Mystic Fire Pill Shop

Three days later.

At the outskirts of the Mystic Pill Mountain Range, Han Yi bade Zheng Hai farewell and prepared to descend the mountain.

"Han Yi, don't lose heart. At the very least, Senior Guan found you a good position."

"The Mystic Fire Pill Shop is one of the sect's second-rate establishments. Once you get there, you can still take on pill-refining assignments, which will also benefit your pill-refining skills."

"If your pill-refining skills happen to break through, returning to the sect next year will be as easy as turning your hand over."

Zheng Hai sighed inwardly, but he forced a calm expression as he encouraged Han Yi.

"Don't worry. Those words alone are enough."

"I believe I'll return."

Han Yi nodded heavily.

He had no intention of telling Zheng Hai that his pill-refining skill had broken through to "First Glimpse."

Although Zheng Hai could be considered his first friend in this world, some secrets were best left untold, even between friends. That was the best approach for both sides.

Besides, the human heart was hidden behind the belly.

After so many years in the workplace in his previous life, Han Yi had seen far too many stories of friends turning against one another like enemies.

After parting with Zheng Hai, Han Yi headed straight down the mountain toward Mengshan City.

Three days earlier, when he rushed to Zhuque City and met Guan Di again, Guan Di could only helplessly tell him that the deadline had passed. According to sect rules, his residence would be reclaimed.

Afterward, within the limits of his authority, Guan Di arranged work for him after he left the mountain.

At a pill shop in Mengshan City directly managed by the sect, Han Yi would serve as an externally dispatched sect disciple and assist the shopkeeper.

Guan Di was at Qi Refining Layer 6, only one step away from becoming an inner sect disciple. Thanks to his clan uncle being an outer sect deacon, he had managed to become a minor steward at the Administration Hall.

He also had to prepare for his breakthrough into the Qi Refining Late Stage. He could not possibly help Han Yi and Zheng Hai at every turn; being able to do this much was already no easy feat.

Han Yi sincerely thanked him.

The Great Qian Immortal Kingdom held the Qian Prefecture and Shu Province beneath heaven.

Across the Qian-Shu Two Prefectures, it established a total of thirty-three commanderies. Qian Prefecture held twenty, while Shu Province had thirteen.

Shu Province was perilous and precipitous, with as many as nine mountain ranges.

The Mystic Pill Mountain Range stretched across Taibai, Nanyang, and Luofeng Commanderies in Shu Province.

As the master of the Mystic Pill Mountain Range, the Mystic Pill Sect had dozens of Golden Core cultivators standing guard. Within the Great Qian Immortal Kingdom, its status was second only to One Kingdom, Two Sacred Lands, and Three Great Sects.

One Kingdom naturally referred to the Great Qian Immortal Kingdom, which had a Divine Transformation mighty expert overseeing it.

Two Sacred Lands referred to two sacred immortal cultivation grounds that likewise possessed Divine Transformation mighty experts and were no weaker than the Immortal Kingdom.

The Three Great Sects referred to three major sects with Nascent Soul-level great cultivators.

Therefore, so long as it did not provoke any of those six major powers with experts at the Nascent Soul realm or above, the Mystic Pill Sect had no danger of being destroyed.

This information

was what Han Yi had sorted out from the memories in his mind.

It was good to rest in the shade beneath a great tree. Though the Mystic Pill Sect was not the largest tree, it was still enough to shelter him.

Naturally, Han Yi did not want to miss such a great tree.

It was just that he had not expected to make such a blunder the moment he arrived.

And since it had already become reality, he did not regret it too much.

Mengshan City was a city in Nanyang Commandery.

In his memories, he was no stranger to this city, because he had come from Mengshan City. This was his hometown.

Only, his background had been poor. Though Mengshan City was his hometown, he had no relatives or family there.

Simply put, he had no attachments in Mengshan City.

Thus, he headed straight for the place arranged by the sect.

As a major sect that specialized in pill refinement, the Mystic Pill Sect maintained two types of pill shops throughout the Great Qian Immortal Kingdom: Mystic Immortal Pill Shops and Mystic Fire Pill Shops.

Mystic Immortal was first-rate, serving mainly immortal cultivators at Foundation Establishment and above.

Mystic Fire was second-rate, serving mainly Qi Refining cultivators.

Within Taibai, Nanyang, and Luofeng Commanderies, every city had both a Mystic Immortal Pill Shop and a Mystic Fire Pill Shop.

Beyond those three commanderies, the commandery capitals of the other thirty commanderies across the Qian-Shu Two Prefectures likewise had the same arrangement.

It could be said.

The Mystic Pill Sect held at least thirty percent of the entire Great Qian Immortal Kingdom's pill market.

Mengshan City, Mystic Fire Pill Shop.

Han Yi, dressed in a simple gray robe, walked inside and showed his sect token to the shopkeeper at the counter.

