Chapter Eighteen: The Method of Guiding the True Water of the Lunar Essence

"Why is it you?" Lu Qian glanced at the stall and asked, "You're running a stall here?"

"That's right. And you? How have things been lately?" Wang Ming replied with a hearty laugh.

It had been over half a year since their last meeting.

"I'm making medicines at the pharmacy. How are things in the Spirit Garden?"

"Not bad. We get a share of spiritual herbs every month, so I come out to set up a stall and pick up a few things. But the pharmacy must be tough work, it's not exactly a good place."

Wang Ming's days were comfortable, thanks to his older brother managing the Spirit Garden. With his poor aptitude, he had no illusions of becoming a cultivator. Still, he had managed to secure a lucrative, stable job—one that many yearned for but few obtained.

"It's not too bad. Recently, I've become an apprentice alchemist, so it's not as exhausting as before."

"An apprentice alchemist?" Wang Ming's eyes lit up. To be an apprentice meant he could actually refine medicines—a very good position indeed.

"In our group, it’s probably just you and Yu Ci who are doing well. It's a pity about Han Li..." Wang Ming sighed deeply.

"Han Li?" Lu Qian recalled the image of a round-faced, cheerful girl.

"I saw her last month—she'd already been refined into a wraith. Completely mindless, didn't recognize anyone," Wang Ming said, dropping the bombshell.

"Who would dare do such a thing!" Lu Qian exclaimed in shock.

Though the acolytes were low-ranking, they weren't to be killed at will, let alone refined into ghosts through cruel methods.

"Heh, there's a lot going on beneath the surface. An acolyte with no power or backing—if one dies, any excuse will do," Wang Ming waved irritably. "Forget it, let's not talk about such things. By the way, what medicines can you make now?"

"Blood-Invigorating Qi Powder, Turtle Shell Replenishing Pills, Golden Wound Powder, and Salvia Pain-Relief Elixir. If I have the materials, I can attempt the Face-Peach Tranquilizing Tonic, though the success rate isn’t high."

The first two were supplements for cultivation, the next for treating external injuries, and the last for internal wounds. The Face-Peach Tranquilizing Tonic was especially good for calming the mind and replenishing energy—very helpful for those in the Qi-Refining stage. For now, these were the medicines he could make; others were beyond his reach, either for lack of recipes, insufficient skill, or unavailable ingredients.

The pharmacy functioned as a sort of wholesaler, mostly churning out common medicines. Unless specifically ordered, they didn’t produce rarer concoctions.

"I'll take them all. Two doses of Blood-Invigorating Qi Powder for one tael, two Turtle Shell Pills for three taels, and three sets of the other two for one tael. How does that sound? We’ll provide the materials, and if the quality is high, I can offer a better price."

"Deal. How much do you want to buy?" asked Lu Qian.

The prices were actually ten or twenty percent lower than the market rate, but since the materials would be provided, he was still coming out ahead.

"I’ll take as much as you can make. I can give you the materials right now."

Wang Ming gave a wry smile. "You have no idea how sought-after cultivation medicines are. Our garden has dozens of acolytes and over ten Daoists. The pharmacy’s output is nowhere near enough for everyone."

In truth, it wasn't only the pharmacy cultivators who could refine medicines; most people knew a little bit. But alchemy was tedious, ingredients were hard to come by, and amateurs had low success rates and poor efficiency. Focusing on alchemy also detracted from one’s own cultivation. All things considered, it was easier to just buy what you needed.

"Alright. By the way, do you buy Fish Grass here? I also have a few small items." Lu Qian produced several stalks of Fish Grass and the horn of a Thunder Steed.

"Oh, that’s good stuff. Two taels per stalk for Fish Grass, and the Thunder Steed’s horn? Let me see the quality," Wang Ming's eyes gleamed.

