Before buying elixir pills, there was something he had to decide first, whether to ask Liu Guangjin for help, or to resolve it himself.
Liu Guangjin showed me goodwill, he didn’t grant a request.
They looked similar on the surface, but the difference was clear. Goodwill was an outstretched hand offered voluntarily, while a request was a response to a demand, the former built a relationship, the latter created a debt.
I still don’t know that man well.
Li Xin shook his head. Liu Guangjin was a merchant—quick with calculations and keenly aware of profits and losses. If he reached out too easily, that hand might end up shackled. After organizing his thoughts, Li Xin changed direction and headed toward the commercial district.
The commercial district was the center of the inner zone, a street where all kinds of guilds and specialists staying in Qingshan Valley gathered. Alchemists, talisman masters, artifact refiners, formation experts, and more. Just hearing the names made one nod in understanding. Among them, alchemists were the most common. Countless cultivators sought elixir pills every single day.
He slowly scanned the signboards, brilliant calligraphy, strange patterns, shops exhaling red smoke. It was a lively street, but he only observed it from a step removed.
Li Xin fiddled with his pouch and muttered, “Four hundred jeon…”
Having spent a full 150 jeon on a constitution test, his funds were tight. In the outskirts of Qingshan Valley or at a market, it would have been plenty, but here it was a different story. Even trying to buy one proper item felt insufficient.
Li Xin left the main street and turned into a quiet alley—a street with sparse foot traffic.
One signboard caught his eye—Qingliu Alchemy Hall. The rough lettering on the undecorated wooden board still looked like the paint hadn’t fully dried. It seemed the shop hadn’t been open for long.
Li Xin looked around, then stopped in front of the door. If it was a newly opened place, at least they wouldn’t look down on him. Before reputation formed, even a single customer was precious.
***
As the sun tilted westward, the inside of Qingliu Alchemy Hall was filled with a faint herbal scent. A girl standing before the shelves was carefully organizing each medicinal herb. Aligning the veins of the leaves with her small fingertips, removing unnecessary dried bits as she worked.
The door opened, and the bell chimed softly. The girl looked up and spotted a boy standing at the entrance. Cautious footsteps, worn clothing, skin pale to the point of translucence. His appearance was neat, but his clothes bore the marks of long years.
“Welcome!”
Li Xin looked at the girl who greeted him. At a glance, she seemed around his age, but her skin was a healthy bronze. An alchemist spent long hours handling fire. Naturally, their face and hands were scorched by it, a sign of real experience.
She’s the complete opposite of me, who never sees sunlight and only stares at paper.
That thought crossed Li Xin’s mind without him realizing it. The girl stopped organizing the herbs and approached energetically.
“What kind of elixir pill are you looking for?”
“I came to look into pills that could help with a realm breakthrough. I’m not sure if I’ll buy right away, but I want to check the prices and medicinal properties.”
Usually, such words made a shop owner’s expression turn cold, but the girl smiled instead.
“That’s fine! Everyone’s like that these days. You only buy elixir pills when you need them. Feel free to just browse.”
At her words, Li Xin nodded slightly and stepped inside. Then, at that moment, something entered the corner of his vision—a middle-aged man sitting quietly at a table deeper inside the shop. His face was gentle, his hands resting calmly on the tabletop, yet just from his presence alone, Li Xin felt sweat seep out. The sensation of a rabbit standing before a tiger. Without a word, without moving a finger, an inexplicable pressure tightened around his heart.
Then, the middle-aged man’s gaze slowly shifted toward Li Xin. At the same time, the mountain-like pressure melted away, like mist sliding off a mountain ridge, the oppressive force vanished without a trace.
Li Xin quietly exhaled and lowered his head, and the middle-aged man nodded calmly. The shop returned to peace, and the pressure was no longer felt, but the aftertaste remained firmly etched into Li Xin’s body.
Just what kind of realm has he reached…? Even the outer disciple of the Qingshan Sect I ran into wasn’t like this.
A tingling sensation ran all the way to his fingertips. It was something beyond mere intimidation. The middle-aged man hadn’t tried to threaten Li Xin. It was simply that his realm was so low that even the naturally leaking aura was unbearable.
Li Xin calmed his mind and shifted his gaze again. The girl seemed unaware of what had just happened.
“For the first layer, even very basic elixir pills are enough. Depending on your constitution, some can help expand the meridians.”
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Before hearing the full explanation, Li Xin took out a folded sheet of paper from his sleeve and handed it over.
“I received a simple constitution test at the Meridian Pavilion.”
“Oh, let me take a look.”
The girl accepted the sheet and began tracing the lines with practiced movements. Her small fingertips glided smoothly across the paper.
“Good water-qi affinity, and wood-qi affinity is decent too. In terms of the Five Elements’ mutual generation, water generates wood, so the combination isn’t bad. You should avoid fire-qi types. Absorption rate is low, and it says Fire Lotus Leaf has side effects for you.”
Li Xin nodded quietly. Fire Lotus Leaf was a common ingredient for enhancing qi and blood, but for his constitution, it was poison.
“If we tailor it to your constitution, custom pills are the best. But the cost is higher.”
“Is the effect that different?”
The girl tilted her head as if thinking, then answered honestly.
