Cultivation: From Mortal to Immortal Venerable

Zhou Xun had always believed in the saying, "The bird that sticks its head out gets shot."

His exceptional alchemy talent wasn't necessarily a good thing.

Although it could lead to more resources for his cultivation.

For Zhou Xun, who possessed the Ningshun Sutra, remaining ordinary and cultivating steadily was the true path.

"Perhaps it's time to visit my brother Hong San!"

Hong San was the hall master of the Xinshou Hall under the Iron Mountain Gang. For safety, he had set up his hall's headquarters in his own home.

After all, with the Enforcement Squad of Red Leaf Square around, no one dared to cause trouble here.

One day, Hong San was throwing a fit at home.

"Why has our income dropped by another 20% this month? If this continues, will our Xinshou Hall even be able to operate!"

"Brother San, there's nothing we can do. Talismans keep getting more expensive, and those rogue cultivators from outside can't afford them!"

"Now, there are several second-tier demonic beasts appearing in Hundred Savages Mountain. Those monster-hunting cultivators dare not enter the mountain, so the consumption of talismans has greatly decreased. If this continues, we'll soon be in a situation with no income!"

The main consumers of talismans were precisely the monster-hunting cultivators who lived in the mountains year-round.

Given the general trend, Hong San couldn't change anything.

While he was anxiously pacing, a subordinate walked in.

"Brother San, someone delivered a letter!"

"A letter? What letter?" Hong San impatiently took it, tore open the envelope, and began to read.

"The agreement from five months ago. That's right, it's him! I've found a path to wealth!"

After reading only a few lines, Hong San slapped his thigh.

His previous anxiety vanished, replaced entirely by excitement.

"You all stay here and guard the place well."

Hong San was extremely excited. He gave a few instructions to his subordinates, tucked the letter into his chest, and strode towards the door!

This letter was sent by Zhou Xun through someone else.

After Zhou Xun made up his mind, he immediately disguised himself and went to Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion to book a private room.

Then, he found a servant boy and, for the price of a piece of Spirit Essence, asked him to deliver a letter to Hong San's home.

To prevent the boy from slacking off, he specifically told him that the recipient would give him another piece of Spirit Essence after the letter was delivered.

After Hong San left, he tossed a piece of Spirit Essence to the servant boy and strode towards Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion.

Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion, Private Room B-3.

Zhou Xun sat alone inside, drinking tea.

Suddenly, the door to the private room was pushed open, and a man in his thirties with a scar on his face walked in.

"Alchemist Zhou, long time no see!"

As soon as he entered, the man clasped his fists in greeting.

"Brother San, long time no see. Please, have a seat!" Zhou Xun returned the greeting with a cupped fist.

"Alchemist Zhou invited me here, has there been any progress with the pills?" As soon as he sat down, the man couldn't help but ask.

Zhou Xun smiled slightly, not answering directly.

"Don't rush, Brother San. Try this Spirit Fish from Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion first. I heard it was just caught from Lingyue Lake, very fresh!"

This was a small tactic Zhou Xun used for negotiation.

He deliberately avoided talking about business, making the other party anxious.

The more anxious the other party became, the more indifferent he would appear.

Only when the other party couldn't stand it anymore would it be the best time for negotiation.

This way, he could gain the upper hand in negotiations.

Seeing Zhou Xun say this, Hong San could only suppress his inner impatience, randomly picked up a few chopsticks, and put them into his mouth.

"Indeed, a rare delicacy!"

Zhou Xun, unhurriedly and with elegant movements, was like a young master from a noble family.

"Brother San, try this dish too! This is a slice from the hind leg of a first-tier low-grade Spirit Horn Deer, marinated for three days. This is a rare delicacy!" Zhou Xun pointed to a plate of meat slices on the table and recommended it.

Hong San had no choice but to pick up a few more chopsticks, put them into his mouth, chewed them a few times, and swallowed.

His eyes showed even greater impatience, with no mood to savor the delicacies.

In this manner, Zhou Xun recommended every dish on the table.

Only when Hong San was about to lose his patience did he put down his chopsticks and begin to discuss business.

"Brother San, you must have guessed why I invited you. That's right, there has indeed been progress with the pills!"

Hong San was overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly said:

"Alright, what kind of pills do you have, and how many?"

"For now, we only have Pigu Pills!" Zhou Xun took a sip of spirit tea and said slowly.

"Only Pigu Pills?" Hong San's excitement diminished by more than half.

These Pigu Pills were simple to refine, even alchemy apprentices could make them.

Therefore, their selling price wasn't high, and the profit wasn't substantial.

"Since this is our first collaboration, naturally..." Zhou Xun trailed off, then smiled without answering.

Hong San suddenly understood, slapping his forehead.

"I was too hasty!"

For a first collaboration, one wouldn't naturally bring out the good stuff. These Pigu Pills were just a test of the waters, Hong San naturally filled in the blanks himself.

This was exactly the effect Zhou Xun wanted to achieve.

"Pigu Pills are fine too; they have a very wide audience. Although the profit margin is slim, if the sales volume is large, the income will be quite considerable!"

"I just don't know how many pills Grandmaster Zhou can provide?"

"Fifty bottles of Pigu Pills per month!" Zhou Xun replied after some thought.

Goods worth two hundred Spirit Essence per month was not bad for a first collaboration.

Hong San nodded and continued to inquire:

"How much Spirit Essence will they cost?"

"Three for five, how about that?" Zhou Xun proposed a price after a moment of consideration.

"Three for five, this..." Hong San showed a troubled expression.

"Recently, the price of pills has been rising. Pigu Pills can occasionally sell for a high price of five Spirit Essence. A profit of five per pill is already quite a lot!" Zhou Xun said nonchalantly.

"Fifty bottles in total, that makes it one hundred and seventy Spirit Essence, how about that?" Hong San, seeing that Zhou Xun understood the market, no longer hesitated and stated a figure.

"Deal!" Zhou Xun smiled and agreed.

Fifty bottles of Pigu Pills had a cost of around eighty Spirit Essence. Calculated this way, his monthly profit would be ninety Spirit Essence.

Adding the monthly stipend of twenty Spirit Essence from the Danbao Pavilion.

His comprehensive income reached one hundred and ten Spirit Essence, exceeding one spirit stone.

Afterward, the two continued to discuss the details of their cooperation, agreeing to trade on the fifteenth of each month.

Following that, the two departed.

Zhou Xun circled around for a bit, changed his attire, and headed to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion in the center of the market.

This time, he intended to purchase the alchemy formula for Qi Induction Pills.

Pigu Pills were, after all, just basic pills. He couldn't refine many in a day's hard work, and the earnings were just for his labor.

To truly prosper, he needed to rely on high-level pills.

The Hundred Treasures Pavilion did not belong to any of the Four Great Clans of Red Leaf Square.

However, its scale was in no way inferior to either the Danbao Pavilion or the Mystic Talisman Pavilion.

It was rumored that behind the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, there was a True Core cultivator overseeing it.

True Core was a major realm after Foundation Establishment, with a lifespan that could reach 500 years.

Before long, Zhou Xun arrived in front of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

The Hundred Treasures Pavilion occupied over sixty zhang of land and had seven floors. If one were to call it a pavilion, it would be more akin to a tall tower.

A tall tower that stored countless treasures.

On either side of the first-floor entrance stood two guards, clad in spirit armor and wielding long halberds.