Chapter 46

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Chapter 46: Clearing the Pill Room

The Baibao Zhai shopkeeper felt both exasperated and amused. He couldn’t help grumbling at Fang Lie, "Tell me, Fang Lie—are you here to shop or to toy with me?"

"Why would I toy with you?" Fang Lie hastily explained, "I’m here to buy for real! I even brought spirit stones. A poor guy like me wouldn’t joke around with this many stones, right?"

He dumped out a pile of low-grade spirit stones—several hundred in total.

The Baibao Zhai shopkeeper’s brows furrowed deeply. "You actually plan to brew the famed Five Elements Detoxification Pills using these Low-grade Materials and a battered pot?"

"That’s the plan!" Fang Lie nodded.

The shopkeeper studied Fang Lie’s face for a long moment before remarking, "You don’t look insane. Why spout such nonsense?"

Fang Lie sighed. "Just an experiment. You’ll still sell me the goods, won’t you?"

"Sell? Of course!" The shopkeeper turned to the Young Girl. "Prepare the Low-grade Herbs according to the Five Elements Detoxification Pill formula. Let’s see how he pulls this off!"

"Wait and see!" Fang Lie grinned. "If I succeed, you’d better offer top price when I sell them here!"

"One hundred thousand spirit stones per pill," the shopkeeper declared. "I’ll buy every single one."

"Deal!" Fang Lie beamed.

Half an hour later, Fang Lie departed cheerfully with a mountain of Low-grade Herbs, leaving thousands of spirit stones behind.

Watching him go, the Young Girl giggled, "Master, this is the genius you praised? Hah! Using a lidless pot and decade-old herbs to make Five Elements Detoxification Pills? The fool’s money-mad! I’ve never seen such an idiot!"

The Baibao Zhai shopkeeper didn’t smile. He glanced at her lightly. "Mocking your master’s judgment?"

The Young Girl bowed her head. "Forgive me, Master! But even wise men make mistakes sometimes—"

"Mistakes?" The shopkeeper snorted. "In decades of judging people, I’ve never erred. This time’s no different."

"What?" The Young Girl gaped. "You still defend him? That liar could never make those pills!"

"Who said he needs to make them?" The shopkeeper retorted. "Why not use pre-existing pills from the Mo Ancestor’s stash in the Cycle of Fire?"

The Young Girl’s eyes widened. "You think he’s using this purchase as cover for plundering the Mo Ancestor’s spirit pills?"

"Exactly." The shopkeeper sneered. "A poor cover too—with those materials, not even gods could brew Five Elements Detoxification Pills. Why leave such obvious flaws?"

"Because he’s a country bumpkin!" The Young Girl huffed, irritated at misreading Fang Lie again.

"Fool? The man survived a thousand assassinations and parades through Mo Sect unscathed!" The shopkeeper rolled his eyes. "Sheer luck—he found the Benevolence Token in the Cycle of Fire!" The Young Girl pressed, "Master, how many treasures did he really get?"

"Unclear." The shopkeeper frowned. "The Mo Ancestor’s era overflowed with treasures from heaven and earth. If Cycle of Fire truly holds his hoard… those relics could drive nations mad."

"That extreme?"

"Know how Fang Lie escaped the Great Heaven Fierce Fire Formation?" The shopkeeper lowered his voice. "Rumors say he used Puppet That Dies in Place—same as his first assassination attempt."

"Puppet That Dies in Place?" The Young Girl gasped. "The Mo Sect spends centuries making one! He wasted two? How extravagant!"

"In the Mo Ancestor’s time, they weren’t rare," the shopkeeper said. "Some believe Fang Lie possesses dozens."

"Dozens?!" The Young Girl nearly shrieked.

"Maybe hundreds or even thousands?" the Baibao Zhai shopkeeper said uncertainly.

"Oh my!" Young Girl exclaimed. "So many Puppets That Die in Place could buy all Baibao Zhai’s branches! Right, Master?"

"Heh, you underestimate them," the shopkeeper sighed. "Our entire Baibao Zhai chain might equal just a few dozen puppets. Fang Lie already had enemies—now carrying treasures? That boy won’t last a day in Mo Sect!"

"True. Poor Fang Lie!" Young Girl said sadly. "He’s kind though—adopts orphans, never bullies. They pushed him too far this time."

"Quick to defend him now?" the shopkeeper teased. "Fang Lie’s rugged. Could our girl fancy him?"

"Master!" Young Girl flushed crimson and fled.

Fang Lie raced back to his sacred mountain like lightning. Entering his cave dwelling, he found anxious faces—he’d vanished for three days.

"Sorry I’m late!" he grinned.

Mao Mao’s group dropped their scowls at his sheepish look.

"Warn us next time!" Ice Second Brother groaned. "We nearly turned the mountains upside down searching!"

"Where’d you go for three days?" Fang Huo complained.

"The little ones haven’t slept worrying," Longxing Tianxia stated. "You’re putting them to bed."

Fang Lie’s heart sank. Bedtime meant lullabies and silly faces—chores he always dodged. Resigned, he spent hours playing chef and storyteller until moonlight lit the trees, leaving him exhausted.

Later, Fang Lie slipped into a hidden stone building behind the cave—once a storage room, now emptied from his sales. Dust coated every surface. As he swept, Mao Mao appeared wordlessly with a broom. They cleaned in silent sync, years together needing no chatter.

Placing a battered Alchemy Cauldron from his Sumeru Bag, Fang Lie beamed. Mao Mao inspected it and gasped. "This ancient cauldron’s divine scripts wore off ages ago! We use these for cooking rice! You paid ten spirit stones for this?"

"A bargain!" Fang Lie insisted.

"It’s a lidless pot!" Mao Mao cried.

"It’ll work!"

"Brewing pills in an open pot?" Mao Mao facepalmed.