Chapter 388: Alleviating Poverty Through Refining Pills
After walking out from the ‘Thousand Medicine Place’, Xiao Yan lifted his head and eyed the somewhat dusky sky. He let out a long sigh. From this moment on, he had formally become a member of the impoverished clan. Four sets of medicinal ingredients to refine the ‘Three-Lined Green Spirit Pill’ not only completely exhausted all of his one hundred and thirty thousand gold coins, but also got him to take out a total of three bottles or twenty-seven ‘Energy Recovery Pills’ in order to successfully receive the medicinal ingredients from an astonished attendant. One should clearly know that according to its market value, the ‘Energy Recovery Pill’ could be sold for over five thousand gold coins apiece. If these twenty seven pieces were sold together, it would cost at least more than a hundred thousand gold coins.
“I am so poor that I’m practically a beggar… hopefully I will not destroy them when refining. Otherwise, I am afraid that I will really have to take out the ‘Amethyst Lion Birth Essence’ to sell.” Xiao Yan laughed bitterly. Although he purchased four sets of the medicinal ingredients needed to refine the ‘Three-Lined Green Spirit Pill’, it was impossible to achieve a one hundred percent success rate with his current ability. Moreover, if he succeeded in two out of the four chances, he would be able to make a profit in this transaction. The problem, however, was that he did not dare be certain that he could maintain such a high success rate. Back then, in the Alchemist Grand Meeting within the Jia Ma Empire, it was likely that he could not refine the highest grade ‘Three-Lined Green Spirit Pill’ if he had not relied on some luck. However, who could guarantee that this kind of good luck would always accompany him?
Xiao Yan turned around and eyed the horizontal signboard of the ‘Thousand Medicine Place’. He gritted his teeth and cursed ‘unscrupulous shop’ before brushing his sleeves and storming off into the street to begin searching for a quiet place where he could to refine pills.
He slowly walked along the street for over ten minutes before stopping outside of an inn. He hesitated briefly before walking into it.
Within a small, quiet room, Xiao Yan first took out the medicinal ingredients he had bought earlier and placed them on the table one at a time. As he took them out, he softly said, “It is fortunate that I did not reject the compensation that Duo Ma had given me earlier. Otherwise, I wouldn’t even have enough money to stay at an inn. This life that I am living… tsk tsk… is really too shabby.”
After Xiao Yan took out all of the medicinal ingredients, he finally took out a medicinal cauldron, which was not of a very high tier. Once he completed this action, he clapped his hands and smiled bitterly as he said, “Looks like there is going to be a big fight… forget it, just treat it as a warmup.”
Xiao Yan flicked his finger gently and a wisp of green-colored flame surfaced on the tip of his finger. It immediately shot into the flame outlet of the medicinal cauldron. Immediately, the green-colored flame seedling transformed into a raging flame which rose and burned within the medicinal cauldron.
Xiao Yan eyed the rising green-colored flame, and inhaled a deep breath. He suppressed the various emotions within his heart and his long finger appeared to be twisting the flowers and picked a leaf as it flashed past the table’s surface. One by one, the medicinal ingredients drew an arc as they were thrown into the medicinal cauldron. In an instant, they turned into powder.
Within the quiet room, the green-colored flame danced around within the medicinal cauldron like a fairy. The sparks reflected from the walls made threatening gestures and appeared very imposing.
The medicinal ingredients were thrown into the medicinal cauldron one at a time. Various different colored medicinal powders slowly agglomerated, and finally began to show a trend of merging under the grilling of the flame.
One hour later.
Xiao Yan eyes stared intently at the embryonic form of the medicinal pill that was partially visible within the medicinal cauldron. He took out a purple-colored Danwan from within the storage ring and swiftly squeezed it into his mouth. He chewed slightly and the seal on his hand suddenly changed. Within the medicinal cauldron, one could see that the green-colored flame instantly retreated. At the same time, Xiao Yan opened his mouth, and spat out a purple-colored flame which swarmed into the medicinal cauldron.
TL: Danwan/Yaowan – a sort of pill that has no medicinal properties and can be potentially harmful if consumed
“Bang.” The Purple Flame had just entered the medicinal cauldron when Xiao Yan’s expression changed slightly. A soft, muffled sound immediately sounded and a pile of black-colored soot slid out from the bottom of the medicinal cauldron.
