Chapter 24

Chapter 24

When Wen Jue returned, Qin Zhou was making pills in their residence.

The Medicine Moon Sect had brought quite a few alchemy materials, so Qin Zhou prepared some for them and kept the rest for himself.

He sat in the courtyard, holding a mortar and pestle, grinding herbs slowly and steadily.

"Didn’t buy the tanghulu?" Qin Zhou asked without looking up.

Wen Jue: "..."

"There’s one on the table. Help yourself."

Wen Jue raised an eyebrow and quickly stepped inside. After grabbing the tanghulu, he came back out. "You bought this?"

"Chen San passed his aptitude test. I happened to see a street vendor selling tanghulu, so I bought two skewers."

"He still eats this?" Wen Jue asked, surprised.

"Don’t you?"

Wen Jue took a bite. "This Lord only had it as a child... because my family was poor and couldn’t afford it. But that was many years ago. After cultivating immortality and fasting, I stopped craving treats. But since you bought it, I’ll indulge you and have some."

His cheeks bulged as he chewed.

Qin Zhou lowered his eyes and continued grinding the herbs.

"Making pills again?" Wen Jue pulled over a small wooden stool and sat down, watching Qin Zhou’s meticulous movements before asking.

He was uncharacteristically quiet and well-behaved, Qin Zhou thought.

"For the Medicine Moon Sect. We’re meeting Lord Snowflake tomorrow, so preparing some pills beforehand doesn’t hurt."

"The one at the city gate that day?"

"Yeah."

"Qin Zhou, why do you earn so much money?"

"..." Qin Zhou was stumped. After all, you couldn’t survive without money in the world he came from.

"Others cultivate immortality solely to improve their strength, but you don’t seem in a hurry—just spending all day making pills." Wen Jue pressed, "Don’t you want to ascend to the Upper Realm after improving your cultivation? Before taking over this mortal body, didn’t you have any friends or family up there?"

There was a probing tone in Wen Jue’s voice.

Qin Zhou glanced at him and answered truthfully, "No." Back when he was in this world, there had been no distinction between the Upper and Lower Realms.

Wen Jue: "..."

Alright, alright. Qin Zhou’s mouth was the toughest clam in the world!

Qin Zhou stood up and took the finished pills to the alchemy room.

Wen Jue watched his back as he left and took an unwilling bite of the tanghulu.

"This Lord noticed you paid close attention to the talk about the Thousand Mystic Sect today. You’re not completely uninterested in the Upper Realm, are you?"

"I’m curious, but cultivation takes time." "This Lord knows plenty of sect gossip." Wen Jue huffed.

"And what about the Cangyun Sword Sect?" Qin Zhou mentioned the only sect he knew of.

Wen Jue almost choked upon hearing the name. "The Cangyun Sword Sect?"

Qin Zhou glanced back at him and said casually, "Does that sect have any secrets?"

Wen Jue smirked. "Oh, it does."

Without hesitation, Wen Jue declared, "The Cangyun Sword Immortal of the Cangyun Sword Sect was involved with the Grand Sect Leader of the Demon Sect in his early years. They even had a son—oh, and by the way, both of them were men."

Qin Zhou fell silent.

That statement truly threw him for a loop. Men... having a son?

*The Birthgiving Pill. You’re an Alchemist—surely you know about it?* Wen Jue narrowed his eyes. The Birthgiving Pill was something the old coot had concocted.

Qin Zhou: "..."

So... it was his own doing.

Indeed, the Birthgiving Pill was something Qin Zhou, as a veteran Alchemist, had once devised in a spur of inspiration while researching a new pill formula.

The reason? Simple.

At the time, he found the villagers too few, and the methods of recruiting or obtaining villagers through preordained events were far too random. So, he created the Birthgiving Pill.

Originally, he intended for two high-potential villagers to pair up, producing even better children.

Unfortunately, the villagers were all obsessed with cultivation and had no interest in reproduction.

Thus, the Birthgiving Pill saw little success.

Later, Qin Zhou succeeded a handful of times.

But he soon discovered that the children’s aptitudes weren’t influenced by their parents’ qualities. So, the Birthgiving Pill was gradually forgotten.

Could it be that after he left, the villagers spread it around?

Even... popularized it?

"What Birthgiving Pill? I don’t know anything about it," Qin Zhou dodged, then ducked into the pill-refining chamber. He had no desire to get tangled in trouble with some Sword Immortal or *the* Sect Master—it sounded like trouble.

