Zhong Guanlin slowly exhaled a breath and took his time to gather his thoughts.
He hadn’t expected Zhong Cai to be able to open the soul artifact hideaway by himself and summon the pill furnace.
Most alchemists’ companion artifacts aren’t cauldrons; they are either non-aggressive or only tangentially related to alchemy. They become alchemists for reasons like family background, personal interest in alchemy, or a lack of better options. Those who can summon cauldrons are rare; their alchemy talent usually surpasses that of ordinary alchemists. If nothing goes wrong, they’ll eventually be able to refine pills successfully.
Zhong Guanlin was somewhat regretful.
Xiao Liu’er’s inheritance is up to the fourth level, making him quite impressive among fellow practitioners. Yet, he has married the alchemist off to protect a few family industries, a decision he now regrets deeply.
There is no turning back now.
Of course, there is also good news. There are quite a few pill recipes in the inheritance. Zhong Guanlin thought to himself, the inheritance is private, Xiao Liu’er is married off, and there is also Wu Shaoqian’s dead guard around, so it is naturally impossible for him to be told the details, but the fact that he is willing to tell him the number is giving him face. Besides, the life-prolonging pill alone is enough for him to maintain a good relationship with Xiao Liu’er. Moreover, Xiao Liu’er hasn’t been married into the Wu family for long, yet he has already brought him a very rare third-grade pill. He is both filial and capable; he needs to be more loving towards his son.
Zhong Guanlin carefully put away the Hu Bao Tai Xi Dan and smiled at Zhong Cai.
“Xiao Liu’er, since you have received such a good inheritance, you must work hard on your cultivation in the future,” his tone was gentle, “Have you been attempting to refine the Buqi Dan recently? There’s nothing I can do to help, but I can prepare some medicinal herbs for you to practice with.”
Don’t miss out on a good opportunity, Zhong Cai happily agreed and immediately said, “Dad, rest assured, I’ll be able to refine pills before long. I’ve already overcome most of the difficulties in refining the Buqi Dan! With the medicinal herbs you give me, I’ll benefit from your luck and give you a few pills when I succeed!”
Zhong Guanlin smiled and said, “Father looks forward to it.”
He then instructed his guards to procure twenty thousand units of herbs for the Buqi Dan. This formula was well-known, and people collected these herbs all year round, so it wasn’t difficult to prepare.
Zhong Guanlin invited Zhong Cai to stay for lunch. Zhong Cai happily ingratiated himself with his “father” and, after enjoying a good meal, packed up a large quantity of medicinal herbs. With the protection of Xiang Lin, he left the Zhong residence.
As Zhong Guanlin watched Zhong Cai leave, his gaze swept over the blue mustard bag at his waist, and his smile deepened.
This was something he hadn’t seen before.
Meanwhile, after Zhong Cai stepped out of the gate, he turned a corner.
“Xiang Lin, let’s make a trip to Ningsi Street.”
“Yes.”
In Kunyun City, with its many streets, Ningsi Street was one of the more bustling thoroughfares, hosting a variety of shops.
Zhong Cai had come here to buy some ingredients.
Wu Shaoqian wasn’t feeling as bad recently, but his cultivation had fallen by half, and there was an adjustment period for his body. He definitely needed to replenish some nutrients. Although Wu Shaoqian’s furniture and clothes had all been moved in, the ingredients for daily meals were still provided by servants at the beginning of each month. The treatment was naturally different from before, and the ingredients were very ordinary. In Zhong Cai’s opinion, it wasn’t good enough.
Thinking this, Zhong Cai walked into a grocery store on the street.
It was a spacious store, with open stalls on both sides, divided into many different compartments. The left compartments were filled with various kinds of vegetables, while the right ones held exotic fruits, exuding a rich energy.
The walls of the store were lined with hooks, on which hung fresh meat from various savage beasts, classified by different grades, emitting a faint bloody smell.
Zhong Cai walked directly to the section with first-grade savage beast meat and began to carefully select it. Ever since he started refining pills, he had also been learning a secret method to identify energy. Currently, there was no problem with checking the condition of first-grade ingredients.
Not long after, Zhong Cai called the shopkeeper over and said to him, “I need three racks of lean ribs from the Snowflake Savage Boar, fifty catties each of tender and old meat from the Golden-Eyed Savage Bull, three eight-foot-long Lightning Savage Snakes, and eight Jinyun Savage Chickens weighing over twenty catties each.”
