Essence-Nourishing Pill

Chen Chong's life had fallen into a two-point routine: the pharmacy's alchemy room and his own small courtyard. Yet he did not find it dull in the slightest.

Every day, he could see progress on the panel. The numbers climbed, proficiency rose, and that positive feedback filled him with motivation. Even grinding experience in games in his previous life had never been this addictive.

Early morning, in the small courtyard.

Chen Chong stood beneath the jujube tree, drew a deep breath, and suddenly opened his mouth.

"Awoo—!"

A fierce roar rang out. The sound waves burst forth, shaking the leaves from the crooked-necked jujube tree in the courtyard. They rustled down like a rain of green.

The sparrows on the branches flapped away in fright, while a dog barked from the neighboring yard.

Chen Chong did not stop. His body turned, his right hand loosely clenched, and he slashed out with a hand blade.

Five Tigers Severing the Mountain Blade.

The blade force was heavy and fierce. As the edge of his palm sliced through the air, a faint white gleam actually flashed forth.

With a hiss, a falling jujube leaf was severed in midair, split neatly into two.

Chen Chong withdrew his blade and stood still, exhaling a breath of stale air.

On the panel—

[Technique: Five Tigers Severing the Mountain Blade (Great Perfection)]

[Tiger Roars Through the Mountains and Forests (Great Perfection)]

After reaching Great Perfection, its power had indeed surged dramatically. Severing a leaf through the air might have been nothing more than cutting a thin leaf, but before this, he could not even grasp the blade wind. Now, when he struck, his force condensed without dispersing. It had begun to carry a few traces of a true "blade technique."

Chen Chong looked at the panel. His Alchemy had also reached Great Perfection. His realm remained Skin Tempering Realm (960/1000), but he was close. In a few more days, he should be able to step into the Nourishing Flesh Realm.

The next day, Chen Chong went to the alchemy room as usual.

Today, he planned to refine Essence-Nourishing Pills.

The Essence-Nourishing Pill was a tonic that gently nourished the body, strengthened the foundation, and cultivated vitality. Wealthy families and martial artists alike liked to keep a few on hand. Demand was steady, making it one of the pharmacy's high-volume products.

Yet among the commonly known basic pills, the Essence-Nourishing Pill could be said to be the most difficult to refine.

Besides common tonics such as angelica, astragalus, and prepared rehmannia, its main ingredients also required a rare medicinal herb—Crimson Marrow Lingzhi.

Crimson Marrow Lingzhi grew in the cracks of damp, shaded mountain valleys. It was crimson all over and shaped like lingzhi, its interior rich with a gentle essence of vegetation.

Once placed in the furnace, that essence was released extremely quickly. If the heat was even slightly too high, it would burn away; if it was too low, it could not be forced out. It had to be slowly simmered over a gentle flame from beginning to end, with the fire changed three times midway—gentle, then faint, then gentle again, like breathing.

The process was cumbersome and time-consuming. A single furnace of pills took nearly two hours from start to finish.

As Chen Huaixu had grown older, he could no longer keep up with such tedious procedures. Thus, the pharmacy's Essence-Nourishing Pills had always been procured from other shops. The profit margin was pitifully thin, and they barely made any money.

Chen Chong had calculated it already: once he entered the Nourishing Flesh Realm, there would only be more places to spend money.

He needed to make a name for himself and see whether, after reaching Great Perfection, he could continue obtaining higher-level techniques through alchemy.

With his mind settled, Chen Chong began refining.

First, he ground the Crimson Marrow Lingzhi into powder, sifted it through a fine sieve, then blended it with refined honey and let it rest briefly. Then he lit the furnace, poured in clean water, and added the angelica, astragalus, and prepared rehmannia first, simmering them over a gentle flame for half an hour to draw out the medicinal liquid.

Once the liquid thickened, he added the Crimson Marrow Lingzhi honey paste and switched to a faint flame.

This was the most critical step. The essence within the Crimson Marrow Lingzhi was extremely unstable. Under a faint flame, large bubbles could not rise on the surface of the medicinal liquid; only tiny, dense bubbles like fish eyes were allowed.

Chen Chong pressed his hand against the furnace wall, feeling the changes in temperature as he adjusted the flames bit by bit.

