Chapter 28: Where There's Demand, There's a Market

Liu Yan watched Bai Chen busily sorting through the medicinal ingredients, then unclipped his steward's badge. "Sorry for the trouble today. I'll add a bit extra to your contribution points — I can't have you working for nothing."

Bai Chen waved a hand with a smile. "No need for formalities, Steward. It's just one batch of Inedia Pills — same as last time, six contribution points will do."

Think he'd say he didn't want payment?

Not a chance!

The ingredients cost money, after all.

Liu Yan nodded, then thought for a moment. "If it's not too much trouble, could you make ten batches? Save me from having to bother you so often."

He transferred sixty contribution points to Bai Chen's identity token, then glanced at the table full of ingredients and hesitated. "Ten batches will take quite a while, won't they? Should I come back tomorrow?"

Bai Chen understood perfectly — Liu Yan was afraid of the smell. He gave a nod. "Sure."

Liu Yan let out a breath of relief, gave Bai Chen a nod, and left the wooden cabin to head back to the Steward's Hall.

Bai Chen saw him off, shut the door, and went back to sorting the ingredients.

One batch was manageable, but ten batches meant what he had wasn't nearly enough — he'd need to make a trip to the Medicine Hall to exchange for more.

He was in the middle of calculating the quantities when a soft knock came at the door.

"Is anyone there?"

The voice was clear and gentle, carrying a polite, unhurried quality.

"Coming."

Bai Chen opened the door to find a cultivator standing outside, dressed in the deep jade-green combat attire of an Inner Sect disciple.

The man had an upright bearing and refined, warm features — the kind of face that put people at ease just by looking at it.

When Bai Chen opened the door, the man's gaze settled on him lightly, and he asked in a mild tone, "You're Junior Brother Bai Chen, I take it?"

Bai Chen felt a flicker of curiosity and let his eyes drift to the jade identity token hanging at the man's waist.

Fine cloud patterns bordered the edges, and the two characters "Inner Sect" were traced in gold powder on the front — composed and dignified. Below them, in much smaller script, were the characters "Lin Lie."

Bai Chen cupped his hands in greeting. "I am indeed Bai Chen. What brings Senior Brother Lin to find me?"

Receiving confirmation, Lin Lie gave a slight nod and asked with a smile, "I heard that Junior Brother makes Inedia Pills with special flavors. I was hoping to ask you to make a few batches for me — would that be possible?"

The words were barely out before Bai Chen blurted instinctively, "Senior Brother wants the dung-flavored ones too?"

The moment it left his mouth he knew it was wrong. He silently cursed his loose tongue.

Sure enough, Lin Lie blinked, then raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. "What exactly do you mean by that, Junior Brother?"

Bai Chen immediately waved his hands with an apologetic laugh. "A misunderstanding, a misunderstanding — please don't take offense, Senior Brother Lin. Steward Liu Yan just came by and ordered some specially flavored Inedia Pills for his companion beast Shifeng. I assumed you were here for the same reason — buying them for your own spiritual beast."

"Ah, I see."

Lin Lie's expression cleared, and he shook his head with a slight smile.

"I'm not buying them for myself — they're for a Junior Sister."

At the mention of this Junior Sister, Lin Lie's warm, refined expression softened even further, and the corners of his lips quietly curved into a tender smile.

"She's been in Inedia recently and said she's grown tired of the bland taste of Inedia Pills. Everything she eats now feels flavorless and dull. A few days ago she happened to hear Steward Liu mention that Junior Brother could make Inedia Pills in different flavors, so I thought I'd come and ask for your help."

"I wanted to ask whether you could make some Inedia Pills in other flavors. As for contribution points, just name your price — that's no problem at all."

Listening to him, Bai Chen immediately understood: this man was buying them for someone he cared about.

He let a knowing smile cross his face. "I haven't made Inedia Pills in other flavors before, but I'm willing to give it a try. What flavor did Senior Brother Lin have in mind?"

Where there's demand, there's a market. If fruit-flavored Inedia Pills could be made, they'd surely earn him a good number of contribution points going forward.

Besides, with his hundred-percent pill formation Talent Trait, it was simply a matter of adding the juice of some spirit fruit or ordinary fruit to the pill ingredients — it didn't seem like it would be difficult at all.

Lin Lie hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Any fruit flavor is fine — whatever's convenient for you."

