CHAPTER 72: 072 BELLY FILLING PILL

「The City Lord’s Mansion.」

A rich aroma suddenly burst from the Alchemy Room. It spread instantly, covering the entire City Lord’s Mansion.

Everyone in the Mansion stopped their work simultaneously, sniffing the meaty fragrance in the air, searching for its source.

Xu Longyun twitched her nose, looking towards the Alchemy Room. Her figure flickered. A few movements later, she was at the Alchemy Room’s door and, without hesitation, pushed it open and went in.

Inside the Alchemy Room.

The lid of the Pill Furnace had been pushed to one side, and a mouth-watering aroma was indeed emanating from within.

Lin Bai was staring at the Pill Furnace in a daze. Sensing the door open, he glanced back before returning his gaze to the furnace.

Xu Longyun couldn’t resist her curiosity. She took a few quick steps forward and peered into the Pill Furnace.

At the base of the Pill Furnace, a layer of red pills was spread evenly. Each pill was uniform in size and smooth on its surface. Apart from the aroma of beef, they were identical to the pill medicine refined by the Medicine King Valley.

"You... you... you really refined pills with beef?" Xu Longyun stared at the pills inside, an expression of disbelief on her face.

"Hmm," Lin Bai said. He too was baffled. How could a pan of beef, with the right heat and alchemy techniques, transform into round meatballs without a trace of beef texture? Alchemy is so magical!

GULP!

Xu Longyun swallowed. "What’s the use of this pill medicine?"

"It stops hunger when eaten," Lin Bai said.

"And then?" Xu Longyun asked.

"It’s fragrant," Lin Bai said.

"And then?" Xu Longyun pressed.

"That’s it," Lin Bai said.

"It should at least have a name, right?" Xu Longyun frowned.

"I call it the Beef Flavor Hunger-Alleviating Pellet," Lin Bai said. The ingredients, effects, and subsequent tasks for the pill medicine were clearly displayed in his mind.

[Expanding-Stomach Pill (Beef Flavor): Ruddy in color, with an enticing aroma and beef flavor. It has a long shelf life and produces a sense of fullness for a quarter of an hour after consumption.]

[Congratulations, Host, for developing the first Dan Fang of your life and taking the first step on the path to becoming a Divine Doctor! Reward: Revitalizing Pill Dan Fang (Issued)]

[Revitalizing Pill: Golden in color with a sweet taste. Rapidly restores Qi and blood after consumption; a sacred healing item. Formula: Ginseng 120 grams; Borneol 80 grams; Ox Bezoar 20 grams... Fritillaria Bulb 20 grams. This is the basic Dan Fang for the Revitalizing Pill.]

[Medicine knows no fixed formulas; a Healer must not rigidly adhere to established recipes. Please create your own unique Revitalizing Pill based on the Revitalizing Pill Dan Fang. Reward: Medicine Art.]

"Fasting Pill?" Xu Longyun’s brow twitched uncontrollably.

"To be precise, it’s a Beef Flavor Hunger-Alleviating Pellet." Lin Bai took one from the Pill Furnace, tossed it into his mouth, chewed twice, and swallowed.

Indeed, it was fragrant, and the taste was superb. Eating one made him unable to resist wanting a second...

"Is it tasty?" Xu Longyun’s throat moved as she swallowed hard, but the memory of the devastating effects of Lin Bai’s previous culinary creations made her wary.

"You can try it; the taste is quite good." After one pill went down, just as the pill’s description had stated, a feeling of fullness spread through his stomach. Drawn by the aroma of the Beef Pill, Lin Bai reflexively popped another into his mouth.

But as soon as the Beef Pill slid down his throat, before he could savor the taste, it felt as if a balloon had been stuffed into his stomach. It expanded suddenly, and an indescribable, painful bloating sensation surged through him.

Lin Bai cried out in pain, subconsciously clutching his stomach.

Good grief! The System’s name was correct after all. It really is a Belly Filling Pill... I’ve only eaten two. If I eat a few more, won’t my stomach explode?

Xu Longyun had just ingested one and was savoring the delicious Beef Flavor Hunger-Alleviating Pellet. When she suddenly saw Lin Bai clutching his stomach, her face changed drastically. "Is it poisoned?"

Lin Bai couldn’t tarnish his reputation. He shook his head with difficulty. "It’s too effective. I’m stuffed."

Xu Longyun gave Lin Bai a strange look. Feeling the fullness in her own stomach, she asked, "How many days can one pill last?"

