Chapter 78: Chen Ling’Er’s Recruitment
Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Chen Ling’Er’s Recruitment
"Senior Brother Zhang, isn’t this a bit too extravagant? Is Alchemy really this profitable?"
"I know, right? This is the real deal. We’ve only been lucky enough to have it twice—once at Chen Ling’Er’s place and once at Master Chen Bufan’s Foundation Establishment celebration."
At this, Qin Susu and the others all gasped in surprise. They quickly accepted the Spirit Tea and began to savor it with expressions of pure enjoyment.
What they didn’t know, however, was that this was only because they rarely visited him at the Earth Fire Hall.
Otherwise, they would have discovered that Zhang Chi drank this Cloud Mist Spirit Tea as if it were water.
Not even Chen Ling’Er could afford to be so extravagant.
"Haha, it’s not often you all come to visit, so of course, I had to prepare something nice to welcome you."
Zhang Chi knew he had been careless and quickly tried to sound modest.
After all, even a typical Tier One Middle Grade Alchemist, despite being somewhat wealthy, couldn’t possibly afford this level of luxury.
"Senior Brother Zhang, you’re a true friend!"
"He really is!"
Qin Susu and the others couldn’t help but be deeply moved.
After that, the two parties immediately traded for the Elixirs.
Zhang Chi sold them all the Spirit-Storage Pills from his previous spoils of war, as well as his recent batches, at the newly agreed-upon price.
However, he hadn’t refined many of them recently.
After all, these low-level Elixirs did little to improve his Alchemy skills anymore; at most, they were just for warming up and practice.
Lately, he had been focusing on refining Tier One Middle Grade and Low Grade Demon Soul Pills, but his output was so large that he had sold a significant portion to the Treasure Pavilion.
Because of this, the Beautiful Lady Shopkeeper of the Treasure Pavilion had become increasingly enthusiastic toward him. Her eyes would light up every time they met, as if she wanted to devour him on the spot.
This time, Zhang Chi also sold his recently refined Gathering Essence Pills to Qin Susu and her group for a price slightly lower than the market rate, but still higher than the buyback price.
This way, both sides profited, and everyone was happy.
"From now on, I’ll be focusing on refining Tier One Middle Grade Demon Soul Pills. If you need them, we can continue to work together," Zhang Chi said after collecting the Spirit Stones.
"Great! In that case, thank you, Senior Brother Zhang."
Qin Susu and the others couldn’t have been happier, nodding their heads repeatedly.
"Oh, right. We came here today for two other reasons besides congratulating you, Senior Brother!" Qin Susu continued after they finalized their partnership.
"What is it?"
Zhang Chi couldn’t help but be a little curious.
"First, Senior Sister Chen Ling’Er. She has learned that you’ve become a Tier One Middle Grade Alchemist, Senior Brother Zhang, and would like to invite you to meet with her."
"If we’re not mistaken, she probably wants to recruit you, to have you become one of her partners," Qin Susu said directly, not keeping him in suspense.
He Shi and the others remained silent, but their faces were filled with anticipation. They were all happy for Zhang Chi.
Zhao Yi, in particular, looked on with an expression of pure envy.
"Chen Ling’Er? Alright, I’ll go see her when I have time. But I’m too busy lately, so I can’t go right now."
But Zhang Chi just smiled faintly and politely declined.
’An invitation from the likes of Chen Ling’Er? I really don’t think much of it. Besides, it’s obvious she isn’t even taking this seriously.’
’Otherwise, she wouldn’t have just sent Qin Susu and the others to pass on a message instead of coming herself.’
’And the level of Alchemy I’ve shown so far isn’t that high. Even if I did pledge allegiance to the family behind her, I certainly wouldn’t be given much importance.’
’Joining her team would be a waste of time, and it might even lead to some of my secrets being exposed.’
"What? Senior Brother Zhang, are you sure? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
Qin Susu and the others were stunned, suspecting they must have misheard his answer.
"I’m sure. I need to focus on my Cultivation. We can talk about other things later," Zhang Chi said, nodding seriously.
"Alright then."
Qin Susu and the others felt helpless but also a little impressed. ’No wonder Zhang Chi became a Tier One Middle Grade Alchemist,’ they thought. ’He’s truly indifferent to fame and fortune and can endure solitude.’
