Chapter 33: Settling the Terms

Unfortunately, Chen Ci is not a casual person.

*Cough. *

Pushing away this wolf-like and tiger-like female cultivator, Chen Ci thought for a moment, then reached into his sleeve and pulled out a Bigu Pill, handing it over: "Sanniang, the Bigu Pill I spoke of is this kind."

Ever since he mastered the Medicine-Absorbing Dharma Spell, Chen Ci would carry a small amount of Bigu Pills as rations whenever he went out.

Immortal cultivation is not a fairy tale; setting aside grand narratives, simply going on a long journey, eating, drinking, and relieving oneself are problems that Qi Refining cultivators must realistically face, and having this thing really makes things much more convenient.

Shi Sanniang took the Bigu Pill, unscrewed it to take a sniff, even stuck out her fragrant tongue to lick it, and finally tossed it into her mouth, carrying a hint of regret: "The most ordinary Bigu Pill. But this will do. Great Master Chen, you can refine Bigu Pills?"

Wait, was he just scammed out of a Bigu Pill?

"I know a little."

Chen Ci withdrew his regret and added another sentence: "However, the yield is not very high; after all, it is still too difficult for cultivators like us to practice alchemy."

This was not Chen Ci trying to inflate his own value.

Besides resources and techniques, True Qi cultivation is also a constraint. Chen Ci had tried it; once the True Qi reserves in his body dropped below ten apertures, there would be a very obvious feeling of exhaustion—the kind of feeling of an "eighteen-times-a-night man."

Those who know, know.

When a cultivator's True Qi is exhausted, it doesn't mean there isn't a single drop left, but rather that they are no longer full of vigor.

With Chen Ci's cultivation, even if he spent the entire day producing Bigu Pills, he could only make about twenty or so.

"Indeed, the Dao of alchemy is difficult; no matter how much one invests, it is possible to gain nothing at all."

Shi Sanniang also sighed with emotion: "This concubine also practiced the Qi-Absorbing Dharma Spell for a long time, but apart from the occasional flash of Spirit Light that could produce a pill, I gained almost nothing."

Then you are quite bad at it, huh.

Chen Ci resisted the urge to change his expression and nodded reservedly in agreement: "Mm~"

"Master Chen, why don't you just take me as a concubine? I can serve tea and water, warm the bed, and wait on you. Two hundred Bigu Pills a month will suffice; I am very easy to keep."

Shi Sanniang's eyes shifted, and she began to promote herself again.

"Cough, Sanniang, saying such things hurts our relationship. Let's continue talking business."

Chen Ci coughed lightly and changed the subject: "For deer and sheep, sixty wen per catty; for tiger and leopard, one hundred wen per catty; one Bigu Pill is priced at two taels of silver, for trade only, not for sale. Does Sanniang think this is acceptable?"

"I only want large, live animals. Do not try to fool me with prey like wild rabbits or mountain pheasants. Deliver them to Sanyin Temple at the beginning of every month; goods in one hand, pills in the other."

Shi Sanniang pondered for a moment, but she did not bargain and nodded: "Agreed."

After all, the price Chen Ci offered was already very generous, more than twice the market price for game.

In this day and age, wild game is not as valuable as one might imagine. Except for some pure-colored exotic beasts, such as white tigers, white deer, or white foxes, which can fetch a good price, ordinary game is neither tasty nor is its fur of much value; it doesn't even sell for as much as pork.

Pork fat can at least be rendered into a few taels of oil.

However, since Chen Ci wants live animals, a higher price is to be expected.

In this way, Shi Sanniang will also be attentive, and with a cultivator working personally, the efficiency will naturally increase significantly.

"Great Master Chen, do you still have any Bigu Pills on you? Give me some more."

Seeing that the matter was settled, Shi Sanniang leaned against Chen Ci's arm and swayed, looking just like a beauty in a nightclub booth: "Master, give me some more."

Chen Ci gave a dumbfounded smile. With the matter settled, he was in a good mood. Seeing he had eight left in stock, he simply kept two as rations for the return trip and gave the rest away: "Sanniang, look at your greed. These Bigu Pills are not some rare item; can't you just buy them when you go to Xishan Prefecture?"

"Great Master Chen, you say it so easily. I am not a disciple of a major sect like you."

