Chapter 12: The Pill Windfall

Realizing she had been one of those fools just yesterday, Song Zhiyou couldn’t compose herself.

She pointed at a vibrant Qingling Yunshen Leaf and asked the Shopkeeper, “How many spirit stones for this one?”

The Shopkeeper smiled warmly. “If I sold it to another alchemist, I’d ask for two hundred spirit stones.”

“But for you, I’ll take one hundred and sixty.”

As Song Zhiyou listened, she recalled the Shopkeeper’s masterful performance yesterday and said with a pang of regret, “And that one outside? You charged me one hundred and ninety yesterday?”

The Shopkeeper’s expression froze. She had nearly forgotten that this cultivator was one of those she had almost tricked.

What a mess… Who would have thought that Heyang City would suddenly produce such a talented alchemist?

She laughed awkwardly and said, “Little friend, water under the bridge. It was all a misunderstanding. I’ll give you this Qingling Yunshen Leaf as an apology.”

Knowing when to take a win, Song Zhiyou accepted the gift and let the matter drop.

Afterward, she happily picked out a bunch of brightly colored spirit plants.

Her six hundred spirit stones were spent, and she still owed the Shopkeeper eight hundred and eighty-eight.

The Shopkeeper bade farewell to Song Zhiyou in high spirits.

Once Song Zhiyou left, an assistant couldn’t help asking, “Shopkeeper, who would buy such expensive first-grade pills? Will they actually sell?”

“And you treated her so generously—is it really worth it?”

Though the pills were rare, how could cultivators bear to spend the spirit stones they risked their lives for on such costly pills?

The Shopkeeper shot him a glance. “Who said I’m selling them?”

“Huh?” The assistant was dumbfounded.

If not selling, why spend so many spirit stones buying them?

The Shopkeeper, however, gave instructions with a cheerful mood. “From today, customers who spend a cumulative fifteen thousand spirit stones in the shop will receive a free Nourishing Spirit Pill. Monthly limited, first come first served.”

Ordinary rogue cultivators might not be willing to buy, but her target had never been them.

****

Back home, Song Zhiyou drew thirty Nourishing Spirit Pills in one go.

Then she tried other pills.

Healing Pills, Blood Coagulation Pills, and even some of her own creations.

As usual, she placed a Healing Pill within reach and solemnly experimented with each one.

After finishing, she categorized the pills into three types.

The first type had excellent effects and even came with unexpected side effects.

For instance, her Healing Pill would rapidly mend wounds but also make her cry uncontrollably.

The second type had mediocre or even no effect.

The third type was the most fascinating—and the reason she ended the experiment.

An injury she had just healed worsened under the influence of this pill.

Her meridians crackled like firecrackers.

‘Crackle’ was a verb.

‘Boom’ was also a verb.

Fortunately, her meridians and bones had been strengthened, and she had her Healing Pills on hand.

The Healing Pill Lu Wangshu had given her proved ineffective, but her own Healing Pill shone brilliantly—and Song Zhiyou wept tears of joy.

She had been too hasty.

She had thought her creations would at most cause minor injuries, nothing serious.

Little did she know the world was still full of wonders.

Finally, Song Zhiyou summarized.

The items she drew, her definition of them, and the properties of the pigments all affected the final pill’s effects to varying degrees.

For example, the Nourishing Spirit Pill required the pill pattern of the Yangyuan Pill, and the pigments must include Yangyuan Grass and Spirit Gathering Fruit…

For now, she had confirmed three types of pills with excellent effects.

She named them the Nourishing Spirit Pill, the Drepress—er, Healing Pill, and the Blood Qi Pill.

Humbled by her experience, Song Zhiyou resolved to find a safer method for testing pills next time.

Somewhat regretful, she packed away the remaining messy pills and began cultivating to replenish her spiritual power.

During the drawing process, her spiritual power had been steadily consumed.

After cultivating, she intended to rest, but the thought of earning two hundred and sixty spirit stones per Nourishing Spirit Pill kept her awake. She got up and drew another thirty in one sitting.

Now she had a total of sixty Nourishing Spirit Pills.

If she sold them all to Shopkeeper Bai, that would be fifteen thousand six hundred spirit stones.

She was about to be rich—terrifyingly rich.

She wondered if Shopkeeper Bai had that much cash on hand.

If not, could she get those unsellable West-Tier spirit plants in exchange?

Thinking this, Song Zhiyou grew even more restless.

She checked the sky.

It was still dark.

Song Zhiyou couldn’t sit still.

****

The next morning, Shopkeeper Bai stretched and opened the shop door, only to be startled.

A familiar, squat figure tumbled toward her as the door swung open.

If she hadn’t recognized the squat figure as Song Zhiyou in time, she would have slapped her.

Her mouth twitched. She looked at the little apprentice speechlessly. “Little friend, how long have you been here?”

Song Zhiyou said nothing. She walked into the shop with her hands behind her back and lined up six bottles of pills in front of the Shopkeeper.

Shopkeeper Bai was stunned. “This… th-this…”

Her hands were trembling!

She quickly grabbed a bottle and opened it—Nourishing Spirit Pills!

Another bottle—Nourishing Spirit Pills!

All six bottles were Nourishing Spirit Pills!

And not three pills per bottle, but ten—sixty pills in total!

Shopkeeper Bai took a deep breath. Any trace of drowsiness vanished, replaced by utter shock.

She had thought Song Zhiyou would bring her one or two bottles in a few days, but it had only been this long, and she had brought six full bottles?!

Noticing Shopkeeper Bai’s astonishment, Song Zhiyou explained, “I refined them a few days ago.”

Shopkeeper Bai nodded deeply. That made sense.

Song Zhiyou extended her hand. “Fifteen thousand six hundred spirit stones, please.”

“Of course, if you don’t have that much cash, I’ll accept those unsellable West-Tier spirit plants in your shop.”

Shopkeeper Bai was puzzled. “Which unsellable West-Tier spirit plants?”

Song Zhiyou coughed and sheepishly corrected herself, “I mean the ones you don’t sell.”

Shopkeeper Bai was shocked. “That’s my shop’s treasure, the Seven Star Spirit Nourishing Tree!”

She had only wanted to flaunt her shop’s depth, never expecting Song Zhiyou to covet it.

Unfazed, Song Zhiyou said, “I must have misspoken.”

‘Spoken’ nothing! Do you think acting cute can cover up your attempt to trick me?

Shopkeeper Bai rubbed her temples. “Little friend, don’t get any ideas about that tree. It can only survive here and keep bearing spirit fruits. It’s useless if you take it.”

“Besides,” she paused, “it’s the shop’s treasure!”

Song Zhiyou reluctantly asked, “When will it bear fruit? I don’t want it; I just want to see.”

The Seven Star Spirit Nourishing Tree was about the size of a kumquat tree from her past life. According to Shopkeeper Bai, it bore fruits of different colors and effects.

Song Zhiyou had been eyeing it ever since.

“It’ll be another three years before the next harvest. But I have some seeds here. I’ll give them to you if you want.”

With that, Shopkeeper Bai took out several colorful seeds from her storage pouch.

Song Zhiyou’s eyes lit up, then she asked in confusion, “You’re giving me seeds of a West-Tier spirit plant?”

Shopkeeper Bai waved her hand. “Seven Star Spirit Nourishing Tree seeds usually can’t sprout. They’re just pretty trinkets.”

Of course, they could also be used to trick fools.

She had sold a few before.

Song Zhiyou happily accepted.

Since they couldn’t sprout, she would crush them at home and use them as pigment.

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