36: Chapter 36 Senior Brother's Assistance

Nangong Yi hurriedly said, "Senior Brother Liang, he just arrived and doesn't understand anything. You should pick someone else."

He pulled another person in front of him.

That person looked at Senior Brother Liang Ruoran eagerly.

Xia Shaoxin barely remembered this person's name: Cai Ke.

Inner Sect Disciples could walk wherever they pleased in the Utility Disciple quarters.

Running errands for Inner Sect Disciples was a cushy job for Utility Disciples.

Senior Brother Liang Ruoran couldn't be bothered with them; he took out a piece of paper and handed it to Xia Shaoxin.

"Go to Tengyun Peak Market and buy these supplementary ingredients. I am in a rush for Alchemy, so do not delay."

Xia Shaoxin gratefully accepted it; this was a favor to him.

"Senior Brother Liang, he really isn't up to it. Let me go instead." Nangong Yi suddenly reached out, trying to snatch the prescription list.

Xia Shaoxin was quick-witted and agile; he dodged just in time.

Unexpectedly, Cai Ke moved almost at the same time, snatched the list from behind, and chuckled, "Senior Brother Liang, he doesn't even know where Tengyun Peak is. Let me go for you instead."

"Don't tear my list!" Senior Brother Liang Ruoran scolded with a dark face.

Cai Ke shouted at Xia Shaoxin, "Don't tear the list! What are you doing standing there? Get out of the way!"

He took the opportunity to slap at Xia Shaoxin's face.

Xia Shaoxin dodged to the side, missing the blow, and threw a backhand punch that landed squarely on Cai Ke's shoulder.

"Ah!"

Cai Ke let out a miserable shriek; his arm was already swollen.

Having been at the Chiyan Sect for over half a month, working together every day, these Utility Disciples rarely spoke to him, and whenever they did, it was always with sarcastic remarks.

Therefore, when Xia Shaoxin struck back, he showed no mercy and used his full strength.

"This savage!"

"How dare you hit someone, you're courting death!"

The crowd was incensed.

Xia Shaoxin stepped back a few paces, gripping a broom, and roared, "You've always looked down on me! You've been wanting to fight for a long time, right? Come on then!"

Fearing the situation would escalate, Senior Brother Liang Ruoran flashed into the middle and said coldly, "I asked Xia Shaoxin to buy these medicinal ingredients because he understands this. Have any of you ever worked as a medicinal ingredient clerk?"

Nangong Yi felt something was off.

He was an official Outer Sect Disciple and had spent many years at Xueyan Cliff just to get to know so many Inner Sect Disciples.

This kid had only been here for half a month, yet an Inner Sect Disciple could call him by name. Did this person have special connections?

The crowd didn't dare to speak recklessly.

Senior Brother Liang Ruoran said to Cai Ke, "Give my list to him."

Having taken a punch, Cai Ke was indignant and said gruffly, "Senior Brother Liang, you are an Inner Sect Disciple, which is why I respect you and am willing to run errands for you. Now that you see me beaten by this savage, won't you even say a word of justice for me?"

Senior Brother Liang Ruoran said indifferently, "I originally asked him to run the errand for me. Why were you trying to snatch it?"

Cai Ke threw the prescription list on the ground and roared, "You're just an Inner Sect Disciple as well! What's so great about you? How dare you look down on me like this!"

Senior Brother Liang Ruoran strode forward, grabbed Cai Ke by the shoulder, and tossed him casually. The man flew over a zhang outside the courtyard and hung on a tree a zhang high.

No bones were broken, but he was scared half to death.

"I am also just a mere Lower Stage of Qi Refining, nothing special. I just didn't dare use much force, for fear of crushing an ant like you."

Xia Shaoxin felt that Senior Brother Liang Ruoran had just tossed him lightly, without using much strength.

He thought to himself, even after eating a strength pill, I wouldn't be able to throw a person that far.

A Qi Refiner is truly terrifying.

The Utility Disciples were silent.

Cai Ke, hanging from the tree, also sobered up completely and dared not speak again.

A Utility Disciple behind Nangong Yi hurriedly stepped forward, picked up the prescription list from the ground, and handed it to Xia Shaoxin.

"Go quickly and return quickly, I'll be waiting." After saying this, Senior Brother Liang Ruoran strode away.

Xia Shaoxin didn't say another word and turned to leave.

He felt very grateful. Senior Brother Liang Ruoran knew the situation of the Utility Disciples well and understood that he lacked freedom of movement, so he had created a prescription list and fabricated a task.

