Muling Daoist Boy

When he returned to the Market, he took the same stall beside the portly stallholder.

Jiang Yan did not go straight to the Many Treasures Tower to sell his pills. Though they would sell faster there, the Many Treasures Tower had to make a profit, and its buying price was twenty to thirty percent lower.

The Bear-Tiger Pills were easy to sell anyway, and with money tight now, selling them himself was naturally better.

After greeting the portly stallholder beside him, Jiang Yan spread out a black cloth.

Before leaving home, he had already divided the Bear-Tiger Pills into bottles of three. The twenty-seven pills filled exactly nine bottles.

No sooner had he set them out than the portly stallholder greeted him with a smile.

"You're back, fellow Daoist. To have results from your alchemy so soon-you truly are diligent. What pills are you selling this time?"

Jiang Yan's deliberately lowered voice emerged from beneath his black robe.

"You flatter me, fellow Daoist. These are merely something I refined in my spare time earlier. Today, I've brought Bear-Tiger Pills."

"Oh?" At these words, the portly Daoist immediately grew much more respectful and hurriedly raised his hands in greeting.

"My apologies, my apologies. So you're a ninth-grade Alchemist as well. I am Muling. Forgive my discourtesy."

Muling Daoist Boy had previously seen Jiang Yan selling Qi and Blood Pills and Grain-Avoidance Pills in this Market, but had thought little of it.

After all, Qi and Blood Pills had no grade and belonged to the most elementary stage of alchemy.

Many Daoist boys who tried studying pill-refining methods could succeed after practicing for a while.

As for Grain-Avoidance Pills, even less needed to be said. They did not even count as alchemical pills, merely medicinal pellets.

He had answered Jiang Yan's questions last time only because he was bored and happened to speak.

Who could have known that Jiang Yan would bring Bear-Tiger Pills this time? These were indispensable supplementary pills for ninth-grade cultivation.

Being able to refine them, Jiang Yan could now be addressed as Alchemist Jiang.

"You praise me too highly, fellow Daoist. I am... Shoulu. They're merely Bear-Tiger Pills, nothing worth mentioning."

Jiang Yan raised his hands to return the greeting. Just as he was about to introduce himself, he realized that he seemed never to have thought of choosing a Daoist name.

Besides, he was concealing his identity now and naturally would not give his real name, so he simply made up "Shoulu Daoist Boy" on the spot.

"So you're Fellow Daoist Shoulu. I've long admired your name!"

Muling Daoist Boy offered another round of flattery. Finding his words pleasing to the ear, Jiang Yan began chatting with him.

After some conversation, he learned that Muling Daoist Boy was actually a disciple of the Prefecture Academy too.

Moreover, he had been born among the immortal populace of the East River Realm and could be considered a local snake.

Jiang Yan's interest in him immediately grew. He probed indirectly about many matters, particularly those concerning Desire Corpse Daoist.

"Desire Corpse Daoist? How did you come to know that old fellow?"

Hearing his question, Muling Daoist Boy immediately asked in surprise.

Jiang Yan could only offer a little cover and say:

"I don't actually know him. I merely happened to hear a fellow Daoist mention him, saying he was generous and openhanded. Judging by your reaction, is there something wrong with this Desire Corpse Daoist?"

Whether Muling Daoist Boy believed Jiang Yan's account was unclear. He simply continued:

"Fellow Daoist, if possible, you'd best keep your distance from that friend of yours in future, lest High Person Yushi set his sights on you.

"This man is extremely patient. If he takes a fancy to a disciple with no backing, he can often spend years plotting in secret."

At this, Jiang Yan's heart sank. He had still been thinking that perhaps Jiang Chi had not been secretly scheming during this time.

It was also possible that the old villain Yushi had not taken him to heart. Now, however, it seemed he could no longer indulge such wishful thinking.

"This Desire Corpse Daoist is lecherous and vile, and his conduct is obscene. He particularly enjoys harvesting male and female Daoist boys and practitioners to replenish himself."

As Muling Daoist Boy spoke, something seemed to come to mind, and a disgusted expression appeared on his face.

"I've heard that although he practices the Furnace-Refining and Cauldron-Commanding Dao, he also keeps a Seventh-Rank Realm Jia Corpse Dao Soldier at his side.

"Most importantly, this man and his soldier... often cultivate with others together..."

Muling Daoist Boy said no more. Jiang Yan could only imagine the rest himself.

He recalled the pain inadvertently revealed in Jiang Chi's words and actions when he had first come to meet him that day.

