Chapter 85

Chapter 85: Elixir Recipe

Upon obtaining the spirit pill from Ye Shi, Lian Mengqin immediately thought of handing it over to the academy's alchemists for analysis.

Before Lian Mengqin could act, a few eager alchemists from the Dan Institute sought her out.

"Miss Lian, I heard you've found a Beast Spirit Pill?" An elder from the Dan Institute inquired with urgency.

"It might not be the Beast Spirit Pill, but it certainly has its effects." Lian Mengquan smiled.

She felt closer to the Blood Jiao these days, believing that with continuous effort, she could tame it. Having such a creature by her side would benefit her immeasurably in the future.

"Miss Lian, might you spare a few of those pills?" Lu Han, the dean of the Dan Institute, asked earnestly.

Lian Mengqin nodded, replying, "Of course."

Dean Lu Han had already heard of Lian Mengquan obtaining an elixir with the effects of the Beast Spirit Pill.

After investigating, the elders of the Dan Institute were astonished to find that such a pill was created by a freshman. More surprisingly, not a freshman from their institute, but from the Fu Institute.

Digging deeper, they discovered that the careless student had mistakenly enrolled in the Talisman Institute instead of the Pill Institute. This student, Ye Shi, Master Jing Chiyang's disciple, even had a dispute with the Pill Institute over Mu Chen.

The elders of the Dan Institute weren't fools. Knowing the tampering Luanda did with Mu Chen's records, Lu Han could deduce it.

But by then, Mu Chen was already part of the Talisman Institute. Penalizing the manipulator wouldn't help. For the sake of their reputation, the Pill Institute quietly buried the issue.

Dean Lu Han believed that since Mu Chen was already part of the academy, he might choose the Pill Institute during the transfer opportunity, given his talent.

Within the academy, the Dan Institute held the highest prestige. An alchemist of equal rank was held in much higher regard than a Fu practitioner. Lu Han believed that if Mu Chen were wise, he'd choose the Dan Institute.

With the Beast Spirit Pill incident, Lu Han did bear some resentment towards Luanda. If Mu Chen had belonged to their institute, finding him would have been much easier.

However, since Mu Chen is now part of the Fu Institute, they'd be a laughingstock for approaching him.

Mu Chen was oblivious to the elders of the Dan Institute seeking Lian Mengqin for the Beast Spirit Pill.

Within less than an hour, Mu Chen successfully passed both the first and second level Fu practitioner assessments, stunning many in the Fu Association.

Mu Chen emerged surrounded by people. Ye Shi, looking at the much-admired Mu Chen, couldn't help but feel proud.

"How did it feel?" asked Ye Shi.

Mu Chen smiled, answering, "Quite simple."

Ye Shi smirked, saying, "The test was simple, and flirting with the young girls was too, I suppose?" As Mu Chen emerged, several young girls had their eyes glued to him.

With a helpless laugh, Mu Chen tapped Ye Shi on the forehead, teasingly calling him "jealous."

……

The Dan Institute.

"The pill has been dissected. How are the results on your end?" Lu Han asked sternly.

Yan Wu frowned, saying, "It's peculiar. The ingredients he used are only missing the Ni Chang grass from the original Beast Spirit Pill, which we know shouldn't disturb the balance of the remaining spiritual herbs. Such a pill should be ineffective!"

"Mu Chen must've tweaked the pill. During the dissection, I found many unique components, which I believe are crucial," Luanda said with a furrowed brow.

"I noticed those too. They're very erratic, impossible to identify," Tai Shuming shook his head.

Lu Han sighed, saying, "Miss Lian is getting impatient on her end."

Both they and Lian Mengqin thought that once the pill was dissected, they'd have the formula. Now, with the pill analyzed and Lian Mengqin nearly out of her supply, they were still clueless.

"Dean, should we ask Miss Lian for two more pills?" Yan Wu pondered.

"If we get two more, are you sure we can derive the formula?" Lu Han asked despondently.

If Lian Mengqin found out they couldn't decipher a second-level pill formula, they'd be humiliated.

Tai Shuming suggested, "Dean, perhaps we should approach Senior Jing Chiyang and buy the formula from him."

Lu Han sighed, "At this point, that seems like our only option. I just hope the old man isn't too difficult."

……

"Ye Shi, your master is looking for you," a female student hurriedly approached Ye Shi and Mu Chen upon their return to the academy.

Ye Shi instinctively glanced at Mu Chen. Mu Chen smiled gently, saying, "If your master is looking for you, you should go. Don't keep him waiting."

"Alright," Ye Shi nodded, taking one last look at Mu Chen before departing with the female student.

Watching Ye Shi's retreating figure, Mu Chen's lips curved into a warm smile.

"Back already?" Jing Chiyang, hands on hips, surveyed Ye Shi with an unhappy expression.

Ye Shi nodded subconsciously, "Yes."

"I heard you squandered over 500,000 elemental stones?" Jing Chiyang glared at him.

Again, Ye Shi nodded, "Yes."

Jing Chiyang rolled his eyes. His own disciple was quite the spendthrift. Even in his youth, though branded a prodigal, he now felt dwarfed by Ye Shi. After all, Ye Shi was just a martial practitioner. Who knows how much he'd spend if he advanced to Martial Spirit?

