It was lunchtime at the large inn.
When Lanshan returned, the dining hall was more than half full of patrons.
Bai Mo was at a table with the caravan elder, speaking in low voices.
Lanshan returned alone. The expression on his face, which had been like a wilting flower bud for the past few days, had suddenly bloomed.
Full of life.
Seeing his expression, Bai Mo smiled.
"Brother Lanshan, it seems things went well with Miss Ru'Er?"
Lanshan grinned.
"I thought I'd get to show her around Celestial Mountain City for a bit, but I didn't expect it to happen so suddenly."
"The Xuandao Sect deacon took them straight back to the sect."
"Them?"
"Yeah, three in total. All of them are talented youths."
As Lanshan spoke, he pulled something from his robes and pushed it across the table to Bai Mo.
"Shopkeeper Bai, the Qi guiding skill you wanted."
Bai Mo's eyes lit up. He took the Cultivation Technique, its paper cover still new, and flipped it open.
"The *Clear Spirit Qi Guiding Skill*… it even has the effect of clearing the mind and centering the spirit when practiced?"
"Brother Lanshan, this Cultivation Technique couldn't have been cheap, could it?"
An ordinary Qi guiding skill might not be very expensive, but if it included other cultivation benefits, that was another matter entirely.
Lanshan waved his hand dismissively.
"Don't overthink it. I got this Qi guiding skill for thirty Spirit Stones."
He, Lanshan, didn't have the eloquence or the face for it, but the Xuandao Sect deacon was a different story.
Riding the coattails of the Xuandao Sect deacon, Lanshan had easily acquired this Qi guiding skill, marked at forty-five Spirit Stones, for only thirty.
Bai Mo had his suspicions but didn't ask, simply clasping his hands in thanks.
This Qi guiding skill was very suitable for a Cultivator who practiced Alchemy, which showed that Lanshan had been thoughtful.
Lanshan sat down and waved for a waiter to add two more dishes and an extra set of bowls and chopsticks.
"What were you two talking about? Didn't look like idle chatter."
The old man smiled.
"Nothing too important. Brother Bai here wants to find a Pill Furnace to practice with, and asked me to help find an acquaintance."
"That's hardly a problem."
He had an old friend, also a business partner, who kept several medicine apprentices in his shop.
That Pill Furnace was fired up year-round.
Hearing this, Lanshan became thoughtful.
"Shopkeeper Bai, you seem to be in a hurry. Have you had a new insight into the Alchemy Dao?"
These past few days, he had heard quite a bit about the Alchemy Dao and knew that a Cultivator at such a critical juncture could not afford any delays.
Bai Mo gave a slight smile.
"One always gains something from exchanging ideas with peers."
...
「Noon.」
The caravan elder led Bai Mo out of the inn.
Speaking of his old friend, his face was all smiles.
"We live in two different cities and are busy with business. We haven't seen each other in a year."
"I still look the same, but I wonder what that old workaholic codger looks like now?"
He burst into a hearty laugh as he spoke.
The elder seemed very cheerful, as if he were making a special trip to visit his old friend and just happened to be taking Bai Mo along.
After weaving through the streets, the two of them finally arrived at a shop in a less-than-prime location.
Although it had some foot traffic, it was much more remote compared to the main streets.
Inside, two assistants were managing the shop. The shelves were lined with Pills, medicinal herbs, rattan armor, rattan whips, and other goods.
Behind the counter, an old man could be seen sleeping with a cattail-leaf fan covering his face.
When one of the assistants saw Bai Mo and the elder enter, he recognized the elder and froze for a moment.
Before he could say anything, his colleague had already stepped forward.
"What can I get for you two? Our shop…"
Unexpectedly, the elder simply brushed him aside.
"Hey, old man!!"
"Look who's here!"
His powerful shout startled the sleeping man, knocking the cattail-leaf fan from his face.
"What are you yelling for? I'm not deaf yet!?"
The man, struggling to his feet, was clearly displeased. He picked up his fan, stood up, and glared at his assistant.
"Aren't you going to make some tea?"
The assistant who had recognized the elder nodded and hurried off to do so.
As he passed, he tugged on his colleague's sleeve.
"He's the owner's old friend!"
The other assistant had a moment of realization and quickly stood by to attend to them.
The old man had a bit of a temper and a face full of age spots. He glanced at Bai Mo.
"Your descendant? Seems his Alchemy Skill isn't half bad."
The caravan elder quickly waved his hands.
"You old fool! You've had so many good consignment deals lately that you've gotten comfortable and slow-witted."
