Chapter 37: Spirit Rice Price Drop

Inside the alchemy room.

Su Yuqing stared blankly at the cauldron, where six azure pills churned up and down, ready to burst forth! What baffled him even more was that among those six Qi-Condensation Pills, one pill's surface actually emanated a thin layer of pill rhyme!

"Premium Qi-Condensation Pills?!"

Before Qin Ming could act, Su Yuqing raised his hand and summoned them.

The six pills from the cauldron instantly flew into his palm.

He examined each pill carefully, brows knitted tight, verifying them again and again.

"Brother Su, please lend your expert eye; can this batch of Qi-Condensation Pills still be considered passable?"

"Are there any points I should pay attention to?"

Overjoyed by his successful alchemy, Qin Ming wore a sincere smile and humbly sought Su Yuqing's guidance.

After all, the other man was a genuine high-grade alchemist.

Such figures were extremely rare throughout the Qingyang Market and its surroundings; if he offered even a word or two of instruction, the benefits would be endless.

After a long while, Su Yuqing finally returned the pills to Qin Ming.

Then, with a complex expression on his face, he forced a faint smile and muttered a few words: "Heh... it's... it's passable, barely qualified."

Outwardly he appeared calm and composed, but inwardly his heart was churning like a stormy sea.

"Is his alchemy talent almost catching up to mine?!"

"Wasn't this kid failing constantly just a while ago?"

"It's truly bizarre; how did he suddenly become enlightened all at once?"

"Could it be that he actually learned my exclusive alchemy technique in its entirety?"

"Is this kid's comprehension really that high?"

"No, no, next time I must keep it hidden."

Qin Ming happily admired his 'debut masterpiece,' a sense of accomplishment rising spontaneously within him.

At the same time, he felt deeply grateful to Su Yuqing.

If not for him allowing Qin Ming to observe every alchemy session, absorbing knowledge through constant exposure and learning many genuine techniques, even with his greatly enhanced divine soul, he could not have reached the threshold of a low-grade alchemist so quickly.

At the same time, he felt immensely grateful to Su Yuqing in his heart.

Qin Ming personally took to the kitchen, preparing a table full of delicious dishes using Beast-Tooth Rice, and he and Su Yuqing ate with great delight.

"Brother Qin, this Beast-Tooth Rice you grew is truly excellent."

Su Yuqing devoured two large bowls of Beast-Tooth Spirit Rice, speaking even as he continued to ladle rice vigorously from the pot.

"If Brother Su needs some, I can sell you a portion at the market price," Qin Ming said with a smile upon hearing this.

Last time he purchased Gathering Spirit Pills from Su Yuqing, the other man had given him premium Gathering Spirit Pills.

This was the perfect chance to return the favor.

Hearing Qin Ming's words, Su Yuqing instantly perked up, his eyes shining as he asked, "Really?!"

"However much Brother Qin can produce, I'll take it all."

Qin Ming immediately took a bag of Beast-Tooth Rice from his storage pouch, placed it before Su Yuqing, and said, "This is all I have for now, about one hundred jin."

"I'll give it to you at the market price of seven spirit stones per jin."

Su Yuqing's face lit up with joy; without even looking, he waved his hand forward, and the entire bag of Beast-Tooth Rice was swept into his storage pouch.

He then took out seven hundred spirit stones and handed them to Qin Ming.

Qin Ming accepted the spirit stones and stored them away; his small treasury instantly swelled to over sixteen hundred stones.

He raised his wine cup in a toast to Su Yuqing, saying cheerfully, "Come, come, today we must drink a full cup!"

Su Yuqing also rarely cracked a smile, raising his cup and draining it in one gulp.

Qin Ming took the spirit stones and put them away; his little treasury was instantly replenished to over sixteen hundred pieces.

After finishing the meal, Qin Ming bid farewell and departed.

During the meal, Su Yuqing had asked Qin Ming to help him cultivate spiritual plants for one final year.

It was still for cultivating auxiliary alchemy materials.

However, this time, the spiritual plants Su Yuqing requested him to grow were of considerably higher difficulty.

One was a first-grade high-grade spiritual plant, 'Mo Yan Cao'.

The other was a first-grade top-grade spiritual plant, 'Seven-Leaf Huangqin'.

The maturation period for both spiritual plants happened to be exactly one year.

Even though Qin Ming looked hesitant, he could not resist Su Yuqing's repeated invitations.

Su Yuqing now had more confidence in Qin Ming's spiritual planting skills than in his own.

Qin Ming also considered that he still needed to continue freely benefiting from the other's alchemy techniques and eventually inherit his alchemy room, so he quickly nodded and agreed.

