The Establishment of the Pill Rolling Team at Humble Peak

“By my calculations, one low-grade spirit stone, after processing, can be transformed into five low-grade spirit stones, resulting in a pure profit four times over!”

“And my initial investment is only five low-grade spirit stones, which can be repeatedly processed with the earned spirit stones in the future.”

Chen An’nian became increasingly excited as he calculated.

“The financial issue is now resolved!”

...

The next afternoon, after experiencing the “beating” from Xia Longque, Chen An’nian, full of anticipation, met Luo Youcai once again.

“How did it go?” Chen An’nian asked eagerly.

Since yesterday, this matter had been on his mind constantly.

If it succeeded, not only would the issue of spirit stones be resolved, but the divine power needed for his future cultivation would also be abundant, surpassing his imagination.

Cultivation requires divine power, and even deducing techniques require divine power, which could also be obtained with spirit stones.

Roughly speaking, his future cultivation path would be smooth.

How could this not make Chen An’nian excited?

Moreover, with sufficient divine power, his master and senior brothers’ injuries could also be healed!

Although they had only been together for three days, Chen An’nian could feel the care of his master and senior brothers.

In these past two days, while he was being beaten, they secretly watched him, worried that he might actually get severely injured.

Although Xia Longque didn’t hold back in beating him these past two days, with each punch, Xia Longque would point out Chen An’nian’s weaknesses.

Furthermore, although Chen An’nian appeared to be in a pitiful state, he hadn’t actually injured his tendons or bones; it was just some bruises on his skin.

In just three days, Humble Peak had given Chen An’nian a sense of home.

Although this home couldn’t even provide a decent meal, and he had to fetch water and wash dishes every day, sometimes even do chores. Chen An’nian felt particularly at ease and warm.

When it came to family, Chen An’nian hoped to be able to help them.

Luo Youcai looked at Chen An’nian’s symmetrical black eyes and said, “Why don’t you take a Healing Pill yourself first? Your injuries look quite frightening.”

“Don’t waste time, hurry up! How are the sales of the Healing Pill? Have you sold ten pills?”

Chen An’nian impatiently looked at Luo Youcai.

Luo Youcai squinted his eyes and said, “Ten pills? You underestimate me. Forty-nine pills, not a single one left, all sold out!”

As Luo Youcai said this, his eyes gleamed.

He took out a bag from his pocket and threw it to Chen An’nian, saying, “There are a total of twenty-five low-grade spirit stones inside, take a look.”

Chen An’nian opened the bag and saw twenty-five low-grade spirit stones the size of eggs, which almost dazzled his eyes.

This was the first time he had seen so many spirit stones!

Success, it’s a success!

Chen An’nian looked at Luo Youcai and said, “It seems necessary to increase the quantity of Healing Pills.”

Luo Youcai nodded excitedly, “Indeed, all forty-nine Healing Pills were sold out in less than two hours last night.”

“Today, someone came looking for me, wanting to buy more.”

“I estimate that there will be a sudden increase in demand initially, which will gradually stabilize.”

“So, I suggest selling as many Healing Pills as we have in the early stages, as everyone will surely stock up.”

“Then it will become a regular purchase.”

Luo Youcai had completely transformed into the shape of a spirit stone.

Last night, he was so excited that he didn’t sleep at all.

With forty-nine Healing Pills, he earned over a thousand silver, which, when converted into low-grade spirit stones, was more than two whole pieces and a half.

This was his two-hour harvest.

And according to Chen An’nian’s words, there were still many Healing Pills to come.

Today there were fifty pills, tomorrow there might be five hundred, or even five thousand.

He was confident that he could sell them all within two days.

By then, even if he, Luo Youcai, followed along, he would still be able to thrive.

“Great, come and pick up the goods tomorrow afternoon. I’ll give you three hundred pills,” Chen An’nian said.

Luo Youcai blinked his eyes and asked, “Why not give them to me now?”

