Afterward, to fulfill his duties as host, Master Mo invited the three cultivators from the Xu Family to a banquet in the shop.
The spirit wine and delicacies had been specially delivered from the Spirit Wine Tower.
Aside from Xu Fugui, the elderly late-stage Qi Refining cultivator among the three was named Xu Qianhuan. His spiritual pressure was formidable, and his magical power immense. The Mid-Qi Refining cultivator was Xu Xulian, a man in his forties who gave an impression of steadiness.
They were pillars of the Xu Family.
Lin Changheng and Xu Qianyou joined them.
The two men were quite courteous to Lin Changheng. After all, every Pill Master was precious and had a chance of becoming a guest elder in the future. The lineage had strictly ordered that they be treated with respect and never left disheartened. After all, there were no blood ties to bind them, nor wives and children to anchor them.
They also spoke of the turmoil outside. Several Rogue Cultivators had apparently moonlighted as bandit cultivators and attempted to block their path, only to be killed by them.
They explicitly stated that when the time came to withdraw, the lineage would send an even stronger force to ensure nothing went wrong.
These words were undoubtedly a shot in the arm for the three men at the pill shop.
That evening, Lin Changheng invited Xu Fugui to dinner alone.
The two took the opportunity to strengthen their friendship.
Amid clinking cups and flowing wine, both grew tipsy. Xu Fugui handed over an exquisite box, a gift to congratulate Lin Changheng on his promotion.
His eyes hazy, Xu Fugui also shared a piece of news: the female cultivator named Tantai Feiyue, another immortal seedling of the Xu Family, had made a breakthrough in the hundred arts as well, becoming a ranked Talisman Master.
"Brother Lin, you and this woman are the only two immortal seedlings to have attained a rank in the hundred arts so far."
Lin Changheng paused, recalling Tantai Feiyue. She was a cool, aloof woman with a noble bearing. They had had little contact back then, and he only vaguely remembered that she was the legitimate daughter of a prince whose title was hereditary in a mortal dynasty.
She had no desire to inherit her family's estate and had willingly entered the path of immortality.
"She'll probably undergo the lineage's assessment in two months as well. If she passes, she'll be promoted to a 'Registered Guest Advisor.' Although the position carries no real authority, the benefits are quite good."
"I know."
Lin Changheng nodded.
The path of advancement was much the same. Once he passed the assessment, he too would become a Registered Guest Advisor of the Xu Family. If he could then reach middle grade, he could become a full guest advisor and oversee a shop.
Becoming a high-grade Pill Master would be an entirely different matter.
At that point, he would no longer be a dependent or subordinate of the Xu Family. He could meet them as an equal and exchange benefits.
At that level, any Qi Refining family would offer him a place to establish himself, respectfully asking him to join and treating him as an honored guest!
Foundation Establishment lineages would also eagerly extend olive branches and offer generous terms to invite him.
Even an Aristocratic Clan would hold him in higher regard!
The next day.
Lin Changheng did not see Xu Fugui again. Their final cup of wine the previous night had served as a farewell.
He did not know when the three cultivators had left. They had slipped away quietly, without leaving a sound.
Lin Changheng also noticed that Shopkeeper Xu Qianyou spent far less time tending to the storeroom.
Normally, he could spend more than an hour busy inside, but now he emerged within the time it took an incense stick to burn.
From this, Lin Changheng inferred that the storeroom had clearly become much emptier.
Of course, this had no real effect on him.
He continued firing up the furnace and refining pills as usual, building up a stock of premium [Crimson Flame Pills].
Meanwhile, Lin Changheng had also been studying the other low-grade pill formula he had obtained, the [Wood Origin Pill]. He already had a clear grasp of it and needed only to put it into practice.
The crucial issue was obtaining the pill-refining ingredients. He could not bypass the Xu Family and would have to rely on the shop.
Thus, he estimated that he would have to wait another month or so, until he returned to the Xu Family and gained the status of "Registered Guest Advisor," before finding an opportunity to actually refine it.
The path of immortality is long. There's no need to rush this moment.
That was how Lin Changheng cautioned himself.
