Chapter Twenty-Nine: Alchemy Advancement!

“What do you mean?”
Staring at the teacup pushed back toward him, Qi Xiu frowned.

“Not enough.”

The Pai Jiu Mask slowly spat out two words.

Smack!

With his life and fortune at stake, Qi Xiu didn’t hesitate. Another silver ingot, stamped with a snowflake pattern and worth a hundred taels, landed on the table with a thud, making the tea ripple in its cup.

Silently pocketing the silver, the Pai Jiu Mask raised three fingers.

“Three hundred more.”

Why didn’t you just say five hundred from the start?

Qi Xiu shot the Pai Jiu Mask a look, annoyed at his miserly negotiating, and then sullenly retrieved a banknote from his inner pocket, slapping it down on the table.

Five hundred taels.

The eyes visible beneath the mask flashed with excitement. The Pai Jiu Mask reached for the banknote.

“Wait!”

Qi Xiu pressed down on the note, face expressionless.

“Give me back those two hundred.”

The light dimmed in the eyes beneath the mask. Reluctantly, Pai Jiu Mask fished out the two silver ingots and returned them.

With the banknote in hand, Pai Jiu Mask drained the last cup of tea.

“There is.”

After a long pause with no further explanation, Qi Xiu frowned and looked up.

“Go on, then.”

“That’s all. You asked if there were monsters, I said there are,” the Pai Jiu Mask replied with an air of perfect reason.

“You little brat, trying to pull a fast one on me, are you?”

Qi Xiu’s face darkened abruptly. He pressed both hands onto the table, translucent energy flickering at his fingertips. The whole table trembled as if it might shatter at any moment.

No fighting in the Ghost Market.

That was the rule.

But rules are powerless to restrain the truly desperate. Many a time, a moment’s fury had ended in bloodshed, even here.

Seeing Qi Xiu’s anger rise, the Pai Jiu Mask hurriedly explained, afraid the man might lose his temper and bash his skull in.

“Sir, please don’t be angry. I was just joking.

There are indeed signs of demonic activity around Baohe County. But not only here—neighboring Yuyun County, Yangping County, Gou County, and Dongji County have all shown traces of monsters wandering about. The severity varies from place to place.

Those in the know suspect that the monsters in Huangtan and the heretical cultivators in Jiayi have all fled here from the great province of Xiangchu…”

…

After leaving the Third Teahouse and making his way down the street, Qi Xiu was deep in thought.

Over the past few days, he’d acquired quite a few books from the Ghost Market about the customs, geography, and provinces of the Great Xuan Realm. He was beginning to form a picture of this empire he found himself in.

Xiangchu Province borders Dianchuan Province. Its military governor, Zhu Shanhe, stands as the foremost of the Twelve Governors of Great Xuan. The territory under his rule—the Xiangchu Province—is the most peaceful in the realm, second only to the Sacred Capital. Be it monsters or heretics, they treat Xiangchu as forbidden ground and dare not set foot within its borders.

According to Pai Jiu Mask, Zhu Shanhe had been launching major purges throughout the province since the end of the year, driving out the local monsters and heretics in droves. Many had fled to neighboring Dianchuan, making it one of their prime destinations.

“Alas, it’s a pity I couldn’t end up in that Xiangchu Province. Life would be much easier there.”

Having finally learned what he wanted, Qi Xiu sighed inwardly. The stability of Xiangchu would have suited him well, a perfect place to lay low and hone his skills. But Dianchuan was nothing like that—rife with war, monsters, and heretical cults, chaos everywhere.

“Between Xiangchu and Dianchuan lies over ten thousand li, across countless mountains and rivers, and who knows how many monsters and cultists. In my current state, I’d be lucky to make it a hundred li before some demon caught me and chewed me to bits.”

Learning that Xiangchu was a land of peace, Qi Xiu had briefly considered moving there. But while the two provinces were neighbors, the territory of this world was vastly greater than his previous life’s. With no planes or high-speed trains, traveling on foot from one province to another would take three to five years at best—if one survived the dangerous journey.

Not to mention the unrest everywhere.

…

After disembarking from the Ghost Market’s treasure ship, Qi Xiu trekked along rugged mountain paths toward the city.

Now that he had a clearer grasp of the local situation, his original plan to flee into the mountains was scrapped. The city, after all, was crowded and guarded by the city defense troops. Even if monsters lurked about, it was unlikely they’d single him out there.

But if he were to hide alone in the hills, the odds of running into a wandering demon were far higher.

Following the mountain path back to Baohe County’s city gate, he spotted a crowd gathered around a notice on the bulletin board.

“In light of recent lawbreakers in the city, the county office is recruiting able-bodied men to form night patrols and protect the peace. Hey, want to give it a try?”

“Sure, I’ve got nothing else going on. Look, not only do the patrols get fed, but they pay twenty copper coins a day.”

“Twenty copper coins! That’s as much as I make selling fruit for three or four days.”

“Let’s go, let’s sign up at the county office before all the spots are taken!”

Standing at the back of the crowd, Qi Xiu watched as eager young men hurried toward the county office. He narrowed his eyes.

Night patrols? Could it be…

Did the county magistrate see that vengeful ghost last night too?

…

Baohe County Office, rear courtyard.

Daoist Wu, in feathered cap and flowing robes, sat in a pearwood armchair, flanked by two somber middle-aged men—the top officials of Baohe County: Magistrate Guo Youfang and Deputy Magistrate Tao Su.

“Daoist Wu, the notice has already been posted, but are you certain your methods can subdue the monsters?” Guo Youfang’s brow was deeply furrowed with concern.

“Rest assured, my lord. Once my ritual implements are properly consecrated, a few minor demons will be easily dispatched,” Wu Changqing replied confidently, gently stroking the white, jade-like whisk in his hand.

“That’s good to hear.” With Wu Changqing’s unequivocal assurance, Guo Youfang felt a little more at ease and turned to his deputy. “Tao Su, you will personally assist Daoist Wu in this matter. Not a word of this is to leak out.”

Tao Su nodded lightly. “Leave it to me, my lord. I know what must be done.”

…

Five days passed.

Perhaps it was the night patrols doing their job, but Baohe County remained tranquil. Even the thieves who preferred to ply their trade at night had become scarce. An unprecedented calm settled over the remote county town.

Squatting before the kitchen’s medicine stove, Qi Xiu fanned the flames with measured strokes, carefully controlling the heat.

As the aroma of the maturing brew thickened, Qi Xiu stole a glance at his skill panel.

[Alchemy: 99.9%]

Once this batch of Golden Lock Tonic to Nourish Qi and Strengthen the Kidneys is done, my alchemy will break through to the next level.

White steam drifted from the vent in the lid. Qi Xiu hurriedly lifted the pot from the stove.

When he opened the lid, golden broth shimmered, filling the air with a rich fragrance.

Success.

Joy surged in Qi Xiu’s heart as a torrent of vast, crashing knowledge flooded his mind.

At the same time, a mysterious force seemed to merge into his body.

It took a full fifteen minutes to fully absorb this new understanding.

Qi Xiu blinked hard, unable to suppress the upward curve of his lips.

“At last, I’ve truly made it!”

…