Immortal Cultivation: Starting from a Pharmacy Apprentice

Chapter 219: Chapter 219: Spreading Along the Way

It was a fine and sunny day.

The wind on the Blue Dragon River was strong, making the flags whip and crackle.

Lanshan and his men had caused quite a stir at the Blue Dragon River docks, naturally stepping on many people’s toes.

But with the way things were, everyone could only submit and wait to see what the future held.

Lanshan and his men had a fearsome reputation. As a band of roughnecks from a Demon Hunting Team, they were hardly known for being gentle.

However, since Bai Mo never made an appearance and Lanshan never mentioned him, that fearsome reputation had very little to do with Bai Mo.

The wind was strong on the ship. Along the route, villagers came out to watch.

Even some Cultivators hurried over, a mix of surprise and suspicion on their faces.

Since this was a business venture, it wasn’t just for show. Whenever the great ship passed a town, it would dock and invite Cultivators aboard.

Neat rows of Pills were displayed, along with some that Bai Mo had personally refined, immediately dazzling the Cultivators who came aboard.

Qin Wen was the one receiving the customers.

Bai Mo and Lanshan stood atop the ship’s pavilion, watching the few boats that had been following them recede into the distance.

The boats rode high in the water.

Bai Mo turned and asked, "What do you plan to do with those boats?"

Lanshan cracked his knuckles.

"We’ll head downstream to buy fish and beasts."

"You might not know this, Shopkeeper Bai, but the Blue Dragon River connects to the East Xiangjiang River, a truly massive waterway. There are huge fish in it, and they sometimes swim up into these waters."

Lanshan continued,

"Those things are valuable, you know. The beasts in the Celestial Barrier Mountain are unique."

"By trading goods, the business opportunities here are immense."

"I’ve already contacted leatherworkers downstream, as well as artisans who specialize in large-scale tools. Both are big consumers of Demon Beast parts..."

Listening to Lanshan, it was clear that the profits to be made on the Blue Dragon River were immense.

But the root of it all lay in the Celestial Barrier Mountain. Besides the Demon Hunting Teams, probably no one else could earn this kind of blood money.

Lanshan looked at Bai Mo. "Shopkeeper Bai, about your Pills..."

Bai Mo shook his head.

"Don’t be hasty. We can take it slow."

"My Pills would have too great an impact on the local area. They could easily upset the balance of power and make us enemies."

"It’s better to let them circulate slowly, until people are used to them and actively seek them out."

He said as much, but in truth, the production volume of his Pills was also an issue.

Thoughts swirled in Bai Mo’s mind.

Before long, the great ship shuddered, cut through the waves, and resumed its journey.

The Blue Dragon River wasn’t exactly short. With all its twists and turns, the journey would take the better part of a month.

Bai Mo looked at Lanshan.

"I feel an insight coming on. It’s a good time for me to meditate, so I’ll be staying in for the next few days."

Lanshan let out a hearty laugh.

"There’s no need for us to do anything, anyway. Our men will handle everything..."

The two gazed into the distance, occasionally spotting villagers craning their necks to get a look.

In some poor areas with few Cultivators, having a Pill to aid their practice—sparing them the arduous journey of seeking one elsewhere—could be considered a stroke of immortal fate.

...

The great ship made a round trip on the Blue Dragon River.

The main purpose was just to make an appearance and let the residents along the river know they existed.

By the time they returned to Immortal Arrival City, Bai Mo had acquired a bone whistle.

It was fashioned from a beast’s bone—polished smooth, with a simple, unrefined look.

"To think there’s a place like that along the Blue Dragon River."

Bai Mo said with some surprise, toying with the bone whistle.

Qin Wen, who had gotten a bit tan, walked beside Bai Mo on the street as they headed for the shop.

"They’re local mountain folk. They refuse to abandon their ancestral lands and customs, so they live a difficult life."

They were talking about a settlement near the river’s lower reaches, where the people mostly wore shorts and short skirts, going shirtless or wearing simple vests.

Back then, before the ship had even come to a complete stop, several dark-skinned young men had rushed aboard.

They had pooled what few Spirit Stones they had with their tribesmen to purchase a few Pills, and then they presented the bone whistle to Bai Mo as a gift.