“Che, failed.” Xiao Yan helplessly shook his head as he observed the pile of black-colored ashes.
“You were too anxious when the medicinal pill was merging. You were also impatient during the changing of the flame. If you refine the medicine in such a manner, your chances of success will not even be twenty or thirty percent.” Yao Lao faint voice sounded within Xiao Yan’s heart. He was direct and to the point when he pointed out the mistakes that Xiao Yan made when refining earlier.
Xiao Yan quietly nodded his head. He did not find any words to explain himself. Instead, he quietly stood in front of the medicinal cauldron for two minutes and inhaled a deep breath of air. The emotion from his failure earlier was instantly and completely expelled from his mind. His face contained no joy or sorrow. He waved his hand and another wisp of green-colored flame shot into the medicinal cauldron.
Xiao Yan’s mind was tranquil. A green-colored flame was dancing within his dark black eyes. His long hand slowly moved away from the surface of the table before making a sudden motion. Instantly, the medicinal ingredients were once again swept into the medicinal cauldron.
The refining continued quietly within the silent, small room. After nearly another hour had passed, Xiao Yan’s somewhat squinted eyes suddenly widened. The seal in his hand was like a dancing butterfly, which was bright and beautiful. He widened his mouth abruptly and the Purple Flame shot into the cauldron while the green flame quietly dissipated.
A pale-green-colored spherical sleek medicinal pill rolled and rotated above the Purple Flame within the medicinal cauldron. The beautiful purple and green-colored Pill-Lines slowly appeared on the surface of the medicinal pill.
“Hu.”
Xiao Yan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and gave a long sigh. He did not take another risk, and summon the ‘Bone Chilling Flame’, which belonged to Yao Lao. Although he would be able to cause the Green Spirit Pill to truly possess three lines if he was to succeed and raise its value greatly , the current him did not dare to guarantee that the addition of the last line would succeed in one attempt just like it had at the Alchemist Grand Meeting. The fortunes of the current him relied on this two lined ‘Green Spirit Pill’. If he was not cautious and damaged it, that would really leave one speechless.
“With the value of the ‘Two-Lined Green Spirit Pill’, it might be able to be auctioned off for around four hundred thousand. A ‘Three-Line Green Spirit Pill’, on the other hand, can reach a high price of about six hundred thousand. The difference between them is nearly double.” Yao Lao ‘s smiling voice, which carried some temptation, sounded.
TL: Yes, the author’s math is kinda off…. Only kinda…
“Four hundred thousand can help to recuperate my capital.” The corner of Xiao Yan’s eyes twitched as he forcefully controlled the temptation. He stored the medicinal pill into a jade bottle and sat cross-legged on the bed, which was off to the side, to rest for half an hour. After which, he stood up once again, moved to the side of the table and began to continue refining.
Xiao Yan was reduced to the small room for the entire afternoon as he refined the remaining medicinal ingredients. When the sky gradually became dark, the medicinal ingredients on the table were finally completely refined. On the table, there were two small bottles, each storing a spherical pale-green medicinal pill. A faint medicinal fragrance was faintly seeping out of them, causing people to feel extremely relaxed.
The purple-colored flame was raging and burning within the medicinal cauldron. A pale-purple line had already appeared on the final Green Spirit Pill while it was being kept warm within the purple flame. Out of four sets of medicinal ingredients, he could possibly successfully refine three ‘Two-Lined Green Spirit Pill’. This success rate was already so high that it would be somewhat shocking. Of course, if it were not for the extremely experienced Yao Lao instructing from behind and the effect of the ‘Heavenly Flame’, it was likely that Xiao Yan would not be able to achieve this success rate that would cause people to envious of regardless of how much talent they had in refining medicine.
The purple-colored flame slowly leaped within Xiao Yan’s dark, black eyes. His pupils stared directly at the Green Spirit Pill, which was gradually finishing its warm and nourishing stage. He licked his lips gently as the corner of his eyes glanced at the two ‘Two-Lined Green Spirit Pills’ on the table. Suddenly, his dark, black pupils became a little hotter.
“Hei, I knew that in the end, you would still lose patience and plan to refine a ‘Three-Lined Green Spirit Pill’.” Yao Lao appeared to clearly know what Xiao Yan was thinking as his mocking laughter resounded within Xiao Yan’s heart.
