Chapter 221 “Refinement, Ability Dan Pills”
After finishing her dinner, Ling Yue returned to her room and immediately entered the Red Mist Sky where she intends to train herself heavily.
Now that she had unintentionally absorbed one-tenth of Manager Chou’s spirit force and broke through to the fifth cauldron in one go, the volume of her spirit force was like a pool after a heavy storm.
An abrupt growth definitely has its perks, but there’s also issues that comes with it.
First order of business, she needs to digest the extra power coursing through her veins, only like that can she control it properly. A stronger spirit force means better control, and better control means better results in alchemy.
“It’s time I made some fifth grade or higher Dan pills. Only with those will I be able to buy a better martial technique from the Treasure Cave.”
Although Feng Sheng’s willing to help her, Ling Yue’s strong pride wouldn’t allow that to happen. If she’s going into the earth grade auction, then she’s going to do it through her own powers and none will say otherwise.
Ten Dan pills of the fifth grade quality for admission fee, and whatever amount that’s needed to exchange for the martial skill she wants. In total that would mean she will need to refine more than ten pills of the sixth grade as currency.
Fortunately there are several recipes in the Red Mist Codex that fits the bill. Due to her weak cultivation back then, Ling Yue never gave the recipes a try. But now it’s different, right? Think again!
One skim through and she was thoroughly disappointed.
Sixth grade Dan pills are already considered a high-class product in Da Xia. Even for the palace, there weren’t many in storage either. It can’t be helped. Aside from the difficulty incurred by the alchemist involved, there’s also the matter of acquiring the very rare or precious ingredients needed in the creation process.
Take these recipes in the Red Mist Codex for example. All of them required several, or in some cases, over a dozen precious herbs to complete. If Ling Yue were to collect the necessary herbs, it’s a certainty that she will need over sixth months to complete. By then Hong Feng and that Lady Yao would’ve completed whatever shady plan they had in store, making the ordeal pointless.
“This is?” In the moment when she’s ready to give up and turn the pages for the fifth grade pills, Ling Yue suddenly took notice to two strange recipes in a very inconspicuous position on the page.
“Stealth pill, and Flying pill?” She can see these Dan pills are graded as fifth and sixth in that order.
Different from the general pills out there that can help a victim recover or increase their physical fitness, these two are a type of pill meant to give its users a newfound ability like stealth and flight for a short duration. They are known as Ability Dan pills.
But that’s not enough to warrant the extra attention from Ling Yue, it’s the fact that the ingredients required are common goods found anywhere in these lands. Heck, she can even find the ingredients right here in her Red Mist Sky.
Awesome!
Flashing the light of “greed” in her eyes, Ling Yue can already see the door leading to earth grade auction opening up for her.
Not waiting, she immediately gathered the ingredients from the nearby garden for refinement.
A night later, two densely packed bottles were now in existence.
“As expected, making some fifth and sixth grade pills aren’t as easy as it seems on paper. Five stealth pills and eight flying pills, this result can only be called passable I guess.” Towards her achievement, Ling Yue became very dissatisfied for its far below her usual rate of success.
Now, if any other alchemist out there were to hear of this statement, especially Master Longyu and those experienced alchemists, they would all roll their eyes at her in annoyance.
For an alchemist to attempt a new type of medicinal pill, it’s especially hard to achieve such great results on their first try. This fact was magnified when it’s the flying pill and stealth pill in question because they are not your average common recipe out there. To have one success out of ten should’ve already been considered very lucky.
Unaware of her own great fortune, Ling Yue casually places the bottles away with the intent of finding Feng Shen at another day for the second visit to the Treasure Cave.
After a short nap, Ling Yue returns to the royal hospital again where Nangon Qinglin was already standing in wait like a nosy bird.
There’s no special reason for this, only that she overheard some talkative maids and eunuchs gossiping about how the newcomer didn’t follow the “rules” and offended Manager Meng. As a consequence, the newcomer was then forced to sift through a hundred sacks of seed by herself. A well-known method to teach the new people a lesson by the more experienced seniors.
Just the thought of Ling Yue tiring out like a dog, likely punished by the rod too, Nangon Qinglin can only use the word refreshing to describe her mood this morning.
Just as she’s in her highest, that’s when Nangon Qinglin came face to face with the girl in question. Based on that well rested complexion, she was perplexed at not finding anything wrong with her foe.
“You, how come you are all right?” Nangong Qinglin questions, her expression like that of someone seeing a ghost.
“What sort of issue did you expect of me? Where’s Manager Meng, I can’t seem to find her for some reason. I still haven’t received my assignment for today.” Ling Yue made a funny face like she just heard the silliest question.
“Manager Meng is ‘sick’ so the affairs of the outer courtyard will be handled by me today.” Manager Chou strode over at this moment.
Regarding Manager Meng’s illness, he only learned of it this morning and became quite surprised when he made a personal visit to the woman’s home. Sallow face without energy like someone that’s seriously ill, Manager Chou almost couldn’t recognize his old colleague at first.
Out of concern, he deliberately checked the pulse to diagnose the cause. His conclusion was that Manager Meng was both physically and mentally exhausted, hence the reason for the collapse. But that shouldn’t be so he asked the woman what happened. Not only did he get no reply, it only caused the woman’s condition to worsen and made Manager Meng faint away after puking out another mouthful of blood.
“I heard that Princess Yue here did an impeccable job of completing Manager Meng’s assignment last night. So, I’ve been given notice to send you to the middle courtyard where you will be responsible for work of the higher level.” Recalling his colleague’s condition this morning, and his own sudden loss of cultivation yesterday, Manager Chou was starting to find this new girl extremely freaky and unnerving.
Like the main manager, Deputy Manager Meng had no intent or courage left in her old bones of going against Ling Yue. If she can kick the girl out from under her watch then the sooner the better.
Regarding the illness, there’s thirty truth and seventy percent lie. Manager Meng’s intent was to create an opening to toss the hot frying pan back to its source, and that was Manager Chou.
“Master, are you saying you intend to have her go to the middle courtyard like I?” Nangon Qinglin became dumbfounded by what she just heard.
Although she may be the main manager’s disciple, but here in the royal hospital she too had to work her way up like all the rest before her. Spending over ten days in the outer courtyard, Nangon Qinglin nearly ruined her soft delicate hands before being transferred to the middle courtyard for better work. So why, why can this Lan Ling Yue do what she did in one day while she needed ten? This question simply won’t leave Nangon Qinglin’s mind.
“Qinglin, I have own arrangements so don’t question me. You’ve been in the middle courtyard for a while now so you shall lead her.” After being pricked the first time, a painful one at that, the old man had no wish to rashly go for a second round without doing his homework.
He intends to observe the girl for now. Once his spirit force recovers and gets to the bottom of that freaky incident yesterday, he will then make the move on this Princess Yue and finish the job.
Knowing there’s no chance left of changing her master’s mind now, Nangon Qinglin can only grumpily lead her hated enemy away to the middle courtyard.