An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

The golden glow of the setting sun spilled over the streets, casting long shadows across rows of neatly lined houses. Bathed in the warm hue, Luo Chen stood at the entrance of a small courtyard, releasing a long breath as he watched the day slowly fade.

The negotiation with Old Man Yuan had gone better than expected. Perhaps it was due to their dealings over the pineapple wine, or maybe it was because he had arranged a stable and profitable job for Xiao Yue. Whatever the reason, when Luo Chen arrived with the custom-made wheelchair and expressed his intentions, the old man had not refused.

Instead, he said he would try to speak with Dragon Coil Tiger, the new leader of the Mining Hall. While he made no guarantees, it was still a step forward.

Behind him, a soft and timid voice of a young girl rang out. “Brother Luo, Grandpa asked me to give you this.”

Turning, Luo Chen saw Xiao Yue holding a jade-green gourd in her small hands. “He said he really liked the wheelchair!”

Luo Chen accepted the green gourd, sensed it briefly, and was surprised. The gourd’s material was quite extraordinary, with at least a century of age. If not for the lack of inscribed formations, it could have passed for a low-grade enchanted artifact.

Was Old Man Yuan truly this generous? The thought crossed Luo Chen’s mind, and he couldn’t help but chuckle at himself.

Of course, Old Man Yuan wasn’t like the miserly Old Chen Xiuping; there was no such stingy persona to speak of. He was a magnanimous old man, generous both within and outside, which explained how he had trained two hall leaders like Leaping Tiger and Dragon Coil Tiger.

Luo Chen shook the gourd lightly, and the sound of liquid swishing inside resonated.

”Xiao Yue, how did the stall go today?” he asked.

The girl’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Good! I tried using your method of calling out to customers, and a lot of people came to buy snacks. But...” Her excitement gave way to a flicker of hesitation.

Luo Chen smiled. She had grown When he first met this young girl, she had been like a shy little cub, unfamiliar with people. Later, when she had summoned the courage to set up a stall, she had still appeared timid, afraid to face others. Now, after just a single day, though still soft-spoken, she carried a newfound confidence.

Indeed! Back when Luo Chen was in university, selling socks at a stall and earning money had also boosted his confidence significantly. Effort and reward often bring self-assurance.

He asked with a smile, ”But what is it?”

“A lot of people said you were a heartless boss... and warned me to be careful in case you docked my wages.” Xiao Yue’s voice grew quieter, and she looked at Luo Chen with a hint of nervousness.

Luo Chen froze, then burst into laughter. “Let them talk. Your Brother Luo is no scrooge.”

Luo Chen waved his hand grandly, exuding confidence. But inwardly, he ground his teeth.

Heartless boss? All my life, I’ve worked diligently—for the nation, for society, for this cultivation world—what a great contribution I’ve made! How did I become a heartless boss? If I catch whoever’s spreading these rumors, they won’t get away unscathed!

When he returned to the courtyard, he was greeted not just by Gu Caiyi, but also by Qin Liangchen and his wife, Murong Qinglian. They were gathered in his backroom, pointing and commenting.

Upon seeing Luo Chen, Murong Qinglian smiled. ”Your house is repaired, it’s much better than before!”

”Really?” Luo Chen’s eyes lit up as he entered the room.

Upon looking around, he couldn’t help but feel deeply satisfied.

Previously, the backroom was spacious, but because it faced south-to-north and was near an alley, it had no windows. As a result, the room had poor lighting and was quite damp. However, the renovated house now had two skylights installed on the roof. With glazed tiles from the Immortal Build Residence installed, natural light could now be channeled into the house.

Additionally, the juniors repairing the house thoughtfully added thin partitions for the bedroom, living room, kitchen, and alchemy room. In this way, the house finally had the layout of a proper home.

Overjoyed, Luo Chen waved his hand grandly. ”To celebrate moving into my new home, I’ll personally cook a meal for everyone!”

