Chapter 44: More Special Pill Formulas

Chapter 44: Chapter 44: More Special Pill Formulas

「Two more days passed in the blink of an eye.」

That morning, Chen Yue left his small courtyard and walked to the residence where Lin Quan was staying in the Chen Mansion. He gently knocked on the gate.

"Come in. The gate’s not latched," Lin Quan’s resonant voice called from inside the courtyard.

Chen Yue pushed the gate open and entered. He found Lin Quan sitting on a stone stool under an old scholar tree, leisurely sorting medicinal herbs by the morning light. A medicine pot simmered on a small earthen stove beside him, filling the air with a faint herbal aroma.

"You have to concoct so many Blood Circulation Pills every day, yet you still find time to visit an old man like me?" Lin Quan looked up and saw Chen Yue. A smile touched his face as he set down his herbs and gestured for Chen Yue to sit.

Chen Yue approached, shaking his head with a wry smile. He cupped his hands in a salute. "Master Lin, to be honest, I’m here today precisely because I can’t keep up with refining these Blood Circulation Pills every day. I’ve come to ask for your advice."

"You can’t keep up?" Hearing this, the smile on Lin Quan’s face faded.

He looked Chen Yue up and down. Seeing his steady aura, he noted that Chen Yue didn’t seem physically exhausted.

"You should have expected this when you agreed to twenty-five pills a day. If you had held firm at twenty, there might have been some room to negotiate. But now that you’ve given your word to the steward, going back on it will be difficult."

Chen Yue’s wry smile deepened. He sat on the stone stool across from Lin Quan and mused for a moment. "Master Lin, for the Chen Family, the Solid Essence Pill is far more valuable than the Blood Circulation Pill, isn’t it?"

Lin Quan nodded without hesitation. "Of course. While the Blood Circulation Pill is essential for Martial Artists, it is ultimately a foundational elixir. The threshold for its alchemy is relatively low, and its primary use is for daily cultivation, making its value limited.

"The Solid Essence Pill, however, is a premium item for Martial Artists in the Refined Flesh Realm to nourish their Primordial Qi. The alchemy is much more difficult, and the required ingredients are far more precious. Most importantly, being able to create the Solid Essence Pill signifies that a Pill Master has truly come into their own. Why do you ask...?"

Lin Quan stopped mid-sentence, as if he had just realized something. He snapped his head up and stared at Chen Yue, his eyes filled with shock and uncertainty. "You... you can refine the Solid Essence Pill now?"

Facing Lin Quan’s shocked gaze, Chen Yue didn’t give a direct confirmation, merely smiling. "I’m not completely confident, but I have gained some insights. I’ve attempted it a few times and was lucky enough to succeed with a few batches. It’s just that the Pill Formation rate and quality are still unstable."

Upon hearing this, the way Lin Quan looked at Chen Yue changed.

He stood and paced around the small courtyard. After a long moment, he finally stopped and turned back to Chen Yue.

"The value of a Solid Essence Pill far surpasses that of a Blood Circulation Pill. More critically, if you can truly succeed in refining them in such a short time—even if you’ve only just begun to master it—your value in the eyes of the Chen Family will change completely!"

Chen Yue’s brows twitched as he caught the underlying meaning. "Master Lin, are you saying... my value to the Chen Family was low before?"

"Not low, but not particularly high either."

Lin Quan sat back down on the stone stool and sighed. "Refining Blood Circulation Pills requires Talent, yes, but it is ultimately a basic skill. Over the years in Youlin County, we’ve occasionally seen young Pill Masters appear who can quickly master its alchemy.

"But the vast majority get stuck at the threshold of the Solid Essence Pill, making no progress for years, even decades. So, while the Talent you’ve displayed so far is impressive, the full extent of your potential remains an unknown quantity."

Lin Quan paused. Seeing the dawning realization on Chen Yue’s face, he continued, "And we just happen to be in these troubled times. With no other choice, it’s only natural for them to fully exploit your ability to refine Blood Circulation Pills. That’s why young Yuqing’s attitude toward you has been so... delicate."

A look of understanding appeared in Chen Yue’s eyes. ’No wonder Chen Yuqing’s attitude toward me has been so complex—sometimes chiding, sometimes offering deals.’

Chen Yue nodded. "Master Lin, if I reveal to the Chen Family that I can now refine the Solid Essence Pill, will my daily quota of twenty-five Blood Circulation Pills be canceled?"

’I have too many Cultivation Techniques to practice and Pill Formulas to study lately. Spending time every day refining Blood Circulation Pills feels like such a waste.’

Lin Quan shook his head, then nodded. "In peaceful times, given your age and the potential you’ve shown, the Chen Family would have undoubtedly canceled your Blood Circulation Pill quota to curry favor with you.

"However, it’s a fact that Huichun Hall is short on elixirs right now. You’ll probably still have to make three to five a day. For the rest of your time, the Chen Family will likely encourage you to focus on improving your Pill Formation rate for Solid Essence Pills and to start learning other, more advanced Pill Formulas."