Lin Bai held up one finger.

"One month?" A glint of surprise flashed in Xu Longyun’s eyes.

Lin Bai shook his head. "A quarter of an hour."

"..." Xu Longyun was speechless. She glared at Lin Bai. "So, you slaved away for days just to refine a batch of snacks?"

"That’s not entirely fair," Lin Bai managed a weak smile. "At least it tastes great, right? Plus, it’s easy to carry. If you’re going on a long trip, carrying a gourd full of light, durable Hunger-Alleviating Pellets is much more convenient than lugging a big bag of dry rations, isn’t it?"

"A Fasting Pill from Medicine King Valley lasts for three days," Xu Longyun stated.

"But ours is cheaper to make!" Lin Bai chuckled. "The main ingredient of the, um, Hunger-Alleviating Pill is beef. If we switch to pork or chicken, we can reduce the cost even further. We could even open a shop and sell them as snacks to make a fortune! We wouldn’t have to worry about food and drink for the rest of our lives. Forget the finished product for a moment; just based on the fact that I conjured up this pill from scratch in a few days, tell me, don’t I have a talent for alchemy?"

Looking at the fragrant Belly Filling Pills in the Alchemy Furnace, Xu Longyun fell into deep thought. After a moment, she looked at Lin Bai. "One hundred thousand taels. Sell me the Dan Fang."

"Three hundred thousand taels," Lin Bai said, looking Xu Longyun in the eye, naming an exorbitant price.

"Deal." Xu Longyun glanced at Lin Bai and agreed without hesitation.

... Lin Bai was stunned.

Xu Longyun saw through Lin Bai’s thoughts, her expression somewhat complex. "Don’t think you’ve sold it short," she said. "Although your Hunger-Alleviating Pellet is miraculous, it wouldn’t be hard for Medicine King Valley to reverse-engineer it. If the Dan Fang is given to the King and produced under the Royal family’s name, Medicine King Valley wouldn’t dare touch it, even if they did figure out the formula. How many batches could you refine by yourself? If it were anyone else, I would have offered one hundred thousand taels at most. I’m offering you more because I value you as a person."

"Value me?" Lin Bai raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile playing on his lips as he looked at the City Lord.

"What are you thinking? I never imagined you could actually concoct pills from a pile of beef. I just recognize your talent, that’s all." Xu Longyun shot him an irritated glance, then said seriously, "Shopkeeper Lin, would you be interested in joining the royal Pill Refinery as a retainer?"

"No interest. City Lord, didn’t you say there was no Dan Fang? How did a royal Pill Refinery suddenly appear?" Lin Bai declined with a smile. With all these systems, I’m destined for greatness. There’s no way I’ll let the Royal family constrain me. He glanced at Xu Longyun and said, "To be connected with the Royal family, City Lord Xu, your background must be quite deep, huh?"

"I am the daughter of Taiyi Country’s Duke Zhenguo, Commandery Princess Yunyang." Xu Longyun straightened her chest, her chin held high. "Otherwise, do you think a mere City Lord would dare to fool around with you and let Jiamucheng be turned into this sorry state?"

"Commandery Princess?" Lin Bai was taken aback. No wonder this woman loathes Players so much; so that’s the connection.

He considered the advantages and disadvantages of Xu Longyun’s Commandery Princess status for him. Then he came to a conclusion: continuing to associate with her would bring far more harm than good. The Systems he possessed were too unstable and could assign him any kind of mission. In terms of potential harm, he might be more dangerous than a whole group of threats combined. After all, Jiamucheng had become this way almost entirely due to his actions. Even if he were to cooperate, he would have to wait until he became more powerful to have the leverage for equal negotiation.

"Shopkeeper Lin, I have candidly revealed my identity. Can you now tell me of your origins? After all, we are in the same boat now..." Xu Longyun looked at Lin Bai, a smile on her face.

"Righteous Door." Lin Bai’s expression turned serious. "I am the sixteenth-generation disciple of Righteous Door. My sect divined that the world would soon fall into chaos, so they sent me down from the mountain to walk the world and uphold justice."

"Righteous Door?" Xu Longyun frowned. "Where is your esteemed sect located?"

"In a place deep hidden by clouds, beyond knowing," Lin Bai sighed. "I’ve been learning arts on the mountain since birth. When it was time for me to descend, my master teleported me out directly. When I opened my eyes, I had arrived in Jiamucheng..."