I am about to die of old age, and I have awakened the character of longevity.

Chapter 181: Even after selling my treasures, I’m still poor!

Almost three days have passed since Xie An absorbed the jade fairy energy.

What if the white fox came secretly...

Naihe Yuhe poured a basin of cold water on him, "No."

Xie An was slightly disappointed...

I guess the white fox hasn't digested the precious plant yet, or maybe something has delayed it. As long as the precious plant sprouts, the white fox will probably come back.

Five Animals Qigong...it's up to you.

Xie An carefully examined the plump embryo and said, "Yuhe, continue to increase the dosage of fertilizer to make it grow faster."

This precious plant is different from ordinary plants. It seems that there is no pattern of sprouting, blooming and bearing fruit in the four seasons. It just grows suddenly after fertilization.

In this case, increasing the dosage should make the growth faster.

Yu He, however, looked troubled. "Master, these cultivated herbs are too expensive. Blood Ganoderma, Water Ginseng... they are all extremely expensive herbs. We don't have much surplus food at home..."

After saying that, Yuhe ran into the west wing, took out a booklet, opened it and showed it to Xie An, while explaining: "According to the method of cultivating precious plants, each fertilization requires the collection of nine kinds of expensive medicinal herbs. Originally, fertilization was done once every two weeks, but Master has changed it to twice a day... Each fertilization costs about 70 or 80 taels."

Xie An looked at the account book and saw that the expenses were indeed too high. The total cost of cultivating the precious plant so far was nearly 1,500 taels!

It's possible that Yuhe even paid a lot, what this master did...

Xie An, a fifth-rank general manager, received a salary of only five hundred taels a year, which was not enough to cover the cost of fertilizing several times.

This is outrageous...

Money is tight.

It hurts, but you still have to apply fertilizer.

Xie An returned to the room, took out the only two remaining first-level internal energy pills, and handed them to Yu He. "Take them to the black market and sell them. Use the money to buy medicine and fertilizer. Oh, and keep a hundred or two hundred taels for yourself. Don't spend any more money."

Yu He felt very warmed when she heard this. "Then I'll go ask Weisheng Martial Arts School how much they're willing to give. And then buy all the herbs for cultivation?"

Xie An fiercely blocked his hand and said, "Buy it."

"Master is really courageous."

Watching Yuhe leave, Xie An couldn't help but feel emotional.

What I lack most is money.

Can cultivating a precious plant empty the wealth of a fifth-rank general?

Besides, although Xie An was short on money, it was relatively easy to come by. However, demonic energy was priceless. Naturally, he couldn't miss out on the deal with the white fox. He needed to get the treasure plant to sprout as soon as possible before making the deal. He also needed to advance the Five Animals Qigong.

It's not that he hadn't thought about setting up a tight net to catch the white fox.

But it is not necessary.

On the one hand, the white fox was extremely mysterious and probably had a rather powerful background. There was probably a powerful figure or some great demon behind it. There was no need to provoke it for no reason.

In addition, if we catch this white fox and it stubbornly refuses to be coerced... that would also be troublesome.

It’s good like this now. I have the renewable resource of Baozhi in my hands and can also trade with the white fox.

If you are happy, I am happy too. Why should we fight to the death?
Two hours later, Yuhe returned carrying large and small bags of medicinal herbs. She carefully placed the herbs wrapped in mulberry paper on the long table, reached out to wipe the sweat off her face, and an unconcealable smile appeared on her face.

"The owner of Weisheng Martial Arts School, Lu Dazhong, was a very kind man. When he heard that the master wanted to sell it, he gave me three thousand taels of silver. I exchanged it all for medicinal herbs. I use it twice a day, which is enough for half a month."

Xie An looked at the pile of medicinal herbs in front of him that cost him three thousand taels, and felt extremely distressed. But Yu He was the one who felt the most distressed. "Didn't I tell you to keep some money for yourself?"

Yuhe chuckled and said, "I have food, drink and shelter with the master. There is no point in keeping the money. It is better to use it to cultivate precious plants."

This girl always supports him in everything and has become the closest person to Xie An.

Previously, when Xie An was at the sixth level of martial artist, he gave Yu He a sixth level internal energy pill. Yu He was deeply moved at the time and refused repeatedly. It was only after Xie An persuaded her that she accepted it.

Based on Xie An's five senses, he knew that Yuhe had not yet broken through to the sixth level of martial artist.

