Great Immortal With Boundless Mana

Chapter 144: Wishful Thinking

"I bought you a three-legged copper alchemy furnace, a second-grade medium-quality one, worth 5,000 spirit stones. It will be enough for your Foundation Building," Zhu Qiniang said as she led Gao Xian to the courtyard in the east. Inside, there was a spacious alchemy room with a three-legged copper alchemy furnace, over four feet tall, already placed on a pedestal.

Normally, a second-grade alchemy furnace wouldn't require the use of charcoal fire. The design of a charcoal burning pedestal was also considered for heating needs while saving spirit stones. Gao Xian played with the three-legged copper alchemy furnace for a while. Its structure was similar to his original alchemy furnace, but more exquisite.

The alchemy furnace contained a Five Elements array, which could be activated by Five Elements spiritual power, no longer limited to just water and fire spiritual power. In other words, through the use of Five Elements spiritual power, it could be combined in countless ways to refine countless types of elixirs.

Copper was extremely compatible with spiritual energy, allowing alchemists to have a more accurate control over the heat of the furnace and refine higher-grade elixirs. There were holes on the three legs where spirit stones could be embedded. With a higher-grade alchemy furnace, the consumption of spirit stones naturally increased. If fully powered by spirit stones, it would require at least nine low-grade spirit stones per use.

Gao Xian was very satisfied with the new alchemy furnace. He then went to the adjacent room, where Zhu Qiniang had already prepared a large amount of medicinal materials. There was a bedroom and a half-sized living room, both furnished quite modestly.

"The place to live is a bit shabby," Gao Xian felt that the bedroom was similar to his residence in Feima Village, which disappointed him.

Zhu Qiniang glanced at Gao Xian and said, "This bedroom is for Daniu. You and I will live in the main room."

"Um, isn't that inappropriate?" Gao Xian hesitated. It didn't matter where he lived with Zhu Qiniang in Feima Village.

With so many people in the Zhu family, if he and Zhu Qiniang lived together, it would inevitably attract gossip.

Zhu Qiniang calmly said, "I am a Foundation Building cultivator. Who dares to mock me? At most, they will mock you in private."

She then asked, "You don't care about idle gossip, do you?"

Gao Xian casually replied, "Anyway, no one dares to speak ill of me in front of my face."

Seeing Gao Xian's strange expression, Zhu Qiniang couldn't help but smile. She took the initiative to hold Gao Xian's hand and said, "The servants below don't understand the rules, you just handle them. In this house, you are the master!"

Gao Xian was in a great mood. He smirked in Zhu Qiniang's ear and said, "I am the master, and you are my little puppy?"

Zhu Qiniang gave Gao Xian a disdainful look. Although she didn't quite understand, she knew that it was definitely not a serious remark.

However, she had already gotten used to this side of Gao Xian. If Gao Xian were always serious, she would find it boring.

Zhu Qiniang called the housekeeper, Li Niang, and pointed at Gao Xian, saying, "This is my close friend, Gao Xian. He will be staying here from now on. His words are as good as mine."

Li Niang hurriedly bowed respectfully and said, "I have seen Young Master Gao."

Li Niang was in her fifties and had a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivation. She was tall, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, and was somewhat ugly. Her words and actions carried a sense of competence.

Gao Xian nodded and said, "I will trouble you in the future."

"You are too polite, Young Master Gao. If you have any requests, just let me know."

Li Niang hurriedly smiled and showed a humble attitude.

She didn't dare to stay for long and left the main hall after bowing.

Li Niang knew that Zhu Qiniang was cold and ruthless, and had a cruel means. She had an exceptional reverence for Gao Xian.

She didn't expect Zhu Qiniang to be so intimate with a young man. Calling him a close friend, it was obvious that something was amiss between the two.

However, if Zhu Qiniang attached so much importance to him, she couldn't afford to offend Gao Xian.

Li Niang gathered all the servants and guards and explained Gao Xian's situation. She demanded that everyone must respect Gao Xian and not discuss him privately.

There were about fifty to sixty people in the courtyard, most of whom were not good at keeping secrets. Especially when it came to matters of love and relationships involving Zhu Qiniang, the news spread quickly.

What these people didn't know was that Gao Xian would often use his Shadowless Cloak to wander around at night.

He made a note of the guards and maids who liked to privately discuss and plot against him in a small notebook.

Gao Xian wasn't joking. He compiled a record of these people's names and conversations and handed it to Zhu Qiniang.

Zhu Qiniang wasted no time in dealing with these people.

Although there were no physical punishments, being expelled from the Zhu family meant that they could no longer obtain any resources from the Zhu family.

Without the protection of the Zhu family, they didn't even have the ability to continue living in Lianyun City.

For lower-level cultivators, this was a devastating blow.

Zhu Qiniang's thunderous methods also made others realize how much she valued Gao Xian. The entire Zhu family was intimidated by her.

From then on, the name Gao Xian even became a taboo, and no one dared to mention it.

Gao Xian was quite satisfied with this effect. In the previous life, he couldn't control the online trash talk. In this life, he wanted those foul-mouthed people to be punished!

Other people's idle gossip is trivial, but the sale of Lu Jiao San and Tian Gui Dan is a big deal.