Chen Yue’s expression wavered as he listened.

’Revealing my ability to refine the Solid Essence Pill to the Chen Family has clear pros and cons.’

’The downside is that it would inevitably attract more attention and introduce more uncertainties.’

’The upside, however, is far more significant. My personal time will increase dramatically, and I might even be able to leverage my alchemy Talent to get access to the special Pill Formulas the Chen Family has collected.’

His gaze involuntarily drifted to his status panel.

’I can break through to the Bone Forging realm in twenty-odd days at most. With my strength steadily increasing, the potential risks of revealing my ability to make Solid Essence Pills are well within a manageable range.’

In the afternoon, sunlight filtered through the dense branches in the Chen Mansion, casting dappled shadows on the bluestone path.

Chen Yue passed through several moon gates, arriving before a quiet, elegant courtyard in the inner residence of the Chen Mansion. This was where Chen Yuqing lived.

Chen Yue raised his hand and gently knocked on the partially open courtyard gate.

"Who is it?" Cui’s voice came from within.

The wooden gate creaked open, revealing Cui’s surprised face; she clearly hadn’t expected Chen Yue to come calling. She pursed her lips, her tone lukewarm. "Oh, it’s you. Wait, I’ll go inform the Young Miss."

With that, she turned and hurried back, raising her voice slightly. "Young Miss, it’s Chen Yue, the Pill Master."

A moment later, Chen Yue stepped into the courtyard.

The courtyard was far more spacious and exquisite than his own. Flowers were in full bloom, a riot of purples and reds, and a subtle fragrance wafted through the air.

Chen Yuqing stood with her back to the gate, engrossed in arranging several budding magnolia branches and a few sprigs of emerald asparagus fern.

Today, she was not in her usual moon-white dress but a casual, goose-yellow gown. Her dark hair was loosely pinned up with a single jade hairpin. She looked less like the cold, distant steward and more like a serene young woman.

Chen Yuqing’s hands didn’t stop moving. She merely turned her head slightly, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. "Chen the Pill Master, you’ve come. Are your accommodations in the mansion not to your liking?"

Chen Yue took a few steps forward, stopping a few paces from the stone table. He cupped his hands. "Steward, the arrangements are more than adequate. I have no complaints. I am here today to report a matter."

"Oh? What is it?" Chen Yuqing’s slender fingers picked up a magnolia branch, holding it against the others already in the vase.

"Recently, in my spare time after refining Blood Circulation Pills, I’ve had some insights regarding the Pill Formula for the Solid Essence Pill. I felt inspired today, so I attempted to refine a batch."

SNAP!

She had unconsciously snapped off a small piece of the magnolia branch in her hand.

After a silence that lasted for two breaths, she slowly turned around. Her almond-shaped eyes, which clearly reflected Chen Yue’s form, churned with deep shock and disbelief.

"And the result?" Chen Yuqing’s speech was a fraction faster than before.

A smile touched Chen Yue’s face. "I was fortunate; Pill Formation succeeded. However, the quality is quite impure, and the Medicinal Power is likely only sixty or seventy percent of a normal Solid Essence Pill. It’s not something I can proudly present."

"’A lucky success...’"

Chen Yuqing slowly repeated the phrase, her body leaning forward slightly, her gaze locked on Chen Yue’s face. "Chen Yue, are you being truthful?"

Chen Yue met her gaze, his expression open. "I would not dare bother the Steward with this matter only to make myself a laughingstock. Though the resulting elixir is inferior, it is unquestionably a Solid Essence Pill."

Their eyes met, and for a moment, the courtyard fell silent.

Standing behind Chen Yuqing, Cui looked from her mistress to Chen Yue and back, her face a mask of confusion. All she knew was that the atmosphere had suddenly become tense.

After a long moment, Chen Yuqing slowly straightened. The leisurely calm she’d had while arranging flowers was completely gone, replaced once more by her usual cool composure.

"Very well. I will have a servant immediately deliver one portion of ingredients for the Solid Essence Pill to your Alchemy Room. At the same time, I will invite a clan elder to come with Master Lin and witness you perform the alchemy in person. What do you say?"

Chen Yue nodded. "As it should be."

"Good."

Chen Yuqing said no more. She turned to Cui and ordered, "Cui, go to the storehouse at once. Get one standard portion of ingredients for the Solid Essence Pill and take it to Chen the Pill Master’s Alchemy Room. Then, go to the East Courtyard and invite Elder Ding Xian. Tell him there is an urgent matter and ask him to come to Chen Yue’s Alchemy Room."

"Yes, Young Miss!" Seeing her mistress’s solemn expression, Cui dared not delay and quickly ran out of the courtyard.

Chen Yuqing gave Chen Yue another complex look. "Chen the Pill Master, please return to your Alchemy Room and prepare. We will arrive shortly."