"It's done."
Su Yuan went over to Chu Lanxi and Chen Nuoyi, who were waiting, and placed five red pills on the counter.
Chu Lanxi inspected the red pills, then called to an employee working nearby:
"Brother Wang, come check the goods."
"Coming, boss."
The employee known as Brother Wang hurried over, picked up a red pill, carefully scraped off a little powder, and inhaled it.
"Hiss—"
The next second, Brother Wang drew in a deep breath. The muscles all over his body began to tense and twitch uncontrollably.
After a long while, an expression of deep intoxication spread across his face. He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, as if he'd entered a state of perfect serenity in an instant, becoming utterly peaceful.
"Boss, the goods are fine."
Brother Wang sniffed and nodded.
"Thanks for your effort."
After sending him away, Chu Lanxi looked at Su Yuan in surprise.
"You really know your stuff. Any interest in working part-time as our shop's alchemist after school?"
"We can talk about the pay. How about a hundred yuan for every Calming Pill you make? The shop needs nearly a hundred a month."
Hearing that rate, Su Yuan was immediately tempted.
After all, unlike a real alchemist, he didn't need to tend a pill furnace and rely on all kinds of techniques and procedures to make pills.
All he had to do was expend spiritual power. The Demonic Cultivation Technique · Finger Spirit took care of the rest.
But wasn't the price Chu Lanxi had offered a little low for a real alchemist?
A dangerous glint appeared in Su Yuan's eyes.
"Lanzi, alchemists only make that much? You're not taking advantage of someone you know, are you?"
Chu Lanxi smiled.
"Yuanzi, alchemists have been left behind by the times. Every year, there are hordes of college graduates from alchemy departments. Unless they've got real skill, they're all just workers on an alchemy production line."
"As smart pill furnaces become more and more widespread, the pay for average alchemists will only keep dropping. This really is a friends-and-family rate."
Su Yuan was speechless.
He could've sworn that in almost every cultivation novel, alchemists were treated as a noble profession. How had they become so worthless here?
That was the downside of industrialized cultivation. Craftsmanship? Forget about it.
"Fine, fine. A hundred it is."
Su Yuan put on an unwilling expression, but inside, he was delighted.
Unaware of what he was really thinking, Chu Lanxi added, "How about this? Besides making pills, you can also have a dummy position as a shop assistant here. I'll pay you seventy an hour."
Su Yuan said, "You're the best, Dad."
Chu Lanxi turned to Chen Nuoyi.
"Class Monitor, want to work as a receptionist in my shop? A hundred and seventy an hour."
As soon as she said that, Su Yuan grabbed Chu Lanxi by the collar.
"What's the big idea, son? Why am I getting brushed off with seventy, while the Class Monitor gets a hundred and seventy?"
Chu Lanxi remained unruffled.
"Do you think money grows on trees? I'm already enough to draw in plenty of female customers. What I need now is to expand our business with male customers."
"And clearly, you're not as attractive to men as a pure, pretty girl."
"Of course, if you're willing to dress as a girl, I could consider giving you a raise."
Su Yuan: "..."
In the end, Su Yuan and Chen Nuoyi took the jobs, and both started work that very day.
Though the shop was a 17-and-up demonic sect, its customers were mostly ordinary city workers, so the work was pretty laid-back.
It was just that this had little in common with the demonic life on the edge of the rules that Su Yuan had imagined at first.
And so Su Yuan and Chen Nuoyi settled into a routine: school during the day, then roasting goose at the cafeteria after classes, followed by work at the Peach Oolong Sect.
In a flash, Saturday arrived.
Taihua High School had classes six days a week, so they still had to go to school on Saturday.
But this Saturday was different. None of the eight senior-year classes had lessons. Instead, early in the morning, they lined up on the sports field under the school leaders' direction.
The powerful cultivator from one of the Ten Immortal Estates was coming.
At last, a streak of light flashed across the sky, and everyone's heart tightened.
He was here!
Standing with Class Two's line, Su Yuan watched the luxurious Flying Boat draw near, feeling envious.
The streamlined Flying Boat slowly descended into the middle of the sports field. Under everyone's gaze, its doors opened, and a figure strode out.
The school leaders all hurried forward to welcome him, while Su Yuan curiously sized up their visitor.
He was a young man who looked not yet thirty, with sharp brows and bright eyes. His manner was calm and composed, without a hint of arrogance.
But just then, someone in the crowd let out a quiet gasp.
"The rumors were true! The powerful cultivator visiting our school really is that famous Sword Cultivator from the Evil Slaying Sword Sect, Taihua Tianji!"
"They say he was already a Golden Core True Person eleven years ago, and even endorsed Juque Corporation... But not long after he did, the company went under."
"Taihua Tianji?!"
Listening to the students around him, Su Yuan suddenly realized he actually knew this big shot.
From advertisements, of course.
And Taihua Tianji was certainly a legend. Not only had he graduated at the top of his class from the Evil Slaying Sword Sect, he had also pioneered an entirely new sword cultivation system. He was hailed as one of the finest Sword Immortals of the younger generation, and was even likely to become one of the greatest of all time.
But if that were all, Taihua Tianji's name would've been celebrated mainly among Sword Cultivators, and he wouldn't have been particularly famous.
What had really made him famous was his bizarre luck.
No matter what brand he endorsed, that brand was guaranteed to suffer a major blow within a year. If it didn't go bankrupt, its market value would at least be cut in half.
Calling him the industry's guiding nether lamp wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Su Yuan figured that those big companies he'd sunk their teeth into had probably banded together to drive him out, which was why he'd come to teach at Taihua High School.
He just didn't know whether his luck only affected the companies and sects involved, or whether it would drag the school down with it too.
Su Yuan couldn't help worrying about Taihua High School's future. Would it get cursed into shutting down too?
Just as Su Yuan was lost in thought, a sudden "ding" rang in his ear.
[You have come face-to-face with a Devil Dao Magnate!] [The man standing before you is a Sword Demon who has successively brought about the destruction of Juque Sect, Imperial Sword Gate, and Chaotic Sword Hall, and dealt heavy blows to the Five Elements Sword Sect and the Greedy Wolf Sword Pavilion: Taihua Tianji!] [Now, the Sword Demon has descended upon Taihua Sect, and his intent to destroy it is crystal clear!] [Though you are unwilling to remain beneath others forever, you have no choice but to bow your head to the Sword Demon for now and borrow his strength to bring down Taihua Sect.] [The Taihua Collapse Plan quest series has been updated!] [Quest: Leverage] [In the upcoming martial arts tournament, attract the Sword Demon's attention without revealing your identity!] [Task Progress: Attention (0/100)] [Quest Reward: Demonic Cultivation Technique · Finger Artifact]
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