When Lin Chengyun returned, it was already dusk.
He walked into the Council Hall alone, his shadow stretched long by the setting sun, carrying an indescribable weariness. Waiting there were only the Second Elder Lin Yuanshan, the Third Elder Lin Chengye, and Lin Feng, who had been specifically summoned by the Second Elder.
"Big brother, how was it?" the Third Elder asked, standing up impatiently.
Lin Chengyun sat down slowly, took a sip of the long-cold tea, and said in a slightly raspy voice, "It's settled. For the next year, thirty percent of the profits from the shops in Qinghe Bazaar will be 'temporarily lent' to the Zhao Family."
Although he had expected it, hearing it with his own ears still made Third Elder Lin Chengye turn pale. He slumped back into his seat and muttered, "Thirty percent... Our Lin Family's future..."
Second Elder Lin Yuanshan, however, remained relatively calm. He looked at Lin Chengyun, catching the deep-seated humiliation and determination hidden between the Clan Chief's brows. "Does the Zhao Family have any other conditions?"
Lin Chengyun put down his teacup, his fingertips turning slightly white from the force of his grip. "That old scoundrel Zhao Tian Gang demanded that we must pay fifty catties of 'qingwen iron' ore as tribute next month. If we fall short, they will deduct it from the shop profits at a thirty percent discount from the market price."
"Fifty catties of qingwen iron?" The Third Elder almost jumped up. "Our small mine can produce at most twenty catties a month! This is daylight robbery!"
qingwen iron is a Tier 1 Low Grade Artifact Refining material. The Lin Family relied on a barren, small-scale mineral vein to barely maintain this output, which was the Family's most important source of income besides the bazaar shops. The Zhao Family's move was nothing less than cutting off their lifeline.
A dead silence fell over the Council Hall. Humiliation, anger, and helplessness—all sorts of emotions intertwined.
Just then, Second Elder Lin Yuanshan suddenly laughed, but his laughter was cold. "The Zhao Family wants to suck us dry, but they didn't expect that we might find a new granary."
He looked at Lin Feng with burning eyes. "Chengyun, Chengye, I called Fenger here today to discuss a major matter concerning the Family's survival."
Lin Chengyun and the Third Elder both looked at Lin Feng in confusion.
The Second Elder stopped beating around the bush and recounted the story of how Lin Feng had "deduced" the complete Pill Formula for the Nourishing Essence Pill and successfully refined the finished product. Finally, he placed the three formed Nourishing Essence Pills on the table.
"This... is this real?" Third Elder Lin Chengye suddenly grabbed one of the pills, carefully sensing the gentle and pure medicinal power within. His face was full of disbelief, and he looked at Lin Feng as if he were looking at a monster.
Lin Chengyun stood up abruptly, staring intently at the three pills before looking at his calm son. His chest heaved several times. He took a deep breath, forced down the waves of shock in his heart, and asked in a low voice, "Fenger, this matter... how much certainty do you have that it can be repeatedly refined? What is the cost?"
Lin Feng had expected this question and replied calmly, "Father, the Second Elder has already successfully refined it, proving the Pill Formula is correct. Shinan Flower and Three-Leaf Lotus are both common Tier 1 spiritual plants that can be grown in our Family's medicinal garden. Even if purchased externally, the cost is extremely low. Including the main ingredients, Qingyuan Ginseng and Purple Whisker Grass, the cost of refining one batch of Nourishing Essence Pills is less than thirty percent of the market price."
"Less than thirty percent!" The Third Elder gasped, his breathing instantly becoming heavy. This meant a huge profit margin!
A sharp light burst from Lin Chengyun's eyes. All his weariness and dejection vanished in an instant, replaced by a long-lost sharpness and decisiveness. He quickly walked to the door, swept his Divine Sense around to confirm no one was eavesdropping, then slammed the door shut and activated the Council Hall's built-in simple soundproofing Formation.
"This matter shall be classified as the Family's highest secret!" Lin Chengyun's voice was low but carried an unquestionable authority. "Yuanshan, you will be personally responsible for selecting absolutely reliable clansmen to secretly open up medicinal fields to plant Shinan Flower and Three-Leaf Lotus. You will also be in full charge of the Alchemy matters, with priority allocation of any manpower and resources needed!"
"Chengye, as for the bazaar shops, temporarily deliver the thirty percent profit as agreed to keep the Zhao Family steady. At the same time, secretly contact a few trustworthy Loose Cultivator merchants to purchase Qingyuan Ginseng and Purple Whisker Grass in small, frequent batches. Do not attract attention."
"Yes, Clan Chief!" The Second and Third Elders responded solemnly at the same time. They saw the fire of hope ignited in the darkness, a light lit by the young disciple before them.
Lin Chengyun finally looked at Lin Feng with a complex gaze filled with pride, relief, and deep expectation. "Fenger, you have rendered a great service, but it is not suitable to make it public at this time. The Family will remember your contribution. What is most important for you now is to improve your own cultivation! Only strength is the foundation!"
"I understand." Lin Feng bowed. He well understood the principle that 'possessing a jade ring becomes a crime.' Before he had enough strength, hiding his brilliance was the best choice.
In the following days, the Qingxuan Lin Clan remained as quiet as ever on the surface, even appearing more "submissive." They punctually sent the shop profits and the barely gathered twenty catties of qingwen iron to the Zhao Family, swallowing their pride.
But beneath this calm surface, undercurrents were already surging.