“Don’t I know how well the Healing Pills are selling? Now that I have a clear idea, I’ll give them to you tomorrow.”

After saying this, Chen An’nian quickly left.

Three hundred Healing Pills, how long would it take for him to make them?

And there was not enough flour at Humble Peak, he needed to buy more fruits and herbs.

For those alchemists on the Alchemy Peak, alchemy may be a technical skill, but for them, it was a complete physical endeavor.

So, after dinner, Li Shaodian, Xu Shouqiao, Shen Chunqiu, and Xia Longque gathered in the pavilion outside, watching Chen An’nian bustling about inside the house.

But he was humming an unknown tune, seemingly in good spirits.

“Master, what is Little Junior Brother doing?” Xu Shouqiao asked.

Li Shaodian shook his head, “I don’t know. How has An’nian been practicing his fist technique these past few days?”

“He’s been doing well, just a bit absent-minded,” Xu Shouqiao replied truthfully.

Xia Longque chimed in, “I feel the same way. There must be something on his mind. Today, he seemed very anxious and even sought me out for a fight.”

“It seems it’s time to talk to him. I’m worried he feels he lacks resources, hindering his cultivation speed and causing an imbalance in his mindset.”

Li Shaodian sighed, “If necessary, I’ll give my pils for this month to him.”

“Little Junior Brother is not that kind of person. The other day, he returned the pills and even used his own spirit stones to support us. I knew Little Junior Brother isn’t someone who despises the poor and favors the rich.”

Xia Longque, who usually treated Chen An’nian the harshest, spoke up first.

“Yes, Little Junior Brother often goes hungry and suffers in Factotum Peak. Those spirit stones were probably saved by him to aid his own cultivation,” Shen Chunqiu reflected.

“But he still selflessly gave them to us,” he added with emotion.

“An’nian is kind-hearted, and we shouldn’t take it for granted. Let’s go buy some nourishing pills for him tomorrow, so he can have more time for cultivation and enter the Thousand Forces Realm sooner,” Li Shaodian decided firmly.

“Understood, Master.”

...

At dawn, the sun rose as usual from the east.

Chen An’nian, who had been busy until midnight, prepared water as usual.

He had originally planned to continue practicing fist technique with Xu Shouqiao, but Xu Shouqiao led him toward the Outer Sect instead.

“Little Junior Brother, we won’t practice today,” Xu Shouqiao said.

“No practice? Then what are we going to do?” Chen An’nian asked curiously.

Xu Shouqiao remained silent for a moment, seemingly contemplating how to phrase his words.

“An’nian, how have you been eating lately?”

“Quite well.”

“And how have you been sleeping?”

“Also quite well,” Chen An’nian looked at Xu Shouqiao with confusion.

Why was Eldest Senior Brother acting strange today?

Xu Shouqiao remained silent for a while longer before finally saying, “An’nian, I’m not criticizing you. It’s just that these past few days, your cultivation has been completely off. It’s made me a bit worried.”

Chen An’nian suddenly realized.

No wonder Eldest Senior Brother said they wouldn’t practice fist technique today.

“Eldest Senior Brother, I have indeed been delayed by some other matters these past few days,” Chen An’nian said.

“But I promise that from today onwards, I will cultivate even more diligently than before.”

“Really?” Xu Shouqiao asked.

“Absolutely!” Chen An’nian nodded firmly.

Xu Shouqiao let out a sigh of relief.

“That’s good. If anything is bothering you, feel free to talk to us. If you need any cultivation resources, let us know, and we’ll find a solution.”

Chen An’nian felt warmth in his heart once again.

Even now, Xu Shouqiao was concerned about his cultivation and even thought about squeezing out more spirit stones to buy pills for him.

“Eldest Senior Brother, may I take a leave today? I’ll come back in the evening. After I return, I promise to diligently cultivate and not disappoint you!”

Chen An’nian said apologetically.

Xu Shouqiao paused for a moment, then replied, “Alright, go ahead.”

