Immortality Begins as an Alchemy Master 3

Chapter 3: Just Say Yes or No

Three male cultivators, clad in tight-fitting robes, gathered around, bending down to examine something on the flagstone.

“Hey, a Concealment Talisman! A good thing! How much is one?”

“Five spiritual stones each. Essential for home use, travel, hunting in the mountains. At a critical moment, activate this talisman, and even a thorny wolf won’t be able to smell you!”

“So expensive! Are you robbing us?”

“Just say yes or no!”

“Give us a discount. We’re going into the mountains and need to buy many kinds of talismans. We can buy a whole stack from you.”

“Haven’t you heard? I, Old Daoist Chen, have a reputation in Great River City, and my talisman-making skills are renowned! Besides, even if I give you a discount on the talismans, what if a demonic beast attacks? Will it bite you less?”

“Three spiritual stones for this Concealment Talisman, plus three Earth Spike Talismans and six Fireball Talismans.”

“Four! No less! This Concealment Talisman is my specialty; I only make one a month!”

After a brief discussion, the three male cultivators decided to buy the Concealment Talisman.

After settling the transaction, their attention shifted to a jade bottle in the corner.

“Valley-Clearing Pills?”

Luo Chen perked up. “One keeps you full, ten will keep you from feeling hungry for three days and three nights. How many bottles do you want?”

“How much?”

“Let me tell you, these Valley-Clearing Pills are made with high-quality first-rank yellow beef as the main ingredient, supplemented with ginseng and angelica, and finally refined with the Hundred Flower Honey, a specialty of the Medicine King Sect. They are truly excellent value for money!”

“Is it really that good?”

“Come, smell the fragrance. Isn’t it intoxicating? And look at the color! Absolutely no adulteration or fake ingredients. I dare say no one in this area has better quality than mine!”

“Brother, it does seem more fragrant than the Valley-Clearing Pills we bought before.”

“Yes, this Daoist friend is clearly a connoisseur. You guys were probably ripped off before. Did those Valley-Clearing Pills have a mealy texture? That definitely means they used fake beef!”

“How much?”

“Four bottles for only one spiritual stone!”

“Are you robbing us?!”

“Just say yes or no! You won’t find such good goods after this stall. Let me tell you, I have many loyal customers. I’ll be going home once I sell out.”

“A discount?”

“Seeing that you three are sincere buyers, how about this: still one spiritual stone, but five bottles! Consider it making a friend. When I release new elixirs, I’ll give you a discount!”

“Alright, ten bottles. We still have some old stock left, so we’ll try yours this time.”

The transaction completed, Luo Chen and Old Daoist Chen exchanged bows, wishing them “safe travels into the mountains and a bountiful harvest.”

After they left, the two exchanged knowing smiles.

Old Daoist Chen secretly placed another Concealment Talisman on his stall.

He said he only made one a month…

As the sun rose higher, the scattered cultivator area in the southwest corner became increasingly lively.

Vendors selling elixirs, cultivation techniques, and demonic beast meat were everywhere.

Buyers and bargain hunters thronged the area, and occasionally, one or two disciples wearing the Jade Tripod Sword Sect’s uniform could be seen.

The appearance of the latter always excited the scattered cultivators, who invariably raised their prices by several tenths.

Sect members were fat sheep!

But this had nothing to do with Luo Chen.

Valley-Clearing Pills were the most common of common goods; every sect had them.

Moreover, he refined the lowest grade Valley-Clearing Pills; they couldn’t even be called pills, just Valley-Clearing Powder rolled into small balls.

Even if he refined them well, they had no competitiveness.

By noon, Luo Chen had almost sold out.

Only twenty bottles in total – a small amount, the result of six or seven days’ worth of work.

It could only be said that low-level alchemists had a hard time!

Unsubsidized low-level alchemist scattered cultivators had an even harder life!

Without needing to pack up, Luo Chen gave Old Daoist Chen some leftover beef jerky made from scraps before leaving.

Before leaving, Old Daoist Chen, chewing on the beef jerky with some water, called out to him.

“Are you making new elixirs? Is it that flawed recipe you found last year?”

“Don’t be too ambitious, kid. I’ve seen many scattered cultivators studying new recipes, only to end up penniless and ruined.”

“Your spiritual stones are hard-earned. Why not buy two bottles of Qi-Nourishing Pills from the Spirit Herb Pavilion and improve your cultivation level a bit?”

This was a rare moment of sincere advice from the stingy, opportunistic old man.

Luo Chen could hear the sincerity in his voice.

In fact, the original owner had paid a far greater price for that flawed recipe than Old Daoist Chen had described.

But Luo Chen had other plans and wouldn’t be so ambitious.

“You should watch your teeth, old man. This beef jerky is easy to chip them.”

(The error-free version is available on 6Ⅹ9ⅩbookⅩbar)

Old Daoist Chen gritted his teeth, a piece of beef jerky getting stuck in his teeth, causing him considerable discomfort, but he still forced it down. He glared at Luo Chen.

“Get lost!”

Luo Chen chuckled, squeezing his way through the crowd and disappearing.

He was still in the southwest scattered cultivator area, but this time he was in the herbal medicine trading area.

Having spent many years in this area, he was well-versed in the buying and selling of various goods.

“Sister Wang, is this what your husband brought back from the mountain? It seems like it’s not even dry yet, so those who know their herbs probably won’t want it.”

“Little brother, I’ll do you a favor and reluctantly take ten jin!”

“This piece of He Shou Wu (a type of herbal root), it doesn’t seem to be over ten years old! Give me a discount, and I’ll take it.”

“Yushan medicine, yes, fifty jin. I used to buy twenty jin for one spiritual stone, but now it’s doubled. Give me a discount!”

“Forget it, I won’t haggle. Just throw in a red cedar fruit, a big one.”

For the rest of the afternoon, Luo Chen moved through the herbal medicine area, making large-scale purchases of the herbs he needed.

Because they were all scattered cultivators selling from stalls, the quality of goods relied entirely on the buyer’s judgment, and the price depended on their haggling skills.

With his mouth dry from haggling, Luo Chen finally finished most of his purchases.

Next, he had to go to the city center in the Inner City.

The Spirit Herb Pavilion, one of the six top shops in Great River City, was located in the most prominent spot in the city center.

It was a five-story building, with elegant eaves and painted walls, and beautifully carved railings – a magnificent sight.

However, this place only sold finished elixirs, which were currently beyond Luo Chen’s means.

His destination was the Hundred Herbs Hall next to the Spirit Herb Pavilion.

It was said that both the Spirit Herb Pavilion and the Hundred Herbs Hall originated from the Medicine King Sect, but no one knew why they had separate storefronts.

Compared to the grand Spirit Herb Pavilion, the Hundred Herbs Hall was much more ordinary.

A row of single-story houses extended to the back, looking unremarkable.

But once close, the strong smell of herbs hit him.

Luo Chen’s spirits lifted, and he gently placed the large bag on his back near the door.

The stout shopkeeper looked at the large bag, his eyes narrowed slightly, and his nose twitched before he shook his head.

Luo Chen didn’t mind, approaching the counter.

“Senior, do you still have Sea-Based Herbal Medicine and Fire Dog Whip?”

Upon hearing the names of these two herbs, the stout shopkeeper’s eyes gleamed with amusement.

(New chapter released, please collect if you like it. Thank you everyone!)

(End of Chapter)

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