Chapter 70: Breaking the Aperture

"You're awake."

Chen Ci scrutinized the Daoist child, whose status was somewhat awkward, and said indifferently: "I didn't expect that even after Daoist Ge passed away, he could still implicate you; truly, the ways of the world are fickle. Don't move, if the wound bursts, no one will treat you again."

Hearing this, Liu Heming stopped the motion of rising and, with one hand, managed a strained salute: "Many thanks to the benefactor True Person for the grace of saving my life!"

"Don't thank me yet. Outside, it is said that you obtained the legacy of Daoist Ge; is that true or false?"

A hint of curiosity appeared in Chen Ci's eyes, but the expression on his face seemed playful.

Liu Heming stiffened, his already pale complexion turning three shades whiter, and he replied with a bitter smile: "Reporting to the True Person, this lowly one only obtained a Breathing Technique from Ge Shi and a reward of several dozen taels of silver. Even being a Registered Disciple was merely a verbal promise; how could I possibly obtain Ge Shi's legacy? However..."

He paused, glanced quietly at Chen Ci, and replied cautiously: "There are several wealthy families in the county who owed Ge Shi some silver. Although I have no debt contracts in hand, I know the reason for it. If the True Person does not mind..."

"No need."

Chen Ci shook his head slightly and tossed three Health-Preserving Pills onto the bed: "One a day; in three days, you should be able to get out of bed. I felt an instant rapport with True Person Ge, so this time I shall forgive your crime of trespassing. Remember, there will not be a next time."

After speaking, Chen Ci stared at the child for a few moments, and only when the child's expression became unnatural did he turn and leave coldly.

This kid... is a bit interesting.

Seeking life in the midst of death, calm in the face of danger.

Knowing where the path to survival lay while wounded and dying, and knowing how to display his value the moment he woke up.

Most importantly, this kid calls him Ge Shi in every breath, yet addresses him as True Person; clearly, he has not given up on joining the Nine Springs Temple. That is fine, too, as it saves Chen Ci from wasting his breath trying to lure him onto the path.

Once one has seen the immortal fate, especially someone born as a beggar like him, he truly won't give up so easily.

Very good!

If this temperament is groomed a bit, his plans will have grown by a few more points.

"Sigh, Heaven is truly unfair."

Chen Ci looked at the Health-Preserving Pill he had painstakingly concocted in his hand, feeling somewhat indignant.

Although he was a natural cultivation seed who could avoid thirty years of detours compared to mortals, in the cultivation world, he was still an ordinary person with mediocre talent.

What did he have?

Aside from diligence and hard work, and a negligible Gold Finger cheat, he had absolutely nothing.

Yet those cultivation geniuses were born winning at the starting line.

Their starting point was perhaps the finish line for many others.

"I work hard every day, studying alchemy, and in the end, one pill only sells for three taels of gold, and I don't even know if I can get that price."

Fiercely putting this Health-Preserving Pill into a bottle, Chen Ci looked bitter: "This bottle of twelve pills, all told, is only worth thirty taels of gold, not even worth half a Spirit Pearl."

Chen Ci shook his head, placed the porcelain bottle on the shelf in the alchemy room, and looked at the nine identical bottles beside it, sighing with emotion.

It took a whole day to refine one bottle of Health-Preserving Pills; this efficiency was too low.

Chen Ci silently withdrew his gaze and calculated on his fingers: if he diligently refined pills every day, the extra monthly income would be... ten thousand! Ahem, less than ten thousand taels.

A mere eight or nine catties of Five Elements Divine Sand.

Even adding the cost of Frost Sugar, it would take more than two months of bitter cultivation to open one aperture.

Wait, how long?

Chen Ci was silent for a moment, then walked out of the alchemy room with his hands behind his back, humming twice: "Geniuses who reap without sowing and sit back to enjoy the fruits? I despise them!"

This immortal cultivation requires self-reliance!

"Bang, bang, bang~"

"Master, Shi Sanniang has arrived."

Chen Ci replied: "Mm, I'll be there immediately."

But as soon as the words left his mouth, Chen Ci suddenly realized something was wrong. This was troublesome; he had used the grain essence to make Health-Preserving Pills these past few days, and now the accumulated Bigu Pills were only sixty-odd, which was a bit of a problem.

