Chapter 49 Yun Qian's Efforts

Sunlight shone down, illuminating not only the battles in the Cang Plains but also every street in Chu Prefecture City.

"Qianqian, that licorice-flavored Inedia Pill you gave me last time, my little Tiger loves it so much! Feeding him Inedia Pills used to be like going to war, but now he actually asks me for them himself!" the neighbor auntie said, holding Yun Qian's hand with a face full of smiles.

"That's right, that's right," another familiar woman nearby leaned in. "My husband also says that the meat-sauce-flavored Inedia Pill you concocted tastes delicious and is much better than gnawing on dry rations! It's convenient to carry when going out of the city to gather herbs, and it keeps him from getting hungry!"

"The milk-flavored one is fragrant too, my daughter loves it!"

Listening to the chatter of praise, a rare blush appeared on Yun Qian's pale little face.

So, the little things she had made—by experimenting with mixing and reshaping Inedia Pills with various spices, fruit juices, and even boiled meat broth concentrates to improve their taste—were actually liked by everyone?

After class, she immediately grabbed Shen Qi and led her away from the crowd to beneath the old locust tree in the school's backyard. Lowering her voice, she spoke with a hint of excitement and nervousness: "Sister Qi, did you hear? Everyone says… they like those strangely flavored Inedia Pills I made!"

Seeing the long-lost brightness in her eyes, Shen Qi felt happy and nodded vigorously: "Mm! I heard it! You are truly amazing, Qianqian! Even I find those flavors novel and delicious."

"Then… then do you think," Yun Qian's eyes brightened even more, as if hiding shattered stars, "we… we could make a bit more and take them to the market to sell? Brother… Brother needs many, many Spirit Stones…"

Shen Qi's heart skipped a beat. Earn money? Share the burden for Brother Yun? This thought instantly ignited her.

"Okay!" she agreed without hesitation, her eyes also burning with fighting spirit. "Let's try it! Qianqian, you are so smart, and everyone likes the things you make, so it will definitely work!"

Action followed thought. Yun Qian temporarily cast her headaches and dizziness to the back of her mind, as if her whole being had been injected with new vitality. She pulled Shen Qi aside to carefully plan: what Materials were needed, the estimated cost, and how to price them.

Upon learning of the two young girls' idea, Yang Peilan gave her full support. Having been outside for many years, she had extensive connections and soon entrusted someone to resolve the issue of renting a small stall in the West Market—the location was not the best, but it had the advantage of being clean and secure.

In the following days, Yun Qian's small courtyard seemed to turn into a workshop filled with exotic aromas.

All kinds of dried preserved fruits, crushed spices, thick meat sauce, and basic herbal powders commonly used in the State Religion's pill room piled up on the table.

She and Shen Qi buried themselves in hard work, their slender fingers nimbly kneading, shaping, and drying.

The mellow fragrance of milk, the freshness of apples, the lingering sweetness of licorice, the tangy zest of lemon, the savory richness of meat sauce… they even later tried spicy and five-spice savory flavors. One by one, the round, petite, and enticingly aromatic specialty Inedia Pills were neatly packed into clean porcelain bottles.

The day of their first stall opening was sunny. The West Market was bustling with noise, with various hawking and bargaining voices weaving into a lively ocean of sound.

Their stall was not large, just covered with a faded blue cloth, on which several rows of porcelain bottles with different flavor labels were neatly arranged.

Looking at the endless stream of diverse people before her, Shen Qi's palms sweated slightly, and her cheeks flushed with nervous red. Mimicking the nearby vendors, she softly called out: "Selling… selling Inedia Pills…" Her voice, however, was as thin as a mosquito's buzz and was quickly drowned out by the noise.

In contrast, having wandered outside since childhood and seen all walks of life, Yun Qian displayed astonishing calmness and sophistication at this moment.

She took a deep breath, cleared her throat, and her voice rang out crisp and loud, carrying a perfectly pitched enthusiasm that instantly pierced through the surrounding clamor:

"Passersby, esteemed Cultivator lords, young misses, and madams, come take a look! Specialty Inedia Pills improved under the guidance of a State Religion alchemist! Novel and diverse flavors, say goodbye to things that are hard to swallow! A must-have for Cultivating in seclusion or traveling far!"

This novel hawking indeed attracted quite a few gazes.

Soon, a wealthy Young Miss, dressed in gorgeous clothing and surrounded by maidservants, was drawn over.

She curiously examined the colorful porcelain bottles on the stall, pointing with a slender jade finger: "What is this? It smells quite fragrant; it's not an ordinary Inedia Pill, is it?" Her voice was delicate and soft, carrying the languor of one raised in luxury.

The opportunity had come!

Yun Qian's heart stirred, and a sweet, slightly clever smile immediately bloomed on her face as she introduced clearly: "Young Miss, you have a sharp eye! These are indeed specially concocted Inedia Pills! Many Cultivators have reported that previous Inedia Pills were bland or even tasted bad, so I specifically sought guidance from Alchemist Jiang of the State Religion's Pill Hall to make some minor improvements. Look,"

She picked up a few bottles. "This is milk-flavored, rich and mellow; this is apple-flavored, fresh and sweet; this is licorice-flavored, with a lingering sweetness; this is lemon-flavored, tangy and refreshing… and there are many other flavors!" She specifically pushed the sweet fruit-flavored bottles forward, keenly sensing that this Young Miss might prefer sweets.

"Oh? Guided by Alchemist Jiang of the State Religion?" The wealthy Young Miss was indeed attracted by the "State Religion" title, and her interest deepened. "Is the taste really that good? Can I have a taste?"

"Of course you can!" Yun Qian was well prepared and immediately took out several small pieces of different-flavored Inedia Pills that she had cut with a small knife, placing them on clean oil paper.

The wealthy Young Miss elegantly picked up a small piece of the milk-flavored one and put it into her mouth. The rich milky fragrance instantly melted on her tongue, the texture delicate and smooth, completely devoid of the astringent herbal taste and powdery feeling of ordinary Inedia Pills.

She also tasted the apple-flavored one; the fresh, sweet fruity aroma was delightful.

Her eyes lit up, and a pleasantly surprised smile appeared on her face: "Mm! It really is delicious! It's so much better than those hard-to-swallow ones at home!" She was clearly a straightforward person; with a wave of her small hand, she pointed at the various porcelain bottles laid out on the stall: "Give me one bottle of each of these flavors!"

"One bottle contains 10 pills, and the price is 150 Spirit Stones." When Yun Qian announced this price—which she had deliberated over for a long time and which was significantly higher than ordinary Inedia Pills—her heart hung slightly, and she quietly clenched her fingers inside her sleeves.

"150 Spirit Stones?" The maidservant behind the wealthy Young Miss seemed to think it was a bit expensive and gently tugged at her mistress's sleeve.

The wealthy Young Miss, however, didn't care at all. Instead, she felt that the price was worthy of the novel deliciousness and the "State Religion improved" title. She said to the maidservant with a joyful smile: "This taste is worth the price! One bottle of each, hurry, pay!" She bought ten bottles of different flavors in one go.

When a full 1,500 sparkling Spirit Stones fell into the heavy money bag in Yun Qian's hand, she and Shen Qi were both stunned. They looked at each other and saw unbelievable, wild joy in each other's eyes!