Wen Jue: "..."

Did he just say…? He didn’t know about the Birthgiving Pill? No way! How could the old coot not know about the Birthgiving Pill?!

...

By the time Qin Zhou emerged from the pill-refining chamber, Wen Jue was already gone.

He guessed Wen Jue’s spirit’s time was up and had to return. Even with the aid of the Gu Yuan Pill, Wen Jue couldn’t stay in the mortal realm indefinitely.

The mortal realm seemed to impose many restrictions on Cultivators from the immortal realm.

Qin Zhou didn’t overthink it.

He slipped the finished pills into a pouch and set off to meet his appointment with the Medicine Moon Sect and the Snowflake Pavilion.

...

The Snowflake Pavilion truly lives up to its reputation as one of the largest pill merchants in the provincial capital.

If the Qin family's shop is a small but complete sparrow, then the Snowflake Pavilion is undoubtedly a grand phoenix.

Lifting one’s gaze, all that meets the eye is golden and glittering.

An entire street of shops—all belong entirely to the Snowflake Pavilion.

A golden plaque stands at the street entrance, and from afar, the tallest pavilion at the center of the street is the Snowflake Pavilion's Pill Repository.

It is said that the finest pills in the entire Snowflake Pavilion are stored there.

Even the guards at the door are cultivators employed by the Snowflake Pavilion. In terms of treatment, they are no worse off than inner sect disciples.

As soon as Qin Zhou stepped onto that street, someone immediately approached him—

"Are you Young Master Qin from DragonPhoenix Pill?"

DragonPhoenix Pill is the new name Qin Zhou had recently given to the Qin family's shop.

Qin Zhou nodded and was led by the attendant into the central Pill Repository.

The Medicine Moon Sect and Lord Snowflake were already waiting.

Today, Lord Snowflake had forgone his usual snow-white robes, perhaps because Wen Jue had set the standard.

Qin Zhou walked over.

"Young Master Qin has arrived," He Wenfeng acknowledged him with a nod.

Lord Snowflake also stood up to greet him, "Young Master Qin, please take your seat. Today, we finally have the chance to make good on that promised meal."

Qin Zhou took his seat smoothly, "Lord Snowflake, you flatter me."

He Wenfeng looked surprised, "Do you two know each other?"

"I met Young Master Qin at the city gate before. It's rather embarrassing—my earth lion got tempted, probably catching the scent of pills on Young Master Qin, and nearly offended him. Thinking back now, it must have been fate. I’ve seen the pills Elder He sent—they are indeed treasure-grade." Lord Snowflake sighed with a smile, "The Snowflake Pavilion is fortunate to do business with Young Master Qin."

"However, I must still ask, Young Master Qin, can you truly provide a consistent supply? Treasure-grade... Not even the major pill sects dare boast about offering a consistent supply of treasure-grade pills."

Qin Zhou: "I can."

He said these three words so matter-of-factly that Lord Snowflake was at a loss how to take them.

Before Qin Zhou arrived, he had thought this might just be a ploy to secure the deal.

But once the words "I can" were uttered, Zhou Shilin found himself at a loss how to counter. Especially since Qin Zhou's calm demeanor radiated quiet confidence.

Such people were terrifying in Zhou Shilin's eyes.

Either he was deceiving both himself and others without so much as a flicker, or he had absolute confidence and was merely stating facts.

"Young Master Qin… truly?" Zhou Shilin couldn’t help but ask again, "If so, then I must inquire, where do these treasure-grade pills come from?"

"I am an Alchemist." Qin Zhou unhurriedly produced several more pills from his bag, "First-tier, second-tier—all can be treasure-grade. Fresh out of the cauldron this afternoon."

Anyone unaware might think he was talking about fresh produce from the market. Fresh out of the cauldron?

Zhou Shilin wanted to laugh, but the sight of the golden, premium-grade elixirs on the table killed his urge to laugh.

"Lord Snowflake, Young Master Qin can craft premium-grade elixirs," He Wenfeng nodded, though his eyes remained fixed on the freshly made pills on the table.

He had just delivered pills to the Qin family's shop that morning, and by afternoon, new ones were already produced. Could it be... these pills...

"This is Medicine Moon Sect's portion," Qin Zhou retrieved another pouch and handed it directly to He Wenfeng.

The Medicine Moon Sect had provided considerable assistance during his trip to the provincial capital, so the pills he gave were plenty to spare.