“Hee hee. In any case, I have already refined two ‘Two-Lined Green Spirit Pills’. Even if this one were to fail, I will still have made a profit. A person should take some risks to make their life more exciting, no?” Xiao Yan parted his mouth and smiled. His finger gently tapped the black ring and a wisp of thick, white-colored flame seedling slowly rose.
When the thick, white-colored flame appeared, the temperature of the originally warm, small room fell greatly. Xiao Yan’s expression slowly became grave. His Spiritual Strength wrapped around the white-colored flame and carefully tossed it into the medicinal cauldron. The purple-colored flame within it was driven away by another Spiritual Strength, and withdrawn from the medicinal cauldron before quietly disappearing.
The white-colored flame entered just as the purple-colored flame was withdrawn. The control needed to operate the two at the same time was grasped by Xiao Yan, whose Spiritual Strength was completely focused, without any mistake. Even Yao Lao let out a soft ‘ah’ sound.
When the white-colored flame entered the medicinal cauldron, the medicinal cauldron actually gently trembled a couple of times under the sudden decline in temperature. A tiny crack line quietly expanded.
“Changing between cold and hot really does cause massive damage to a cauldron’s durability. Next time I need to get a better medicinal cauldron if I have the time. Otherwise, I will be on tenterhooks every time I refine medicine in the future.” The corner of Xiao Yan’s eyes glanced at the tiny crack lines as he sighed and shook his head. However, his expression did not really pale at this moment. Under the precondition of controlling the flame properly, this medicinal cauldron was still able to support him until the medicinal pill was completely refined.
The thick, white flame was like a tiny, white snake within the medicinal cauldron as it shrouded the medicinal pill. Wisps of strange temperature separated by a gap slowly seeped into the medicinal pill. After which, a tiny white-colored Pill-Line began to gradually surface on the medicinal pill.
“Well, the control of the flame this time around was much better than last time.” Yao Lao nodded and praised somewhat when he saw the tiny actions of the white-colored flame.
Xiao Yan’s face was completely serious at the moment. Cold sweat repeatedly dripped down from his forehead. No matter how one put it, the ‘Bone Chilling Flame’ was a flame that did not belong to him. Therefore, it was extremely exhausting to try to control it. This resulted in the current him not daring to carelessly reply to Yao Lao. He was afraid that if he was even slightly distracted, the temperature of the flame would suddenly rise by a little and cause this ‘Green Spirit Pill’ to be completely ruined.
The final warming and nourishing stage continued for nearly half an hour. When he saw that the white-colored Pill-Line on the pale-green medicinal pill had crept until it finished a full circle, Xiao Yan finally sighed in relief. A thought passed through his mind and the white-colored flame, which was wrapped by the Spiritual Strength, was swiftly withdrawn out of the flame outlet. He beckoned with his hand and the flame once again shrunk back into the dark, black ring.
Xiao Yan flipped his hand and a jade bottle appeared. An emerald-green medicinal pill shot out from the medicinal cauldron and finally stopped, suspended in front of Xiao Yan, before he stored it in the jade bottle with a smile.
“Two ‘Two-Lined Green Spirit Pill’ and one ‘Three-Lined Green Spirit Pill’. This is my seed money to get rich.” Xiao Yan wiped away the cold sweat that had accumulated on his forehead. He eyed the three jade bottles. The abundant gains pushed away most of the fatigue which filled his mind. After entering the ‘Black-Corner Region’, he finally knew just how short he was on money. Refining the ‘Spiritual Recovery Purple Pill’ required a large sum of money. Refining that so called ‘Ground Spirit Pill’ also required a lot of money. The sum of all these obligations really caused Xiao Yan to feel his head swell.
“Crack.” As Xiao Yan stored the jade bottles into his storage ring, a soft noise suddenly sounded from in front of him. Xiao Yan lifted his head to take a look. The crack line on the medicinal cauldron had gradually become bigger until the cauldron finally crumbled apart with a clear sound, turning into fragments which scattered all over the table.
Xiao Yan was somewhat speechless as he eyed the broken medicinal cauldron. He smiled bitterly and said, “There is also the money needed to buy another medicinal cauldron.”
“Ah, for now, I should first go to the auction house.”