Bai Mo had only heard that he’d be meeting a group of strange, wild people; he hadn’t expected to receive a gift.

Qin Wen chuckled. "It’s a poor area to begin with, so not many merchants are willing to go there."

"It’s rare for a ship to visit them, so of course they’d treat you with the utmost respect."

The whistle was made of high-quality bone, cool to the touch as he fiddled with it. Bai Mo quite liked it, so he put it away carefully.

"Oh, and keep an eye out. If the Demon Beast I’m looking for shows up on the river, I want you to acquire it for me, even if you have to pay a bit of a premium."

Qin Wen agreed.

"Don’t worry. The river is heavily patrolled by men from the Demon Hunting Teams now. All cargo on the water is under our control."

"If anything rare turns up, we’ll be sure to acquire it immediately."

When they returned to the shop, Wei An was pleasantly surprised.

"Shopkeeper, you’re back! Did opening up the river route go well?"

Then, he gave a slight nod to Qin Wen.

"Brother Qin, you’re back too."

Bai Mo was rather exhausted.

He wasn’t a river-dweller, and life adrift on the water didn’t suit him.

"It went well. The shop has a new source of income now. Are you satisfied?"

Seeing Wei An look a bit sheepish, Bai Mo stopped teasing and produced a list.

"This is a list of the Pills we sold along the route. I’ve noted down the Cultivators’ preferences."

"Keep an eye on our stock. We can’t let the ship run out of Pills. If there’s anything you’re not sure about, ask Brother Qin. He’s the one who dealt with all the customers..."

After taking care of the matters at hand, Bai Mo finally had time to rest for a bit.

He had only been asleep for a couple of hours when An Caiwei showed up at his door.

"I hear you’ve been doing well on the Blue Dragon River."

Bai Mo was noncommittal. "It’s just a small venture."

"Why is Senior Sister suddenly interested in this?"

An Caiwei shook her head.

"One of my senior brothers mentioned it, so I just thought I’d ask."

"I’m here about the Pill we discussed. Have you made any progress on the one we agreed on?"

Bai Mo took out a pill vial and tipped out a Water and Fire Life-saving Pill.

"It’s ready."

An Caiwei took a deep breath, her face instantly lighting up with a smile.

"An excellent Pill!"

Bai Mo stated matter-of-factly,

"This is a Tier Two Pill. Naturally, it’s going to be extraordinary."

"Senior Sister, you can let your friends know they can place their orders. The price is twenty-five Spirit Stones apiece."

An Caiwei thought for a moment.

"Twenty-five Spirit Stones... that’s not expensive."

Bai Mo said, "At a critical moment, this can save your life. Of course it’s not expensive."

"Besides, one of the ingredients is extremely hard to find. If you hadn’t introduced me to Senior Brother Hou Mingsheng, I wouldn’t have known where to look for it."

An Caiwei tilted her chin up, looking a bit smug.

"In that case, I’ll let them know it’s ready and that they don’t need to be anxious. They can just come purchase them whenever they visit me."

She was about to leave when she remembered something and added a reminder,

"Don’t get too caught up in worldly possessions. For us Cultivators, our realm is what’s most fundamental."

Bai Mo smiled.

"I know. Now that I’m taking a break, I plan to focus on my cultivation."

"Once I refine the fine ingredients my senior brothers left me into Pills, breaking through to the Qi Refining Seventh Layer shouldn’t be a problem."

An Caiwei then showed a look of approval, as if thinking him a promising student.

"In that case, I have nothing to worry about."

After seeing An Caiwei off, Bai Mo returned to his quiet room.

He already had some ideas for the pill to temper his five viscera.

Bai Mo rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

’Other alchemists have pills for tempering the internal organs, but they focus on nourishment. Nurturing the five viscera that way would take forever.’

’I’ll use a method where water and fire clash. Once my five viscera are damaged, I’ll seize the opportunity to infuse them with the corresponding pill essence.’

The more Bai Mo thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.

’I have to create this pill during my break from cultivation!’

His mind made up, Bai Mo sat down cross-legged.

The quiet room instantly fell silent, the only movement being the flickering flame of the wall lamp, its light wavering between bright and dim.

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