The next morning, Chen Che ca to the Pill Shop.
As soon as Chen Che looked up, he was t with ng Qingxuan’s resentful gaze. Clearly, she was still angry about him rejecting her invitation to the gathering yesterday.
He ignored her and walked past. With the backing of her family, the young lady could live a life free of worry, wander about all day, and hold tea parties when she was bored. He, on the other hand, had to earn money for his Cultivation.
"This shop’s tofu pudding is surprisingly good..."
Ding Fei was leaning on the counter, cradling a bowl of tofu pudding.
It wasn’t just him.
Even Zhao Deyou and Zhao Changping were eating it.
Chen Che’s expression remained unchanged, but he couldn’t help but wonder to himself:
’This is bizarre. What is he playing at?’
Xiao Chan hadn’t left.
He was still running his tofu pudding stall, acting as if he planned to settle down in the Market for good.
"Brother!"
However, Chen Che didn’t have ti to dwell on it. Before he could even sit down, Hu Yao arrived at the door to inform him:
"The Valley Master summons you."
"...Let’s go."
Chen Che didn’t ask why. After being a Tributor for so long, he understood so of the customs In the Valley. Whenever the Valley Master erged from seclusion or returned from a trip, he would summon everyone the following day. Aside from those with urgent matters to attend to, everyone was expected to be there.
Evidently, this ti was no exception.
During the last summons,
he and Tributor Li had stood side-by-side, positioned behind Lu Yi.
Now, he stood alone.
Lu Yi, just as before, reported on the situation In the Valley down to the last detail. The other disciples stood at attention on either side, their hands clasped, resembling the civil and military officials of an imperial court.
’Looks like Ye Jingzhou is in a good mood.’
He scanned his surroundings from the corner of his eye, then stole a glance toward the front.
On the high platform,
Ye Jingzhou sat cross-legged. He had a white beard, but his face was youthful, and he radiated an imnse pressure.
If the Ye Jingzhou he’d t before had been inscrutable, this ti, there was a hint of joy on his face. Anyone could see he was in a very good mood.
’It seems he managed to gather all the Alchemy Materials he needed on this trip.’
Chen Che mused to himself.
"Mm."
A mont later, Lu Yi finished his report, and Ye Jingzhou gave a slight nod.
’Here it cos,’
Chen Che’s heart tightened as he felt a gaze land upon him.
"Tributor Chen?"
Ye Jingzhou spoke calmly, "I have been away for several months. I hear your Alchemy Skill has improved, and you can now refine Tier Two Low-grade Elixirs?"
"Replying to the Valley Master, I was rely fortunate enough to succeed a few tis..."
Chen Che lowered his head slightly.
During this ti, besides Xiao Chan, several other Cultivators had co to him asking for Alchemy services.
Of course,
he had only accepted a few simple requests, deliberately hiding his true level of skill in Alchemy.
"You have good talent, and you are still young. In three to five years, you have a good chance of becoming a Tier Two Alchemist."
Ye Jingzhou’s tone was mild as he offered the praise. After a slight nod, his voice echoed through the hall:
"During my recent travels, I discovered a Wuyin Ore Mine on the border of Yunzhou!"
As his words fell, a stir went through the hall, filled mostly with sounds of pleasant surprise.
’A Wuyin Ore Mine?’
Chen Che kept his head lowered. Wuyin Stone was a Tier Two Middle-Grade Ore, and a mine would contain various other associated ores as well.
A single mine could be the foundation for strengthening a faction.
The reason Jinyun Valley’s growth had always been so lackluster was, in the end, a lack of financial backing. The Valley couldn’t support many disciples, nor could it afford to hire many Tributors.
Of course,
part of the reason was also that Ye Jingzhou always took the lion’s share for his own Cultivation.
"Lu Yi, select several disciples and recruit so Loose Cultivators from the Market to begin mining. Promise them they can keep ten percent of the yield. Tributor Chen, that wilderness is often road by Demon Beasts, and other factions may co sniffing around...