Under normal circumstances, three six-level internal strength pills are needed to achieve the desired effect.

Xie An was thinking in his mind that he had to help Yuhe get two more six-level internal energy pills.

The higher the level of the internal energy pill, the scarcer it is, and it is very difficult to get it.

Money can't buy it.

It wasn't that the raw materials for the Nei Jin Pills were expensive, but rather that the production process was complex and time-consuming. Furthermore, there were only a handful of sixth-level martial artists in Qingwu County. With the exception of the Demon Suppression Division, no other martial arts school could produce a sixth-level Nei Jin Pill.

"Master, what are you thinking about?" Yuhe packed up the herbs and found Xie An in a daze, so she asked.

"I'm wondering when the embryo of Baozhi will grow out." Xie An naturally wouldn't say it before getting the Sixth Layer Internal Strength Pill, so he found an excuse to prevaricate.

Yuhe smiled and said, "How can it be so fast? It will take two or three days for it to grow. I will keep an eye on it. I will tell the master as soon as it grows."

Xie An was confident that Yuhe could do the job.

He returned to his room, thinking about how to make the Six-Layer Internal Energy Pill.

When Xie An was at the sixth level of internal energy, he could receive two pills per month. Xie An used one and gave the other to Yu He. After that, Xie An entered the seventh level of internal energy and could no longer receive the sixth level internal energy pills.

Now Xie An discovered that Yu He was ready to challenge the sixth level martial artist. There was no time to waste.

The best way, of course, is to find the eldest princess Su Yuqing.

But the moment the princess opened her mouth, it was a huge favor. Xie An didn't like to owe others too much. He also didn't want to become path-dependent.

To Xie An, Su Yuqing was still an outsider, but Yuhe was one of his own, and there was a difference between the two.

"Go ask Chen Tie."

……

Xie An changed into his official robe and came to the Demon Suppression Division carrying the Demon Suppression Sword.

The Demon Suppression Division was still as bustling as usual, with martial arts masters and practitioners always eager to practice and compete in the martial arts arena, and people lining up to take the exams at the recruitment office.

Since the Demon Suppression Room's upgrade, it's become increasingly bustling. However, the Demon Suppression Division remains a semi-hidden government office, its influence not as great as that of the county magistrate. After all, ordinary people deal with daily necessities and taxes, and therefore have more dealings with the county magistrate. But for warriors and masters, the Demon Suppression Division far surpasses the county magistrate.

Xie An deliberately passed by the martial arts training ground and did not see the morning light.

He had always been wary of the Fairy Queen, and didn't even want to see her. But now that he didn't see Chenxi in the martial arts arena... he actually felt a little uncomfortable.

"Thank you, Chief."

It was Liu Chun, who had returned from the pharmacy. Dusty and exhausted, he came over to greet Xie An. He then looked at him in surprise, finding Xie An's aura restrained and unfathomable.

Compared with a while ago, it is much more profound.

Just now, Liu Chun asked Ye Luo indirectly and was told that Xie An had received a first-level internal energy pill a few months ago, and a seventh-level internal energy pill a few days ago.

Can a person break through the seventh level of internal energy from the first level within a few months?
However, the Nei Jin Pills dispensed by the pharmacy must be made with genuine ones.

Previously, Liu Chun only thought that Xie An rose to power by relying on his relationship with the eldest princess, but now it seems... he is really a talented person.

Seeing Liu Chun staring at him in a daze, Xie An stretched out his hand and waved it in front of his eyes, "Captain Liu, what's the matter?"

Liu Chun recovered and smiled awkwardly, "No, I just saw that Commander Xie was becoming more and more energetic. I think his martial arts skills are improving, which is really admirable."

Exaggeration... Xie An and Liu Chun walked together for a while, and asked casually: "Isn't Miss Chenxi coming to the martial arts arena to give instructions recently?"

Liu Chun said, "This Miss Chenxi is truly remarkable, proficient in all eighteen martial arts. She taught me a few moves before, and I benefited greatly from them. She is truly worthy of being a distinguished guest from Nanzhou. Recently, Miss Chenxi said she was not feeling well and went out to see a doctor. I'm afraid it will be a while before she returns."

Not feeling well?

Going out for medical treatment?

Xie An wouldn't believe it. He probably went to cause trouble...

Arriving on the seventh floor, Xie An found Chen Tie. After a brief greeting, he explained his purpose.

