"Bang..."


    "Seven medium-grade Qi-Nourishing Pills, but no high-grade ones. However, this is my first attempt. A few steps were not perfectly executed. Let’s try one more batch. If I can produce ten medium-grade pills, I''ll deliver them to Lin Ke''er."


    Ye Chen, in a good mood, continued to sit cross-legged and refine the pills. By the time the sun began to set, the second batch was finally complete. Two high-grade Qi-Nourishing Pills had appeared among the ten, prompting a satisfied nod from Ye Chen. He picked out the ten medium-grade pills, placed them in a vial, and immediately left the courtyard, heading toward Lin Ke''er''s address.


    Lin Ke''er''s residence was located on the far edge of Silver Moon Market, a more secluded area. In terms of safety, it was relatively lower.


    But now that Ye Chen had broken through to the fourth level of Qi Gathering, with a physique far superior to others at the same stage and the powerful Black Yellow Sword Finger as an attack spell, he felt more confident.


    Though, in the grand scheme of the cultivation world, he might not be that strong, as long as he was stronger than those around him, it was enough.


    Thus, Ye Chen wasn''t as cautious as before. As he walked through the alley, he brushed past various cultivators.


    There were even many heavily made-up women, some looking well past their prime, standing by the street, calling to Ye Chen, inviting him inside. Now and then, older men, some appearing to be close to their graves, followed these women into their homes.


    Ye Chen couldn''t help but feel a bit of a sense of irony as he observed the cultivation world. It looked just like Earth at this moment.


    The Silver Moon Market wasn''t that large. After about twenty minutes of walking, Ye Chen arrived at the address Lin Ke''er had left him.


    It was a rather dilapidated little courtyard, with two modest houses facing each other within the yard. Each house was small, about thirty square meters at most. For such a place, the rent was one low-grade spirit stone per month. It was truly ridiculous.


    However, Ye Chen, having been in the cultivation world for a while, understood that although land wasn''t particularly expensive, protection and order came at a steep price.


    Silver Moon Market had order, patrolled by a guard force. Therefore, bandit cultivators didn''t dare to openly stir trouble. There was at least some basic level of safety. So that single low-grade spirit stone was essentially a protection fee.


    Ye Chen glanced around, not feeling much of a need to linger on his thoughts. Once he delivered the pills, he still had to return to cultivate.


    Ye Chen stood outside the courtyard and called out, "Fairy Lin, I''ve come to see you."


    Soon, the door to one of the rooms opened.


    Lin Ke''er, with her cool and refined aura, looked pleasantly surprised to see Ye Chen. She hurriedly walked to the gate of the courtyard and opened it. "Fellow Daoist Ye, what brings you here? Please come in."


    She gestured for Ye Chen to enter the courtyard. Though small, the courtyard had a stone table and benches, enough for the two to sit comfortably.


    Ye Chen smiled as he spoke, "It''s nothing important. I was just a little worried about you, Fairy Lin, and wanted to know if you''ve entered the mountains yet."


    Ye Chen didn''t bring up the previous gift he had given her, something Lin Ke''er appreciated the most about him. He never repeatedly mentioned gifts, nor did he try to pressure her psychologically.


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    "Thank you for your concern, Fellow Daoist Ye. I''m still studying the Sword Finger Technique you gave me. I''ve just entered the basics and plan to continue for another month to refine my skills. Speaking of which, I must thank you again, Fellow Daoist. This Sword Finger Technique is truly marvelous. It''s far more powerful than anything I had prepared before. With this technique, I''m sure I''ll gain much more when I enter the mountains."


    Lin Ke''er spoke these words with sincere gratitude.


    Over the years, Lin Ke''er had accumulated enough spirit stones to prepare for her breakthrough into the middle stage of Qi Gathering and had also chosen her own spells. But compared to the Sword Finger Technique Ye Chen had given her, her own preparations seemed vastly inferior.


    Ye Chen smiled upon hearing her words, glancing at the darkening sky. Since he knew she would still be around for the next month, he decided not to linger with further pleasantries. He planned to deliver the pills and leave.


