Chapter 6: Making a Fortune

5. Making a Fortune

In less than half a day, Chen An had finished refining all the medicinal herbs in the Alchemy Room.

If this were in the past, it would have taken at least two or three days to finish.

But now, not only has the efficiency increased, but the success rate of pill formation has also increased significantly.

It has directly more than tripled compared to before.

Previously, he could only earn 1 Low-grade Spirit Stone per month; now, he can earn more than 3 per month.

"The rent problem is finally solved."

A long-lost smile appeared on Chen An's face, and he felt unprecedentedly relaxed.

At this moment, the voice of his little wife came from outside the door.

"Husband, I have already heated the water for your bath. Please let me know when you are finished, so that I may attend to you personally."

"I am finished!"

Too busy to tidy up the messy Alchemy Room, Chen An immediately got up and pushed the door open, scooped up his little wife from outside, and headed toward the bedroom to take a bath together.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

【You have had a deep exchange with your wife Song Huaying, making efforts to expand the family, Alchemy Experience +1.】

【Wife: Song Huaying】

【Attribute: Repay a drop of kindness with a gushing spring】

【Affection: 1 Star (69/100)】

【Alchemy Experience provided: 99】

"The affection level is not far from 2 stars."

Chen An felt slightly encouraged, then continued to be a sycophant to his little wife—a sycophant in every sense—intending to fawn even further to increase their marital affection as much as possible.

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, it was the day to pay rent next month.

Manager Zhang arrived on time as always, going door to door to collect rent.

He collected 2 Low-grade Spirit Stones from each household.

For the bottom-tier cultivators in the Cheap Area, 2 Low-grade Spirit Stones were truly too much.

Many people were left looking utterly hopeless.

Among them, several people who could not afford the rent were expelled from the Bamboo Leaf Forest on the spot by Manager Zhang, whose cultivation had reached the Qi Refining Late Stage; their backs looked very dejected as they left.

The remaining people, seeing this, all felt immense pressure and were anxious beyond measure.

Many Bitter Cultivators who originally liked to hide at home and never go out were forced at this time to come out and form teams with others to hunt Blood Demons outside the forest to earn next month's rent.

Compared to these cultivators, Chen An, as an Alchemist, was living much more comfortably.

Even more comfortably than before the rent increase.

Because many cultivators were forced to go out to hunt Blood Demons to earn money, and it was inevitable to get injured during the hunting process, this caused the price of pills to soar, more than several times higher than before.

After all, in the world of immortal cultivation, there is no such thing as market regulation.

Prices rise however one wants, take it or leave it.

Chen An benefited quite a bit from this wave of skyrocketing pill prices.

In just under half a month, he had earned 78 Low-grade Spirit Stones.

His income had increased by several dozen to nearly a hundred times compared to before.

After paying the rent to Manager Zhang.

Chen An returned to the house to continue his deep exchange with his little wife, enhancing the affection between them.

Compared to when she first married him, Song Huaying now appeared much more mature and charming, often being very proactive during their intimate moments, making it hard for him to handle.

However, Chen An did not find it troublesome; instead, he grew increasingly fond of and infatuated with his little wife.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"Alchemist Chen, are you home!"

"I want to buy pills!"

Chen An was being intimate with his little wife on the bed when a series of knocks suddenly sounded outside the door, followed by a shout that sounded very urgent.

He had long since become accustomed to this kind of shouting recently.

Without looking, he knew it was most likely those cultivators preparing to hunt Blood Demons coming to buy pills.

After all, injuries during hunting were unavoidable.

At such times, pills became very important.

Basically, as soon as they were refined, they were immediately snatched up.

Many people who wanted to buy were forced to find the Alchemist's home to buy and refine on the spot.

That is, whatever pills the buyer wanted to buy, they would bring the materials needed to refine those pills themselves and come to ask the Alchemist for help.

After it was done, they would pay a processing fee.

However, because it was a special period, this processing fee was not cheap.

"Pop!"

Chen An got up from his little wife somewhat reluctantly and quickly put on his clothes to get out of bed.

He walked to the window beside the door and stopped to conduct business with the cultivator standing outside.

