"I was too rash!"
The shop was lit by the faint glow of a lamp.
Bai Mo closed the Jia Chen Alchemy Skill.
'How could I underestimate the life's work of my predecessors?'
The Li family must have gone to great lengths to find this book. It was a Pill Book worthy of being passed down through the generations.
It contained a complete system of Alchemy methods and even offered a path for future advancement, making it a truly orthodox Pill Book.
'It's likely the Li family's patron in the Myriad Wonders Sect went to great trouble for them to get this book.'
'It's a complete, systematic work. Every time I look back and connect it with later passages, I discover something new.'
Bai Mo pondered for a moment.
'Thirty percent. I'll aim to grasp thirty percent of the book's true meaning before the Pill Master certification!'
Bai Mo felt a thrill of excitement, as if he had found a new toy.
'Finally, a Pill Book that will hold my interest. This should keep me busy for about six months!'
'It's strange. The Li family is a great and powerful clan, not lacking in resources, yet I've never heard of them having a resident Pill Master. And this book is so clear and direct.'
Feeling a wave of drowsiness, Bai Mo set up his bronze pot and lit the Pill Furnace.
In just a moment, smoke began to rise.
'In these last few days, I'll refine some Evil Exorcism Pills. I have to take care of my regulars.'
Perfect. The aged Climbing Vine would make the Evil Exorcism Pills far more potent than before, enough to get my customers hooked.
That way, even if I'm gone for a while, they'll be sure to come back.
'Hmm, the bark is like scales. This Climbing Vine must be fifty years old.'
Bai Mo tossed the Climbing Vine into the Alchemy Furnace.
Inside the furnace, its bark would be refined until it dissolved, its essence merging with the rest of the ingredients to be sealed within the Evil Exorcism Pill.
As the moon hung high in the sky, the medicinal herbs melted into a flowing essence. They coalesced, and the Pills were complete.
A hint of fatigue creased Bai Mo's brow as he scooped out the Pills to examine them.
The surfaces of the four Pills were as smooth as snow, looking as though they would dissolve at the slightest touch of water. A faint Pill Fragrance drifted from them.
Bai Mo was very satisfied.
'Pill Fragrance. My skill has improved again.'
'In this city, aside from those few Pill Masters and the Myriad Wonders Sect's shop, I'm the only one who sells Pills with a Pill Fragrance.'
'This is my trademark.'
Bai Mo smugly cleaned up his equipment. After reviewing the Alchemy process in his mind and identifying a few minor flaws, he collapsed into sleep.
The next day, Bai Mo opened his shop for business.
Bai Mo calmly handed the Evil Exorcism Pills, which now carried a Pill Fragrance, to the lean, capable man.
In order to get the Evil Exorcism Pills distributed quickly, Bai Mo hadn't slacked off, waking up early to refine two more batches.
This gave him enough for a full bottle, plus one extra Pill.
"After deducting the deposit, you still owe five Spirit Stones. Please settle the bill."
The lean man nodded. "Payment on delivery." He deftly produced five Spirit Stones and handed them to Bai Mo.
He took the pill bottle, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.
"These Pills seem a bit heavier than usual?"
In the past, carrying Pills worth ten Spirit Stones, he'd never felt their weight—only the lightness of his coin pouch afterward.
"My Alchemy Skill has improved. The medicinal potency is greater, and more of the herbs' essence has been retained, making the finished Pills heavier," Bai Mo explained.
The lean man sighed. As he uncorked the bottle, he said,
"Shopkeeper, you're about to go on a long trip. I won't have the spare cash to buy Evil Exorcism Pills for who knows how long. I spent half of last night trying to borrow money..."
He trailed off, his attention caught by a clean fragrance.
It wasn't an intoxicating perfume, but the simple, clean scent of trees and vines.
The lean man took a light sniff and asked, his voice hesitant,
"Pill Fragrance?"
Bai Mo gave a reserved nod.
"HISS!" The lean man immediately slammed the cork back into the bottle.
"Shopkeeper, give me some more time! If I have to, I'll venture deeper into Celestial Barrier Mountain."
Bai Mo had long heard of the dangers of Celestial Barrier Mountain. Any deeper, and one would encounter Tier Two Demon Beasts.
Those were targets for Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Anyone below that realm would just be serving themselves up as a snack.
"You mustn't risk your life. If a customer gets into trouble over this, it would be my fault."
