146: Chapter 146 Contract Successful, Old Alchemist Arrives

[You immediately thanked him, put away the items, and left the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.]

[Returning to the inn, you immediately pressed the Jade Slip against your forehead, and after a moment, you mastered this simple contract technique.]

["Xiao Wang, do not resist." You said softly.]

[You walked to Xiao Wang's side, bit your fingertip, and following a special method, forced out a drop of essence blood.]

[Xiao Wang raised its head, sleepy-eyed, sniffed the essence blood, and without hesitation, leaned its large head forward. The essence blood instantly submerged into its brow.]

[Your essence blood smoothly seeped into Xiao Wang's Sea of Consciousness, establishing a thread-like connection with its Soul.]

[The moment the contract was formed, a wave of warm emotion came from the other end of the connection: trust, attachment, and a hint of drowsiness.]

[You couldn't help but curl your lips, gently patting its head: "Alright, go inside and sleep."]

[You took out the Spirit Beast bag, aimed the opening at Xiao Wang, and a wisp of spiritual light swept it inside. Xiao Wang did not resist at all, as if it had crawled into a comfortable nest, and it immediately quieted down after entering.]

[You tied the Spirit Beast bag to your waist, feeling the steady aura coming from the contract connection, and breathed a sigh of relief.]

[Done.]

[Now you could finally take Xiao Wang everywhere.]

[After checking out of the inn, you found an agency in the eastern district of the market.]

[After all, staying in an inn all the time was too extravagant.]

[The agent who received you was a thin-faced middle-aged male cultivator. His eyes were very shrewd, and as soon as he opened his mouth, he spoke with seasoned sales rhetoric.]

["What kind would the young lady like to rent? Those with a Spirit Gathering Array start at fifteen Spirit Stones per month. Those without are cheaper, two to five Spirit Stones, depending on the location."]

["One without a Spirit Gathering Array is fine," you said. "Quiet, with simple neighbors."]

[The agent's eyes rolled: "There is one in the eastern district, three Spirit Stones a month. The location isn't remote, and the nearby residents are all law-abiding Loose Cultivators. It's very quiet. Shall I take you to see it?"]

[You nodded, followed him through many turns, and arrived at a secluded alley.]

[On both sides of the alley were individual small courtyards with blue brick walls. Each household was separated by about a zhang, and there were some unknown Spiritual Plants planted in the courtyards, which were kept quite tidy.]

[The agent stopped in front of one of the wooden doors and pushed it open for you to enter.]

[The courtyard was not large, about four or five zhang square. In the center was a stone house, on the left was a simple stove, and on the right was a wooden rack for drying clothes. The furnishings inside were simple.]

[You scanned the area and nodded with satisfaction: "This is the one."]

[The agent smiled until his eyes curved. While taking out the contract for you to press your spiritual power seal, he chattered: "The young lady has a good eye. The people living in this alley are all worry-free. The house next door is an old alchemist surnamed Zhou, who has a little grandson; he is very kind. The house further down belongs to a pair of brothers surnamed Fang, at the Early Stage of Qi Refining, who usually do odd jobs in the market, leaving early and returning late; they are quiet. At the end of the alley lives a female cultivator, I can't remember her surname, but she is also a loner."]

[You listened while pressing your spiritual power seal, and handed over three Spirit Stones.]

[The agent took the Spirit Stones and happily handed you the keys: "If the young lady needs anything, just come to the agency and find me. My surname is Liu, Liu San."]

["Alright."]

[After the agent left, you closed the courtyard door and released Xiao Wang from the Spirit Beast bag.]

[The white tiger landed, yawned groggily, circled the courtyard, found a sunny corner to lie down, and flicked its tail lazily.]

[Watching its lazy appearance, you shook your head and went into the house to Cultivate.]

[Life settled down just like that.]

[You did not forget your initial plan for coming to Qingyue Market: to join the Zhao family as a Guest Elder and freeload resources.]

