Chapter 82: Purchasing Pills
Chapter 82: Chapter 82: Purchasing Pills
"Of course, we have Pills. What kind of Pill might you be looking for, Sir?" the delicate-looking woman asked with a smile.
"How many types of Pills does your Alchemy Room have that are suitable for a Late-stage Qi Cultivation, Water-Attribute Cultivator?" Lu Zhao asked with a frown.
"Sir, please follow me to a Quiet Chamber where we can speak in detail. How does that sound?" The woman moved with graceful steps, leading Lu Zhao toward a Quiet Chamber on the second floor. As for Zhao Xiaoshu, Lu Zhao quietly instructed him to wait on the first floor.
The Quiet Chamber was quite elegantly furnished. A landscape painting hung on the wall, and a rosewood desk sat by the window. The woman stepped forward and, with a lift of her fair hand, steeped a cup of Spirit Tea for Lu Zhao.
In the cup, pale red tea leaves floated like light feathers atop the clear Spiritual Spring Water. After serving the Spirit Tea, she gave a slight bow. "Please wait a moment, Sir. I’ll be right back." Her crisp voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.
Lu Zhao took the Spirit Tea, sipped it lightly, and nodded. "Please, go ahead." The woman immediately turned and left.
About fifteen minutes later, the door to the Quiet Chamber was pushed open. The woman returned, holding a simple, dark wood tray with four small, white porcelain vials on it.
The woman walked to the desk, picked up the first vial, and with a slight movement of her elegant fingers, uncorked it. A cool, refreshing medicinal aroma immediately filled the air, instantly overpowering the scent of the tea. "This is the Jade Water Pill. It is refined using Tier One High-Grade Jade Water Grass as the Main Material. A single pill is equivalent to seven days of hard cultivation for a Late-stage Qi Cultivator. The price is ten Spirit Stones each."
After hearing her out, Lu Zhao thought to himself, ’Its medicinal effects are similar to the Ice Marrow Pill.’
Seeing that Lu Zhao showed no reaction, the woman picked up the second vial. "This is the Cold Spirit Pill. Cultivators with both Ice and Water attributes can take it. Its effect is also equivalent to seven days of hard cultivation, and it costs twelve Spirit Stones each." She made a point to add, "Its medicinal properties lean more toward the Cold attribute."
Lu Zhao’s mind worked quickly, and he had already ruled out buying this pill. Although the Ice and Water attributes were similar and the pills could be used interchangeably, since he had a choice, he would naturally opt for one that was purely for the Water Attribute. Besides, this pill was also more expensive.
She had introduced two types of Pills in a row, but Lu Zhao hadn’t said a word, merely sipping his Spirit Tea in silence. The woman had no choice but to pick up the third vial. "This is the Water Spirit Pill. It uses Tier One Middle-Grade Spirit Water and Tier One High-Grade Water Spirit Grass as its main materials, and its medicinal properties are gentle and long-lasting. Its unique feature is that it incorporates some of the effects of a Tier One High-Grade Vessel-Protecting Pill. When taking this pill, you don’t need to take a separate Vessel-Protecting Pill to safeguard your meridians. One pill is equivalent to half a month of hard cultivation for a Late-stage Qi Cultivator, and it sells for twenty-five Spirit Stones each."
These words made Lu Zhao’s spirits lift. The price and effect of the Pill were secondary; the key was the mention of "Spirit Water" in its main materials! This was exactly what he needed for his Hundred Waters Magic Disc, which required Spirit Water to be upgraded!
’I was right to come to Bixia Marketplace!’ Lu Zhao rejoiced inwardly. ’I searched the Zhou Family Marketplace for seven years without success, yet I found a clue here while buying Pills.’
"Please tell me about the last type as well," Lu Zhao finally spoke, his tone even and unchanged.
Seeing this, the woman carefully placed the third vial back on the tray and then picked up the last one. She didn’t rush to uncork it, but first gave it a few gentle shakes. The crisp sound of Gold Stone clashing came from within. "Sir, this last one is different from the first three. The first three are all Herbal Spirit Pills. Although their medicinal power isn’t strong, their advantage lies in having very little Pill Poison, making them easy for Refining. This last one is a Gold Stone Pill."