“For first-layer cultivators… honestly, there’s not much difference. Basic pills these days are made really well. There’s a reason the popular ones sell so much, right? It means their effects and stability are proven.”
She added with a bright smile, “You can use custom pills later. Once your realm rises and your meridians become more sensitive, that’s when you’ll really feel the difference.”
Li Xin nodded again. It was an easy-to-understand explanation. There was a reason items that sold well in the market were trusted.
“Before I show you the pills… let me introduce myself first.”
With a gentle smile, she took out a small wooden token from her robe. Fine, delicate characters were engraved on it. The name Han Yuna. Below it, the words ‘Alchemist Union Fifth-Grade Qualification Certificate’ were clearly stamped. A fifth-grade alchemist meant she could make pills for cultivators up to the fifth layer.
“All the pills I’m about to show you were made by me, and they meet authentic-grade standards.”
“Authentic-grade?”
“Most of what’s sold at markets are degraded products. The ingredients are often below standard, and the refinement methods are simplified. Their efficacy is usually about half of authentic-grade, at best sixty to seventy percent. Side effects occur often too.”
There was clear pride in Han Yuna’s tone.
“Especially for people with sensitive constitutions or weak qi and blood, those pills can actually be harmful.”
Li Xin accepted the test sheet back and nodded. He already knew this himself. For someone as frail as him, safety and certainty mattered far more than cheapness. Han Yuna opened a shelf and carefully took out several pill bottles.
“For your constitution, these three are the most suitable and safe. I’ll explain them one by one.”
She picked up the first bottle and continued.
“This is Qingdan Pill. Its main ingredients are Damji Herb and White Silkworm, with Coptis and Bluewood Seed as supplements.”
Inside the small glass bottle, dark brown pills were neatly arranged. When she gently shook it, a heavy sound rang out.
“It helps smooth the circulation of qi without stimulating qi and blood. Take one a day for three days. It’s the most stable option for beginners, with almost no side effects.”
Li Xin nodded quietly. For his weak body, stability itself was the best effect. Han Yuna soon lifted the second bottle.
“This is Qinghua Pill. Damji Herb and Sweet Wormwood are the main ingredients, with Thyme as a supplement. It has a mild blood-activating effect, so it’s specialized in clearing blocked qi.”
Inside the bottle were deep blue pills that gleamed faintly in the light.
“But this one is a bit stimulating, so it’s better to take it once every three days.”
If Qingdan Pill was like a Lightness Talisman with gentle strokes, then Qinghua Pill was closer to a Strength Talisman carrying a decisive, cleaving force. Their directions differed; it couldn’t be said that one was inherently superior. She carefully set the bottle down, then lifted the last one and spoke.
“And this is… Pale Azure Jade Pill. For your current constitution, this will suit you best. Damji Herb, Sweet Wormwood, and White Silkworm form the base, with a very small amount of Jade Powder added.”
Inside the bottle were semi-transparent pills tinged with pale blue. When held to the light, they shimmered softly with a jade-like clarity.
“Jade Powder specializes in stabilizing the meridians. If it matches your constitution, your breathing and qi flow will become noticeably smoother. It’s a bit expensive, but the effect is certain.”
As Han Yuna finished explaining, Li Xin’s gaze naturally moved to the three pills. Their names and descriptions began organizing themselves in his mind. Along with the price tags beneath them.
Qingdan Pill, the most stable basic elixir — 600 jeon.
Qinghua Pill, a blood-activating pill aiding qi circulation — 680 jeon.
Pale Azure Jade Pill, a high-grade pill effective for meridian improvement — 800 jeon.
Li Xin looked back and forth between the three, then he thought of the money left in his pouch—barely around 400 jeon. No matter how he calculated it, the conclusion was clear.
“I’ll think about it for now and come back later.”
Li Xin said calmly. No unnecessary excuses, no empty pride. Han Yuna paused mid-motion as she was setting the bottles down. A flicker of surprise passed over her face, and she asked carefully.
“Did I… recommend something wrong? Or would you like to see something else?”
“No. Everything was fine. I just came to look around today.”
When Li Xin waved his hand lightly, she nodded in relief.
“That’s good.”
A trace of regret passed by, but soon a smile returned to her face.
“Since elixir pills are tied to cultivation, being cautious is never a bad thing.”
Han Yuna put the pills away and returned them to the shelf. The middle-aged man seated to the side continued sipping his tea in silence, saying nothing.
Li Xin bowed politely, “Thank you for the kind explanation.”
“You’re welcome. If you really need elixir pills, I’ll help you choose again next time.”
As Li Xin stepped out of the shop, he thought. He could now stably draw up to three Strength Talismans a day. So with just a bit of time, he could gather enough money to buy an elixir pill. What to buy was already decided in his heart.
Pale Azure Jade Pill. I must buy that one.
Qingdan Pill and Qinghua Pill weren’t bad. For building fundamentals and stabilizing flow, those might even be more appropriate, but they couldn’t compare to Pale Azure Jade Pill. Above all, Pale Azure Jade Pill suited his body. It was the precise answer that could compensate for his frail constitution and unstable meridians. Since he could enhance his abilities through talismans, he intended to be even more careful when choosing elixir pills. Taking one proper step mattered more than forcing a step forward.
There’s no need to rush. There’s still time before the Strength Talisman fully integrates.
Li Xin quietly steeled his resolve.