[But after going out to inquire, you found that the situation was different from the last simulation.]

[In your previous life, the Zhao family had suffered heavy losses due to the battle with the Luoyun Sect and urgently needed fresh blood, almost accepting everyone. But in this life, the Yao Beast invasion had not yet occurred, and the Zhao family was wealthy and had a deep foundation; they were not short of manpower at all.]

[They only publicly recruit Guest Elders every eight years, and it requires layer upon layer of screening.]

[The next recruitment will not be for another three years.]

[You were not in a hurry.]

[With the more than three hundred Spirit Stones given by Su Mianyue as a base, it did not matter whether you joined the Zhao family or not.]

[Anyway, you were not lacking in Cultivation Technique or resources; what you lacked was only time.]

[And time was exactly what the simulator valued the least.]

[For the next few days, you lived a simple life: occasionally going out to purchase Cultivate materials, or walking around the market to collect information, and Cultivating the "Burning Heaven True Art" behind closed doors at night.]

[The days were peaceful and fulfilling.]

[Until the fifth day.]

["Knock, knock."]

[A soft but slightly restrained knocking sound rang out.]

[You opened your eyes from Cultivating, walked to the courtyard gate, and opened it.]

[Standing outside the door were an old man and a young child.]

[The old man looked to be about eighty or ninety years old, with a thin build, wearing a faded gray cloth robe. His face was kind, and he had a short, graying beard under his chin.]

[Beside him stood a five or six-year-old boy with a round face and big eyes, clutching the old man's hem tightly, looking up at you curiously.]

[Seeing you open the door, the old man's face filled with a smile as he bowed slightly: "Excuse me, this old one's surname is Zhou, called Zhou Qingyu. I live right next door. Today, I have come specifically to visit my new neighbor. I have prepared a small gift, and I hope the young lady will not mind."]

[As he spoke, he held up a palm-sized wooden box with both hands and handed it to you.]

[You took the wooden box and opened it. Inside were six neatly arranged dark yellow spherical Medicinal Pills, emitting a faint, grainy fragrance.]

[Bigu Pill.]

[The most basic auxiliary Medicinal Pill; taking one can sustain you for three days without eating. In the world of Medicinal Pills, it belongs to the most introductory of the introductory. It is not worth many Spirit Stones, but for an "unranked" old alchemist, this was already the most decent thing he could offer.]

["Senior Zhou is too polite." You took the wooden box, your tone gentle, "These Bigu Pills are round and well-formed; one can tell they were crafted with care. How could I mind?"]

[Hearing this, a hint of gratification flashed in Zhou Qingyu's murky old eyes, and he waved his hands repeatedly: "Young lady, you flatter me. It is not worth much money, just a gesture."]

[You stepped aside to clear the doorway: "Senior Zhou, would you like to come in and sit? I just moved here and don't have any good tea, so we will have to make do with clear water."]

[Zhou Qingyu calmly probed your cultivation level and discovered you were only at the second level of Aperture Opening. A flash of undisguised disappointment crossed his murky eyes.]

["Then I will disturb you." Zhou Qingyu took the little boy's hand and walked in.]

[The moment he entered the courtyard, the little boy's gaze was immediately attracted by Xiao Wang lying in the corner. His big eyes instantly lit up, and his mouth opened into a circle, but he still obediently followed his grandfather into the house, though his head kept turning to look at Xiao Wang.]

[You noticed this detail but said nothing.]

[Inside the house, you poured two cups of clear water and sat opposite Zhou Qingyu on a futon.]

[The little boy sat obediently beside his grandfather, his hands on his knees. Except for sneaking glances at Xiao Wang in the courtyard from time to time, he did not make a sound the whole time.]

[During the chat, you learned that Zhou Qingyu was originally a resident alchemist at a small pharmacy in Qingyue Market, refining low-grade items like Bigu Pills and Yangqi Pills, barely making a living.]

[As he spoke, his gaze fell on the little boy beside him, and a complex emotion welled up in his murky eyes.]