You will need to refine more Pills to prepare for any contingencies."
Ye Jingzhou glanced at Chen Che as he spoke. The latter assented, not at all surprised.
’I’m afraid this will lead to more conflict...’
Because the ergence of new interests is always accompanied by strife.
It was just that, not only would he have to perform Alchemy for the disciples In the Valley, but now for Ye Jingzhou as well. He was probably going to be busy for quite so ti.
"Dismissed."
Just as the thought crossed his mind, he saw Ye Jingzhou wave a hand in dismissal.
!?
’It’s over?’
Surprise showed in Chen Che’s eyes. He was completely baffled.
According to his expectations, shouldn’t Ye Jingzhou have kept him behind and tossed him a Pill Formula?
After all, Ye Jingzhou had made Tributor Li spend months perfecting a Pill Formula, and had now spent several more months gathering the Materials for it. For the Valley Master, this formula was surely of great importance.
But,
until Chen Che had walked out of the main hall, Ye Jingzhou hadn’t said another word, much less asked him to stay. It was as if he had forgotten all about the Pills.
’Every single one of them is so strange!’
Chen Che frowned.
As he was walking to the plaza, Lu Yi caught up with him from behind.
That was Ye Jingzhou’s way—all he had to do was give orders, but Lu Yi had much more to consider. He exchanged a few pleasantries with Chen Che before changing the subject. "I heard that ng Qingxuan invited you to her gathering yesterday, but you turned her down?"
"Yes."
Chen Che nodded slightly.
It was true that he hadn’t gone, so there was no need to hide it.
"That young lady has always been willful and doesn’t pull her punches. But she was willing to stand up for you in that matter with the Primordial Sect. And now she invited you to her gathering..."
Lu Yi clasped his hands behind his back. "In my opinion, she might be interested in you. Is Tributor Chen truly not going to consider it?"
"Valley Master Lu, my path of Cultivation is far from complete. I do not wish to concern myself with romantic affairs,"
Chen Che refused flatly.
"Sigh... you really are sothing else..."
Lu Yi was left speechless.
The two walked side-by-side, passing the great cauldron in the plaza. Chen Che gave it a casual glance; the sacrificial patterns on its surface were still as striking as ever. The great cauldron was extrely conspicuous, and he noticed that every disciple who passed by would give it a curious look.
If he were to deliberately ignore it all the ti, it would actually make him look suspicious.
He didn’t expect, however,
that upon seeing his glance, Lu Yi would raise his chin slightly and gesture toward the great cauldron. "If you were to beco the ng Family’s son-in-law, perhaps the Valley Master would let you use that for your Alchemy..."
"Use this cauldron for Alchemy?"
Unsure of the other’s intentions, Chen Che pretended not to recognize it.
"This isn’t just any cauldron..."
Hearing this, Lu Yi stopped walking with a smile.
He stood beside the great cauldron, which was about ten feet tall, making Lu Yi look like a child beside it. He glanced at the cauldron, then raised a hand and patted it casually. The cauldron was so thick and heavy that the sound was a dull thud, with almost no echo.
His voice suddenly rose.
"It is a Pill Furnace! A Tier Three Pill Furnace!"
"A Pill Furnace?"
Although he had long suspected it, he couldn’t help but be startled.
"Correct."
Lu Yi clasped his hands behind his back, looked up at the Pill Furnace, and nodded slightly.
"The Valley Master obtained this furnace when he first achieved the Dao. He brought it to Jinyun Valley and placed it here. In the past two hundred-odd years, the Primordial Sect has co to borrow it three tis. When Tributor Li was In the Valley, he pleaded for years, but the Valley Master never once allowed him to use it..."
Chen Che couldn’t even hear the rest of what he said.
’In other words...’
’From the very beginning, Ye Jingzhou knew this thing was a Pill Furnace?’
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