Chapter Three: The Wealth Creation Plan
As dusk settled over the courtyard, Fang Li returned to her small home.
She sat cross-legged on the couch, the spiritual energy swirling around her fingertips as faint as fireflies, dissipating with a soft sigh.
Outside the window, the shadow of the old locust tree swayed gently in the moonlight, appearing more vibrant than the hard-won spiritual energy within her.
She adjusted her breathing techniques based on details she had overlooked from her past life memories.
For example, one should draw in qi during the time when spiritual energy is clearest at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), avoid the dryness brought by the scorching sun at noon, and focus on nourishing the meridians rather than rushing to break through to a higher realm when practicing the technique.
This adjustment did indeed make the flow of spiritual energy smoother, but the shackles of aptitude were like an invisible net, and no matter how hard she tried, her progress was as slow as a snail climbing a tree.
"Sigh." Fang Li rubbed her sore temples. The cloth bag on the table that contained low-grade spirit stones was empty, with only a few spirit stones left.
The five spirit stones earned from clearing out the Inkscale Serpent were mostly used to buy basic healing pills, and the rest wasn't even enough to buy some better Qi-inducing herbs.
Without resources, even the best methods are unlikely to be effective.
Just as he was feeling down, the system in his mind suddenly beeped, a mechanical voice carrying a noticeable electrical buzz: "[Weak fluctuations in host's spiritual energy detected. Assisted matching initiated...buzz... Target locked: Number Three Big Yellow Dog of the Spirit Beast Garden (Spiritual Value 3/100). Current Affection: +1 (It glanced at you)."
Fang Li: "..." ╭∩╮
She held her forehead, trying not to laugh; this broken system must have completely malfunctioned.
That fat, barely able-bodied yellow dog in the Spirit Beast Garden? A high-quality Daoist partner? She imagined herself and the yellow dog being "destined for three lifetimes" and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
As the laughter subsided, much of the gloom in my heart dissipated.
In any case, earning spirit stones is the most important thing.
The next day, just as dawn broke, Fang Li carried a bamboo basket and headed towards the sect market.
The basket contained the materials I had collected from completing tasks over the past few days.
Three blood-clotting herbs covered in morning dew, two cleaned black scabbard galls, and half a basket of companion Ganoderma lucidum picked from the edge of Meteorite Gorge.
These are materials commonly used by low-level cultivators, and they can always be exchanged for spirit stones at the market.
The sect market is located in the valley between the main peak and the side peaks. The long street paved with bluestone is lined with stalls, and shouts and bargaining can be heard all around.
Fang Li found a corner and laid out the materials she had brought, categorizing them and weighing down the wooden signs with prices written on them with small stones: Blood Clotting Grass, one low-grade spirit stone; Black Scale Snake Gallbladder, two stones; Lingzhi Grass, sold by weight, five catties, one stone.
She had considered this pricing.
Having seen a lot of the world while following Shen Yunzhou in my previous life, I know that although blood-clotting grass is common, fresh grass with dew has better medicinal effects and can be 20% more expensive than the usual dried product.
The gallbladder of the black unicorn snake is troublesome to process, so she specially soaked it in clean water to remove the fishy smell, which is worth the extra charge.
Lingzhi (Reishi mushroom) has a mild medicinal effect, but it is a basic auxiliary ingredient for alchemy, and it is more cost-effective to sell it by weight.
As soon as the stall was set up, an outer disciple dressed in gray squatted down, pointed at the Blood Clotting Grass, and asked, "How much is this grass?"
“One low-grade spirit stone per plant,” Fang Li answered readily.
"Too expensive, isn't it?" The gray-robed disciple raised an eyebrow. "Other shops sell ten plants for eight spirit stones each, and you dare to ask for one spirit stone for just one?"
Fang Li pointed to the glistening dewdrops on the grass: "Senior brother, please look. This grass was just picked this morning, and its spiritual energy hasn't dissipated yet. If you buy it to refine pills, its medicinal effects will be at least 30% better than the dried version. In the end, you'll actually make a profit."
The gray-robed disciple leaned closer and smelled it. Sure enough, he smelled a refreshing, grassy fragrance, unlike the earthy smell of the old grass. He immediately took out his money and said, "Okay, give me two."
