Chapter 58: Seeking a Master (Please Add to Favorites)

With this new discovery, Li Guanzhuan no longer felt the need to rush the production of the Foundation Establishment Pill. He decided it was better to first raise his cultivation and refine his control over spiritual power, so that he could later craft a pill of superior quality. Previously, he had been troubled by the scarcity of the primary ingredients for the Foundation Establishment Pill, but now, having found that celestial energy could accelerate the growth of spiritual herbs—and that it required only a small amount—he realized he could focus on advancing to the eighth stage of Qi Refinement and then further stabilize his alchemical skills.

Although the Foundation Establishment Pill was only a low-grade second-tier pill, its quality varied. Inferior pills not only resulted in a low success rate for establishing a foundation, but could even damage one's core. Superior pills, on the other hand, not only greatly increased the chances of success but also protected the dantian from harm.

Moreover, now that Li Guanzhuan had moved into the inner city, with a mid-grade second-tier spiritual vein running right beneath his home, and aided by the celestial energy within him, his cultivation progressed much faster than before.

Determined to succeed in establishing his foundation before the age of sixty, Li Guanzhuan threw himself into his efforts.

…

Time slipped by, and before he knew it, a year had passed.

Li Guanzhuan distinctly felt himself brush up against the bottleneck of the eighth stage of Qi Refinement—a cause for celebration in itself. The further one went in the path of cultivation, the harder it became. To reach the threshold of the eighth stage in such a short time was no small feat.

Closing his eyes and calming his mind, he sent his spiritual awareness into the dark space within him.

He discovered that his high-grade fire spiritual root was on the verge of evolving into a supreme-grade root. All of this, he owed to Wen Rongxin.

“It’s time to pay the rent again. I’d better make a trip to the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. There are enough pills and talismans accumulated in my storage pouch, and I still have that high-grade magical artifact I won when I slew that rogue cultivator…”

Stretching lazily, Li Guanzhuan rose and left his cultivation chamber.

Over the past year, Qin Jiyue had little need to cultivate, saving up her celestial energy to use when she attempted to form her foundation. Thus, she spent most days accompanying Wen Rongxin to the Silverlight Falls to train, hoping to reach the sixth stage of Body Refinement as quickly as possible.

Arriving at Market Three, Li Guanzhuan made his way with practiced ease into the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.

Once just an errand boy, Fugui had now risen to a mid-level position in the pavilion. Upon seeing Li Guanzhuan, he hurried forward with a beaming smile. “Master Li, you’re here! Shall I inform the manager?”

In the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, many were familiar with Li Guanzhuan, the second-tier alchemist. They’d also heard Fugui call him Master Li, knowing that he was skilled in crafting talismans as well, and their respect for him deepened.

“No need, I’ll find him myself. As usual, I’ll leave the pills and talismans here in your care,” Li Guanzhuan replied with a smile.

“Thank you, Master Li!” Fugui bowed deeply, his gratitude plain to see.

The other errand boys looked on in envy. Just by virtue of his connection to Li Guanzhuan, Fugui could look forward to further promotions and raises.

Reaching the top floor, Li Guanzhuan knocked on the door. Hearing no response, he knocked again.

It wasn’t until the manager, Li Kuangzheng, happened to pass by that Li Guanzhuan asked, “Old Li, is Brother Zheng not in?”

Li Kuangzheng frowned slightly, clearly not fond of Li Guanzhuan’s informal address. But Li Guanzhuan was an important client, not someone to offend. Dutiful as ever, Li Kuangzheng answered, “The manager is inside.”

“Good, fetch me a cup of tea,” Li Guanzhuan nodded, giving the order as a matter of course.

Li Kuangzheng seemed reluctant, prompting a frown from Li Guanzhuan. “What’s this? Is this the kind of service the Myriad Treasures Pavilion is known for?”

“Just a moment,” Li Kuangzheng replied through clenched teeth.

Li Guanzhuan chuckled, then knocked on the door again. Still receiving no answer, he pushed it open and entered.

And stopped in his tracks.

There, Zheng Huangjin was kneeling on the floor, one hand covering his face in apparent shame.

On the other side of the room, the voluptuous, golden-haired Lady Liu sat teasing a parrot in its cage, paying Zheng Huangjin no attention whatsoever.

“Ah—am I intruding?” Li Guanzhuan forced a laugh, stepping back, ready to make his exit.

With a bang, the door slammed shut.