"You've met all my descendants, and he isn't one of them. This is Brother Bai. He's here for the Pill Master certification and wants to borrow your Pill Furnace to practice…"
Hearing this, the old shopkeeper's expression softened.
"Young Brother Bai, my apologies. I was rude because I thought you were this old man's descendant."
Bai Mo repeatedly said he wouldn't dare take offense, then added cautiously:
"I… might need the Pill Furnace for quite some time…"
The old man didn't mind. He said decisively:
"Ah Shen, take this Brother Bai to the Alchemy Room."
Bai Mo was overjoyed.
"Thank you, honored elder. I'll pay for the medicinal herbs I use later…"
Ah Shen led Bai Mo away. As they left, the old shopkeeper, with a grumpy face, complained that his friend had disturbed his peaceful dream, but it was clear that both men were happy.
"Brother Bai, this is the Alchemy Room. It's a bit crude, but the two of us usually perform Alchemy here, so everything is fully equipped."
Ah Shen said. He felt a great deal of admiration for this young fellow daoist who was here to be certified as a Pill Master.
"Thank you for your trouble."
Bai Mo looked around the Alchemy Room. It was a stone chamber, stuffy and hot inside, located at the rear left of the shop. To the right were the living quarters.
Several large bundles of medicinal herbs were piled up just outside.
'If this place weren't so remote, the old man probably couldn't have secured such a large plot of land.'
Bai Mo selected a good amount of medicinal herbs, moved them into the Alchemy Room, said goodbye to Ah Shen, and closed the door.
"Brother Bai, if anything unexpected happens, be sure to call me."
Ah Shen called out from outside, not forgetting to add a reminder.
He was clearly a warm-hearted person.
After calling back in acknowledgment, Bai Mo turned to look at the medicinal herbs on the floor.
He was going to refine Qi Absorption Pills, the most common type of Pill.
He was only here to test a Pill Method, so there was no need to waste ingredients.
Not long after, billows of hot air began to seep through the cracks of the stone door.
Ah Shen, who was keeping an eye on things from outside, scratched his head. 'This Brother Bai is a little too fast.'
Then he walked back to the shop.
In the shop, the two elderly friends, having not seen each other for so long, seemed to have an endless supply of things to talk about.
Ah Shen exchanged a look with the assistant who was pouring tea.
'Well, looks like it's up to the two of us to run the shop.'
"Ah Shen, keep a close eye on the one in the Alchemy Room. It's hot and stuffy in there, don't let anything happen to him."
Ah Shen nodded in agreement.
For the next few days, however, the door to the Alchemy Room never opened.
Ah Shen, who came by multiple times, was horrified. If it weren't for the changes in the hot air seeping from the cracks in the door—which indicated someone was controlling the fire—he would have thought something had happened to the man inside.
'So intense?'
'No wonder he has an Alchemy Skill impressive enough to be praised by the owner's old friend, despite being so young.'
Over the past few days, the caravan elder had mentioned Bai Mo several times, speaking of his Alchemy Skill with great admiration.
'There are dry rations and two vats of water in the Alchemy Room. Brother Bai should be able to take care of himself.'
'I probably don't need to keep coming back.'
Ah Shen thought to himself.
The owner had taken his old friend out to listen to music and hadn't returned for the night. Who knew what those two old men had to talk about for so many days.
The remaining work fell on the two assistants, so Ah Shen was also very busy.
That's what he said, but Ah Shen still came to check twice a day.
Until the sixth day, when Ah Shen, coming for his routine inspection, was taken aback.
The door to the Alchemy Room was open. A disheveled Bai Mo walked out, his face weary, but his eyes were incredibly bright and focused.
"Brother Bai?"
Bai Mo nodded. "Thank you for everything these past few days."
His voice was a bit hoarse. The conditions in the Alchemy Room, filled with smoke and scorching heat, were clearly not easy to endure.
Bai Mo handed over two bottles of Pills, which Ah Shen accepted out of reflex.
"What day is it?"
Ah Shen quickly replied, "It's the sixth day. The owner and his friend are out listening to music. Should I go find them and bring them back?"
Bai Mo shook his head. "It's never good to interrupt old friends catching up. I'll just head back first. Please give my regards to the owner for me."
"Consider these two bottles of Qi Absorption Pills as payment for the ingredients I used."
Ah Shen was worried that Bai Mo's body wouldn't hold up and offered to see him off, but was refused.
After Bai Mo left, he opened the Pill bottles in his hand. A Pill Fragrance wafted out, and Ah Shen froze.
He had never seen Qi Absorption Pills so perfectly round and full, giving off such a rich Pill Fragrance.