Gou Zai Xianwu Chaos World, Physical Sainthood

"Sir? Sir!"

The middle-aged man said several more words, but Lu Cheng didn't hear a single one.

It wasn't until he couldn't help but shout a couple of times at Lu Cheng that Lu Cheng came back to his senses.

I just gave a perfunctory answer:

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was shocked by the price."

"Huh?" The middle-aged man's expression became even stranger, thinking that this time he might not be to blame Old Yang for his bad temper.

"You flatter me, sir. One tael and eight mace is already a very good deal."

"There are a few cheaper ones nearby, but theirs are basically all stained with blood."

"It's really not worth it for just three coins."

Lu Cheng nodded:

"Indeed, it's not worth it."

A smile appeared on the middle-aged man's face as he stood up and asked:

"Sir, you can rest assured about the source of the medicine, no matter how much you need."

Lu Cheng held up two fingers and shook them, saying:

"Twenty doses of medicinal herbs."

"Okay, sir, please wait a moment. I... what is this?"

Upon hearing that there were twenty sets, the middle-aged man's face immediately lit up with ecstatic joy.

But immediately, the smile froze on his face.

He paused for a moment, wondering if he hadn't heard clearly, and asked again.

Lu Cheng looked at him and repeated it clearly:

"I'll buy twenty doses of herbs from you to make a blood-activating powder, and you'll give me a prescription in return, how about that?"

The middle-aged man was now certain.

I realized I had wronged Lao Yang this time.

For a moment, even a middle-aged man with worldly wisdom wanted to raise his hand and say, "Turn left when you go out."

He took two deep breaths and barely managed to suppress his anger.

But she just couldn't manage a smile.

"You flatter me, sir. Our shop does not sell medicinal herbs. You may wish to visit the other rooms."

Sensing the suppressed anger in the middle-aged man's tone, Lu Cheng was not in a hurry.

Instead, he slowly began to speak:

"Oh? Why are you in such a hurry to get rid of me? We've been talking for so long, do you think it's a little longer to chat?"

"Why don't you listen to my proposal first? If it's really not to your liking, then it's not too late to get me up."

Seeing Lu Cheng like this, the man became curious again.

He glanced at Lu Cheng, sat down, and snorted:

"Since we have nothing else to do, let's hear what you have to say."

As she spoke, she picked up the water that was originally poured for Lu Cheng and slurped it down.

Lu Cheng looked at the water in the man's hand and said:

"Since the profits from refining pills are so high, who wouldn't want to give it a try?"

"I'll buy twenty doses of the Blood-Activating Powder from you at a price of six qian per dose."

"Please attach a prescription for this medicine."

"If I don't have the talent to become an alchemist, I'll still have to come back to you to buy finished medicine."

"You'll still be the one to earn that money."

"If I can refine the elixir, then I will buy all the medicinal herbs from you from now on."

"In addition, any excess blood-activating powder will also be given to you to sell."

"After deducting costs, you get 30% and I get 70%."

To everyone's surprise, the middle-aged man sneered disdainfully upon hearing this:

"What a joke! You think being an alchemist is so easy?"

"From the age of seven, we had to memorize the pharmacopoeia and learn pharmacology. By the age of ten, we would stand all day with a mortar and pestle in our left hand and a grinder in our right."

As he spoke, the man fell into reminiscence, and his tone became wistful:

"After three years of this, you will learn how to prepare medicine and make pills."

"Only when you reach this stage will you have a chance to be noticed by the teacher, and if you're lucky, you might be recruited to do odd jobs."

"From then on, he would move firewood, wash the furnace, and sweep the alchemy room until his teacher was satisfied, at which point he could be promoted to a fire-fanning boy and begin to work on alchemy."

"You think that's all?"

The man shook his head, took a deep breath, and sighed even more deeply:

"This is just the beginning."

"The fire-fanning boy is just a boy; he will only say a word or two about alchemy methods and key points when the teacher is in a good mood."

"Only when the teacher feels that you have learned and mastered the trick will they conduct a test."

"Only those who pass the examination will be accepted as disciples."

"Only after you have truly mastered all the processes and techniques of alchemy can you start making it yourself."

"Seventeen years. It took a full seventeen years to get to this point."

"But only now can we know whether we are truly qualified to become an alchemist!"

"No matter how well the fire burns under the furnace, or how perfectly the medicinal herbs are processed inside, you can't imagine the despair one feels when they can't sense any change in the herbs' properties once they're inside!"

Having said that, she looked at Lu Cheng, her tone becoming increasingly aggressive:

"You don't even know what the medicinal properties are, how to process the medicinal materials, or how to control the fire in the furnace."

Even if you have the talent, you can't master it!

"Give me back my three and you give me back my seven!"

"To tell you the truth, the profit is about the same as what I make myself. And I still have to go through the trouble of preparing the medicinal herbs for you? Do you think I'm just wasting my time?"

Lu admitted that she had listened to the man's entire explanation and was not angry at the man's sarcastic remarks at the end.

He could sense the man's resentment and anger.

