An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

”Heh, young as you are, your appetite sure is big.”

”Too much!” The voices rang out orderly in succession, sharp and dismissive. Ke Yuelin, Sikong Shoujia, and Mi Junping spoke, their tones filled with disapproval.

Luo Chen mentally noted each name in turn.

He shook his head and said, ”Not much, really not much. You can’t imagine how profitable pills are. Take my Myriad Wonders Pill as an example—a single batch costs only five spirit stones, but I can sell it for dozens. Asking for half is honestly not excessive.”

”Not excessive, you say?” Ke Yuelin sneered. ”You know the profits are high, and you think you deserve half?”

Beside him, Mi Shuhua and Mi Junping nodded in agreement. Their expressions were calculated, eyes glinting with interest and skepticism.

What Ke Yuelin didn’t see was how dark his sworn brother Qin Liangchen’s expression had become.

Luo Chen didn’t seem to care about his sneer at all and continued complaining, ”What else can I do? Will you make the pills? Hall Leader Ke, with your distinguished appearance and your excellent pig-raising skills, I’m sure your expertise in handling medicinal materials and furnace flames must also be flawless!”

Ke Yuelin froze in place. If he had such skills, with his ninth stage Qi-Refining Realm, why would he still be here raising pigs and cows?

Yes, the Beast Hall did indeed handle such things. The Poshan Gang didn’t just hunt demonic beasts; they also raised some easily domesticated low-tier wild beasts. They were left to graze in the Ancient Plains and cultivated with spiritual energy, gradually producing a stable supply of low-tier demonic beasts.

Calling the Beast Hall’s leader a pig and cow farmer wasn’t even an insult—it was the truth.

”Little Luo, speak nicely. Don’t antagonize Big Brother Ke.” Murong Qinglian spoke with a bright smile, but the way she looked at Ke Yuelin was as cold as ice.

Since when had her junior unknowingly thrown himself into Mi Shuhua’s camp?

”Alright, I’ll listen to my sister-in-law!” Luo Chen dropped his pitiful act and said bluntly, ”Alchemy is a tough job, I’m not lying to you. When the time comes, you can see it for yourselves, and I’ll even guide you personally if you want to try your hand at it.

”That’s why I’m asking for my own share of the profits—completely reasonable.

”Fifty percent might seem like a lot, but look, just look at me!” Under everyone’s gaze, Luo Chen pointed to his dusty, shabby clothes.

A first-tier low-grade enchanted robe, second-hand! It even had holes, with the hem scorched by flames.

With a flick of his wrist, a flying sword borrowed from Gu Caiyi appeared. A first-tier low-grade flying sword, engraved with floral patterns, obviously meant for female cultivators.

“Little Luo is pitiful—he can’t eat well, can’t dress well, and even his enchanted artifacts are second-hand.” He sighed dramatically. ”If another faction saw this, and the Alchemy Hall leader of one of the nine halls looked like this, it wouldn’t just be my face that’s lost—it’s the face of our Poshan Gang! It’s the face of Foundation Establishment cultivator Mi Leader!”

Mi Shuhua’s expression was particularly colorful. He hadn’t expected such a pitiful act.

The others were also a bit stunned—back when they were in the mid stage of Qi-Refining, they probably hadn’t been this miserable.

Murong Qinglian’s eyes glistened with tears. ”Little Luo sacrificed so much for his alchemy skills—wearing the worst robes, using flying swords discarded by his neighbor’s sister. He’s truly had enough of hard days.”

Thinking about it this way, maybe fifty percent of the profits wasn’t that much? However.

”It’s still too much!” Mi Junping said coldly.

Luo Chen straightened his expression. ”Then hall leader of the Merit Hall, you tell me what’s fair.”

”Contributing to the gang is your duty. Two bottles of qi-nourishing pills a month are sufficient,” Mi Junping replied with her usual impassive tone.

Luo Chen erupted in anger. ”Are you trying to appease a beggar? If word gets out that the Poshan Gang mistreats its alchemists, tens of thousands of cultivators in Dahe Market will look down on you!”

”What status do you think you have, to dare speak like this…” Mi Junping raised her brows, ready to scold him.

“Ping’er!” Mi Shuhua interrupted, his voice smooth and fatherly. “Exactly, once you join our family, we take care of our own. The Poshan Gang has never mistreated a brother!”

