Immortal Cultivation: Starting from a Pharmacy Apprentice

Chapter 217: Chapter 217: Medicinal Ingredients Obtained

"I was just about to write a letter to my fellow disciples on the front lines."

Hou Mingsheng spread out the paper from before, moistened the tip of his brush, and started writing once more.

"But now that you’re here, I’ll have to make some changes."

He asked as he wrote:

"Is there really no way to break it?"

Bai Mo shook his head. "The other party’s research on the Blood Curse is far superior to mine. Besides, the Blood Curse is just that kind of tyrannical thing..."

Hou Mingsheng sighed.

"Fortunately, based on what you’ve said, they won’t be able to scale this up either."

Unless the other party was willing to sacrifice their own high-ranking members.

But that kind of fanatical devotion wasn’t something just anyone possessed.

After bidding farewell to Hou Mingsheng, the two agreed that Bai Mo would pick up the medicinal herbs in ten days, and then Bai Mo left.

He had wanted to stroll around the city, but on the road, Bai Mo suddenly spotted an ox-cart.

An old, docile ox pulled the cart, which had a piece missing from one of its wheels, slowly forward.

On top were several bundles of medicinal herbs, well-dried, with shriveled little yellow berries still clinging to them.

The ignorant children in the countryside craved these little fruits, calling them "lip-smacking sweets."

They didn’t know any better. Eating too many would make your mouth go numb and cause restless dreams at night.

From a dozen paces away, Bai Mo could still smell the medicinal fragrance from the cart.

Bai Mo took a light breath, feeling refreshed.

The grandfather and grandson pushing the cart from behind noticed Bai Mo’s presence and rolled their eyes in annoyance.

"Faster! We can’t be late for our meeting with young Brother Xu!"

Fortunately, the grandson was strong. In his haste, he leaped to the side with a single stride and helped lift the cart’s body, allowing them to proceed normally.

Bai Mo glanced at the direction they were heading. There probably wasn’t a second Cultivator with the surname Xu who bought herbs.

’Does that mean this batch of herbs is for my shop?’

The ox-cart moved slowly, so Bai Mo easily overtook it.

When he returned to the shop, he saw Qin Wen sitting idly, resting with his eyes closed. He said:

"Brother Qin, if you have a moment, could you go outside and receive a cart of herbs? They’re quite rare, to be dried this well. You can tell they were prepared with care."

Qin Wen did as he was told and went out. A short while later, he led the grandfather and grandson back, but Bai Mo was nowhere to be seen.

Wei An stepped forward to settle the payment for the herbs before sending the beaming grandfather and grandson on their way.

"Next time you come, you could perhaps take the waterway. It would save you a lot of effort and time."

The grandfather and grandson paused in their tracks.

"A trip like that costs a lot of silver. No one is willing to take the waterway."

Qin Wen just smiled without speaking. He simply nodded at the pair, then carried the herbs—some slung over his shoulder, some held in his arms—to the herb warehouse.

There, he found Bai Mo, who was sorting through the herbs.

Casually picking off one of the shriveled fruits, Bai Mo popped it into his mouth and chewed.

"Excellent, just as I thought."

Qin Wen dropped the herbs and asked:

"Shopkeeper, which herbs do you need?"

"I’ll help you take them back."

Bai Mo pointed out several types. "Just these."

Qin Wen estimated the amount of herbs.

"Shopkeeper, are you planning to do some serious Alchemy?"

Bai Mo nodded.

"There are some Pills in the shop that only I can make."

"Especially the Fire Marrow Pill. The shop can have a small stock, but we can’t be completely out of it."

Many Cultivators are watching. We rely on the Tier Two Pill to keep up appearances.

"Not many Cultivators buy this Pill, but we have to give them something to aspire to."

This was the business philosophy of the Pill Shop.

Qin Wen didn’t say anything. In truth, quite a few Cultivators usually bought this Pill. A few of them were individuals with profound and fluctuating auras.