Watching Chen An’nian’s figure disappear in a flash, Xu Shouqiao felt a bit puzzled.

Did Little Junior Brother have something important to attend to?

...

Chen An’nian made up his mind to confront his senior brothers tonight.

He could pretend to others, but he decided to be honest with his senior brothers who genuinely cared for him.

Besides, the matter of concocting the elixir couldn’t be concealed for long, so it was better to be straightforward about it.

Chen An’nian found Luo Youcai and handed him the three hundred Healing Pill he had concocted last night, withdrawing eighty low-grade spirit stones from him in advance.

“Tomorrow, I’ll give you another five hundred pills, and from then on, supplying five hundred pills daily should be sufficient,” Chen An’nian said.

“Why? If we produce more Healing Pills, we can earn even more,” Luo Youcai hurriedly asked.

He was almost going crazy waiting for the Healing Pills.

Many people were urging him.

The Healing Pill was not a decorative item to be bought and left aside.

It was a genuine consumable and a necessary one for cultivation.

Without any toxic side effects, it meant that one could take it multiple times a day, greatly increasing the time available for cultivation.

Anyone would understand the importance of the Healing Pill.

Yet, Chen An’nian wanted to limit the supply.

"Five hundred pills should be enough. If we sell too many, the Alchemy Peak will surely get angry,” he explained.

“Moreover, limited supply will make those people realize the value of Healing Pill even more.” Chen An’nian explained.

“No, at least six hundred pills, An’nian,” Luo Youcai changed his address to Chen An’nian directly.

“An’nian, at least six hundred pills!”

Luo Youcai gestured, “If you’re worried about the Alchemy Peak, I can sell some outside.”

“Don’t worry, I have some connections outside, although I can’t take them out every day. I can sell them in bulk every few days,” Luo Youcai assured confidently.

“The sales outside may not be substantial, but on average, selling one to two hundred pills a day should not be a problem.”

Luo Youcai promised solemnly.

Chen An’nian could only reluctantly agree, “Alright, starting from tomorrow, six hundred pills a day!”

“Great, thanks!”

Luo Youcai completely transformed into Chen An’nian’s follower.

He was indeed a great elder brother who could help him earn spirit stones!

“By the way, An’nian, Lu Xiuwu has been inquiring about you recently, as well as the news from the Humble Peak,” Luo Youcai suddenly mentioned.

“This guy is about to make a breakthrough to the Inner Sect. An’nian, you should be careful,” he warned.

Chen An’nian’s heart skipped a beat, Lu Xiuwu?

Could it be Lu Zhongmu’s cousin?

This is bad!

He’s being targeted!

“Alright, I got it. You also keep an eye on Lu Xiuwu’s movements for me,” Chen An’nian said with a changed expression.

...

Approaching dinner time, Chen An’nian returned to the Humble Peak with good wine and dishes he had bought.

His master and three senior brothers were waiting for him to have dinner.

Chen An’nian placed the wine jar, lotus leaf roasted chicken, and some cold dishes on the table.

His master and senior brothers couldn’t help but salivate at the sight.

Shen Chunqiu looked at the vegetables and tofu in his bowl and suddenly felt it wasn’t as appetizing.

“Little Junior Brother, I have told you before, our Humble Peak is not very affluent. We should be a bit more frugal in our spending, otherwise, it might become a burden,” Xu Shouqiao also had a pained expression.

Previously, they wouldn’t even have meat once a month, but now that Chen An’nian had arrived, the meals were improved every few days.

It was easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality.

Chen An’nian poured wine for his master and senior brothers, “Master, senior brothers, I have something to confess to you today.”

“What’s the matter?”

Li Shaodian looked at Chen An’nian.

The three senior brothers also turned their attention to him.

“I might have caused trouble for our Humble Peak,” Chen An’nian said with his head lowered.

“I thought it was something serious. What’s the big deal about causing a little trouble?” Xia Longque looked at the roasted chicken in front of him, his eyes gleaming.

