During this time, Qin Dongcheng's cultivation had been progressing faster and faster. Aside from the occasional critical-hit reward, the main reason was that he had been taking more Blood-Replenishing Pills.
He dared to take so many Blood-Replenishing Pills without worrying that his foundation would become unstable because he had Blood-Solidifying Pills.
Whenever his foundation showed signs of becoming unstable, Qin Dongcheng would take a Blood-Solidifying Pill to stabilize his unsettled Blood Qi and build a solid foundation for his cultivation.
But after this period of cultivation, he had used up all the Blood-Solidifying Pills Dong Hongyan had given him. If he still wanted to take Blood-Replenishing Pills in large quantities and rapidly raise his cultivation realm, he would need to buy more Blood-Solidifying Pills.
Blood-Solidifying Pills were intermediate-grade pills. Their refinement involved advanced alchemical techniques and methods, just like Soul Bewildering Pills, which were low-grade pills but required some intermediate alchemical techniques and methods to refine.
Though the difficulty fell short of that of intermediate-grade pills, they were still beyond the abilities of ordinary Low-level Alchemists.
Blood-Solidifying Pills were much the same. Only the most skilled among Intermediate Alchemists could refine them, so they were not cheap.
One pill cost around thirty taels of silver, the same as thirty Blood-Replenishing Pills and far more than a Soul Bewildering Pill.
To spend so much just to practice a few more rounds of a cultivation method each day was beyond the means of ordinary Martial Artists unless they had plenty of money.
Even Qin Dongcheng couldn't have afforded it if he hadn't had several opportunities come his way.
Thinking of the benefits Blood-Solidifying Pills offered, Qin Dongcheng considered it for a while, then decided to buy another bottle.
The Bamboo Forest Black Market sold Blood-Solidifying Pills. A bottle cost three hundred taels of silver, which was no small sum for him.
After changing his appearance and putting on a cloak, Qin Dongcheng went to the Bamboo Forest Black Market and bought a bottle of Blood-Solidifying Pills from a reputable pill shop.
As he was about to leave, he noticed that someone seemed to have their eye on him. Apparently, someone had seen him spend three hundred taels of silver on a bottle of Blood-Solidifying Pills, decided he was a fat sheep, and planned to catch and devour him.
Since he didn't know how strong the enemy was or whether they had others backing them, Qin Dongcheng had no intention of waiting around to ambush them.
He concealed his aura with the Heaven Concealment Art and used the Phantom Movement Technique to slip effortlessly into the crowd. He soon shook off his pursuer and made it safely back to Osmanthus Garden.
Better to avoid trouble when possible. Though they said that murder and arson made a golden belt, that was only if you could kill your enemy. If you failed and got killed instead, then your enemy would be the one going home laden with spoils.
Qin Dongcheng wasn't short on that little bit of loot. He was better off continuing to cultivate in peace and raise his strength. Why take the risk?
He wouldn't even take the relatively safe missions to exterminate evil alongside Dong Hongyan and the others, so why would he risk tangling with a few bandits and thugs of unknown strength?
With the help of Blood-Solidifying Pills, Qin Dongcheng could once again take one or two more Blood-Replenishing Pills each day and practice the Diamond Skin Refining Fist a few extra times.
The moment his Blood Qi became unsettled and his foundation unstable, he would stop at once and take a Blood-Solidifying Pill to stabilize his foundation and Blood Qi.
He repeated the process, rapidly improving.
The more he cultivated, the more often he triggered critical hits, and the faster his cultivation realm grew.
Before anyone realized it, a new month had arrived. To everyone's dismay, the Mission Hall once again assigned a batch of mandatory monster-slaying and demon-extermination missions to the many Alchemists, Artifact Refiners, Formation Masters, and others.
Qin Dongcheng refused to believe that the Mission Hall's higher-ups didn't know how those Alchemists and Artifact Refiners completed their missions. They were plainly trying to make these well-off disciples help support the Martial Artists who fought monsters and demons.
The sect had the bigger fist. What could they do but accept the shakedown?
This time, Qin Dongcheng didn't plan to ask Dong Hongyan and the others for help. Having a group of women do his missions for him all the time—and for free, no less—made him feel like he was living off them.
Just as Qin Dongcheng was about to find another team to complete the monster-slaying and demon-extermination missions, Dong Hongyan instead came to see him with several of her sisters and took his missions off his hands.
"Sixth Brother, why be so formal? You're only a Body Phase Realm Martial Artist. Those few missions are a trivial matter for us. Why waste money hiring someone else?"
"Exactly! Sixth Brother, you're being too polite. Don't feel embarrassed. We're your older sisters. Surely we can help with a little thing like this?"
"Hee-hee, Sixth Brother is an honest man and doesn't want to live off us. Sisters, let's be considerate."
The group of older sisters chattered away, giving Qin Dongcheng a bit of a headache. He quickly begged them to stop, then took out a bottle of Soul Bewildering Pills and handed it over. "This is a pill I just learned to make recently: the Soul Bewildering Pill. It can not only knock out enemies, but also bewilder many Monster Beasts and Demonic Beasts. It's just less effective against Ghost Spirits and Anomalies."
"Each of you can carry two. If you run into an enemy you can't handle, release one. They're very convenient to use. I'll explain how."
After hearing about the effects of the Soul Bewildering Pills and the various ways to use them, the older sisters were surprised. They hadn't expected Qin Dongcheng to be able to make something so useful.
In their day-to-day monster-slaying and demon-extermination work, they encountered Monster Beasts and Demonic Beasts most often, with the occasional thug or bandit. Soul Bewildering Pills were perfect for dealing with them.
What's more, the pills could work quite well even against demons and Martial Artists above the third level. In certain situations, they could definitely serve as a trump card.
This gift was worth far more than a few mandatory missions.
Even the sisters who wanted to refuse felt reluctant to do so after hearing how convenient the Soul Bewildering Pills were and how effective they could be.
Dong Hongyan saw this too and didn't refuse. She accepted the bottle with a smile. "I didn't know Sixth Brother had something this good. If these Soul Bewildering Pills help us slay more demons, we'll give you a share of the spoils."
"But you went to all the trouble of making these pills, Sixth Brother. Do you have your eye on a girl who turned you down, so you're planning to use a little force?"
At that, the older sisters all froze, then exchanged strange looks.
"Not bad, not bad. The Soul Bewildering Pill does seem pretty handy for that sort of thing. Could Sixth Brother really be trying to steal a kiss? He's not being very honest!"
"What are you talking about? With Sixth Brother's looks and character, what would be so hard about marrying a pretty girl? He wouldn't need to use a trick like this. But if there really is a girl Sixth Brother wants and can't have, we can help drug her."
"I think that could work too. Sixth Brother isn't so young anymore. It's about time he got himself a wife. As the saying goes, once the wood is shaped and the rice is cooked, there's no turning back. By then, the girl won't have any choice but to agree."
"If Sixth Brother would resort to a trick like this, she must be an absolute beauty. And there aren't many women in Bamboo Forest Valley who fit the bill."
Before you continue