Nesting Dolls

For the next several days, Zeng Defang guided Chen Fei in his alchemy techniques. After hiding his true abilities for a few days, Chen Fei revealed Proficient Level skill in refining Blood Qi Pills.

Zeng Defang burst into hearty laughter, deeply comforted in his old age, and even gave Chen Fei's shoulder several hard pats.

"Having reached this point, there is nothing more I can teach you about a pill like the Blood Qi Pill. What comes next depends on the insights you gain during your usual refinement process."

Zeng Defang's skill in refining Blood Qi Pills naturally went beyond the Proficient Level. But once one reached the Proficient Level, there were basically no longer any issues with the refining techniques themselves. What was lacking were only subtle adjustments in the heat.

Such adjustments were already difficult to express in words. An alchemist had to comprehend and practice them personally. Moreover, Proficient Level Blood Qi Pills could already be properly placed on the shelves for sale. In other words, Chen Fei could start earning money.

According to the agreement with Qingzheng Medical Hall, after deducting the cost of medicinal ingredients from the Blood Qi Pills Chen Fei refined each month, Chen Fei could take thirty percent of the remaining profit.

Was that little?

It certainly was not. Chen Fei was quite satisfied with this arrangement. After all, he only needed to refine pills. The medicinal ingredients, the shop, the pill furnace, the sales—none of that had anything to do with him.

With Qingzheng Medical Hall at his back, Chen Fei only needed to focus on refining pills.

It could be said that Zeng Defang had certainly pulled some strings for this profit-sharing ratio. Otherwise, Qingzheng Medical Hall would not have offered such treatment.

Of course, the profit-sharing ratios for other alchemists were not much worse. Alchemists were precious, after all. If they were not given sufficient treatment, they would simply leave.

It was different from hiring guards. Guards were not easy to recruit either, but the number of martial artists was there for all to see; with money, one could always hire some. But alchemists—their numbers were there for all to see as well. They truly were not people one could hire just because one wanted to.

Zeng Defang no longer stayed by Chen Fei's side. Chen Fei found time to go out several times and raised his Blood Qi Pill proficiency to the Mastery level.

Chen Fei did not rush to grind his Blood Qi Pill skill to Great Perfection, because Mastery-level Blood Qi Pill techniques were already more than sufficient for his current refining needs.

Not only was every pill plump and full, but the number of pills produced in each batch was also high. It was as though he had squeezed every last trace of medicinal potency from the ingredients without wasting a shred.

As for Great Perfection Blood Qi Pills, they would probably involve casting off the old and bringing forth the new, making the Blood Qi Pills even more effective.

That would naturally be wonderful, but the requirement of ten thousand proficiency points was not something he could complete in a short time. Thus, Chen Fei was in no hurry. He could take it slowly.

There was no one else in the Pill Chamber. Chen Fei went all out with every batch of Blood Qi Pills he refined. Compared with Proficient Level Blood Qi Pills, Mastery-level Blood Qi Pills differed mainly in the number of finished pills; there was not much difference otherwise.

Naturally, Chen Fei would not display such a high level of alchemy to outsiders. Therefore, he directly ate all the extra pills.

Blood Qi Pills truly deserved to be called pills meant for ordinary martial artists. One Blood Qi Pill could increase Chen Fei's cultivation progress by 1 point. Chen Fei could take five Blood Qi Pills a day, and together with the cultivation gained from his own technique, that made 6 points of cultivation progress per day.

"Even if the Wind Suspension Breathing Method had not been simplified, I would only need a little less than five months to break through to the Muscle Tempering Realm."

Chen Fei muttered to himself, experiencing the power of pills for the first time—or rather, the power of money.

One tael of silver could buy five Blood Qi Pills. An ordinary guard at the Medical Hall earned only enough in a month to buy twenty-five Blood Qi Pills. Thus, guards rarely bought Blood Qi Pills to cultivate; it was simply too expensive.

Only those who still had potential in martial arts would be willing to invest like that. And such an investment had to continue for several years before results might be seen.

Within Pingyin County, only disciples of those aristocratic families, or direct disciples of places like the Extreme Mountain Boxing Gym, could possibly take Blood Qi Pills at their daily limit as Chen Fei did now, catching up in cultivation as quickly as possible.

"Skilled alchemists really do make money. And I'm only refining Blood Qi Pills."

Chen Fei shook his head slightly and tossed a Blood Qi Pill into his mouth to refine. A faint smile could not help appearing on his face.

Chen Fei planned to request an advance of silver from the Medical Hall in a few days so that he could simplify the two fused cultivation techniques.

Although his cultivation progress was already fairly good thanks to the Blood Qi Pills, how could Chen Fei possibly refuse anything that would allow him to grow stronger faster?

Moreover, Chen Fei had always felt an uncertain unease toward this world. His previous life had been a peaceful and prosperous age, while this world was filled with strange horrors and man-made disasters. It was difficult to truly set one's heart at ease.

In the blink of an eye, ten days passed. Aside from diligently refining Blood Qi Pills and cultivating, Chen Fei spent his spare time going out to grind the progress of Fried Pig Liver.

While frying pig liver in the ruined courtyard, Chen Fei had actually noticed that he was being followed, but he did not pay it much mind. After all, he was now the hottest person in Qingzheng Medical Hall.

Everyone in the Medical Hall could see Zeng Defang's fondness for Chen Fei. It was only short of publicly declaring Chen Fei his final disciple. Under such circumstances, many people naturally became curious about how Chen Fei had achieved it.

Perhaps there was some special method?

But when those people saw him frying pig liver in the courtyard, who knew what their expressions would be.

No matter how one looked at it, frying pig liver had nothing to do with refining pills. Otherwise, the back kitchens of Wine Houses would probably all be filled with grand alchemy masters.

Those people could only chalk Chen Fei's fried pig liver up to a peculiar personal hobby. Other than that, they truly could not think of any other reason.

Some people refused to give up and followed Chen Fei for several days in a row. Every time, all they saw was him frying pig liver. And each time Chen Fei fried it, he used only a piece of pig liver the size of a fingernail, leaving them numb with disbelief.

What kind of bizarre hobby was this!

"Normally, it is not permitted to draw silver in advance. But I know your circumstances, so after I reported it to Manager Cui, he agreed. Here are thirty taels of silver. Keep them safe."

The accountant handed the money to Chen Fei. Chen Fei gave it a brief look, and a smile appeared on his face.

Based on the number of pills Chen Fei deliberately kept under control, his monthly earnings were now around fifty taels, ten times that of an ordinary guard. How could others not envy him?

The Medical Hall's agreement to advance him thirty taels clearly showed that they had seen Chen Fei's potential and understood that he had the ability to repay it. That was why they had been so straightforward.

Returning to his room, Chen Fei felt slightly excited.

"Panel, simplify the cultivation technique, Wind Suspension Breathing Method!"

"Wind Suspension Breathing Method simplifying... Simplification successful... Wind Suspension Breathing Method → Extreme Mountain Breathing Technique!"

"Hmm?"

Seeing the information displayed on the panel, Chen Fei froze for a moment. How had it simplified into the Extreme Mountain Breathing Technique from back then?

Then Chen Fei thought of something. He tried circulating the Extreme Mountain Breathing Technique that had once reached Great Perfection, and then saw the experience value of the Wind Suspension Breathing Method increase by 1 on the panel.

Good heavens!

Chen Fei's eyes widened at once. This panel truly exceeded his expectations again and again—it had actually produced a nesting doll.