Chapter 41: Getting Rich

Markets are fine, but living there long-term is no easy feat.

Even Xishan Market, which is like a suburban-urban fringe, is a hundred or a thousand times livelier than Chen Ci's Sanyin Temple in Changping County.

In reality, the scale and scope of Xishan Market are also much larger than Fuyun Market; after all, besides gambling dens and brothels, service industry workers also need more housing, including the handymen and rogue cultivators who make a living here—they couldn't possibly stay in inns every day like outsiders.

This time, Chen Ci is strolling through Xishan Market as a consumer, and the feeling is quite different.

As for having no money, actually, "free-loading" is also a kind of joy.

"Spirit Iron, Spirit Iron with perfect heat, one Spirit Pearl per catty, buy three catties and get half a catty free."

"Hey, hey, this young hero, one look and I can tell you are a natural sword seed; the path of the sword is as incomplete without you as a long night, buy a few catties."

"What kind of meat is this?"

"The three treasures of the Black Water Crocodile Dragon: dragon kidney, dragon spear, and dragon basket, not a single one missing; it's a great tonic for the body, one Spirit Pearl takes it all. Hey, this Daoist, I'll sell it cheap, you should at least haggle!"

"Female ghost, selling female ghosts, female ghosts that can shapeshift~"

"If you have needs, a female ghost will do; if not, just cough—those who understand, come over, only two Spirit Pearls to take one home!"

???

This can be sold too?

Chen Ci was greatly shocked; even though he had already walked four or five meters away, he couldn't help but come back to see what was going on.

A ghost, female.

Green face and fangs, broad shoulders and a thick waist—even ghosts would be scared looking at it.

Chen Ci squeezed in to get a look, then covered his eyes and fled; it was too terrifying.

Inedia Pill?

In front of a stall, Chen Ci stopped and looked it over with some curiosity: "How do you sell these Inedia Pills?"

"Ordinary Inedia Pills are five for one tael of gold, buy ten and get two free. Superior Inedia Pills are one for three taels of gold, buy ten and also get two free."

The stall owner was a round-faced, wealthy-looking middle-aged Daoist; he actually had a bit of an alchemist's temperament, or at least his attire suggested he was someone who wasn't short on money.

The so-called Superior Inedia Pill is refined from high-quality mundane rice like Pearl Rice that carries a faint trace of spiritual energy; taking it long-term makes one's mouth fragrant. Setting aside the success rate, the material cost for one pill alone is one tael of gold, so this price is very cheap.

At least in Fuyun Market, a bottle of twenty Superior Inedia Pills sells for one Spirit Pearl, and they aren't sold individually.

"Can I take a look?"

Chen Ci was a bit suspicious; this competition is too fierce, right? If the owner can still make a profit, then the extraction of the essence of the five grains using the Qi absorption spell must have at least a twenty percent yield, which means a fifty percent success rate.

"Feel free to look, but you can't taste it; you can smell it a little."

The middle-aged Daoist smiled indifferently and handed over a Superior Inedia Pill.

Chen Ci placed it in his palm, looked at it for a few moments, and then activated his Observation Qi Method; sure enough, it had the scent of Pearl Rice—it was undoubtedly a Superior Inedia Pill.

Should he buy some to taste?

Chen Ci felt a bit moved; he hadn't tasted a Superior Inedia Pill yet. With his current cultivation level in the Small Heavens Qi Absorption Pill Method, the cost alone to refine one Superior Inedia Pill would be as high as ten taels of gold; he simply couldn't afford to eat them.

"Boss, give me ten."

"Scoundrel!"

Suddenly, a shout startled both Chen Ci and the stall owner. A female cultivator strode over from the other side, her face frosty: "Refund my money, your Superior Inedia Pills are all fakes!"

The stall owner was clearly panicked for a moment, but he quickly calmed down and retorted loudly: "This Daoist, don't talk nonsense. In Xishan Market, once bought, it's final; the money and goods are settled. You exchanged for my pills and now you come back to find me—how shameless!"

"You!"

The female cultivator was furious. Seeing Chen Ci, she said directly: "These Superior Inedia Pills are fake. Except for the first one, which is genuine, the rest are just ordinary Inedia Pills mixed with Pearl Rice flour. If you aren't careful, you'll be cheated."

