Chapter 43: Six Years’ Time

Half a month later, all servants and managers at the Yan Clan’s pill shop were replaced.

After Yan Qingwan reported Zheng Tianxiang’s attempt to win over Li Jian to the clan, the elders acted decisively, making no effort to investigate each person individually. Nor did they waste energy over anyone who might have been bribed or threatened. Especially memorable were the words spoken by the clan head, Yan Zongsheng, to Yan Qingwan: “Human nature is a balance of good and evil. We praise and generously reward those loyal and righteous, but we cannot demand eternal loyalty from everyone. Ultimately, it comes down to weighing interests, and what matters most is ensuring our clansmen understand that only within the clan lies the greatest benefit and the least risk.”

Opening new trade routes while strengthening ourselves—providing more resources and safeguarding the clan to the greatest extent—is the proper path.

Afterward, Yan Zongsheng, on behalf of the clan, rewarded Li Jian with fifty spirit stones and promised that whenever Li Jian left the city, he could request protection from any late-stage Qi Refining elder. If Li Jian ever suffered misfortune as a result, the clan would do everything in its power to seek justice for him. He also reassured him that the opponents would not dare act recklessly within the marketplace.

This turn of events made Li Jian view the Yan Clan in a new light.

But as for whether they would grow strong step by step in the future, that remained uncertain. Having lived five lifetimes, he had seen too much; whether individual or collective, ability often did not guarantee success.

Afterward, Li Jian became even more discreet, living a simple routine between his residence in the western district and the pill shop. For the sake of combining theory and practice, and honing his mid-stage Qi Refining pill flame, he spent months living and working in the pill room, which became a common occurrence.

Half a year later—

A crisp sound rang out in the quiet of the night within the pill room.

Li Jian, calm and unhurried, first carefully extinguished the deep red pill flame before opening the furnace.

“It’s done.” He looked at the pill inside—an elementary Qi Nurturing Pill tinged with a faint golden sheen. He was not overly excited.

After half a year of tempering, combining theory and practice, this was his first time crafting a premium pill.

Though among elementary Qi Nurturing Pills, the difference between superior, premium, and even ultimate grades was not great—for they were all used by novices in early Qi Refining, and their value was modest—this represented a qualitative leap in his pill-crafting skills.

The quality of a pill depended on countless factors: the recipe was fundamental, but also the selection of ingredients, control of the pill flame, timing, spiritual sense, technique and state of mind, stability of the furnace, and the abundance and steadiness of spiritual energy. Any slight difference could result in a significant gap in the final product.

Most crucially, neither materials nor environment were ever constant; to reliably control pill quality, a pill master needed exceptional insight and adaptability.

Fortunately, Li Jian’s “rebirth” brought him not only a powerful soul but also heightened perception.

During these six months, he had not attempted crafting intermediate pills—the ingredients were costly.

Moreover, intermediate pills required a much stronger pill flame. With his current abilities, each session demanded his full strength, leaving no room for delicate adjustments. Thus, he could only guarantee success, not quality.

Now, his pill flame far exceeded what was needed for elementary pills, allowing him to control it with ease. Only by refining elementary pills could he hone his mastery over the flame.

Once his control reached perfection and his pill flame grew stronger, theoretically, he would be able to guarantee the quality of any grade of pill.

Yet, in this lifetime, it was unlikely his pill flame would advance further.

After careful observation, Li Jian swallowed the Qi Nurturing Pill in one gulp.

He closed his eyes and carefully experienced the differences between the premium pill and previous inferior, moderate, and superior ones.

“Brother Li, what grade was that pill just now…? Why do you insist on testing them yourself? All medicine contains some poison, especially these low-grade pills that are useless to you now. Accumulated pill toxins will affect your future use of medicine.” Before long, Yan Qingwan, who had stepped out for a brief rest, returned.

Li Jian gave her a gesture to keep silent and continued his contemplation.