Just as Fang Li finished her first deal and put away the spirit stones, a weasel-faced disciple in a blue robe approached her.
This man is a well-known "secondhand dealer" in the market. He specializes in undercutting newcomers' stalls, and many outer disciples have been ripped off by him.
"Oh, is this your first time setting up a stall, Junior Sister?" The disciple in green picked up a black serpent gall and weighed it in his hand, his eyes darting around. "This gall looks pretty good, but it wasn't cleaned properly. There's still blood inside, so the medicinal effect will be reduced. How about this, I'll give you three spirit stones for two. Want to sell?"
Fang Li looked up at him and said calmly, "This senior brother probably didn't look carefully. The blood streaks in the snake gallbladder are from the protective membrane of the gallbladder. I deliberately left it there. This membrane can keep the bile from dissipating, so the medicine is more effective. If it is removed completely, it may look better, but the medicine will be at least half gone."
She picked up the snake gall and shook it gently: "Besides, the gall of a second-tier Inkscale Serpent is worth at least two for five spirit stones. Senior Brother wants to buy it for three? Do you think I'm some kind of idiot who just started learning?"
The disciple in green stiffened, never expecting that this seemingly delicate junior sister was actually quite knowledgeable.
He stubbornly insisted, "That's not how it works. Setting up a stall is all about fate. I'm giving you a price because I think highly of you..."
“Fate cannot be spent on spirit stones.” Fang Li interrupted him: “If you are serious about buying, two spirit stones are worth six spirit stones. Not a penny less. If you are trying to rip people off, please go to another store.”
The disciples watching the commotion around them all laughed.
A bearded monk spoke up: "Wang Laosan, your junior sister knows her stuff, so don't try to take advantage of her. I think these snake gallbladders are really good. Junior sister, I'll take them for six yuan each!"
Seeing that he couldn't get away with it and was embarrassed by everyone's stares, the disciple in the green robe could only snort sullenly and leave.
The bearded cultivator readily paid the spirit stones and then pointed to the Ganoderma lucidum, asking, "How much is this Ganoderma lucidum? I happen to be short of some ingredients for alchemy."
"Five catties for one spirit stone."
"Give me ten pounds!"
With this deal as a foundation, subsequent business dealings went much more smoothly.
The blood-clotting grass sold out quickly, and most of the Ganoderma lucidum was also bought up.
As the sun passed midday, Fang Li tallied her harvest. There were more than twenty spirit stones in her bamboo basket, heavy and substantial, which made her feel very secure holding them in her hands.
As she packed up her stall to leave, she stopped as she passed a herbal medicine shop.
The "Qi Gathering Pill" displayed in the shop was exactly what she needed.
This elixir can help guide qi into the body. Although its effects are mild, it is just right for her current level of cultivation.
However, it's not cheap; a bottle of ten pills costs fifteen low-grade spirit stones.
Fang Li hesitated for a moment, then touched the spirit stone pouch she had just warmed in her arms.
"Boss, a bottle of Qi Gathering Pill, please." She walked into the shop, her voice clear and crisp.
The shopkeeper glanced at her a couple more times as he picked up the medicine: "Young lady, you look unfamiliar. Is this your first time buying medicine?"
"Yes, I just saved up enough spirit stones." Fang Li took the medicine bottle, her fingertips touching the cool porcelain bottle, but her heart felt warm.
"Practice diligently," the boss said with a smile and a wave of his hand.
Stepping out of the shop, the sun was shining brightly.
Fang Li carefully put away the medicine bottle, touched the bulging spirit stone bag, and realized that the remaining spirit stones were enough to buy some spirit rice and dried meat, so she wouldn't have to eat the dry and hard fasting pills anymore.
She walked briskly towards Jingchen Courtyard, and when she passed the Spirit Beast Garden, she deliberately glanced inside.
The chubby yellow dog was lying on the grass sunbathing. When it saw her looking over, it lazily wagged its tail.
System: "[Target interaction detected! Affection +1 (It wagged its tail)! Host is advised to feed it to increase affection... *sizzle*... Error...]"
Fang Li smiled and turned around, ignoring the system's garbled text.
The spirit stone in her arms felt heavy. She looked up at the direction of the sect's main peak, where clouds and mist swirled. It was a place she had longed for, but now she felt more at ease on the path leading to the secluded courtyard.
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