Rust Pill

Li Banfeng held up the candle, searching everywhere for the bodies of Gold Rimmed Glasses and Hu Gaozi.

He didn't find the bodies, only some miscellaneous items in the corner.

He found their torn and shredded clothes. Judging by the degree of damage, these clothes had been forcibly ripped off their bodies by some external force.

The items inside the clothes were still there. Li Banfeng found their wallets.

The cloth bag containing the Snake Spot Lotuses was also there, and the lotuses inside were intact.

Next to the Copper Lotus, Li Banfeng also found the pair of Gold Rimmed Glasses. Beside the glasses was a wooden glasses case, and next to the glasses case was an iron cigarette case.

But one item was missing: Gold Rimmed Glasses' folding fan.

Li Banfeng was very interested in his folding fan with its peculiar scent. The fan's material was very special, and its craftsmanship was also very special. When folded, it could be used as an iron rod. When unfolded, it could be used as a knife or a shield.

Where did the fan go?

Was it eaten by the Copper Lotus?

What about the bodies?

Were they also eaten by the Copper Lotus?

It swallowed two bodies and took Gold Rimmed Glasses' weapon.

What would the Copper Lotus want with a weapon?

Could it be that this lotus statue can actually fight with a weapon?

Also, before, the Copper Lotus ate the Snake Spot Chrysanthemums and refined them into Snake Spot Pills.

Now it swallowed bodies and weapons, so why didn't it touch Gold Rimmed Glasses and Hu Gaozi's Snake Spot Chrysanthemums?

Could it be because it had meat to eat and didn't want to eat vegetarian, and then ate a fan to pick its teeth?

This idea seemed quite reasonable.

So what was inside these three lotus seeds?

Did it refine Gold Rimmed Glasses and Hu Gaozi into pills too?

Li Banfeng carefully peeled the three lotus seeds from the seven-holed lotus heart. The lotus immediately closed.

Two of the lotus seeds swelled in his palm. After about ten seconds, the two lotus seeds burst, each exploding into a red spherical bead.

These two spherical beads were slightly larger than the Snake Spot Pills, and their color was pure, appearing very crystal clear under the candlelight.

What kind of pills were these?

While he was thinking, the third lotus seed also exploded. Inside, there was only one spherical bead, rust-colored.

Not only did the color resemble rust, but the texture also felt like rust. Holding it in his hand gave him a very unpleasant, astringent feeling.

Not only was there an astringent feeling, but there was also a stinging sensation. Li Banfeng threw the Rust Pill aside and found a red mark on his palm. Along with the stinging, there was also a slight numbness.

Was he poisoned?

Li Banfeng didn't know how to react. Suddenly, he saw the red mark split open, and a little blood flowed out.

After the blood flowed, the stinging and numbness disappeared.

Shut-in Cultivators have strong self-healing abilities within their abodes. The bleeding just now should have been an active detoxification process.

But Li Banfeng hadn't expected that just a brief contact with the rust-colored round bead would cause him such significant harm.

If the contact time had been longer, or if he had even eaten the rust-colored round bead directly, would he have been saved?

Even a Shut-in Cultivator in their own abode might not have been able to recover.

In the spirit of seeking truth from facts, should I personally conduct an experiment?

Thinking of this, Li Banfeng suddenly sneered and muttered to himself, "Do you think I'm crazy?"

Li Banfeng emptied the Gold Rimmed Glasses' and Hu Gaozi's wallets, used the shredded clothes on the ground as a pad for his hand, put the two pills into the two wallets respectively, and squatted down to study the characteristics of the Copper Lotus.

The red round bead and the rust-colored round bead, for now, he would call them Red Pill and Rust Pill.

The Red Pill should have come from the corpses of Gold Rimmed Glasses and Hu Gaozi.

The Rust Pill should have come from the vanished folding fan.

The Copper Lotus had turned them all into pills. Li Banfeng couldn't understand the specific principle, and for now, he had no way of knowing the uses of these two pills.

The question Li Banfeng was most concerned about now was, what principle did the Copper Lotus follow in selecting materials for alchemy?

It had chosen Snake Spot Chrysanthemum before, so why was it not interested in Snake Spot Chrysanthemum now?

Will it develop some kind of interest in me someday and directly turn me into a pill?