According to Jiang Yunyao, Jiang Chi had been following Desire Corpse Daoist for several years, hadn't he?

At this thought, Jiang Yan could not help feeling somewhat sickened too.

He closed his mouth, unwilling to ask further, but Muling Daoist Boy beside him remained very enthusiastic.

"You act cautiously, fellow Daoist. Could you have run afoul of this man? If so, I do have a few avenues available."

Hearing this, Jiang Yan's interest stirred.

This man was a native of the East River Realm's immortal populace, and his words just now had shown little reverence or fear toward Desire Corpse Daoist. Could he have some backing?

Before Jiang Yan could ask, Muling Daoist Boy saw his silence and spoke again of his own accord:

"Do you have doubts, fellow Daoist? This is not something I can accomplish myself. It would still depend on your own abilities."

"What sort of avenue is it? Could you tell me about it?"

Muling Daoist Boy did not answer directly, instead asking a question first.

"From what I can see, you seem to have taught yourself alchemy and have not taken a master?"

"That's right."

Jiang Yan had already guessed what Muling Daoist Boy intended to say and immediately continued:

"Are you offering to introduce me to work in the Prefecture Academy's Alchemy Chamber?"

As he spoke, Jiang Yan inwardly shook his head. He had been at the Prefecture Academy for half a year; how could he not know about the Alchemy Chamber?

When he had first prepared to study alchemy, he had indeed considered joining the Alchemy Chamber as a fallback.

But there were many Alchemists there. A ninth-grade Alchemist like him, who could only refine Bear-Tiger Pills, would receive little attention even if he joined.

Instead, he would be assigned a heap of pill-refining tasks, which might even hold up his own cultivation.

His current circumstances were still manageable, and he was unwilling to take that course.

Could this Muling Daoist Boy be trying to introduce him to the Alchemy Chamber to earn an "introduction fee"?

Jiang Yan wore a thoughtful expression, but Muling Daoist Boy could not see it.

He continued on his own, "No, no. If you entered the Alchemy Chamber, wouldn't you spend all day being ordered about?"

"What I mean is serving under the Fire Head, who is subordinate to the Alchemy Chamber."

Fire Head? From that title, he should be one of the Prefecture Academy's Eighteen Heads.

Of the Prefecture Academy's Three Directors, Five Masters, and Eighteen Heads, Jiang Yan had so far met only the Director of Lectures, Green Fox High Person. He had not seen a single one of the others.

According to Daoist Muling, if he could enter the Fire Head's service, he would have neither burdensome work nor a lack of backing to rely upon.

Without a doubt, Jiang Yan was tempted.

He was just about to ask more when a customer happened to arrive at his stall.

Seeing this, Muling Daoist Boy chuckled.

"Don't rush, fellow Daoist. Go back and think it over properly. If you're interested, meet me here in three days."

With that, the man packed up his stall and actually left outright.

Jiang Yan watched that round figure recede into the distance. After some thought, he decided not to follow and question him.

Daoist Muling and he were merely strangers who had met by chance; the man must have something to gain from this.

If he appeared too eager, he would only let the other man get him under his thumb.

Having thought this through, Jiang Yan stayed to continue selling his pills.

The Bear-Tiger Pills were indeed in demand and easy to sell. After inspecting them, the customer swept a hand and bought all twenty-seven.

Two of the pills were included for free, leaving Jiang Yan with twenty-five Spirit Stones.

There was no helping it. If he charged the same price as the Many Treasures Tower, who would buy from these stalls on the outskirts?

Wouldn't they be better off buying directly from the Many Treasures Tower?

Putting away the Spirit Stones, Jiang Yan also removed his stall cloth and rose, intending to browse the Market.

His current Pill Furnace was truly too poor. With repeated use, there might well be a risk of it exploding.

He intended to replace it with a new one and also buy several more sets of ingredients for Bear-Tiger Pills.

Rather than visit the shops farther inside, Jiang Yan wandered around casually and found a suitable Pill Furnace at a stall.

The furnace was round, supported by three legs, with a bulging belly.

Inside the Pill Furnace were three formations for controlling flames, clearing impurities, and regulating temperature. It looked almost new; presumably, the stallholder had used it only a few times.

After some bargaining, Jiang Yan bought it for fifteen Spirit Stones and three high-grade Bear-Tiger Pills.

He exchanged all his remaining Spirit Stones for pill-refining ingredients.

After leaving the Market, Jiang Yan did not hurry away. He made several extra circuits, confirmed that no one was following him, and only then headed home.