Qin Wen had asked them about it. The more talkative ones would leave with a simple "Good Pill," and most of them were repeat customers.

The rest, aside from some wealthy young masters, were men from the Demon Hunting Teams.

Some of these men had really earned their Spirit Stones. Feeling flush now and then, they would buy a Pill to take back with them.

According to them, after enjoying it for two nights, it could also aid their cultivation. It was definitely not a loss.

"In ten days, if I haven’t come out of the quiet room, come and get me."

Closing the great doors to the herb warehouse, Bai Mo instructed.

Qin Wen agreed, placed the items in the quiet room, and helped close the door before leaving.

Not long after, the quiet room was filled with smoke and fire.

Meanwhile, things were not peaceful on the Azure Dragon Waterway outside.

The men Lanshan brought were locked in a fierce struggle with the "water ghosts" who had seized partial control of the area.

The latter were naturally not as numerous or powerful as a Demon Hunting Team, but their advantage was their skill on the water.

Due to their recent tactics, no one dared to provoke this group. Some people knew their hiding place but didn’t dare report them.

They were afraid that Lanshan and his men wouldn’t be thorough enough, and the informer would end up with their throat slit on the water one day for no reason.

Lanshan personally oversaw things from the docks, surrounded by several brawny, thick-armed men, their presence extremely intimidating.

"Still haven’t caught that bunch of water ghosts?"

"No. We set a good ambush last time, but we didn’t expect them to be willing to abandon the goods on their ship. They decisively jumped overboard and fled."

Lanshan’s expression was calm.

"The ’water ghosts’ are secondary. The key is to stabilize the waterway."

"Alchemist Bai from the city will be sending his Pills by water in a dozen or so days. You know what that means."

The hearts of the men beside him sank. They were new recruits who had recently joined Lanshan.

Although they didn’t know the nature of the cooperation between the Pill Master in the city and Lanshan, they knew the two were close, and that the Pill Master was secretly backing their Demon Hunting Team.

"Brother Lan, don’t you worry. With the skills of us brothers, pacifying this Azure Dragon Waterway isn’t beyond our reach."

"Give us twenty men, and in less than ten days, we’ll wipe out every big fish’s nest in the Azure Dragon Waterway for you!"

"It’s just..."

Lanshan’s brow furrowed.

"I’ve heard the Duan brothers are capable men. Why the hesitation?"

"It’s not that. It’s the various gangs and factions in the countryside. I’m afraid they won’t let it go."

One of the men said:

"They usually make money by monopolizing the countryside. Most of the goods that pass through there are taken from them for next to nothing."

"Over time, no one was willing to travel that route anymore."

Hearing that the Pill Master’s Pills were involved, they of course had to take it seriously. They had just joined, and they didn’t want to immediately anger their backer.

Lanshan waved and summoned someone.

"Over the next few days, patrol the entire Azure Dragon Waterway. See which powerful groups are causing trouble."

"If they don’t comply, put them down!"

...

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

When Bai Mo came out of his seclusion, he still felt like he wasn’t quite finished.

He left and immediately headed for the Beast Yard.

According to their agreement, the medicinal herbs that Senior Brother Hou Mingsheng had found for him should have arrived.

When he saw Hou Mingsheng again, the man tossed a bundle directly at him.

Opening it, he saw it was full of dried flowers.

At the center of these flowers, a tongue-shaped spike grew from the pistil. It was very peculiar, and the bundle was quite heavy.

"This stuff is extremely potent, whether used as medicine or in a Pill. Junior Brother Bai, you must be careful."

Bai Mo nodded hastily and took out Spirit Stones, handing them to Hou Mingsheng.

Fifty Spirit Stones wasn’t too expensive. The various surcharges along the route alone were considerable.

Getting such a price in the end really couldn’t be called expensive.

Bai Mo brought the Fire Tongue back to the shop and spent only half a day thoroughly studying its medicinal properties.

"I’m going into seclusion for another two days!"

Bai Mo announced.

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