Huang Ying

Zhu Qiniang left, taking with her the five hundred White Dew Pill and two hundred Heavenly Gui Pill that Gao Xian had refined.

Gao Xian sat on his bed, pondering for a long time, yet he could not decide how to handle the remaining Heavenly Gui Pill in his possession.

Both Zhu Qiniang and Zhou Yuling had proven the efficacy of the Heavenly Gui Pill; it was indeed perfectly suited for female cultivators.

As for the pill's ability to preserve youth, beautify, and delay aging, it was difficult to see immediate results in such a short time.

Even so, the Heavenly Gui Pill was certain to be popular among female cultivators.

The problem was who to entrust with the sales.

It was clearly inappropriate to hand them over to Zhou Ye; one should not put all their eggs in one basket—a very simple principle.

Furthermore, Zhou Ye was a man after all. It was fine for him to sell virility-boosting medicine, but selling Heavenly Gui Pill, which was specifically for women, would be rather inconvenient.

Zhou Yuling was not suitable either.

He truly liked Zhou Yuling and did not want to mix business with her.

Once emotions and profits became entangled, things would inevitably grow complicated.

There was no other way; he would have to ask Zhu Qiniang to help him find a business partner.

Gao Xian was not in a hurry. He only had one hundred Heavenly Gui Pill left, so letting them sit for a while was of no consequence.

What he cared about more was whether the Heavenly Gui Pill could truly increase his Humanity Aura.

When Zhou Yuling and Zhu Qiniang consumed them, he had checked the Wind and Moon Mirror deep within his brow, and it had indeed increased his Humanity Aura by a small amount.

However, he had sold so much Deer Antler Powder that his Humanity Aura was constantly increasing, making it difficult for him to pinpoint the exact source of the gain.

"Humanity Aura coming in too fast can sometimes be a nuisance!"

Gao Xian sighed with feigned distress, casually grabbing the Little Black Cat passing by and petting it until it meowed in submission, begging for mercy.

In the days that followed, Gao Xian's routine consisted of daily cultivation, eating, petting the cat, sleeping, and finally, dual cultivation with Sister Lan in his dreams.

Every few days, Gao Xian would fire up his furnace to refine pills.

The weather was getting hotter, and the heat during alchemy was becoming unbearable.

Fortunately, Gao Xian's Alchemy Art had improved significantly; even the most difficult White Dew Pill now only took a single day to refine.

Moreover, his success rate was incredibly high. He had not failed a single batch since he started.

This gave him the confidence to refine large quantities at once, saving him a great deal of time and energy.

Life was simple and fulfilling, his cultivation improved a little bit every day, and Gao Xian quite enjoyed this rhythm.

In just over twenty days, he had accumulated over seven hundred more points of Humanity Aura.

Gao Xian watched his Humanity Aura grow every day, feeling an indescribable joy in his heart.

With this much Humanity Aura, he had enough to upgrade his True Yang Spear to the Grandmaster level.

However, he was somewhat reluctant.

According to the current growth rate of his Humanity Aura, he could upgrade his Lightning Dragon Hand to the Grandmaster level in another two months.

By comparison, while the True Yang Spear was useful, there was no urgent need for it.

The evil spirit that Old Wang had become had taken a hit from his spear and nearly vanished on the spot. Even if it hadn't died, it was no longer a major threat.

Investing so much Humanity Aura into the True Yang Spear felt like a waste.

Every time the Lightning Dragon Hand leveled up, it remodeled and strengthened his muscles and bones.

Gao Xian speculated that if the Lightning Dragon Hand reached the Grandmaster level, it should be able to strengthen his spine.

If that happened, the energy aperture on his spine might open, allowing his cultivation to reach the third level of Qi Refining.

Both Zhu Qiniang and Zhou Yuling had reminded him that spells and pills were merely auxiliary; a cultivator's foundation was their cultivation level.

Only with a strong cultivation base could a cultivator possess greater power and a longer lifespan.

Gao Xian agreed with this wholeheartedly.

Though the True Yang Spear was good, it clearly did not help him as much as the Lightning Dragon Hand right now.

In truth, Gao Xian wanted to upgrade his Great Idol Spirit Method even more, but it required too much Humanity Aura, so he had to settle for the next best thing.

On this day, Zhu Qiniang arrived again; every eight to ten days, she would come to Gao Xian's place to collect pills.

Following their usual custom, Zhu Qiniang gave Gao Xian pointers on practicing the Iron Dragon Hand and helped him resolve some questions regarding his cultivation.

Gao Xian lacked knowledge in cultivation and had to rely on Zhu Qiniang's guidance.

"You are progressing very quickly. It won't be long before you refine the 'Great Dragon' of your spine."

Zhu Qiniang ran her fingertips down Gao Xian's spine. Although it still hurt, Gao Xian was now able to endure the pain.

