Evening.
Inside an elegant, quiet room at the Myriad Treasures House.
"Steward Liu, is that enough?"
"Yes, more than enough! Mister Ge, you've produced so much, and the quality is excellent. Your skill is truly extraordinary!"
Inside the quiet room, Gu Chenfeng delivered the final batch of Essence Pills for the month.
Liu Fuyan inspected the batch and found that more than ninety percent were of superior quality.
A radiant smile blossomed on her face, and she was so delighted she could hardly stop grinning.
She was now immensely grateful that she had signed this Alchemist with a generous profit share and a Source-Melting Pill.
Not only were his pills of exceptional quality, but his pill-refining efficiency was astonishing.
In just a few short days, he had delivered an entire month's supply.
With this batch of reliably high-quality Essence Pills, many former customers lost by the Myriad Treasures House would be won back.
Even new customers had come to buy after hearing the news.
For now, this had resolved the crisis caused by the Exquisite Pavilion poaching their chief Alchemist.
Gu Chenfeng smiled and waved a hand.
"It wasn't that fast. I just happened to have some stock on hand. If you still want more, Steward Liu, I can put in some extra effort tonight."
Liu Fuyan hastily said, "We already have enough Essence Pills for this month. There's no need to work so hard, sir. Please don't wear yourself out."
They chatted a little longer before Liu Fuyan instructed a servant to bring over a brocade box.
"Mister Ge, here are your profit share and guaranteed payment for this month."
Gu Chenfeng took the brocade box and opened its lid.
A gentle white light emerged, and even the Source Qi in the air grew a little denser.
Inside the box lay forty milky-white crystals, each the size of a pigeon's egg.
Using his special perception, Gu Chenfeng could clearly sense them.
A great quantity of pure Source Qi was condensed within these white crystals.
"Source Crystals!"
As a young master of the Prime Minister's Residence, Gu Chenfeng had memories concerning Source Crystals.
Source Crystals were formed from condensed Source Qi essence and were divided into low, middle, and high grades.
Martial artists could use them for cultivation, recovery during battle, and even pill refining and equipment forging...
Almost every activity a martial artist undertook required Source Crystals.
Yet few martial artists could afford to use them.
Even a single low-grade Source Crystal could fetch three thousand taels on the market.
The forty low-grade Source Crystals in the box were worth one hundred and twenty thousand taels of silver.
Gu Chenfeng's eyes flickered slightly.
"Why is there an extra ten thousand taels?"
Liu Fuyan smiled radiantly. "Sir, the pills you refined this time were exceptional in both quantity and quality.
"They have greatly benefited our branch's reputation. Consider the extra ten thousand taels a bonus."
Gu Chenfeng thought, This woman has generosity and boldness. She really was born for business.
"Then thank you, Steward Liu."
"Also, I'd like to purchase some materials to research Spirit-Nourishing Pills and body-tempering pills."
Upon hearing that Gu Chenfeng also intended to refine Spirit-Nourishing Pills and body-tempering pills, Liu Fuyan reacted.
An unusual brilliance lit up her beautiful eyes.
If the Myriad Treasures House could simultaneously offer high-quality first-grade Source Qi-type, spirit-type, and body-tempering pills...
It would not only bring enormous profits to the Imperial Capital branch but also create a powerful brand reputation.
"Whatever materials you need, Mister Ge, just list them. We'll provide them free of charge."
Gu Chenfeng shook his head. "I won't take advantage of you like that. Just give me the internal purchase price, Steward Liu."
"No problem."
Liu Fuyan smiled alluringly, admiring this Alchemist all the more.
Night fell.
Inside a side room in the eastern courtyard of the Prime Minister's Residence.
In a yellow tub standing over half a person's height...
Crimson hot water sent up clouds of steam and medicinal fragrance.
Gu Chenfeng had already stripped off his clothes and smeared the body-tempering potion, Golden Marrow, over his entire body before leaping into the yellow tub.
Quite a few people in the Prime Minister's Residence knew he practiced external cultivation, so he was not worried about being discovered.
By now, Golden Marrow's effect on tempering Gu Chenfeng's body had become rather limited.
Thus, Gu Chenfeng poured another bottle of a more potent body-tempering potion into the hot water.
"Ice Saliva Dew."
This combination of ice and fire produced a body-tempering effect greater than the sum of its parts.
But likewise, the pain doubled.
"Hiss...!"
Even with the strength of Gu Chenfeng's body, the pain made him bare his teeth and grimace.
But for strength, for his own survival, he endured the agony.
He reached to the side, took a Spirit-Nourishing Pill, and tilted his head back to swallow it.
As its medicinal power was refined in his abdomen, cool currents spread through him, continually nourishing his spiritual power. Only then did he feel much more comfortable.
Rather than dwell on the pain of cultivation, Gu Chenfeng turned his thoughts elsewhere.
To the Source Crystals worth one hundred and twenty thousand taels he had obtained today.
And to the large quantities of spirit-nourishing pill spiritual materials and body-tempering potions stored at the Thousand Beauties Pavilion.
Alchemists really do make money fast!
And from now on, I can supply all my own pills.
I don't even need to gather the raw materials myself. I can buy them directly at internal prices.
With that, the problem of cultivation resources is basically solved.
Next, I can improve at full speed!
"My Iron Elephant Art is about to break through to the third level, the 'silver armor' realm.
"I've also just mastered the second special move of the Tiger-Subduing Spear Technique, 'Tiger Claw Rends the Sky,' and my one-star Source Qi cultivation has stabilized.
"Tonight, I'll break through to silver armor in the Iron Elephant Art, then focus all my efforts on improving my Source Qi cultivation!"
Although, ever since the incident at Great Wilderness Ridge...
The enemy seemed not to have taken any threatening action against Gu Chenfeng.
Whenever Gu Chenfeng appeared in public, someone was always beside him to protect him, leaving him relatively safe.
Yet Gu Chenfeng had a gut feeling that the enemy was watching him from the shadows all along.
They were merely waiting for him to let his guard down before delivering a fatal blow.
Thus, not only could he not relax, but he also had to advance fearlessly and grow stronger.
The moment the enemy showed their head, he would strike with thunderous force!
With a thought from Gu Chenfeng...
His other self in the separate space had already seated himself on the Enlightenment Platform.
Blood Qi surged, and the Iron Elephant Art circulated at full speed!
At the same time, in an incomparably lavish residence in the Imperial Capital.
Beside a pond in the rear courtyard stood a figure in white, elegant and carefree beneath the moonlight.
With a sweep of his sleeve, the young man scattered feed into the pond under the night sky. Fish fought over it, stirring up cold, glittering ripples.
"Is everything ready for this operation?"
Behind him, a dark figure bowed.
"Young master, everything has been arranged. We await your instructions three days from now."
The young man nodded slightly and spoke softly.
"A skilled player takes one step and looks five ahead. He plans before he acts, and when he moves, he strikes with the crushing might of thunder!
The white-robed young man gazed up at the bright moon, his eyes aloof and proud.
"Gu Chenfeng, although you aren't worthy of being my opponent, even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit.
"What's more, you are immensely important to the Gu Lineage. Once I have you under my control, I'll have my fingers around half the Gu Lineage's lifeline!"
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