The shopkeeper was around fifty. He did not look particularly old; at this age, his pill-appraisal skills were highly experienced, yet his energy had not declined enough to cause misjudgments.

"So it's Junior Brother Han. Welcome, welcome."

The shopkeeper spoke warmly.

"May I ask how I should address you, Senior Brother?" Han Yi bowed, without neglecting courtesy.

"This old man is Guan Sheng. Guan Di is my nephew."

"So it is Uncle-Master Guan."

Han Yi understood at once and promptly changed his form of address, making their relationship seem closer.

It appeared Guan Di had put quite a bit of thought into arranging this place for him.

He accepted this favor gratefully.

The shopkeeper waved his hand.

"The sect's seniority must not be muddled. You should still call me Senior Brother."

Then he continued.

"This Mystic Fire Pill Shop is under this old man's humble charge, and I remain here year-round.

Including you, there are four pill-refining assistants in the shop.

Among them, Jiang De, like me, is not a disciple assigned from the sect; we both stay here year-round.

The other two, Xia Qingyi and Xiao Yi, are sect disciples assigned here, just like you."

The "sect disciples assigned here" Guan Sheng spoke of were, in truth, low-ranking disciples whose Outer Peak residences had temporarily been reclaimed because they lacked sufficient contribution points.

The Mystic Pill Sect claimed to have a hundred thousand outer disciples, and every year, quite a few had their residences reclaimed for insufficient contribution points.

After descending the mountain, most of them never had any hope of returning to the sect.

Only a small number found some fortuitous encounter, broke through in cultivation, or improved their pill-refining skills before they could return to the sect.

Just as Guan Sheng finished speaking, a tall, thin young man in his thirties came in from outside.

The tall, thin young man was also wearing the pill shop's gray robes.

"Perfect timing. Come, let me introduce you. This is Jiang De."

Guan Sheng said to Han Yi, then introduced Han Yi to the young man.

"This is Junior Brother Han Yi. He just came down from the sect today."

A flicker passed through the tall, thin Jiang De's eyes. Expressionless, he nodded at Han Yi without another word, then brushed past him and headed up to the second floor of the pill shop.

A pungent smell of burning assailed his nostrils.

He must have just ruined a batch of pills, Han Yi thought.

"Don't mind him, Junior Brother Han. Junior Brother Jiang De has always been a man of few words. Even with me, he is usually like this."

Han Yi nodded to show his understanding.

Next, Guan Sheng led Han Yi around, introducing him to the layout of the Mystic Fire Pill Shop, the pills sold within, their set prices, and so on.

Finally, Guan Di took out a palm-sized silver disk.

"This is the Array Disk for a courtyard in the northern district."

"According to sect rules, every disciple assigned away from the sect receives a courtyard. If you apply to leave the sect, or are fortunate enough to return to it, you must hand the courtyard back to the sect."

"Junior Brother Han, settle in first.

According to sect rules, you must report to the pill shop once every quarter. Let me see—the next reporting date... hmm, what a coincidence, it is exactly seven days from now.

At that time, there will be some pill-refining assignments for you to choose from.

Remember not to miss the time."

"Thank you, Senior Brother Guan."

Han Yi accepted the Array Disk.

After Guan Sheng explained a few more matters, Han Yi turned and left the pill shop.

After he left, the tall, thin Jiang De came down from the second floor. His gaze flickered as he said darkly, "Old Guan, could this man ruin things?"

"What we are doing cannot afford the slightest mistake. If it leaks, it will not just be a matter concerning you and me—our families behind us will face a calamity that swallows everything."

"To be safe, should I take care of him? Just like before. The sect would not specially investigate a low-ranking disciple assigned away from the sect anyway..."

Jiang De's voice was low, and a concealed killing intent flashed through his eyes.

Guan Sheng shook his head, his eyes half-lidded. "Don't rush. Rather than killing him, I have a better idea."

"What better idea?" the lanky youth Jiang De asked doubtfully.

"Don't you think it would be more plausible if a disciple who had just had his Outer Peak spirit-vein residence repossessed and was assigned to leave the mountain embezzled spirit herbs in pursuit of a breakthrough in alchemy, only to be discovered by us and executed on the spot, ridding the sect of a scourge?"

Guan Sheng's voice was even, without the slightest ripple.

"I wouldn't even believe that. Do you think the Law Enforcement Hall would?" Jiang De frowned deeply, unable to make sense of it.

"Don't concern yourself with this. I naturally have a way to make them believe it." Guan Sheng's tone remained calm.

Han Yi had no idea what Guan Sheng and Jiang De discussed after he left.

At this moment, after walking out of the Mystic Fire Pill Shop, he sent a thread of mana into the small silver disc in his hand. At once, a piece of information came back, guiding him which way to go.

"Interesting. This is another application of the hundred arts of cultivation—formation arrays."