Mi Junping bit her lip, realizing her mistake. If rumors spread of mistreating an alchemist, the gang’s hard-earned reputation would crumble along with Mi Shuhua’s image as a supporter of low-tier cultivators, and would be utterly destroyed.

Rogue cultivator factions survived on unity and trust. Without recruits, they would wither. If their reputation crumbled, the chain reaction that followed would be unbearable for the Mi family.

Rogue cultivator factions like the Poshan Gang relied on numbers and unity. But if others stopped joining, it was only a matter of time before they scattered like the wind, becoming just another footnote in the history of Dahe Market’s many factions.

Mi Shuhua turned to Sikong Shoujia. ”Sikong, you’re mature and steady. You’ve worked in several halls before. Why don’t you propose something reasonable for everyone to consider?”

Ahem! Clearing his throat, Sikong Shoujia raised a single finger. ”Ten percent should be sufficient.”

”No...”

”Little Luo, don’t rush to oppose. Think about it—the raw materials for the pills are provided by the gang, the sales channels are also managed by the gang. And in the future, you won’t even need to show your face; there will be dedicated personnel to handle sales. How much time will you save for cultivation?” Sikong Shoujia spoke methodically, one point after another, explaining patiently.

”Your struggles, we as elders have seen them. To add, Leader Mi has always been generous to the younger generation. He has some extra high-grade enchanted artifacts; giving you one wouldn’t be an issue. Isn’t that right, Leader Mi?”

Mi Shuhua smiled faintly. ”Indeed, just a couple of enchanted artifacts. Why buy from outside when I can gift them to you?”

Luo Chen remained silent, frozen in place.

The atmosphere in the Radiant Moon Hall grew increasingly oppressive.

After a long silence, a rough voice rang out.

”Young one, don’t be so insatiable. You need to learn contentment.” It was Descending Mountain Tiger, Luo Wudi!

Luo Chen glanced at him and gritted his teeth. ”A ten percent share is indeed too little!”

”This is already the maximum the gang can offer. After all, we have over a thousand brothers to feed,” Mi Junping retorted, unwavering.

Luo Chen lifted his head, ignoring her, and instead looked at the others. ”I, Luo Chen, don’t claim to have many skills, but I do have some expertise in alchemy. If my cultivation improves and I’m provided with suitable pill recipes, I will gladly refine the pills needed by everyone free of charge.”

The crowd showed signs of being moved. Their wandering gazes hinted at a growing eagerness.

”Not only that, but everyone can also send trusted disciples or younger relatives to the Alchemy Hall. I will do my best to guide them. If they can learn even a bit, they’ll have a skill to rely on in the future.”

As soon as he finished speaking. Dragon Coil Tiger Yang Wei laughed heartily, ”Since Little Luo is being so generous, why should we be stingy?”

Mining Hall Chief Zhang Shicong said warmly, ”Ten percent is indeed too little. Why not make it twenty percent? After all, it’s Luo Chen’s hard work.”

Qin Liangchen and Murong Qinglian spoke in unison, ”Twenty percent is neither too much nor too little. Little Luo doesn’t have any other means of livelihood, after all.”

Since the start of the meeting, there was only one person who hadn’t spoken yet.

That person was Wang Yuan.

His brows had been tightly furrowed until he saw Luo Chen negotiating with everyone, word by word. Though there were moments of joke and complaint, Luo Chen remained composed, clearly not just someone who knew how to play the victim.

Only then did Wang Yuan’s furrowed brows gradually relax. ”Let’s settle on twenty percent. Any more invites envy, any less breeds resentment.”

For the moment, including the Gang Leader, five of the twelve high-ranking members had agreed to this share. With Luo Chen’s silent agreement, that made it half.

Mi Junping’s expression had darkened like still water.

Before this, they had already discussed the rough profit-sharing ratios with the other hall leaders. Now having to give away an additional twenty percent meant it was the Mi family taking the loss.

Ke Yuelin didn’t dare speak again, as Qin Liangchen and his wife were staring daggers at him. Sikong Shoujia had a mocking smile at the corner of his mouth but said nothing, choosing to stay out of it entirely.

Mi Shuhua’s smile faded slightly as his gaze fell on another person.

”Zeng Wen, did you enjoy yourself at Tianxiang Tower this past month?”