"I also heard you made a purchase worth over 400,000 elemental stones from the Dan Institute and had it delivered to Mo City," Jing Chiyang said with a hint of sarcasm.

Inwardly, Jing Chiyang thought: "Mu Chen has his merits, after all. At the very least, he is genuinely filial. My own bumbling apprentice could learn a thing or two from him in that regard!"

Ye Shi nodded, saying, "Indeed! Mu Chen mentioned that he's concerned because Uncle Mu's strength seems to be dwindling, making him vulnerable to bullying."

Rolling his eyes, Jing Chiyang remarked, "That guy should be more worried about himself getting bullied first."

Ye Shi sighed dejectedly. "Mu Chen isn't strong either. As a result, he's often bullied. I've heard that several instructors from the Fu Academy don't think highly of him."

Jing Chiyang paused, reflecting, "So, the reason my disciple isn't filial is that he thinks he won't get bullied? This thought eased some of Jing Chiyang's irritation."

"Rest assured, your friend Mu Chen is quite crafty. He won't be easily taken advantage of," Jing Chiyang said with a hint of annoyance.

"True that." Ye Shi agreed, then inquired, "Master, you seemed in a hurry to find me. Is there something you need?"

"Earlier, someone from the Dan Institute came wanting to buy the Beast Spirit Pill formula you have. They offered three million," Jing Chiyang said, hands clasped behind his back.

"The Dan Institute? Three million? Are they trying to lowball me?" Ye Shi expressed with displeasure.

Jing Chiyang couldn't help but think, "Despite my disciple's lack of strength, he certainly doesn't lack audacity!"

"Apprentice, I've negotiated on your behalf, raising the price to five million," Jing Chiyang informed.

"Master, why would you sell it to those jerks at the Dan Institute for such a low price? They were the ones who barred Mu Chen from entering the academy. At the very least, the price should be six million." Ye Shi pondered for a moment, then confidently held up six fingers.

Jing Chiyang: "..."

"My dear apprentice, once the people from the Dan Institute get the pill, they'll analyze it, determining the herbs used. By then, your formula won't be valuable anymore. Honestly, five million isn't a bad price," Jing Chiyang said earnestly.

Ye Shi dismissively responded, "They wouldn't know. If they did, they would have known by now. I believe they must have approached Sister Lian for some elixirs to study. Unable to research them themselves and not wanting to admit it to Sister Lian, they turned to me."

Frowning, Jing Chiyang asked, "How do you know they couldn't figure it out?"

"Mu Chen told me," Ye Shi replied matter-of-factly.

Jing Chiyang silently pondered: It's plausible that the people from the Dan Institute approached Lian Mengquan for the pills. Initially, he thought they were just avoiding the hassle by buying the formula directly. But reflecting on their prideful nature, they would likely not approach his disciple, especially after past conflicts, unless they had no other choice.

If the Dan Institute turned to Ye Shi to buy the formula because they couldn't decipher it on their own, then five million might indeed be a lowball offer. Those Dan Institute scoundrels are trying to play him for a fool!

He had overestimated the Dan Institute's capabilities, never imagining that a fifth-tier alchemist, the head of the Dan Institute, couldn't decipher a second-tier pill.

Ye Shi looked at Jing Chiyang, asking, "Master, did you finalize the deal with the Dan Institute for five million?"

Jing Chiyang gritted his teeth, regretting his decision. He hadn't realized that the Pill Academy was only buying because they couldn't research the pill formula themselves. Thinking it was a steal to sell a formula for five million, he eagerly signed the agreement with them. They came fully prepared!

"Yeah," Jing Chiyang said with an awkward laugh.

Ye Shi pondered for a moment, then nodded, "Alright, I'll speak to Mu Chen. Five million is a lot after all."

...

When Ye Shi found Mu Chen, he was baking a cake.

"Is that for me?" Ye Shi approached, looking excited.

Mu Chen glanced at Ye Shi and remarked, "It's for you, but not for you to consume. Take it back and give it to your master. I've heard that Elder Jing has a sweet tooth."

Frowning, Ye Shi replied, "I also like sweets."

Sighing, Mu Chen rolled his eyes, "This cake uses tier-five ingredients. It's too potent for you."

Ye Shi dejectedly responded, "I see." He wondered why Mu Chen would spend so much on expensive ingredients, only to find out it was a gift for his master.

"By the way, why were you looking for me?" Mu Chen inquired.

Ye Shi replied somewhat despondently, "Master sold your pill formula for five million. He got swindled; we could have gotten a much higher price."

Mu Chen narrowed his eyes, "Five million is sufficient. Greed knows no bounds, but let's settle at five million."

If it weren't for Ye Shi being the disciple of Jing Chiyang, the other party would not have been so courteous out of respect for the monk, not the Buddha.

He's just a junior student. If pressured by the higher-ups in the academy, he'd be powerless. Getting five million is already good fortune, probably given out of respect for Jing Chiyang.

Ye Shi simply nodded, "Alright then."

"Here's the recipe for the fragrance, and this one is for the broth. As for the pill formula, there's no need. I believe those from the Dan Institute already have an idea," Mu Chen said nonchalantly.

"Got it. I'll hand it to master later," Ye Shi carefully stowed away the recipes.