I Have a Daughter

After turning in the mission, he smoothly received one hundred Sect Contribution points.

According to the Black Market's exchange rate, one point of Sect Contribution was worth a little more than one tael of silver. One hundred points amounted to over a hundred taels.

In his previous life, that would have been an income of around a million. The reward was actually pretty good—at least for most Official Disciples, it was a nice windfall.

But for Qin Dongcheng, an Official Alchemist, it was nothing special. He had traveled a thousand li each way, covering more than two thousand li in all, and faced countless dangers to kill a horde of Rat Demons, only to receive a little over a hundred taels of silver.

He could earn more than that from a few days of alchemy, so it was still more worthwhile to hire others to complete missions for him.

Having completed this mandatory mission, he wouldn't receive another one this month. However, Qin Dongcheng could still choose high-reward missions on his own, such as alchemy missions suited to him.

Dong Hongyan and the others still hadn't returned. They were out slaying demons and vanquishing evil, and wouldn't come back until missions were issued next month, when they could see whether there were more profitable demon-slaying missions to take.

Women were every bit as capable as men; this group of girls was impressive.

Qin Dongcheng returned to Osmanthus Garden and continued to focus on alchemy and steady cultivation, climbing higher one step at a time.

That evening, he began refining Soul Bewildering Pills again.

He had failed dozens of times, but success was getting closer. His technique and skill grew more polished with every attempt, and he had fully mastered several intermediate alchemy methods.

After methodically processing all the herbs, he began the actual refinement.

He added the herbs one after another, while the flames beneath the furnace grew larger or smaller in step with his movements.

He didn't expect much. He had already failed too many times; he would simply treat this attempt as another chance to gain experience and learn from his mistakes.

But to Qin Dongcheng's surprise, he kept going step by step, and every stage went smoothly. Before he knew it, he had reached the final few steps.

"Vmmm..."

A hum came from inside the furnace. He had actually succeeded, without a single failure.

"You refined a Soul Bewildering Pill. Congratulations, you triggered Double Critical Hit and received double the rewards!"

The notification from the Heaven Rewards Diligence System confirmed it. This time, he had persevered and refined a Soul Bewildering Pill in one go, even triggering a Double Critical Hit.

He hadn't expected it at all. Qin Dongcheng beamed and decided to spend a little extra time that evening making himself a few hearty dishes.

Aside from cultivation, his other great pleasure these days was enjoying good food.

Spicy diced chicken, braised pork, beef noodles... In his previous life, he had often cooked to save money, so he had picked up a few culinary skills.

With the Heaven Rewards Diligence System's help in this life, his cooking had improved even further. He wasn't quite a master, but he wasn't far off.

Besides, many of the delicacies from his previous life didn't exist here.

He could now eat his fill of plenty of foods he hadn't dared touch in his previous life, without worrying about getting fat and the like.

Now that he had succeeded once, refining Soul Bewildering Pills again would be much easier.

His success rate at refining Soul Bewildering Pills rose at an astonishing pace. Once it reached around five percent, he would be guaranteed a profit; anything higher would be pure gain.

Each Soul Bewildering Pill cost only three hundred copper coins to make, yet could sell for around five taels of silver. It was far more difficult to refine than Blood-Replenishing Pills, Golden Wound Pills, and Detoxification Pills, and there was nowhere to buy them in Bamboo Forest Valley.

They could be considered one of Qin Dongcheng's exclusive products. The Bamboo Forest Black Market sold other kinds of intoxicants, but none could compare to Soul Bewildering Pills—unless they were intermediate-grade pills or better.

Moreover, refining Soul Bewildering Pills required some intermediate alchemy techniques and methods. Ordinary Low-level Alchemists couldn't make them. Their difficulty alone justified the price.

For now, Qin Dongcheng had no plans to sell his Soul Bewildering Pills. He intended to keep them for his own use and consider selling them once he no longer needed them.

Early one morning, after gathering some precious herbs and preparing to head back, he ran into Zhang Jing, who was waiting for him.

"Alchemist Qin, I have a favor to ask. I hope you'll hear me out." Zhang Jing had something he wanted from him.

Remembering how Zhang Jing had looked after him lately, Qin Dongcheng smiled. "Steward Zhang, go ahead."

"I have a daughter who also cultivates the Mount Tai Body Strengthening Fist. She's nearly reached the Minor Achievement Realm, but she's been unable to break through. I wonder if I could ask Alchemist Qin to give her some pointers. She can come learn alongside the other laborers." Zhang Jing explained.

Qin Dongcheng was taken aback. He glanced at Zhang Jing, then nodded. "Steward Zhang, feel free to send her over. I've cultivated the Mount Tai Body Strengthening Fist to the Minor Achievement Realm, so I should be able to offer your daughter some guidance."

"Then I thank you, Alchemist Qin." Zhang Jing smiled.

After Zhang Jing left, Qin Dongcheng furrowed his brows. Given Zhang Jing's status, he shouldn't have had any trouble finding someone to guide his daughter.

Yet he still wanted to send her to Qin Dongcheng, where she could study alongside the Herb Field laborers. That was rather intriguing.

It was quite possible Zhang Jing had taken a liking to him and thought he had good potential, so he wanted his daughter to spend time with him and see if the two might be a match.

But he had no intention of marrying anytime soon, so it seemed he would have to disappoint Zhang Jing.

Just as Qin Dongcheng had guessed, Zhang Jing really had taken a liking to him. Besides appreciating his potential and steady character, Zhang Jing also knew the Dong Family was grateful to him.

Dong Hongyan, who would soon become a True Inheritance Disciple, owed him a great debt—one for saving her life.

As Dong Hongyan continued to grow, she would surely look out for Qin Dongcheng. His future prospects were plain to see.

As for whether Dong Hongyan might take a liking to Qin Dongcheng, Zhang Jing hadn't considered it.

She was one of the Dong Family's most talented prodigies. How could she possibly take an interest in a Herb Field laborer who had only managed to become an Official Disciple by sheer luck? Even if Dong Hongyan were willing, the Dong Family would do everything in its power to oppose it.

So Zhang Jing wasn't worried about that. That was why he wanted his daughter to spend some time with Qin Dongcheng and see if the two had a chance.

It would be even better if they hit it off. If they didn't, it wouldn't matter.

Qin Dongcheng had potential, but his talent and aptitude were ultimately limited. Otherwise, he wouldn't even have failed the Official Disciple examination.

His younger daughter was pretty, and even some Official Disciples had taken an interest in her. Even if she missed her chance with Qin Dongcheng, she still had other options.

Two days later, when Qin Dongcheng was once again guiding a group of Herb Field laborers in their cultivation, Zhang Jing's daughter, Zhang Ying, came too.

She had arching brows, a small mouth, and delicate, lovely features. Her beauty was striking, and she had the air of a refined young lady.

The moment she saw Qin Dongcheng, she gave him a graceful curtsy. "This young woman is Zhang Ying. Greetings, Alchemist Qin."

Though she wasn't an Official Disciple of the Five Elements Sect, she was a clothing-making laborer. If she became an Artifact Refiner, her standing in the future wouldn't be low.