Chapter 45 - 44: Presenting the Tribute Pill and Making a Name for Oneself

Chapter 45: Chapter 44: Presenting the Tribute Pill and Making a Name for Oneself

Fifteen minutes later, Zhao Ci straightened his collar and walked out the door with a blank expression.

Zhu Li looked rather embarrassed, her toes curling inside her boots so tightly that the tough material stretched taut over the arches of her feet. All she could do was force a couple of polite yet awkward laughs.

"Ha, haha..."

"..."

Zhao Ci rubbed his head and sighed. "I gave you unrestricted access to the Tenth Prince’s Mansion so you could report on your work, not so you could kick down my door and rip off my blankets!"

Although he didn’t frequent the Pill Workshop much, he still needed to stay informed about what was happening there.

The most critical piece of information was how well Zhu Li was integrating with the other alchemists. After all, that was the key factor that would determine how far his Pill Workshop could go.

That was why he had given Zhu Li unrestricted access to the Tenth Prince’s Mansion.

He never expected this to be the result.

Admittedly, the shocked look in Zhu Li’s eyes had greatly satisfied his vanity.

But he still felt like he’d been taken advantage of.

"But-but this *is* official business today!"

Zhu Li craned her pale, slender neck and argued, "We’ve honed our skills for years, all for the sake of making a name for ourselves today. How can we not prepare properly? If you oversleep, you’ll be drowsy for the entire Gongdan Conference, and I, the top alchemist of the Tenth Prince’s Mansion, will lose face."

Zhao Ci sucked in a breath.

Zhu Li added, "Besides, Her Ladyship wants to eat mushrooms. Your Highness, surely you don’t want your own mother to go hungry, do you?"

Zhao Ci was speechless.

He rubbed his head again and pursed his lips. "Let’s go!"

"Alrighty!"

Zhu Li was practically bouncing with excitement. "I’ve already brought the carriage to the gate. We were just waiting for you."

Zhao Ci offered his sarcastic thanks. "Oh, thank you *so* much!"

"You’re welcome. It’s my duty as your subordinate."

"..."

Drowsily, Zhao Ci climbed into the carriage and propped his chin on his hand, trying to catch up on sleep. But a carriage, no matter how luxurious, was still ten times bumpier than a Cadillac.

He couldn’t sleep. It was simply impossible.

He couldn’t help but glare at Zhu Li, but he couldn’t muster any real anger.

He’d heard that this girl had already moved out of the Kan Family’s residence. She hadn’t returned to the Zhu Family either. Instead, she was living in the Pill Workshop every day.

’Who could possibly bring themselves to reprimand an employee like that?’

’She could walk all over me, and I wouldn’t say a thing!’

He saw she was wearing a fiery red alchemist’s robe. While the style was similar to the Zhu Clan’s, the embroidery wasn’t their insignia. Instead, it was patterned with fiery feathers, making it look exceptionally beautiful.

’I heard this was the logo Gu Xiangzhu designed for the Xingyu Pill Association. She’d renamed it not long ago, defining it as a patriotic alchemist alliance led by the Xiang’s Pill Workshop. Have to admit, that woman really has a knack for psychological tactics.’

’If they could also secure the "National Pill" plaque, their buffs would be fully stacked. They’d be the xianxia version of Huawei, strong as hell.’

’When their pills are compared with others, they’ll be leagues ahead in every aspect.’

The carriage soon arrived at the Imperial Palace.

After being announced and waiting for a short while, the two of them headed directly for Wangshu Palace.

"Ci, Miss Li, you’re here?"

Over the past few days, Gu Xiangzhu’s entire demeanor seemed to have warmed up a bit. Although she was still somewhat reserved, the feeling of her keeping everyone at arm’s length was gone.

Of course.

This only applied to Zhao Ci and Zhu Li.

Duh.

These two workers were just too delightful, especially since one of them also doubled as her chef.

"Greetings, Mother!"

"Greetings, Lady Jing!"

"No need for formalities!"

Gu Xiangzhu’s gaze fell on the bag in Zhao Ci’s hands, and she smiled faintly. "Ci, have you brought more mushrooms?"

Zhao Ci nodded with a smile. "Your son pestered that friend from the Yang Family for another batch. I’ll go cook them for you now, Mother."

With that, he glanced at the text floating above Gu Xiangzhu’s head and hurried toward the kitchen.

[Gu Xiangzhu’s Current Wish]: Get that worker bee to hurry up and stir-fry these mushrooms for me. Reward: Insight +10, Taotie Talisman x10.

’Because I keep satisfying her most basic desire—her appetite—the rewards for completing her wishes seem to be diminishing quickly.’

’The first time I stir-fried mushrooms, it was 100 points. The second time, for the Dian Nan snacks, it was 10 points. After that, it was all just 1 point. Only now that I’ve gotten her mushrooms again has it recovered to 10 points.’

’Looks like after a while, I’ll have to use some scarcity marketing on Gu Xiangzhu. Make her feel that emptiness and get the drop rate back up.’

’But on the bright side, I’ve already accumulated over thirty Taotie Talismans.’