Li Guanzhuan dared not move, nor entertain even a single stray thought. The alluring proprietress before him was a Foundation Establishment cultivator well-versed in mind reading.

Lady Liu turned to him with a smile. “Leaving Shanggu City without a word—how could you? So, Zheng is your friend, but I’m not?”

“Not at all, Lady Liu. Please forgive me. I left in haste and quite forgot to let you know,” Li Guanzhuan hurried to explain.

If even a Foundation Establishment cultivator like Zheng Huangjin was cowed into kneeling, how could a mere seventh-stage Qi Refiner like him dare offend Lady Liu?

Moreover—

Li Guanzhuan quickly calmed his mind, shutting down any further thoughts.

“And moreover?” Lady Liu pressed, her eyes twinkling.

She’d read his mind again. Why did he never learn? Li Guanzhuan sighed inwardly and was about to explain when he noticed the door open once more.

Li Kuangzheng entered with a cup of tea, but upon seeing the scene before him, he instinctively tried to back out.

“Come in!”

Lady Liu’s voice was crisp and commanding. Li Kuangzheng’s body moved of its own accord, and he too knelt on the floor.

Li Guanzhuan swallowed. Wasn’t this a bit much? Could Lady Liu be at the very peak of Foundation Establishment?

If—

“If what?” Lady Liu’s gaze sharpened as she fixed Li Guanzhuan with her eyes.

Startled, Li Guanzhuan bowed and said, “If I could have a master like Lady Liu, I could ask for nothing more.”

Both Zheng Huangjin and Li Kuangzheng stared at him in disbelief.

To dare ask such an unreasonable woman to be your master?

“Who are you calling unreasonable?” Lady Liu’s tone turned icy.

“I am, of course!” Zheng Huangjin and Li Kuangzheng chorused.

Lady Liu snorted, then looked at Li Guanzhuan. “If you want to become my disciple, you need to show some sincerity.”

Li Guanzhuan looked troubled. “I’m afraid I’m poor, Master. I have only a few high-grade magical artifacts in my storage pouch. I’ll give them all to you.”

He called her “Master” just like that? Zheng Huangjin and Li Kuangzheng were stunned.

“Who needs your trifling first-tier artifacts?” Lady Liu waved a hand dismissively, settling gracefully into her chair. Crossing one long, shapely leg over the other, her golden eyes sparkled as she gazed at Li Guanzhuan. “I came here today hoping you could sell me some of your Harmonizing Qi Pills. The ones you make sell like no other… And I hear from Zheng that you’re preparing to refine Foundation Establishment Pills. Are you short on materials? Should I prepare some for you? Of course, I’ll give you a fair price—you can trust me on that.”

Li Guanzhuan turned a blank look on Zheng Huangjin.

Brother, did you really give away all the details?

Zheng Huangjin sighed, “Brother, what could I do? As soon as Lady Liu learned you’d moved to Silver Maple City, she came straight to me, demanded your pills and talismans, and even accused me of trying to steal you away… I was wronged!”

At last, Li Guanzhuan understood.

Lady Liu intended to replicate Zheng Huangjin’s strategy: using these superior pills and talismans to win people’s loyalty, to make the Myriad Treasures Pavilion’s name even greater in Shanggu City, and to bind the interests of Qi Refinement cultivators to the pavilion.

After all, pills and talismans a cut above the best of the first tier were exceedingly rare.

“It truly was unjust to blame Brother Zheng,” Li Guanzhuan explained. “My wife needs to cultivate at Silverlight Falls, so I had to move to Silver Maple City. Besides, the rent is half what it is in Shanggu City, and I’m aiming for the eighth stage of Qi Refinement. I have to stay here.”

“I don’t care about that,” Lady Liu interrupted with a wave. “I’m here to deepen our cooperation. From now on, I want half of all the pills and talismans you produce. I’ll send someone to collect them at intervals. And I’ll accept you as my disciple—if you have any questions about cultivation, come to me at Shanggu City. Also, I want you to help train a few alchemy and talisman prodigies for the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. Choose anyone you like.”

With that, she tossed him a pouch of spirit stones. “There are ten thousand spirit stones in there—consider it a deposit. When you’ve trained some promising students, I’ll give you another ten thousand. You’ll also share in their future earnings. You won’t lose out.”

Li Guanzhuan couldn’t help but inhale sharply. He caught the pouch, bowed deeply, and said, “Thank you, Master!”

He’d gained a master well worth having!