Upon hearing this, although all were first-grade savage beasts, the quantities were quite large. The shopkeeper calmly replied, “Thirty silver for each rib of Snowflake Savage Boar ribs, a total of forty-two ribs for three racks; thirty-five silver per catty for tender meat of the Golden-Eyed Savage Bull, thirty-two silver per catty for old meat. Eighty silver for each eight-foot Lightning Savage Snake. One hundred silver each for Jinyun Savage Chickens over twenty catties. Total price is fifty-six gold and fifty silver. The snakes and chickens do not include the beast pill. If the customer needs them, the price will be calculated separately.”
Zhong Cai waved his hand and said, “I don’t need the beast pills.” After speaking, he took out sixty gold coins and handed them to the shopkeeper, saying, “For the remaining three gold coins and fifty silver, I want two gold coins’ worth of Qingjue Grass, Jiu-Ceng Xiang, Lianxin Lotus Root… and the other one and a half gold coins’ worth of sweet Xiangguo fruit. Please weigh them out as you see fit, and just spend it all on these.”
The shopkeeper’s face lit up with a smile as he quickly prepared all the requested ingredients for Zhong Cai, dividing them into two bamboo baskets.
After taking the bamboo baskets, Zhong Cai smiled and said, “Thank you very much, goodbye.”
The shopkeeper politely bid farewell and, after taking the initiative to see him out, called over a clever assistant and instructed, “Quickly remember this customer’s appearance. If he comes again in the future, be more attentive.”
The assistant readily agreed, saying, “Don’t worry, this customer is a big spender.”
—— For a grocery store, Zhong Cai, who could spend several dozen gold in one go, was indeed a big spender. Some wealthy families might spend tens or even hundreds of times more, but they wouldn’t shop in a grocery store. Small businesses like theirs needed to maintain good relations with generous individual customers.
Zhong Cai left the grocery store and, along with Xiang Lin, continued walking forward. As he glanced up, he first saw a pharmacy.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
The medicinal herbs at home are sufficient, but…
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The side room was much narrower, featuring large shelves against the walls, with each compartment holding various bottles, gourds, long- and short-necked jars, and small boxes.
A thin middle-aged man approached and asked, “What do you need, young friend?”
Zhong Cai immediately looked a bit embarrassed and softly inquired, “Excuse me, what are the prices for first-grade elixirs here?”
The thin middle-aged man stroked his short beard, and although he doubted the customer would buy anything, he still answered, “For commonly used elixirs suitable for your level, low-grade ones are generally around one hundred silver, middle-grade ones one hundred and ten, and high-grade ones one hundred and twenty.”
Zhong Cai looked around and then asked, “Do you have any recommendations for the most effective and rare elixirs?”
The thin middle-aged man, reconsidering his initial judgment, thought that this young man might be a wealthy and competitive individual. Noting the serious-looking guard following closely behind, he adopted a more sincere tone and smiled as he introduced, “At your current level, you should be about to refine your skull. Typically, rare herbs are used for skull protection, and only a few elixirs can be used for this purpose, all of which are rare. Our shop has a decent heritage, so we have three types of elixirs suitable for skull protection: Shou An Dan, Gu Xiang Dan, and Hu Shou Dan.”
Zhong Cai thought for a moment—he has all these elixir recipes.
The thin middle-aged man continued, “The rarest among them is the Hu Shou Dan, the hardest to make and the most effective. All three elixirs are expensive and are only available as low-grade pills. Our shop usually gets three to five pieces of Shou An Dan and Gu Xiang Dan each month, priced at five gold each. Hu Shou Dan is even rarer; sometimes we get one or two pieces a month, sometimes none at all. Each piece is eight gold. You’re in luck, our shop just received a few pieces. If you had come a day later, they might have been sold out.”
Zhong Cai nodded secretly, then lowered his voice and asked, “Do you have any middle-grade ones?”
The thin middle-aged man shook his head slightly, “No.”
In truth, there were middle-grade pills, but they were even rarer. Whenever they were produced, they were usually kept within the forces behind the pharmacy. Even if a few pieces were released, they were traded privately and never displayed openly.
Zhong Cai, sensing there might be something fishy, didn’t ask further questions and promptly bought one of each of the three elixirs, quickly paying for them.
After buying the elixirs, Zhong Cai discreetly inquired about other popular elixirs, whether the pharmacy bought elixirs, and how they went about acquiring them. When he saw a few familiar elixirs, he bought one of each as well, so the thin middle-aged man didn’t suspect anything.
Zhong Cai got a general sense of the market, noted the information, and left the pharmacy with the elixirs.
Next, he planned to find a tailor shop. Since he wouldn’t be leaving the house for a while, there was no need to dress impeccably every day. His friend was not concerned with such details, and coincidentally, there was a bundle of good fabric in his mustard seed bag. It was time to find a good tailor to make his friend more comfortable while he recuperated…
As he thought about this, Zhong Cai searched for a tailor shop.
