Making Money!
Yan Qingyan first went to a bookstore to buy a copy of "Complete Illustrated Guide to Spiritual Plants," then visited several Magical Artifact shops before finally purchasing a mid-grade yellow-tier Alchemy Cauldron.
The twenty-one low-grade spirit stones she had just obtained were all spent before they could even warm up.
Low-level Spiritual Plants like Weiling flowers and Tougu grass could still be boiled in ordinary iron pots, but Millennium Primordial Purple Spirit Grass definitely couldn't.
If she were to refine Foundation Establishment Pills in the future, she would definitely need to switch to a better Alchemy Cauldron, but she didn't have enough spirit stones to buy one now, and Yujiang Town didn’t have them available either.
Yan Qingyan shook her head—she was thinking too far ahead.
After buying the "valuable" items, Yan Qingyan went to the market to purchase an iron pot and some ordinary household supplies.
Yan Qingyan also bought an extra large iron pot.
Since the Weiling Paste was produced batch by batch in pots, wouldn’t using a larger pot save a lot of time?
She really was a clever little thing!
After buying household supplies, Yan Qingyan went to the Spiritual Plant market to purchase a large quantity of spiritual plant seeds, mostly Weiling flowers and Tougu grass.
The carriage was once again piled high with bundles of all sizes.
Looking at the remaining five taels of silver in her hand, Yan Qingyan lamented how quickly money disappeared.
She had spent less than one tael on all those things she bought, but the seeds cost over ninety taels.
Items infused with Spiritual Energy really were expensive.
…
Approaching dinner time, Yan Qingyan drove the carriage back to Yujiang Village.
The villagers were still somewhat amazed by the carriage; they usually used ox carts here, which could both pull loads and plow fields.
Only wealthy families liked riding horses—they were fast and could show off.
"Qingyan is back."
"Did you go to town to buy seeds?"
"Oh, you bought quite a lot!"
Through the carriage’s curtain, one could clearly see bundles of all sizes inside, cramming the carriage full.
"Yes, that’s right." Yan Qingyan smiled and exchanged a few words with the villagers before returning home.
After Yan Qingyan walked away, a group of villagers gathered and chattered endlessly.
"People from big families are different—this carriage is too refined."
"The Spiritual Plants in her fields grow too fast; who knows how much silver they can sell for?"
She doesn’t sell directly for silver; that Young Master Ling is refining medicinal paste at home. It’s said to be high-grade Elixir Pills, and one box can sell for ten taels—so expensive!"
Upon hearing this, the surrounding villagers gasped, their eyes red with envy.
They all knew that medicinal paste used by Cultivators was valuable, but they hadn’t expected it to be this valuable, and they couldn’t help but marvel.
"Heaven, one box for ten taels?!"
"That’s too profitable; big families have so many tricks."
"…"
Yan Qingyan returned to the small courtyard and exhaled deeply.
"Qingyan is back." Just as Yan Qingyan arrived home, she heard a greeting from afar, the voice clear and gentle.
Yan Qingyan couldn’t help but feel warmth in her heart—how long had it been since she experienced the feeling of someone greeting her when she returned home?
Yan Qingyan smiled and replied, "I’m back."
Ling Mochen was still diligently refining Weiling medicinal paste, with dozens of small iron boxes already piled beside him.
Yan Qingyan busied herself unloading the bundles, first replacing the missing iron pot in the kitchen, then bringing out the large iron pot.
Once a new batch of Weiling Paste was made, Yan Qingyan walked over with the items, "Use this pot for the next batch; it’s big and can save time."
An oversized iron pot was placed before Ling Mochen.
Ling Mochen: .
Ling Mochen was both amused and exasperated. "You're not afraid I'll ruin the batch? If the heat isn't controlled properly for this pot, the waste would be considerable."
"It's fine, just go ahead and refine it with confidence. There's plenty of materials, as much as you need." She was more concerned about saving time.
Time was lifespan, and lifespan was priceless treasure. Wasn't the reason cultivators worked so hard on their cultivation precisely to advance and increase their lifespan?
Foundation Establishment Stage lifespan could reach three hundred years, Golden Core Stage eight hundred, Nascent Soul two thousand, Divine Transformation three thousand, Void Refining five thousand, Unity Stage lifespan could reach ten thousand years, Great Perfection twenty thousand, Tribulation Crossing Stage lifespan… fifty thousand years!
Those lifespan-extending items were all rare treasures that were priced but unavailable on the market.
Yan Qingyan secretly decided that she must find at least one type of Spiritual Plant with lifespan-extending effects to cultivate in her Space in the future!
"Alright." Ling Mochen replied solemnly.
He tried not to waste anything.
"And this is also for you." Yan Qingyan took out the medicine cauldron again.
Ling Mochen was startled. "This is?!"
"I bought it at the Magical Artifact shop in town. Try using this to see if you can refine Elixir Pills." After saying this, Yan Qingyan also brought out a pile of medicinal materials needed for refining Fasting Pills.
Fasting Pills, the introductory Elixir Pill for over ninety percent of Alchemists.
Ling Mochen took the medicine cauldron in a daze, ripples stirring in his heart's lake.
