Zhou Chen stroked the little girl’s hair. It felt quite soft and comfortable to the touch.
"Do not worry. With Uncle here from now on, your mother will not cry anymore."
Nan Qiao, who had just stepped out of the kitchen, suddenly heard these words and could not help but cast a flirtatious glance at him, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.
Did he not know why she had been crying last night?
She could barely endure the first "battle".
(A/N: This battle creates life, unlike other battles that destroy lives ;)
After the second round, she really could not take it anymore.
In the end, no matter how insatiable she might be, she was still a mortal.
No matter how old Zhou Chen was or how weak his blood vitality might be, he was still a cultivator. How could she possibly contend with him?
Nan Qiao placed several plates of stir fried side dishes onto the table one by one.
"Immortal Master Zhou, I apologize. There is really no extra food in the house, so please make do with this."
The last time Zhang Xiu went on an expedition, he was gone for over a month.
The family had not been wealthy to begin with, and they truly could not afford to buy much meat.
Zhou Chen gave a gentle smile.
"It is fine. I am not picky about food."
He took a couple of bites and was surprised to find that the taste was actually quite good.
Ever since joining the Yin Yang Sect, he had rarely eaten mundane food.
Most cultivators were busy with secluded meditation all day, and even low level cultivators who could not yet achieve inedia would still swallow a Fasting Pill, which could last for ten days to half a month.
Not having tasted mortal food for a long time, it was quite a pleasant experience.
After Zhou Chen took two bites, he noticed Nan Qiao and Little Linger standing nearby, watching him quietly.
He could not help but frown and asked in confusion,
"Why are you two not sitting down to eat?"
Nan Qiao waved her hands hurriedly, her face full of submissiveness.
"Immortal Master Zhou, please eat first. Once you have finished your meal, Linger and I will eat."
The little girl looked at the food longingly, yet she stood there obediently.
Zhou Chen beckoned her over and placed her on the stool beside him.
"Sit down and eat as well. I do not care much for such rules."
Nan Qiao had misgivings, but she did not dare to disobey him.
Seeing him take the initiative to lift Linger up, she finally sat down next to him.
After sitting down, Nan Qiao did not forget to explain. "Immortal Master Zhou, I am not afraid of you. This is just how we have always done things."
Zhou Chen sighed inwardly.
In this era, the concept of male superiority was deeply ingrained.
Especially for women in the mortal world, who had always had very little status, it was not surprising that they could not eat at the table.
Even though she was at the table, Nan Qiao was still busy looking after Zhou Chen.
Being able to eat at the same table as Zhou Chen still made her quite happy.
This newly met Immortal Master Zhou was indeed a kind hearted person.
The corners of Nan Qiao’s eyes curved slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Her already alluring, rosy face gained even more charm.
[Congratulations, host. Nan Qiao’s favorability +10.]
[Current usable points: 40 points]
Zhou Chen had not expected that simply letting the mother and daughter eat at the table would earn him ten favorability points.
After the meal, Nan Qiao obediently stepped forward to clear the dishes.
Zhou Chen returned to the main room alone and sat cross legged on the bed.
"Consume twenty favorability points to max out the insights for a first rank alchemist."
[The host has consumed twenty points. You have mastered all insights for first rank alchemy.]
A massive amount of memories flooded into Zhou Chen’s mind.
Along with it, his control over spiritual power became increasingly refined and meticulous.
Alchemists were ranked from one to nine, with each rank corresponding to Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, and so on. Zhou Chen tapped his storage pouch and took out a jade slip shimmering with green light.
[Spiritual Energy Pill]
The Spiritual Energy Pill was a first rank pill, suitable for a Qi Refining cultivator to consume and refine.
Medicinal pills were divided into several major categories: detoxification, illusion breaking, enhancing divine sense, and those used to advance cultivation.
Among first rank pills for advancing cultivation, the Spiritual Energy Pill was of upper middle quality, better than Qi Condensation Powder but significantly inferior to a Qi Gathering Pill.
Maxing out the experience of a first rank alchemist did not mean he could immediately refine any first rank pill.
He had mastered the medicinal properties of all materials required for first rank pills, as well as the refining, purification, and fusion heat control.
