Chapter 008: Elixirs

Old Ghost, how should these medicinal herbs be processed? We won't directly use a pot to boil them, will we

Can elixirs really be ruined in the refining process

Before he finished speaking, Gouwa dashed back and handed the jade pendant to the steward, saying: "Take the money"

Three small boxes were rearranged in front of the square rock, each emitting a distinct fragrance of medicine

Two thousand two! So much!" Fang Yan was taken aback, then quickly realized: "Where is your jade pendant?"

One thousand five! Even if you hold a knife to my throat, I can only give you this much

On the morning of the fifth day, when Fang Yan woke up, he found Gou Wa squatting by his bedside, with both small hands supporting his round little face

But this moment of reluctance was immediately shattered by another thought in his mind. Dogwa stood on tiptoe, peering over the tall counter, pushed the jade pendant forward, and called out loudly: "Buddy, let's make a deal!"

Fang Yan smiled and was about to leave with the packaged medicinal materials when the attendant chased after him and said, "Actually, if you ask me, the little hero can go to the nearby elixir counter to take a look. It has all the refined pills ready for use. Although the price is a bit higher, it is much safer than buying the materials and refining them yourself"

It is truly nothing

How did the small cauldron come out

The refining of medicinal materials requires the use of the divine cauldron, which can only be separated for a short time. Time is of the essence; first, place the three-leafed blue orchid into the cauldron.

Upon seeing Gouwa turn back, the official felt an overwhelming sense of joy. In the blink of an eye, he swiftly completed the document and handed it, along with a brand new silver note, to Gouwa.

"What is this? Is this the chalcedony from the Panmogu mine?" The courtier shivered slightly, his hands trembling a little.

Brother Yan, if you are determined to renounce your status, this jade pendant can help you get closer to your goal, so it is worth having. Dogwa wiped his tears and reached out to tear the pawn ticket into pieces: "If you do not intend to use this silver note, then you might as well tear it up like the pawn ticket."

Despite ignoring the dog, his pace slowed down a bit.

Dogwa is an orphan without any support, abandoned on the streets before reaching one year of age. If it were not for the kindness of an old servant from the Hou family who took him in, his life might have already been lost.

Since ancient times, the Panmo region on the western border of Hanwei has been renowned for its exquisite jade. Among these, the most precious is a gem known as chalcedony. This chalcedony is nurtured by the heavens and the earth, and often only a piece the size of a palm can be excavated from an entire jade vein, making it far more valuable than any other gemstone of the same volume

Are you not trying to scare me? Only a 30% chance? Fang Yan felt a bit of chill in the palm of his hand

After nightfall, Fang Yan, following the instructions of the little turtle, took three clean small bottles and climbed over the wall into the back garden. Due to the need to refine elixirs, the Nine Talismans Array could not be used that night, so Fang Yan specifically went to a secluded corner of the back garden.

You are talking in your sleep again, still calling for money

Dogwa lowered his head in thought and then touched his chest.

A sudden thought arose in Fang Yan's mind; however, before these medicinal herbs transformed into elixirs in his hands, this thought remained merely a concept

However, after leaving, Gouwa did not head to Daohua Village, but instead went straight to the Rongchang pawnshop, which was closest to the Li Hou residence

"Since the jade pendant was left behind, why do my father and mother not want me, abandoning me on the street..." Dogwa felt a pang in his heart, and two lines of tears silently streamed down his face

Finally, the medicinal liquids of the three herbs were mixed and poured into the cauldron. The white smoke emanating from the small cauldron grew increasingly dense, accompanied by a strong fragrance of medicine that was very pleasant to the senses

How could I possibly harm you? It is of no concern; there is no need to worry about the matter of alchemy

No. Fang Yan shook his head.

Dog Wa and Fang Yan have always been very close, persistently asking him questions. Fang Yan, feeling helpless, had no choice but to fabricate a reason, claiming that he had obtained a recipe, and then recounted the events leading to his visit to the Hero Building.

"Hmm, understood." Dogwa nodded in agreement, then greeted Manager Xu before swiftly exiting the waiting hall

After a busy morning, during the lunch break, Gouwa said to Fang Yan: "Brother Yan, I want to eat the osmanthus cake from Daohua Village. Hehe, since we have some free time at noon, let's go out and buy some."

"Alright, no more thinking. Eighteen hundred taels is just a dream for us." Fang Yan patted Gou Wa and said, "Get up and get to work."

This jade pendant is warm and lustrous, with a crescent moon carved on each side. Although the craftsmanship is simple, the few lines vividly and realistically depict the two crescent moons.

"Woken up again by the urge to urinate?" Fang Yan rubbed his head

In such a small place, what good medicinal herbs can there be? Compared to those sacred medicines I have seen in the past, these are far inferior. I suppose I will just buy these and make do with them

The items at the consignment shop on the fourth floor are diverse and varied, with the Hero Building responsible for overseeing sales and taking a commission. Similar to the third floor, the goods at the fourth floor's Chengdan counter are mostly sold out, leaving only a few pills remaining. Fang Yan immediately spotted the sign for the Bi Yu Huang Ling Dan, which was clearly priced at 500 taels each.

... ...

"Two hundred taels?" Dogwa scoffed, grabbing the jade pendant and turning to leave, "There are more pawnshops in Yunjing City than just yours"

Fang Yan acted according to his words. The small cauldron appeared to be no larger than a fist, yet the space within it was far greater than that of a fist. After the medicinal materials were placed into the small cauldron and the lid was closed, the cauldron immediately reacted, slowly rotating in mid-air. Within the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, thin wisps of white smoke and medicinal vapor began to waft out from the four small holes in the cauldron.

