chen An and needed to take things step by step.

Watching Wen Zhiyun's fleeing back, Chen An couldn't help but laugh and cry.

It was clearly Wen Zhiyun who wouldn't let him leave last night and urged him to get on with it, yet just now she was complaining and blaming him for not marrying her yet.

"Truly unreasonable."

Chen An smiled helplessly, then sat back down in front of the alchemy furnace and lit the Pill Fire for the third time, preparing to refine pills.

……

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, the morning had passed.

After eating lunch.

And resting for a while.

Chen An intended to go to the Alchemy Room to continue refining pills.

Just as he pushed open the door to the Alchemy Room, a loud shout came from outside the house.

"Everyone in Green Willow Alley, starting today, the reward for representing the Bamboo Leaf Gang on the battlefield to kill cultivators from Black Iron Villa is doubled!"

"Previously, killing one Qi Refining Late Stage cultivator rewarded one month of rent exemption; now, it can reward two months of rent exemption!"

"Are there any fellow Daoists who wish to sign up and participate!"

Following the shout of a Bamboo Leaf Gang Deacon.

Including Chen An, many residents of Green Willow Alley opened their windows one after another to see exactly what was happening outside.

But they only took a look.

There were not many people coming out to respond to the call as they had the first time.

Most people just took a glance, quickly closed their windows, and there was no further movement.

Today is different from the past.

When the two gangs first started an all-out war, the main force on the battlefield consisted of Qi Refining Mid-Stage cultivators, and many Qi Refining Late Stage residents in the Core Area could easily serve as mercenaries.

But now, the main force on the battlefield has become Qi Refining Late Stage.

Even Foundation Establishment experts have entered the fray.

The risk of being a mercenary has increased dramatically.

The residents in the Core Area do want to earn rent exemption vouchers, that is true, but they do not want to go and die.

The cost-effectiveness of going to the battlefield now is not what it was before, which has led to many people being unwilling.

After shouting a few more times and seeing that no residents responded to the call, the Bamboo Leaf Gang cultivators could not help but feel somewhat ashamed and angry.

However, they did not say much else and turned around to leave directly.

Chen An stood in front of the window, witnessing this scene from beginning to end.

He felt somewhat uneasy about this in his heart.

Combining the news he usually gathered from Manager Liu at Zhenbao Hang with the double reward just offered by that Bamboo Leaf Gang cultivator.

The current Bamboo Leaf Gang is extremely short of manpower, and the situation on the battlefield is quite unfavorable.

If things continue to drag on like this, losing to Black Iron Villa is only a matter of time.

It is feared that Bamboo Leaf Forest is no longer a place to stay.

He must break through his Alchemy Dao realm to the Second-tier as soon as possible.

He would see if he could use this to join the Zhenbao Pavilion and become an Alchemist there, so as to obtain protection.

Chen An thought silently to himself.

……

PS: Setting out the bowl, begging for monthly tickets and recommendation tickets!