Chapter 14: Nine-Pattern Water Pattern Pill

"Zhiyu, see Qin Dao Ming off." Lin Luyao said that and then went back inside.

"Qin Dao Ming's expression." Lin Zhiyu said to Qin Dao Ming.

Qin Dao Ming knew that if he didn't leave, he would seem too shameless, so he set his face and walked toward the door.

"Investigate, investigate—just who was that kid just now? I, Qin Dao Ming, absolutely will not allow any other man near Lin Luyao." As soon as he went out the door, Qin Dao Ming angrily said to his subordinate.

"Yes, young master." Subordinate Jia Ming bowed his head and retreated.

Speaking of which, after Ling Feng left Lin Luyao's place, he wandered aimlessly down the street.

"Ah, in this world, without spirit crystals you can't really survive. I need to find a way to make some money to spend."

Ling Feng bitterly thought of ways to make money on the road, and all he could come up with was selling pills for money.

But the imperial capital's auction house is too strict; selling one or two pills is fine, but if you sell too many, the auction house will strictly investigate where your pills came from, and the auction house won't sell items of unknown origin. The only option is to go to the imperial capital's Alchemist Guild and obtain an alchemist certification.

Moreover, high-grade pills, even if sold through the auction house, will still be strictly investigated; after all, one's pills are just freshly made, and they can be easily distinguished from those that have been stored for a long time—high-year pills inevitably lose most of their potency.

However, Ling Feng also didn't want to attract too much attention; he wanted to inquire whether any important figures recently needed high-grade pills urgently, so he could sell them for a good price quickly, without going through the auction house.

So Ling Feng turned back; asking Lin Luyao about this was most appropriate.

"Young Master Ling, why are you back again? What's the matter?" Lin Zhiyu saw Ling Feng at the door and, unable to help herself, asked, startled.

"Miss Lin, sorry to bother you again, I want to ask Miss Lin Luyao about something."

Lin Luyao came upon hearing the voice; she had some affection for Ling Feng.

"What does the young master want to inquire about?"

"Miss Lin, I want to ask if there are any important figures who urgently need high-grade pills."

Miss Lin was stunned upon hearing that. "Young Master, aren't you an advanced alchemist?"

Ling Feng smiled and said, "Miss Lin, I merely have a little understanding; I want to exchange pills for some money."

Seeing that Ling Feng was unwilling to admit it, Lin Luyao didn't press further.

"I know that the ancestor of the Great Yun Empire has been plagued by a hidden ailment from his youth for many years. The current emperor has sought Water Pattern Pills for many years to treat the ancestor's hidden ailment, but Water Pattern Pills are too rare, and the search has been fruitless for many years."

Upon hearing this, Ling Feng's eyes lit up—this is the ancestor of the Great Yun Empire, who controls the wealth of an entire nation.

"Thank you for the information, Miss; I take my leave." After obtaining the answer he wanted, Ling Feng got up and left.

"Miss, Water Pattern Pill is a top-grade fifth-tier pill; even sixth-tier alchemists aren't confident they can refine it—why does Young Master Ling appear so full of confidence?" Lin Zhiyu asked doubtfully.

"Zhiyu, Young Master Ling is certainly not what you see now; if he truly could refine Water Pattern Pills, why would the Great Yun Empire have no news of him?"

"Why, Miss?" Zhiyu's face full of doubt.

"Either Young Master Ling is just putting on an act, or he really has the ability to refine Water Pattern Pills; let's wait for news."

Speaking of which, after leaving Lin Luyao's courtyard, Ling Feng bought the ingredients for refining Water Pattern Pills from the Treasure Pavilion, then found a secluded spot and plunged himself into the little tower.

He obtained the Water Pattern Pill scroll from the little tower and began studying it day and night.

Time quickly passed; less than ten days remained until the day of the sparring among the three great empires.

Ling Feng finally emerged from the little tower, his hair disheveled, his beard grown wild, and in his hand he held a nine-pattern Water Pattern Pill.

"Hahaha, I finally managed to refine it—I never expected it to be this hard." Ling Feng laughed happily; he had forgotten the time while refining pills inside.

He put away the pill, planning to go into the city to eat first; these past few days he had survived in the little tower by relying on Grain-Fasting Pills.

As Ling Feng walked through the city, the people around him gave him strange looks.

"Could it be that I've become handsome again lately?" Ling Feng grinned, then swaggered toward a restaurant.

"Waiter, bring me ten jin of beef and two jin of good wine."

"Coming, sir." The waiter hurriedly agreed upon hearing the voice; such a big customer means her commission this month is high.

And it wasn't just the waiter who heard that voice; Lin Luyao in the upstairs private room also heard it.

"Young Master Ling, why not come and eat with me?" Lin Luyao greeted Ling Feng.

This greeting is no big deal; the important thing is who Lin Luyao is—one of the three great geniuses of the three great empires, and moreover the number one beauty of the Southern Region.

"Who is this kid, how could he earn the favor of Fairy Lin?"

"Exactly, you can tell at a glance that this kid hasn't bathed in half a year—he's a mess."

"If Qin Dao Ming knew that Fairy Lin had invited a man to share a meal, wouldn't he be furious to death?"

The cultivators below chattered away in discussion.

Upon hearing this, Ling Feng looked up and saw Lin Luyao beckoning to him.

"Miss Lin, thank you for your kindness; I'll just eat here."

Ling Feng knew Lin Luyao's charm; he didn't want to invite a heap of trouble because of her, so he decisively refused.

"Who does he think he is, actually refusing Fairy Lin's invitation?"

"Exactly, and he doesn't even look at what kind of toad he is."

"If I were invited by Fairy Lin, I would go to eat with her even if I had to die."

"Pah, stop dreaming."

And Lin Luyao was also somewhat surprised—this was the first time she had taken the initiative to invite a man, and she hadn't expected to be refused; she wasn't angry, and simply went downstairs and sat at a table with Ling Feng.

Ling Feng felt somewhat helpless, but he couldn't just drive her away, so he had to eat meat and drink alcohol in big gulps himself.

"Young Master Ling, it's been a while—have you been digging coal?" Lin Luyao said with a smile to Ling Feng.

Ling Feng blinked. "Miss, what do you mean by that?"

Lin Luyao took out a bronze mirror and handed it to Ling Feng.

Ling Feng suspiciously took it and glanced at the mirror.

"Damn, I forgot the time—I've actually been here this long." Ling Feng was startled by his reflection in the mirror, saw Lin Luyao lightly laughing, and hurriedly asked the waiter for a guest room, tidied himself up, and walked out.

"Sorry, I've made Miss Lin laugh."

Ling Feng hurriedly finished his meal and then rushed away.

"Today I've really lost face, alas this handsome, good-looking face of mine" Ling Feng sighed while walking on the road to the Imperial Palace.

I'm telling you, you brat, you're the most shameless person I've ever seen.

Xiao Ta couldn't help but complain.

Ling Feng asked, "How come, am I not handsome?"

Xiao Ta was somewhat speechless, but couldn't refute anything; Ling Feng dressed in white robes, with his delicate features, indeed looked like a handsome young man.