"Then, I shall take my leave for now," the old man said, bowing slightly. "Oh, by the way, does the fairy perhaps have any elixirs or rare medicines on hand? I brought quite a bit of silver this time, and it would be a shame not to spend some of it."
It was clear that now the serious business was concluded, the merchant's true nature was beginning to show.
"I have plenty of Black Jade Bone-Mending Ointment—a remedy for bruises and broken bones. Would you like some?" Su Min offered without hesitation.
Though Su Min was an alchemist, that didn't mean she only refined pills. Items like the Black Jade Bone-Mending Ointment were among the simplest to make. Alchemical refinement generally involved three steps: purification, fusion, and pill formation. The final step, pill formation, was particularly troublesome. Skipping it could save over ninety percent of the effort.
The Black Jade Bone-Mending Ointment didn't require pill formation, so it couldn't even be considered a true pill. Naturally, it was extremely simple to refine. Over seventy percent of the herbs the villagers gathered ended up in Su Min's hands for this very purpose.
After all, demand was high. Most of those who came to seek her aid suffered from injuries this balm could heal. She had only issued a limited number of bamboo medallions for treatment; minor illnesses were left to heal on their own, but broken limbs were no joke—especially for the young and able-bodied, whose livelihoods supported entire families.
"The legendary bone-setting medicine?" The merchant's eyes lit up at Su Min's words.
"Exactly," Su Min nodded. "These are not pills, but herbal balls I kneaded together for easier preservation. When needed, just dissolve them in water and apply the mixture to the wound. Unless the injury is too severe, most cases heal completely within a few weeks."
As she spoke, Su Min pulled out a small gourd, heavy with seventy or eighty portions of balm inside. Thanks to her special preservation techniques, the balm had a minimum shelf life of twenty years—up to fifty if kept in a cool, dry place.
"This balm isn't made through full pill refinement, so the process is much quicker. Its medicinal potency remains strong for at least fifteen years, longer if stored properly."
"Quickly, bring the bottles!" Hearing Su Min's explanation, the merchant didn't dare delay. He immediately ordered his attendants to produce dozens of small bottles, carefully portioning out the ointment.
Before coming to the village, he had gathered plenty of information about Su Min—particularly how she had repeatedly broken the tribal chief's leg and healed it with this ointment. What shocked him most was that despite such brutal treatment, the chief suffered no lasting effects. Even on cold, damp days, his leg showed no discomfort. Thus, this ointment was one of his main targets for purchase, and he had come prepared.
"Also, what about the sleep-inducing incense paste? I wonder—"
"That's out of the question. I only have one batch, and refining it is extremely difficult."
Su Min flatly refused. That stuff made robbery and murder far too easy. Moreover, it was essentially an anesthetic—one potent enough to rival modern anesthetics. If a modern hospital lost track of its anesthetic supply, even the director would go mad.
So Su Min would never sell it. Nor would she part with her pills. Money held far less appeal for her than the pursuit of the Great Dao. The Black Jade Bone-Mending Ointment was easy to refine, so selling it was fine. But nothing else.
"In that case, we shall take our leave. Here is the silver we agreed upon—does it meet your satisfaction?"
"It does."
Su Min glanced at the mountain of silver before her and nodded, pleased. It was more than enough to buy all the materials she needed. She watched as the merchant, smiling broadly, departed with his entourage. Judging by the grin on his face, he had no doubt made a handsome profit. Su Min didn't mind. She knew he could sell the balm for far higher prices than he paid her, but it meant little to her.
Money, after all, was just a tool. As long as she had enough, that was all that mattered.
Besides, the merchant had the channels and connections to maximize the balm's value—something she had no interest in doing herself. She wasn't about to waste her time flattering nobles or lobbying officials just to sell more balm.
"Enough of that. Time to tidy up and continue cultivating."
With a casual wave of her hand, the towering pile of silver vanished from the table, tucked neatly into the storage ring on her finger. The merchant had also brought her an important piece of news: Sect Leader Zhao was on his way.
Once she cured him, she could prepare to advance to Qi Refinement. But before that, she needed to reach the peak of late-stage Body Refining. Only then could she take the Qi-Inducing Pill and step into Qi Refinement—the true threshold of cultivation. Before that, one was merely a martial arts expert.
A single person might not kill you, but what about ten? A hundred? Ten thousand?
No matter how strong you were, could you withstand an army of a hundred thousand? Even Qi Refinement cultivators couldn't outright stop such a force, but with the right techniques, they could escape unscathed.
Once she reached Qi Refinement, she could unlock the Artifact section of her Alchemy and Artifact Manual.
~Edit and rewritten by Rikhi, Reiya_Alberich, ReiNyam~
She might even have a chance to upgrade her lifebound spiritual artifact. Even in the game, lifebound treasures were top-tier equipment that could be used from start to finish. Especially in local games influenced heavily by wuxia and xianxia tropes sword cultivators were considered the most well-rounded and powerful path.
If a newcomer didn't know what to choose, going "brain-dead sword cultivator" was always a safe bet. Sure, you could later branch into other specializations—but it would be a waste of your initial Life-bound Artifact.
As time passed, another winter arrived.
Su Min, deep in meditation, suddenly opened her eyes. She raised a hand, catching a snowflake as it drifted from the sky, her face registering surprise.
"Snow... It's snowing here?" she murmured. "Is this the start of a new Little Ice Age, the one that dictates the rise and fall of dynasties?" She studied the snowflake in her palm with mild bewilderment. This was not a good sign.
This was the deep south, where temperatures rarely dipped below 10°C, let alone saw snowfall. Though the Great Wei was sizable—comparable to ancient empires like Han or Tang—it was still just a corner of this world. With the barriers between heaven and earth still intact, and ancient clans and sects yet to emerge, it was hard to say what this meant. But one thing was clear: the northern winter this year would be exceptionally harsh—cold enough to claim many lives.
While the snow fell silently, a caravan of travelers struggled along a rugged mountain road, leading their horses carefully over the uneven terrain.
"Snow... even here?" one of them muttered, brushing a flake from his face. "This can't be a good omen... Heaven help all living things."