Shi Sanniang took the six Bigu Pills and tucked them into her bosom with delight: "Not to mention the expenses of several hundred taels a month, Yunshi Shan is nearly a thousand miles away from Xishan Prefecture. I dare not travel back and forth casually. If I were to accidentally run into someone heartless, I fear I would be swallowed skin and bone."

"Although this mountain is a bit lacking, everyone is familiar with each other as distant relatives and close neighbors. If I encounter any trouble, I can just humble myself, and I will always be safe, and even find some pleasure."

Chen Ci understood. He had been blinded by the illusion of his two uneventful trips to Xishan Prefecture. In this world, traveling far is like the "Little Horse Crossing the River"—just because he, Great Master Chen, can go to Xishan Prefecture, it does not mean a beautiful woman like Shi Sanniang can.

"This Bigu Pill has no benefit to cultivation anyway, you female cultivators are really..."

Chen Ci chatted for a couple of sentences, but it earned him an eye-roll.

"It is of no benefit to cultivation, but long-term consumption of this Bigu Pill can lead to extreme longevity."

Shi Sanniang hummed: "With my cultivation, I don't know how long I can live. If I could take Bigu Pills every day, perhaps I could approach the extreme longevity of one hundred and twenty years."

Huh, Bigu Pills have such a claim?

"And long-term consumption makes the skin better, too. The accumulated filth of the five grains will eventually harm the body."

Chen Ci nodded; that makes sense.

"After eating for a few days, one can even add another item to their bedroom secret arts; it is also excellent."

Chen Ci's body swayed, and he almost failed to sit steady.

I don't understand, cough, I don't understand at all.

Shi Sanniang glanced at Chen Ci, chuckled a few times, and showed a slight look of mockery.

So, men really need to protect themselves when they are out.

Since the matter was settled, Chen Ci stood up to return to Changping County. Shi Sanniang saw him to the gate of the stronghold and did not forget to say a word: "This concubine needs about one hundred Bigu Pills every month. Great Master Chen, you must be prepared; don't try to renege on my account when the time comes."

Chen Ci made a "no problem" gesture and set off toward Changping County. The mountain road was difficult to travel, and he did not want to walk at night again; he had already wasted quite a bit of time coming out today.

"This is probably what they call seeing the end at a single glance."

Chen Ci climbed over a mountain ridge, thoughtful: "Longevity is hard to seek. Whether Shi Sanniang cultivates bitterly every day or indulges in timely pleasure, there is no essential difference. Even if one spends a lifetime of energy pushing their cultivation from ten apertures to thirty, what of it?"

"But if, and I mean if, I only attain a Lower Grade Dao Foundation in the future, with no hope for a Golden Core in sight, would I also become as debauched and hedonistic as them, singing and dancing every night?"

Chen Ci subconsciously looked back toward the direction of Yunshi Shan, inexplicably understanding what it meant for the path of the Dao to be severed.

"The more insignificant we are, the less we can afford to take a single wrong step on the road to longevity. I will go back tonight and practice alchemy for an extra hour. Although ordinary Bigu Pills are not worth much, they count as a bit of income over time."

It's just a rat race, right? Come on, who's afraid of whom!

By the time he returned to his own Sanyin Temple, the sky was already dark. Chen Ci drank two sips of health tea to rest, then ordered his Apprentice to prepare a thousand catties of refined rice to be sent to the side courtyard for storage.

Medicine-Absorbing Dharma Spell: Entry/6/100

As for the level, it is about one-tenth, meaning it takes one hundred catties of refined rice to make one Bigu Pill.

"Using the Medicine-Absorbing Dharma Spell a hundred times consumes quite a bit of True Qi. I'll see how I feel each day, with five Bigu Pills as a baseline and ten as the upper limit."

"Five Bigu Pills are worth about one tael of gold; after deducting the cost of goods to be paid to Shi Sanniang, the monthly surplus is only twenty or thirty taels of gold, and one still has to go to Xishan Prefecture to sell the goods."

Chen Ci blinked, and these Bigu Pills suddenly didn't seem so appealing anymore.

"Practice it, then; in a year, I can earn two or three catties of Five Elements Divine Sand, and I can also cultivate the Small Heavens Qi Absorption Pill Method. After a while, I'll ask the Huang Family if they accept Bigu Pills; a business worth twenty-some taels of gold is a bit embarrassing to discuss."

Chen Ci closed his eyes, and under the influence of the medicine-absorbing incantation, his Three Yin True Qi began to pulse back and forth in his palms, extracting the essence of the grains.

(End of this chapter)