Lin Changheng preferred to err on the side of caution, and he made his decision.
That was indeed the case. Some loss of essence blood was normal when inferior pills formed or their pill toxins were treated. But if not a drop remained, not even a trace of its bloody scent, then unless everyone in the Li Family was an idiot, a few more pills like that would certainly give him away!
Drawing attention and arousing suspicion would be even worse.
That also went against Lin Changheng's fundamental principle of steady, cautious growth.
He acted at once, linking his consciousness to the [Origin Cauldron] as his palm swept swiftly over the eight ruined pills.
The next instant, the crimson treasure seed changed, becoming a little more solid.
[Fire Crow Treasure Seed · Spirit-Seizing Transformation in progress] [Spirit Seizure: 5/100] [Effects: Miscellaneous-grade Demon Beast bloodline, inherently fire-aligned. Innate talents: Fire Control, Breath Exhalation, Beak Strike. Upon completing Spirit Seizure, one may be chosen for incorporation.]
"Excellent!"
A flicker of excitement flashed through Lin Changheng's eyes.
But he did not continue extracting the fire crow essence blood from the remaining twenty inferior pills. First, he would "destroy the bodies and erase the evidence" of the ruined pills whose essence blood he had drained.
That would prevent anyone from stumbling upon them and discovering what he had done.
Cautious as he was, Lin Changheng would not allow even the slightest possibility!
He ground the ruined pills into powder and lit the furnace. Then, controlling the [Fire-Gathering Array], he began burning the powder little by little.
Two incense sticks' worth of time later,
The ruined pills had been disposed of, and he collected the ashes as well.
He then began preparing the mixture for neutralizing the inferior pills. Fortunately, the shop had all the ingredients he needed. It took a full two hours of work before the mixture was ready.
Ignoring his exhaustion, Lin Changheng took a deep breath, rubbed his hands excitedly, and began extracting essence blood from the pills one by one!
He took roughly half from each, with occasional fluctuations rather than a fixed amount.
After draining each pill, he neutralized it.
He worked quickly, soon finishing all twenty!
[Fire Crow Treasure Seed · Spirit-Seizing Transformation in progress] [Spirit Seizure: 10/100]
Good. It's only been a few days, and the [Fire Crow Treasure Seed] has already accumulated a tenth of what it needs. Who knows how many times faster this is than the [Origin Treasure Seed]! And with Defective Pills to process once a month, barring any surprises, the treasure seed should complete Spirit Seizure in ten months at the latest!
Within those ten months, my current comprehension will surely let me thoroughly master the method for refining [Crimson Flame Pills]. Once I obtain the [Fire Crow Treasure Seed]'s "Fire Control," I'll certainly succeed in one stroke and become a Pill Master. I won't have to enter the Savage Wastes again! Then I can hole up with the Xu Family or in the Market Ward, refining pills and collecting essence blood...
Lin Changheng was secretly thrilled, but he soon took a deep breath and warned himself,
Danger lurks on every side in the cultivation world. I must avoid disputes and fighting, and never let success go to my head. Only then can I tread steadily and travel far...
After all, he only had one life.
Lin Changheng understood that perfectly well.
When he emerged from the pill room again, it was almost three in the afternoon.
Seeing that it was still early, and that he would likely have to watch the furnace all day tomorrow with no time to spare, Lin Changheng decided to visit the Li Family Spiritual Meat Shop now.
Although security within the Market Ward was quite good, Lin Changheng still wrapped the long wooden box tightly in a shabby cloth bundle. After letting the Xu Family members in the shop know, he went out onto the street.
There were still quite a few cultivators on the streets, but compared with the thronging crowds of ten years ago, the difference was like heaven and earth.
Bored out of their minds, the proprietors and assistants of many quiet shops simply carried stools outside and chatted with their neighbors. When their conversations grew heated, their brows danced and spittle flew.
