Chapter 508: Chapter 508: Appreciation

Bai Mo looked at the green-robed steward.

The steward took out a Black Pill that emitted a crude, strange fragrance and handed it to Bai Mo.

Bai Mo took it and held it before his eyes to examine it.

The green-robed steward said, "I thought we could crack it using your Pill Formula, Junior Brother. Who would have thought that this ’treasure food’ for Core Formation and Nascent Soul cultivators, as the foreign races call it, would be so tricky."

"It seems to involve a certain lineage’s legacy. Coincidentally, Junior Brother, you happen to have some understanding of the Alchemy Dao from over there..."

After all that, the task had landed back in Bai Mo’s hands.

The green-robed steward offered Bai Mo a price of five thousand Spirit Stones, and Bai Mo immediately accepted.

"This will take some time. It can’t be rushed," Bai Mo said.

And so, when Ah Er returned from his trip, laden with bags and baggage, he peeked into the courtyard. There, he saw Bai Mo, holding half a Pill in deep thought.

Knowing that Bai Mo was busy with important matters, Ah Er turned and waved away a wild boar that had been awkwardly crammed onto the Flying Ship, its four hooves tucked in.

The boar managed to step one hoof off the Flying Ship, stumbled precariously, and jumped down.

On its head was a Spirit Beast with the body of a snake and the head of a raccoon dog. It couldn’t find its master, so it had temporarily taken refuge with Ah Er to get by.

Before they left, Ah Er fished out a crudely drawn map from his clothes and handed it to the two of them.

The two beasts stared at each other, then consulted the map, looking left and right before entering the undeveloped Wilderness Forest.

Straightening its messy fur, Ah Er tiptoed into the courtyard and gave a light cough.

Bai Mo casually pointed a finger at the teacup on the stone table beside him.

Ah Er understood immediately. He boiled water, brewed tea, and prepared snacks, all in one smooth motion.

It was only when pouring tea for Bai Mo that he transformed into a young boy with a PUFF and began to report the results of his trip.

The medicinal plants on Mi Mountain were very resilient. Without Ah Er there to keep them in check, they had grown even more wantonly.

A few highly aggressive vines were growing as if they intended to proclaim themselves kings.

Overall, their growth was quite good.

Ah Er took out a few thumb-sized, vermilion fruits and placed them in Bai Mo’s hand.

They were from the plants on the mountain.

Bai Mo picked one up, popped it into his mouth, and chewed slowly, savoring the flavor as it bloomed on his tongue.

"Absolutely awful."

A good while later, Bai Mo turned to Ah Er, his mouth numb from the sourness.

"Wait until the fruits ripen and fall, then we’ll see. The medicinal power at this stage still has room for improvement."

Ah Er nodded and carefully put the fruits away.

His diet was naturally wide, and he had a wealth of experience in foraging for food.

He had suspected from the start that these fruits probably weren’t anything special.

’As I thought. Thank goodness I haven’t tried one yet.’

Ever since his fur had been dyed gold, this fellow had gained a few golden strands in his eyebrows when he changed into human form.

Other than that, the changes weren’t significant.

Bai Mo sized up his young attendant for a moment. For some reason, he felt this new look actually added a touch of noble flair.

"Did you get everything I asked you to buy?"

Ah Er nodded quickly, pulled a cloth sack from his Daoist robe, and emptied it onto the ground nearby.

Bundles of medicinal herbs tumbled onto the white stones, looking just like fresh vegetables for sale at the market, still dotted with beads of water.

Such a brash method of bundling and selling could only have come from Medicine Peak.

After pinching the bottom of the sack and feeling that it was truly empty, Ah Er pulled out several letters.

"I asked Niu, who plows the fields on Medicine Peak. They said they didn’t overcharge me."

"Then those oxen gave me a few letters on behalf of their masters."

Ah Er reported honestly.

Bai Mo opened the letters and read them. Inside were several Pill Formulas, all from people hoping he would help them refine the Pills.

The style of the Pill Formulas was not of the current mainstream, and even the names of the medicinal ingredients were different from those used today.