Chen Ci was stunned; can Inedia Pills be sold like this?

"You shrew, how dare you ruin this Daoist's reputation! It's only because we are in Xishan Market."

The stall owner jumped up, but he didn't dare to make a move directly, cursing viciously: "Do you dare to go and gamble with swords against this Daoist? Let's go and have a duel!"

"Let's go then, who's afraid of whom!"

The female cultivator was likely cheated badly; her chest heaved, and with a 'clang', she revealed half a blade, which emitted a frost-like sword glow.

That's quite dashing.

Chen Ci retreated several steps, blending into the crowd, enjoying the drama with great interest.

Fight, fight!

But unexpectedly, the stall owner, who had just been so aggressive, suddenly wilted. He reached out and packed up his stall, muttering something about 'a good man doesn't fight with women', 'just trying to extort money', and 'can't stand others eating Superior Inedia Pills'. He hunched his waist and disappeared into the flow of people.

Chen Ci felt quite regretful; the drama wasn't satisfying enough—the excitement had peaked but hadn't come down.

However, looking at it this way, Xishan Market is indeed quite safe; at least everyone relies on their own skills to make money.

Once the thought settled, Chen Ci opened his palm and, whistling, tucked the Superior Inedia Pill into his robe. Going out to watch drama and picking up money—truly happy.

More importantly, he seemed to have seen a path to getting rich.

It's just that he needs to wait until his True Qi and Small Heavens Qi Absorption Pill Method cultivation are a bit higher.

That night.

Chen Ci extended his stay at the inn for another day, practicing Qi absorption and tempering his state of mind amidst the continuous 'creak-creak' sounds from the surroundings.

Listening to the sounds to distinguish the films, thin codes or no codes.

"Heaven have mercy, this is the first time I've eaten a proper pill to increase my cultivation."

Chen Ci was almost moved to tears; he was touched to tears by the medicinal effect of this Superior Inedia Pill.

Sanyin Qi Absorption Method: 32/100 (Taking this pill, five pills a day, one can advance one level in two years.)

In this world, who exactly are the people popping pills to cultivate? What kind of people can even afford to take pills, huh?

However, even a Superior Inedia Pill is ultimately refined from mundane rice; being able to carry a bit of spiritual energy to assist in cultivation is already considered not bad.

People who can eat Superior Inedia Pills like meals probably don't have to worry about cultivation resources.

Heh.

"Moreover, today's events served as a reminder: for any Spirit Pill whose authenticity I cannot judge, I will never pay for it or consume it unless it comes from a reputable merchant."

Chen Ci did not really understand how some seniors dared to eat whatever they found while looting corpses; were they not afraid that some sly fox would hide a fake, poisonous pill on their body?

Once my cultivation in alchemy is deeper in the future, I will definitely prepare a highly toxic pill disguised as a Spirit Pill to keep on me—even if one day I die—bah, bah, bah, I will never die, anyway, I will just carry one, and the kind that is hidden very securely.

However, counting today, it has been five days since I left Sanyin Temple.

It counts as a short vacation, wandering around Xishan Market and relaxing the nerves that had been stretched tight from burying my head in hard cultivation; blindly focusing only on cultivation is indeed not advisable.

But if the vacation lasts too long, I actually feel like going back and continuing to grind away at my cultivation.

"Sword gambling?"

"Lin Qinhu?"

Thinking of this, an indescribable heat rose in Chen Ci's heart; of course, he would not enter the arena himself, but he would be somewhat unwilling if he did not go and see exactly what kind of situation this was.

"When I have some free time tomorrow, I'll go take a look at the gambling... cough, I'll go inquire about what this sword gambling is all about. Anyway, I only have five Spirit Pearls on me; I can neither get rich nor go broke."

"No, no, I'll set a bottom line: three Spirit Pearls."

"Three is too high, let's make it one."

"Freeloading, freeloading, freeloading makes me happy!"

Thinking and thinking, Chen Ci's mood gradually calmed, and amidst the 'creak, creak' sounds, he drifted into a dreamland without realizing it.

(End of this chapter)