Chapter 474: Rewards After Pill Formation
Elder Yun Nie was excited beyond words and decided to take advantage of this streak to refine more pills. But due perhaps to his agitation at producing an upper rank pill for the first time, he let slip a tiny flaw into his refining and ended up producing a mid rank pill on his second try.
By the time he’d begun the third attempt, he’d regained his equilibrium and followed his tempo from the first refining attempt, producing another upper rank Hexarune Dragon pill.
Although a supreme rank pill hadn’t made an appearance, two upper and one mid rank pill were far beyond Elder Yun Nie’s expectations. Before Jiang Chen’s appearance, his wish had only been to refine a satisfactory lower rank pill. But now, his accomplishments had exceeded his wildest dreams.
“Congratulations to Elder Yun Nie!” Jiang Chen didn’t l.u.s.t after these pills at all. For one, he had no use for them at his current stage of cultivation. For another, he could easily refine the same if he collected enough materials. Moreover, he had a thirty to forty percent surety of producing supreme rank pills. However, judging from the elder’s delighted, face splitting smile, Jiang Chen knew that the elder was very satisfied with this time’s haul.
Since he was, he should pay up with his rewards? At the end of the day, that’s all Jiang Chen really cared about.
“Hahaha, Jiang Chen, you have the honor of claiming the greatest achievement in this task of refining this Hexarune Dragon Pill. I’ve heard that you are very talented in controlling fire and inspecting cauldrons. Well? Want to hop out of the Rosy Valley and come to my Herbal Hall?” Elder Yun Nie may not usually set foot outside, but he was the Hallmaster of the Herbal Hall, the true holder of its reins.
Jiang Chen smiled wryly when he heard this hall’s name. His name was likely anathema in that hall at the moment. He really had declined too many elders who’d come to recruit him.
“What is it?” Elder Yun Nie saw Jiang Chen’s wry smile. “Does my little friend look down on the Herbal Hall?”
Jiang Chen hastily shook his head. “I would never dare. It’s just that my reputation must be akin to mud in the Herbal Hall right now. Heading over there would just put me in the limelight as public enemy number one.”
“What makes you say that?” The elder was completely baffled. He’d been at home lately and hadn’t inquired about matters in the outside world. As for the Herbal Hall elders failing in their recruiting, it was an embarra.s.sing matter to begin with, so they wouldn’t publicize it either. This was why Elder Yun Nie was completely unaware of the ripples Jiang Chen had caused.
Jiang Chen was straightforward and quickly recounted the various visits from the elders seeking to recruit him.
Elder Yun Nie couldn’t help but guffaw as Jiang Chen went over his recent experiences. Soon after though, he started to curse vociferously, “Those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds with an eye to the future! It was a good thing that you weren’t recruited by them. Otherwise, you would’ve never gone to request a mission at the Hall of Spring and Autumn and I would still be sitting here wondering if my pill would ever be refined. It seems the strings of fate work in mysterious ways.” Elder Yun Nie’s laughter was still ringing through the air as he shouted, “Come! Bring out the rewards I’ve long left in storage!”
His followers quickly brought out the rewards. A thousand upper rank Origin Fostering Pills...this was far more precious than Mu Gaoqi’s pills! Moreover, there were five half sage weapons that Jiang Chen could have his pick of.
“I uphold my word, Jiang Chen. These weapons have all come from various daoists in the Myriad Domain. I have no need for them, so take your pick.”
Jiang Chen didn’t bother deliberating, and immediately picked up a bow and its accompanying quiver of arrows. The bow had a vibrant golden body, an almost domineering feeling emanating off it.
“Haha, this is Sunpiercer. Although officially cla.s.sified as a half sage weapon, its power can easily rival that of a once or twice refined sage realm weapon.” Elder Yun Nie smiled.
Jiang Chen quite liked the bow and returned the smile, “Then this disciple will be so bold as to ask for this bow.”
Elder Yun Nie was truly in a fantastic mood. “You can come collect the spirit medicine rewards whenever you need them. Take whatever you can find in my storage. As for now, come come come, let’s chat for a while. You can pick out some medicines before you go back.” The successful refining of the Hexarune Dragon Pill had cleared many years worth of the elder’s internal demons. He was naturally in high spirits, feeling that life was just so wonderful.
Elder Nie Yun’s followers were flabbergasted at his generosity. However, when they remembered that Jiang Chen had helped the elder resolve his issue of many years, the seeds of envy that normally would’ve taken root were banished. In fact, they came to the silent conclusion that they definitely needed to cultivate a good relations.h.i.+p with Jiang Chen. Judging from this young man’s position, he was bound to become a frequent guest of the elder. Now, not only did Palace Head Dan Chi look favorably on him, the elder owed him a favor. He was bound to become an influential force in the future. There was no time like the present to fawn up to him. After all, when he truly came into his own, becoming a pinnacle existence within the sect, it would be too late then.
Jiang Chen naturally wouldn’t decline the elder’s goodwill after he’d received his rewards and saw that the elder wanted to treat him some more. He accompanied the elder on a tour of his residence.
With his recent actions, Jiang Chen had certainly offended many of the Herbal Hall elders. Although he didn’t know what position Elder Yun Nie held in the Herbal Hall, he was sure it was a position of some clout. Otherwise, the elder wouldn’t have wanted him to join the Herbal Hall.
