3: Sect War

"How much do you pay for Pi Gu Pills?"

The young female cultivator from the Li family didn't even hesitate, buying all the Pi Gu Pills he had on him for two Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

This action made him suspect that perhaps he had sold them too cheaply.

Just as he arrived at a shop that dealt in Medicinal Pills and herbs, he casually asked.

"Pi Gu Pills, sixteen taels of gold each."

"Fellow Daoist, how many Pi Gu Pills do you have?"

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up, asking with a smile.

"None for now."

"I want forty portions of herbs for refining Pi Gu Pills. Can you give me a discount?"

Zhang Qingxiao felt a pang of regret. He had indeed sold them too cheaply. Next time he came out, he needed to check the market rates first.

"The herbs for refining Pi Gu Pills are three taels of gold per portion now. No discount."

"If Fellow Daoist uses Spirit Stones for the transaction, I can give you four extra portions for forty."

Forty portions of Pi Gu Pill herbs were no small amount, enough to make a tidy profit. The shopkeeper's smile widened.

"Shopkeeper, wasn't it two taels of gold per portion of herbs before?"

"Don't try to fool me."

Zhang Qingxiao had come to the market to buy Pi Gu Pill herbs several times and was quite familiar with the prices.

"Fellow Daoist, you haven't come to buy herbs for a few days, have you? That was the price a few days ago. In the last couple of days, all the pill shops have raised their prices. We can't even source them for two taels of gold anymore."

"We can't sell them to you at a loss, can we?"

The shopkeeper was adamant about the price.

"Then I'll go check other shops first. Sorry to trouble you, shopkeeper."

Zhang Qingxiao turned and walked out. The pill shopkeeper didn't try to lower the price to keep him.

After checking three or four shops, the prices were basically above three taels of gold.

Finally, at another pill shop, he bought thirty-three portions of Pi Gu Pill herbs for two Low-Grade Spirit Stones and thirty taels of gold.

From inquiring at several shops, he also learned the selling price of Pi Gu Pills at these shops. Even the poorest quality ones now sold for twenty taels each.

Setting up his own stall, the worst quality ones went for eighteen taels each. Pi Gu Pills of average quality like the ones he sold were worth at least twenty taels of gold.

Knowing this fact made his heart ache for a while.

The six Pi Gu Pills he sold in the morning meant a loss of over twenty taels of gold. Rounded off, that was a month's 'rent'.

Besides the price of Pi Gu Pills, he also found out the reason for the sudden price hike.

It was said that the Chang Sheng Sect might go to war with another nearby Sect, the Guiyuan Sect.

Upon hearing this news, Zhang Qingxiao began to feel uneasy as well.

If the two Sects went to war, it would inevitably affect Utility Disciples like them.

First, supplies would become scarce, and prices would surely continue to rise.

Second, the area at the foot of the mountain where the Utility Disciples lived would become even more chaotic.

If the Chang Sheng Sect won, prices and the chaos would quickly return to normal.

If they lost, the territory would belong to the Guiyuan Sect.

Then, they would have to follow the rules of the Guiyuan Sect.

He didn't know how the Guiyuan Sect would treat Utility Disciples like them.

It truly was a case of 'when it rains, it pours'.

"It seems I need to prepare some supplies and means of self-defense as soon as possible."

Zhang Qingxiao walked home carrying the herbs, filled with worry.

Just as he reached his doorstep and was about to open the courtyard gate, his neighbor's door suddenly opened.

A middle-aged male cultivator who looked to be in his forties came out carrying a basin of pitch-black dirty water. He skillfully splashed it by the roadside, and instantly, a foul stench filled the air.

Seeing Zhang Qingxiao about to open his door, he asked with a smile, "Daoist Zhang, buying herbs again?"

"It's been about three months now. Have you managed to refine any Pi Gu Pills?"

"Seeing you haven't refined any Pi Gu Pills in such a long time, I reckon you don't have much talent for it. Better not waste your money."

"Come help me out, learn to make talisman skins. It's more than enough to make ends meet."

