novelkee Chapter 20 Becoming Famous
Chapter 20 Becoming Famous
"Let me ask you something. I see that you medicine apprentices clearly have wood or fire spiritual roots among your spiritual roots, so why don't you become alchemists?" Zhang Yunling asked, looking at the hundreds of medicine apprentices busy at the foot of the mountain.
Upon hearing this, the young apprentice who had been talking to him couldn't help but show a look of regret on his face. After a moment, he asked in return, "Sir... weren't you promoted from an apprentice?"
Zhang Yunling smiled and scratched his head. "No, I met a senior brother in the alchemy room. He took me to the elders to take the exam and become an alchemist directly. If that's not the case, do I still need to become a medicine apprentice before I can become an alchemist?"
The apprentice looked surprised, then smiled sheepishly. "Some of us don't have much confidence in ourselves, so we choose to be apprentices first. After we've learned enough about herbs and alchemy, we'll participate in the annual alchemist selection. Others are apprentices who made mistakes during the selection process and need to continue learning as apprentices, waiting for the next assessment."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yunling nodded in realization. Fortunately, he had studied alchemy with Granny Wang for eight years when he was young, and now he had the ability to easily refine third-grade pills. This allowed him to shine in front of Elder Sun and trick him out of a Xuanlong Ginseng.
Zhang Yunling didn't linger any longer. After bidding farewell to the young medicine boy in front of him, he flew towards the sect's trading post.
Having traveled halfway after leaving the sixth peak, a powerful pressure descended, forcibly forcing Zhang Yunling to land on the ground. He patted his chest to catch his breath for a while before looking up at the sky with some apprehension: "You scared me! I forgot that flying around is not allowed within this sect."
Ignoring these trivial matters, Zhang Yunling strode off towards the trading house.
The trading post was bustling with people, much like the night markets he used to frequent when he was a mortal. Rows of windows lined both sides, each displaying its own goods. Not knowing how to join in, Zhang Yunling casually approached a disciple for advice.
This disciple seemed to be a regular here, and upon hearing Zhang Yunling's request, he immediately led him to a room.
"This is where you apply to sell your items independently. If you have any needs, you can ask Senior Brother Liu over there for answers."
Zhang Yunling nodded, thanked the disciple, and then asked Senior Brother Liu, who was sitting behind the desk, "Greetings, Senior Brother. May I ask how I should proceed if I wish to sell the pills I have?"
Upon seeing Zhang Yunling dressed in the yellow robes of a third-grade alchemist, Senior Brother Liu's attitude shifted from the lazy posture of lounging in the recliner to a slightly more respectful one, and he sat up straight and replied:
"Ah, Junior Brother wants to sell pills? No problem, no problem. Just take your things to the back, and someone will take care of everything for you here."
After a rather complicated process, Zhang Yunling's pill shop finally opened smoothly. But the obvious difference between him and others was that others had a full range of goods at their stalls, making it somewhat dazzling at a glance.
However, his place was extremely shabby. On the empty stone platform, there were only three emerald green Heavenly Ladder Pills, and nothing else. It was very pitiful.
Zhang Yunling sighed softly. There was nothing he could do. He didn't have enough funds to refine more pills. He was selling them here to earn money to supplement his herb supply. Once his reserves increased, he could mass-produce various pills.
Just then, a female disciple walked over to him, staring intently at the three pills on Zhang Yunling's stall. Her face lit up with surprise, and she asked directly, "Boss, how much are these pills?"
Before Zhang Yunling could reply, the female disciple glanced at the stall owner and exclaimed in astonishment, "Xu Tianli? It's you?"
Zhang Yunling recognized the person as none other than Shen Xiaonan, the female cultivator who had helped him conceal his identity and brought him into the Qiankun Dao Sect.
The two had originally agreed never to meet again, but now they've run into each other at this trading house. What a terrible twist of fate!
"How many spirit stones do you think is appropriate?" Since he hadn't inquired beforehand and didn't know the normal market price, Zhang Yunling cleverly asked in return, "These three of mine are all top-quality Grade 2 Heavenly Ladder Pills, which can quickly help Foundation Establishment cultivators increase their cultivation level without any side effects. What do you think?"
After introducing the advantages of her product, Zhang Yunling crossed her arms, looked confidently at Shen Xiaonan, and waited for her to make an offer.
According to the prices he saw at the Hundred Herbs Shop, a Blue Crystal Flower could be purchased for two spirit stones. The total cost of all the herbs needed for this Heavenly Ladder Pill would be at least fifteen or sixteen spirit stones. Let's see how Shen Xiaonan bids.
“I’m close to breaking through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. Considering the kindness you once showed me, I’ll buy these three Heavenly Ladder Pills for three hundred spirit stones!” Shen Xiaonan patted her storage bag, and three hundred spirit stones appeared on Zhang Yunling’s stall, covering the originally empty stone platform with a full layer of white spirit stones.
This extravagant scene stunned Zhang Yunling, leaving him speechless. Three hundred spirit stones?! These three pills could be refined for at most fifty spirit stones, yet this girl offered three hundred, increasing their value sixfold!
"Okay...okay...thank you..." Zhang Yunling was so surprised that she stammered. She stretched out her trembling hands and hugged the spirit stones on the stone platform to her chest. She was overjoyed.
As Shen Xiaonan put away the pills, she looked at Zhang Yunling with a strange expression, thinking that this person was really pitiful. He was so excited about just three hundred spirit stones. He must have been very poor before and lived a very frugal life.
Taking a few steps forward, Shen Xiaonan patted Zhang Yunling's head and said gently, "Alright, look at you, so useless. Go back and work hard at refining pills. I have money and connections here, and I'll introduce them all to you. You'll make a fortune then."
Zhang Yunling suddenly looked up, her eyes flashing with brilliant golden light, "Is Senior Sister really so generous?"
Shen Xiaonan covered her mouth and smiled, then nodded.
"Alas! Good hahaha! Since Senior Sister is so kind, I will work myself to death in front of the alchemy furnace to refine the pills you need!" After Zhang Yunling collected all the spirit stones on the table, she reached out and flipped the wooden sign in front of the stall from "Open for Business" to "Closed for Repairs," then turned around and rushed out in a flash.
Looking at his comical appearance, Shen Xiaonan couldn't help but chuckle again, "This guy is quite adorable, much better than the old Xu Tianli."
After this incident, Zhang Yunling used his first pot of gold to buy all kinds of medicinal herbs and spiritual items, and went on a large scale to refine all kinds of Foundation Establishment stage pills, including quite a few third-grade ones.
All of these pills were sent by Zhang Yunling to his stall in the trading house. The disciples introduced by Shen Xiaonan also came to patronize the stall. Several disciples who had taken the pills sold by Zhang Yunling became repeat customers and spent money like water at the stall.
A few days later, after careful management, Zhang Yunling had made a fortune and bought several extra storage bags specifically to store spirit stones.
Other disciples, without Shen Xiaonan's introduction, came to Zhang Yunling's shop after hearing that the pills he sold were extremely popular.
Soon, the name of Master Tianli spread among the disciples who had purchased the pills refined by Zhang Yunling. The rumors grew increasingly exaggerated, and half of the Qiankun Dao Sect gradually came to know of this person.
This young junior brother, who had just arrived, had shallow cultivation, but his alchemy skills were very profound. Compared with other alchemists, the pills he refined were long-lasting and of excellent quality, and his reputation as a master was well-deserved.
After this news reached the Elders' Council, the elders had their own thoughts. Thinking about the upcoming sect competition, a new plan was drafted.