Bai Chen nodded. "Alright then. I'll experiment today, and Senior Brother Lin can come pick them up tomorrow morning."

Lin Lie immediately cupped his hands in thanks. "I'm in your debt, Junior Brother."

With that, he raised a hand and unclipped the jade token at his waist, gently aligning it with Bai Chen's outer sect wooden token.

A soft pale-blue flash of spiritual light passed between them, and Bai Chen's wooden token gained twenty contribution points.

"Go ahead and experiment freely — even if it fails, it doesn't matter. If you succeed, I only need forty pills. Consider the extra contribution points a fee for your trouble in testing."

Twenty contribution points far exceeded the value of forty ordinary Inedia Pills — Lin Lie had clearly added extra on purpose.

Bai Chen's heart leapt with delight. "Thank you for your trust, Senior Brother Lin. Rest assured, I won't let you down."

Lin Lie gave a slight nod, offered his thanks, and turned to leave.

As he stepped away, his gaze happened to sweep across the purple clay pot inside the cabin, and his footsteps paused.

He thought for a moment, then said, "Junior Brother — I just heard you mention that Steward Liu's companion beast needs a batch of... well, specially flavored Inedia Pills. When you make mine, could you use a different pot?"

Bai Chen was briefly taken aback, then laughed and nodded. "Don't worry, Senior Brother. Shifeng's batch has its own dedicated equipment — it's a completely separate set."

Lin Lie exhaled with relief. "Much appreciated, Junior Brother."

He cupped his hands once more and departed at an unhurried pace.

Bai Chen watched his retreating figure, then looked down at the wooden token at his waist and let out a quiet chuckle.

"And so the money starts rolling in."

He turned back to look at the ingredients on the table.

There was only enough here for one batch of Inedia Pills — he'd need to make a trip to the Medicine Hall to exchange for a few more sets.

Since ingredients could be exchanged directly at the Medicine Hall, Bai Chen decided to stop by the Dining Hall first to see if he could get his hands on some fruit.

The meal period had already passed by the time he arrived at the Dining Hall, and aside from the hall's own staff, there was no one else inside.

The attendant on duty saw Bai Chen lift the curtain and step in, and asked casually, "Junior Brother, the meal service is long over. Are you here to order something to eat?"

Bai Chen cupped his hands. "Senior Brother, I'm not here to eat — I wanted to ask if you have any fruit. I'd like to buy some to take back."

The attendant was a good-natured middle-aged cultivator. He nodded right away. "We do! The spirit fruit just came in fresh. Are you looking for Dew Condensing Fruit, Honey Clarity Peaches, or Cloud-Patterned Plums?"

As he spoke, he reached under the counter and lifted out a wooden box, setting several varieties in front of Bai Chen one by one.

The Dew Condensing Fruit was translucent white, wrapped in a faint sheen of moisture.

The Honey Clarity Peaches were plump and pink-white, giving off a clean, sweet fragrance just from the smell.

The Cloud-Patterned Plums had purple-black skin traced with fine white patterns — all of them looked delicious.

Bai Chen picked up a Dew Condensing Fruit and weighed it in his hand. "Senior Brother, how much are these in contribution points?"

"Dew Condensing Fruit is three points each, Honey Clarity Peaches are four points each, and Cloud-Patterned Plums are also three points each."

Bai Chen clicked his tongue. "That's a bit pricey."

"They're spirit fruit, after all."

The attendant wasn't surprised by the reaction, and pointed to each fruit as he explained.

"Dew Condensing Fruit calms the heart and nourishes the meridians, flushing out impurities from the energy channels. Eat one while refining Qi and it powerfully suppresses restlessness, while also helping to smooth out Spiritual Energy that isn't flowing properly.

"Honey Clarity Peaches contain pure spiritual essence. They not only rapidly replenish the Spiritual Energy of Qi Refining Stage cultivators, but also nourish the apertures and relieve the soreness in the meridians after cultivation.

"Cloud-Patterned Plums generate fluids and calm the mind, and beyond that, they soothe the sea of consciousness, clearing one's thoughts in an instant.

"All of these are grown in our sect's spirit garden on the back mountain — they've absorbed the full essence of heaven and earth's spiritual energy. Every single one is guaranteed to be effective."

Bai Chen quietly ran the numbers in his head.