    However, just as Ye Chen was about to reach into his robes to take out the pills, the door to another room opened with the soft sound of a bell.


    Curious, Ye Chen glanced up. And there, stepping out of the room, was a woman cultivator with an alluring figure.


    At the same time, the system, which had been silent since Ye Chen passed by the street-side women earlier, suddenly chimed in with a notification.


    "Matching gift recipient detected!"


    "Lu Jing: Ten times!"


    Ye Chen''s eyes couldn''t help but narrow slightly. So, Lin Ke''er had another person living in her courtyard? What was more surprising was that, just like Lin Ke''er, this woman also had a ten-fold gift multiplier. This was truly an unexpected bonus.


    Initially, Ye Chen had only glanced over briefly, but now his gaze couldn''t help but linger on the woman. The cultivator named Lu Jing was exceptionally beautiful, her long, black hair cascading down her shoulders. She wore a green dress that accentuated her snow-white skin.


    But what caught the eye the most was her figure. It was absolutely stunning. Even more so than the sultry women from Ye Chen''s previous life who were always touched up in photos. Coupled with her mature face, the allure was staggering. No wonder she also had a ten-fold multiplier.


    Lu Jing, initially frowning at the sight of Lin Ke''er inviting a man into the courtyard, seemed to have thought of something in the next instant. She let out a light laugh, her mature voice carrying a slightly husky undertone, which gave her words an undeniable charm. "Ke''er, who is this Fellow Daoist? Why don''t you introduce him to me?"


    She spoke as she gracefully approached the round table, her long legs moving with each step. The green dress rippled like water in a pond, creating a mesmerizing effect. Even Ye Chen couldn''t help but steal a few more glances.


    Lin Ke''er furrowed her brows slightly but still rose to her feet with a smile, introducing them. "This is Fellow Daoist Lu Jing. We share this courtyard and split the rent… And this is Fellow Daoist Ye Chen, a close friend of mine…."


    Lin Ke''er didn''t mention Ye Chen''s identity as an alchemist or his connection to the Ye family. But at the mention of Ye Chen''s name, Lu Jing''s eyes immediately brightened. She smiled gracefully and nodded toward him. "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Fellow Daoist Ye!"


    Her nod was soft and seductive, the motion stirring in Ye Chen an involuntary reaction.


    Ye Chen, smiling, returned the gesture. "The pleasure is mine, Fellow Daoist Lu."


    Lu Jing, the cultivator before him, seemed like a fortuitous surprise. Ye Chen had been worrying about what to do if Lin Ke''er went into the mountains—how would he be able to send her gifts then? The fifteen-fold multiplier from Sun Ruoxin was still out of reach. It would be such a waste to randomly give a low-multiplier gift to someone else.


    But now, Lu Jing stood before him as the perfect substitute for Lin Ke''er. She appeared to be a loose cultivator as well. And the fact that she was even sharing rent suggested she was financially struggling. She was an ideal candidate to receive gifts. In any case, coming to Lin Ke''er''s place today had truly been the right decision.


    "I can smell the fragrance of herbs on you, Fellow Daoist Ye. Could it be that you’re an alchemist? Of all the six arts of cultivation, alchemy is the most revered. I''ve always admired alchemists…."


    Lu Jing expressed a clear interest in Ye Chen, leaning closer as she spoke. Her proximity released a delicate fragrance, and combined with her alluring figure, her voice, and talk of alchemy, any alchemist would likely be flattered.


    Ye Chen smiled and waved his hand, humbly replying that he was just a beginner. Yet, his modesty did little to extinguish Lu Jing''s enthusiasm.


    Behind them, Lin Ke''er, with her exquisite and delicate features, observed the scene, her expression darkening. She felt a pang of regret.


    Earlier, she had avoided bringing Ye Chen into the room to prevent any misunderstanding or for fear that Ye Chen might misinterpret her actions.


    But if she had known that Lu Jing would come out and encounter Ye Chen, she certainly wouldn''t have hesitated. She would have brought Ye Chen into the room without a second thought...