Li Family's Pill Scripture

"Old Bear, Old Bear, come out and play."

"I found a new hive of honey."

On the southern side of Mount Luo, there was a cave.

Inside the cave.

A black bear was painstakingly writing something on a stone slab before him, stroke by stroke.

"Not going," Black Bear answered in a deep, muffled voice.

The one speaking was Grey Squirrel.

He had not seen Black Bear in a long time.

"Not going? Then what are you doing?"

As he spoke, he walked into the cave.

"What are you doing?"

"Writing."

Black Bear replied in his deep, muffled voice.

"Writing?" Grey Squirrel's eyes widened.

"What are you writing for?"

"Do you want to become a scholar too?"

Black Bear said nothing, merely continuing with his work.

"Then are you going to dig out honey or not?"

"I'm not going."

"Fine, then."

"I'm leaving."

As Grey Squirrel spoke, he kept looking back while walking away.

He was feeling rather downcast.

Old Bear had not gone out to play with him for a long time.

"Senior Bai!"

In Luo Village.

Song Chengan clasped his hands in greeting.

"Senior, are you injured?"

Song Chengan asked curiously.

First Boss Bai's face was pale, and he looked several years older than before.

First Boss Bai smiled.

"Just a minor injury."

A minor injury?

First Boss Bai's Cultivation Level was anything but ordinary. Whoever had injured him was probably no ordinary person either.

It was best for him to stay out of such grudges and vendettas.

"Right, while I was out this time, I found a Daoist book on pill refinement. I think you might be interested."

As First Boss Bai spoke, he carefully took a book from his robes and handed it to Song Chengan.

"Pill refinement?"

Song Chengan accepted it in delight.

Li Family's Pill Scripture.

It was an old book, somewhat yellowed with age.

It recorded the pill-refining insights of a Daoist named Li Xu, along with a Pill Formula.

And that Pill Formula was for the Spirit Essence Pill.

Song Chengan had once bought this kind of pill from Monk Ciren. It was a basic medicinal pill used to assist cultivation.

"Senior Bai, how much is this Pill Scripture?"

"It's worthless. An old friend gave it to me."

"Take it and study it."

First Boss Bai waved his hand.

Yet Song Chengan's expression turned incomparably solemn.

"This junior was originally nothing more than a scholar, accomplishing nothing for many years."

"If Senior Bai had not led me into the immortal path, I fear I would have spent this life in mediocrity."

"I have already received too many favors from Senior Bai and have no way to repay them. How can I accept this favor for nothing as well?"

"I ask Senior Bai to allow this junior to purchase this Pill Scripture with Talisman Coins."

"There's truly no need for this." First Boss Bai laughed. "I do not have much time left. Talisman Coins are of no use to me either."

Song Chengan froze upon hearing this.

"What does Senior mean by that?"

"As this junior understands it, once one reaches Foundation Establishment, one can live for at least two hundred years."

"Moreover, Senior was born of the Demon Race, so your lifespan should be even longer."

"Though this junior does not know Senior's realm, it surely cannot be below Foundation Establishment. How could your lifespan be at its end?"

A faint smile appeared at the corner of First Boss Bai's mouth. "You still remember what I told you, don't you?"

"I gained my opportunity more than thirty years ago."

"I have cultivated for only thirty years to this day."

"Thirty years is a long time for human cultivators, but for us of the Demon Race, it amounts to nothing."

"Especially for a demon like me, with no noble bloodline to speak of."

"For demons of my birth, let alone reaching Foundation Establishment in thirty years, merely touching its threshold would already make one a genius among geniuses of the Demon Race."

"But thirty years have passed, and now I am only one step away from the great completion of Foundation Establishment."

"What do you think I relied on?"

First Boss Bai said with a smile.

Song Chengan was startled upon hearing this.

That was right.

The Demon Race required an exceedingly long time to cultivate.

Why had First Boss Bai cultivated so quickly?

"Perhaps Senior is that one genius in ten thousand?"

First Boss Bai shook his head.

"I am not."

"I cultivated a demonic art that damages one's lifespan."

"I merely traded lifespan for increased strength."

"My strength rose quickly, and naturally, the price was the exhaustion of my lifespan."

Song Chengan's face immediately showed astonishment.

He knew little about monsters and had assumed First Boss Bai's aging appearance was simply due to old age and the natural depletion of his lifespan.

"Senior's heart is righteous. Why would you cultivate such a demonic art?"

"This junior read in a Daoist book that there are true qi methods in this world that prolong one's years and extend one's life."

"If Senior is willing to abandon this demonic art and cultivate a true qi method that prolongs years and extends life instead, this junior is willing to seek such a method for Senior."

Song Chengan said with utmost seriousness.

If one were to ask who had treated him best since he had transmigrated into this world, it was naturally his elder sister.

She was family bound to him by blood.

Beyond her, it was First Boss Bai before him.

Though the other party was a monster, he had also been Song Chengan's guide upon the path of cultivation.

It could be said that without him, there would be no Song Chengan of today.

He was not Song Chengan's master in name, yet he was better than a master.

What was more, in Song Chengan's heart, First Boss Bai was someone who truly yearned for the righteous path.

When it came to monsters, everyone spoke of them with hatred.

They believed all monsters in this world ought to be slaughtered to the last.

But Song Chengan did not think so.

At least in his eyes, the demons of Mount Luo under First Boss Bai were seekers of the Dao who held the righteous path in their hearts.

He hoped there would be more people—or demons—like them in the world.

Yet to Song Chengan's surprise, upon hearing his words, First Boss Bai shook his head without the slightest hesitation.

"I will not switch to cultivating another kind of true qi..."

"But..."

First Boss Bai waved his hand.

"Every person walks a different path."

"I am very gratified that you have become a cultivator who inclines toward justice."

"It is my honor to have been your guide."

First Boss Bai looked at Song Chengan as he spoke.

Yet Song Chengan did not know whether it was merely his imagination, but he felt that First Boss Bai's gaze was incomparably hollow.

As though he were looking through him at something else.

"For this Pill Scripture, just give me fifty Talisman Coins."

"If you do not have that many Talisman Coins, you may owe me first."

"I have them. This junior has recently been working with the Imperial Court."

Song Chengan took out fifty Talisman Coins.

That Marrow Cleansing Pill had ultimately been bought by Wen Chengyun for three hundred Talisman Coins.

Thus, Song Chengan could now be considered modestly well-off.

"Scholar Song, want a drink?"

When Song Chengan stepped out of Boss Bai's house, he saw the Black Bear Spirit.

The fellow grinned broadly and called out to Song Chengan.

Grey Squirrel was following beside him.

"Come on, let's go drink together."

As he spoke, he reached out as though to sling an arm around Song Chengan's neck, but withdrew his hand halfway.

"Hehe."

"Forgot that wouldn't be very appropriate."

Song Chengan was speechless.

It truly was not very appropriate.

Surely no one would enjoy having a black bear's paw draped over his shoulder.

"Come on, come on, to my cave."

When Song Chengan stepped into the cave, he was somewhat surprised.

Because the cave walls were carved full of words.

Bear.

Mount Luo.

Righteous path.

From crooked and slanting at the beginning.

To increasingly presentable in the end.

This surprised Song Chengan somewhat.

This black bear seemed to be rather interesting indeed.

"Little ones, bring everything up! I'm going to drink with Scholar Song until neither of us can return sober!"

The Black Bear Spirit roared.

At once, several smaller black bears walked in, carrying all kinds of wild mountain fruits.

Another black bear had a large wild boar clenched in his jaws.

They were all spirits with some Cultivation Level.

Song Chengan thought.