“Jiang Chen ah, I must thank you for resolving my age old internal demons. With this upper rank pill, I have more confidence in a.s.sailing the earth sage realm.” Elder Yun Nie opened his heart to Jiang Chen, sighing emotionally.
“Then this kid will congratulate the elder’s success in advance!” Jiang Chen said sincerely.
“Haha, you’d be the person who’s rendered the greatest service if I can attain the earth sage realm. Oh right, Jiang Chen, it looks like you don’t know that much about the Regal Pill Palace. Has Palace Head Dan Chi not explained the matters of the sect to you?”
Jiang Chen responded seriously, “The Palace Head has given me a general gist, but he may wish for me to personally experience the minor details.”
Elder Yun Nie nodded, “The Palace Head has great vision and ambition. He’s less than a hundred years old, whereas I am almost three hundred years old. But if we look at the history of the Regal Pill Palace in the past three hundred years, the person I respect the most is still Palace Head Dan Chi.”
Elder Yun Nie paused when he finished, then continued to speak, “If you weren’t someone that Sage Dan Chi values, I really might not have been at ease letting you try today.”
Jiang Chen smiled, he knew that Elder Yun Nie was speaking the truth. From his perspective, it was normal to be suspicious of a young man.
“Jiang Chen, allow me to introduce myself. I, Yun Nie, am an elder personally appointed by the last Palace Head. When Sage Dan Chi took the position, he raised me to the position of venerated elder. Currently, the elder council has three venerated elders, and I’m one of them. I oversee the Herbal Hall and Elder Jin Gu supervises the Hall of Spring and Autumn, which leaves the extremely reclusive Elder Lian Cheng in charge of the Hall of Might.”
Jiang Chen was slightly startled to hear this. “So you are the Hallmaster of the Herbal Hall! This kid is truly ignorant and hopes that the elder will forgive me for any discourtesy.”
Elder Yun Nie waved his hand, smiling, “Don’t you put on that act with me. You even dared to decline invitations from eight Herbal Hall elders! Although I’m the Hallmaster, my face is not necessarily more than all of them combined!”
“Elder, you jest.” Jiang Chen hastened to say. Then, he spoke seriously, “This kid has a naturally lazy disposition and felt that there would be too many restrictions involved in being a medicine boy for the elders. This is why I declined them.”
That was at least part of the truth.
Being a medicine boy honestly meant that he was just an errand boy to be ordered to run hither and thither. Jiang Chen’s personality was undisciplined, and he’d never had the habit of running errands for others, not in this life or his past.
“It’s right that you declined them.” Elder Yun Nie laughed. “One can only blame them for lack of vision, treating a supreme genius as you as a mere ordinary pill genius. I still stand by my words; the doors to the Herbal Hall are always open to you if you wish to come here. I promise that no one will dare suppress, seek revenge on, or even ostracize you for previous matters.”
“The most important thing is that your potential in the dao of pills is incredibly high. The Hall of Healing usually has many pill refining missions, with correspondingly rich rewards. If you take on those missions using the ident.i.ty of a Herbal Hall pill master, it would allow you to ama.s.s a great deal of resources quickly. I suspect you’re greatly in need of resources, what with your recent arrival to the Regal Pill Palace. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have come to request the eight star mission from me, would you?” Elder Yun Nie was indeed taking Jiang Chen into his confidence. It was rare for one in his position to speak so frankly to a young man, but it demonstrated how much he valued the disciple in front of him.
Jiang Chen nodded, “Jiang Chen will surely remember the elder’s great favor for me. If I am to join any hall in the future, my first choice will surely be the Herbal Hall.” He had yet to clearly understand the intricate balance within the sect, so he wasn’t in a hurry to join any halls. Even the knowledge that the Herbal Hall was one of the top three halls in the sect didn’t move him.
Elder Yun Nie’s gaze was profound as he looked meaningfully at Jiang Chen, nodding slightly a moment after. A true genius was supposed to be like this, not making decisions lightly. He should retain a clear head at all times, unswayed by pa.s.sing temptations. Jiang Chen’s actions lived up to Elder Yun Nie’s expectations.
“I am filled with more and more admiration for Sage Dan Chi’s eye for talent. Hidden as you were in the sixteen kingdoms, he was still able to uncover a beautiful gem. I am truly in awe! Jiang Chen, do your best not to disappoint Sage Dan Chi. We both share a common goal when it comes to supporting the Palace Head.” Elder Yun Nie spoke a few words of encouragement.
Suddenly, one of his followers walked in from outside. “Elder Linghu of the Herbal Hall has come to visit.”
Elder Linghu? Jiang Chen immediately thought of the elder who’d tried to recruit him. Linghu Xian had been the first to visit.
Elder Yun Nie waved his hand, “Tell him I’m refining pills and won’t be seeing him.” The follower nodded and walked back outside.
The elder snorted lightly, “All of them want to make use of a backdoor, how ridiculous! They can put all that scheming to rest as long as I am in charge of the Herbal Hall. Jiang Chen, this Linghu Xian should’ve been one of the elders who tried to recruit you?”
Jiang Chen nodded, not denying things.
“Do you know why he’s come to visit?”
Jiang Chen shook his head, at a loss. Judging from Elder Yun Nie’s tone, it was for an important matter. Linghu Xian likely wanted to make use of a personal relations.h.i.+p to accomplish his own goals. However, Elder Yun Nie had his own principles and would never let anyone do that.