If I had known from the beginning that I didn't have the talent, I wouldn't have wasted that time.

Seventeen years of relentless effort, only to end up with nothing—no one could bear that.

"Whether the past years were good or bad, they are all part of one's life."

"It is certainly disheartening to see seventeen years of hard work go down the drain in an instant, but it is probably precisely during this period that you have the capital to do this business."

"Life is full of unpredictable changes, who can say for sure?"

After saying that, he was about to leave.

"Wait a minute," the man suddenly said.

"Six qian of silver per dose, twenty doses in total. Pay half the money now, and come to me tomorrow to pick up the medicine."

"..."

Now it was Lu Cheng's turn to be puzzled.

The man explained:

Even the smallest mosquito leg is still meat, and even a penny is still money.

Lu Cheng breathed a sigh of relief and took out his only six taels of silver:

"Then it's settled. From now on, you'll be responsible for selling all the blood-activating powders I concoct."

The man snatched the money and impatiently waved his hand, saying:

"I was talking about the cost of the medicinal herbs. As for making the medicine, keep dreaming."

Lu Cheng did not refute, but smiled and lifted the curtain to go out.

Watching Lu Cheng's disappearing figure, the man suddenly slapped himself:

"They must be out of their minds to believe he can concoct medicine."

That being said, the man did not regret suddenly changing his mind.

Perhaps it was because Lu Cheng had been listening very attentively when he recounted the past.

Perhaps it was Lu Cheng's last few words that touched the man's heart.

It's just a worthless prescription anyway, might as well give it away.

More importantly, they are struggling to pay the rent for this stone house.

Don't be fooled by the nice words the man says.

Most people who come to the black market to buy medicine are there because it's cheap.

Old Yang's business is legitimate, while the others' prices are lower.

He was caught in the middle, which was really not a good feeling.

……

The next day, he borrowed another six taels from the chubby boy and the skinny boy.

Lu Cheng reappeared at the Black Market.

As soon as he entered, the man snorted and muttered a complaint in a low voice:

"I really fell for your trick."

"I don't know what got into those people, they suddenly wanted to replenish the medicine storehouse."

"They bought up all the medicinal herbs on the market in just a few days."

"Luckily you came to me; if it were someone else, they definitely wouldn't have been able to gather all the necessary medicinal herbs."

As he spoke, he pulled a package out of the wooden platform with a "thump":

"Count them, twenty sets."

Upon hearing that all the medicinal herbs on the market had been sold out, a thought flashed through Lu Cheng's mind, as if he had grasped something.

But after thinking about it, I still couldn't come up with a solution.

With what he wanted right in front of him, he was too eager to investigate further and only wanted to try to see if [Destiny] could deduce the alchemy process.

The package was quite large, and inside were more than a dozen kinds of medicinal herbs neatly categorized.

Each medicinal herb was neatly bundled, with its name and quantity labeled on it.

At the very top of the medicinal herbs was a sheet of yellow paper covered with dense writing.

Lu Cheng eagerly picked up the yellow paper and carefully read it from beginning to end.

As soon as I finished reading it, golden light shone brightly in my mind.

[Destiny - All Laws Return to One]

I have learned the [Essence Refining - Blood Activating Powder] method. Shall I proceed with the derivation?

Lu Cheng was pleasantly surprised, but also relieved.

The intention was immediately given:

Deduction!

[Essence Refining - Blood-Activating Powder] Deduction Completed!

Within the towering golden pillar of light, a black figure sat cross-legged, his hands outstretched as if refining elixirs.

【Essence Refining - Blood-Activating Powder】

[Rank: None]

[Level: Beginner (170/200)]

[The auxiliary medicine used to restore the body in the Refining Strength Realm is not difficult to refine; one only needs to understand pharmacology and the properties of the medicine.]

……

Before Lu Cheng could recover from the excitement of learning how to refine the Blood-Activating Powder, [Destiny] flashed again.

Another message arrived.

[Alchemy] I have learned it. Shall I perform the deduction?

Ok?

besides?

Alchemy...

Elixir refining...

Is there any difference?

Lu Cheng subconsciously gave the intention to deduce.

[Alchemy] is currently being deduced...

……

……

After waiting for a long time, the words "in progress" remained unchanged.

Lu Chengfang then realized that this alchemy technique could not be deduced in a short time.

Fortunately, it didn't interfere with his preparation of the blood-activating powder.

Let's just let it deduce for now.

Whatever we can deduce, it won't do any harm.

……

I sensed something approaching nearby.

Lu Cheng suddenly came to his senses.

Turning her head, she saw that the man was less than half a foot away from her.

"Is there something wrong with the prescription?"

Lu Cheng shook his head:

"The prescription is excellent."

This was the truth; the prescription the man gave him not only listed the proportions and order of the medicinal ingredients.

It even includes the changes and reactions of each medicinal herb at different times after it is put into the alchemy furnace.

The latter doesn't need to be written down at all.

Those were the secrets of alchemy that a young apprentice had acquired by fanning the furnace for countless years.

