An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Returning customers had always been highly valued by Luo Chen. He had always tried to have his own returning customers, instead of relying on Old Man Chen’s customer base each time.

However, since fasting pills were common goods, he couldn’t build much of a loyal customer base, even though he had previously produced mid-grade pills but he was still limited by his production capacity.

The Myriad Wonders pill presented him with an opportunity.

After a few casual exchanges, Luo Chen arranged all his pills on display.

Old Man Chen glanced over again, noting the quantities with a clear sense that Luo Chen’s pill-refining skills had indeed progressed.

In his recent setups, the quantities Luo Chen brought out had been steadily increasing. Of course, this improvement was also due in part to his ”spirit stone loan” from Old Man Chen.

As the sun rose, more and more cultivators came to the market, and both Luo Chen and Old Man Chen started making sales one by one.

”Fellow Daoist Luo, what a coincidence!”

”Yes, quite a coincidence!”

Luo Chen warmly greeted Zeng Wen, gesturing to the various bottles in front of him. ”Getting a few?”

”Just a few!”

Zeng Wen picked up five bottles of fasting pills, fiddling with them as he said, ”Your skill is really impressive. I tried a fasting pill last time, and it was actually top-grade—much better than others.”

”Glad to know it is filling and thank you for the compliment.”

”Also, I’ll take two bottles of Myriad Wonders pills!”

”Sure.”

Luo Chen handed over two bottles of Myriad Wonders pills with a smile, and the two exchanged a glance, saying it all without words.

Nearby, a cultivator selecting talismans seemed to recognize Zeng Wen.

”Brother Zeng, the spotted tiger butchered at Li’s place yesterday—that was your trophy, right? You really had a bountiful harvest in the mountains this time!”

”Oh, the demonic tiger was a threat to the world. I merely acted on behalf of the heavens. It’s nothing, nothing at all.”

”No need for modesty. What are you buying here?”

Zeng Wen discreetly tucked the Myriad Wonders pills into his storage bag while holding a bottle of fasting pills.

”Just stocking up on fasting pills to make my next mountain trip easier. Brother Duan, I’ll be on my way, I have some urgent business.”

And with that, he hurriedly left.

The cultivator, addressed as Brother Duan, looked puzzled. Then he saw Luo Chen pull two more exquisite jade bottles from a bag below and place them on the counter.

Didn’t Zeng Wen just buy these too?

”What kind of pill is this?”

Luo Chen’s eyes lit up. ”Myriad Wonders pill. Would you be interested in learning about it, Fellow Daoist?”

This was a routine he had come to expect, one that played out time and again.

Customers came, customers went,

The same old dance, the same intent.

I asked a high price, they haggled it low,

I praised my goods, they found flaws to show.

We reached a price, fair and true,

A deal was made, as it always grew.

Unlike the aloof rogue cultivators who meditated in silence at their stalls, the bluestone stall was much livelier. Both the old and young man were shameless and quick with their words.

Whenever Luo Chen had a moment, he’d help Old Man Chen with some bragging, selling a few more talismans.

Maybe because it was the big market day, Luo Chen’s pill business was brisk.

By noon, he had almost sold everything.

Thirty bottles of fasting pills were sold, bringing in six low-grade spirit stones. Twenty bottles of Myriad Wonders pills were sold, bringing in a hundred low-grade spirit stones.

The difference in revenue between the two was enormous. But in terms of profit, the Myriad Wonders pill brought zero profit, barely breaking even.

On the other hand, after deducting costs, the fasting pills yielded a net profit of three spirit stones.

In fact, with his mastery in fasting pills, Luo Chen could increase production and potentially earn more. But the demand for fasting pills was fixed, and he’d only make a few more spirit stones at most.

Taking this opportunity to raise his proficiency in the Myriad Wonders pill would pave the way for large-scale profits in the future. It would start an industrial transformation and open up new channels. A short period of pain was something he could endure!

Old Man Chen kept urging him to repay his debt, and Luo Chen reluctantly paid him fifty spirit stones on the spot.