Years spent actively investigating the cultivation world and understanding its fundamentals had made his view of this lifetime increasingly clear. Initially, he believed his physique and soul would allow him to compensate for his weak spiritual root, and he even naively hoped to reach Foundation Establishment. It wasn’t until the middle stage of Qi Refining that he let go of such thoughts.

Now, instead of exhausting himself for a nearly hopeless increase in magical power, it made far more sense to accumulate experience and resources for his next life.

It was precisely his habit of testing pills himself that deepened his understanding of the pill path, allowing him to comprehend subtleties no teacher could impart.

Yan Qingwan said no more, sitting quietly at his side.

After some time, Li Jian slowly opened his eyes, joy spreading across his face.

He had discerned the core difference between premium and superior pills!

“In this way, the success rate of crafting premium pills should improve!” He rejoiced inwardly but did not show it.

In the eyes of others, a pill master who could not advance to intermediate or advanced grades was of little value.

Even if he produced ultimate-grade elementary pills, they would still be mere elementary pills—meaningless.

Three months ago, when he crafted a superior elementary pill with his own hands, Yan Qingwan sighed repeatedly, lamenting that Li Jian’s exceptional talent for pill-crafting was wasted without a strong spiritual root; had he reached late-stage Qi Refining, he would surely have become a renowned master.

If she learned he had now crafted a premium pill, she might well beat her chest and cry, “Heaven is jealous of talent!”

“Next goal: ultimate-grade pill!”

Only after recording the insight in his own “Li Clan Pill Chronicle” did Li Jian discuss his findings with Yan Qingwan.

———

Over the next six months, Li Jian continued to study pill-crafting diligently, optimizing and improving every elementary recipe he obtained several times over. His success rate for premium pills reached sixty percent, but he still could not touch the threshold of ultimate-grade pills.

Yet he sensed that ultimate-grade pills were not just a matter of human effort; they were also linked to the spiritual resonance of heaven and earth. Without grasping that fleeting spark, it was nearly impossible.

Perhaps his mindset was to blame; he suspected he had been too impatient.

He decided not to force it and calmed his heart.

That day brought Li Jian a gratifying event.

Within a year, Yan Qingwan’s pill-crafting skills improved greatly; her success rate and quality for intermediate pills soared, and the shop began to genuinely turn a profit.

Yan Qingwan handed Li Jian his promised share—one hundred fifty spirit stones.

Combined with the fifty awarded by Yan Zongsheng earlier, and his monthly salary of eight over two years, his wealth exceeded three hundred for the first time. He immediately went to the marketplace to purchase a piece of Thunderflame Crystal, hoping to further advance his body cultivation.

He also, for the first time, bought a bottle of spirit beast pills to aid Guagua’s transformation.

It was undeniable—Guagua had followed him for six years, pitifully deprived of any true cultivation aid, surviving mostly on the lowest-grade beast feed and sometimes even hunting insects in the courtyard.

Yet the creature never complained; in its heart, Li Jian was its savior.

“Let it help me in my next life, I hope.” Patting Guagua’s head, Li Jian tossed it a Congealing Jade Pill.

The moment Guagua caught the pill, Li Jian seemed to see tears glistening in its eyes.

A few days later, Li Jian received more good news: Zhang Tiezhu, married for two years, had a son.

The clan rewarded him with a batch of resources.

Li Jian spent one spirit stone at the marketplace to buy a Qi Nurturing Jade Pendant and asked a clansman to deliver it as a token of his goodwill.

With the pill shop profitable, his finances grew steadily. In the days that followed, apart from refining his pill skills, he devoted daily time to body cultivation and began studying beast mastery, consciously training Guagua. Every day was rich and fulfilling.

Five years passed in the blink of an eye.

One day, Yan Qingwan, now promoted to a first-tier advanced pill master, entered with a frown.

She brought news that piqued Li Jian’s interest.

“The former Yan Clan’s honored pill master, Mo Zishan, has appeared at the Zheng Clan’s pill shop, becoming their patron. Today, they are holding a pill appreciation gathering. It’s said he has advanced to a first-tier senior pill master and has crafted a premium Qi Restoration Pill!”