Chapter 21: Sudden Wealth

The Grain-Bigu Pills sold for eleven spirit stones, and the Myriad Wonders Pills sold for one hundred and fifty.

Added together, that was one hundred and sixty-one.

This was Luo Chen's income for today.

After counting the spirit stones clearly, Luo Chen was so happy he couldn't close his legs.

After not losing or earning for so long, this time he finally had a small profit.

If you add the ninety-two spirit stones contributed by the short-lived guy, his savings instantly skyrocketed to two hundred and fifty-three!

This was an unprecedented peak!

He could buy two low-grade magic artifacts, or buy two and a half bottles of Qi-Nurturing Pills, or eat a spiritual energy feast at Zhong Ding's place for half a month.

Even, he could spend a few nights at the Heavenly Fragrance Tower.

However, these thoughts didn't linger in Luo Chen's mind for even half a second.

With more liquid capital, what should it be used for?

Of course, it was to expand production, grow bigger and stronger, and create new brilliance!

"Fellow Daoist Little Luo, shouldn't that... return..."

"Uncle Chen, want some fish? I caught it yesterday, roasted over a gentle fire with Fireball Art for half an hour. You just need to heat it up a little, it's delicious."

"But..."

"Spirit stones, right? I know, I've kept it in mind. It's just that Little Luo is in a period of skill improvement and needs more medicinal herbs to practice. Once I've earned enough, I'll definitely return it to you. By then, I'll host a banquet at Zhong Ding's place and treat you personally!"

Zhong Ding's place, the most high-end restaurant in the Great River Market.

Everything sold there contained spiritual energy, the wine was brewed from spiritual veins, and the snacks and fruits for passing time were all rare goods transported by water from the Lancang River!

Seeing Old Daoist Chen a bit tempted, Luo Chen struck while the iron was hot.

"Besides, we are both great mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators; would I covet your mere fifty spirit stones and not return them?"

"Don't worry, I'll definitely return it by then."

"I'm in a hurry to purchase medicinal herbs, so I'll head off first!"

Watching Luo Chen run off until he was out of sight, Old Daoist Chen felt a bit of a headache.

This little rascal!

He was a bit like him back in the day, pinching every one or two spirit stones to use.

"I just hope the banquet you mentioned at Zhong Ding's place isn't a lie to this old man!"

"Red Flame Chicken blood doubled?"

"Yes, the more the better!"

"Only a few pieces of Jade Mountain Medicine left? I'll take them all, please leave more for me next time."

"Give me five catties of this!"

A big purchase, keeping Luo Chen busy until sweat broke out on his forehead.

The loose cultivator market was good in every way, except that people liked to haggle, even if some people had done business with him several times, they still loved to talk about the season and market conditions.

By comparison, although the things at the Hundred Herbs Hall were expensive, at least there was no need to waste breath.

And, expensive wasn't the Hundred Herbs Hall's shortcoming; it was Luo Chen's shortcoming!

"Four hundred portions of dried scallops, forty fire-dog whips! Fellow Daoist Luo, are you sure you can eat so much stock?"

The fat shopkeeper Liu Hecai was a bit surprised.

How long had it been? Only two or three transactions, and the purchase volume of this little Qi Refining stage cultivator had quadrupled.

Even if his body was weak, he shouldn't be squandering it like this!

"Your shop is a chain across four domains, a five-hundred-year-old store; you should have this much stock, right?" Luo Chen said.

Shopkeeper Liu shook his head: "The goods are definitely there, it's just you..."

Shopkeeper Liu suddenly sniffed his nose and asked in surprise: "Little friend, you wouldn't happen to be an alchemist, would you?"

"A crude skill, not worth mentioning; but the shopkeeper has a good eye."

*Good heavens*, a wild alchemist!

Shopkeeper Liu's look at Luo Chen was all wrong; it had a flavor that was hard to tell if it was mockery or admiration.

He could be sure that Luo Chen was a loose cultivator with no family or sect background.

From the other's clothing, temperament, and even cultivation realm.

But precisely because of this, he felt surprised.

In this day and age, loose cultivators dare to touch such a high-end technology as alchemy?

The other party was truly a bit ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth.

Of course, doing business is about harmony and wealth.

Shopkeeper Liu showed a warm smile. "Those who can refine elixirs at this age must be talented. Little friend, if you refine good elixirs in the future, why not let me take a look?"

This made Luo Chen a bit curious.

"Shopkeeper, you also collect elixirs?"

