45: Buy pills

The first day in Jizhou City passed in a flash.

When Xiao Zhuo finished his comprehension, the eastern sky had just turned a crab-shell green.

Pushing open the carved wooden door, the courtyard was enveloped in the dark blue of pre-dawn, with only the rustling sound of rice being washed coming from the direction of the kitchen.

"Has it been a full day of Cultivation?" Xiao Zhuo realized, having been so immersed in Cultivation that he had forgotten the passage of time.

He strolled to the moon gate beside the wing room, and a white jade pavilion came into view. The camellias beside the winding stone path were in full bloom, their rouge-colored petals adorned with night dew, shaking down a few wisps of subtle fragrance in the morning breeze.

Sniffing the faint floral scent, Xiao Zhuo walked leisurely towards the stone pavilion.

Leaning against the cool green jade railing, he felt the uneven texture of the stone patterns on the back of his neck.

His limbs and bones, which had been tense for a day, finally relaxed.

As his mind eased, he felt his Dantian Qi Sea unfreeze like a spring creek, and his True Essence circulated three times faster than usual.

"Breaking through with the panel requires high-energy items to replenish the loss of life Origin. Food supplements can no longer keep up... What about Medicinal Pills?" Xiao Zhuo's thoughts raced.

He knew that various precious medicines and Medicinal Pills existed in this world, including those that replenished Qi and blood and solidified one's Foundation.

Perhaps these could also quickly make up for his losses?

As his thoughts churned, Xiao Zhuo, leaning against the railing, fell into a deep sleep.

He didn't wake until the sky was completely bright and the clamor of market sounds filled his ears.

He glanced at the angle of the sun, estimating it was almost Chen Shi (7-9 AM).

Under the guidance of his Divine Sense, Xiao Zhuo easily walked out of this massive royal palace.

Prince Kang's Manor dominated the center of Jizhou City, surrounded by the residences of the city's powerful and wealthy, and long-established businesses.

Stepping out of the main gate of the manor, the black iron masks of the Demon Suppression Guard at the entrance reflected the morning sun, their halberd-wielding figures standing motionless.

The Demon Suppression Guard who led the way had already announced his temporary residence status.

The long street outside the manor was like a boiling cauldron just opened!

The sweet aroma of sugar painting mixed with the rich scent of noodle soup wafted over, and the shouts of the silk shop assistants intertwined with the clanging of the blacksmiths.

Xiao Zhuo walked leisurely along the main street.

Shops lined both sides, and luxurious carriages carrying noblemen occasionally passed by.

Turning three street corners, the gilded plaque of "Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion" entered his sight.

Stepping into the shop, Agarwood medicine cabinet stood in rows, and in the glazed lamp in the center of the hall, precious medicines glowed with a warm, gentle light.

Xiao Zhuo swept his Divine Sense, and the descriptions of the Medicinal Pills in the shop were all revealed to him.

A Medicinal Pill called "qi and blood pill" caught his attention.

Just as a humble-looking young attendant in coarse linen clothes passed by, Xiao Zhuo waved him over: "Young man, what is the price of your qi and blood pill?"

The attendant, seeing the question, did not hesitate: "What Grade of qi and blood pill does the customer want?"

"qi and blood pills also have Grades?" Xiao Zhuo was slightly surprised.

"qi and blood pill is a general term for a category of Medicinal Pills, so naturally, they are divided by Grade," the attendant explained patiently, seeing that Xiao Zhuo's knowledge was limited.

Xiao Zhuo suddenly understood and pressed on: "Then what is the highest Grade of qi and blood pill in your shop? And what is its price?"

Only then did the attendant carefully size up Xiao Zhuo. Seeing his handsome appearance and extraordinary demeanor, not looking like he was causing trouble, he said: "The highest Grade of qi and blood pill currently in stock is Grade Six. If the customer is willing to wait, Grade Seven can also be arranged. Grade Six costs thirteen thousand jinchen (gold essence/currency) per pill, while Grade Seven requires one hundred thousand per pill."

Xiao Zhuo's lips curved slightly, his interest piqued: "Then let's take a look at the Grade Six qi and blood pill. Please lead the way, young man."

Hearing this, the attendant's face showed even more genuine joy: "Customer, please follow me to the second floor. This floor is all Grade Three and below. Grade Six precious items require going up to the elegant rooms on the second floor."

Xiao Zhuo nodded.

He followed the attendant to a medicine shelf on the second floor.

The attendant took down a jade bottle: "Customer, please see, this is a Grade Six qi and blood pill refined from Nightmare-rank Demon flesh and blood, supplemented with thirty-six precious medicines."

Xiao Zhuo took the jade bottle and probed it with his Divine Sense.

The three Medicinal Pills in the bottle, each contained life energy comparable to a hundred catties of Calamity-rank Demon flesh and blood!