In a hidden valley in the back mountain, concealed by a Formation, several clansmen hand-picked by the Second Elder for their absolute loyalty were working day and night to Cultivate spiritual fields and sow the seeds of Shinan Flower and Three-Leaf Lotus. Second Elder Lin Yuanshan practically lived in his simple Alchemy room, refining Nourishing Essence Pills day and night, his success rate steadily improving with each practice.
Meanwhile, Lin Feng immersed himself in cultivation and a new round of deductions.
With the higher-quality Nourishing Essence Pills secretly provided by the Family, his cultivation speed increased significantly. But he was not satisfied with this. The Nourishing Essence Pill was mainly suitable for stabilizing the Early and Middle Stages of Qi Refining; it had little effect on breaking through Bottlenecks.
His goal was to improve the "Juqi Pill"!
The Juqi Pill was the primary pill for Middle Stage Qi Refining Cultivators to increase their magic power, with a larger market demand and higher profits. However, the Juqi Pills on the market often contained a trace of subtle pill toxin in pursuit of medicinal power. Long-term consumption tempered time to expel, and the medicinal power was violent, making the absorption efficiency less than perfect.
Lin Feng once again immersed himself in the Library Pavilion. Combining his unique understanding of pharmacology with the faint guidance provided by the mysterious bead at critical moments, he began to attempt to deduce the direction for improving the Juqi Pill.
This deduction was even more difficult than completing the Nourishing Essence Pill formula. This was not completion but optimization—refining upon an existing, mature formula. The balance of medicinal properties and the guidance of Spiritual Qi involved were far more subtle and complex.
He would often sit for half a day in front of the simple Juqi Pill Formula in the "Collection of Basic Pill Formulas," his fingers unconsciously tracing the combinations of medicinal ingredients on the table, deducing various changes in the roles of "sovereign, minister, assistant, and envoy." When his Divine Sense was heavily consumed, the bead in his Sea of Consciousness would gently rotate, shedding a clear glow that smoothed his fatigue and kept his thinking extremely clear.
Ten days later.
Lin Feng sought out the Second Elder again. This time, he did not propose a new Pill Formula but rather an "optimization suggestion" for the Juqi Pill refining process.
"Second Elder, while browsing ancient texts, I came across an idea. The 'Red Flame Fruit' in the Juqi Pill has violent properties. Could it be soaked in the juice of 'Han Wu Grass' for a moment before being put into the Pill Furnace to neutralize its dryness? Also, during the pill condensation stage, if the 'Three-Turn Pill Condensation Art' is changed to the 'Water-Moistened Pill Condensation Art,' it might further enhance the Fusion of medicinal power and reduce pill toxins."
Listening to Lin Feng's description, the Second Elder's brows furrowed as he thought deeply. The Red Flame Fruit was the main ingredient of the Juqi Pill, and its violent medicinal power was indeed the main cause of pill toxins and poor absorption efficiency. Soaking it in Han Wu Grass juice? This idea was bold! And changing the pill condensation technique was a challenge to traditional Alchemy.
But with the previous success of the Nourishing Essence Pill, the Second Elder no longer dared to dismiss Lin Feng's "whimsical" ideas.
"This method... I need to try it." The Second Elder did not immediately reject it. Instead, taking Lin Feng's ideas, he dove back into the Alchemy room.
This attempt was even more fraught with difficulties than refining the Nourishing Essence Pill. The first few times ended in failure—either the medicinal powers clashed and caused the furnace to explode, or the medicinal properties were completely lost, turning into waste.
But neither the Second Elder nor Lin Feng was discouraged. Based on the failure phenomena described by the Second Elder, Lin Feng constantly fine-tuned the duration of the "soaking" and the timing of the "Water-Moistened Pill Condensation Art."
Finally, on the fifth attempt, a pill fragrance purer and gentler than that of a common Juqi Pill rose from the furnace.
At the bottom of the furnace lay five pills the size of longans, deep red in color, with a faint watery luster on the surface. The pills were round and smooth, with no sense of Impurities, and the Spiritual Qi contained within was pure and peaceful.
The Second Elder's hand trembled as he picked one up and sensed it carefully. After a long while, he let out a long breath, and his eyes erupted with unprecedented brilliance.
"The medicinal power... is twenty percent purer than a common High Grade Juqi Pill! The pill toxins... are almost undetectable! This is no longer an ordinary Juqi Pill; it can be called the 'Soft Water Gathering Qi Pill'!"
He suddenly looked at Lin Feng, his voice choking with emotion. "Fenger... you are my Lin Family's... no, you are an auspicious sign bestowed upon our Lin Clan by the heavens!"
Looking at the successful pill, a surge of warmth also rose in Lin Feng's heart. He knew that once this "Soft Water Gathering Qi Pill" was secretly put on the market, it would cause a sensation and bring the Family wealth far beyond anything they had before!
The Embers have been lit; all that's left is to wait for the wind to rise.
Meanwhile, in the Zhao Family's main hall, the Family Head Zhao Tian Gang toyed with the Spirit Stones "contributed" by the Lin Family. Listening to his subordinates' reports on the Lin Family's recent "obedient" behavior, a disdainful cold smile curled on his lips.
"Lin Chengyun is quite sensible. Pass down the order: next month, the tribute of qingwen iron is increased to sixty catties."
He was completely unaware that within the seemingly easily manipulated Qingxuan Mountain, a force capable of overturning the status quo was quietly growing.