Simply put, his experience was maxed out.
For any pill formula Zhou Chen had seen, he would be able to refine it perfectly after just two attempts.
However, without a pill formula, Zhou Chen could not create one from scratch.
At the level of a first rank alchemist, one could not yet create their own pill formulas.
This pill formula for the Spiritual Energy Pill was something he had obtained by chance years ago.
Zhou Chen had long since memorized it. After reviewing it again, he was about seventy to eighty percent confident.
"I still need to hurry and refine some pills."
Whether it was increasing favorability or becoming an alchemist to refine pills, the ultimate goal was to increase his cultivation.
A sixth layer Qi Refining realm was naturally enough to handle mortals with ease.
But in the cultivation world, it was pitifully weak.
Besides, even with a breakthrough, it had not added much to his lifespan.
Zhou Chen took out his storage pouch and checked his savings from over the years.
His own storage pouch had three spirit stones, and Zhang Xiu had seven low grade spirit stones.
"Ten low grade spirit stones should be just enough."
Spirit stones were divided into low grade, medium grade, high grade, and top grade spirit stones.
The spirit stones used by Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators were mostly low grade spirit stones.
This amount of spirit stones would certainly not be enough to buy medicinal pills.
But to buy a few sets of medicinal herbs and refine the pills himself would not be a problem.
Zhou Chen pushed open the door and gave Nan Qiao a brief explanation.
He planned to go to a nearby city to purchase the herbs for the Spiritual Energy Pills.
Before leaving, he looked at the mother and daughter’s faded, washed out clothes.
After a moment’s thought, Zhou Chen pulled out twenty taels of silver.
"Take this silver and use it to buy some clothes and food. Eating is the most important thing in the world. Do not let yourself or the child go hungry."
Nan Qiao was startled by the large bag of silver.
She hurriedly waved her hands in refusal, saying in a panicked tone,
"Big Brother Zhou, this is too much silver. I cannot possibly use it all."
Though she looked flustered, she also appeared somewhat charming and lovely.
Zhou Chen stuffed the silver into her arms, adopting a rare commanding tone.
"Alright. Since you are following me, I will not let you lack for food or clothing. If I tell you to take it, then take it."
He could roughly guess why Zhang Xiu had never mentioned his wife and daughter before.
That fellow had been so obsessed with seeking the Dao that he likely spent all his resources on cultivation.
He probably gave Nan Qiao very little silver for their living expenses.
Otherwise, why would the wife of a dignified cultivator be so shocked by a bit of silver?
It seemed that right before Zhang Xiu died, he lived up to the saying that when a man is about to die, his words are kind.
Knowing he could not survive, he finally thought of the safety of his wife and daughter.
Zhou Chen rubbed his hands. He had to admit, the feel was truly good.
Nan Qiao’s hands trembled as she held the silver, and a thin mist of tears formed in her eyes.
"Big Brother Zhou, you are so kind. You are a good man."
Zhou Chen’s lips twitched.
Even in another world, how could he still be given a good man card?
It seemed he would have to teach her a good lesson tonight.
Wutan Town was just a small town inhabited by mortals.
Not far from there was Moyu City.
The city was vast and also home to cultivators, so it naturally lacked no low level medicinal herbs.
Zhou Chen tapped his storage pouch with his right hand, and a spirit talisman appeared in his palm.
"Haste Talisman."
A basic wind attribute spirit talisman. With wind spiritual power enhancing the body, using this talisman could double a cultivator’s speed.
After all, low level cultivators could not fly on swords and still relied on their two legs to travel.
Zhou Chen did not want to waste time.
His figure flickered, his steps light and ethereal, and he soon vanished from the spot.
Not long after, Zhou Chen was walking the streets of Moyu City.
Looking at the city that was both familiar and strange, Zhou Chen felt quite emotional.
Over the years, every time he came to Moyu City, he had been somewhat timid.
It was like a poor person in his previous life entering a high end venue.
Even if they did not intend to buy anything, they would still be a bit submissive, fearing they might accidentally break something and be unable to pay for it.
But after awakening the system, Zhou Chen had also gained quite a bit of confidence.
Fortunes rise and fall. Do not mock the poverty of the old.