Diligence System: From Servant to Martial King-Chapter 430 - 294: Steady Progress, Oyster Oil Bath, Raising the Cauldron to Refine Treasures, A Woman Comes Seeking
Li Xian thought, "I see. Since I’ve paid to learn, I must ask questions if I have any doubts. Otherwise, wouldn’t that be a waste."
He observed his surroundings and asked about any discrepancy he noticed. Although Han Zisha wanted to give vague explanations, Li Xian insisted on asking, which made her frustrated and confess that there were things she didn’t know either.
Han Zisha circled the tripod several times. After confirming there were no issues with it, she clapped her hands lightly, and with a ’crack’ sound, all the grass and vines peeled off from the tripod. She then raised her hand and said, "Prepare water!"
Disciples of the Flower Cage Sect hurried down Wanglong Mountain. The mountain path was quite gentle and paved with bluestone slabs. All the disciples possessed "Inner Qi," allowing them to move swiftly. Torches were already set along the way, making the path clear.
At the foot of Wanglong Mountain, there was a pavilion dedicated to managing and storing "dew." The disciples filled containers with dew and carefully transported it to the mountain, pouring it into the Treasure Tripod.
After an hour of busyness, more than half of the dew was used. Han Zisha nodded and again said, "Prepare charcoal!"
The disciples went busy again. At the mountain top, there was a wooden shed where Han Zisha and Li Xian sat to rest. Han Zisha said, "To cook Essence Food, you need to prepare water first, then charcoal."
Li Xian asked, "So after transporting the charcoal, does it get the dew dirty?"
Han Zisha nodded and said, "Yes and no. This is a trick others don’t know. I’m only teaching you, as it can save quite a bit of money."
"This dew...isn’t free to use, it costs money to buy. A bucket costs one tael of silver, and the dew is ’Clear-root Water,’ ’Pure Water’..."
"But the disciples who transport water are mere mortals. They sweat and bleed, and if their sweat drops into the dew, it affects its quality."
"Therefore, you prepare water first. At that time, they are full of energy, and there’s no sweating, so the dew quality is slightly better, more resistant to cooking and durable. With this method, cooking Essence Food can save several hundred taels of expense."
Li Xian said, "I’ve learned my lesson, learned my lesson. So Elder Han specifically prepares it at night?"
Han Zisha said, "Naturally, the blazing sun makes it hard for them to transport water, causing them to sweat profusely, and I would also find it uncomfortable being sunburned. If my skin were sunburned, who would compensate me? Taking care of the skin also requires quite a bit of money."
In Huaiyin Prefecture, "Yin Bamboo Charcoal" is popular. It’s a bit expensive, but the quality is excellent. When it burns, the heat penetrates inside the tripod, yet the surroundings do not become hot.
It’s midnight.
Several prior matters had finally been concluded. By this time, Han Zisha had used "2,700 taels," the labor pay for the Flower Cage Sect’s disciples was nearly a thousand taels, purchasing "dew" cost eight hundred seventy-two taels, and buying "Yin Bamboo Charcoal" more than nine hundred taels. With charcoal burning and the tripod simmering, the cooking of Essence Food began.
The firelight was gentle.
The whole Water Altar became a bit brighter.
The dew was quite resistant to cooking, the steam inside the tripod roiled but did not scatter. Han Zisha added "Essence Meat," which was a light purple-black color, roughly as thick as an arm.
She prepared two "Heaven-Hiding Boxes." Once the Essence Food was successfully cooked, she first tasted some immediately, then stored some in the box. In the practice of Martial Arts, one must be thrifty and calculated.
Li Xian had noted everything down, and if he could gather enough money, he too would start his tripod. In the latter half of the night, he only needed to maintain a steady water level, occasionally sprinkling some dew to keep the cooking progressing.
Li Xian had seen enough. He soon stopped accompanying. Han Zisha wanted to probe Li Xian’s background, intending to keep him conversing at the mountain tripod. Li Xian straightforwardly refused, leaving Han Zisha with no choice but to accept.
So it went for two days.
The Essence Food was successfully cooked.
Li Xian got hold of the accounting, carefully calculating the expenses... over the three days of starting the tripod, the total expenditure amounted to 3,700 taels of silver. He quietly felt the difficulty of starting anew in Martial Arts; elders could leverage the sect’s resources—"water," "charcoal," "people" were readily available, only needing to pay for them.
If one were to establish an independent base, the tripod itself would be the first major challenge. The Treasure Tripod was always extremely heavy, involving purchasing, transporting... various difficulties. Li Xian understood the situation clearer, growing ever more respectful of Wen Caishang.
Managing a base was indeed more challenging than joining the sect.
Han Zisha kept her promise and gave Li Xian a piece of Essence Treasure Meat, about two fingers thick and long, with a milky white texture. It contained the essence of heaven and earth. Li Xian felt dazed; having tasted "Human Yellow Essence Treasure" several times, he had almost forgotten the taste of this ordinary "Essence Food."
Li Xian stored it in the Heaven-Hiding Box.
Returning to Cyan Ox Residence, he used a jade knife to cut it open, handing half to Nangong Liuli.
He said, "With our sincere cooperation, as promised, half of the Essence Treasure is yours."
Nangong Liuli was both moved and delighted. The two of them were already quite close. She didn’t refuse but blinked and laughed, "Is it really just because of our cooperation?"
Li Xian softly said, "I’m really grateful to you, aside from cooperation, just looking at personal feelings, I also want to give it to you." Nangong Liuli’s beautiful eyes rippled as she smiled, "My bad little brother~" she said with extreme sweetness.
This piece of "Essence Treasure Meat" came from the soft belly of the "Red-eyed Demon Turtle." Heavenly Essence and Earth Radiance were rarely seen, and although Human Yellow appeared regularly, it was extremely difficult to encounter without great fortune.
The "Essence Treasure Meat" contained a very important chain of benefits. Purchasing, hunting demons, all contained numerous intricacies.
[You have consumed Red-eyed Demon Turtle meat, Skill Consumption, Skill Level +89]
The Essence Food entered his stomach, transforming into waves of coolness. The essence of heaven and earth filled his body cavity, originally having "one hundred and seventy-four strands," and after the consumption boost, it reached over three hundred strands. Li Xian felt the essence flowing out of his body, stunned for a moment.
Nangong Liuli urged, "Why are you just standing there, quickly perform Blood Solidification and Aperture Closure, Qi Circulation!"
Li Xian immediately performed Qi Circulation and Blood Solidification and Aperture Closure, trying to retain the essence of heaven and earth. But he still couldn’t prevent the essence from overflowing, retaining only nearly half, one hundred sixty-two strands.
He smiled wryly. So it turned out...
His last two times consuming Essence Treasure, both were "Golden Scale," "Yellow Nine Ginseng" and other Human Yellow. Such Essence Treasures contained a lot of essence of heaven and earth, not scattering all over, immediately adapting when consumed, and always remaining in the body.