Fish Grass was no ordinary herb; its value exceeded that of some finished medicines. An adult Thunder Steed was as strong as a cultivator in the Qi-Refining stage, and its horn could be forged into a powerful magical weapon—quite valuable.

"How about this: the entire Thunder Steed set for a hundred taels, and let's round the price for the twenty-two Fish Grass stalks to forty spirit coins. Deal?"

"No problem," Lu Qian agreed readily, clapping Wang Ming on the shoulder. "You’re rolling in money now, aren’t you?"

They were bound for a long partnership; a little discount meant nothing.

"Not exactly. I’m just the Spirit Garden’s broker; it’s all official funds," Wang Ming replied with a knowing grin.

The transaction complete, they agreed to meet again in seven days. The lengthy timeframe was because Lu Qian’s Dao Merit was sufficient: a hundred and forty taels equaled fourteen Dao Merit. With the tasks he’d completed for Li Du, he’d reached a total of twenty. It was time to attempt a breakthrough.

Dao Hall. It lay two miles east of the Ghost Market, halfway up a mountain. Deep in the peach blossom forest, it was tranquil and solemn—a revered place for passing on cultivation techniques, and so no one dared be loud.

The grand hall had no door. An old man sat dozing before the wall, his face marked by age spots and an aura of decay clinging to him.

Lu Qian’s footsteps roused him.

"Old cultivator, I’ve come to exchange for a technique," Lu Qian said with a bow.

"Choose for yourself. Once you’ve picked, pay here." The old man formed a hand sign, and the wall behind him shimmered with a faint red light. A deep, shadowy doorway appeared. The old man resumed his nap, mumbling, "And don’t bother trying to curry favor with me. I’m just a half-dead old man, not some hidden master. Here’s a word of advice: don’t go picking through obscure, neglected techniques. Every method here has been checked a hundred times over—if there were any hidden treasures, you wouldn’t be the one to find them."

Lu Qian was left speechless; clearly, the old man had been pestered often before.

It seemed he was not alone in his thoughts.

Passing through the doorway, Lu Qian found row upon row of jade slips containing cultivation techniques, arranged in categories that dazzled the eye. Heading to the shelf of foundational arts, he found only a dozen or so. Removing those from other sects without advanced techniques, there remained four or five that could be cultivated to the Spirit-Refining stage.

Among them were the "Yin Fire Grand Circulation Breathing Method," the "Supreme Lunar True Water Guidance," and the "Return to Origin Heavenly Root Transcendence." These three had all been passed down by Master Tongyou, the system was comprehensive, and many had cultivated them.

Lu Qian read the introductions carefully, falling into deep thought. The path of cultivation was divided into Embryonic Breathing, Qi Refining, and Spirit Nurturing. Qi Refining involved absorbing the essence of sun and moon; advanced practitioners could then nourish the Yin Spirit, culminating in the Spirit Nurturing stage—where the Yin Spirit could leave the body, traveling by night or even by day. To reach this, one had to condense baleful energies and refine astral protection for the Yin Spirit.

Lu Qian had already asked Li Du about the strengths and suitability of the methods. Each condensed a different kind of baleful force: one produced the Crow Yin Fire, fierce and all-consuming; one the Yellow Springs Defilement Light, which shattered souls with its venom; the last, the True Water of Shadow Sunflower, gentle and enduring. The first two were devastating, the last less so in raw power, but unmatched in endurance.

"I'll choose this one," Lu Qian decided after a moment's contemplation, selecting the "Supreme Lunar True Water Guidance," which corresponded to the True Water of Shadow Sunflower.

Li Du had once remarked, “You’re cautious and plan ahead; the Shadow Sunflower method tempers the body—it may suit you.” Most cultivators focused solely on the Yin Spirit, neglecting the body, which was often left weak and frail. Lu Qian believed the body was important, regardless of the stage. The Supreme Lunar True Water Guidance was slower to train and thus less popular, but with the aid of the mysterious Golden Mirror, that would not be a problem for him.