"The Spirit Medicine Pavilion next door and my Hundred Herbs Hall both come from the Medicine King Sect; so, little friend, do you understand now!"

Luo Chen's eyes lit up, and he realized something.

If he could put his elixirs in the Spirit Medicine Pavilion for sale, it would be like a small workshop's white liquor getting a prime-time ad slot on CCTV on Earth.

Spirit stones would be rolling in!

Not to mention anything else, the most basic Qi-Nurturing Pills for the Qi Refining stage were sold directly for one hundred spirit stones per bottle at the Spirit Medicine Pavilion.

*Heh*, and no haggling; take it or leave it.

Once you leave this door, there's nowhere else to sell them!

Unexpectedly, this Shopkeeper Liu actually had the means to send elixirs to the Spirit Medicine Pavilion.

But for now, this kind of thing had nothing to do with him.

Even if the market demand for Myriad Wonders Pills was huge, his proficiency and output hadn't been raised yet, so he wasn't qualified to cooperate with the Spirit Medicine Pavilion.

The two chatted a few more sentences, and Shopkeeper Liu promised to guarantee the supply of dried scallops and fire-dog whips.

According to him, the fire-dog whips came from a cultivation family under the Medicine King Sect, and the annual output was very stable and reliable.

Facing the strange gaze of Miss Xiao Ling, Luo Chen put the medicinal herbs into the storage bag and bid farewell.

After he left, Shopkeeper Liu clicked his tongue in wonder.

"The forest is big, there really are all kinds of birds. Now low-grade loose cultivators dare to touch alchemy."

"Pah!"

Miss Xiao Ling spat, her face slightly red as she said: "I'm afraid what he's refining isn't any good elixir either!"

Are Myriad Wonders Pills good elixirs?

That depends on the person.

For cultivators who aspire to the Great Dao but also want to enjoy the pleasures of human relationships, it is a gospel for men!

For those who have no intention of the Great Dao and are addicted to pleasure, it is a sharp weapon at the waist!

Perhaps the only ones who are a bit sorry are the spiritual beasts, the Fire Dogs.

Every time someone uses Myriad Wonders Pills to go to the clouds and rain, there must be a Fire Dog somewhere unknown letting out a heart-rending howl.

It truly lives up to the saying: I didn't kill Bo Ren, but Bo Ren died because of me.

On the way back, Luo Chen was very happy.

Having been to the market so many times, this was the most relaxed one.

No longer having to carry a snake-skin bag and walk through streets and alleys.

A storage bag is truly a good thing, worthy of being called the greatest invention in the cultivation world.

The minimum selling price of ten thousand is completely worthy of its noble status.

He didn't know which sect produced this thing; he was afraid they were curled up in bed every day, counting spirit stones until they went crazy!

Because it was the afternoon and broad daylight, the outer city area still looked quite safe.

Although there were always some mottled bloodstains on the road, Luo Chen was already used to it.

Unfolding the proficient-level Carefree Travel, he passed through the bustling market like the wind, eager to return home.

This purchase cost more than two hundred spirit stones, leaving only forty spirit stones for emergencies.

Raw materials for Myriad Wonders Pills, raw materials for Grain-Bigu Powder, and daily necessities.

It really felt like going out once a month in his previous life to shop at a big supermarket.

After arriving home and arranging everything by category, Luo Chen began today's cultivation.

Besides the Fireball Art, he also picked up the Entanglement Art spell.

It was a basic spell that came with the Evergreen Technique, and with proficiency at 176/200, it was fast approaching the proficient level.

Although this spell had a generally low evaluation.

But it was a wood-attribute spell, perfectly adapted to the Evergreen Technique, and its power was entirely determined by the amount of spiritual power consumed.

If he raised the proficiency of the Entanglement Art, Luo Chen could also have another means to deal with enemies.

And who said the Entanglement Art couldn't kill people? (A certain God King secretly gave a like!)

Night.

After washing up, Luo Chen sat cross-legged on the bed, five hearts facing the sky, running the technique to recover spiritual power.

The perfect-level Evergreen Technique is just good; it consumes little time, has high efficiency, and is vaguely more compatible with his body, like a technique tailored for him.

Even without the aid of Qi-Nurturing Pills, Luo Chen could feel a cultivation speed completely different from the past.

Finishing the practice, he lay down to prepare for sleep.

Suddenly, Luo Chen, who had just closed his eyes, opened them, staring straight outside the door. ===== CHAPTER 22 =====