During this period, by taking the Dragon Bone Pill every day, Gao Xian could clearly feel his bones becoming stronger and more powerful, with his muscular strength also seeing a massive increase.

"Qiniang, how is the effect of the Heavenly Gui Pill?" Gao Xian asked.

"Very good."

Zhu Qiniang was extremely satisfied with the effects of the Heavenly Gui Pill; after taking it for this period, her alienated body had shown significant improvement.

At this rate, she should be able to return to normal within a year.

By then, she might even have a chance to attempt Foundation Establishment.

Back in the bedroom, Gao Xian gave Zhu Qiniang a full-body massage.

Clad only in her undergarments, her soft, supple body was exposed, her wheat-colored arms and long legs laid bare. A fine sheen of sweat gave her skin an even more beautiful luster, making her look like a piece of exquisite art.

A phrase popped into Gao Xian's mind: A jade body laid out.

Ever since her body had undergone alienation, Zhu Qiniang's personality had become tough and indifferent, and deep down, she didn't care much for anything else.

As her body gradually returned to normal, she could no longer look at Gao Xian and see him as merely a playmate.

Seeing Gao Xian's burning gaze, a sense of shyness and unease stirred within her.

She hurriedly changed the subject, saying, "I've thought about it, and only Huang Ying from the Hundred Weapons Hall is suitable. She has good character, is tight-lipped, and has deep pockets, so she won't be greedy for your money."

"Besides, her cultivation is quite good, and she has backing in the Lianyun Sect, so she isn't afraid of Old Zhu. Plus, I have a decent relationship with her."

Speaking of serious business, Zhu Qiniang relaxed. "I've already sent her twenty Heavenly Gui Pills. After taking them for a while, she has come to realize their marvelous effects."

"With that foundation, discussing a partnership will be easy."

Gao Xian was delighted; he hadn't expected Zhu Qiniang to be so capable, having arranged everything so properly.

He said with some excitement, "That's great. When is it convenient for me to meet with Huang Ying?"

Zhu Qiniang thought for a moment and said, "I'll bring her over tonight to talk with you."

Logically, since Gao Xian's status was lower, he should be the one to visit Shopkeeper Huang. However, it was better to keep such matters discreet.

Furthermore, Gao Xian's place was full of medicinal herbs and required someone to watch over it.

Zhu Qiniang pondered and asked, "What will you do if Old Zhu forbids you from selling them?"

"To hell with him, I'll sell them first and worry about it later." As a middle-aged corporate slave, Gao Xian was very adept at skirting the rules and taking shortcuts.

If something is strictly forbidden, does that mean you just stop doing it? One must hold onto their bottom line while knowing how to be flexible.

Zhu Qiniang nodded and said nothing more.

The new moon rose, accompanied by the chirping of insects and the croaking of frogs.

Huang Ying followed behind Zhu Qiniang, her figure as light as a cloud. Her feet didn't touch the ground as she walked, her robes fluttering gracefully.

She was using the Flying Feather Art, which allowed her to be as light and elegant as a feather.

The road here was muddy and littered with all sorts of filth. Although the Flying Fish Talisman couldn't make her truly fly, it allowed her to borrow enough force to glide a great distance, avoiding the embarrassment of stepping in dung.

"We're here."

Zhu Qiniang stopped in front and beckoned to Huang Ying. "The wall is low; we can just go straight in."

Huang Ying grabbed Zhu Qiniang, saying cautiously, "Wouldn't it be too rude to just barge in like this?"

She had been taking the Heavenly Gui Pill every day during this period, and this ordinary pill had brought her a huge surprise.

Her skin had become firmer and more supple, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes had vanished, and the primordial yin energy within her body was pure and vibrant. She felt full of spirit, as if she had suddenly returned to the age of eighteen.

Most importantly, the Heavenly Gui Pill was a low-grade pill that she could absorb completely.

This meant the Heavenly Gui Pill could be taken long-term without accumulating pill toxins.

Such a Heavenly Gui Pill was practically a divine medicine. Whoever could refine such a divine medicine was definitely a master alchemist!

Even though the place where the other party lived was dilapidated, it wouldn't be right for her and Zhu Qiniang to trespass; it was too impolite!

Zhu Qiniang didn't explain. She grabbed Huang Ying's wrist and exerted force, and the two of them leaped over the nine-foot-tall earthen wall into the courtyard.

Zhu Qiniang whispered, "I've brought Shopkeeper Huang over."

The door opened, and Gao Xian walked out with a smile. "Sister Ying, Qiniang, please, come in..."

In the dim moonlight, Huang Ying recognized at a glance that this handsome man was Gao Xian, the young cultivator who had bought the White Plum Needles.

Huang Ying was somewhat surprised. She knew Gao Xian could refine pills, but she never imagined that Gao Xian, who was only in his early twenties, could refine such a unique Heavenly Gui Pill!