One look told Bai Mo they were from the other side of the Celestial Barrier Mountain range.

"On your trip, did you happen to visit the market?"

"Did you hear any news along the way?"

Hearing this, Ah Er suddenly looked aggrieved.

"I didn’t have many Spirit Stones with me this time, so how could I go to a place like that..."

He had heard some amusing stories, the kind one could share with friends for a laugh.

But none of them were what Bai Mo wanted to hear.

...

Bai Mo didn’t find out what was going on until An Caiwei came to visit.

"Tsk tsk, not bad, Junior Brother. This place of yours is quite nice..."

Bai Mo nodded and invited her into the courtyard.

"It’s alright. For just over a thousand Spirit Stones, it’s not too shabby."

An Caiwei, who was clearly in high spirits from some recent good fortune, walked a lap around the courtyard with her hands behind her back.

Bai Mo invited her to sit and had Ah Er serve tea.

"Senior Sister, when did you get a new Flying Ship?"

An Caiwei chuckled and playfully ruffled Ah Er’s hair.

"Just the other day. The ones Silkworm Valley gives us for transportation are always a bit lacking. They’re old and in disrepair—if it’s not the head, it’s the tail, there’s always some damage."

"I finally have a decent one to pilot."

The colorful Flying Ships Bai Mo usually saw the female cultivators from Silkworm Valley piloting were, in fact, privately owned.

An Caiwei had now followed suit and acquired one for herself, though its appearance was not ostentatious—it was a simple jade green.

As for where the Spirit Stones came from, An Caiwei explained:

"The things being dug up from the ruins on the other side of the Celestial Barrier Mountain range have become quite valuable lately."

"I sold some of mine."

She had crossed the Celestial Barrier Mountain range twice, bringing back quite a few things she’d scavenged. She never expected their value to appreciate so quickly.

This was precisely what Bai Mo wanted to ask about.

"What’s going on?"

An Caiwei explained, "Disciples in the sect have been successively practicing the excavated Cultivation Techniques and have made quite a name for themselves."

"It shows that those Cultivation Techniques are actually quite good."

"Some disciples who were stuck at their current level have started to focus on those methods, so the prices for all the excavated items on the market have shot up."

An Caiwei seemed quite stunned herself as she finished.

Nowadays in the markets, a complete Cultivation Technique was worth upwards of two thousand Spirit Stones.

A complete legacy from a lineage was even more outrageous, valued in the tens of thousands of Spirit Stones.

"Junior Brother, with your deep knowledge of the Alchemy Dao from over there, your value must be sky-high right now!"

An Caiwei waggled her eyebrows at Bai Mo.

"Have any ideas?"

Bai Mo shook his head.

’It’s just a temporary craze,’ he thought. He could see that much.

Some people would probably benefit greatly from the excavated legacies.

But once the dust settled and the disciples saw their true value, they would naturally return to their senses.

But An Caiwei had a different idea.

"You might not know this, Junior Brother, but people from outside the sect have already started following the route we blazed to explore deeper into the Celestial Barrier Mountain range."

"A lot of them have died, of course, but the rewards are equally substantial."

Outside Loose Cultivators and groups didn’t have the same deep foundations as the Xuandao Sect.

For them, the profits from exploring the ruins were much greater, worth risking their lives for.

"My senior sisters... some of them have been acting as middlemen and have earned quite a bit..."

Seeing she had said so much, Bai Mo said:

"If Senior Sister is tempted, I have two complete Pill Scriptures from the other side here. You can take them to sell..."

An Caiwei shook her head like a rattle drum.

"I don’t want them! Once I’m done with this busy period, I’ll be going into seclusion in a little while."

"Where would I find the time to manage all that?"

Bai Mo also said, "Forget it then. I’m not free either."

"I just got a Pill from the Foreign Affairs Hall. I’m just starting to get a handle on it now, so in a couple of days, I probably won’t be able to pull myself away either..."

The two looked at each other and broke into a wry smile.

Bai Mo took out a few Pills and handed them over.

"Senior Sister, take these Pills back for now. For the next two months, I probably won’t have time to refine yours."

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