"Ask for credit?"

Chen Ci shook his head; he, Master Chen, could not afford to lose face like that, and once this precedent was set, who knew if others would work half-heartedly in the future.

After thinking for a while, Chen Ci turned and took a bottle of Health-Preserving Pills, clutching it in his sleeve, before heading outside.

"What a fierce tiger!"

Chen Ci couldn't help but praise. Fortunately, his luck wasn't bad; among the wild game delivered this time, there happened to be what he needed. The Breaking Aperture Pill he had worked so hard to trade for should also be put on the schedule.

"Sanniang, come here for a moment."

Chen Ci rubbed his nose and then smiled: "I've recently refined some new Bigu Pills; come and take a look."

After speaking, he handed over a bottle of Health-Preserving Pills.

Shi Sanniang leaned in eagerly. Whether it was due to taking the Bigu Pills, the mountain woman cultivator's skin had not only become a bit more delicate, but her Essence Qi Spirit had also improved. It seemed that long-term consumption of grain essence indeed had some benefits.

Should he try some himself?

Better not.

For one, Chen Ci was still young and had no need to nourish his physical body with Bigu Pills.

Secondly, although the Bigu Pills Chen Ci concocted didn't taste bad, eating too many made it hard to satisfy his appetite, so aside from emergencies when going out, he preferred to eat mundane food and get a taste of the mortal world.

"Eh, these Bigu Pills are a bit different; they are pink with a hint of red, looking quite festive."

Shi Sanniang happily put away the new pills and then asked: "Master Chen, what about the rest of the pills?"

"Mm, this new type of Bigu Pill, I call it the Health-Preserving Pill; one pill is worth twenty ordinary Bigu Pills."

Chen Ci looked serious: "Look, this bottle of twelve pills is worth two hundred ordinary Bigu Pills... sigh, sigh, Sanniang, stay calm, don't crowd me, Master is dizzy from the milk..."

After much persuasion, Chen Ci gave her another sixty Bigu Pills and made an agreement with her: "Sanniang, take these Health-Preserving Pills back and try them. If you feel they aren't worth it, the difference in this month's Bigu Pills will be made up to you next month. If you feel they are acceptable, you can choose whatever pills you need in the future, how about that?"

Thus, the transaction was concluded, and Shi Sanniang hummed and hawed, returning to the mountains with slight dissatisfaction.

Chen Ci watched her swaying waist and sighed, wondering if what he was doing was right or wrong.

Anyway, those cheap Daoist friends in the mountains might be in for a rough time.

He glanced at the mountain goods and wild game this time; as summer approached, the wild game in the mountains was naturally much more abundant. With the supply of materials, the mountain people under Shi Sanniang's command were specializing in hunting and were becoming increasingly proficient.

However, Chen Ci's current demand for Essence Refining has decreased, and he feels quite calm and composed; gathering one or two hundred drops a month to send to the Fuhu Altar is enough.

Although the Five Ghosts Possession Great Method concerns the practice of the Superior Grade Qi Refining Method, Chen Ci's cultivation is still low, and he has not yet begun practicing the prerequisite spell, the Five Ghosts Transporting Great Method, so there is no need to be too anxious; at the very least, he does not need to obtain this spell within the next few years.

He can just happen to shift the energy spent on Refining Essence toward studying the Five Yin Evil Qi Bag and researching alchemy.

"Cultivation is the foundation; everything else is just a defensive technique. While important, one must not put the cart before the horse."

Chen Ci apologetically dragged the golden-layered fierce tiger out, pinned it to the ground, and gave it a sound beating, causing it to roar repeatedly, wanting to fight to the death but finding no way to do so.

"Sorry, I don't want to do this either, but to obtain heart blood containing Tiger Sha, I can only wrong you."

Chen Ci dragged the fierce tiger, which was full of evil energy and despair, toward the backyard.

Tiger Sha Breaking Aperture Pill.

It is time to experience what it feels like to cultivate immortality by popping pills.

Sorry, *Gou Zai Yao Wu* finished, I followed the book for a while, went to fiercely fleece the luck of the literary copycat master, and was delayed for a bit.

There is one more update, but it will likely be a bit late, love you guys.

(End of this chapter)