Twelve Frames

"My cultivation is limited, so none of the Elixirs I can refine are very high-grade. These Hundred-Beast Pills are the only ones worth showing off."

Qi Zhuoyu could see it too: the Hundred-Beast Pills were actually high-grade. He couldn't help smiling. "You're talented, Junior Sister." Refining high-grade Hundred-Beast Pills took more than remarkable talent. It took remarkable practice, too.

No wonder his junior sister was so poor. Had she spent all her money on this?

"Thanks for the compliment?" Qiao Ranran had no intention of telling Qi Zhuoyu that she had mastered these formulas long ago. The Hundred-Beast Pills had put her on good terms with all sorts of Demon Beasts, and eventually she had learned to refine them with minimal ingredients and no waste. Of course, she didn't dare let those adorable creatures know. If they found out their favorite pills were made from scraps, they might scratch her to death.

"This is where sect tasks are posted. There's usually nobody here."

Qiao Ranran stared, dumbfounded, at a battered wooden board standing unsteadily by the road. Weeds had nearly swallowed it, and there was nothing on its weather-beaten surface. A gust of wind swept past, rustling the grass and making the place feel even more desolate.

"There aren't many tasks, either. The others used to post one every few days, but after Senior Brother Zhou made those Message Jade Slips, everyone started discussing things through them instead. As for our masters' generation, they usually assign anything that needs doing to their own disciples. They have no use for this place."

"But..."

"I know what you mean, Junior Sister. Other sects give disciples all kinds of tasks to earn points. The tasks fulfill the disciples' obligations, and the points can be exchanged for sect resources. It encourages them, too. But look at us. Our sect has only a handful of people and a handful of resources. We don't need all that fuss, do we?"

Qiao Ranran had no answer to that.

"You're right, Senior Brother Qi."

But that meant her plan to make money was ruined—until she heard Qi Zhuoyu laugh. "Senior Brother Zhou goes out often. He trades strange odds and ends for Spirit Stones, and the rest of us usually ask him to handle things for us. You can ask him for help too. Don't worry, he does it for free. He's not short of money."

Qiao Ranran: "..."

Senior Brother Zhou was a treasure!

Chapter 12: Twelve Frames

Senior Brother Zhou's full name was Zhou Lukang. He studied under Duan Qiankun and excelled at making all kinds of Formation Disks, talismans, and crafted items. From blades, spears, swords, and halberds to the smallest ornaments, he could make anything. And if he couldn't, he learned fast. Like the Profound Heart Sect, he loved Spirit Stones. The difference was that the sect simply liked hoarding them, while Senior Brother Zhou loved money itself.

"You want me to sell these on consignment, Junior Sister?" Zhou Lukang looked at the pile of miscellaneous trinkets Qiao Ranran had set before him. They were practically junk. His forehead creased with dismay. Honestly, it had been ages since he'd seen such a motley assortment of low-grade goods.

But she was his junior sister, and Senior Brother Qi had said she was precious. He couldn't lose his temper and toss her out as he might with those rough men. She was a girl; he had to be gentle. So Zhou Lukang took another careful look, hoping to find something special among the clutter. Then he froze.

Everything in front of him was low-level, true. Both the Elixirs and the Spirit Plants were basic varieties that wouldn't normally fetch much. But on closer inspection, every low-level Elixir was high-grade. The Essence-Recovery Pills, the Spirit-Nurturing Pills, even the Hundred-Beast Pills—all were high-grade. They were smooth and round, gave off a lovely fragrance, and showed faint pill markings in the sunlight.

Zhou Lukang: "..." He thought his eyes must be playing tricks on him. Why was he looking at high-grade Hundred-Beast Pills? How much time did his junior sister have on her hands? Or did she not realize how wasteful it was to refine them to this standard?

As for the Spirit Plants, they were basic varieties too, but every one was fresh and full. They had clearly been harvested and preserved with perfect care.

Zhou Lukang: Junior Sister really is a treasure.

Looking at the high-grade Elixirs with their emerging markings, Zhou Lukang suddenly realized something. "Junior Sister, don't tell me you have supreme-grade versions of these Elixirs too?"

Qiao Ranran pressed her lips together and said nothing. She did have supreme-grade Elixirs. Her current cultivation limited her, leaving many Elixirs beyond her ability to refine, so she could only keep working on low-level ones. But her technique, insight, and control of spiritual energy and spiritual sense had become instinctive and seamless. Even if she refined a low-level Elixir casually, it would be high-grade or even supreme-grade. There was no other possibility.

But there was no way she would say that aloud. Given her current circumstances, having such an ability wasn't necessarily a good thing. Still, these people were her fellow disciples now. She couldn't hide everything from them day in and day out; it would be exhausting. So she had revealed a little and would watch how they reacted before deciding how to get along with them.

The Stacking Spell, forming seals with both hands, and her talent for alchemy—those were the things she had already revealed.

Hmm. That seems like plenty already.

Qiao Ranran's expression had confirmed Zhou Lukang's suspicion. He drew in a sharp breath. "Heh. You really are incredible, Junior Sister." Her talent for alchemy was nearly a match for Uncle-Master Xi's.

After hearing that sort of praise so often, even Qiao Ranran was almost starting to believe she was incredible. But she knew all her supposed brilliance rested on the work she had put in during her previous life. She was standing at the height she had reached back then, making everyone think she was extraordinary. After a while, her true limits would show.

Unless she kept working hard and climbed even higher.

"Thanks for the compliment, Senior Brother Zhou?" Qiao Ranran pointed at the items. "So, can you sell these?"

"Of course I can." Zhou Lukang beamed. Once he had seen their quality, he had immediately thought of a way to sell them for a better price. "What do you need, Junior Sister? Spirit Stones, or would you rather trade them for other resources?"

Rankings

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Transmigration into a Book

Sweet Romance Novel

Transmigration and Rebirth Romance

Dahei Loves Eating Fish

Dual Rebirth

Xianxia Novel