This is also why Lu Chengfu's skill level reached 170 as soon as he learned how to refine the Blood Activating Powder.

Lu Cheng held the yellow paper, took two steps back, and bowed slightly to the man.

The man paused for a moment, then reached out to help.

But before they could even reach Lu Cheng, they heard him speak:

"I have another request. May I borrow your stone house and alchemy furnace?"

The man was so angry that his eyes were seeing stars. He leaned on the wooden table with one hand and pointed at Lu Cheng with the other, shouting angrily:

"You...you..."

……

A quarter of an hour later, Lu Cheng excitedly selected the first batch of medicinal herbs.

Then, the treatment was carried out according to the prescription.

First, put the different root and rhizome medicinal materials into a mortar and pestle and crush them vigorously.

Because I had never done this kind of work before, I didn't control my strength well, and half of the root broke off on the first blow.

The man chuckled.

Lu Cheng ignored it and picked it up again to start pounding it.

After pounding for a while, a mortar full of small, unevenly sized pieces of powder was produced.

Next, the leaves and flowers of the medicinal materials are chopped and crushed according to the prescription.

Half an hour had passed by the time everything was finished, and Lu Cheng was covered in sweat.

The man, who had watched the whole thing, couldn't help but sneer:

"Boy, take a good look at the prescription. What does it say? 'Stir well until the color is uniform.' But look at the medicinal materials you've prepared."

"What the hell is that thing?"

Lu Cheng looked at the medicine he had been mixing for half a day. Although it was even, the color was indeed uneven.

After hesitating for a long time with his lips pursed, Lu Cheng chose to ignore the man's words and proceed to the next step.

Put firewood in the stove and light it.

As the flames ignited, Lu Cheng placed a three-legged bronze cauldron, about the size of a human head, onto the stove.

Once the furnace walls are hot, quickly pour in the mixed powdered medicine.

Then he squatted in front of the stove, adding firewood with one hand and stirring the powdered medicine with a medicine spoon in the other.

At this moment, the figure in his mind's sea also moved in the same way as Lu Cheng.

Even the furnace and cauldron in front of him, and the medicinal herbs beside him, were exactly the same.

Whenever the figure made a certain movement or the cauldron in front of him emitted a light, Lu Cheng would quickly follow suit.

The man watching from the sidelines gradually changed his expression.

Although Lu Cheng's movements were clumsy, he had controlled every step from firing to now with great precision.

If things continue like this, it might actually...

Before the man could finish his exclamation, a burnt smell wafted out.

The first attempt failed.

The man shook his head.

The first difficulty lies in where Lu Cheng failed.

The medicinal properties of the liquid in the cauldron need to be determined in a split second, and then the appropriate auxiliary medicines need to be added.

A moment's delay and it's burnt.

There are three more places that are even more difficult than this.

Lu Cheng removed the alchemy cauldron, cleaned it, and prepared the second batch of medicinal herbs.

This time, grinding the herbs was much easier, and the grains were much more uniform.

When lighting the fire, be careful to control the flame and not let it burn too brightly.

But this time, the first difficulty still caused a problem.

If the furnace temperature is too low, the powdered medicine will clump together and won't disperse.

The second attempt failed.

More than two hours had passed since Lu Cheng entered the Black Workshop.

The medicinal herbs were left with the man.

Lu Cheng left before the market closed.

He returned to Changfeng Escort Agency and resumed his martial arts training as usual.

There were a few fewer people in the square.

Lu Cheng could also clearly feel that his body was swollen in a different way.

My own "rebellious energy" is about to come.

The blood-activating powder must be refined as soon as possible.

That evening, Lu Cheng returned to the Black Workshop to begin refining medicine.

This time, unsurprisingly, it failed again.

Lu Cheng simply stopped and leaned back in his chair.

Close your eyes and let your consciousness sink into the sea of ​​knowledge.

Within the sea of ​​consciousness, the figure held out its hands in a gesture of support.

A phantom medicine furnace appeared before them.

The flames beneath the furnace flickered and smoldered.

Lu Cheng stared at the figure for a full quarter of an hour.

I didn't open my eyes until every detail was etched into my mind.

The fourth attempt failed.

The fifth attempt failed.

Despite five failures, Lu Cheng was not discouraged.

This is simply because the skill level has been greatly improved.

We are only half a step away from achieving a minor level of success.

【Essence Refining - Blood-Activating Powder】

[Rank: None]

[Level: Beginner (196/200)]

Five doses of medicinal herbs were enough to elevate my skills to a minor level, which was entirely worthwhile.

If you can't grasp the basics at the beginner level, you'll find it much easier once you reach a certain level of proficiency.

……

And indeed, things turned out exactly as Lu Cheng had predicted.

After his sixth failure, Lu Cheng's alchemy skills suddenly improved.

Lu Cheng opened the furnace for the seventh time.

A cauldron of white, fine-textured powder with a refreshing medicinal fragrance appeared inside.

As soon as the smell wafted out, the man sat up straight with a "whoosh".

He stared at Lu Cheng in disbelief.