After a quarter-hour over the faint flame, he switched back to a gentle flame and added the final powders of drynaria and cornelian cherry. He simmered it for another half hour until the medicinal liquid reduced into a paste. Finally, he extinguished the fire and sealed the furnace for the time it took one incense stick to burn.

Throughout the entire process, Chen Chong remained calm and methodical.

Great Perfection Alchemy gave him precision over temperature down to the utmost degree. He withdrew when he should withdraw and released when he should release.

Had another alchemist been watching from the side, he would only have found it as fluid as drifting clouds and flowing water, utterly natural.

When the furnace lid was lifted, a gentle medicinal fragrance spread through the room. It was neither rich nor pungent, like grass warmed beneath the spring sun.

Chen Chong poured out the pills. Six of them—round and full, amber in color, with a gentle sheen across their surfaces. Not one bore a flaw.

He calmly called toward the door, "Little Six, deliver these to the storeroom."

The young accounting clerk ran in, took the porcelain tray, and left. Chen Chong continued tidying the medicine table as though he had done nothing out of the ordinary.

The storeroom was sorting the day's pills. Tiger Bone Pills, Blood-Invigorating Paste, Qi-Nourishing Blood-Boosting Pills... Little Six set the porcelain tray on the table, and Old Man Zhou, who managed the storeroom, picked up the label and glanced at it.

Essence-Nourishing Pills.

Old Man Zhou froze, then leaned closer for a careful look. Six amber pill pellets, every one perfectly round and evenly colored. He picked one up, held it beneath his nose for a sniff, then examined it against the light. His expression changed.

"Who refined these?"

"Alchemist Chen. The one in the alchemy room," Little Six said.

Old Man Zhou shoved Little Six toward the door. "Quick, report to Steward Yuan!"

Yuan Zhiwu came very quickly.

When he stepped into the main alchemy room, Chen Chong was sitting in a chair drinking tea. Yuan Zhiwu had cast aside his usual icy expression. His face carried something Chen Chong had never seen before—urgency, mixed with a touch of caution.

"Alchemist Chen, did you refine these pills?" Yuan Zhiwu pointed at the porcelain tray in Old Man Zhou's hands as he followed in.

Chen Chong set down his teacup and nodded. "Yes."

Yuan Zhiwu drew a deep breath and cupped his hands. "Please, Alchemist Chen, refine another batch."

Chen Chong was taken aback. Alchemist Chen. He could not help but smile.

He recalled the first time he had met Yuan Zhiwu. He had sat before the table, cold sweat soaking his back, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

How long had it been? Yet the other man had used the word "please" and even called him "Alchemist."

Chen Chong said no more and rose to prepare the ingredients. Yuan Zhiwu waved his hand, sending the storeroom manager who had followed him outside. The door closed, leaving only the two of them in the room.

Chen Chong lit the furnace once more. Yuan Zhiwu stood to one side, watching without blinking.

From grinding the Crimson Marrow Lingzhi, to simmering over a gentle flame, to reducing the paste over a faint flame, then sealing the furnace and extinguishing the fire—over nearly two hours, Yuan Zhiwu did not move once. He simply stood there and watched the entire process.

The furnace lid was lifted, and the medicinal fragrance spilled out.

Yuan Zhiwu stepped closer. Looking at the six amber Essence-Nourishing Pills on the tray, he could scarcely suppress the delight on his face.

He reached out, picked one up, and placed it in his palm. He sniffed it again and again, then examined it against the light again and again. That look in his eyes—he was practically drooling.

Chen Chong looked at him strangely.

Only then did Yuan Zhiwu realize he had lost his composure. He gave a dry cough, returned the pill to the tray, and restored his expression to normal.

"Old Chen is advanced in years. The Essence-Nourishing Pills have always been purchased from other shops, which is hardly a matter of glory."

Yuan Zhiwu's tone was steady, but the delight in his eyes could not be concealed. "This time, Alchemist Chen has refined Essence-Nourishing Pills, which also brings honor to our shop, so I could not restrain myself. From now on, the Essence-Nourishing Pills will be refined by Alchemist Chen. As for the profit-sharing ratio, I will make the decision and raise it by another ten percent."

Chen Chong cupped his hands. "Steward Yuan has always worked tirelessly for the shop, wringing himself dry. Everyone has seen it."

Yuan Zhiwu's mouth twitched, then he smiled. Chen Chong smiled as well.

The two exchanged smiles. Haha—each of them could stuff a great deal more money into his own pocket.