"The second matter is, we want to lease some Spirit Fields, but unfortunately, our funds are limited. So, we’d like to ask you to join us as a partner, Senior Brother," Qin Susu continued.
The others all nodded in agreement.
In truth, they had originally only planned to borrow some Spirit Stones from Zhang Chi.
But after learning that Zhang Chi’s Alchemy had advanced, they changed their minds, shifting from borrowing Spirit Stones to recruiting a partner.
For one, it would bring them all closer together.
For another, they could gain a more powerful ally.
After all, a Tier One Middle Grade Alchemist carried some weight and had financial resources.
As for Zhang Chi’s enemy, the Xie Family, they weren’t too concerned.
In their view, the Xie Family had long since given up on dealing with Zhang Chi. Not to mention, they now had the backing of Chen Ling’Er and her group.
"Lease Spirit Fields? That’s not a lucrative opportunity just anyone can snatch up. It requires not only a lot of Spirit Stones but also strong connections!"
Zhang Chi was a little surprised.
He had looked into this matter before.
On one hand, possessing the legacy of a Spirit Plant Master, he had naturally considered growing things like Spirit Rice.
On the other hand, leasing Spirit Fields was indeed a good way to earn Spirit Stones.
But it was a lucrative venture that everyone wanted a piece of, so the competition was fierce. Ordinary Outer Disciples didn’t stand a chance.
"Haha, for that, we have to thank the Sect assessment a few months ago. Remember when we ran into that Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivator with Senior Sister Chen’s group? We survived by the skin of our teeth, and our relationship with them improved because of it."
"Afterward, the Sect felt that Senior Sister Chen had performed a great service and awarded her first place in the assessment. We got some benefits too, and Senior Sister Chen’s group didn’t even ask us to compensate them for the Sword Talismans they used."
"They even felt that our backgrounds and strength were too weak, and since Shishi is now a Middle Grade Talisman Master, they decided to give us a helping hand. We seized the opportunity and asked them to help us secure the qualifications to lease the Sect’s Spirit Fields."
Qin Susu explained with a faint smile.
In reality, getting along with Noble Family Members like Chen Ling’Er inevitably involved enduring a great deal of unfairness, but she didn’t mention any of it.
"So that’s how it is."
Zhang Chi came to a sudden understanding and found the situation rather interesting.
’I saved Chen Ling’Er, who in turn helped Qin Susu and her friends, and now they’ve brought this opportunity to earn Spirit Stones to me. This must be a kind of karmic cycle.’
"Furthermore, Zhao Yi here is a servant disciple. He’s well-connected among the servant disciples and can recruit a batch of reliable ones to manage the Spirit Fields for us."
"Then all we’ll have to do is check on things periodically. And if you’re busy, Senior Brother, we can cover for you. You’ll only need to show up during key times like planting and harvesting," Qin Susu continued.
"That’s right, Senior Brother Zhang! With me here, I guarantee there won’t be any problems."
As a servant disciple, Zhao Yi felt a little insecure in front of Zhang Chi and hadn’t dared to speak much.
But now, he braced himself, took a deep breath, and thumped his chest as he made his loud guarantee.
When they said he had connections, it was really because he had three companions who were Outer Disciples—Qin Susu and the others. The other servants naturally had to show them respect, which was how he managed to do fairly well for himself among the servant disciples.
Qin Susu and the others had brought him along this time, first, to show their respect for Zhang Chi by letting him make an appearance, and second, to add weight to their proposal about the Spirit Fields.
"So, Senior Brother Zhang, what do you think? Are you in?"
Then, Qin Susu and the others all looked at Zhang Chi, their faces full of expectation.
"Haha, if there are Spirit Stones to be made, of course I won’t refuse."
Zhang Chi smiled faintly and readily nodded his agreement.
After that, the group began to discuss the specific details.
This time, they were leasing Low Grade Spirit Fields at a cost of ten spirit stones per mu. Their original plan was to secure one hundred mu.
This would require one thousand Spirit Stones, and when adding in other costs like seeds, it was already the absolute limit of what they could afford.
This was only possible because they had some savings to begin with, and He Shi had become a Tier One Middle Grade Talisman Master.
But now, thanks to their Elixir trade with Zhang Chi, they could turn a quick profit. With Zhang Chi joining them, they planned to lease an additional fifty mu.