Some recognized Lin Changheng and warmly invited him to join them. He could only excuse himself, saying he had something to do and would certainly join them next time, before hurrying on to the Li Family Spiritual Meat Shop.
"Customer, you've come at just the right time! Any later, and there wouldn't be so much as a sliver of this prime Savage Boar meat left!"
"Take a look! Which cut would you like? Or why not take the lot?"
Before Lin Changheng could speak, the burly man cutting meat at the entrance to the Li Family's shop began pitching his wares.
"I'm not here to buy meat. I've come from the Xu Family's pill shop to deliver pills."
Lin Changheng smiled and shook his head, saying that he wished to see their proprietor.
"Come right in! Our proprietor was just wondering why our fellow Daoist from the Xu Family hadn't arrived yet..." The burly man hastily put down his cleaver and led Lin Changheng inside.
A thick reek of blood immediately assailed his nose.
Ordinarily, Lin Changheng would have frowned at the overpowering smell, but now he found it exceedingly sweet.
Nor had Lin Changheng expected the proprietor of this meat shop to be an extremely thin man with a drooping mustache, quite at odds with his line of business.
The proprietor soon inspected the box of inferior pills carefully in front of him. Lin Changheng remained outwardly composed, though his heart could not help beating a nervous drum.
"Not bad."
Clearly, the proprietor had noticed nothing unusual-or perhaps he simply did not care about the small amount of essence blood in the inferior pills.
"Payment and goods settled."
Once the transaction was complete, Lin Changheng did not rush to leave. Seeing that no one was coming to buy meat, he deliberately struck up a conversation with the burly butcher at the entrance.
Lin Changheng had a knack for conversation. First, he praised the quality of the man's meat and his skill with a blade, both directly and indirectly. Only once the man was in good spirits and felt he had found a kindred soul did Lin Changheng slowly steer the conversation toward "beast blood."
"Heh, there really are people who enjoy beast blood made into Red Fat. If you like it, fellow Daoist, just let me know ahead of time. I'll be sure to save you some the next day."
"Thank you!" Lin Changheng said with a smile. Feeling that he had laid enough groundwork, he brought up the crucial point. "I wonder if you have any essence blood for sale?"
A Demon Beast's blood and essence blood were not the same thing. The former was ordinary blood within its body, containing faint demonic power and many impurities; the latter was its vital heart's blood, a concentration of its life essence and the anchor of its power.
"Essence blood?"
The burly man paused, then remembered who the man before him was and understood.
"We certainly have essence blood, but all the essence blood in our shop has already been reserved by several Spiritual Wine Workshops and Talisman Shops in the Market Ward. We don't sell it to anyone else."
Afraid that Lin Changheng might not understand, he added, "I'm afraid it would be difficult for an individual cultivator to obtain any..."
"Thank you for telling me."
Although he had not received the answer he wanted, Lin Changheng still observed every courtesy before taking his leave.
After all, the cultivation world was not only about fighting and killing. There were human relationships and social graces to navigate, too.
"Come by whenever you need anything, fellow Daoist! If there's anything I can help with, I certainly won't refuse!"
As the sound of the burly man thumping his chest reached his ears, Lin Changheng nodded with a smile, already some distance away.
He had only asked on a whim. Finding another source of Demon Beast essence blood would naturally have been better, but failing to get the result he wanted did not upset him.
Keeping an even temper made sound judgment easier,
And that, too, was a form of cultivation.
After returning both the spirit stones from selling the inferior pills and the old booklet detailing how to process Defective Pills to Master Mo, Lin Changheng had successfully completed his assigned task.
"Good!"
Master Mo smiled and offered a few words of praise,
While Lin Changheng immediately expressed his "loyalty" and willingness to lighten Master Mo's burdens, hinting as he spoke that Master Mo could entrust him with more responsibilities!
Other responsibilities were merely a pretext, but he truly was very interested in ruined and inferior [Wood Origin Pills].