Immortal Cultivation: Starting from a Pharmacy Apprentice

Chapter 224: Chapter 224: Asking a Favor

The Five Elements Secret Organ Pill was good, but Bai Mo was already spread too thin.

In any case, there was still no news on the other five-colored earth qi, so he decided to shelve the matter for now.

Xue Ning emerged from the Alchemy Room, looking dusty and disheveled, carrying a small, heavy pouch.

"Qin Wen, please take these Feeding Pills to the beast emporium in the city."

Bai Mo had been checking the ledgers, with Wei An and Qin Wen standing by to answer any questions.

The books detailed the sales volumes for each type of Pill, which helped in adjusting the refining schedule.

Wei An and Qin Wen, however, had a better sense of the cultivators’ needs; having served many customers, they always had some insights.

"Actually, I have some business with a brother at the beast emporium. Give them to me."

Bai Mo casually took the Feeding Pills. With a flick of his hand, the small pouch vanished into his sleeve.

Xue Ning glanced at Bai Mo’s sleeve with envy, then cupped his hands in a brief salute before returning to the Alchemy Room.

Bai Mo closed the ledger and shook his head.

"In that case, let’s refine more Condensed Dew Pills and Righteous Qi Pills."

"I didn’t expect so many cultivators heading into the mountains to get injured recently. I wonder how many of them won’t be able to go back up the mountain again."

Qin Wen smiled and saw Bai Mo out of the shop.

"With more people going into the mountains, it’s inevitable."

The streets were crowded, and Bai Mo quickly squeezed into the throng.

Hurrying along, he finally arrived at the beast emporium before the sun reached its peak.

A disciple from the Beast Taming Peak deftly snatched the small pouch from Bai Mo and chuckled.

"If you hadn’t come soon, Junior Brother, I would’ve had to come knocking. Can’t let those little ancestors in there feel neglected."

"Oh, right, the Spirit Stones have already been paid. Just ask the clerk at your shop. We paid in advance. What do you think? Good enough for you, right?"

This disciple’s surname was Liu, and he was already quite familiar with Bai Mo. He winked and nudged his eyebrows suggestively.

Bai Mo could only cup his hands in acknowledgment.

"I’m grateful for your trust and care, Brother."

The two chatted for a while before Brother Liu suddenly realized something.

"Huh? For a trivial matter like this, why would a grand Pill Master like you come in person, Junior Brother?"

Bai Mo cupped his hands again. "Naturally, I have a favor to ask."

"Oh? Junior Brother, you and my Beast Taming Peak are old acquaintances. Feel free to speak your mind."

Just then, the long, drawn-out cry of a beast rang out. The sound rose and fell, continuous but without any sense of anxiety.

A commotion stirred among the cultivators who had come to ride the beasts, but it was quickly suppressed.

"Heh, these guys are rushing me for their meal."

Brother Liu said with a smile, carrying the small pouch as he walked out.

"Junior Brother, let’s talk as we walk."

"Alright."

Bai Mo walked outside with him and saw a Spirit Beast that strongly resembled a Rhino Beast crying out.

Its massive body was sprawled on the ground, and it was calling out randomly with its eyes closed, looking very lazy. Its cries incited the other Spirit Beasts nearby, making them restless.

Only when Bai Mo and the other man approached did this Rhino Beast open its eyes and glance at the small pouch.

"Heh!" Brother Liu let out a cold laugh.

"These ringleader Spirit Beasts are the most annoying."

As he spoke, he stuffed two Feeding Pills into the Rhino Beast’s mouth.

A nearby stablehand ran over carrying a wooden bucket, scooping out specially prepared fodder and pouring it into the Rhino Beast’s mouth as well.

There were many hired hands here; otherwise, it would be impossible to handle all the Spirit Beasts.

"So, Junior Brother, what was the matter you wanted to discuss?"

After a moment of contemplation, Bai Mo said:

"The brothers of the Beast Taming Peak travel all over the world. Have you ever come into contact with wandering Alchemy Cultivators, those who roam the lands without a fixed place to stay?"

Brother Liu thought for a moment before nodding.

"Of course there are, but not many. As you know, people like that have limited skills, so we basically don’t have any dealings with them."

"Why? Are you thinking of..."

Bai Mo sighed.

"Yes. The shop is short-staffed right now."

"Just a few of us can’t handle everything. We need to hire outside help."

’Independent Alchemy Cultivators are the most useful. They would be perfect to settle down in my shop.’