When Lu Zhao heard "Gold Stone Pill," the interest in his eyes deepened. He had only ever read about such things in Ancient Texts; this was the first time he had seen one in reality! He nodded slightly, signaling the woman to continue.
The woman then uncorked the vial, revealing a blue pill that gleamed with a cold, metallic light. "This is the Blue Spirit Pill. It is forged by infusing Spirit Water with Golden Evil Qi. A single pill is equivalent to three months of hard cultivation for a Cultivator! This pill costs one hundred Spirit Stones each." Having introduced all four types of Pills in one breath, she stood quietly to the side, waiting for Lu Zhao to make his choice.
The Quiet Chamber fell into a brief silence. Lu Zhao weighed his options. The Cold Spirit Pill was out first; its cost-effectiveness was even worse than the Jade Water Pill’s. The Water Spirit Pill, with its added Vessel-Protecting Pill effect, was worth buying a few to test out.
Only the Blue Spirit Pill gave him pause. Its medicinal effect was so astonishing that if he could take it continuously, his Cultivation progress would be incredibly fast! But the woman had specified its nature as a Gold Stone Pill, meaning its Pill Poison must be terrifying.
Pill Poison was the impurity in Spirit Medicines that could not be refined. Once too much of it accumulated, it could block the meridians, destabilize the Dao Foundation, and affect future Cultivation advancement.
As for Herbal Spirit Pills, their Pill Poison was negligible. As long as one didn’t consume them recklessly, it wasn’t a major issue.
After about the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Lu Zhao finally looked up and asked, "Miss, if I were to take one Blue Spirit Pill, how long would it take to purge the Pill Poison? Does your establishment have any Secret Technique to assist with detoxification?"
The woman was clearly accustomed to such questions. Her expression unchanged, she answered frankly, "It takes a full month to completely refine the Medicinal Power of a single Blue Spirit Pill. For a year after that, you absolutely must not take this pill or any other Gold Stone Pill again. Otherwise, the Golden Evil Pill Poison will accumulate and cause blockages, eroding your foundation and potentially jeopardizing your entire cultivation path. As for a method of detoxification..." She shook her head gently, a faint, self-deprecating smile on her lips. "If our establishment truly had a solution, how could a Pill like this still be on display here for sale to Wanderers? I’m afraid it would have long been requisitioned by the Sect for internal use."
"I was presumptuous," Lu Zhao sighed, though he felt a sense of understanding. The woman was right. If there were a way to remove the poison, this Pill would have long been the exclusive property of the Bixia Sect disciples. How could it possibly fall into the hands of Independent Cultivators like them?
In a flash, Lu Zhao made his decision. He set down his teacup, his voice returning to its usual steady tone. "If you please, I’ll take fifteen Jade Water Pills, five Water Spirit Pills, and one Blue Spirit Pill." He enunciated the word "one" with particular clarity.
"Of course, Sir. Please wait a moment." The woman bowed slightly and efficiently cleared the tea set from the table.
Another fifteen minutes passed before the door to the Quiet Chamber was pushed open again, and the woman returned.
"Please take a look, Sir. Fifteen Jade Water Pills and five Water Spirit Pills, both sealed in Jade Bottles using a Lock Spirit technique to preserve their medicinal properties. The single Blue Spirit Pill is contained in a special cold-sinking wood box, which can prevent its sharp, metallic Evil Qi from leaking out." She placed two vials and a wooden box on the desk in front of Lu Zhao and said softly, "Fifteen Jade Water Pills come to one hundred fifty Spirit Stones; five Water Spirit Pills come to one hundred twenty-five Spirit Stones; and one Blue Spirit Pill is one hundred Spirit Stones. The total is three hundred seventy-five Spirit Stones."
Lu Zhao took the Pills and, after a brief inspection, retrieved the Spirit Stones from his Storage Bag and handed them to the woman. She did a quick count and beamed, apparently having made a good commission from this sale.
The transaction was complete, with the Spirit Stones and Pills exchanged. Lu Zhao put the Pills away in his Storage Bag and did not linger. He stood, gave the woman a slight nod, and said, "Thank you." He then went downstairs to call for Zhao Xiaoshu, who had been waiting obediently. One after the other, the two of them quickly blended into the crowd of the Marketplace below.