The Grey Rat's Demon Path

Chapter 139: Chapter 133: Hope for the Future (Part 2)

After some preliminary small talk, Cheng Mengying revealed her purpose.

Just as Xu Chang’an had guessed, the business Cheng Mengying mentioned in her letter was indeed a proposal for an early investment in him.

She would regularly provide Xu Chang’an with a batch of materials for refining Tier Two Elixirs, giving him the opportunity to study Pill Art and practice his craft.

If the refining failed, she would bear the loss.

If any elixirs were successfully refined, she would purchase them at half the market price.

He wouldn’t need to prepare the materials; he just needed to perform the Alchemy.

He would bear no cost for failures, and for successes, he could earn half the market price in Demon Stones.

No matter how he looked at it, this was a no-lose proposition.

With so many opportunities to attempt refining, to experiment and adjust, his Alchemy Skill would undoubtedly improve much faster.

Naturally, Xu Chang’an agreed.

Furthermore, the full intent behind Cheng Mengying’s investment was left unspoken.

But it was a tacit understanding between them.

If one day Xu Chang’an’s Alchemy Skill advanced, he would naturally be expected to reciprocate when Cheng Mengying had Alchemy requests of her own.

’This little lioness is quite ambitious!’ Xu Chang’an mused.

As a major power, it was hard to say if Lion’s Mane Cave had a Quasi-Third Tier Alchemist, but they certainly didn’t lack Tier Two Alchemists.

They probably even had several Second-Order High-grade Alchemists among their ranks.

If she really needed to commission custom-refined elixirs, she could achieve her goal by spending some contribution points.

Cheng Mengying’s move was, in essence, to cultivate her own external Demon Vein faction.

Clearly, the competition within Lion’s Mane Cave must be intense.

Although Cheng Mengying was a Direct Lineage Demon and highly regarded by the Demon King, she wasn’t the only one!

Whether Xu Chang’an could advance to Tier Two Middle Grade or High Grade was of little significance to Cheng Mengying.

But if, one day, Xu Chang’an could become a Quasi-Third Tier Alchemist...

...then for Cheng Mengying, he would be a rare and powerful asset.

A Quasi-Third Tier Alchemist didn’t just represent himself, but a large interest group behind him.

And what she was investing in now was the hope of befriending a future Quasi-Third Tier Alchemist.

「In a cave estate within the Inner City of Peacock Demon City.」

"Mengying, you just arrived in Peacock Demon City and you’ve already made your decision? Why the rush? Why not discuss it with me first!"

A Great Demon with a human body and a lion’s head was looking at Cheng Mengying with a serious expression.

"Uncle Long, I already thought it through on the way here. Since I’m sure, why delay!?"

Cheng Mengying sat on a large stone chair, swinging a pair of fair, jade-like legs, a nonchalant look on her face.

"Mengying, the Demon Talisman Master, the Puppet Master, the Array Master... weren’t the ones I recommended to you all better than this Gray Rat Demon you’ve chosen!

Take that Demon Talisman Master, for example! He’s only been working with Demon Talismans for forty years, and his Skills have already reached the Tier Two Middle Grade realm!

The resources you can allocate are limited. If you’re going to invest, you should choose the best option, not act so casually."

"The Grey Rat has only been at it for just over twenty years, and he’s already reached Tier Two Low Grade Skills. He’s hardly worse than that Demon Talisman Master!" Cheng Mengying said with a beaming smile.

"Tier Two Low Grade after twenty-some years, but who can guarantee when he’ll reach Tier Two Middle Grade Skills? Ten years, twenty years, or thirty?! And if Middle Grade is already a question, what about High Grade after that!

Most importantly, the three skilled Demons I recommended are all at the Foundation Establishment Great Demon realm. They have long lifespans, making the investment extremely low-risk! But this Gray Rat Demon you’ve chosen is a mere Qi Refining Seventh Layer with an inferior Bloodline and a short lifespan. How much time could he possibly have to improve his Skills!?"

The Great Demon known as Uncle Long looked deeply disappointed, like a parent scolding a child who refused to live up to their potential.

"The Grey Rat is exceptionally talented. He can definitely do it!"

Cheng Mengying had clearly not taken his words to heart.

"So what if he breaks through to Tier Two High Grade Skills in the future? The bottleneck to Quasi-Third Tier can take decades. With his lifespan, how could he possibly break through!

If he can’t reach Quasi-Third Tier, what use is a Second-Order High-grade Alchemist to you!?"

"That’s enough, Uncle Long. I’ve already made the investment. There’s no point in discussing it further."

Cheng Mengying stopped swinging her fair, jade-like legs and hopped down from the large chair.

"I’m done talking. I’m going back to cultivate."

"You..."

The Great Demon’s bell-like eyes stared wide, before he let out a helpless sigh.

As far as he knew, Cheng Mengying’s several strong competitors hadn’t been idle during this time.

"Uncle Long, external support is fine, but it’s ultimately no substitute for one’s own strength! If I become a Demon King, I won’t have to deal with all this crap!"

Cheng Mengying left with those words and departed.

The Great Demon watched her retreating back and sighed heavily.

Easier said than done. A Demon King...

...was not so easily made!

Decades ago, his own attempt to break through to the Demon King realm had ended in failure.

The ordeal had been so perilous that the memory still sent a shiver of fear through him.

...

After settling the investment details with Cheng Mengying, Xu Chang’an had been in a great mood.

The little lioness was quite generous. Not only would she regularly provide refining materials, but if he had a special need and wanted to gather the main ingredients for a particular elixir, they would even help him search.

And as for the failure rate, no Demon would be supervising him. Success or failure was entirely up to him to report.

’I can totally skim off the top!’

’Looks like the progress of my panel’s Energy accumulation is about to reach a new level!’

’Longevity is within reach! Longevity is within reach!’

After indulging in the feeling for a moment, he got back to what he needed to do.

Xu Chang’an once again threw himself wholeheartedly into studying Pill Art and Nurturing his Quasi-Magical Treasure.

Before he knew it, the day the auction was set to officially begin had arrived.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!