Chapter 25: Junior Sister Chen, I Only Wanted to Help You in Silence!

With Lin Miaoxuan and Chen Qianru’s tenfold cashback, Cao Xuan had achieved freedom in alchemy. Unlike ordinary alchemists, every pill he refined was of the highest quality. Moreover, refining one pill was equivalent to ten, and one furnace equaled ten furnaces. By the second month of their partnership, Bai Qu, the steward of the Spirit Herb Pavilion, was utterly astonished. The pills that Cao Xuan supplied were of such exceptional quality that each and every one was a rare treasure.

This time, Cao Xuan did not claim the pills as his own handiwork, but rather said they were refined by an elder in his family, insisting Bai Qu keep it secret, or their collaboration would end. Bai Qu was nothing if not shrewd, a man worthy of serving as steward under the Greencloud Sect in Yun Prefecture, at the Spirit Herb Pavilion branch in Greenslope Market. He understood the ways of merchants well: as long as there was profit, he cared nothing for the pills' origin.

Previously, acquiring a Gathering Qi Pill at four spirit stones, or a Condensing Qi Powder at eight, was considered high-priced, meant to curry favor with a “high-quality” alchemist. Yet, when Cao Xuan produced a pill of unmatched excellence, Bai Qu realized he was not losing out but profiting greatly.

Thanks to Cao Xuan’s supreme pills, the rare spectacle of an auction appeared in Greenslope Market. Bai Qu even set up a special counter to sell “Central Province” top-tier pills, limiting sales to ten pills daily, starting at ten spirit stones apiece, highest bidder wins. At first, people scoffed, but when someone actually bought one and used it, they were stunned.

“Good heavens, is this a supreme Gathering Qi Pill?”
“The efficiency is double that of an ordinary pill! I have a seventh-grade spiritual root, but my cultivation speed now rivals someone with a ninth-grade root. I feel as though I’m on the verge of Foundation Establishment!”
Soon after, rumors spread: “These supreme Gathering Qi Pills don’t generate resistance. No matter how many you take, their effect never diminishes!”

Indeed, thanks to his affinity with plants and mastery of the “True Path of Alchemy,” Cao Xuan’s pills were so refined that every trace of residue was eliminated, leaving not a hint behind. Even with the high-quality pills crafted by Senior Sister Ye Caixuan, Cao Xuan noticed the effects gradually waned. The decline was slight, but resistance still developed.

His rapid advancement to the fifth layer of Qi Refinement within just two months owed much to the supreme pills he himself crafted. Not only did his own cultivation accelerate, even Bai Qu’s progress soared, earning him the title of Chief Steward. Cao Xuan now had enough spare wealth to purchase a storage pouch.

...

At this moment, Chen Qianru regarded Cao Xuan’s carefully concealed expression and continued, “If it were only ordinary pills, I wouldn’t mind. But if I’m not mistaken, these are the supreme pills crafted by that mysterious ‘Central Province’ alchemist from the Spirit Herb Pavilion, aren’t they?”

Earlier, she had accepted Cao Xuan’s pills with a hint of calculation, thinking it was only natural for him to curry favor with a future alchemist like herself. She planned to repay him once she became an alchemist herself.

But when she inadvertently learned of the new auction mechanism for supreme pills at the Spirit Herb Pavilion and compared them, she was astonished to find that all the pills Cao Xuan gave her were far superior to anything on the market. This realization left her restless. No wonder she felt the effects were so potent—she had thought Cao Xuan had added something extra, but now understood it was simply because the pills were supreme.

“Brother Cao, tell me honestly—are you trying to court me?”

As she spoke, Chen Qianru herself blushed. Aside from that explanation, she could not fathom why Cao Xuan kept finding ways to gift her pills.

Seeing the system’s favorability value had reached eighty-nine without any sign of dropping, Cao Xuan’s previously anxious heart suddenly steadied. He had noticed over time that favorability was not fixed—neglect, or careless words, could cause it to decrease by two or three points. In truth, only someone like Lin Miaoxuan, whose favorability exceeded ninety, would have it locked in place, not easily shaken.

Thus, Cao Xuan learned to judge when to press forward and when to retreat based on favorability. He did not hesitate now, saying directly, “Since you’ve discovered it, there’s nothing to hide.”

“As the old saying goes, ‘A gentle beauty is a worthy match for a gentleman!’”

“Junior Sister Chen, not only are you as captivating as a lotus rising from clear water, but your unwavering determination in pursuing alchemy has deeply attracted me.”

“I don’t seek your approval—only to offer modest help on your path to alchemy.”

Chen Qianru’s cheeks reddened at Cao Xuan’s words, and she stammered, “But… but what about Miaoxuan?”

“Uh…” Cao Xuan, engrossed in his eloquence, had forgotten this matter. Unfortunately, he had yet to find another female cultivator in the Greencloud Sect with a higher cashback multiplier; he was unwilling to give up either of them.

His expression darkened as he replied, “Junior Sister Chen, liking you is my own affair—why should I care about others’ opinions?”

“Do you feel inferior to Sister Lin? Why must you compare yourself to her?”

“And besides, as I said, I’m merely supporting you in your journey to become an alchemist. I don’t require you to accept me.”

With those words, Cao Xuan turned and flew away.

Chen Qianru reached out, “Brother Cao, that’s not what I meant…”

But Cao Xuan was already gone, executing the “Heavenly Gang Wandering Step” as he departed.

Watching him vanish into the distance, Chen Qianru felt a tug at her heart. Yes, her senior brother gave her pills, and yet she questioned his motives. She knew her own appearance well; even among the prospective outer disciples, many brothers had shown interest, openly or otherwise. When she entered the outer sect, even more senior brothers vied for her favor.

Yet none had acted as Cao Xuan had.

Those who coveted her beauty but dared not show it, still pretended to be gentlemen—in truth, hypocrites—were incomparable to Cao Xuan.

Comparing them, Chen Qianru suddenly felt that Cao Xuan’s boldness far surpassed the rest.

Previously, she had regarded Cao Xuan as a potential candidate only because he was Lin Miaoxuan’s boyfriend, and so, by extension, seemed desirable. She still believed that, once she entered the outer sect, she would find brothers stronger than Cao Xuan among the many outer and inner disciples.

But when Brother Cao summoned her with a spirit message and gave her ten bottles of Condensing Qi Powder, she was utterly captivated.

Brother Cao was not only erudite and witty, but most importantly, he was willing to give.

Over this period, the supreme pills he gifted must have amounted to hundreds or even thousands of spirit stones. Not even inner disciples or personal disciples would lavish such wealth on an outer disciple like her.

[Ding~ Chen Qianru’s emotions fluctuate; favorability breakthrough]
[Ding~ Chen Qianru’s favorability reaches ninety]
[As a system-bound devotee, you have received a lottery opportunity. Would you like to draw now?]