The lean man shook his head, then suddenly asked,
"This Evil Exorcism Pill, how does it compare to the ones from the Myriad Wonders Sect?"
Bai Mo admitted he didn't know.
"I haven't tested it."
'I'm just a humble Pill Shopkeeper, where would I get the chance to test them?'
The lean man said, "The Myriad Wonders Sect released a new version of their pill for dispelling Blood Curses. They raised the price to four Spirit Stones a pop, but the potency is the same."
He waved a dismissive hand. "And that's if you're lucky. It depends on the disciple you're buying from. It's not unheard of for them to brazenly jack up the price right in your face."
Bai Mo's expression turned serious.
"Is there no one to keep them in check?"
"No. Right now, they're desperate for Spirit Stones..."
The lean man hurried off, presumably to actually scrape the money together.
But a shadow of worry crossed Bai Mo's face.
'I was planning to buy up a large quantity of Climbing Vine and expand my operation, preparing to increase production of the Evil Exorcism Pills. But now... it seems I'd better play it safe.'
He didn't know the reason, but the Myriad Wonders Sect's aggressive money-grabbing reeked of desperation.
If he made a name for himself and competed with them for profit, there was no telling what kind of disaster he might invite.
'For now, I should only supply the Evil Exorcism Pills to my regulars. I'll keep a low profile.'
Bai Mo took a deep breath.
'Everything will be fine once I become a Pill Master.'
...
For the next month, Bai Mo dedicated himself to Alchemy.
Finally, on the twentieth day, he finished processing all the Climbing Vine.
Lanshan Mountain, as promised, received its payment for the Climbing Vine: a bottle of Evil Exorcism Pills with Pill Fragrance.
Han Meng grinned from ear to ear, and Lanshan Mountain decisively pulled out another ten Spirit Stones to buy an extra bottle.
After that, the entire Demon Hunting Team headed into the mountains, full of smug satisfaction.
The lean man was right behind them, taking out twenty Spirit Stones to buy two bottles of Evil Exorcism Pills.
Bai Mo was a little surprised.
"I thought you'd only be able to scrape together enough for one bottle at most..."
The lean man's expression was calm.
"I borrowed from a loan shark."
Bai Mo froze. He'd heard there were people in the city who ran that kind of business.
But their interest rates were exorbitant, and they weren't usually willing to lend to members of Demon Hunting Teams.
"You went that far? That kind of money isn't easy to borrow, and the interest is steep..."
But the lean man said, "It's not that hard to borrow money when you're part of a moderately well-known Demon Hunting Team."
"Besides, after I pay back the interest, one trip into the mountains will still leave me with at least a twenty percent profit margin compared to buying from the Myriad Wonders Sect."
With that, the lean man turned to leave.
Seeing this, Bai Mo quickly added,
"Please don't spread the word about these Evil Exorcism Pills. There's been a lot of trouble recently, and this humble shop doesn't want to attract any more."
"Rest assured."
After seeing the customer off, Bai Mo sat back down and opened his copy of the Jia Chen Alchemy Skill.
'Even with the time I've bought, I wonder if I can actually comprehend thirty percent of the book's true meaning. It's still a big unknown.'
'Suddenly, I'm a little worried.'
Bai Mo was a bit anxious.
'Should I... go to a bookstore in the city and buy some guides to cram for the certification?'
After thinking it over, Bai Mo abandoned the idea.
If those guides were actually useful, it would be one thing; the money would be well spent.
But he'd heard their target audience was rich, ignorant young masters looking for a last-minute fix.
No matter how he thought about it, Bai Mo couldn't fathom how such a guide could help someone who'd barely even touched a Pill Furnace pass the certification.
Therefore, Bai Mo concluded they were just scams designed to take advantage of fools.
'My cultivation is only at the Qi Refining Second Layer. That's one area where I can definitely make some progress.'
For his age, reaching the Qi Refining Second Layer in Immortal Arrival City was perfectly average—neither exceptional nor poor.
'If I can reach the Third Layer before the Pill Master certification, I should be able to perform much better!'
During Alchemy, the flow of Spiritual Qi in the Pill Furnace and the shifts in its aura are subtle details that demand constant attention.
When a Cultivator advances their realm, they become more sensitive to Spiritual Qi, allowing for far more adept manipulation and control.
'Someone from an ordinary family in Immortal Arrival City would have to struggle, with no guarantee of success.'
'But I'm different. I have plenty of Qi Absorption Pills. I have a real shot at this!'