Chapter 268: Chapter 268: Returning Fully Loaded, A Small Effort

Yang Chan had left in the morning and returned as night approached. A pile of medicinal ingredients had been transformed into the bottles of elixirs he now carried, a truly bountiful harvest.

The elixirs he now had were enough to last him for a while, so he wouldn’t need to busy himself with refining them in the short term. This also meant he had the energy and financial resources to refine Guiyuan Pills and Qi Replenishing Pills.

The ingredients for these two types of elixirs were not cheap. Their price was comparable to that of Cyan Spirit Pills, making the cost considerable.

The more advanced an elixir, the more numerous and precious the ingredients required.

Yang Chan entered his study. He took out two medicine bottles of Lantian Jade Refining Pills and placed them on the desk. He needed the Han Family to help him collect some medicinal ingredients, as well as some poisons.

His supply of poisons needed replenishing, and he also had to prepare the ingredients for refining Guiyuan Pills and Qi Replenishing Pills. When he had visited the Medicine Hall and Pharmacy earlier today, he had been unable to find some of the necessary ingredients. Naturally, he would have to acquire them through the Han Family.

He would then acquire the remainder from the Medicine Hall and Pharmacy.

The more precious the ingredients, the stricter the terms of trade. He would naturally have to offer more Lantian Jade Refining Pills, and if necessary, he could even part with a First Revolution Nourishing Viscera Pill.

"These are the medicinal ingredients and poisons I need. Have the Han Family collect whatever they can. If the value of what you gather exceeds the payment, I will compensate for the difference. A First Revolution Nourishing Viscera Pill is also on the table."

Yang Chan took out a piece of paper and began to write down what he needed. When he was finished, he handed the list to Han Bingyu, along with the two medicine bottles of Lantian Jade Refining Pills.

To collect even more advanced ingredients, he didn’t mind trading with First Revolution Nourishing Viscera Pills. He had harbored some reservations before, but now he wasn’t as concerned.

Trading some of his elixirs for the ingredients of higher-level elixirs was a good thing for him. Of course, he would need to mention it to Gu An. As long as he didn’t overdo it, it should be fine.

The Han Family was one of the Cyan Yuan Sect’s affiliated forces, so it was acceptable for them to obtain some Inner Refining elixirs. After all, the major noble families and factions offered rare medicinal ingredients as tribute to the Sect. In return for the Sect’s protection, they hoped to receive cultivation resources, such as high-level elixirs.

It was, after all, extremely difficult for an ordinary faction to nurture a Pharmacist capable of refining Inner Refining-level elixirs. The required investment of manpower, wealth, and effort was immense. Furthermore, even if one succeeded in training a Pharmacist, there was no guarantee they would possess any outstanding talent for alchemy.

Without that talent, reaching the level of an Inner Master was extremely difficult.

As the hegemonic power in Qing State, the entire Cyan Yuan Sect had very few people capable of refining elixirs that could advance someone at the Inner Refining Grandmaster Level. This alone showed the sheer difficulty.

This was the case even with the Cyan Yuan Sect’s complete training methods and its massive allocation of resources. Ordinary families, noble families, and other factions simply didn’t have such vast resources to invest in training.

Even after investing so many cultivation resources, there was no guarantee of success. The difficulty of becoming a Pharmacist was considerable. For instance, as Yang Chan knew, people like Elite Disciple Chu Mo and Pharmacist’s Assistant Shu Yu had spent many years trying, yet had failed to become even Basic Level Pharmacists.

Elite Disciple Chu Mo in particular had even given up on becoming a Basic Level Pharmacist. Considering these were all individuals of outstanding ability, the difficulty of the path was clear.

The path of a Pharmacist was heavily dependent on talent, and Yang Chan was exceptionally talented. He also had the help of his proficiency panel. In fact, he had spent very few Potential Points, relying mostly on his own hard work—a truly inspirational story.

Within the Cyan Yuan Sect, Yang Chan was the most inspirational figure among the Servant Disciples. There had once been a title, the "Twin Prodigies of the Servant Disciples," but Yang Chan had arranged for it to disappear completely. ’I have no need for such a name,’ he thought.

As for the fact that he had become a legendary figure among the Servant Disciples, with some even making offerings to him, Yang Chan paid it no mind.

’They’re treating me like some god of examinations.’ He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but ultimately, he didn’t pay it much attention.

Too few among the Servant Disciples ever managed to advance. Promotion to Official Disciple was already an extremely rare feat. The gap between them and those from the Cyan Yuan Sect’s affiliated forces, the descendants of other Sect disciples, or the Noble Family Descendants was simply enormous.

The cultivation resources available to them were not on the same level whatsoever, which naturally made promotion to Official Disciple much more difficult.

For his Pharmacist’s Assistants, Yang Chan had deliberately chosen two rather ordinary Official Disciples. If he hadn’t, most of the candidates who came for the assessment would have been Noble Family Descendants, descendants of Sect Elders, and other similar figures.

In Martial Arts Cultivation, a difference of just a few years could create a huge gap. The older a person was, the smaller their chance of a breakthrough became. After all, a person’s Essence, Qi, and Spirit are finite. As one ages, these aspects weaken, and the opportunity for a breakthrough gradually vanishes.

The more Yang Chan’s Martial Arts Cultivation advanced, the more he understood these principles. While he didn’t share these worries, he was keenly aware of the massive impact they had on ordinary people.

"Of course, Pharmacist Yang. I will deliver this information to the Han Family and discuss it with the Patriarch and the others. I will not let you down."

Han Bingyu nodded quickly. This task was much more important than the last, as the ingredients involved were far more precious. For her, however, this was excellent news.

It meant Yang Chan was deepening his trade relationship with the Han Family. She had inquired about the First Revolution Nourishing Viscera Pill before, but Yang Chan had refused her. Afterward, Han Bingyu had been tactful enough not to mention it again.

Now that Yang Chan was offering it of his own accord, it signaled a shift in his stance, and she stood to gain considerable benefits from it.

Han Bingyu knew about the dangers Yang Chan and his group had faced in White Jade City, including what had happened to Elder Yan and Hall Master Qi. Yang Chan had even asked her to gather information on these two matters and report back to him.

This made it clear to Han Bingyu that Yang Chan was still very concerned about the White Jade City incident. His current change in attitude was likely a direct result of it.

"This medicine bottle contains three Lantian Jade Refining Pills. Take them. Consider it a reward for cleaning the courtyard all this time."

Yang Chan took out a medicine bottle containing three elixirs and placed it before Han Bingyu. The young woman had passed his test and was thus worthy of a small investment.

’Not a huge investment, just a casual gesture.’

Among Yang Chan’s many elixirs, Lantian Jade Refining Pills weren’t particularly special. To him, they were merely daily consumables.

"Thank you for your patronage, Pharmacist Yang."

Han Bingyu did not feign politeness by refusing. Having followed Yang Chan for some time, she understood his personality and wouldn’t do anything to annoy him.

For Yang Chan to give her something meant he held her in high regard; it was a statement of his stance. She, in turn, had to respond appropriately to declare her own.

Accepting the elixirs signified her willingness to continue serving Yang Chan. Han Bingyu understood this perfectly.