Immortal Cultivation: Starting from a Pharmacy Apprentice

Chapter 233: Chapter 233: Causing a Stir

Unlike Immortal Arrival City, Celestial Mountain City was still bustling at night.

The prosperity of its commerce went without saying.

The pharmacy apprentices who had come from all over to take the Pill Master certification were enough to add to the city’s clamor.

Occasionally, through the open windows of inns and guest houses, one could see the figures of apprentices reviewing their studies.

Bai Mo passed by the location the old man from the merchant association had pointed out and saw that the manor was dark and its main gate was shut tight.

He knew at once that this was a household that kept to a regular schedule.

There happened to be an inn not far away, with people coming and going. The faint aroma of fish, meat, and wine drifted out from it.

Bai Mo entered and saw quite a few drunks who were pleasantly tipsy, while others had broken into loud song.

He found an open seat off to the side.

As soon as he sat down, a waiter came over to greet him.

"Sir, what would you like to order?"

Bai Mo casually ordered sliced raw fish and green vegetables with a side of white rice, and also asked for a Demon Beast meat stew.

To be honest, defeating the old man from the merchant association in the debate on the Dao hadn’t been difficult, but it had still taken a fair bit of his energy.

’From today on, this will be a war of attrition. I can’t afford to slack off.’

"Do you have any rooms available?"

Bai Mo asked finally.

The waiter’s smile immediately became even more enthusiastic.

"Yes, yes, we still have a few of our better rooms left."

"I’ll take one that gets good sunlight."

The waiter hurried off.

Bai Mo sat quietly in his seat, closing his eyes to recall the words of the old man from the merchant association. Much of the essence of their discussion contained profound subtleties he had never considered before.

Suddenly, a burst of cheerful laughter erupted, so loud it sent ripples across the surface of his tea.

It came from a group of customers gathered at a table in the center of the room. Whatever they were talking about, they were clearly excited.

The waiter came over and set down his food.

Bai Mo asked, "What are those fellow Daoists over there discussing? They seem to be in high spirits..."

Ever since he had walked in, he had seen them engrossed in some topic, with guests from adjacent tables even pulling up stools to join the conversation.

The waiter smiled. "They’re discussing the Pill Competition that’s happening the day after tomorrow."

Bai Mo had never heard of such a thing, and his expression immediately showed his interest.

"It’s a grand event co-sponsored by the pharmacy apprentices and various merchant associations. You could consider it a warm-up for the Pill Master certification."

The waiter grew quite excited as he spoke of it.

"The spectacle is incredibly lively! The apprentices all show off their unique skills. Some make the smoke from their cauldrons transform into illusory birds and beasts, others have their creations attract swarms of bees and butterflies as a form of contest..."

"It’s all quite fantastical and wondrous to behold!"

"It’s like the old imperial examinations, where wealthy families would snatch up the top scholars as sons-in-law. These apprentices put on a show hoping to catch the eye of a merchant association. If they’re favored, they’ll be recruited and showered with resources."

Bai Mo’s excitement had already subsided. He simply smiled.

"Truly a rare sight. I take it this event doesn’t happen often?"

’I don’t remember hearing about anything like this the last time I was here.’

The waiter nodded.

"You need a merchant association willing to foot the bill and enough apprentices participating to make it work. Otherwise, the whole affair is just dull and not much fun at all."

Based on the waiter’s description of the techniques used by the participating apprentices, Bai Mo could already guess what some of them entailed.

For an ordinary Pill Master, such feats were not difficult.

But for a mere apprentice to possess such skill was rare and commendable.

The thought merely flickered through Bai Mo’s mind before vanishing without a trace.

’With my current level of attainment, a competition like that holds no interest for me.’

After his meal, Bai Mo went upstairs to rest. He did nothing else, simply letting his mind go blank.

「The next day.」

Bai Mo arrived before the manor and saw that the doorman was looking sharp and alert.

"Pardon me, but could you please inform your master that a fellow practitioner has come to call?"

The doorman started.

"You must be Alchemist Bai, Bai Mo, correct?"

"Please, come in, quickly!"

Bai Mo paused for a moment before stepping into the manor.

The doorman noticed his confusion and explained:

"First thing this morning, Master Chao from the merchant association sent someone to inform us of your visit."

"My master is already waiting for you."