After a few breaths, Ling Mochen said with a solemn tone, "Qingyan, thank you."
"Hey hey~ don't get formal with me like that, I can't stand it the most." Yan Qingyan wrinkled her face and shook her head.
Being polite with strangers was fine, but if acquaintances kept being so formal, she couldn't bear it.
Ling Mochen lowered his head and gently stroked the medicine cauldron, then raised his head and chuckled lightly. "Refining Elixir Pills requires mobilizing spiritual power. Fasting Pills can't be refined yet, but substitutes like spiritual porridge and spiritual liquid are still possible."
"Refining Elixir Pills isn't urgent for now. After some time, I'll give you a surprise." Yan Qingyan smiled mysteriously.
"Oh?" Ling Mochen revealed a trace of anticipation in his eyes. "Then I'd like to see what surprise it is."
"A big surprise!"
"Haha~"
The two chuckled lightly, the breeze following the willow branches, scattering their intertwined strands of hair.
Time quietly slipped away amidst busyness.
Three days later.
Yan Qingyan and Ling Mochen drove a carriage to town.
Each carrying a large box, they entered the Yan Family Trading Firm.
Actually, people from subordinate villages selling things to the corresponding families was also one of the unwritten rules here. Yujiang Village had already been compensated by the family head to the Ling Family, so logically they should sell the Weiling Paste to the Ling Family Trading Firm.
But Ling Mochen clearly had unresolved feelings towards the Ling Family and didn't want to get involved.
The Yan Family Trading Firm manager saw Yan Qingyan again, his eyes somewhat evasive.
The day before yesterday he sent several workers to Luoxia Valley. Their cultivation levels were only Qi Refining three to four layers. As soon as they entered the deep mountains, they encountered a black bear.
At that time he still thought Yan Qingyan was lying.
Only after he submitted those two hundred-year blood spirit ginsengs and recounted Yan Qingyan's 'excuse,' the Yan Family dispatched two Qi Refining nine-layer cultivators to investigate Luoxia Valley again.
And this time, they actually dug up a blood spirit ginseng!
Unfortunately, its age was only ten years.
It was said that not far from that blood spirit ginseng there were two other ginseng pits, which also detected traces of blood spirit ginseng. They should be the two that Yan Qingyan dug up.
It turned out to be true after all, and that was Luoxia Valley…
Could it be that the Spiritual Energy of Luoxia Valley had all been absorbed by these few blood spirit ginsengs?
The Yan family steward wore a face full of frustration. While the hundred-year-old Blood Ginseng was of no use to him and he dared not use it, the ten-year-old one would have been greatly beneficial. How could the clerks under him be so useless?
Sigh!
The steward sighed inwardly, but on the surface, he watched with curiosity to see what good things this Miss Yan could produce.
Thud! Thud!
Two wooden boxes were placed on the ground, neatly filled with a pile of iron containers.
"Weiling Paste! These are all of good quality. Do you two want spirit stones or silver?" the steward asked, his mood lifting considerably. Medicinal supplies like these were in high demand and easy to sell.
"Spirit stones!" Yan Qingyan said with certainty, without a moment's hesitation.
The steward's eyes flickered slightly, as if offering a reminder. "Actually, silver is more convenient in this place."
For mortals who didn't cultivate, there was no need to exchange for spirit stones—especially since these two had even lost their Dantian.
"No, we want spirit stones," Yan Qingyan insisted firmly.
The steward lowered his head, thinking to himself, It seems these two still haven't given up on Cultivation.
"A total of twenty-one low-grade spirit stones," the steward said indifferently.
Everyone has their own aspirations. Let them be.
"Alright."
The two walked out of the Yan Family Trading House. Seeing Ling Mochen's slightly stunned expression, Yan Qingyan asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's just… I thought we'd have to bargain for a while," Ling Mochen replied calmly.
He disliked bargaining—it was a waste of time—but being taken for a fool didn't feel good either.
Just as Ling Mochen was thinking this, he heard Yan Qingyan say:
"I don't like places where you have to bargain. It's a waste of time," Yan Qingyan frowned and shook her head.
We're all from the Yan family. What's the point of haggling? It's just embarrassing.
Ling Mochen lowered his head and chuckled softly. In his past travels, aside from places with fixed prices, he had rarely encountered merchants who didn't require bargaining. Most would adjust their prices based on a person's cultivation level, family background, or sect affiliation—there was always something to consider.
It suddenly occurred to him that the two of them were now people with significant influence in Yujiang Town.
After buying some "ingredients," they quickly returned home.
Yan Qingyan held the bag containing the spirit stones and asked, "Is it alright if I take charge of the spirit stones for now? I have an important use for them."
What important use? Naturally, to upgrade her Space!
"Alright," Ling Mochen had no objections.
He still remembered the surprise Qingyan had mentioned to him and had a vague guess about what it might be.
Back in her room, Yan Qingyan tossed all twenty-one low-grade spirit stones into the Spirit Spring within her Space.
The Space echoed with Yan Qingyan's cheerful singing:
"Hongmeng Grass~ Purple Spirit Grass~, grow quickly~ I can't wait any longer~"
"Cultivation is just around the corner~"