After some discussion.

Both sides quickly reached an agreement.

To refine these medicinal pills, it takes at least two double-hours.

And the processing fee is as high as 5 Lower Grade Spirit Stones.

This price is very affordable, quite a bit cheaper than other Alchemists.

Chen An likes small profits and quick turnover.

Well, that is what he says, but in reality, he is mostly afraid of gouging customers too hard and offending others.

After all, this is not a society ruled by law; if someone finds another person unpleasant, they can kill them at any time.

The more people one offends, the faster one dies.

There is no need to put oneself in a situation where the whole world is one's enemy just to earn this wave of money.

Otherwise, he fears he might have the life to earn the money but not the life to spend it.

……

Two double-hours later.

Chen An finished refining the medicinal pills.

He came out of the Alchemy Room and had the cultivator outside the window throw the 5 Spirit Stones into the room first.

Only after confirming there were no mistakes did he use a bamboo pole to hang the refined pills and pass them out to the other party.

Throughout this, he maintained a distance at all times.

He never got close to the other party.

After all, as an Alchemist, he has been making a killing during this period.

He has certainly made many people jealous.

For the sake of his own safety, while one should not have the heart to harm others, one must have the heart to guard against them.

In short, one should not overestimate human nature.

"When I have earned enough money one day, I will move to live in the Core Area."

Chen An thought to himself secretly.

At this moment, the soft, sweet voice of his little wife came from the room.

"Husband, are you finished?"

"Finished, I'm coming!"

Chen An responded and walked quickly toward the room with a helpless look on his face.

……

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Not long after returning to the room, Chen An heard the sound of knocking on the door again.

To tell the truth, it was a bit annoying, but he still Proficiently put on his clothes and left the room.

After all, he is currently in a once-in-a-lifetime period for making money, and he must seize this opportunity to build his fortune.

Being able to earn money is more important than anything else.

Arriving at the window next to the door, Chen An picked up a bamboo pole and lifted the window curtain from afar.

The next second, what came into view was the old gambling-addict cultivator who lived next door.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, help me out in this emergency; lend me 20 Lower Grade Spirit Stones, and when I win money, I'll give you seventy percent!"

The old cultivator's eyes were bloodshot, and his mental state looked somewhat manic; he was likely desperate from gambling.

Chen An refused flatly: "No money!"

After saying that, he pulled the curtain shut and stopped paying attention to the old cultivator outside the window.

In the past, when he refused tactfully, this old cultivator felt there was hope and would come to harass him at every turn.

Now he has switched to a firm refusal, hoping to kill the old cultivator's desire to come and borrow money again.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, oh Fellow Daoist Chen, how can you be so selfish and short-sighted?!"

"You have disappointed me too much!"

"You are destined to be nothing but a stinking Alchemist for the rest of your life!"

The old cultivator failed to borrow the Spirit Stones, his mindset exploded, and he started cursing in a fit of rage.

The whole person looked crazy and deranged.

Fortunately, he didn't curse for long before someone called out to him.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, are you very short on money?"

"If so, come with us to hunt Blood Demons outside."

"It won't make you rich, but it will be more than enough to pay the monthly rent."

"Are you coming?"

"I'm coming! I'm coming! I'm coming!"

The old cultivator eagerly agreed to that cultivator.

To have someone look upon an old, weak, sick, and disabled cultivator like him to be a teammate is simply something he could only wish for.

He must seize this opportunity.

Chen An, inside the house, heard the conversation outside and felt that something was not quite right.

For an elderly, bottom-tier cultivator like the old man, would anyone really be willing to team up with him to hunt Blood Demons?

Are they not afraid of having a dead weight on the team?

Or is it that they see he is pitiful and want to help him?

Although Chen An was suspicious, he did not dwell on it too much; he soon turned around, walked into the room, and continued to cherish the time with his little wife on the bed.

If it does not concern oneself, keep it at a distance.

This is the basic survival essential in this land where Demons walk everywhere, ghosts and monsters are as common as dogs, and the hearts of men are treacherous.

……

PS: Setting out my bowl, begging for monthly votes and recommendation votes!