“Little Junior Brother, it’s alright,” Xu Shouqiao was also taken aback, thinking something had happened to Chen An’nian, “Causing trouble is almost a compulsory course in our Humble Peak. We used to be experts at it.”

Li Shaodian also nodded, “Tell us, what kind of trouble?”

Chen An’nian was shocked.

Causing trouble was not a big deal?

Wow, the people in our Humble Peak are so special.

Causing trouble seemed insignificant compared to eating roasted chicken.

Chen An’nian explained the matter of Lu Xiuwu and Lu Zhongmu in detail but concealed the existence of the Golden Book fragment.

He only mentioned it was a secret of the Chen Family.

“So, those guys wanted to get their hands on your treasure,” Shen Chunqiu tapped the table, “Little Junior Brother, don’t worry, we won’t let that Lu Xiuwu stir up any trouble.”

“But I suspect that Lu Xiuwu definitely knows about Lu Zhongmu’s contact with assassins outside. If they intercept us outside, it could be dangerous,” Chen An’nian quickly added.

Xu Shouqiao frowned slightly, “That is indeed a problem. Inside the sect, there won’t be any issues, but once we leave the sect, the sect’s influence won’t reach there.”

“Moreover, since Lu Xiuwu has already started inquiring about our information, he must know that we will be going on a mission in two months.”

“I think he might make a move by then.”

Chen An’nian’s heart skipped a beat, “Then... what should we do?”

Xia Longque waved her hand, “Don’t worry. As per our initial plan, we wanted you to accompany us on an external mission, and the next mission will be in two years. This way, we ensure your safety. But now it seems that waiting for a full year is the safest option. By then, I will accompany you on a trip outside.”

Xu Shouqiao nodded in agreement, “Yes, rest assured. No matter when you leave the sect, we will go with you and ensure that no assassins harm you.”

Chen An’nian felt a warm surge in his heart.

The three senior brothers had always considered him, their little junior brother, throughout, but he never imagined the dangers they would encounter.

Xu Shouqiao took out a porcelain bottle from his pocket and handed it to Chen An’nian, “Here, I bought this today at the Outer Sect. It is said to be more effective than the body-nourishing pills. I bought two pills for you.”

Chen An’nian raised an eyebrow, feeling uncertain, “Eldest Senior Brother, what is this?”

“It’s called... Healing Pill,” Xu Shouqiao replied.

Chen An’nian curled his lips, “Eldest Senior Brother, is this Healing Pill really that good?”

“Well, it’s not bad. It is indeed better than body-nourishing pills, and it has no toxicity. I tried one myself, and your second senior brother also tried one. We made sure there were no issues before giving it to you,” Xu Shouqiao explained.

A strange smile appeared on Chen An’nian’s face, “Eldest Senior Brother, do you think the person selling this pill can make a lot of spirit stones?”

“I think so. The Healing Pill is slightly more expensive than the body-nourishing pills, but it has no side effects. The seller seems to have a conscience,” Xu Shouqiao replied.

Chen An’nian took a deep breath, then lowered his head, seemly muttering to himself, “I’m the one selling this pill.”

His voice was very soft, and he spoke rapidly.

Ordinary people couldn’t hear him at all.

But the people present were not ordinary.

“Clatter.”

Xia Longque dropped her chopsticks and stared straight at Chen An’nian.

“What?”

Li Shaodian took a sip of wine to calm himself, but ended up spitting it out and quickly stopped the others from drinking.

“What... what’s wrong? Master, is this wine... poisoned?”

Shen Chunqiu looked at Li Shaodian incredulously, then glanced at Chen An’nian.

Li Shaodian’s face turned red.

“The wine is not poisoned, but you all can’t drink it. It’s prepared for An’nian.”

Chen An’nian hurriedly said, “Master, I bought this specifically for you all to drink.”

“This wine can heal injuries, especially hidden injuries in the body. It will definitely be beneficial for all of you!”

