Cultivating Immortality Is Nothing to Be Ashamed Of
What's there to hesitate about?
The disappearance of the main ingredient does not mean the route has been cut off.
Capitalists are masters at using substitute materials, lowering standards, and cutting corners on packaging.
Bah! Lu Ping has the Artisan Spirit and the Cost Reduction and Efficiency Improvement; he's not a capitalist.
What he needs to do now is to adapt the lost Pill Formula into an edible, Beggars' Version Fate-Changing Pill.
Lu Ping chose B.
[You chose B.]
[You split the Heaven-Mending Minor Restoration Pill into three lines: cleanse the meridians, strengthen the Root Bones, and restore Spiritual Qi affinity.]
[You retrieved thirty-seven kinds of low-grade spirit medicine from the storeroom.]
[The Artisan Spirit is now in effect.]
[Cost Reduction and Efficiency Improvement, effective.]
[You've broken down the properties of each medicine to the smallest detail.]
Seven days later, the table was piled high with discarded pills.
[Fifteen days later, you will have completed six volumes of pharmacological deductions.]
[A month later, you barely managed to complete the first draft of the paper-based deduction for the Heaven-Mending Minor Restoration Pill.]
[This version of the medicine will first cleanse the meridians, then purify the Root Bones.]
[If a cultivator with Low-Grade Spirit Root takes this, their meridians will most likely be severed first.]
[Cross out the first version and continue with the next one.]
[Alchemy Hall, everyone thinks you're governing by doing nothing.]
[You only hold one regular meeting per month.]
[At each regular meeting, you sit at the head of the table and first have each department report their expenses.]
[When someone tries to shirk responsibility, the Passing the Buck takes effect.]
The pot was kicked back the way it came.
[Someone tried to fool you, but you just asked a question casually.]
"Who signed off on this shipment of medicinal herbs?"
[Then, a wisp of energy was quietly released.]
[Bully at Home, effective.]
The disciple in charge turned pale and immediately filled in the two missing entries.
You rarely punish people.
[But once you impose a punishment, you'll be sent directly to the Law Enforcement Hall.]
The disciples of the Alchemy Hall are beginning to fear you, and also to respect you.
[Qian Dafu said to Xu Qingshi privately.]
"Senior Brother Lu's move is brilliant. It's making everyone stick their necks out first."
[Xu Qingshi, holding the cooking time record, shook his head earnestly.]
"Senior Brother Lu just wanted to keep the Alchemy Hall from becoming too chaotic."
Qian Dafu stared at him for a long time, first shaking his head, then silently nodding.
[Pretend you didn't hear what the Fire Crow relayed.]
[You start to feel like you're becoming more and more like the boss you used to hate the most.]
[On one hand, I think this system is indeed more convenient.]
[It turns out that even betraying one's class requires a certain level of skill.]
[You used all the time you saved to refine pills, cultivate, and perfect the Heaven-Mending Minor Restoration Pill.]
[The Spirit Stones flowed out like water.]
[Qian Dafu will run the market for you.]
Shopkeeper Zhou will prepare a high-grade spirit medicine for you.
[At the end of the third month, Shopkeeper Zhou personally visited your cave abode.]
He pushed a medicine box in front of you.
"Deacon Lu, these are goods from Qingyang Domain."
"Three-leaf Jade Marrow Ganoderma, Mysterious Bone Vine, and half a piece of Spiritual Embryo Ginseng Root."
[You opened the medicine box, tested the medicinal properties, and were quite satisfied. Then you spoke,]
"Shopkeeper Zhou is very kind, this price..."
Shopkeeper Zhou rubbed his hands together.
"Let's not talk about price yet."
[Your heart skipped a beat, and you looked up at him.]
Shopkeeper Zhou immediately stopped laughing.
"Deacon Lu, there's something I've been keeping from you."
"You're more than qualified."
As he spoke, Shopkeeper Zhou took out a cyan token and placed it on the table.
[The token is engraved with "Azure Dragon Merchant Association" on the front and "First-Class VIP" in smaller characters on the back.]
[You looked at the token, neither reaching out nor speaking.]
[You simply looked at Shopkeeper Zhou calmly, but he suddenly felt the pressure increase several times over.]
Shopkeeper Zhou was sweating profusely; he coughed lightly.
"Deacon Lu has spent quite a few Spirit Stones on Green Grain Shop over the past few years. This token is already in my hands."
"It's just that my little shop can't retain many big customers."
"Once you get the license, you can directly contact the Qingyang Domain branch, which means I'll earn significantly less here."
[After you listened to Shopkeeper Zhou's explanation, he didn't really make things difficult for him; instead, he put the token away.]
[You said it casually,]
"Shopkeeper Zhou is indeed honest."
[Your voice was devoid of emotion, but Shopkeeper Zhou immediately interpreted your words as a compliment, and smiled ingratiatingly.]