’I tried one out a few days ago when I took a Qi Cultivation Pill, and the medicinal power was digested so cleanly. The gatekeeper’s dog at the Tenth Prince’s Mansion used to always sneak into my private latrine to eat my crap. For a few days after, it didn’t even steal my crap anymore.’

’Goes to show just how terrifyingly complete the absorption is.’

’This stuff will be super useful later on.’

「Fifteen minutes later.」

He came in carrying a basin of mushrooms and four small side dishes. The knife was clean this time, so there were no signs of poisoning.

Gu Xiangzhu’s and Zhu Li’s wishes were completed one after another. He received a total of eleven Taotie Talismans.

He took a look at his status panel.

[Insight]: 524

[Current Items]: Money-Eyed Talisman x99, On-Spot Relief Charm x7, Taotie Talisman x44, Insult Talisman, Rash Man Talisman...

[Yu Xin Flame]: Nascent (Cannot be upgraded yet)

[Divinity Refining Furnace]: Mastered.

[Xiang’s Spear Technique]: Adept (0/1000)

[Emperor’s Extreme Body Refining Technique]: Muscle Strengthening Stage (0/1000)

’I have a lot of black-tech items, but their effects are actually limited against true masters.’

’On the other hand, the Insight that can actually raise my cultivation realm is still crawling along at a snail’s pace. It’s no good unless I tackle some high-value quests or ones I can complete in bulk.’

’I still remember... just for this Gongdan Conference alone, there are three related purple-level wishes.’

’I have to crush it!’

’And after it’s all over, it should be about time to use this Insult Talisman.’

"Ci!"

Gu Xiangzhu was already adept at wearing a gentle, loving smile, just like a true, kind mother. "These past few days, the True Qi in your body has been growing more and more abundant. You should be able to break through to the Body Refining Stage by now, shouldn’t you?"

Zhu Li was shocked. "Your Highness, don’t tell me you haven’t even reached the Body Refining Stage yet?"

"..."

Zhao Ci shot her a glare and said listlessly, "Replying to Mother, I plan to undergo my first Body Refining after the Gongdan Conference."

Gu Xiangzhu nodded slightly. "Excellent! When the time comes, I can act as your Dharma Protector."

[Gu Xiangzhu’s Current Wish]: For Zhao Ci to catch up on his cultivation path. Reward: Insight +1, Head Chasing Talisman x1.

’What the hell is a Head Chasing Talisman?’

’The reward is a bit shabby, but it’s a genuinely kind thought, which is rare enough.’

Gu Xiangzhu stood up. "Let’s go. The Gongdan Conference begins in four hours. You two need to go meet up with the alchemists from the workshop as soon as possible."

"Yes!"

With that, the two of them followed Gu Xiangzhu out of Wangshu Palace.

...

Although the Gongdan Conference didn’t officially start until Noon, the venue was already set up. The scale of the event looked to be on par with the Fourth Prince’s wedding, only a notch below the Crown Prince’s.

It couldn’t be helped. Medicinal pills had always been the foundation of a strong nation, and this was the grand event for national pill procurement. It would have been unseemly not to give it the proper grandeur.

However, the Gongdan Conference was still a little different from an ordinary celebration.

The biggest difference was the seven high platforms of varying sizes in the center of the venue. Their number was significantly lower than last year for the simple reason that Gu Xiangzhu had already integrated most of the notable smaller Pill Workshops. Only two large Pill Associations, whose operations weren’t centered in Lingge, still retained their independence.

At this moment, every platform was lined with Pill Furnaces, ready for the alchemists from each house to perform live alchemy.

The Gongdan Conference itself was a test of each house’s alchemy capabilities, so they were required to send a certain proportion of their registered alchemists to participate. The orders offered by the Court had to be fought for with real, demonstrable skill.

You could say the Gongdan Conference was the battlefield for all the Pill Workshops.

It lacked the visceral impact of fisticuffs, but it possessed the violent aesthetic of a hair-pulling catfight.

"Your Highness, look!"

Zhu Li pointed excitedly at the area below the Xingyu Pill Association’s platform. "Look at our alchemists! There’s a whole swarm of them! We’re at least the fourth-largest power here this year!"

Zhao Ci looked closely and saw it was true. ’In terms of sheer numbers of alchemists, I couldn’t hope to compete with the main branches of the Feng, Zhu, and Yang families.’

’Even if I added up all the notable smaller Pill Workshops, we wouldn’t even have half as many as the Yang Family, to say nothing of the Zhu Clan, who live and breathe alchemy.’

’But right below the Feng, Zhu, and Yang families was the Xingyu Pill Association. Our numbers even surpassed the Yonghe Pill Workshop. And you have to remember, that Pill Workshop was established by Zhao Yong with the heavy financial backing of the Feng and Zhu families.’

’The future’s looking bright, folks.’

But just then, a dissonant voice cut in.

"Of course! In the Xingyu Pill Association, even Miss Li can wear a Magic Robe that only alchemists should wear. How could your number of alchemists not be large?"

"You... Where did this bitch come from!"

Zhu Li, who had been ecstatic just a moment ago, found her good mood instantly ruined upon hearing those words.

[Zhu Li’s Current Wish]: I must crush Zhu Mei and her bitches into the ground today. Reward: Insight +100, Rising Talisman.