However, Li Shaodian firmly refused to drink, “Our injuries have already reached and damaged the origin. Drinking this would be a waste. You’ve just started cultivating, and you need it more.”

Chen An’nian took out a Healing Pill and handed it to Li Shaodian.

“Master, try this.”

Li Shaodian hesitated for a moment but eventually put it in his mouth, his expression instantly freezing.

“Master, do you feel it?”

Chen An’nian asked, his face filled with anticipation.

Li Shaodian nodded, looking bewildered.

“I made this pill, and I also added something special to this wine.”

“The secret of my Chen Family is a... pill formula!”

“A pill formula that can treat hidden injuries!”

Chen An’nian said with a determined tone.

“Boom!”

Even the most composed Xu Shouqiao’s stone stool collapsed beneath him.

The master and disciples stood there, unable to utter a word for a long time.

Even the delicious roasted chicken lost its appeal.

After a long silence, Li Shaodian slapped Chen An’nian on the back of his head, “Kid, you need to learn to keep your mouth shut. You can’t just blurt out everything.”

“You can’t trust people like this. This pill formula is so good that many people would die if it got out.”

Chen An’nian chuckled, “We’re in Humble Peak, we’re all family. What do I have to fear?”

"From now on, you’re not allowed to say anything about it,” Li Shaodian sternly warned.

“It’s best if all of you forget about it too.”

“No wonder those assassins have been lurking here for over a year. It seems the trouble is far from simple,” Li Shaodian muttered as he paced back and forth in the pavilion.

"From now on, the pill formula will be considered something Chunqiu found in a book, and we can only refine Healing Pills.”

“If it’s discovered, we’ll all stick to this story. Understand?”

“Understood.”

Even Shen Chunqiu, the scapegoat, nodded firmly.

Chen An’nian knew that his master and senior brothers were protecting him by shouldering this burden.

“Master, you may not have understood what I meant. We can earn a lot of spirit stones with this Healing Pill!”

“With spirit stones, we can continue to refine the Healing Pills. It will not only benefit my cultivation but perhaps also heal your injuries... and everyone else’s!”

Sigh...

Within the pavilion, the sound of several individuals taking long breaths could be heard.

They had been injured for eight years, and their physical condition had deteriorated.

Even with the aid of elixirs, their strength had plummeted to an all-time low.

Now, Chen An’nian had unexpectedly given them hope.

This hope amidst despair, despite enduring countless hardships, remained difficult to calm.

“Let’s eat,” Li Shaodian suddenly spoke.

The group quickly began devouring their food, not neglecting the wine, each person indulging in a hearty drink.

No one spoke, yet Chen An’nian could keenly sense that everyone’s hearts were restless.

After finishing their meal, their demeanor returned to normal.

Li Shaodian patted his belly and said, “If selling the Healing Pills means you won’t have time to cultivate in the future, then it’s not worth it.”

Chen An’nian, while tidying up the tableware, replied, “That’s why I still want to ask for the assistance of the three senior brothers.”

“What kind of help?”

Chen An’nian felt a bit embarrassed and said, “I’ve already figured out the other steps in the past few days, but currently, the most time-consuming task is rolling the medicinal pills.”

“I want to ask the three senior brothers for help... in rolling the pills.”

Xu Shouqiao, Shen Chunqiu, and Xia Longque remained silent.

Li Shaodian immediately made a decision, “No problem!”

“Since you have the Healing Pills, then the time for cultivation can be extended.”

“Every morning, we’ll practice martial arts. In the afternoon, the eldest and third brothers will spar with you respectively... After dinner, we’ll gather to roll the pills.”

“Let’s strive to help you reach the Gang Power Realm within a year!”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Chen An’nian smiled happily, “By the way, Master, will you also be rolling the pills?”

Li Shaodian widened his eyes, “Of course! If it’s a collective effort to roll the pills, how can I be absent?”

“Master, we’ll start rolling tonight.”

“How many pills are we rolling?”

“Six hundred!”

And thus, the Pill Rolling Team of Humble Peak was officially established!