Then, after repaying, he wheedled and sweet-talked and managed to borrow the money back again.

”Don’t worry, I’ll definitely pay it back. You’ve seen my recent earnings. Just think of it as supporting a poor cultivator’s training. When I make it big, I’ll repay you generously!

”How about this? My pills are sold out, so this afternoon I’ll work for you and help sell your talismans!

”Trust me, I’ll help you sell out faster, and you can go back and draw more talismans, making even more in the end.”

With all his persuasion, Luo Chen managed to keep the one hundred and six spirit stones in his pocket. However, the price was that he’d have to work as a temp for the entire afternoon.

”Huh, what’s going on over at Brother Wang’s stall?”

As Luo Chen was selling talismans, he looked up and noticed a crowd gathering around Wang Yuan’s stall nearby.

He wanted to join the excitement, but Old Man Chen held him back.

”Don’t go!”

”What’s wrong?”

”Have you forgotten what happened the last time this kind of scene occurred?”

Luo Chen stopped in his tracks, recalling a scene from two years ago in the memories of the original Luo Chen.

That time and this time were shockingly similar.

”Are they enemies who have come to settle a score?”

Old Man Chen looked over with a complex expression. ”Although most rogue cultivators are by themselves, some still have relatives and friends.”

”If they die, so be it. But if their enchanted artifacts and robes are put up for sale, it’s hard not to feel a sense of injustice when encountering them.”

Luo Chen suddenly understood, noticing that the crowd there was indeed tense and confrontational. It looked as though a single word could ignite a fight.

Wang Yuan was a seventh stage Qi-Refining cultivator, so those who dared to surround him likely weren’t low-level either. If a fight broke out, he could easily get caught in the crossfire if he went over just to watch.

”No need to worry, they won’t fight. Combat is strictly forbidden in the inner city.”

Old Man Chen shook his head; he had seen this kind of situation many times.

One could only say that people like Wang Yuan, who licked blood off the blade, eventually ran into trouble from walking dangerous paths too often.

Sure enough. After a few harsh words, three cultivators left the rogue cultivator market in anger.

Wang Yuan remained expressionless, sitting cross-legged in front of his stall, his eyes half-closed as if he were still drowsy.

”Selling these bloodstained enchanted artifacts comes with big risks!” Luo Chen muttered. ”Why not just sell them directly to the Treasure Pavilion?”

Old Man Chen sneered. ”The Treasure Pavilion buys them at half price, does some minor refining, and then sells them for a price even higher than the original. How could that compare to selling them yourself and earning more?”

So that’s how it was!

Luo Chen understood. The quality of enchanted artifacts at the rogue market varied greatly, depending entirely on the buyer’s judgment.

Moreover, if they weren’t refined again, they were too recognizable and could easily be identified by friends of the original owner. The only advantage was that they were much cheaper than those sold through official channels.

”Right now, I only have a low-grade enchanted sword, and it’s all rusted. When I have money, should I look for one at the market or buy from the Treasure Pavilion?”

Luo Chen said to himself as he rubbed his chin, reminiscing about his previous life and the dilemma of choosing between a BMW and a Mercedes.

Fantasies were fleeting. Work, however, took an entire afternoon.

After helping Old Man Chen finish with the talismans, he hurried off to purchase the raw materials he needed. With his repeated bulk purchases, he had made arrangements with the vendors to keep the items set aside for him. So, even though time was short, he still managed to spend all of the hundred over spirit stones.

Luo Chen didn’t have a single coin left! Going all-in was an act of wisdom. He never lacked the courage to go all-in, especially in the early stages; losing everything would only mean starting over.

By the time he carried his large sack of supplies home, night had already fallen again.

Luo Chen strode down the dirt road in the outer district, occasionally humming a tune or two. ”I cannot drift with the tide, I must strive for my beloved pursuit of longevity.”

Suddenly, Luo Chen’s steps came to a halt.

In the moonlight, four figures blocked his path.

The moon hung high and the wind howled. Is it finally my turn to be killed for treasure? he thought.

Luo Chen’s heart sank like a stone to the bottom of the Lancang River.