Li Banfeng carried the bag of Snake Spot Chrysanthemum and approached the Copper Lotus. The lotus showed no reaction.

Then why did the Snake Spot Chrysanthemum I collected before turn into Snake Spot Pills?

Think about it, what was different about the situation when I came back last night?

While thinking, Li Banfeng's head started to feel dizzy again.

This was a normal reaction after inhaling the poisonous mist. After the dizziness, he also felt like vomiting.

Vomiting!

Li Banfeng remembered something. The first thing he did when he returned to the Portable Abode was vomit. Because he couldn't find a suitable place, he had vomited directly into the cloth bag containing the flowers.

Before that, Li Banfeng had poured out the Snake Spot Chrysanthemum from the cloth bag.

Could it be that the Copper Lotus didn't sense the Snake Spot Chrysanthemum through the cloth bag?

Li Banfeng opened the cloth bag and poured the more than forty Snake Spot Chrysanthemum plants collected by Gold Rimmed Glasses near the Copper Lotus.

The moment the Snake Spot Chrysanthemum landed, the petals of the Copper Lotus began to tremble.

Hiss~ Hiss~

A sound of metal friction rang out, and the seven petals of the lotus unfolded one by one.

Li Banfeng was once again impressed by this exquisite mechanism. He couldn't understand now which was more advanced, modern civilization or these bizarre techniques.

After the seven petals unfolded, Li Banfeng clearly saw the seven-holed lotus heart.

Li Banfeng felt the air in the Portable Abode flowing in an unusual direction.

The air was spinning, forming a vortex, and at the center of the vortex was the seven-holed lotus heart.

The more than forty Snake Spot Chrysanthemums on the ground gradually lifted off with the vortex, flying up and down in the room.

Last night, this scene must have also occurred, but I was sleeping too soundly and didn't notice at all!

Li Banfeng instinctively moved two steps away from the Copper Lotus, worried that he would be sucked into the lotus heart.

A total of forty-three Snake Spot Chrysanthemums were sucked into the lotus, and the petals closed again.

It really does require direct exposure to the Copper Lotus's 'sight' for it to react.

Sight?

That word seems a bit inappropriate, can the Copper Lotus see?

While thinking, Li Banfeng suddenly heard a crisp sound. Holding the candle, he searched for a long time and found that the Rust Pill had actually fallen to the ground.

Didn't I put it in my wallet?

Li Banfeng picked up his wallet and looked at it. There was a hole at the bottom of the leather wallet, and the area around the hole was covered with greenish-black burn marks.

Was it corroded?

The Rust Pill actually has corrosive properties?

What would happen if I ate the Rust Pill?

Let alone a Shut-in Cultivator, even a Poison Cultivator probably couldn't handle it!

Li Banfeng became even more curious!

Using a piece of rags from the ground, he carefully put the Rust Pill into a tin cigarette case.

Can a tin box withstand corrosion?

It can't!

The corrosive effect was even more obvious than on the wallet.

As soon as the tin cigarette case touched the Rust Pill, it began to rust rapidly. By the time Li Banfeng took the Rust Pill out, the cigarette case was already covered in rust, its original appearance unrecognizable.

A tin box doesn't work, what about a wooden box?

Li Banfeng put the Rust Pill into an glasses case and observed it for a moment. He found that the Rust Pill did not corrode wood, so he confidently placed the glasses case in the corner of the room.

Li Banfeng waited silently beside the Copper Lotus. After about half an hour, the lotus petals opened again, and there was a lotus seed inside.

Li Banfeng held the lotus seed in his hand. The lotus seed, having left the lotus heart, rapidly expanded.

Bang! After a muffled sound, the black and white pill burst out.

This is a Snake Spot Pill!

Li Banfeng counted them. There were a total of ten pills.

Previously, he had refined eight pills from thirty-seven plants. Based on this calculation, the ratio for refining pills with the Copper Lotus was four and a half plants per pill, which was more skillful than the methods used by the major medicine shops.

This time, even fewer Snake Spot Chrysanthemums were consumed, and the yield rate was higher. This was likely related to the larger size of the Snake Spot Chrysanthemums collected by Gold Rimmed Glasses.