Just using Nightmare-rank Demon flesh as the main ingredient, supplemented by other medicinal ingredients, produced such potency. This qi and blood pill was indeed extraordinary!

Xiao Zhuo went downstairs to pay without hesitation.

Although he had gold notes, his storage ring was piled high with jinchen (gold essence/currency).

With a wave of his hand, a box of glittering gold coins appeared on the ground.

With a slight movement of his Divine Thought, thirty-nine thousand jinchen (gold essence/currency) piled up like a small mountain, casting a golden glow throughout the shop.

The attendant looked a bit stunned.

It was truly rare to see customers carrying such a large amount of jinchen (gold essence/currency) these days, especially when buying High Grade Medicinal Pills, where gold notes were usually used.

Xiao Zhuo, however, paid no mind to this. After the attendant finished counting, he turned and left Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion, continuing to stroll through the market.

Not far away, he saw another imposing weapon shop.

The shop displayed many weapons forged from demon-breaking blood steel.

Xiao Zhuo remembered that the Wu Family of Qingyang dealt in blood pattern steel, and he had never tried the power of this demon-breaking blood steel, so he immediately became interested.

Stepping into the weapon shop, cold light gleamed everywhere.

Various weapons were displayed, many of which were of far superior quality than the meteorite saber in his hand.

"The Foundation of Jizhou City is indeed extraordinary," Xiao Zhuo sighed inwardly, feeling that it was time to replace his weapon.

Behind the counter, a young girl in a pink dress smiled beautifully: "Young Master, what weapon are you looking for? Our Li's Weapon Workshop has been a three-hundred-year-old brand in Jizhou City, and our quality is absolutely top-notch!"

"Oh? I wonder if your esteemed shop has any heavier sabers?" Xiao Zhuo walked to the counter and asked with a smile.

"Young Master uses a saber? What a coincidence! Li's is most famous for its sabers!" The girl's smile grew wider as she led him to a wall covered with long sabers, "I wonder what your budget is, Young Master? That way I can recommend a suitable precious saber for you."

The girl's tone was sincere, but a hint of a merchant's shrewdness flashed in her eyes.

Having been around for many years, how could Xiao Zhuo not understand her meaning? He smiled faintly: "Young lady, just pick a few suitable good sabers. If I like them, the price is negotiable."

The girl knew her thoughts had been seen through, but she wasn't embarrassed. She took three long sabers from the wall.

"These three are all High Grade! The Starfall Saber, three thousand catties, forged from a hundred refinements of star essence gold. The dragon blood saber, weighing sixteen thousand catties, crafted from a thousand refinements of Dragon blood gold, incredibly sharp and indestructible. And the Demon Slaying Saber, weighing ten thousand catties, based on blood pattern steel mother, and even inlaid with Heavenly Gang Divine Thunder crystals!" The girl rattled off their details like a treasure trove.

Xiao Zhuo's gaze swept over the three precious sabers, each far superior to his old meteorite saber.

His old saber could barely withstand his True Essence now, so a replacement was imperative.

His gaze finally settled on the last saber, the blood pattern steel mother long saber, and he reached out to pick it up.

The long saber, with its sheath, felt extremely light in his hand; the sheath was clearly engraved with a special Formation to offset its weight.

"Clang--"

The long saber was unsheathed, and ten thousand catties of pressure instantly surged! Xiao Zhuo merely lowered his right hand slightly and held it steadily.

The girl was about to remind him, but seeing this, she gasped, her small mouth slightly agape: "Young Master has such Divine Power! This Demon Slaying Saber weighs over ten thousand catties after being unsheathed, even an ordinary True Essence Realm cultivator would find it difficult to wield freely!"

Xiao Zhuo smiled without speaking and then tried the other two.

The Starfall Saber felt most similar to his old saber, with a moderate weight; the dragon blood saber was the heaviest, yet it felt exceptionally comfortable in his hand; the Demon Slaying Saber was somewhere in between the two.

Now that he possessed the innate Divine Ability "Divine Thunder," the demon-breaking and lightning attributes of the Demon Slaying Saber held less appeal. Instead, the "indestructible" quality of the dragon blood saber was more to his liking.

"What is the price of this dragon blood saber?" Xiao Zhuo asked.

The girl's slender finger lightly traced the blood groove on the saber's back, a flicker of light in her eyes: "This saber was forged by our Li's chief Artifact Refining Great Master, Li Ming, and can be considered our shop's treasure. Since it is fated with Young Master... eighty thousand jinchen (gold essence/currency), how does that sound?"

Xiao Zhuo's movement towards his storage ring paused, his expression slightly solemn.

The remaining jinchen (gold essence/currency) in his ring, even with careful counting, was only a little over a million. Adding his gold notes, it was no more than about one million two hundred thousand.

This one saber alone would empty most of his savings!

Xiao Zhuo suddenly felt a pang of financial embarrassment.