Early the next morning.
Arden arrived at the Apothecary beside Suibian Temple to take over as shopkeeper, and he also sent Ju Fufu to investigate the newly opened rival pharmacy in the Porcelume Market.
Very soon, Arden identified the reasons for the Apothecary's poor business.
First, the new pharmacy had drawn away a large portion of customers.
Second, the Apothecary's products hadn't been updated in a long time—they were still the same as ten years ago, outdated and no longer aligned with market trends. Even without Porcelumex targeting them, business would still have been declining.
Arden felt that if the Apothecary wanted to stop losing money—and even break through its performance in a short time—it needed brand new star products.
Thus, Arden exchanged points in the system's shop for a copy of the [Celestial Lord's Complete Guide to Alchemy].
As for the furnace, he didn't waste more points—Yunkui Summit's warehouse had plenty of high-grade furnaces. He just needed to pick one and have it moved to Suibian Temple.
As for transportation… Ju Fufu said to leave it to her.
...
A thin veil of smoke spread over Suibian Temple, carrying a light medicinal fragrance.
Inside the alchemy room prepared specifically for Arden, the scene was lively and busy.
To refine high-quality pills, one needed high-level alchemy skills, and like any skill, improving proficiency required lots of practice.
"Another batch done… Ju Fufu!"
As soon as a practice batch finished, Arden called for Ju Fufu, who was in charge of retrieving the pills.
"Ah~~~!!"
Ju Fufu immediately opened her tiny mouth wide and quickly devoured the freshly made pills clean.
"Next batch… Qingming Bird!"
Another practice batch finished, but this time Arden didn't call Ju Fufu—he called the Qingming Bird to retrieve them.
Chirp-chirp-chirp—
Like a chick pecking grain, the bird swiftly ate the whole batch.
Just like practicing skills in a game, Arden used the cheapest pills that still increased proficiency—Beast Feed Pellets and Bird Feed Pellets—for walking beasts and birds respectively.
To avoid waste, Arden brought Ju Fufu and the Qingming Bird to consume all these practice pills.
Although neither was technically a beast nor a bird, they loved these pellets intensely. If one had to compare… it was like cats loving canned food, cat sticks, or catnip.
In short, Ju Fufu couldn't stop eating them.
"So tasty nya~~ Arden, another batch!"
They were so good she had basically turned into an orange cat. Not really.
Chirp-chirp-chirp—
The Qingming Bird flew over and perched on Arden's shoulder, rubbing its cheek against him—yes, it was showing signs of becoming a pampered pet bird.
"Good, very good!"
Arden stroked both their heads. "Do well, and I'll treat you two to the highest-grade Beast Feed and Bird Feed in the future!"
Beast/Bird Pellets came in regular, high-grade, and ultra-grade tiers. For practice, regular and high-grade were enough; ultra-grade required costly materials. Arden planned to refine those once the Apothecary's business improved.
"Great!"
Chirp-chirp-chirp~!
Ju Fufu and the bird both looked excited.
Arden's attitude toward Ju Fufu was normal—but toward the Qingming Bird… he was preparing. He firmly believed that in next month's core disciple assessment, Sect Master Yixuan would definitely target him. So, he needed to prepare early.
…
Once his alchemy level improved, Arden began formally refining pills for sale.
He planned to imitate the strategy used in the divination business and target female customers as the primary revenue source. Therefore, he prepared to launch corresponding pills: Beauty Nourishment Pills, Jade-Skin Elixirs, Bust-Enhancing Patches, Warm-Palace Tonic Pills… and so on.
Then he produced a promotional video to loop on the display screen outside the Apothecary.
Just like the health-product ads targeted at the elderly from before he transmigrated, Arden brought in Ju Fufu and Yixuan, while he himself dressed as a Daoist alchemist. He posed as an interviewer, asking about their troubles and how they came to take the pills. Finally, Ju Fufu and Yixuan enthusiastically described how amazing the effects of the Jade-Skin Elixir, Bust-Enhancing Patch, and others were.
Old-fashioned as the ad was, with Ju Fufu and Yixuan as the "models," it became extremely convincing.
Ju Fufu's skin was fair, smooth, and delicate as silk—Arden could personally vouch for that—and as for Sect Master Yixuan's chest… no explanation needed; anyone with eyes could see.
Once launched, these pills immediately became top sellers—especially the Jade-Skin Elixir and the Bust-Enhancing Patch. If Arden hadn't worked overtime refining more, they would have sold out completely.
However, pills lasted a long time after purchase. To expand the Apothecary's business, Arden also launched services like essential oil massage, acupuncture, bone-setting, scraping therapy, and cupping—traditional medical services.
Under Arden's management, the Apothecary quickly became—as the divination shop once had—the hottest gathering place for young women and married ladies around Waifei Peninsula.
Of course, many were returning divination clients.
"Oh my~~ isn't this Boss Sweety? Back again—welcome, welcome!"
Seeing Sweety arrive, Arden hurried to greet her.
Given how much she spent on charms before, calling her "Boss Sweety" was more than justified.
"Arden, what new products do you have here?"
"New products? We have…"
Under Arden's service, Sweety bought Beauty Nourishment Pills, Jade-Skin Elixir, and Warm-Palace Tonic Pills. As for Bust-Enhancing Patches—she wasn't interested; she had absolutely no need.
"Lately I've had constant back and waist pain, Arden… do you have anything for that?"
Sweety rubbed her waist and neck. Yum Cha Sin's business was always booming, and the resulting years of overwork had worn her down—just like programmers who pulled overtime daily, gaining chronic issues at a young age.
"Back and waist pain due to fatigue… I recommend a full-body essential oil massage, plus acupuncture and bone-setting. What do you think?"
Arden handed her a service list. "All these services are available—benefits and effects are listed."
Of course, so were the prices.
"..."
Sweety was satisfied with the services—just not the price. Her mouth twitched.
"Hehe! One-on-one services being pricier is normal."
Seeing her hesitation, Arden quickly pushed the sale. "How about this—since you're a longtime customer, everything is half off. How's that?"
"That's more like it."
Sweety shot Arden a sidelong glance—instantly charming.
"Please, this way."
Arden led Sweety into the back room.
...
For the essential oil massage, Sweety changed into a loose robe—similar to what one wore at a hot spring.
Arden changed into a white coat.
Only customer Sweety and masseur Arden were in the room.
Sweety lay face-down on the massage table. Though not as large as Sect Master Yixuan's, she was still quite well-endowed; the pressure against the table made the shape noticeably pronounced.
Gulp…
Arden couldn't help swallowing. "Alright, I'll begin the massage."
He rubbed essential oil between his palms and pressed in without restraint.
"Mmm… ahh…"
Sweety let out a soft, pleasured moan. "Master Arden… your technique is quite good."
"Of course. How else would I dare charge high prices?"
While giving Sweety a full-body essential oil massage, Arden felt rather pleased with himself.
After practicing constantly on Ju Fufu, his technique was naturally excellent.
You know it's expensive too!
Sweety inwardly complained, then closed her eyes and began fully enjoying Arden's service.