Chapter 356: 356. Chapter 356: Could Be Even Better

356. Chapter 356: Could Be Even Better

On the highway leading to Dongfang City, an off-road vehicle was speeding.

The man in the back seat looked at the not‑far‑away city, his eyes filled with shock, curiosity, longing, and unease…

In the driver's seat sat a man and a woman.

The man looked to be in his early thirties, with a smile on his face.

The woman appeared to be in her twenties, her expression icy.

They were precisely Hong Cha and Ye Ying.

The two had just completed a guidance mission, bringing a promising newcomer back to headquarters.

During the drive, the man in the back seat kept asking questions, and Hong Cha patiently answered each one.

Ye Ying sat in the front passenger seat, silent as if she were invisible.

Soon, the off‑road vehicle arrived at the city gate.

The man in the back seat widened his eyes, deeply shocked by what lay before him.

"Ye Ying, should we let you off somewhere when we go in, or find a place to drop you?"

Hong Cha smiled and looked at Ye Ying.

"Hmm."

She nodded.

His gaze unintentionally fell on some notices posted beside the city gate.

The next moment, she saw a face that was incredibly familiar.

Looking further down, she froze completely.

"?"

Hong Cha noticed this scene, and doubt immediately arose in his heart.

What exactly had she seen to shock her so much?

Following her gaze, he too froze upon seeing it.

"Click."

Ye Ying pushed open the car door and walked straight over.

Hong Cha also snapped to attention, quickly pulled the vehicle to the side, walked over, and stared at the wanted notice before him, his eyes showing utter shock.

He would certainly not mistake the person on the wanted notice.

It was Jiang Cheng, the newcomer he had guided into the Dawn Society.

Back then he was only a first‑level Force Warrior.

But now? He could actually kill an eighth‑level Force Warrior? No way! Recall that after learning of Jiang Cheng's betrayal back then, he had specially invited Ye Ying, intending to find him, capture him, and turn him in to headquarters for the bounty.

"Big Brother Hong Cha, Sister Ye Ying, what's wrong?"

The man in the rear also couldn't help but come over, asking while his gaze fell on the wanted notice before him.

At first he didn't think much of it, after all he didn't know the person on the notice.

But upon seeing the reverse side—where it listed that the person had once been an assassin for the Dawn Society, killed many, then defected—he gaped.

"Good grief, this wanted criminal is from the Dawn Society? Did he just defect?"

"Let's go."

Ye Ying glanced at the two, her expression returning to its previous icy cold.

In fact, her inner shock was no less than Hong Cha's beside her.

"All right."

Hong Cha agreed, took a deep look at Jiang Cheng on the wanted notice, then walked back to the car.

"Big Brother Hong Cha."

The man in the back seat tentatively asked, "Is that person our Dawn Society's traitor?"

The atmosphere inside the car grew heavy.

After a long while, Hong Cha finally gave a low "hmm."

"Why would he betray the society?" the man muttered, "Our Dawn Society treats everyone so well, and we do righteous deeds for heaven."

"Who knows about that?"

Hong Cha hesitated a moment, then said.

He had wanted to say that the other was a coward, the mission had failed, and he had defected merely to survive—this was the unified explanation within the society.

But after seeing that wanted notice, he dared not say it.

For if what's written on the wanted notice is true, dealing with the present Jiang Cheng would be as easy as turning over a palm…

Time flew by like a white colt passing a gap—more than a week vanished in an instant.

In the alchemy chamber, Jiang Cheng gazed at the alchemy furnace before him.

With the successful refinement of the final supreme spirit‑nourishing pill, the experience bar for the calming pill on the panel finally became full.

Jiang Cheng felt a white light flash through his mind, a sensation of enlightenment and sudden clarity.

Yet such epiphanies are often sought after but rarely attained by many.

"Finally, it's complete."

Jiang Cheng sighed, feeling that it had not been easy either.

He had originally thought it would take a month, but thanks to his sweat and effort, it was shortened to just over twenty days.

"It's time to call them over."

Thinking of this, Jiang Cheng picked up his phone and dialed Gu Zhangkong's number.

Soon, Gu Zhangkong and Yang Chun, having heard the news, hurried over.

"Brother, has your alchemy technique been perfected?"

He closed the door, and Yang Chun hurriedly asked.

"Hmm."

Jiang Cheng smiled and nodded.

He said no more, directly used five portions of medicinal ingredients, and, in front of the two, carried out a refining.

Lacking five portions of medicinal power, the refining time was considerably longer than before, and the spiritual power consumed during the process also increased considerably.

After a little over an hour, the pills were successfully produced; all ten pills, without exception, were Top Grade An Shen Pills.

Both Gu Zhangkong and Yang Chun drew a sharp breath.

Jiang Cheng, you really did it.

Using only five portions of medicinal ingredients, he produced a furnace of Top Grade An Shen Pills.

Thus, the cost per furnace of pills fell from five hundred thousand to half, only two hundred fifty thousand.

Correspondingly, the profit per furnace of pills rose from five hundred thousand to seven hundred fifty thousand.

"Jiang brother, if you refine like this, how many furnaces can you produce per day?" Gu Zhangkong asked.

"At one hour per furnace, about ten furnaces a day."

Jiang Cheng replied.

Gu Zhangkong nodded upon hearing that.

Previously, Jiang Cheng could produce eight or nine furnaces of Top Grade An Shen Pills a day, with a market value of eight or nine million.

Now he produces ten furnaces a day, with a market value of ten million.

Comparing the two, the difference seems not large.

However, because the cost was halved, the final profit differed by two or three million.

Of course, the profit split he had agreed on with Jiang Cheng was six-four, and it was not based on profit but on the total value of the pills produced.

For example, these ten furnaces of pills are worth ten million; Jiang Cheng takes four million, leaving six million for him.

From that six million, subtract the cost of fifty portions of medicinal ingredients, which is 2.5 million, leaving 3.5 million as his actual profit.

Fortunately, the true cost of the medicinal ingredients is even lower—fifty portions amount to less than two million—so the profit works out the same as Jiang Cheng's, effectively a fifty-fifty split.

The Black Market's monthly profit is only two hundred million; now each month brings an additional 120 million in profit, enough for him to prove himself within the family.

If it were someone else, they might have other ideas.

For example, tampering with Jiang Cheng's troublesome money to make the final data look much better.

But he does not want to do such short-sighted things.

"Jiang brother, you've done well."

Gu Zhangkong praised.

"Senior Brother Gu, you flatter me."

Jiang Cheng smiled.

He very much wanted to say, I could still do better.

For example, refining third-grade Awakening Pills.

Once the level of Awakening Pills improves, his daily earnings will no longer be four million but could reach ten to twenty million, or even twenty to thirty million. (End of chapter)