Suddenly, the sky darkened, black clouds rolled in, and there was thunder and lightning, as if a torrential downpour was imminent.
Zhong Cai was startled and instinctively looked back.
At the same moment, Xiang Lin also looked in that direction.
In the direction of the Wu family residence, a beam of purple light shot up into the sky, with a black single-edged long halberd hovering within the glow, radiating brilliant light.
Zhong Cai’s pupils contracted.
Someone has unlocked a divine soul artifact and summoned a Di-rank companion artifact!
Moreover, the purple light was extremely intense, indicating that this halberd’s quality had reached the peak of the eighth grade!
In other words, it possessed top-tier Di-rank quality.
Not only Zhong Cai and Xiang Lin noticed the scene over there, but also the crowds on the street. They all stopped to look and discuss.
“That’s… It seems to be the Wu family?”
“Top-tier Di-rank! It’s the best aptitude in Kunyun City!”
“Young Master Shaoqian has the best aptitude. It’s just a pity…”
“The one who’s already crippled doesn’t need to be mentioned again. Now, the best aptitude is this person. I wonder who it is?”
“Who else could it be? Check all the Wu family’s children under three years old, and we’ll naturally find out.”
“The Wu family just lost a top-tier Tian-rank, and now they have a top-tier Di-rank replacement. The latter may not be as feared as the former, but it’s still quite impressive.”
“The Wu family truly has good luck!”
Zhong Cai listened to all this with a bad feeling in his gut. He cursed inwardly and immediately gave the order, “Xiang Lin, quickly find the fastest way to take me back!”
His friend had just been crippled, and now someone from the Wu family was coming out to replace him. Isn’t this stabbing his friend in the heart?!
Xiang Lin obeyed the command and summoned his companion artifact, the Grade Seven, Stage Four rare beast spirit, Chifeng Leopard.
The Chifeng Leopard’s body was in a state between semi-virtual and semi-real. Xiang Lin infused it with profound energy, solidifying its form.
Zhong Cai leaped and mounted the back of the Chifeng Leopard.
The Chifeng Leopard instantly dashed towards Wuyang Street, with Xiang Lin activating his body technique and closely following beside it.
Like a gust of wind, they swiftly sped forward.
Before long, they arrived at the Wu residence.
The Wu family mansion was very grand, with a main gate, two side gates, and many small gates.
Due to the large number of people coming in and out daily, it was impossible for everyone to use the main gate.
Generally, the main gate was used by elders and guests, the side gates were used frequently by younger generations, and the small gates were located in inconspicuous corners of the courtyard walls or in the back, mostly used by servants or certain family members living deep within the Wu residence.
Zhong Cai didn’t want to attract attention, so when he left, he used a secluded small gate. Now, he and Xiang Lin were circling around to the back of the Wu mansion.
Xiang Lin stored away the Chifeng Leopard and followed Zhong Cai, avoiding other members of the Wu family. They passed through a couple of side gates and entered a small courtyard where they lived.
The second gate was closed. Zhong Cai took a deep breath, pushed the gate open quietly, and peeked inside.
In the inner courtyard, a very handsome young man was tilting his head, carefully observing the lingering signs of the hidden treasure in the sky.
Zhong Cai ignored the phenomenon and quietly observed Wu Shaoqian’s expression.
His friend… with an expressionless face, is he uncomfortable, or really uncomfortable?
Wu Shaoqian was once a practitioner who had reached the Enlightenment Realm. He had noticed Zhong Cai’s arrival when Zhong Cai pushed the gate open. However, he was so absorbed in observing the phenomenon in the sky that his mind was blank, and he didn’t immediately greet Zhong Cai.
However, Zhong Cai’s subsequent actions instantly dispelled his confusion.
This sneaky appearance…
Wu Shaoqian turned his head helplessly and happened to meet Zhong Cai’s gaze.
Zhong Cai clearly jumped in surprise and shrank his neck.
Wu Shaoqian couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
Seeing him laugh, Zhong Cai first felt relieved, then he glared at him—this bastard, he was worried just now, and now he’s mocking him??
Wu Shaoqian, under his glare, quickly restrained his smile, though a hint of it still lingered in his eyes.
Seeing this, Zhong Cai rolled his eyes and strode in.
Wu Shaoqian hurriedly stepped forward to meet him, completely forgetting his earlier annoyance.
Zhong Cai muttered, “That’s more like it.”
Wu Shaoqian’s expression softened.
Beside them, Xiang Lin, who had been secretly worried, breathed a sigh of relief.
Truly worthy of Master Cai.
The other servants dared not make a sound. Except for Zhong Da, who was truly dull, the others understood very well how to protect themselves. To avoid incurring anyone’s wrath, they had no curiosity at all.
