Chapter 113 — The Price of a Useful Pill

CHAPTER 113

The Price of a Useful Pill

“Enough for the first route,” Ning Hong said.

Shi Feng placed the last box beside the others. Each held the same recovery medicine, sealed against damp and packed for the southern journey.

Ning Hong opened one. Her early Foundation Establishment qi entered the pill lightly, testing its stability. Then she checked the boxes themselves.

“You changed the lining,” Ning Hong said.

“You asked me which kind to buy,” Shi Feng replied.

“And you actually bought it,” Ning Hong said.

“The rough cloth sheds threads,” Shi Feng replied. “One caught under a lid last time.”

Ning Hong opened a second box and ran her thumb along the clean lining.

“Good,” Ning Hong said. “My men stack everything under the heaviest sack they can find. I don’t need loose threads in the medicine as well.”

She smiled. She was used to merchants promising small things during a discussion and forgetting them once paid.

The furnace room smelled faintly of fresh medicine. Outside, Gao Yuan kept passing the doorway without finding a convincing reason to enter.

Ning Hong counted the customer's share and set her payment on the table. Shi Feng didn't touch the spirit stones until she finished inspecting the last box.

“Those are yours?” Ning Hong asked, pointing to the separate bottle.

“The agreed share,” Shi Feng replied.

She nodded. Four successful pills remained beside a little failed medicine from the practice portion. The customer received what was promised, and his own cultivation gained resources alongside his purse.

He liked business that ended clearly.

Ning Hong took one pill from her box and swallowed it. Its medicinal force spread evenly through her body. The effect was modest for her realm, but it was clean and steady.

Her guards at Bone Refinement would benefit more.

“This will do,” Ning Hong said.

Shi Feng accepted the payment.

“Let me know how they keep after the southern crossing,” Shi Feng said. “If the lining gets damp, I’ll change it for the next order.”

Ning Hong laughed.

“I'll make the guards listen,” Ning Hong replied.

She called for a porter to carry the boxes. The man waiting outside was at Qi Condensation and stared openly at Shi Feng's sword before remembering the task. He picked the boxes up with both hands and left without dropping one.

That was all the respect Shi Feng needed from him.

By noon, the final balance from two smaller commissions arrived. Shi Feng put the ingredient money aside first, paid for the next furnace sessions, and kept a real reserve after both expenses. There was no need to count whether buying rice would delay charcoal.

He felt a quiet satisfaction at that. The vow made over eleven spirit stones was finally producing something he could hold onto. Gao Yuan found him checking the next ingredient list.

“Business is good,” Gao Yuan said.

“Yes,” Shi Feng replied.

“Then perhaps a larger room,” Gao Yuan suggested.

“No,” Shi Feng said.

Gao Yuan sighed. He'd prepared three reasons for the larger room and got no chance to use any of them.

“The current one has limited space,” Gao Yuan said stubbornly.

“Your doorway's usually full of you,” Shi Feng replied.

The landlord stepped aside before remembering that it was his doorway.

Shi Feng returned to his notes. More work didn't mean accepting every order. He still had sword practice, cultivation, and a regional journey ahead. He wanted useful income, not a yard full of angry people waiting for promises he couldn't keep.

Once alone, Shi Feng spent a short practice portion on the Golden Core formula. The first joining held longer than before. The final turn still broke it. He wrote down the improvement and kept the failed medicine separate from every customer's stock. More income gave him time to practice; it didn't certify an unfinished pill.

That evening, Shi Feng bought fresh fish, rice, and a bundle of good vegetables. Nothing had a noble name. Everything was fresh enough that the seller didn't need to explain away the smell.

He also bought a thicker mat for the floor. The mat amused Ling Qingzhu more than the food.

“You're finally tired of the old one?” Ling Qingzhu asked.

“My back's been tired of it longer,” Shi Feng replied.

“You never said,” Ling Qingzhu said.

“You've never offered to exchange,” Shi Feng replied.

She glanced toward her bed and immediately raised her chin.

“The terms were clear,” Ling Qingzhu said.

“I remember,” Shi Feng replied.

He wasn't asking for the bed. She understood that after a moment and looked slightly embarrassed by her quick answer.

He unrolled the thicker mat beside the old bedding. It fit without reaching beneath the folding screen or blocking her chest. Ling Qingzhu watched him smooth the edge with one hand.

“You could've bought it earlier,” Ling Qingzhu said.

“I bought it now,” Shi Feng replied.

She accepted that answer easily. In her mind, his new success explained the better purchase. It didn't occur to her to question the original payment she still believed he received.

A folded dark robe lay beside his bedding. He recognised the cloth bought with her violet silk.

“The seamstress sent it,” Ling Qingzhu said.

Shi Feng put it on before cooking and checked the cuffs. They sat properly against his wrists. The stronger lining made them feel firmer without becoming stiff.

“Better?” Ling Qingzhu asked.

“Yes,” Shi Feng replied.

She stood up to check the collar. It needed no adjustment, but her fingers rested there for a moment anyway.

“Don't burn this one immediately,” Ling Qingzhu said.

“I'll tell the furnace,” Shi Feng replied.

“Tell yourself,” Ling Qingzhu said.

He looked down at her hand. She noticed and stepped back, trying to sound annoyed as she ordered him to change before cooking fish in a new robe.

Shi Feng changed with a smile. He folded the garment carefully instead of hanging it over the nearest chair. Someone had spent time making it fit him.

Shi Feng went to cook. She followed him and took the vegetables before he reached for them.

“I can wash these,” Ling Qingzhu said.

“I didn't say you couldn't,” Shi Feng replied.

“You were about to,” Ling Qingzhu said.

He wisely left her the basin.

They ate after sunset. The fish was ordinary and well cooked. Ling Qingzhu took another piece without commenting on the price.

Shi Feng watched her enjoy it and felt pleased. He could provide a better meal without emptying his purse. He could keep pills for his foundation without leaving the next day's ingredients unpaid.

That was the kind of wealth he wanted first.

Later, he swallowed his retained pills one by one and guided their strength through his foundation. The effect didn't weaken with repeated use. His physique absorbed each portion cleanly, leaving no poison or hidden cost.

His foundation grew steadier, but it demanded far more medicine before the next stage. Shi Feng didn't mind. He now had a way to obtain it.

From behind the screen, Ling Qingzhu called his name.

“The new mat?” Ling Qingzhu asked. “Is it comfortable?”

Shi Feng stretched out and looked at the ceiling.

“More than the old one,” Shi Feng replied.

“Good,” Ling Qingzhu said softly.

The travel notice came the next morning. Ling Qingzhu tied her veil before opening the gate to Lu Sen, who checked both names on the delivery slip.

“Either spouse can acknowledge it,” Lu Sen said.

Ling Qingzhu signed. The ordinary word pleased her. She put the notices together until Shi Feng returned, then handed him his own. They checked the reporting dates and the identification plates before discussing where they might go afterward.

“Artificer Hall,” Shi Feng said. “An elder's lessons helped me. I'd like to see the place.”

“Hundred Flower Valley interests me,” Ling Qingzhu said. “I'll listen before choosing.”

He smiled at that, though as he folded the travel notice he noted the red magistrate's endorsement stamped in the margin: the pre-departure representative briefing had been moved up, and any pending household petitions from the provinces were to be heard before the reporting tokens were issued.