"Deacon Lu, you flatter me. Now that you are acting as the acting head of the Alchemy Hall, it would seem disrespectful of me to be dishonest."
"To be honest, Green Grain Shop is also a shop under the Azure Dragon Merchant Association."
"With your performance over the past few years, I could have been transferred to Qingyang Domain long ago."
"But you're still at the Greenwood Sect, I can't bear to leave."
[Options pop up.]
[A: Reduce transactions with Green Grain Shop to avoid revealing true needs.]
[B: Through the Azure Dragon Merchant Association, we purchased large quantities of substitute medicinal materials for the Heaven-Mending Minor Restoration Pill Rejuvenation Pill.]
[C: He kicked the door shut and locked it, then grabbed Shopkeeper Zhou's wrist: "Shopkeeper Zhou, the Azure Dragon Merchant Association only gives you a few Spirit Stones a month, what are you risking your life for? Come work with me on the angel round! You can go back to the head office and embezzle 30 million yuan of public funds, and we'll consider it your technical contribution! Three years to ring the bell, five years to reach the Dao, and when I become a Dao Ancestor, I'll make you my guaranteed God of Wealth! What are you hesitating for? If we don't sign this Series A funding today, neither of us will be leaving this cave abode with our pants down!"]
Azure Dragon Domain, Azure Dragon Merchant Association —that's quite a name.
The Greenwood Sect is merely a small sect within the Eight Hundred Borderlands.
The Azure Dragon Merchant Association, however, is able to span multiple Central Regions.
Use major distribution channels when necessary.
Lu Ping chose B.
[You chose B.]
[You laughed heartily and exchanged pleasantries with Shopkeeper Zhou smiled obsequiously the whole way, regardless of whether you genuinely didn't mind or were just pretending.]
In business, as long as buying and selling continues, so does morality.
[As for the saying "business may end, but morality remains," that's pure nonsense.]
Finally, you submit a revised list of medicinal herbs.
"Shopkeeper Zhou, these medicinal herbs will be purchased in batches."
Shopkeeper Zhou glanced at the list, gasped, and then carefully folded it up.
"Deacon Lu, these aren't cheap."
[You remained noncommittal, but instead placed down several bottles of Qi-Gathering Pills.]
Shopkeeper Zhou quickly put away the Qi-Gathering Pill and bowed to you.
"Don't worry, Deacon Lu, I will deliver everything that Qingyang City has to you."
After Shopkeeper Zhou left, you went to the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion.
[This grants you the authority to act as an elder of the Alchemy Hall, allowing you access to the third layer of sealed Jade Slips.]
[The old disciple who guards the pavilion saw you, and didn't even put down his teacup.]
"Deacon Lu, are you here again to donate incense money to the Scripture Pavilion?"
[You hand over the Chief Token from the Alchemy Hall.]
[The disciple guarding the pavilion placed the Chief Token on the Formation Plate and said calmly,]
"The third level is charged by the hour, two Spirit Stones for every fifteen minutes."
Upon hearing this, your hand, which had been receiving the token, paused for a moment.
Does the Scripture Pavilion offer annual passes?
[The old disciple didn't even lift his eyelids.]
["No."]
"However, you can donate one thousand Spirit Stones in exchange for ten opportunities to enter the pavilion."
[You didn't respond, took back your token, and before entering, you said something somewhat sarcastic.]
"The sects really know how to do business."
The old disciple guarding the pavilion glanced at you, then took a sip of Spirit Tea, seemingly in response to your question, or perhaps sighing to himself.
"Cultivating immortality isn't shameful."
[You enter the third level and search through ancient Dao of Alchemy for the method to perfect the Heaven-Mending Minor Restoration Pill.]
[Three days later, you find a rubbing of a golden page hidden in a dusty, secret book.]
The cover of the secret manual has four characters written on it.
[Tracing the Origins of the Dao of Alchemy]
[The rubbing of the gold page is inscribed with "Treatise on Mind-Erasing Pills," which contains a remaining Pill Formula of Mind-Erasing Powder.]
[Mid-Grade Pill.]
[Specifically targets and attacks the Divine Sense; can damage the Divine Sense of Golden Core cultivator.]
Your finger hovers over the edge of the gold page.
[The scene from the last simulation appears in your mind.]
[The Golden Core level talisman within Han Changqing's body only lit up briefly. The short sword shattered, his Dantian cracked, and you were gone too.]
[You spent 300 Low-Grade Spirit Stones to exchange for a rubbing of "The Tracing the Origins of the Dao of Alchemy".]
[When the disciple guarding the pavilion saw the name of the secret manual, he paused mid-air, holding his teacup. He gave you a deep look, but ultimately said nothing.]
[You returned to the inner room of the Alchemy Hall, but did not begin to complete the formula for the Mind-Erasing Powder Pill Formula.]
[The Heaven-Mending Minor Restoration Pill is your top priority.]
[Twenty-six years old, eight years of work experience.]
[Trait being generated...]