One of the conditions for advancing to a high-grade spiritual planter was successfully cultivating two or more types of first-grade high-grade spiritual plants; the seeds Su Yuqing gave him this time amounted to only twenty seeds for each type.

Having reached the level of high-grade spiritual plants, even the seeds had become increasingly precious.

Qin Ming went all the way to the spiritual fields on the hillside.

He tilled the soil and planted these few dozen seeds separately.

He then cast the Advanced Spirit Rain Technique to summon spirit rain.

Afterwards, he turned his gaze toward the three mu of Beast-Tooth Rice spiritual fields.

Qin Ming made his way up the slope to the spiritual fields.

He turned over the soil and planted these few dozen spiritual seeds separately.

He cast the Advanced Spiritual Rain Technique to bring down spiritual rain.

Afterward, he turned his gaze toward the three mu of Beast Tooth Rice spiritual fields.

This year's crop of Beast Tooth Rice in the spirit fields is thriving, foretelling a bountiful harvest.

He then left, satisfied.

Qingyang Marketplace.

Qin Ming returned to his own "Cool Cottage."

He glanced at the corner of the courtyard, where the transplanted withered Blood Poison Vine stood.

Qin Ming had observed it for a long time.

Without using the "Ripen" term, this spirit plant grows extremely slowly; since transplantation, it has shown almost no change.

His mental sea's Ripen term was also running low, so he could only continue cultivating it as is.

Just as Qin Ming was about to enter the quiet chamber, his message talisman stirred.

"Comrade Qin, come quickly for a discussion—new developments."

Qin Ming picked up the message talisman, frowned, and saw it was from Shopkeeper Liao.

"What else has happened?"

He had a bad feeling.

After a stick of incense.

Qin Ming arrived at Juxuan Pavilion.

As soon as Shopkeeper Liao saw him, he beamed and ushered him to a private room on the fourth floor.

He then activated a soundproof talisman and spoke gravely: "Comrade Qin, I have bad news."

"The spirit rice in the marketplace will be lowered in price."

"It will happen within the next two days—moreover, other cultivation resources such as artifacts and pills will also gradually follow suit."

Qin Ming's brow furrowed at this, and he asked instinctively: "Has the Lingyu Sect's teleportation array been repaired?"

"You guessed correctly, Comrade Qin. A few days ago, the Lingyu Sect completed repairs on the teleportation array and has restored its logistical supply," Shopkeeper Liao nodded lightly.

"Moreover, the Lingyu Sect and the Jinyun Valley will install two direct teleportation arrays to Yunze Immortal City, currently under construction."

"In the future, both sects will certainly center their operations around Yunze Immortal City; Qingyang Marketplace's status will gradually be replaced."

"The Pavilion Master's intention is that once Yunze Immortal City is completed, Juxuan Pavilion's main operations must also relocate entirely there."

"Only minor, unimportant branches will remain in Qingyang Marketplace."

Hearing this, Qin Ming frowned and fell into thought.

Long silence.

He lifted his teacup, took a small sip, then suddenly asked: "Will the rental prices for housing in the marketplace drop?"

Shopkeeper Liao seemed to have anticipated this question, and replied bluntly: "Rental prices for housing in the marketplace will not drop."

"Alas, with so many free cultivators now, housing is in short supply. Even after Yunze Xiancheng is built, it will only open to a select group of cultivators, with certain thresholds."

Qin Ming was bewildered.

He hadn't expected that while spirit rice prices would fall, housing rents would stay high.

He had only moved in a few days ago. "If you still have surplus Beast Tooth Rice, Comrade Qin, you must sell it quickly within these two days," Shopkeeper Liao poured Qin Ming more tea, his tone implying more than words.

His face wore a smiling expression.

Qin Ming couldn't help but sneer inwardly: 'This old bastard has been eyeing my Beast Tooth Rice all along.'

"Alas, Shopkeeper Liao, if you'd told me sooner, I still had about a hundred jin of Beast Tooth Rice."

"But I already sold it all to Brother Su not long ago," Qin Ming sighed and shook his head helplessly.

Upon hearing this, Shopkeeper Liao's hopeful gaze instantly turned to disappointment.

"Oh well, no matter—next year, Beast Tooth Rice will be ripe again anyway!"

The conversation ended.

Shopkeeper Liao still warmly saw Qin Ming out of the shop.

Outside the shop.

Qin Ming pondered for a moment.

He immediately sent a message talisman to Cai Laojiu.

"Laojiu, if you still have any spirit rice stored, sell it quickly within these two days—keep this to yourself."

(End of Chapter)