"If you don't open your mouth and eat it right now, I might have to feed it to you myself. And I can think of a very interesting way to do that" Long Xiaoyao said while smiling at her teasingly
Mo Qingque, dared not refuse again. "Yes, your Highness. This servant obeys."
She uncorked the bottle, tilted her head back, and swallowed the pill. Almost immediately, a flush of red spread across her cheeks as the potent medicinal energy exploded within her meridians.
Mo Qingque immediately sat cross-legged on the stone pavement, closing her eyes as she began to guide the surging Qi through her body, entering a deep state of meditation
Seeing that she was stable, Long Xiaoyao turned his attention inward.
'System' he called out in his mind. 'Open the Shop.'
A translucent blue interface materialized before his retina, invisible to the outside world. He navigated to the exchange section. Previously, the pill section had been locked, but now, a notification pulse gently.
[Detected Host has acquired: Tier 1 Alchemy Book (Volume 1)]
[Corresponding items have been unlocked in the System Shop.]
[Low-grade Qi Refining Pill –Cost: 500 Domination Points]
[Mid-grade Qi Refining Pill- Cost: 800 Domination Points]
[High-grade Qi Refining Pill - Cost: 1400 Domination Points]
[Perfect-grade Qi Refining Pill - Cost: 1800 Domination Points]
[Detoxification Pill – Cost 1000 Domination Points]
[Qi Recovery Pill – Cost 1000 Domination Points]
[Current Domination Points: 530]
Long Xiaoyao rubbed his chin, a sinister grin spreading across his face as he turned his gaze toward the courtyard where his three eunuchs and 2 maids were
'System' He mentally whispered, his voice is like that of a scheming capitalist
[What is it?]
"Let's talk ROI—Return on Investment," Long Xiaoyao began, pacing back and forth. "Right now, when I tell Yuan Gui swing his sword, I get 1 Domination Point'. It's honest work, but it's slow. It's peasant money."
He gestured wildly at the unsuspecting servants.
"But... if these five walking investments break through to the Qi Refining Realm, the yield per command jumps to 10 Domination Points. That is a 1,000% increase in revenue! I'd be printing points! I could tell them to breathe in and out I'd become a god by lunchtime!"
[Host, you could have asked them just that. Instead of asking them to practice with a sword. These 5 mortals all look like they are about to die already]
'That's not the point. Besides, I lost all my guard. What if I met some random ass pigs again? Will I just wait for death?'
[Surely you mean Boar]
He stopped pacing and crossed his arms.
'Just give me the numbers. How many of these pills do I need to shove down their throats to get all five of them to the 1st Stage of Qi Refining immediately?.'
[Analyzing targets: Three Eunuchs, Two Maids...]
[Analysis Complete.]
[Report: The targets possess what is technically known as 'Mud-Tier' Spirit Roots. Their spiritual aptitude is comparable to a soggy cabbage. A bunch of ants]
Long Xiaoyao's smile twitched. 'Don't body shame my employee. They are all that I have. Just give me the cost'
[Calculation: Due to their abysmal talent, a Low-grade pill (500 Domination Points) has a 20% success rate. A Mid-grade pill (800 Domination Points) has a 40% success rate. A High-grade pill (1400 Domination Points) has a 70% success rate.]
[To guarantee a breakthrough. Each subject would require one Perfect-grade Qi Refining Pill.]
Long Xiaoyao froze. He looked at the shop prices.
[Perfect-grade Qi Refining Pill: 1,800 Domination Points]
He looked at his balance.
[Current Domination Points: 530]
He did the mental math. To upgrade all five servants with a 100% success rate, he needed 9,000 points. To gamble with High-grade pills, he needed 7,000point
Even if he bought the cheapest trash pills—Low-grade at 500 DP—he could only afford 1 pill. With a 20% success rate
Long Xiaoyao let out a long, heavy sigh, the light of capitalism dying in his eyes.
'Never mind,'
[But there is an alternative option host]
'I'm listening'.
[Once you've broken through the Qi Refining realm. You could Dual Cultivate with the two maids. Increasing their cultivation to the same as yours]
'Save points? Yes. Survive? Maybe not. That proposal is a double-edged sword, System. Those two little maids are still strangers to me. And I won't gamble my life on a stranger's goodwill just to be thrifty. Mo Qingqui is an exception as she is my ticket to the Qi Refining Realm. While those two were useless to me'
Then Long Xiaoyao smirked
'Shoving Pills down their throats is different from letting them know I could help them break through their mortal realm by simply dual cultivating with them'
'What if those two maids suddenly tell a bunch of people that I could help them reach Qi refining by just having sex with them? Do you think this delicate body could handle it?'
Then he noticed the changes in the environment around him.
The sudden shift startles Long Xiaoyao as he looks towards the cause of it. He saw her Mo Qingqui
The efficacy of the Perfect Grade Qi Refining Pill dissolved in Mo Qingqui's stomach.
At first, the air merely shimmered around her cross-legged form, but seconds later, the environment reacted violently to the birth of a new cultivator.
The natural spiritual energy within the courtyard was seized by an invisible force, spiralling toward her in a visible, funnel-shaped vortex. The decorative bamboo in the corner rattled despite the lack of wind, and the falling leaves from the ancient ginkgo tree froze in mid-air before being blasted outward in a concentric ring of dust and debris.
The temperature in the immediate vicinity dropped sharply, then spiked, as the ambient Qi forced its way into her pores, acting like a hammer forging raw iron.
Inside her body, Mo Qingqui felt as though she had swallowed a star.
The gentle warmth she expected from the pill instantly morphed into a roaring torrent of power. It did not burn like fire, but rather surged like a heavy, high-pressure river, crashing against the blockage of her mortal meridians.