"Of course, the Cultivators I’m looking for must be of good character. Otherwise, I’d just be asking for trouble."

"I don’t have the energy to deal with internal friction."

Brother Liu walked past a Spirit Beast, reached out to stroke its fluffy fur, and tossed two Feeding Pills into its mouth.

He wasn’t optimistic about Bai Mo’s idea.

"Those freelance Alchemy Cultivators out there? How could any of them be any good? Wandering from place to place, they’ve long since become slick and black-hearted."

"What’s worse, even after falling to such a state, they’re so stubborn and complacent that they still look down on the way of Feeding Pills."

Brother Liu scoffed. It seemed there was a story behind that.

’They’d dealt with Bai Mo enough to have a general sense of his character.’

’Aside from routine social obligations, he was completely devoted to the Alchemy Dao and his cultivation.’

’He was clearly a natural-born seed for cultivation.’

’Cultivators like that would surely not meet Bai Mo’s standards.’

Bai Mo followed him, observing the Spirit Beasts’ reactions after eating the Feeding Pills as he said:

"Some cultivators suffer mishaps and end up as wandering but good-natured souls. They’re just rare."

"People like that, if trained a bit, would still be worth employing."

Brother Liu chuckled.

"The way I see it, you’d be better off just putting out a call, Junior Brother Bai. The applicants would come in droves, and then you could pick the most suitable ones..."

Bai Mo shook his head.

"My operation is too small. I’m afraid of getting schemed against or hiring someone with ulterior motives. Let’s just leave it for now."

As the two walked and talked quietly, they were suddenly confronted by a dramatic scene.

"You bastard!!"

In a corner, the Sect Disciple Hou Mingsheng, his face as red as a hot coal, was glaring at a young cultivator before him.

He failed to control the aura he had developed over many years of battle, and a sliver of it leaked out.

The young cultivator kept his head down, barely daring to look at him.

Nearby cultivators were also alarmed and hurried past, not daring to stare.

Seeing gazes coming from near and far, Hou Mingsheng instantly realized his earlier shout had been highly inappropriate.

With a cold snort, he dragged the young cultivator into his office.

Bai Mo said softly:

"Brother Hou is in charge of logistical preparations for the sect’s campaigning cultivators, and he’s a veteran of many battles. What could possibly shake his composure like that?"

Brother Liu said, "That man seems to be a friend or relative of Brother Hou. He’s been here several times these past few days."

He didn’t know the details, and it wasn’t his place to ask about such matters.

"Right, Junior Brother, you also looked for Brother Hou before. What was that about?"

"It was to find a certain medicinal ingredient. I was very grateful for his help..."

...

Having found no leads at the beast emporium, Bai Mo asked his fellow disciples there to keep an eye out before returning to his shop.

’He still had some face, after all.’

’He believed his peers from the Beast Taming Peak would take the matter seriously, but whether they could find a suitable person would come down to luck.’

After returning to the shop, he happened to find Lanshan there, empty-handed.

"Shopkeeper Bai."

Bai Mo nodded, noticing several scratch marks on his neck.

"Business not going well?"

Lanshan nodded, took the tea Wei An offered, and downed it in one gulp.

"Yeah, something went wrong. We didn’t even make back enough for the men’s injury medicine."

At these words, even Qin Wen, who had been organizing medicinal herbs with his head down, looked over.

His throat hadn’t recovered yet, so he had only nodded to Lanshan earlier, unaware that something like this had happened.

’With Lanshan’s men and their methods, they had been doing quite well for themselves recently.’

"What happened?"

Bai Mo asked.

Lanshan said gloomily, "Ran into a ghost, goddammit!"

"We were scattered by some huge creature. My brothers were separated in the forest, and I don’t know what they ran into, but they came back with broken bones and torn tendons."

"The crucial part is, they couldn’t get a clear look at what attacked them."

"How many were injured?" Qin Wen asked, his voice hoarse.

Lanshan gave him a surprised look before saying:

"Thirteen men. Fortunately, the injuries weren’t from sharp weapons. They have both internal and external wounds, but at least no one died."

Qin Wen frowned.

"Where was it so dangerous?"

"The dense forest by the stream below West Mountain. It’s a familiar area; I don’t know why this happened."

The frustration on Lanshan’s face was unconcealed.

But Bai Mo’s heart skipped a beat.

’Hm? That’s the same place Liu Yaozi ran into trouble...’

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