Evergreen Immortal-Chapter 26: Spirit Medicine

Inside a simple, ancient-looking hall, the rich fragrance of medicinal pills filled the air.

Medicine Hall.

Among the seven halls of the Heaven-Earth Alliance, it ranked fifth in structure but when it came to wealth and opportunity, none of the others, save for the Civil and Martial Hall, could even come close.

A single pill could cost anywhere from dozens of taels to thousands in gold.

Just thinking about how much silver could be earned here was dizzying. Countless martial artists toiled day and night just for the sake of obtaining pills.

Li Rui walked into the Medicine Hall.

Compared to the quiet Tianyi Hall, the Medicine Hall was much livelier.

Disciples of the Heaven-Earth Alliance came and went constantly.

After all, a single martial technique could last a lifetime but pills were essential daily consumables.

Li Rui glanced around the Medicine Hall and spotted more than a dozen disciples at a glance, enough to make anyone envious.

Many Ranked martial artists would rather serve as a Deputy Hall Master in the Medicine Hall than go to Tianyi Hall.

“I want to buy some pills,” Li Rui said as he walked up to one of the disciples.

The disciple, who had a monkey-like face and sharp features, immediately looked disinterested when he saw an old man in front of him. But when his eyes landed on the copper token engraved with “28” at Li Rui’s waist, his smile instantly turned flattering.

“This master, what kind of pills would you like?”

Seeing that Li Rui looked unfamiliar, he assumed this was the man’s first visit. The monkey-faced disciple became even more enthusiastic.

This was a great chance to get in good with someone important.

Anyone carrying a “28” token was at least a Hall Manager or Executive, not someone a low-ranking disciple like him could afford to offend.

“Our Medicine Hall mostly stocks common-grade pills. Above that are ninth-grade pills and eighth-grade spiritual pills. Spiritual pills are refined from spiritual herbs and can extend life by ten years. As long as there’s even a breath left in the body, they can pull someone back from the brink of death.”

The monkey-faced disciple rattled off a long explanation.

Li Rui’s eyes lit up.

Spiritual Pills!

So this world really did have extraordinary things.

According to this disciple, the grade of medicinal pills corresponded directly with a martial artist’s cultivation realm. Anything at or above the eighth grade was considered a spiritual pill.

Heaven and Earth possess spirit.

The reason this world could produce extraordinary martial artists wasn’t just due to techniques and training systems, but also thanks to spiritual herbs.

However, these spiritual herbs could only grow in special “spiritual soil”, which was extremely rare.

Scarcity breeds value, so pills refined from spiritual herbs naturally came with astronomical prices.

Though Li Rui had a wealth of life experience, he’d been a mere horseman. Matters at this level were simply beyond his reach.

Still, his instincts immediately told him this “spiritual soil” must be a strategic resource that all major factions fight over.

Curious, he asked, “What grade is a Minor Yuan Pill?”

“Ninth grade. But it contains traces of powdered spiritual medicine, so its effects are far superior to standard ninth-grade pills.”

“I see.”

Li Rui nodded in understanding. “Then how much does a single spiritual pill cost?”

“Spiritual pills range from five hundred taels to a thousand gold coins. Depends on which kind you want, master.”

The monkey-faced man beamed even more brightly when he heard Li Rui mention eighth-grade spiritual pills.

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Every time they sold a ninth-grade or higher pill, they earned commission. Selling an eighth-grade spiritual pill could net him at least twenty taels of silver.

Li Rui secretly smacked his lips.

Five hundred taels!

He had thought that having 130 taels of silver meant he was already living comfortably. Turns out, he couldn’t even afford half a spiritual pill.

He looked up at the wooden signboard hanging above the Medicine Hall.

On it were rows upon rows of tiny characters, pill names, grades, effects, and prices, all clearly listed.

Li Rui spoke, “I’ll take two Minor Yuan Pills, and one Bone-Fortifying Pill.”

The monkey-faced disciple’s expression froze.

So he was only buying three ninth-grade pills.

“That’ll be 130 taels in total.”