Chen Tiebi sat upright in front of the long desk, writing on the book with a wolf-hair brush in hand, and said casually, "Ye Luo and I are very good friends. Two six-level internal energy pills will not be a problem. Just pay for it."

Xie An breathed a sigh of relief, but still had some concerns. "The control of the Nei Jin Pills is very strict. Every time we receive one, it must be recorded. If we trade privately, will there be hidden dangers?"

Chen Tie placed the wolf-hair brush on the mountain-shaped pen holder, looked up at Xie An and smiled, "General Xie, you may not know that although Ye Luo is working in the pharmacy of my Demon Suppression Department, he is not actually a direct official of the Demon Suppression Department, but comes from somewhere else..."

After Chen Tie's detailed narration, Xie An finally understood the inside story:
The Demon Suppression Division was primarily responsible for slaying demons and supervising officials. However, due to the need to allocate resources for talent development and the need to consider the medical needs of casualties, the amount of medicinal herbs and precious medicines consumed was astronomical.

The Demon Suppression Division is not that large, and it is a complete system in itself. Many of its functions are completed through cooperation.

Some of the precious medicines listed in the Demon Suppression Division's merit list were owned by the Division itself, while others were acquired through trade with partners. The various precious medicines provided by ordinary pharmacies, and even the large number of high-end weapons provided by the weapon shop, were all purchased through external cooperation.

The Demon Suppression Division's biggest partner was Wanbao Tower. Ye Luo was also a pharmacist sent by Wanbao Tower to the Qingwu Demon Suppression Division. Many of the Qingwu Demon Suppression Division's treasures and internal energy pills were sourced from Wanbao Tower.

Chen Tie brought a porcelain cup and tea leaves, and took the initiative to make a cup of tea for Xie An. He patiently explained, "If you come to Ye Luo as the general manager, then Ye Luo naturally can't provide any convenience. After all, the Demon Suppression Division needs to spend a huge amount of money to purchase medicines from Wanbao Tower every year, and this part must be recorded in the accounts and cannot be falsified. If General Manager Xie comes to Ye Luo as a friend and makes a private deal, he can get extra goods from Wanbao Tower, and then it won't be a problem."

Xie An took a sip of tea and sighed that there were many tricks in the Demon Suppression Division.

I didn't realize that Ye Luo had such a background, it was hidden quite deeply.

"The price..."

"Sixth-level Inner Strength Pills are expensive. Based on my understanding of Wanbaolou, even with the courtesy price, they cost three thousand taels each."

Three thousand taels for one, so two would be six thousand taels...and that's still a reasonable price.

It's no wonder Qingwu County has so few powerful local martial artists. This is partly due to the scarcity of talented martial artists, and partly due to the high cost of martial arts. The Giant Whale Gang exploits the people's wealth, so the two gang leaders might be motivated by the desire to accumulate wealth and advance in martial arts.

The saying that the poor are good at literature and the rich are good at martial arts is absolutely true.

Whether it's Zhao Qing'er, Wei Haoran, or Chen Tie in front of him... they're young but their martial arts skills are extremely high. On the one hand, it's due to their personal efforts, and on the other hand, they have a noble family background and are not short of money...

But Xie An, the general manager... is the poorest!
This general manager's job is... very stressful.

Chen Tie seemed to have read Xie An's mind and said, "If General Xie is in a hurry, I can help advance the payment for a few Sixth-Level Inner Strength Pills. In addition, Wanbaolou is one of the largest chambers of commerce in Daqian and collects rare treasures. If General Xie has some treasures, you can also bring them out for trading."

Xie An weighed the options for a while and said, "Then I'll have to trouble Deputy Director Chen to arrange a meeting with Ye Luo for me."

Although Ye Luo was a small-time pharmacy owner, he had the backing of the behemoth Wanbao Tower. Furthermore, Ye Luo was known for his cautious approach to his work at the Demon Suppression Division. Xie An's direct meeting with him was unlikely to be effective.

That night, Chen Tie called Wei Haoran and Ye Luo to have a banquet and drinks at Hongxiu Tower.

Hongxiulou is the best brothel in the county. It is elegantly decorated with independent private rooms. The girls performing there are dressed coolly and have graceful manners. They play the pipa, guzheng, and even the flute.

It's very romantic.

This was the first time Xie An, Chen Tie, and Wei Haoran had met privately, and it was at a brothel. Xie An could tell that Chen Tie was interested in making friends with him.