<img alt="" img-height="1024" img-width="dia-idx="1" src="http://p3-reading-sign.fqnovelpic.com/novel-pic-rdac05e590ef277fbb~tplv-noop.png?lk3s=8dxpires=1844275ature=PyyokrI8HJyTTvNszgwa7F%2F8GGU%3D"/>

The neighbor's name was Zhou Quan, at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining. He mainly made a living crafting talisman skins.

His wife was killed many years ago while out, leaving only him and his twenty-year-old daughter.

He was a decent person, just a bit of a chatterbox, somewhat of a 'local celebrity' in the area.

"Hehe..."

"Thank you for your kindness, Daoist Zhou. Making talisman skins won't be necessary. I have matters to attend to, so I'll head back first."

Zhang Qingxiao didn't want to engage with this chatterbox. He gave a perfunctory reply and prepared to go home.

Earning back a year's 'rent' as soon as possible was the real priority.

"Daoist Zhang, if you haven't refined any Pi Gu Pills, just admit it. We're neighbors, no need to hide it."

"It'd be much better to come help me make talisman skins. It's a bit hard work, but at least you won't go hungry."

"If you keep going like this, you'll run through your family's resources sooner or later."

Zhou Quan simply didn't believe Zhang Qingxiao could refine Pi Gu Pills.

"Dad, your injury just healed. How can you forget the pain once the wound is gone..."

"Brother Zhang has a good temper and doesn't bother with you. If you met someone with a bad temper, they'd beat you up again."

Zhou Quan's daughter, Zhou Yun, hurried out of the courtyard and pulled her unreliable father back inside.

"Daughter, how dare you talk to your father like that..."

"I got beaten up all because of you, this disappointing child..."

Listening to the father and daughter's conversation next door, Zhang Qingxiao shook his head and showed a helpless smile.

He closed the courtyard gate, put all the herbs in the room dedicated to Alchemy, then quickly made a simple meal, ate it, and started refining Pi Gu Pills again.

For several days in a row, Zhang Qingxiao was practically in a state of forgetting to eat and sleep. The thirty-three portions of herbs were once again completely used up.

His success rate also improved considerably as his proficiency continued to increase.

From thirty-three portions of herbs, he successfully refined seventeen Pi Gu Pills.

There was only one day left before the deadline agreed upon with the Utility Hall steward.

Zhang Qingxiao didn't dare delay any longer. After using up all the herbs, he immediately took his longsword, carefully stored the Pi Gu Pills, shouldered his carrying basket, and appeared in the market again.

Today, there were noticeably many more people in the market, making it quite lively.

After inquiring about prices, just as he expected, the price of Pi Gu Pills had risen again. Even the poorest quality ones reached twenty-two taels of gold.

He set his stall price at twenty-four taels of gold. In just half an hour, all seventeen Pi Gu Pills were sold.

Noticing a few people with ill intentions had been eyeing his stall, he didn't dare linger after selling the pills.

He immediately shouldered his basket, nervously gripping the Magical Artifact longsword in his hand, and quickly left the market.

Only after making sure no one was following him did he slip into a pill shop.

He bought twenty portions of Pi Gu Pill herbs at a price of three taels and five maces per portion.

Then he went to a crowded area, wandered around a few times, took a detour, and finally strode towards home.

Wealth stirs men's hearts.

The seventeen Pi Gu Pills Zhang Qingxiao refined sold for a total of four hundred and eight taels of gold. After deducting the cost of the herbs, he still had enough to exchange for ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

For poor Utility Disciples like them, this was already a considerable income.

He didn't want to attract unwanted attention.

Losing money was one thing; what he feared most was losing both his life and his money.

His left hand gripping the scabbard of the Magical Artifact longsword, his right hand on the hilt, he returned to his doorstep with extreme caution.

He looked around, confirmed no one was following, opened the courtyard gate, and went inside.

He closed the gate, peered through the crack for a while, and finally felt relieved.

Then he returned to the Pill Refining Room and put down the herbs.

"This world is too dangerous."

Zhang Qingxiao secretly decided it would be best to go out as little as possible in the future.

Remembering those fierce-looking cultivators in the market sent a chill down his spine.

...