Bai Mo followed him to the main hall, where he saw the master of the house dressed in a dark red robe.

The old master was well past sixty, yet he remained hale and hearty.

"Greetings, fellow practitioner."

The man stood up, exchanged names with Bai Mo, and then dismissed the surrounding servants.

"Please!"

...

The servants all believed that a debate between two Pill Masters in the main hall was bound to be a spectacular affair.

One, itching with curiosity, pressed his ear to the wall to listen.

"The Dao of Pills... yin and yang in harmony... ores and cinnabar..."

A moment later, the eavesdropping servant’s face fell in dejection.

A Pill Master’s discussion on the Dao was already profound. Hearing only fragments, the servants were naturally even more lost in a fog of confusion.

Another, not ready to give up, continued to listen, hoping to grasp a profound secret or two.

Such was the culture in Celestial Mountain City—even a lowly servant had a heart that yearned for the Alchemy Dao.

About two hours later, Bai Mo emerged.

There was no particular expression on his face, but the master of the house did not see him out.

"Ah Dong, see Alchemist Bai out."

A tall martial artist heard the command, hastily cupping his fist in assent.

He was the head of the household guards and held a position of some status, yet he was utterly respectful as he escorted Bai Mo.

A considerate servant walked toward the main hall and was startled to see his master looking drained and listless.

"Master, you..."

"It’s nothing."

The old master waved his hand dismissively.

"The younger generation is truly formidable. He shattered my momentum, and my energy couldn’t recover, leaving me in this state."

"Help me back to my room. I’ll be fine after a short rest."

The servant carefully helped him up.

’Who was that? I’ve never heard of our master having connections like that.’

"He is from an outer city. Having encountered a bottleneck in the Alchemy Dao, he came to Celestial Mountain City specifically to seek out and debate with fellow practitioners. I was unable to fathom his true depth."

Hearing this, the servant was even more astonished.

"Not even you...?"

"Now that he’s left, might he be on his way to find Master Qi? With a lifetime of experience, Master Qi is a true authority on the subject."

The old master glanced at him.

"Old Ghost Qi has one foot in the grave. How could I send someone to challenge him? If it truly damaged his mind and spirit, it would be tantamount to taking his life."

"Besides, Old Ghost Qi just likes to put on a mysterious act. His actual skill is probably not that much greater than mine..."

After leaving the manor, Bai Mo returned to the inn to rest.

In the afternoon, having recovered his energy, he asked the waiter for the location of a certain street and hurried out again.

Just as Bai Mo stepped out the door, a customer inside the inn suddenly gulped down half a bowl of clear soup and quickly ran out after him.

"Hey, Young Master!"

Bai Mo was taken aback for a moment. It was the first time he’d ever heard someone address him that way.

"What is it?"

The man who had followed him out was middle-aged, with extremely coarse-looking skin.

"Heh heh, Minghong Street is quite a ways off. Young Master, why not take our sedan chair?"

"As for the fare, you can just pay what you see fit."

With that, he pointed to a small sedan chair waiting by the side of the street.

Another carrier was there, squatting and chatting with someone. Seeing he had work, he quickly stood up.

Bai Mo looked the man over. He had an open and honest expression and didn’t give Bai Mo a bad feeling.

"Very well. I’ll hire your sedan chair for the next few days."

"Let’s go. To Minghong Street, the Pill Master’s manor."

"Right away! After you, sir!"

The man rubbed his hands in delight, invited Bai Mo to board the sedan, and shouted as they set off.

"To Hongming Street, we go!"

...

Pill Masters had their own small circle.

In the days that followed, a piece of news began to circulate within that circle: a fellow practitioner from Immortal Arrival City was traveling around, seeking others to engage in debates and discussions on the Dao.

The name Bai Mo spread like wildfire.

"I always thought Immortal Arrival City was full of nothing but crude folk who hunt Demon Beasts, skinning them and carving their flesh. I never imagined they’d produce a fellow practitioner like this!"

"Such aggressive spirit! Let me go meet him and knock him down a peg or two."

"He is indeed highly skilled. Several of our fellow practitioners have already conceded defeat. All of you, be careful..."

As Bai Mo traveled around in his sedan chair, he unknowingly stirred the stagnant waters of the city’s Alchemy Dao community.

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