They say that those who have never carried a gun or fired a cannon together are not considered brothers...

In such an atmosphere, it is indeed easy for people to relax and build closer relationships.

Xie An also noticed that Ye Luo, Wei Haoran and Chen Tie were already very familiar with each other, so there was no strangeness between them.

After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food.

Wei Haoran opened up, "Thank you, General Manager. I heard from Master Ye that you broke through from the first level to the seventh level in just a few months. That's truly remarkable. I, Wei Haoran, admire you. Thank you, General Manager."

Xie An accompanies him with a drink, "I'm just lucky, I got a chance."

Wei Haoran added, "General Xie, you don't know. Ever since we returned from the last battle against the Giant Whale Gang, that crazy woman, Zhao Qing'er, has been praising you everywhere. She's also constantly comparing me to the General, always saying I, Wei Haoran, am inferior to him in every way. It's really killing me. My life is so hard."

Xie An consoled him, "Zhao Qing'er is outspoken, Brother Wei, don't take it too seriously."

What he was thinking was, "You're such a jerk! With the Duke of Wei at your side, you have everything you want… Unlike me, I'm still struggling after taking two internal energy pills. You're just being pretentious…"

Seeing that Wei Haoran was about to continue complaining, Chen Tie stopped him in time, "Okay, don't forget the main business today."

Then he took out a list and a thick stack of banknotes and handed them to Ye Luo, "Master Ye, these precious medicines are all what I need for my recent training. Sorry for the trouble."

Ye Luo accepted it with a smile: "Okay, I'll send it to Master Chen tomorrow."

"And mine." Wei Haoran also followed suit, taking out the banknotes and list and handing them to Ye Luo together.

Xie An glanced at the corner of his eye and saw that the silver notes Wei Haoran and Chen Tie took out were worth no less than several thousand taels each. The precious medicines on them were all needed for practicing martial arts...

Only now did Xie An understand how the children of aristocratic families practiced.

I don't rely on the benefits of the Demon Suppression Division at all...

By spending money!
There is no harm without comparison.

Even Xie An, a fifth-rank general, felt at this moment that he was... too poor!

To practice martial arts, you have to spend money.

However, since Xie An was the general manager, everyone was very considerate of Xie An's feelings. Chen Tie said that if Xie An needed anything, he could just ask Ye Luo directly, and as for the bill... it would be Chen Tie's responsibility.

Wei Haoran also rushed to say that the money would be put on his account.

It would have been fine if he hadn't mentioned the outstanding debt, but once he did... Xie An seemed even poorer.

It’s like a class reunion from your previous life. You were all chatting and talking, and suddenly a rich classmate stood up and said: You can have fun tonight, just charge my account.

This gap...isn't it like pressing someone to the ground and rubbing them?

Fortunately, Xie An was past the age of comparison when he was young. After thanking him and politely declining, he said, "Master Ye, can I take some treasures in exchange?"

Ye Luo said, "Of course. Although I am the owner of the pharmacy, I also work as a waiter at the Wanbao Building. The treasures that General Manager Xie has brought out must be extraordinary. Please come and see them."

Xie An took out the black iron given by his third brother Yi Qiutang, and the fish monster bone given by his fourth brother Chen Donghai.

Although Xie An knew that these two things were good things, he was not sure about their value.

Ye Luo nodded repeatedly after looking at them. "Heavenly Black Iron, Ox-Horned Fish Demon Spine. These are rare and valuable items that can be exchanged for two Sixth-Level Inner Strength Pills. Are you sure you want to exchange them, Master Zongsi?"

Xie An breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Ye Luo had intentionally raised the price slightly due to his status. "Sure."

Ye Luo accepted the two items and said, "Then I will have someone send two internal energy pills to Xie's house tomorrow."

"Thank you, Master Ye." Xie An thanked his third and fourth brothers from afar in his heart: Third and fourth brothers, I am poor now and have to sell the gifts given by my two brothers. Don't blame me.

With two sixth-level internal energy pills in hand, Yu He's breakthrough to the sixth-level martial artist was certain, which made Xie An feel relieved.

Then Xie An took out a piece of jade given by the white fox and handed it to Ye Luo, "Master Ye, do you know what this is?"

According to Xie An's experience, demon energy should only exist in the body of a demon, and will be absorbed by the long life after death. But why is there demon energy in this jade?
Xie An felt that this knowledgeable Master Ye might be able to tell the difference.

(End of this chapter)