After all, he had not been a ranked Pill Master for long-only five months, even counting every last day.
"Chang, I'm heading off."
Calling out, Lin Changheng left the Li Family Spiritual Meat Shop, carrying five pounds of freshly cut lean Savage Boar meat.
"Come again, Brother Lin!"
Li Changchang set down his cleaver, hastily wiped the greasy residue from his hands onto his apron, and hurried to see him out.
"Sure! See you!"
Under Li Changchang's parting gaze, Lin Changheng waved and walked away with a smile.
Now that Lin Changheng had Spirit Stones to spare, he could naturally improve his quality of life a little rather than deliberately pinching pennies.
The Savage Boar was a domestically raised beast. Though only low grade, its meat was tender and delicious, whether cooked, steamed, or served with porridge. Eating it could also replenish blood and qi and restore energy.
Combining flavor with practical benefits, it was favored by cultivators!
Moreover, these five pounds of lean Savage Boar meat had cost him one Spirit Stone, even at a friend's price. It was certainly not cheap.
It was worth mentioning that, through Lin Changheng's repeated visits to buy meat and his status as a Pill Master, he and Li Changchang had gradually developed a good relationship and come to regard each other as friends.
After all, with his standing as a Pill Master, Lin Changheng was lowering himself to befriend someone beneath his station, leaving Li Changchang flattered by the favor.
As far as Lin Changheng was concerned,
Li Changchang might currently be only an assistant who cut and sold meat, but he had an older brother in the Li lineage with decent aptitude who had already reached the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining.
Having lost their parents at a young age, the brothers had depended on each other to survive.
Through casual conversation, Lin Changheng had already learned most of his circumstances.
Whenever this came up, Li Changchang wore a sincere smile. Clearly, he was extremely close to his older brother!
Once his brother broke through to late-stage Qi Refining, Li Changchang's own diligence and decent way with words might well allow him to ride that momentum into becoming a shopkeeper. When that happened...
It's only a seed planted in passing. If it bears fruit, all the better. If not, so be it.
He was entirely at ease with it. By forming good connections far and wide, he might someday find that one unexpected opportunity.
Inside the D-Class Cave Abode.
Lin Changheng cooked a pot of porridge with a pound of Savage Boar meat. Its aroma was irresistible. Thanks to his progress in Fire Control, his cooking skills had also grown increasingly refined.
Knock, knock, knock!
Just as he was about to eat, a knock came from outside the door.
"Fairy Su, you've come at just the right time."
After inviting his neighbor inside, Lin Changheng served her a bowl of fragrant meat porridge.
"I never imagined that, besides pill refining, your cooking skills would be so accomplished, Brother Lin. It's truly delicious. The boar meat is fragrant without being tough, silky without being greasy."
At her first taste, Su Shuangjiang's beautiful eyes lit up. Then her red lips never stopped moving until she had finished the entire bowl, praising it all the while.
The female cultivator's response certainly pleased Lin Changheng. More importantly, the trust implicit in her actions made him feel very comfortable.
The two completed their transaction as usual.
Fifteen Standard Pills, worth twenty-four Spirit Stones.
As for the premium pills, Lin Changheng still had not shown them to anyone.
The female cultivator also produced ten bottles of mature Fire Crow blood essence, along with twenty-eight bottles of unfamiliar blood essence in which an earthen-yellow glow faintly shimmered.
"What's this?"
Curious, Lin Changheng's eyes brightened slightly as he stared at the new blood essence in the glass bottles and asked.
"While hunting demonic beasts outside recently, I found a small group of low-grade demonic beasts, [Rockmountain Tortoises], underground in a cave. I caught the whole lot in one net and obtained this much blood essence. I wonder if it'll suit your needs, Brother Lin?"
"As for Fire Crows, they're still hard to catch. This is all I managed to get."
Speaking of Fire Crows, a trace of helplessness appeared on Su Shuangjiang's pretty face. They had wings and flew quite fast. Even if Rogue Cultivators wanted to pursue them, they dared not make too much commotion for fear of attracting the attention of powerful demonic beasts.