Li Banfeng poured out all the Snake Spot Chrysanthemums, including Qin Xiaopang's, You Tao's, Cao Ye's, Old Smoke Cannon's, Hu Gaozi's, the bald man's and his follower's...

A total of three hundred and thirty-two flowers were all taken into the lotus heart by the Copper Lotus.

After about half an hour, the petals bloomed again. This time, there were three lotus seeds in the lotus heart.

Li Banfeng peeled off the lotus seeds and quietly waited for them to burst one by one.

A few minutes later, Li Banfeng picked up the lotus seeds that had burst all over the ground and collected a total of seventy-six Snake Spot Pills.

Adding the eighteen Snake Spot Pills he and Gold Rimmed Glasses had refined before, the total was ninety-four pills.

Money!

This was stack after stack of money!

Li Banfeng bought two cloth bags at the general store, but in reality, he only used one to hold the pills. The other one he filled with vomit.

He put the pills into the remaining clean cloth bag and then tidied up the inheritances of Gold Rimmed Glasses and Hu Gaozi.

Gold Rimmed Glasses had two thousand six hundred and thirteen yuan in cash, and Hu Gaozi had three thousand five hundred and twenty-eight yuan and fifty cents on him.

Now, Li Banfeng didn't care about these small sums of money. He collected the money out of respect for the two deceased.

After all, they had met and even partnered up. He had to keep their belongings safe!

After resting in the Portable Abode for more than two hours, Li Banfeng left Bitter Mist Mountain and went to the gathering place of the various medicine shops.

The cultivators carrying Snake Spot Chrysanthemums were still arguing with the medicine shops. They claimed they wouldn't sell, but they hadn't gone far.

If they didn't sell to the medicine shops, who else could they sell to?

They only hoped to gain a little more price for themselves through this resistance, just as a middle-aged cultivator said, "Even thirty is fine, twenty-five is too much bullying."

Li Banfeng had no time to watch them haggle. Xiaopang and the others were still waiting for him in a secluded spot.

Li Banfeng had been gone for nearly three hours, which made Xiaopang extremely anxious!

"I shouldn't have let him go alone! How can I find that old woman all over this mountain! He also stayed on the mountain all night, isn't this going to kill him!"

Xiaopang paced back and forth, rubbing his hands.

Cao Ye lowered her head and said, "If Brother Bai Sha can really exchange for pills, I only need half..."

You Tao muttered to herself, "An old woman, what kind of old woman is she? Could it be that he met a Lucky Star..."

When they saw Li Banfeng's figure, everyone was very happy. Li Banfeng had no time to listen to their thanks, nor did he have time to be polite with them. He directly distributed the pills.

"You Tao, you had thirty-eight plants, which exchanged for four pills."

You Tao was surprised, "Didn't I have two less plants?"

Li Banfeng said, "I made up for you, just to round it up."

You Tao looked at Li Banfeng, feeling both grateful and guilty.

Li Banfeng took out six more pills. "Cao Ye, you have sixty-one plants. The number is too far off, so I can't make up the difference. I can only round it down."

Cao Ye was overjoyed and quickly checked the authenticity of the pills.

Next was Qin Xiaopang.

His account was a bit difficult to calculate. Qin Xiaopang originally had twenty Snake Spot Chrysanthemums, which could be exchanged for two pills.

After splitting the Snake Spot Chrysanthemums from Old Smoke Cannon and the bald group, Qin Xiaopang had eighty-four plants.

Adding them together, he had one hundred and four plants. Considering Qin Xiaopang's help along the way, Li Banfeng gave him eleven pills.

Qin Xiaopang held the pills, his hands trembling uncontrollably.

"One pill is ten thousand! Let's go, let's go sell the medicine now!"

Cao Ye stopped Qin Xiaopang and said, "Brother Pang, where do you plan to sell it?"

"Sell it to the medicine shop! Isn't it right there?"

Cao Ye shook her head and said, "You can't sell it to the medicine shop. The origin of these pills is unclear."

Qin Xiaopang frowned and said, "How is the origin unclear? Isn't it, isn't it, that... whatchamacallit..."

The matter was indeed unclear, and even if it were explained, no one would believe it.

Cao Ye said, "I used to be an apprentice in a medicine shop. They won't accept pills with unclear origins. If they start asking questions, it will only cause us trouble."

