Chapter 19: Duty at the Elixir Shop

Chen Qingling had just left when the neighbor from next door came knocking again.

“Fellow Daoist Li, why have you gone to work as a menial at the pill shop? The monthly wage is only a few spirit stones—this won’t do.”

Over the past half year, Lin Shaowen from next door had often come to chat with Li Ji’an. With such a stranger whose background was unknown, Li Ji’an always kept his distance.

“Necessity forces my hand. I have no choice.”

“Ah, then I misunderstood. I saw you spending the last six months in closed-door cultivation and assumed you had ample resources for your practice. I never expected…” Lin Shaowen sighed to himself.

“It’s true, living in the Eastern District as we do—except for the young, how many of our age have it easy? Cultivation is no simple thing!”

Li Ji’an nodded in agreement.

“Still, you shouldn’t be working as a menial. The monthly wage barely covers rent—what about pills? What about spirit rice, spirit flour, and beast meat? I tell you, at our age, the only hope of progress in cultivation is to pour in more resources. Without that, there’s no hope at all.” Lin Shaowen spoke again.

Li Ji’an gave a light laugh. “I understand that well enough. It’s just that spirit stones are hard to come by, and I have no special skills. I can only find some work and save up slowly.”

“Fellow Daoist Li, you’re quite mistaken. Spirit stones aren’t something you can save little by little. Look at the thousands of loose cultivators in the Eastern District—which one has ever saved up enough for cultivation merely by holding a position in the market?”

“As the saying goes, ‘A man without windfall wealth cannot become rich; a horse without night grass cannot grow fat.’ If you want to earn great wealth by honest means alone, it’s impossible!”

“For the young, they can gain experience this way, and perhaps catch the eye of a patron. But for us, it’s too late!” Lin Shaowen grew increasingly agitated.

Li Ji’an raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Oh? Does Fellow Daoist Lin have a better way?”

Lin Shaowen brightened. “To be honest, I’ve been stuck at the third level of Qi Refining for five years now, unable to advance. The Breaking Cloud Pill for the next stage costs two hundred and eighty spirit stones—a fortune! I was almost resigned to returning to the mundane world to retire. Luckily, I met a benefactor last year and found a good opportunity. By the end of this year, I should be able to buy a Breaking Pill and reach mid-Qi Refining.”

“To earn two hundred and eighty spirit stones in less than a year!” Li Ji’an was genuinely surprised.

Indeed, as Lin Shaowen said, for unaffiliated loose cultivators like them in the early stages of Qi Refining, saving up spirit stones was nearly impossible. Rent was a basic expense, spirit rice and flour were necessities, and supplementary pills for cultivation were a bottomless pit. Not to mention the talismans, arrays, magic tools, and spirit beasts—all those were luxuries beyond reach.

The options for loose cultivators in the Eastern District were limited to holding jobs in the market for a wage—good ones might get seven or eight spirit stones a month, lesser ones like Li Ji’an only one or two—or taking temporary jobs such as beast hunting with the likes of Chen Zhaohu, or trading in the mundane districts. Each path had its hardships, but none would bring in great wealth.

“I feel a kinship with you; we’re both older loose cultivators. Seeing you now is like seeing my former self. Otherwise, I wouldn’t share such matters so easily. Well, do you want to know what the opportunity is?” Lin Shaowen was quite pleased with Li Ji’an’s reaction.

Li Ji’an simply smiled, saying nothing.

They were neither kin nor close friends—would someone really share such a lucrative opportunity?

“What’s this? You think I’m up to something shady? Don’t worry, though we haven’t known each other long, I’ve lived here for over a decade. I’m not one of those filthy demonic cultivators. I wouldn’t harm you,” Lin Shaowen explained, seeing Li Ji’an’s doubts.

“Fine, I won’t keep you in suspense any longer.”

“There’s a good job at Celestial Immortal Tower under Manager Tong. If you’re chosen, you’ll earn at least twenty spirit stones in a single job!”

“Of course, I’m telling you because you look robust—you must have trained your body. Otherwise, the patrons wouldn’t be interested in anyone else.”

Li Ji’an suddenly looked at him, “Celestial Immortal Tower?”

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m not talking about serving as a male companion. That’s something else entirely. And anyway, with our cultivation, we wouldn’t satisfy those female cultivators’ dual cultivation methods.”

“What I mean isn’t a dual cultivation of magic, but a refinement of vital energy and blood. Those noblewomen are naturally weaker in physique. To break through or ascend to a higher realm, they need to enhance their vitality.”

“Isn’t it still just sharing a bed?” Li Ji’an couldn’t help but laugh.

He finally understood why Lin Shaowen was so thin and frail.

Clearly, all his essence and blood had been drained.