He Wenfeng quickly stashed them away. "Thank you, Young Master Qin."

"Here's how my pill business works. I sell finished products retail and also accept bulk orders. The former requires spirit stones upfront, the latter Alchemy Materials. If the quality falls short, I offer refunds."

Zhou Shilin was floored by how matter-of-fact he was. He had assumed Qin Zhou was the quiet type, which was why he had brought He Wenfeng along for support. Yet, it seemed Qin Zhou had the whole deal figured out.

Retail sales... bulk production... Those eight words said it all—short and to the point. But what was most astonishing was how casually he spoke of such meticulously crafted elixirs, as if they were common candy drops.

At this point, whether Zhou Shilin believed in Qin Zhou's ability to consistently supply premium-grade elixirs or not no longer mattered. The pills Qin Zhou had presented were enough to have low-level Cultivators fighting over them.

As Snowflake Pavilion's boss, Zhou Shilin was a decisive man.

Not one to beat around the bush, he asked, "What are the prices for retail sales and bulk production?"

"For retail, I charge the cost of Alchemy Materials plus fifty percent of the selling price. For bulk orders, I don’t provide the materials—I take forty percent of the selling price."

On paper, those rates sounded outrageous.

But Zhou Shilin understood—an Alchemist capable of refining premium-grade elixirs could command that price.

"From what I know, Young Master Qin also owns a shop called DragonPhoenix Pill in the provincial capital. With such formidable alchemy skills, why not sell them yourself instead of partnering with Snowflake Pavilion?"

Qin Zhou looked up. "DragonPhoenix Pill only serves the provincial capital. Snowflake Pavilion has extensive connections, capable of distributing to sects and regions far and wide. We both win—what's not to like?"

"At the end of the day, Snowflake Pavilion is just the middleman, selling your elixirs under the DragonPhoenix Pill brand. Given that, shouldn’t the price be a bit lower?" Zhou Shilin smiled. "Young Master Qin, throw me a bone here."

Qin Zhou, however, wouldn't budge. "A stable source of premium-grade elixirs is the greatest bone I can throw."

Zhou Shilin had nothing to say to that.

He had to admit—he hadn’t expected Qin Zhou to be such a tough negotiator.

Though not a merchant by trade, Qin Zhou was no stranger to negotiations, having once headed big gaming ventures.

The discussion seemed to reach an impasse.

Zhou Shilin mulled it over while Qin Zhou waited calmly.

After a long pause, Zhou Shilin finally asked—

"Then what if we were to invite Young Master Qin to join Snowflake Pavilion? What would be the price?"

"No." Qin Zhou refused outright.

Zhou Shilin chuckled, unsurprised. "Very well, I’ll proceed with this deal, Young Master Qin. But whether it becomes a long-term arrangement—let's play it by ear."

"Deal."

After seeing off He Wenfeng and Qin Zhou, Zhou Shilin's subordinate cautiously stepped forward to pour him tea.

"Pavilion Master, are we really agreeing to this?"

Zhou Shilin: "Yes. Who wouldn’t be tempted by treasure-grade elixirs? With these, Snowflake Pavilion can gain an edge over Kylin Pavilion."

"But... he can only provide low-rank treasure-grade elixirs. Won’t that look inadequate against Kylin Pavilion?"

Zhou Shilin waved his hand dismissively.

"That’s not my real objective."

He lifted the teacup and took a sip.

Low-rank treasure-grade elixirs were certainly tempting.

But this deal wasn’t just about elixirs.

Qin Zhou had undergone an aptitude assessment, and the results had reached him the same day. How could someone widely known as a notorious failure suddenly become the inheritor of a treasure-grade spiritual root in just a month?

Elixirs capable of rewriting one's fate—

Zhou Shilin had once heard from his ancestors that marrow-cleansing myths existed in this world.

But he had never seen proof of it.

Whether Qin Zhou had truly undergone this transformation, he didn’t know. But... if such a marrow-cleansing method or elixir existed—

And if Snowflake Pavilion could obtain it—

Then surpassing Kylin Pavilion would be just the beginning.

It would be a genuine method for all mortals in the mortal realm to rewrite their fates.

Perhaps, cultivation for all would no longer be just a fantasy.

Zhou Shilin gave a wry laugh and massaged his temples.

Of course, this was merely his own grand aspiration.

At any rate, cooperating with Qin Zhou was risk-free for Snowflake Pavilion.