Though 130 taels wasn’t a small sum, the commissions on ninth-grade pills were nowhere near as good as for spiritual pills.

You’d have to sell twenty ninth-grade pills to make the same commission as a single eighth-grade spiritual pill.

Still, the monkey-faced disciple respectfully retrieved three exquisite wooden boxes from the medicine storage and placed them before Li Rui. Though Li Rui hadn’t bought a spiritual pill, he was still a Hall Master, not someone a mere disciple could offend.

Li Rui left the hall satisfied, pills tucked securely in his robes.

Old Li had never been this rich in his entire life!

These three pills, paired with medicinal baths, would last him three full months. By then, his strength would have increased significantly. Earning more silver afterward would be much easier.

On the way back to Tianyi Hall, he happened to pass by the front gate.

“I really do know your Hall Master, just let me in!”

Li Rui immediately found the voice familiar.

He turned his head and saw Wang Zhao and Yang Yong standing at the gate. He was momentarily stunned, then walked over and held out his token.

“Oh! It’s Hall Master Li’s guests. Our apologies, a complete misunderstanding!”

The disciple on gate duty recognized Li Rui and bowed repeatedly to apologize.

Li Rui led Wang Zhao and Yang Yong toward Tianyi Hall. As they walked, he asked, “How did you know I was in the Heaven-Earth Alliance?”

Wang Zhao and Yang Yong were merely common servants in the Zhu household. It was impossible for them to know much about the Heaven-Earth Alliance, let alone that he’d become a Hall Master.

Wang Zhao hesitated for a long time but couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Li Rui sighed. “It was Master Zhu, wasn’t it?”

Wang Zhao looked up in surprise. “Master… how did you know? The old master told me not to say… but I didn’t want to lie to you.”

“Sigh…”

Li Rui shook his head.

If not for Zhu Ping’s special care on his behalf, Wang Zhao’s timid nature would’ve gotten him devoured by Zhu Lie long ago along with bones and all.

As for Yang Yong, his head was turning this way and that, wide-eyed like a country bumpkin visiting the big city.

He knew Li Rui was going to join the Heaven-Earth Alliance, but no one had said he’d become a Hall Master!

So when he heard Wang Zhao was heading there, he tagged along and the two of them ended up stopped at the gate.

A quarter of an hour later, the three of them arrived at Li Rui’s residence.

“Old Li, you're living like a lord now!”

Yang Yong and Wang Zhao stared wide-eyed at the four-courtyard mansion, marveling at it for a long while.

Li Rui had Zhou Shulin prepare extra dishes.

Then he called the two in to eat with him.

Sitting in the bright, spacious hall, Yang Yong and Wang Zhao looked nervous, almost afraid to touch their chopsticks.

Li Rui said irritably, “What’s the matter? Got used to squatting by the doorstep, eating with your heels raised?”

Hearing that, the two felt a bit more at ease. They grinned and began wolfing down their food with gusto.

After the meal, Li Rui finally asked, “Did Master Zhu send you with anything to say?”

Yang Yong glanced at Wang Zhao.

Wang Zhao scratched his head. “Not much, just asked me to come see you.”

“That’s all?”

“That’s all.”

Li Rui could easily see through Zhu Ping’s intentions.

Zhu Ping was a businessman, sharp and calculating. He understood that Li Rui had left the Zhu household because he’d been wronged. If Zhu Ping approached in person, it would make him lose face and probably wouldn’t work. So he sent Wang Zhao instead.

As long as the relationship wasn’t severed, there was still room to mend things.

“Then bring a message back,” Li Rui said. “Tell him my body’s been weak lately and I need medicinal treatment, preferably spiritual pills.”

“Oh…”

Wang Zhao nodded obediently.

Li Rui didn’t mind reconciling with the Zhu family but mere polite gestures weren’t enough. If they wanted to make amends, they had to bleed for it, bleed heavily!

After all, human relationships are all about give and take. Asking for something in return actually put Zhu Ping’s mind at ease. Otherwise, there would surely be resentment on both sides.

In the jianghu, everything boils down to one thing, human hearts.