“My constitution is too weak to enjoy such a blessing, but I appreciate your kind intentions.” Now that he saw Lin Shaowen’s aim, Li Ji’an stopped being polite and rose to see him out.

So he was here to play matchmaker for that business.

“Ah, Fellow Daoist Li, opportunities like this don’t come twice. You’re already thirty—if you don’t seize this chance, you’ll never reach mid-Qi Refining in this life!”

After seeing Lin Shaowen out, Li Ji’an couldn’t help but sigh.

For ordinary people, this world of cultivation was especially harsh—worse, even, than the Celestial Dynasty.

In the mundane world of the Celestial Dynasty, even the emperor’s lifespan was limited. If an ordinary person could open their mind and not pine for riches and glory, their life would run its course all the same.

In the end, dust returns to dust, earth to earth; princes, generals, and commoners alike all become nothing but a handful of yellow earth.

But here, the lure of longevity was irresistible, the temptation to live as long as the heavens themselves. Worse, hope appeared every now and then, and to persuade oneself to let go of that hope required immense courage and despair.

Li Ji’an asked himself: even if he didn’t have his “rejuvenation” cheat, even if he was extremely untalented, he still wouldn’t be content to live out his life as a mere mortal in this world.

One could imagine the despair Zhao Shuyao must have felt over the past year and a half.

Perhaps it also had to do with her former status—the sense of loss was too great.

He shook off his negative emotions and once more began circulating his cultivation method, refining his spiritual power.

The next morning, Li Ji’an officially reported for duty at the pill shop.

Yan Tong’s attitude had reverted to the cold indifference of the interview, with even a trace of condescension.

Li Ji’an understood this was all for Master Mo’s benefit, to ensure Master Mo didn’t see him as a threat.

“Take this talisman. Master Mo will send you a message before opening the furnace. It’s a one-way communication talisman; you can’t reply. When you receive instructions, just follow them.”

“And remember: you must never remove anything from Master Mo’s pill room, nor reveal any details of his alchemy process.”

“Master Mo is our Yan family’s most respected resident alchemist. If he’s ever dissatisfied with you, you’ll be dismissed at any time.”

Li Ji’an agreed to everything.

Just as he was about to leave, Yan Tong suddenly stood up and went to greet someone outside.

“Young Lady, what brings you here?”

Li Ji’an turned to see a graceful young woman in her twenties, dressed in a moon-white gown, with long, silky hair cascading down her back. Her expression was serene, her bearing gentle, and her features quite beautiful.

In his year and a half in this world, Li Ji’an had seen firsthand what the “Guiding Immortal” Guangling had told him on the way here from the Celestial Dynasty: not everyone in the cultivation world was a fairy. Just like the mundane world, one’s bone structure was unchangeable; at most, spiritual energy made the skin fairer and smoother. He had yet to meet a true peerless beauty like the Ning sisters, Ning Sujin and Ning Yutan.

This young lady of the Yan family, however, could perhaps rival Ning Sujin.

“I came to consult Master Mo about alchemy,” Yan Qingwan nodded slightly.

“Please, Young Lady. Master Mo has just finished his meal.” Yan Tong hurriedly led Yan Qingwan to the back courtyard of the pill shop.

As they passed Li Ji’an, Yan Tong said kindly, “Old Li, you may go now—just wait for Master Mo’s message.”

“So this is the helper Master Mo hired?” Yan Qingwan paused to look Li Ji’an up and down.

“Reporting, Young Lady, his name is Li Chang’an, thirty years old, first level of Qi Refining, from the outer gathering district.”

“Very well.” Yan Qingwan withdrew her gaze, betraying neither approval nor disapproval. She replied softly, then paid him no further heed as she continued on to the back courtyard.

Thus, Li Ji’an had now met all the people he would be working with in the foreseeable future.

In the following half year, Li Ji’an devoted himself to diligent practice and, in the pill room, assisted Master Mo in preparing herbs, cleaning the furnace, and tidying up afterward. The days were peaceful and full of hope.

Bit by bit, he accumulated knowledge of the alchemical arts.

During this period, aside from Chen Qingling’s frequent visits to curry favor, he was rarely disturbed.

Even the other four who’d come from the Celestial Dynasty only reached out sparingly—Zhang Tiezhuhad sent a letter, but the other three hadn’t written at all.

When he received Zhang Tiezhuh’s letter a month ago, Li Ji’an couldn’t help but laugh.

That fellow had earned more merit and been rewarded with resources. He also mentioned meeting the Yan family’s young lady for the first time, and was instantly captivated by her extraordinary grace.

He confided in Li Ji’an, saying that if he could marry the Yan family’s young lady in this life, he wouldn’t mind never becoming an immortal.