Evergreen Immortal-Chapter 22: Minor Yuan Pill
“Brother Wu, I’m already very satisfied,” Li Rui said sincerely.
Wu Tu thought he was just being polite, but in truth, Li Rui truly was satisfied from the bottom of his heart.
No real work, regular wages, and loads of time to train in martial arts, where else in the world could you find a job like this?!
He could smile himself awake from dreaming about it.
Others might see the position of Tianyi Hall’s Hall Master as tasteless as chewing on chicken bones, neither useful nor worth discarding, but to him, it was perfect. Not only did he receive a salary, but the role came with almost no risk.
With his martial bones and secret technique, as long as he cultivated steadily, he could go far. There was simply no need to fight tooth and nail.
Wu Tu mulled it over and still felt guilty toward Li Rui, so he patiently explained:
“Brother, the Heaven-Earth Alliance is still in its early stages. There will be plenty of opportunities to earn merit in the future, and there’s a major exam every year. As long as you stand out in the exam, your ranking number will naturally rise. I believe, with your skills, you’ll definitely earn a good spot.”
The Heaven-Earth Alliance had risen so quickly in part because of its competitive system.
Unlike other factions that emphasized seniority, the Alliance was founded less than ten years ago. It barely had any hierarchy by seniority, instead valuing courage and strength. If you could fight, you could rise.
Of course, such duels needed to be witnessed by the Enforcement Hall.
Internal killing was strictly forbidden. Anyone who committed such dishonorable acts would be hunted down by the Alliance.
The higher one’s token number ranked, the more resources one received—
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The difference in treatment between Token #1 and Token #28 was over tenfold, reflected in everything from pills and martial techniques to authority.
But the more resources one got, the more responsibility and effort one had to give in return.
Lots of time would be wasted handling internal affairs, gain came with cost.
Still, martial artists couldn’t train day and night non-stop. On balance, it was still a good deal.
In the grand exam, one could challenge someone ranked above them. If victorious, they would swap tokens.
Wu Tu spoke fluently, pouring out everything he knew about the Heaven-Earth Alliance.
“Old Brother, I really messed this up, I feel ashamed. This Minor Yuan Pill boosts vitality and prolongs life. Please, accept it.”
He shoved a small wooden box into Li Rui’s hands, then turned and left without giving him a chance to refuse.
Li Rui stared at the silver note and pill in his hands.
He really didn’t want to turn them down.
What if Wu Tu actually took them back?
“One hundred taels. One hundred taels!”
Li Rui’s heart thumped wildly.
He’d never seen such a large silver note in his life. In seventy years, he had only managed to save up thirty taels and that had taken five decades of frugality.
One hundred taels!
Let’s put it this way, it was enough for a family of three to live comfortably for a lifetime!
And on top of that, he’d received a pill.
Even through the box, he could smell the fragrant alchemical scent.
Refined pills were worth far more than raw herbs, just look at how fat and rich all those city alchemists were!
Skilled alchemists could not only combine herbs to enhance potency, but also reduce their toxicity.
They were leagues beyond Li Rui’s simple herbal baths, and their prices were many times higher too.
Minor Yuan Pill…
Li Rui had heard of it before.
He remembered it clearly—thirty years ago, on a snowy night, he had once fetched a pill for the Zhu family’s old patriarch from the Profound Pill Pavilion. It had been a Minor Yuan Pill.
Just as Wu Tu said, this pill could strengthen the body and extend lifespan.
If he recalled correctly… it was worth fifty taels.
Wu Tu… now that’s a man worth knowing!
Li Rui’s heart raced even faster.
In just under a quarter of an hour, he had gained one hundred and fifty taels. It was the kind of thing he wouldn’t even dream of.
That night.
He immediately swallowed the Minor Yuan Pill.
Aside from its bitter taste, nothing seemed particularly special at first.
But soon, a warm current surged from his dantian, spreading through his entire body. His spinal meridian felt burning hot.
His martial bones were activating again!
Li Rui knew that this was a rare opportunity. He immediately sat cross-legged on the bed, formed the Mudra of the Grand Supreme Elder Laozi, and began circulating the White Ape Phi Blade Breathing Technique.
A cool energy flowed throughout his body in one full cycle.
Only then did the heat gradually subside.
At dawn—
Li Rui slowly opened his eyes. As he gazed at the morning light through the window, it felt as if a whole lifetime had passed.
He hadn’t even noticed he’d been meditating the entire night.
Yet he didn’t feel the least bit tired—on the contrary, he felt refreshed and energized.
When he closed his eyes and focused internally, then abruptly opened them again, his eyes shone with excitement.
He’d broken through again!
In just one night, he had advanced from Intermediate Practice to Great Practice, a whole six months ahead of schedule!
“Is the Minor Yuan Pill really this powerful?”
Li Rui could hardly believe it.
But soon, he identified the real reason the effect was so dramatic, his martial bones and breathing technique.
He had seen the Zhu family’s old patriarch take the same pill, but the effect was nowhere near this pronounced.
It was well known that pills had diminishing effects over time.
Li Rui was seventy years old and had only taken herbal baths a few times in recent months. He’d never had a pill before. The first dose would naturally be the most effective. Add in the boost from his martial bones and breathing method, and the results were phenomenal.
It wouldn’t be this good next time.
But he was already very content.
After washing his face, he found his most decent set of clothes.
Clothes make the man, as the saying goes. First impressions matter.
Once properly dressed, Li Rui headed out toward the Heaven-Earth Alliance.
According to Wu Tu, the Alliance had splurged to buy a large estate in the western part of the city as the Qinghe Branch headquarters.
Half an hour later.
Li Rui arrived at the Heaven-Earth Alliance's new headquarters in the western district.
From what he remembered, there had been several martial schools in this area, but they had declined and shut down years ago. The place had been deserted for quite a while before the Alliance bought it recently.
The main gates stood two zhang tall, grand and imposing. Above the entrance, three bold, flowing characters read: “Heaven-Earth Alliance.”
Two disciples of the Alliance stood guard at the gate, both tall and burly, dressed in dark uniforms that looked sharp and crisp.
“Who goes there!”
The leading disciple barked out when he saw Li Rui approaching.
Li Rui smiled and pulled out the Token 28 from his robe.
When the guard saw the number on the token, his expression changed at once, becoming noticeably more respectful.
“So it’s an honored Deacon!”
His own token bore the number 198, someone with a rank like that had to address Li Rui as “Sir.”
To be a gate guard of the Heaven-Earth Alliance, martial skill was secondary. What really mattered was having a keen eye.
Otherwise, offending a superior might mean getting beaten to death.
Sir?
Li Rui was momentarily dazed.
In the first half of his life, people had called him “Little Li.” In the latter half, he became “Old Li.” Being called “Sir” felt… strange.
But he figured, he’d get used to it.
His gaze grew determined.
Just as he stepped across the threshold of the Heaven-Earth Alliance—
Lines of small text appeared before his eyes:
[Congratulations to the Host for completing the Entry Level Achievement: Make a Name for Yourself, Join a Faction.]