Lian Yun City and Fei Ma Ji are different. There are many pharmacies here, such as his master's San Yuan Tang, Xu Lingyun's Ling Yun Tang, and so on, all qualified to sell elixirs.

For cultivators, elixirs are essential, and the profits in this industry are also the highest. With multiple pharmacies, the competition in the elixir business is fierce.

Chang Sheng Tang can stand firm because Zhu Changsheng himself is a grandmaster alchemist and can refine the Elixir of Eternal Life. This elixir has excellent effects and is of great benefit to Foundation Building cultivators.

After Zhu Changsheng's death, although Zhu Qi Niang rose to power, she was not an alchemist, and Chang Sheng Tang's business was greatly affected.

During this time, Zhu Qi Niang mainly promoted Tian Gui Dan and Lu Jiao San.

For Lian Yun City, Tian Gui Dan and Lu Jiao San are low-level elixirs that are not worth mentioning.

After a period of promotion, the special characteristics of the Tian Gui Dan and Lu Jiao San refined by Gao Xian gradually became apparent.

Chang Sheng Tang's business became increasingly booming, which relieved Zhu Qi Niang. With Gao Xian around, Chang Sheng Tang's business could sustain itself.

Because the cultivators who came to buy Tian Gui Dan and Lu Jiao San would also buy other elixirs.

For a shop, a large number of customers itself is a huge wealth.

There is fierce competition among several pharmacies in Lian Yun City. When Chang Sheng Tang's business was not good, the others were happy to see it.

But they hadn't been happy for two days when Chang Sheng Tang's business quickly picked up again.

Several pharmacies originally looked down on low-level elixirs like Lu Jiao San and Tian Gui Dan. No one expected these things to sell well and become increasingly popular.

Xu Lingyun's Ling Yun Tang was also greatly affected. He was busy investigating the murderer during this time but didn't find any useful clues.

Mainly because Xu Shengye and his group were all dead, and no one knew what Xu Shengye and his group were doing or who they had offended.

He also heard that San Yuan Tang had disbanded, and Xu Mingyuan's disciples had caused a scene. But he didn't think these things were related to Xu Shengye's murder. His main focus was on investigating other Foundation Building cultivators.

At this time, the sales of low-level elixirs were getting worse and worse. The pharmacy was his most profitable business, and he didn't have the energy to investigate the murderer anymore.

To solve the problem, Xu Lingyun gathered several alchemists from the pharmacy to study Tian Gui Dan and Lu Jiao San together.

After a few days of experimentation, cutting and grinding the elixirs, they tried to reverse-engineer the formulas of the two elixirs.

The problem is that there are no special medicinal materials in the two elixirs, which has stumped several alchemists. Xu Lingyun has been watching from the side, putting immense pressure on the alchemists.

After a few days, the alchemists all looked exhausted.

Seeing Xu Lingyun enter, the alchemists all had pale faces and lowered their heads, afraid to look at Xu Lingyun.

Xu Lingyun furrowed his brows slightly and asked, "How is it going?"

The leading alchemist, Bai Yanping, trembled as he said, "Sir, we haven't found any special medicinal materials."

"Just like that?" Xu Lingyun became a little impatient. These alchemists, who were supposed to be experts, had been working for days and yet found nothing. They were truly useless!

Bai Yanping was intimidated by the powerful aura emitted by the Foundation Building cultivator and couldn't control his trembling.

He hurriedly said, "Sir, the efficacy of the two elixirs is so good that we believe it is due to the alchemist's superb skills, maximizing the medicinal properties of the elixirs..."

Xu Lingyun waved his hand and said, "Alright, you can all go rest."

After sending the alchemists away, Xu Lingyun's face darkened. He was proficient in alchemy and had long realized that both elixirs were made using traditional recipes without any additional medicinal materials.

However, he didn't give up and asked the alchemists to take another look.

Xu Lingyun remained silent for a while before calling one of his subordinates and instructing, "Go to the Zhu family and bribe a few people to find out who made the Lu Jiao San and Tian Gui Dan..."

Money can make the devil turn the millstone.

With so many people in the Zhu family, and many of them having grievances against Gao Xian due to his actions, it didn't take long for Xu Lingyun to find out that the alchemist who made the Lu Jiao San and Tian Gui Dan was named Gao Xian, and he had a close relationship with Zhu Qiniang.

Moreover, Gao Xian was actually Xu Mingyuan's disciple. This piqued Xu Lingyun's interest.

Xu Mingyuan was his cousin, and although their relationship wasn't close, they were still relatives. If Xu Mingyuan's disciple became his disciple as well, he would be able to earn tens of thousands of spirit stones every year! For a Foundation Building cultivator, this was a huge sum of money.

As for Zhu Qiniang, she was a bit troublesome. However, as a newly promoted Foundation Building cultivator, what right did she have to compete with him, an inner sect elder?

But he couldn't just go to the Zhu family and directly snatch people away. That would be too unreasonable.

Xu Lingyun's eyes flickered as he suddenly had an idea. Since Gao Xian was Xu Mingyuan's disciple, the same could be done with Bai Yurong.

If Gao Xian became his disciple, who would dare to snatch him away? Even if Zhu Qiniang was dissatisfied, what could she do?

(End of this chapter)