Of course, the little turtle replied: "In a certain sense, mastering alchemy is more difficult than cultivating martial arts. Any medicinal herb, when placed in the furnace for refinement, is completely beyond the realm of human control. An alchemist merely relies on experience and some techniques to increase the probability of success. The higher the grade of the elixir, the greater the chance of failure. This Jade Yellow Spirit Pill is only suitable for post-natal stage warriors, and it would be quite good if three out of ten furnaces succeed in refining it."

Hello! You are quite the expert; don't you understand this principle? If you buy the herbs and go back to refine them, what if the refinement fails? That would waste a whole batch of good herbs. If you buy the finished elixir and take it directly, it saves both effort and trouble

Five hundred taels! That's the maximum!

Carrying a 2,000 tael silver note, Fang Yan once again arrived at the Hero's Tower, where the staff responsible for selling medicinal herbs remained exceptionally enthusiastic

"How is it? You really don't know?" The guy exclaimed, "Is it really that simple to say that one has successfully refined the elixir?"

More than an hour later, the small hole in the cauldron no longer emitted white smoke, and the cauldron ceased to rotate. Upon removing the lid, all the medicinal liquid inside had been completely refined into ten emerald-green pills, each slightly smaller than a lotus seed

Alright!

Upon hearing the little turtle's words, Fang Yan felt somewhat reassured. He casually strolled over to a few counters selling finished elixirs and noticed several attendants gathered together chatting. One of them stood up and greeted him, saying: "Esteemed guest, are you looking to purchase a finished elixir? I sincerely apologize, but the stock we received today has already sold out. You might want to try your luck at the consignment counter upstairs."

Please take out the three types of medicinal herbs that I looked at last time

Two thousand two

A thin silver note, at this moment held in Fang Yan's hand, felt as heavy as Mount Tai. He believed that in this world, besides darkness and sorrow, there was also a realm of sacred light enveloping him.

"What does it mean?" Fang Yan asked, stopping in his tracks

"Go now! Bring back the jade pendant!" Fang Yan's tone carried a hint of sternness: "That jade pendant was left to you by your parents; it might help you find their whereabouts in the future..."

Before long, three plants resembling jade-green three-leafed bilberry were refined by the small cauldron into an extremely pure medicinal liquid. Fang Yan temporarily stored the medicinal liquid in a small bottle he carried with him, and then added the second type of medicinal material.

"So expensive!" Fang Yan couldn't help but mutter softly. The attendant at the counter had excellent hearing and immediately interjected, "Esteemed guest, five hundred taels each is already a very fair price. You can do the math yourself; doesn't that make sense?"

"Old Ghost." Fang Yan secretly asked the little turtle: "I don't understand these medicinal materials; what do you think?"

Alright, go ahead, and be careful of the vehicles on the road

Hehe. Dogwa said nonchalantly: "A piece of broken jade, worn for over ten years, has long become tiresome; it would be better to exchange it for some money to spend."

The official cleared his throat lightly, steadied his mind, and said slowly, "This jade pendant has a rather poor quality and texture; at most, it could be valued at two hundred taels of silver"

Once this business is concluded, the fellow's eyes will be so squinted from laughter that they will be nearly invisible: "Little hero, just one look at you and it's clear you are a young and accomplished warrior. Coupled with these fine spiritual herbs from the shop, tsk tsk, your future is exceedingly bright"

In the following days, aside from working, Fang Yan devoted all his nighttime hours to cultivation, sleeping only one or two hours each day. Although a martial artist's mental and physical stamina far exceeds that of ordinary people, he was still only fifteen or sixteen years old, and being a postnatal martial artist added to his struggles. Coupled with the gloom in his heart, he unconsciously displayed a hint of lethargy.

Fang Yan, sweating profusely, secretly asked, "Old ghost, will these medicinal materials fail during the refining process?"

The pawnshop's attendant was sleeping soundly, drooling, when he was suddenly awakened by a commotion. With a face full of impatience, he was about to erupt in anger, but upon seeing the jade pendant on the counter, his eyes instantly widened in surprise

In fact, although this jade pendant belongs to Gouwa, he himself does not know how much it is worth. Since Fang Yan needs one thousand eight hundred taels for medicine, upon hearing the price of two thousand taels reported by the steward, Gouwa could not contain himself. If it were someone with a bit more market knowledge, this piece of jade would be worth much more than two thousand taels even if pawned.

Brother Yan. Dog Wa returned to the Hou residence, woke up Fang Yan who was taking an afternoon nap, took his hand, and solemnly placed the banknote in his palm

Not long after, the small three-legged cauldron in the sea of qi suddenly flashed out, quietly hovering in front of Fang Yan's chest. Under the illumination of the moonlight, the small cauldron appeared even more translucent than when it was just taken out from the ancient well, radiating brilliance.

At this time, past noon, the businesses of all sizes in Yun Jing City were quiet, and the pawnshop's attendant was dozing off at the counter. Gou Wa took off a jade pendant tied with a red string around his neck, gently touched it, and a hint of reluctance appeared in his eyes

One thousand taels! Little ancestor! One thousand taels!

Good brother, I spoke too harshly. Be obedient and go retrieve the jade pendant

When it came time to settle the bill, Fang Yan couldn't help but feel a pang of pain; 1,800 taels was a substantial sum for a moderately well-off family in Yunjing City, enough to cover a lifetime of daily expenses. Yet, in the Hero's Tower, it could only purchase three small boxes of medicinal herbs

Brother Yan, do you have something to discuss?

Ah! Young brother, please wait, please wait. The official was anxious; since such a rare precious jade had been presented to him, it absolutely could not slip away from his hands: "Three hundred taels, let us consider this as making a friend."

There is no need for so much talk; just follow my instructions regarding the alchemy. However, we need to find a place where there are no people.