The group responded with smiles, readily agreeing.

During dinner that evening, as they watched Luo Chen pour wine from the green gourd, Qin Liangchen and Murong Qinglian exchanged glances and nodded subtly.

That was a specialty gourd from the Yuan family. It was a gourd vine transplanted years ago by Leaping Tiger from a spirit land in the Ancient Plains.

Though not a true spirit plant, its long age endowed it with slight spirit properties. This explained why Old Man Yuan’s pineapple wine had an exceptional taste, despite using ordinary ingredients. The reason also lay in his use of aged large gourds to nurture the wine, granting it the properties of spirit wine.

Now that Luo Chen had received a century-old green gourd, it was evident that Old Man Yuan had agreed to support him. This was good news!

If Luo Chen could truly take control of the Alchemy Hall, the couple would gain an additional ally within the faction.

The current Poshan Gang was no longer as straightforward as it once was—they needed allies. Of course, perhaps this faction formed by rogue cultivators was never truly pure to begin with. It was just that they had been coaxed into joining by Mi Shuhua in the past and were only now realizing something was amiss.

After a glass of wine, Luo Chen brought up his proposal from earlier that day. ”Will it cause trouble for Sister Caiyi to join the Poshan Gang?”

Next to him, Gu Caiyi grew visibly nervous. This concerned her future source of cultivation resources.

Qin Liangchen replied without hesitation, ”There will be some trouble, but not much. The main issue is your intention to place her in the Alchemy Hall.”

Murong Qinglian explained, ”The Poshan Gang has always welcomed rogue cultivators from Dahe Market. While early-stage cultivators aren’t valued much, mid-stage cultivators are our main targets for recruitment.

”In terms of late-stage cultivators, it’s more cautious and requires a recommendation.”

Luo Chen chuckled and said, ”With Brother Qin and Sister-in-law recommending her, it shouldn’t be a big issue, right?”

Murong Qinglian shook her head. ”That’s only for ordinary late-stage cultivators, at the ninth stage of Qi-Refining it requires the Gang Leader’s approval. When Broken Blade Xu Renke joined, it was decided by him.”

Seeing Gu Caiyi’s anxious expression, Murong Qinglian’s face grew solemn. ”Moreover, after the Alchemy Hall is established, the composition of its personnel is still unclear.

”If you reserve a position for Caiyi now, Mi Shuhua might not agree.”

After she said this, the atmosphere became slightly tense.

After a while, Luo Chen gently said, ”In the Alchemy Hall, I need a trusted cultivator at the ninth stage of Qi-Refining!”

Qin Liangchen sighed. He was already named elder. Moreover, his newly attached right hand was still in the recovery and adaptation phase, making it unlikely that he could join the Alchemy Hall.

However, to ensure the hall had some self-defense capability, the Poshan Gang would certainly place experts in it. Of course, this could also be interpreted as placing Qi-Refining experts to monitor, regulate, and supervise.

In this foreseeable situation, Luo Chen’s request was entirely reasonable.

Brother Qin nodded. ”This matter will likely require some thorough negotiations.”

”Sorry to trouble you, Brother Qin,” Luo Chen sighed.

Gu Caiyi lifted her cup, eyes shimmering with hope. “Thank you, Brother Qin. And you too, Sister-in-law.”

As the meal was nearing its end, Luo Chen suddenly inquired about the internal situation in the gang.

”How far along is the establishment of the Alchemy Hall?”

”The location has been decided, it will be near our Medicine Hall in Crescent Moon Valley. As for personnel, late-stage cultivators are yet to be determined, but the Medicine Hall will send ten mid-stage cultivators. The headquarters is also considering forming transportation and sales teams.”

Murong Qinglian added uncertainly, ”In no more than ten days, you’ll likely need to attend the gang’s internal meeting!”

Ten days? That should be enough! Luo Chen thought to himself silently.