Salary and Stipend

Ning Fa left home and headed for the docks. He was going to report for duty at the Alchemy Hall on Lingchang Island.

Before long, Ning Fa arrived at Lingchang Island again and spotted Ning Zonglie, who was on duty, at a glance.

Ning Zonglie, built as burly as an iron tower, immediately noticed Ning Fa as well. His eyes lit up, and he strode over, slapping Ning Fa on the shoulder so hard he nearly knocked him flat.

He laughed heartily. "Not bad, kid. You actually passed the clan's Pill Master assessment. I really underestimated you."

Ning Fa rubbed his faintly aching shoulder and sucked in a breath of cold air. "Uncle Lie, go a little easier."

Ning Zonglie curled his lip. "That scrawny frame of yours won't do. Even if you've become a Pill Master, you can't slack off in your cultivation."

Ning Fa nodded, then sincerely thanked him. "Uncle Lie, thank you so much for this. If you hadn't told me about the Ninth Elder..."

Before he could finish, Ning Zonglie hurriedly covered his mouth and snapped, "Shut it, kid! You nearly got me killed last time! Just pretend I never told you anything about this!"

After saying that, Ning Zonglie let go and chuckled. "But you should thank me. I don't need you to give me anything—just come visit my home often. My Hu Niu has reached marriageable age, and I think you two are a perfect match... Sigh, when your father was still around, I brought this up to him. Too bad that old bastard Liu Zhili got there first. But it's not too late now."

Ning Fa could not help recalling Hu Niu's appearance. It seemed that, whether in looks or physique, the girl bore a striking resemblance to her father.

Ning Fa's face turned pale, and he hastily made an excuse to flee.

Only after running to the entrance of the Alchemy Hall did Ning Fa pat his chest in lingering fear. It seemed he would have to keep his distance from Uncle Lie in the future.

After Ning Fa presented his Alchemy Hall Token, he entered the Alchemy Hall without issue. Not long afterward, Wei Chengzong hurried over.

"Xiao Fa, congratulations. You've finally become a clan Pill Master, the sixth official Pill Master of our Alchemy Hall. I always said you could do it!"

His face was radiant with delight as he looked at Ning Fa with a smile at the corners of his lips. Compared to before, his attitude was as different as heaven and earth.

I don't remember you ever saying that.

Ning Fa grumbled inwardly, though outwardly he modestly exchanged a few pleasantries.

When he heard Wei Chengzong call him the sixth official alchemist, his heart stirred.

In order to join the Alchemy Hall, the previous Ning Fa had familiarized himself with all sorts of information.

Although the Third Elder was nominally the head of the Alchemy Hall, he generally did not concern himself with its affairs and merely held the post in name. The one who handled the Alchemy Hall's daily matters was Wei Chengzong before him, who was also the clan's current chief Pill Master.

Next came Ning Ruiming and Liu Qinghui, with whom Ning Fa had no small grudge. Apart from them, there were only two other Pill Masters.

Of them, Liu Qinghui possessed the greatest talent for pill refinement. At such a young age, she was already a First-grade High-rank Pill Master.

Furthermore, as the Third Elder's adopted daughter, even though she was not a member of the Ning Clan, she was still highly valued by the clan.

The Ning Clan naturally would not let such talent slip away. It was said that the clan had long planned to let Liu Qinghui choose a suitable husband from within the clan.

With those qualifications, combined with Liu Qinghui's beauty and bearing, she had many admirers within the clan. Yet the one with the greatest hope seemed to be Ning Ruiming, who had repeatedly obstructed Ning Fa's assessment.

After all, not only was he from the clan's direct line, he was also considered the most talented in pill refinement among the Ning Clan's bloodline descendants.

Though he had not yet become a First-grade High-rank Pill Master, he was not far from it.

Since he was a bloodline descendant, the clan's resource support for him was even greater than what Liu Qinghui received.

After exchanging a round of pleasantries, Wei Chengzong's expression turned serious. "Xiao Fa, now that you have officially joined the Alchemy Hall, let me explain the relevant arrangements."

"First is your salary and stipend. According to clan regulations, a Low-grade First-grade Pill Master receives a base monthly stipend of twenty spirit stones, along with ten Contribution Points. But Xiao Fa, you are no ordinary low-grade Pill Master. Even this old man is ashamed to compare himself to you in refining Essence Replenishing Pills. Therefore, the clan will grant you a base monthly stipend of forty spirit stones, plus twenty Contribution Points."

"Of course, there are requirements as well. Every month, you must refine fifteen furnaces of Essence Replenishing Pills, and your overall pill formation rate cannot fall below sixty percent. For every Essence Replenishing Pill refined beyond that sixty percent rate, the clan will reward you with ten spirit stones and five Contribution Points."

"If your pill formation rate fails to meet the standard for three consecutive months, there will be penalties. In serious cases, you may even be expelled from the Alchemy Hall... Hehe, Xiao Fa, your Essence Replenishing Pill formation rate can reach eighty percent. Such a requirement naturally won't trouble you."

Wei Chengzong finished in one breath, then looked at Ning Fa with a smiling expression.

Ning Fa nodded after hearing this.

In truth, even a monthly stipend of ten spirit stones was already extremely high, not to mention the additional Contribution Points.

One had to know that most Ning Clan members in the early stages of Qi Refinement might not earn even ten or twenty spirit stones over an entire year.

Though the requirements for Essence Replenishing Pills were not low, the treatment offered by the clan was generous as well. Given his current level in refining Essence Replenishing Pills, he should be able to steadily meet the standard. If he exceeded it, he could earn quite a few spirit stones and Contribution Points.

These so-called Contribution Points were a system that cultivation clans had learned from cultivation sects. Clan descendants earned Contribution Points by completing clan missions, which they could use to exchange for all kinds of treasures in the clan treasury.

Some precious treasures in the clan treasury even had to be exchanged with Contribution Points; spirit stones alone would not do. For example, the Spirit Stabilizing Pill that Ning Fa's Maternal Aunt's Family coveted required a certain number of Contribution Points.

This system was meant to increase the enthusiasm of clan descendants in completing clan missions.

Wei Chengzong continued, "And although your main task right now is refining Essence Replenishing Pills, you must also learn to refine other pills. Hehe, if you can maintain such a high pill formation rate when refining other pills as well, the clan will value you even more highly."

"The clan will give you half a year to learn how to refine two Low-grade First-grade Pills: Qi Replenishing Pills and Spring Return Pills. Each month, you will be given ten sets of spirit materials. Half a year from now, you must raise your pill formation rate for both pills above thirty percent. These two pills are not easy to refine, but with your skill in refining Essence Replenishing Pills, Xiao Fa, they should be no challenge for you."

"Today is not suitable. Come find me again in ten days. I will teach you the formulas for these two pills and personally instruct you once in refining Qi Replenishing Pills."

Ning Fa smiled and nodded in response, without any dissatisfaction.

He was currently eager to refine other kinds of pills.

He was confident that, with the Mysterious Scroll in hand, as long as he could ensure an initial supply of spirit materials and practice until he reached the pill formation stage—

he could use the Mysterious Scroll's tracing ability to bring the refinement of any pill to a level of utter mastery with only a small amount of spirit materials, just as he had with Essence Replenishing Pills.

After discussing these important matters, Wei Chengzong went over several other arrangements with Ning Fa. Ning Fa committed each of them to memory before taking his leave.