She felt a sensation of tearing and restructuring. Her bones groaned, emitting audible pops that sounded like firecrackers, as they became denser and more refined.
A layer of grey, foul-smelling substance—the impurities of a mortal body—began to seep out of her pores, pushed out by the pure medicinal essence.
The pain was excruciating, akin to having thousands of ants biting her marrow, yet her expression remained icy and unmoving. She bit her lip until it nearly bled, refusing to make a sound.
Suddenly, a dull *thrum* echoed inside her skull, like the breaking of a heavy chain.
The roaring torrent in her body calmed into a serene stream, settling into her dantian. Her senses expanded explosively
The heavy shackles of mortality shattered, leaving her feeling lighter than air, brimming with a terrifyingly new strength.
She was no longer a mortal. She was a First Stage Qi Refiner.
She slowly opened her eyes. They were clearer now, possessing a piercing sharpness that hadn't been there before.
She stood up, ignoring the layer of grime on her skin, and turned toward where the 6th Prince, Long Xiaoyao, was. He was leaning back in his chair, dangling a grape over his mouth, watching the entire process with an amused smirk.
Mo Qingqui adjusted her messy robes and immediately dropped to one knee, her posture rigid and respectful. Her face was as cold as frost, but her eyes held a burning, unwavering sincerity.
"This servant, Mo Qingqui, greets His Highness," she said, her voice steady but carrying a newfound confidence. "I have successfully broken through."
She lowered her head until it touched the cold stone pavement
"This servant knows the value of a Perfect Grade pill. It is a treasure that even noble clans would fight over, yet you bestowed it upon a mere maid. This grace... is heavier than a mountain."
Long Xiaoyao chuckled, finally tossing the grape into his mouth and chewing lazily. He waved his hand dismissively, as if swatting away a fly.
"Qingqui, why so serious?" Long Xiaoyao teased, leaning his chin on his palm. "It was just a piece of candy I had lying around. Besides, watching you break through was entertaining"
But inside, his mind was screaming.
He was frozen stiff, though he carefully kept it hidden
'This is the cultivation world he realized with a sudden, sobering chill.
'This isn't a game. It's not a movie. That energy... if I walked near Mo Qingqui earlier while she's breaking through, I would have been shredded'
His gaze fell on the remaining servants. Beside the still-kneeling Mo Qingqui, there stood the head Eunuch, Yuan Gui, along with two younger eunuchs and two trembling palace maids.
Except for Eunuch Gui who looks genuinely concerned about the 6th prince's brain after noticing the changes in his actions
The others were staring at Mo Qingqui with a mixture of terror and naked envy.
In this world, the gap between a mortal and a cultivator was the difference between an ant and a dragon. And their master had just bridged that gap for a servant with the casual ease of tossing a coin to a beggar.
"Well?" Long Xiaoyao broke the silence, his voice light and teasing. "Close your mouths before a fly flies in."
The servants jolted, hurriedly bowing their heads.
Long Xiaoyao stood up and stretched his arms. "Listen well. I am a man who dislikes trouble, but I enjoy comfort. Mo Qingqui served me well, so she got a reward. It's a simple transaction."
"As long as you follow me wholeheartedly," he said, his smile playful but his eyes sharp as they locked onto everyone
"And I mean 'wholeheartedly'—no whispering to other palaces, no selling my secrets for silver—then what happened to Mo Qingqui today is merely the beginning for all of you. I have more 'candy' where that came from."
The two young maids nearly fainted from excitement.
Eunuch Yuan Gui, who was also surprised, was a veteran of the palace. He quickly suppressed his shock and bent his waist into a deep, ingratiating bow
In Yuan Gui's mind, only the King himself could possess such pills. He rejoiced, thinking that the Emperor must have favored him secretly. And he must have his own reason why he sent the 6th prince to this God-forsaken place
Yuan Gui thought 'maybe it was to temper his Highness with fire. That must be it. The 6th prince is the kindest among the princes, it's impossible for him to be sent to the border just to meet his end'
"However...Your highness" Yuan Gui hesitated, glancing up through his eyebrows. "This slave is confused. Since this pill is of such peerless quality... why has Your Highness not consumed one yourself? Surely, your noble body is more important than a maid's." he asked looking concerned
The courtyard went silent. Even Mo Qingqui raised her head slightly, looking at her master.
Long Xiaoyao didn't get angry. Instead, he burst out laughing.
Long Xiaoyao shook his head, looking at the eunuch as if he were a naive child. He pointed a lazy finger at Mo Qingqui.
As he dramatically said "Don't you see black gunk oozing out of her skin? It looked painful! Terrifying, even!"
He shrugged, spreading his hands helplessly.
"I've never taken a Perfect Grade pill before. I had no idea what it would do," Long Xiaoyao lied with a straight face, his tone dripping with a carefree, selfish nonchalance.
"What if it caused one to explode? What if it turned my skin green? I couldn't risk my own noble self on an uncertainty."
He glanced at Mo Qingqui, winking at her. "So, naturally, I had to let Qingqui try it first. Now that I see its effect myself, I suppose I can take one soon.. Really soon"
Eunuch Yuan beamed with joy "I..i see, your highness is wise"
Inwardly, Yuan Gui thought 'Thank heavens, it seems like getting hit by the boar didn't harm the 6th prince's precious jade-like brain. Instead, it greatly benefited him. But maybe.. It also allowed him to see things that couldn't be seen by the naked eye. Oh heavens! Is the 6th prince possessed by a ghost instead?'
Behind the smile, a chill ran down the eunuch's spine. 'Don't worry your highness! I will put some incense sticks for you later! Ghost begone! Evil spirits be gone!'
"Alright now that Mo Qingqui has broken through, you lot prepared a bath for us.. I mean for her"