Chapter 75

"Hey, Jiang, you..."

Xu Xiang rolled up his sleeves and wanted to step forward to argue.

He had long been unhappy with Jiang Cheng; they were all Jianghu people, and none of them had a good temper. Being humiliated in front of others today, he only felt his face as the Medicine Hall Master burning.

"Brother Xu, calm down."

Li Rui grabbed Xu Xiang, who was about to step forward.

Xu Xiang then stopped.

He had just told Li Rui to be more patient, but he hadn't expected himself to be the first to lose his temper.

Taking a deep breath:

"Hall Master Li, you've seen it too, this person has the temper of a stubborn donkey."

Xu Xiang was helpless.

He had been the Medicine Hall Master for a while and knew Jiang Cheng's temperament too well; if he said he wouldn't refine, he wouldn't refine, and even the Deputy Helmsman coming personally wouldn't work.

But this stubborn person happened to be an alchemy master; if Jiang Cheng were gone, the Medicine Hall would be reduced to a middleman selling medicine and would inevitably become the laughingstock of the other six halls.

Li Rui indicated he wanted to try again.

Jiang Cheng just said one sentence, then stared fixedly at the pills in his hand for a long time.

Muttering to himself: "Wrong, wrong."

Looking like a pill fanatic.

Although there were seventh-rank pills in the Qinghe Branch's Medicine Hall, they were sent from the main branch.

In all of Qinghe, the most powerful alchemist could only refine eighth-rank pills, and the quantity was extremely small, so Jiang Cheng was already among the top tier of alchemists.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be allowed to be so unruly.

An alchemist capable of refining eighth-rank pills is no less sought after than an eighth-rank martial artist.

So no matter how angry Xu Xiang was, he didn't dare to actually make a move.

Just as Jiang Cheng was muttering to himself—

Li Rui suddenly spoke: "The heat is wrong; if you refine it for thirteen more breaths, the pill's efficacy can be increased by thirty percent."

Jiang Cheng's eyes lit up:

"Thirteen breaths... right, thirteen breaths."

He had refined this Pure Yang Pill countless times, all according to the pill formula, but the finished pill had never been ideal.

Pondering for many days.

Still couldn't find the reason for failure.

Never expected it to be pointed out in one sentence.

Jiang Cheng then seriously looked at Li Rui: "You are... the Hall Master of Hun Tian Yi Hall? You also understand alchemy?"

He remembered Xu Xiang had just reported Li Rui's name.

Li Rui shook his head: "I don't understand alchemy, but because of my cultivation method, my discernment is okay."

Jiang Cheng immediately became interested.

Alchemy, besides understanding the medicinal properties of herbs, controlling the heat during refining is also an extremely important part.

It's just that the pill is blocked by the furnace wall, and one can't see the situation inside the furnace.

Controlling the heat can only rely entirely on experience.

The Hall Master of Hun Tian Yi Hall in front of him doesn't understand alchemy, yet can see the situation of the pill and accurately state the refining time.

This discernment is extraordinary.

Based on his many years of alchemy experience, Li Rui's thirteen breaths were ninety percent likely to be true.

Jiang Cheng stood up, rarely no longer acting crazy: "What pill did you say you wanted to refine just now?"

Li Rui's mouth lifted slightly.

Got him!

This kind of technical talent can only be moved by bringing him help in alchemy.

Clearly.

He had succeeded.

Most alchemists can only judge by smelling the pill fragrance or lifting the furnace lid; doing so is not only inaccurate but also prone to pill energy leakage.

Li Rui has the Spiritual Eye.

So he can directly see the changes in spiritual substance.

Just like just now, in an instant, the amount of spiritual substance changed from high to low; there was no doubt it was the time to take out the pill.

He can be precise to within half a breath.

Such terrifying heat control is an irresistible attraction to an alchemist.

"I want to ask Elder Jiang to refine a batch of pills for me; I provide the spiritual herbs, any kind is fine, as long as it's a spiritual pill."

"Fine."

This time, Jiang Cheng changed from his previous refusal and decisively agreed:

"But I have one condition."

"Speak freely."

"I don't need labor silver, as long as you come to the alchemy room every day to help me refine pills, and after that, you won't need to pay when you ask me to refine pills."

Surprise flashed in Xu Xiang's eyes.

Jiang Cheng was so arrogant; even if he agreed to refine pills, the labor silver was usually over a hundred taels of silver, but now he didn't want silver, just for Li Rui to stay in the alchemy room.

"Sure enough, one must have a specialty."

Unexpectedly, this time it was Li Rui who didn't agree: "No, I'm very busy, I'll come once every seven days."

Jiang Cheng frowned: "Seven days is too long, three days."

Li Rui turned around decisively without thinking: "Hall Master Xu, I won't bother you anymore, goodbye."

Everything turned too fast.

One second Li Rui was begging for help, the next he changed his tune and left as he pleased.

Seeing Li Rui was really about to leave.

Jiang Cheng panicked immediately.

Alchemists are rare, but people with Li Rui's discernment are even rarer.

With Li Rui's help, he might be able to refine seventh-rank spiritual pills.

He couldn't let him go no matter what.

"Fine, seven days it is."

Li Rui paused and turned his head with a smile: "Deal."

This kind of haggling method used when selling dry fodder is applicable everywhere.

Jiang Cheng was stunned.

"Good fellow."

He suddenly felt like he had lost out.

But since he had already said it, it was impossible to go back on his word.

Xu Xiang watched this scene and was stunned.

Elder Jiang, who had never let anyone take advantage of him in the branch, was held firmly in Li Rui's grasp just like that.

The rest was much simpler.

Li Rui first thanked Xu Xiang for the introduction, stating that he would definitely put in a good word in front of Deputy Helmsman Zhang later.

After Xu Xiang left satisfied.

He then handed the spiritual herbs he got from the black market to Jiang Cheng.

And promised Jiang Cheng that if he was willing to refine pills now, he could watch the heat for a night for free.

Under the powerful force of the four words 'free of charge'.

Jiang Cheng soon threw himself into alchemy.

Li Rui had to admit that Jiang Cheng was indeed very talented in alchemy.

"Worth befriending."

An alchemist like Jiang Cheng has many benefits after befriending, so he paid more attention to observing the heat.

Of course, it was mainly because the pills being refined in the furnace were his own.

At dawn.

A touch of white appeared on the horizon.

Bang!

Sounds like bamboo exploding echoed in the alchemy room.

"It's done!"

Jiang Cheng happily lifted the furnace lid.

Six pitch-black, thumb-sized round pills with a strange golden luster lay quietly on the tray in the middle of the furnace.

Jiang Cheng took out the pills and sniffed them at the tip of his nose for a long time.

Overjoyed.

The efficacy of this batch of Body-Strengthening Pills was at least thirty percent higher than before!

The spiritual herbs were the same, and the alchemy technique was the same.

By controlling the variables, it wasn't hard to judge that this thirty percent was all Li Rui's credit.

"Here."

Jiang Cheng straightforwardly handed all the pills to Li Rui.

Taking not a single cent.

Of course, he wasn't without gain; this time he recorded the timing of the pill formation, and his alchemy technique had improved quite a bit.

This was more valuable than a batch of pills.

Li Rui looked at the six spiritual pills in his hand.

Just felt it was a bit unreal.

Then cursed in his heart:

"Unscrupulous middlemen!"

(End of chapter)