Chapter 215 - 175: Fire Charm 40, Essence Blood Channel
Chapter 215: Chapter 175: Fire Charm 40, Essence Blood Channel
"Please, speak freely." Deng Changsheng was all ears, immediately sitting down.
"That friend of yours, why haven’t they been out selling Demon Beast Essence Blood these past two years?"
In truth, Lin Changheng was only asking so circuitously because he hadn’t seen Deng Changsheng deliver any of this blood.
If Deng Changsheng had said the blood was sold elsewhere, Lin Changheng would have had to re-evaluate the man’s value and usefulness.
Deng Changsheng gave a bitter laugh. "My friend... two years ago, he became completely infatuated with a Sound Master. A lack of Spirit Stones made him act too rashly, and he ended up exposing himself and was caught on the spot. He was supposed to be severely punished, but a Fake Core elder from his family bailed him out and took him back to be placed in confinement. I’m afraid he won’t be out for a good while."
Hearing this, Lin Changheng couldn’t help but feel his lips twitch. ’The Cultivation Realm truly has all sorts of people. Any other Loose Cultivator given such a good hand with his background would have played it ten, even a hundred times better...’
The two exchanged a few more words. When Deng Changsheng saw Lin Changheng close his eyes and feign rest, he took the hint and promptly excused himself.
...
「Three months later.」
Two Loose Cultivators, one after the other, came to his door with greeting gifts, requesting an audience. They informed him of the medicinal materials they possessed and asked if he could complete a set and begin a refining session.
Surprisingly, they both had a Celestial Crystal Spirit Lotus.
Lin Changheng couldn’t help but mutter, ’Can there really be so many of these lotuses?’ The last time he refined Foundation Establishment Pills, a Cultivator had also come to him with this main ingredient, asking to crowdfund a refining session.
Shaking his head, Lin Changheng saw through their disguise but didn’t say anything. It was understandable for Loose Cultivators to be a little cautious.
He clearly stated that what he lacked was the Nine-leaf Purple Ginseng. If they could find that main ingredient, there would likely be no problem in coming back to request his services.
Disappointed, the Loose Cultivators could only take their leave. At the same time, their impression of the kind and approachable Alchemist Lin improved greatly.
Every other Pill Master with any skill they had previously visited was arrogant and looked down on them; only this Alchemist Lin was different.
Lin Changheng didn’t care what others thought of him; he was simply acting according to his own principles. At the same time, he thought to himself, ’If this continues, I’m afraid the Huang Family’s plan will fall through. It might even come down to waiting for my own Nine-leaf Purple Ginseng to mature...’
He had done what he promised Chef Zeng. Whether or not it succeeded was none of his concern, as it was not something his will could change.
He hadn’t expected, however, that someone else would come to his door five days later.
It was a female cultivator.
A woman disguised as a man.
She was dressed as a male cultivator: white robes, a folding fan in hand, an elegant bearing, and a face as handsome as jade.
Lin Changheng didn’t even need to use his Divine Sense to see through it. Thanks to watching plenty of TV shows in his childhood in his previous life, he was subconsciously "wary" of any pale, red-lipped male cultivators.
His mind immediately jumped to the possibility of a woman in disguise, and upon looking for the signs, his guess was confirmed every time.
"This way, Fellow Daoist."
A guest was a guest. Lin Changheng naturally received her warmly and wouldn’t be so crass as to expose her disguise.
Besides, this female cultivator’s cultivation was not weak. Although it was concealed by some magic or treasure, Lin Changheng could still keenly sense a trace of pressure from her.
At least Middle Stage Foundation Establishment.
The two took their seats in the main hall. The white-robed female cultivator flicked open her fan and said, "I’ve heard that Alchemist Lin intends to start a refining session for Foundation Establishment Pills but is still lacking medicinal materials. I wonder if I might join in? Might I ask you, Fellow Daoist, to refine a batch with me?"
"Of course."
Lin Changheng smiled. "I am an alchemist open for business; I have no reason to turn away a client. However, I must be responsible for the quality of the medicinal materials."
"May I ask what kind of medicinal material you have, Fellow Daoist?"
The white-robed female cultivator smiled faintly, thinking her act was convincing. "You are correct, Fellow Daoist. The main ingredient I have is a Nine-leaf Purple Ginseng. I wonder if it will suffice?"
"Oh? May I have a look at it?"
Lin Changheng’s interest was piqued, but his expression remained impassive.
There was no need for this white-robed female cultivator to deceive him, so it was most likely genuine. Still, the verification process was essential.
In that case, the Huang Family’s alchemy plan was actually complete and could be implemented.
The woman swept her fan over the table, and a Cold Jade Box instantly appeared. A bone-chilling aura emanated from it—it was an excellent container for Spirit Locking Medicine Storage.
Then, she tapped the Cold Jade Box with the tip of her fan, sending it shooting across to land on Lin Changheng’s table.
"Please take a look, Mr. Lin."
Without another word, Lin Changheng opened the Jade Box, revealing a Treasure Medicine. It was indeed a Nine-leaf Purple Ginseng, and its overall condition was far superior to the barely usable twenty-year-old specimen he had used last time.
The last time Lin Changheng refined Foundation Establishment Pills, he had made no mistakes, yet he still produced one Substandard Pill. Judging by his current attainments in the Alchemy Dao, the problem most likely lay with the quality—or rather, the age—of the Treasure Medicine.
The medicinal power had been slightly insufficient.
Alchemy inherently involves some loss. Coupled with the inability to finely control Pill Separation, it naturally led to one of the elixirs being innately deficient...
If the medicinal power had been ample, rather than just barely meeting the threshold, all of them would have naturally become Genuine Pills.
"This Treasure Medicine is not bad. It’s about fifty years old."
Lin Changheng gave his assessment.
At the same time, his eyes swept over the root area, and he saw that the roots were missing.
He couldn’t help but sigh internally, ’What a pity.’
"Alchemist Lin, what sharp eyes! To be able to accurately discern the age of a Treasure Medicine that was harvested quite some time ago with just a single glance... I... this humble one is impressed."
The white-robed female cultivator snapped her fan shut with a PAK and clapped her hands. "I have not been in the Immortal City for long. When I asked around the market and among fellow cultivators which Pill Master could refine a Foundation Establishment Pill, six out of ten recommended Alchemist Lin. Seeing you today, I can confirm your reputation is well-deserved!"
"The Fellow Daoists of the Immortal City are merely flattering me."
Lin Changheng gave a dry laugh.
His ability just now to quickly discern the herb’s age had absolutely nothing to do with his alchemy skills or his knowledge of pharmacology. He had simply channeled a bit of the True Intent of his Rongsheng Divine Abilities to perceive it.