Chapter 96: Gray Mouse Elixir Shop

Chapter 96: Chapter 96: Gray Mouse Elixir Shop

He returned to the brokerage with the Antelope Spirit, settled on a price, and signed the Contract.

The rights to live in and use the storefront at 23 Pear Blossom Lane for the next five years now officially belonged to Xu Chang’an.

The deposit was one year’s rent, and the rent was to be paid annually.

At two hundred Demon Stones a year, the total for five years was one thousand Demon Stones.

Renting for five years was equivalent to the cost of three Middle-grade Magical Artifacts; the price was by no means low.

However, compared to temporary residences, it was a much better deal.

After finishing the paperwork, Xu Chang’an moved into the storefront at 23 Pear Blossom Lane that very same day without any delay.

The shop’s interior was clean, and the basic living necessities were already there, so Xu Chang’an didn’t need to worry much.

However, since he planned on starting an elixir business, there were still quite a few things to prepare.

Night had already fallen, so Xu Chang’an had no plans to go out and buy supplies right away.

Other things could be dealt with easily, but the Alchemy Furnace was something he needed to spend time carefully selecting.

He owned an Alchemy Furnace, but its grade was too low.

The one he had used for Alchemy in the Lujiao Mountain Marketplace belonged to Langlang Mountain; it wasn’t his.

Also, while the second floor was suitable for living and cultivating, it would require renovations before he could officially start his Alchemy work.

At the very least, he would need to install Arrays like a Heat Insulation Array and a Sound Insulation Array.

’Right, and a sign for the storefront.’

’If I’m going to open a business, I’ll need a name for the shop, of course.’

After briefly taking stock of everything, Xu Chang’an sat down to cultivate.

Although he had his panel, he would still cultivate by absorbing and circulating Spiritual Qi whenever he had the time.

’A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step; great rivers and seas are formed from tiny streams!’

Now that his aptitude had improved to a Lower Grade Bloodline Talent, his cultivation speed was much faster than before.

Even though this speed was still considered slow among Foundation Establishment Great Demons, it was better than nothing.

...

Xu Chang’an headed out early the next morning.

He began browsing the various shops within the Demon City.

Peacock Demon City had everything he could possibly need. In just over half a day, he had purchased all the necessary items for his shop.

He also entrusted the renovation of the Alchemy Room and the decoration of the shop to a business in the Demon City that specialized in such work, giving them full authority to handle it.

Xu Chang’an only needed to communicate his desired plan, select the Arrays to be installed, and decide on the layout.

The rest could be left entirely in their hands.

’Peacock Demon City is incredibly convenient,’ he thought. ’If I had to do all this myself, who knows how many days it would’ve taken.’

In a massive Treasure Tower, Xu Chang’an bought a Tier One High-Grade Alchemy Furnace.

The quality of the Alchemy Furnace was excellent; it was a premium item even among Tier One High-Grade furnaces.

This single Alchemy Furnace cost him over four thousand Demon Stones.

The price of an Alchemy Furnace was no cheaper than that of an ordinary Magical Artifact.

Since it was Upper Grade, and a premium one at that, the price was naturally not going to be low.

A typical Upper Grade Alchemy Furnace is sufficient for a High-grade Alchemist to use.

It was even sufficient for refining ordinary Tier Two Elixirs.

However, most Tier Two Alchemists used Top-Grade Alchemy Furnaces.

Some veteran Tier Two Alchemists even used premium-quality Top-Grade furnaces.

Anything above that would be an Alchemy Furnace on the level of a Quasi-Magical Treasure.

Their value was astronomical, not something Xu Chang’an could even dream of at his current stage.

Over the next few days, demons came one after another to renovate his shop.

Layout adjustments, Array installations, courtyard renovations, stylistic decorations...

He planned to live here for a good while, and he intended to run a high-end, boutique-style business.

Therefore, Xu Chang’an spent a considerable number of Demon Stones on the renovation, using only high-quality materials.

While the shop was being renovated, Xu Chang’an also took the time to get acquainted with the owners of the neighboring shops.

The shop to his left was run by a Cyan Bull Demon with a Qi Refining Eighth Layer Cultivation, who was in the Magical Artifact repair business.

Wherever there are demons, there is conflict.

Whether it was fighting for fortuitous encounters, exploring secret realms, or being forced to retaliate against Tribulation Cultivators, Magical Combat was always involved.

And whenever Magical Combat occurred, Magical Artifacts were inevitably used.

Although Magical Artifacts were sturdy, frequent use and violent impacts would inevitably cause wear and tear.

Over time, this would lead to damaged Magical Artifacts.

Putting Low-grade Magical Artifacts aside, Middle-grade Magical Artifacts easily cost hundreds of Demon Stones.

Replacing a damaged Magical Artifact with a new one every time was an expense that ordinary Demons could not afford.

Thus, the profession of the Magical Artifact Repairer came into being.

The Magical Artifact Repairer was considered an offshoot of the Blacksmith profession.

Blacksmiths also possessed some repair abilities, but there were differences between the two.

For delicate, precise repairs, or those involving special types of Magical Artifacts, a Magical Artifact Repairer was likely more proficient.

The shop on the right was owned by a Wart Hog Spirit with a Qi Refining Seventh Layer Cultivation, who was a Demon Pattern Master.

The Demon Pattern Master also held a respectable position among the many skills of cultivation.

So-called Demon Patterns were a way to inscribe Magic directly onto a Demon’s body.

At a critical moment, the mark could be activated to cast the inscribed Magic.

Unlike single-use Demon Talismans, inscribed Demon Patterns could be activated multiple times.

Once a Demon Pattern wore out, it could be re-inscribed.

Compared to Demon Talismans, Demon Patterns offered multiple uses and were more concealable.

However, the price for inscribing a Demon Pattern was correspondingly higher than that of a comparable Demon Talisman.

Across the street was a Cultivation Supply Shop that sold a bit of everything: Magical Artifacts, Demon Talismans, Elixirs, Cultivation Techniques, Magic, you name it. However, its inventory was neither large-scale nor systematic.

It was a middleman-style business, selling whatever they acquired with a focus on low margins and high volume.

The owner was a Spider Spirit with a Qi Refining Seventh Layer Cultivation.

Anyone able to open a shop in Pear Blossom Lane generally possessed respectable skills and was considered to be doing quite well among the Demon City’s many Loose Cultivators.

In fact, among his new neighbors, Xu Chang’an had the lowest cultivation, being only at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer.

Of course, that was just his cultivation on the surface.

「A few days later.」

The shop was completely transformed, with all the necessary facilities in place.

After a full inspection, Xu Chang’an was very satisfied.

Gray Mouse Elixir Shop!

With the sign hung above the main door, he was officially open for business.

Although his Bloodline had improved and he was no longer a Grey Rat in the truest sense, Xu Chang’an was still accustomed to the name.

Generally, Elixir Workshops were larger establishments, often with several Alchemists in residence.

Elixir Shops, on the other hand, were typically smaller, more flexible operations. They might be run by a single demon, who at most would take on one or two Alchemy Apprentices.

Since he hadn’t yet built a reputation, Xu Chang’an didn’t hold any grand opening events on his first day.

Instead, he planned to visit his neighbors, offering them some Elixirs to share in the good fortune of his opening.

Since he planned to live here for the long haul, maintaining good relations with his fellow demons was essential.

’After all, when doing business, harmony brings wealth!’