The medicines on the list were very common, and the quantities were small; most pharmacies would have them.

Heaven knows if these were actually ingredients for proper Alchemy.

Nangong Yi watched Xia Shaoxin's retreating figure and stomped his feet in anger.

A guy who just paid money to become a Utility Disciple managed to establish a connection with an Inner Sect Disciple—what kind of background does this kid have!

Everyone had tried to curry favor with an Inner Sect Disciple only to be met with a cold shoulder, and they were in a bad mood for the rest of the day while working.

The tasks arranged by the steward for them today were more than usual, making them even more depressed.

...

Xia Shaoxin ran wildly all the way.

Tengyun Peak was over twenty li away; following the paths within the Sect, he had to pass through four mountain peaks.

Each mountain peak had a large number of buildings constructed on it, which were incredibly magnificent.

Asking people along the way, he learned that the Tengyun Peak Market was actually outside the scope of the Chiyan Sect.

The Chiyan Sect did not allow Mortals to live in the surrounding area, so they had designated a plot of land outside Tengyun Peak and specially permitted merchants from all over to come here to trade.

Arriving at the market, he realized it was actually just a small town, guarded by Inner Sect Disciples. Anyone could enter, and there were no inspections.

This place was mainly for outside medicinal merchants to trade with Chiyan Sect Disciples.

Xia Shaoxin wandered around the market and easily bought the medicinal ingredients Senior Brother Liang Ruoran needed.

He also sold two qi and blood pills, with the goal of figuring out the price.

"Being an Alchemist is truly an easy profession to make money in." Xia Shaoxin thought to himself.

However, some of the medicinal ingredients he needed were not common.

A medicinal merchant told him that for common medicinal ingredients, he would have to go to a small town more than ten li away.

It turned out that the Tengyun Peak Market traded during the day and cleared the area at night, with no loitering allowed.

Therefore, a small town had formed more than ten li outside the Tengyun Peak Market, specifically for people coming to trade to rest.

He set off immediately, rushing toward the nameless small town more than ten li away.

It did not disappoint him; he bought all the medicinal ingredients he needed.

Only five types of Poisonous Insect remained.

After leaving Li Family Hollow, he had inquired about the price of Poisonous Insect along the way, only to learn that they were not circulated among the common people, and no one knew their price.

At the Tengyun Peak Market, he finally heard that Poisonous Insect were actually traded using Spirit Stone as the unit.

The merchants in the market had very few Spirit Stone, and when he wanted to take a look, no one would show him.

"Once I successfully practice Qi, I will be able to walk freely in the Chiyan Sect like Senior Brother Liang Ruoran and Senior Brother Shao Junwei, and go to Baotong Tower to sell powder made from Poisonous Insect to earn some Spirit Stone."

Senior Brother Shao Junwei's Magical Artifact had left a deep impression on him; he had to buy some Magical Artifact for self-defense.

He hadn't practiced Qi yet, so he could only make medicinal pills, which the Sect Disciples looked down upon and couldn't be sold for Spirit Stone.

When he was short of silver, just selling two qi and blood pills was enough.

He felt very emotional. He used to think ten taels of silver was a huge sum of money, but here, silver was no different from iron blocks; Sect Disciples only wanted Spirit Stone.

He had run dozens of li, bought many things, and gone into the wild to catch common Poisonous Insect; he was hungry and tired.

He ate something in the small town, went to an inn to open a room, closed the door, and started tinkering with the "Five Poisons Spirit Gathering Pill".

The sky was darkening, but he didn't care.

By the time all the medicinal powder was finished, totaling thirteen portions, it was already the second half of the night.

He slept hastily for less than two hours and then rushed back excitedly.

Returning to Xueyan Cliff, he saw Nangong Yi and the others carrying water buckets, walking quickly toward the Spirit Fields.

Everyone glared at Xia Shaoxin, not daring to make a sound.

Xia Shaoxin was carrying a sack on his back, filled with the medicinal ingredients the Inner Sect Disciple wanted.

Naturally, doing private work for an Inner Sect Disciple was more important.

Ahead was a turn, and the mountain path was narrow. Xia Shaoxin shouted loudly, "Senior Brother Liang Ruoran is in a rush for Alchemy, everyone please make way."

Nangong Yi said in a low voice, "Don't you go borrowing the tiger's might!"

Xia Shaoxin said indifferently, "So, are you going to move or not?"

Nangong Yi sighed, stepped aside, and Xia Shaoxin walked past him.

He brushed shoulders with Cai Ke, whom he had fought the day before.

His eyes were full of the rage of a volcano about to erupt.