Indeed, they couldn't sell it to the medicine shop.

Li Banfeng remained silent, quietly observing everyone's plans.

Qin Xiaopang was very discouraged upon hearing this. "What should we do then? We exchanged for the pills, but now they're stuck in our hands."

You Tao smiled and said, "How could they be stuck in your hands? There are many people who want these pills, and they are all rich. Ten thousand yuan might not even be enough to buy one.

You earn their money, and they'll still remember your kindness. This kind of good business is something you can only dream of."

Li Banfeng's brows relaxed. There was still a way.

It's just that this way isn't very suitable for me.

You Tao's meaning was to sell them through private channels to those who wanted to buy them.

Li Banfeng was unfamiliar with the people and places here and couldn't find a suitable buyer. He would see if Qin Xiaopang had a channel for selling.

The fat man scratched his scalp. "But this isn't something that can be sold overnight."

You Tao was surprised. "What are you rushing for? The pills won't go bad overnight!"

"That's true, but..."

You Tao didn't have the patience to argue with Qin Xiaopang. She turned and cupped her fists towards Li Banfeng. "Great kindness needs no words of thanks. These pills are what I owe you, and my life is also what I owe you.

If you ever come to Ma Bamboo Village in Outer Valley in the future, ask for You Xuetao, and you will definitely find me. If there's anything you need help with, just say the word. I won't even bat an eye, whether it's a mountain of knives or a sea of fire!"

You Xuetao, You Tao. Her nickname and name were somewhat similar.

She had given her address. If Qin Xiaopang couldn't find a way to sell the pills, it wouldn't be too late to find You Tao then.

Cao Ye bowed to Li Banfeng. "Brother Bai Sha, my name is Xue Yingying. If you ask for the Old Xue family in Sanpu Village, Outer Valley, you'll find me."

You Tao took out two pills and said, "We sisters can't repay this kindness right away. Please accept these pills as a token of my gratitude."

Cao Ye also took out two pills. "My younger sister also has a token of gratitude."

Li Banfeng waved his hand, not accepting their pills.

The two women thanked him profusely, but if they knew Li Banfeng had sixty-five more pills in his possession, who knows what they would think.

You Tao looked at Li Banfeng, and she did have a few thoughts.

A Joy Cultivator's thoughts are very straightforward.

If she could meet a man like him, perhaps his appearance wasn't worse than a flat one.

Cao Ye's thoughts were more complex.

Although she hadn't clearly seen the scene at the time, the bald man and his group had indeed died at his and Qin Xiaopang's hands.

This was a man capable of great things!

With his protection, the medicine shop could really open!

The two women left one after another. Li Banfeng stood in place, contemplating his return journey to Yue Province.

Logically, with so many pills, money should not be an issue.

But the pills hadn't been sold yet, so they couldn't be considered money.

How could he quickly sell the pills?

Li Banfeng looked at Qin Xiaopang, who also seemed to be in urgent need of money.

But after sitting in silence for so long, the previously anxious Qin Xiaopang slowly calmed down.

He felt that You Tao had a point. "There's no need to rush selling the pills. That woman was right, these are good things.

Not only can I sell them for a good price, but I can also make many good friends with these pills. So there's really no need to rush this matter!"

You're not in a hurry anymore?

That won't do!

"I'm in a hurry!" Li Banfeng sat beside Qin Xiaopang. "I'm in a hurry to use the money."

Although Li Banfeng had also found a lot of money on Gold Rimmed Glasses, these pills seemed useless if he took them back to Yue Province.

Qin Xiaopang was very curious. "What are you in a hurry for money for? Should I lend you some first?"

Li Banfeng waved his hand. "I don't want to borrow money, I just want to sell the pills as soon as possible."

"Sell them as soon as possible..." Qin Xiaopang could understand Li Banfeng's thoughts. Li Banfeng was from another state and was unfamiliar with the people and places in Medicine King Gully. He didn't know many ordinary people, let alone wealthy and influential figures.

After thinking for a moment, Qin Xiaopang rubbed his chin and said, "There is a place where you can sell the pills quickly, but the price will be discounted."

Li Banfeng's eyes lit up. "How much of a discount?"

PS: Dear readers, Salad is so conscientious. It's the end of the month, please give all your monthly votes to Salad.

(End of this chapter)