Channel of Action

The woman stood with a graceful posture, clad in simple, plain robes.

It was his neighbor, the female cultivator Su Shuangjiang.

Why has she come looking for me? Lin Changheng could not fathom her intent, yet he felt no resistance; in fact, he had his own agenda.

He would not mind a deeper relationship.

"Fairy Su, are you looking for me?"

The male voice came from behind. The sixth-layer Qi Refining cultivator sensed his presence, turned around immediately, and offered a generous, bright smile with a slight bow.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Lin. I recently returned from the Wilderness and heard the rumors spreading through the market that you have finally promoted to an alchemist after ten years of diligent refinement. Such great perseverance—I am astonished and full of admiration! As neighbors for many years, I have come specifically to offer my congratulations."

"Many thanks for your kind intentions, Fairy Su. Please, come inside my humble abode and share a cup of spirit tea."

Lin Changheng disengaged the simple protective barrier inherent to the cave dwelling and opened the door to invite her in.

"I shall not decline your kindness."

Su Shuangjiang smiled and nodded, refusing no further, and followed him inside.

Inside the room, Lin Changheng invited the cultivator to sit while he prepared the spirit tea.

Su Shuangjiang glanced at his busy figure, her gaze sweeping across the surroundings. Aside from the table, chairs, and a few essential utensils, there was practically nothing else; it was starkly simple.

Even after becoming an alchemist, Fellow Daoist Lin still lives such a frugal life? It seems he is a cultivator who seeks no luxury and has no interest in pleasure.

It is a pity his spirit roots must be rather poor, otherwise he would not have remained at the early stage of Qi Refining for so many years...

"Fairy Su, please, have some tea."

Lin Changheng moved with practiced efficiency, serving the tea before sitting across from her.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, this is a small token of my sincerity; please do not take offense at its modesty."

Su Shuangjiang pushed a gift basket toward him, containing two spirit stones and two low-grade talismans, upon which a faint spiritual light shimmered.

"No, no, this is too precious. I cannot accept a reward without having earned it."

Lin Changheng glanced at it and shook his head, refusing to take it.

The value of a first-tier low-grade talisman was around one to two spirit stones; the total value of this basket was over four.

The more precious the gift, the more uneasy he felt.

After all, every gift in this world was secretly marked with a price; one must not accept things recklessly.

Su Shuangjiang, however, insisted; there was no reason to take back a gift once offered.

"Since it is Fairy Su's kind intention, I shall accept it. I have no other particular skills, only a slight grasp of alchemy. If you have any needs regarding medicinal pills in the future... well, perhaps I can be of assistance."

Lin Changheng finally nodded, but spoke with this caveat.

The implication was clear: if it concerned medicinal pills, he would help where he could; but if it went beyond that, he was sorry, he would be powerless to assist.

With various factions now retracting their influence and preparing to pull back their forces, the market was showing signs of instability, and the world outside was in chaos. Lin Changheng had to prioritize his own survival.

Anything involving risk... he would not touch it at all!

Upon hearing this, Su Shuangjiang studied Lin Changheng closely, took a sip of her spirit tea, and smiled faintly. "Of course."

Then, she suddenly asked, "I wonder if you have any pills in your possession that can improve one's cultivation?"

"I do, but they are all low-grade [Crimson Flame Pill]s. Surely you would have no use for those, Fairy Su?"

Lin Changheng's heart stirred, though he maintained a calm, smiling expression on the surface.

"That will do!" Su Shuangjiang actually nodded. "How many do you have?"

Seeing the look of confusion on Lin Changheng's face, she pursed her red lips and offered an explanation.

It turned out that among their monster hunters, there were loose alliances where many rogue cultivators gathered to help one another, occasionally teaming up when venturing into the Wilderness.

With the Great Reclamation decreed by the upper sects now imminent, every bit of extra strength meant a higher chance of survival. Thus, their demand for pills was quite high, yet because they risked their lives and licked blood from the maws of monsters, they were extremely calculating—even stingy—with their spirit stones.