Wu Shaoqian pulled Zhong Cai to sit at the table together, admiring the majestic sight of the long halberd in the sky.
Zhong Cai raised his voice and ordered, “Zhou Lin, bring some good dishes! Dong Jin, go help him.”
Zhou Lin and Dong Jin immediately complied, rushing in from the outer area. After quickly paying their respects, they both disappeared into the kitchen.
Zhong Cai snorted softly, feeling that they were underestimating Old Wu.
Wu Shaoqian didn’t mind. Instead, he said to Zhong Cai, “It’s actually a good thing. Judging from the direction, it has fallen into the Ninth Branch.” He paused for a moment, then continued, “The Ninth Branch has a large population, and there are quite a few children under the age of three. I just don’t know if they are from the main line or the concubine’s line, whether they are my nephews or great-nephews.”
Zhong Cai thought for a moment and said to Xiang Lin, “Go quietly inquire about it.”
Xiang Lin went off as instructed and soon returned. He reported, “It’s Young Master Shaoshan’s youngest legitimate son, Little Dongxiao.”
Zhong Cai recalled the nine branches genealogy he had seen before and said, “Your nephew.”
Wu Shaoqian nodded, then smiled slightly, “It seems that Father and Mother will be happy again.”
Zhong Cai pursed his lips.
Wu Shaoqian knew his good friend was once again feeling indignant on his behalf, and warmth glinted in his eyes.
The phenomenon lasted for a long time. Zhong Cai and Wu Shaoqian enjoyed their meal and admired it without paying much attention.
After the meal, Zhong Cai called Zhou Lin over and handed him the ingredients he had bought earlier. He instructed him on when to prepare meals and how many times a day to arrange them for Wu Shaoqian.
After giving the orders, Zhong Cai stretched lazily, then pulled Wu Shaoqian along to the cultivation room.
After closing the door, he took out a large box of Peiqi Fruit, three large bags of Qingling Grass, and another large bag of Bai Mao Jing…
Wu Shaoqian couldn’t help but smile and said, “Did you go to the Zhong family to stock up today?”
Zhong Cai casually replied, “I gave my dear old dad a third grade pill. He gave me twenty thousand medicinal ingredients, that’s all. Isn’t that fair? If you add it up, although there seems to be a lot of medicinal ingredients, it’s just a matter of spending time and collecting them. Together, they’re only worth four hundred gold. That third-grade pill would cost over a hundred thousand gold.” As he spoke, he quickly recapped the events of going to Zhong’s home to deceive Zhong Guanlin. “We’ve basically got him under control now, and when we can use him later on, there’s no need to hesitate.”
Wu Shaoqian laughed, “You can only use the furnace twenty times a day at most, but these medicinal ingredients are enough for you.” He said somewhat provocatively, “In a month or two, you’ll be ‘done refining’. Take a few pills and go back to the Zhong family for another trip. You can still fool more people… right?”
Zhong Cai raised his eyebrows proudly, “Old Wu, you know me best.”
While joking with Wu Shaoqian, Zhong Cai’s movements were not slow either.
He first set up the alchemy furnace, then cleaned the main furnace chamber again, and filled the furnace with green firewood… Still refining the Buqi Dan.
Wu Shaoqian smiled and walked to the other side, helping Zhong Cai pack the medicinal ingredients.
It was impossible to refine so many in a short time, so it was better to collect the unused ones back into the mustard bag for now.
“Bang!”
“Bang!”
“Bang! Oops, the texture isn’t good.”
“This time it’s a success! Two low-grade and two middle-grade!”
“Another success! Three low-grade and one middle-grade!”
“Bang!”
“Four low-grade and one middle-grade…”
Wu Shaoqian continued to work tirelessly. After each time Zhong Cai finished refining the pills, he was responsible for cleaning the pill furnace.
—-
Within the Wu family, people in every room were looking up at the sky.
The Wu family has produced another exceptional talent.
Many talents family
Thank you for your translation 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛
Thanks for the chapter! Cute profiteering duo, lol
zhong cai, about zhong guanlin: cheap father, found him in the bargain bin.
how do we know that little dongxiao is the protagonist? is this a book transmigration? did i miss something?
(what would wsq’s fate been like is zc was never there?)
Author said he was the protagonist in the synopsis
thank you for the reply! i hope you didn’t think i was deliberately ignoring your comment. i have 1700+ alerts on here so i just. don’t look at it. i only checked it now because. well. anyway! i somehow missed the author’s notes. thank you again.
Just starting reading this and the interactions between the two MC’s are heartwarming 😚💋
Thanks for the chapter ☺️💖.