Therefore, they were reluctant to purchase directly from the shops of major factions, preferring instead to seek out individual alchemists in hopes of buying at a lower price.

Some rogue cultivators were so hard-pressed to support their families that they even bought inferior, tainted pills to consume.

They would laugh and say, "Since I'll end up in the belly of a monster sooner or later, I might as well fill my body with poison so they can experience how slippery the world is and how vicious the human heart can be!"

"Only a dozen or so."

Lin Changheng did not reveal the full amount at once; after all, this was their first collaboration, and he had to keep his guard up.

"That is enough!"

A flash of joy appeared on Su Shuangjiang's face. "May I ask what price you intend to set, Fellow Daoist Lin?"

"Why don't you name a price, Fairy Su?"

Lin Changheng countered.

"How about... eighty percent of the market price?"

A hint of embarrassment flickered across her pretty face. Cutting the price by forty spirit sands at once seemed a bit ruthless.

But she was also leaving room for negotiation; the moment Lin Changheng spoke, she would decisively raise her offer.

Lin Changheng tapped his fingers against the tabletop, the thud-thud-thud echoing through the room as if he were deliberating.

After a long while, he finally shook his head.

Just as Su Shuangjiang bit down on her pearly teeth and sighed inwardly, preparing to take the initiative to raise her offer, he spoke.

"I can give you a thirty percent discount, but I may need you to do me a small favor in return, fellow Daoist."

Su Shuangjiang was startled. "Thirty percent off?"

She couldn't help but confirm repeatedly, "Is what you say true, Fellow Daoist Lin?"

Before Su Shuangjiang could even entertain thoughts like "too cheap to be genuine," Lin Changheng had already risen and turned around. He made a show of reaching into a drawer, while actually retrieving fifteen Crimson Flame Pills from his storage bag, returning to the table to push them toward the female cultivator.

He raised an eyebrow, signaling her to open them.

Su Shuangjiang was completely led by Lin Changheng's pace, subconsciously and obediently beginning her inspection.

She opened five or six small wooden boxes at random, one after another. Inside, every pill was round and plump, exuding an intense medicinal fragrance with intricate markings—they were all genuine Crimson Flame Pills!

"Brother Lin has only just entered this rank, yet your alchemy skills are already so profound. I am truly impressed. The quality of these pills is excellent, and I thank you for the generous price, Brother Lin."

Su Shuangjiang's beautiful eyes flickered as she spoke with heartfelt sincerity.

The title "Fellow Daoist Lin" had quietly shifted to "Brother Lin." Such an address was reasonable enough; after all, Lin Changheng was a few years her senior, and even if his cultivation base was inferior, he was worthy of the title.

"Eh, there is no need for such words!"

Lin Changheng shook his head. "Fairy Su, you may come to me for pills whenever you have need in the future. Regardless of what you do with them, who you sell them to, where you sell them, or at what price, I will not interfere. I only have one requirement that I need you to promise."

"Please speak, Brother Lin."

Su Shuangjiang's expression turned solemn as she listened intently.

"That is, do not reveal to the outside world that these pills came from my hands. You may use the name of any other alchemist or shop; just do not mention me. Hehe, I only wish to cultivate in peace and do not want to be disturbed. Does the Fairy understand? Can you do this?"

"I, Shuangjiang, can swear a Dao oath to guarantee it! Should I go back on my word, may my Dao heart fall into chaos when I reach a bottleneck, and may I suffer the consequences!"

"Eh, why go so far? We are long-time neighbors, and both are people who can be trusted."

Though Lin Changheng said it wasn't necessary, a trace of satisfaction appeared on his face once Su Shuangjiang had finished swearing the oath.

Su Shuangjiang immediately took out twenty-one spirit stones and handed them to Lin Changheng, and the transaction was concluded.

The two chatted for a while longer over tea, their relationship feeling significantly closer.

Only then did Lin Changheng smile and ask:

"I wonder, when you go out to hunt beasts, do you often encounter the monster known as the Fire Crow?"