Qin Gengyun stepped into the Spirit Pill Workshop at 7 a.m.
The Pavilion Master had not yet returned today, and the workshop was still quite deserted.
Even the most diligent Yang Fengshan was absent.
Qin Gengyun shook his head, picked up a broom to sweep the courtyard, and then cleaned the Alchemy Room and the Lower Grade Spirit Gathering Furnace often used by the Pavilion Master.
Taking advantage of the absence of others, Qin Gengyun sat cross-legged in front of the Spirit Gathering Furnace, gathered his thoughts, and soon his Divine Sense left his body.
He attempted to control his Divine Sense, slowly penetrating the Spirit Gathering Furnace.
However, the material of this Lower Grade Spirit Gathering Furnace was much more substantial than a regular bronze furnace, and Qin Gengyun's third-layer Qi Cultivation Divine Sense could not completely penetrate the furnace's walls.
It only penetrated a small part.
He couldn't clearly see the situation inside the furnace.
He could only vaguely see a formation on the furnace's bottom.
This is the Spirit Gathering Array.
Ordinary bronze furnaces cost about one to two hundred Spirit Stones, while Spirit Gathering Furnaces can cost up to a thousand Spirit Stones.
Apart from the material, the main difference lies in this Spirit Gathering Array.
A Pill Furnace engraved with a Spirit Gathering Array can gather Pill Fire more effectively, and significantly enhance every phase of medicine transformation, refinement, fusion, spirit infusion, and pill formation, ensuring higher purity and grade of the final pill product.
Moreover, the Spirit Gathering Array is categorized by its level of effectiveness into different grades.
This is also why Spirit Gathering Furnaces are divided into lower, middle, and upper grades.
Thus, there is a saying, "Every Alchemist dreams of marrying a Spirit Plant Master and an Array Master."
If an Alchemist really finds an Array Master as a partner, it would be like a fish in water, with fortune falling from the heavens.
Qin Gengyun had always been unlucky and never dared to have such dreams. At this moment, he withdrew his Divine Sense, stood up and approached the Lower Grade Spirit Gathering Furnace.
He picked up the furnace lid and opened the Medicine Entrance to inspect.
Some high-quality Spirit Gathering Furnaces have Spirit Gathering Arrays engraved on the furnace lid, Medicine Entrance, furnace bottom, and even the outer furnace body. However, the Pavilion Master's furnace was not that high-end, with only one Spirit Gathering Array at the bottom.
This was something that the Pavilion Master acquired for six hundred Spirit Stones as second-hand goods from the Blessing Pavilion, only after reaching the fourth layer of Qi Cultivation and becoming a Second Tier Alchemist.
Of course, the Pavilion Master had issued strict orders to the Medicine Attendants in the workshop to claim that this Spirit Gathering Furnace was high-end merchandise worth over a thousand Spirit Stones.
Qin Gengyun sat back in front of the Pill Furnace, recalling the scenes of the Pavilion Master refining pills that he sneakily observed from outside, and began to simulate refining "Clear Wind Powder" himself with a grand gesture.
"My wife, add the medicine into the furnace."
"My wife, light the Pill Stone."
"My wife, quickly fan for your husband with all your might."
"My wife, I have succeeded in pill formation, take it out now."
"My wife, uh..."
Forget it, Taoist Friend Qiu probably wouldn't help me with these.
"Qin Gengyun, what are you doing?!"
A stern voice came from the door. Qin Gengyun quickly stood up to see Yang Fengshan walking in with a stern look.
Qin Gengyun said, "Steward Yang, I finished cleaning the Pill Furnace and was just resting for a bit."
"Rest somewhere else; is this a place where you can sit?"
Yang Fengshan's expression was cold and severe, pointing to the cushion where Qin Gengyun had just sat.
This was the place reserved for his master when refining pills.
"I'm sorry, Steward Yang, I will leave immediately."
Qin Gengyun said calmly, quickly walking out.
"Stop!"
Yang Fengshan called out coldly:
"The old Alchemy Room is under repair these days, and none of you are allowed to enter. Do you understand?"
Qin Gengyun was puzzled: "Didn't the Pavilion Master say he wanted to convert the old Alchemy Room into a guest room? Why is it being repaired again?"
Yang Fengshan walked up to him, sneered:
"Does the Pavilion Master need to explain everything to you?"
Qin Gengyun quickly waved his hands: "Steward Yang, I'll go about my duties."
He walked out of the Alchemy Room to find Wang Ping and Xu Li pretending to be sweeping the already clean courtyard, he shook his head with a smile, and walked up:
"Taoist Friend Wang, Taoist Friend Xu, did you both go to Yihong House to listen to music again last night?"
"Hehe, Taoist Friend Qin truly knows us well!"
The two chuckled, their legs trembling, yet their faces glowing with vitality. Wang Ping leaned in, whispering:
"Taoist Friend Qin, you might not know, but Yihong House introduced something new yesterday, quite intriguing."
Qin Gengyun smiled helplessly: "What new gimmick is it this time?"
Xu Li looked towards the Alchemy Room, dragged his broom over, beaming:
"Those Prostitute Cultivators all dyed their hair half fiery red and half snow white, donned Black Gauze Cloud Pattern Robes, dancing enchantingly, for any to pluck. Truly mesmerizing, a lingering taste!"
Amused, Qin Gengyun asked puzzlingly, "Why dye their hair half red, half white, and wear Black Gauze Cloud Pattern Robes?"
Wang Ping smacked his shoulder: "Taoist Friend Qin, you really don't know? Isn't the Demon Sect Saintess Xia Qinglian known for having hair half fiery red, half snow white, and favoring Black Gauze Cloud Pattern Robes?"
Qin Gengyun suddenly realized: "They're playing role-playing then?"
"Role-playing?" The two were taken aback, then clapped and praised:
"Taoist Friend Qin, your description is spot on, indeed, role-playing!"
Xu Li shook his head: "Recently, the fall of the Demon Sect has become a hot topic; especially the fall of the Demon Sect Saintess Xia Qinglian is lamentable, Yihong House's gesture has a touch of the ancients!"
Qin Gengyun sneered: "It's just that you all have long coveted Xia Qinglian; when she lived, you dared only to silently imagine, now that she's dead, you can finally reveal your true feelings, eh?"
Wang Ping said solemnly: "Taoist Friend Qin, how can you unjustly slander us? We are refined cultivators. Although Xia Qinglian did many evil deeds, she was undeniably enchanting; what we did was merely to lament the fleeting beauty of life."
Not wanting to argue with them, Qin Gengyun changed the topic to the old Alchemy Room repairs. Xu Li glanced at the distant Yang Fengshan and said quietly:
"It's odd, the Pavilion Master never mentioned repairs to the old room before he left, and moreover..."
Xu Li motioned for Qin Gengyun to come closer, whispering:
"I sneaked a peek earlier, no one's repairing inside, plus, that old Pill Furnace and Spirit Fan are gone!"
...
In the evening.
Qin Gengyun arrived at the night market.
"Hey, Taoist Friend Qin, looking for Taoist Friend Mo again?"
Taoist Friend Huang, who had just sold a Yellow Jade Dragon, said with a smile to Qin Gengyun.
"Taoist Friend Huang, I wish you prosperous business."
Qin Gengyun responded with a smile. Mo Xiaolan, in a plain long robe, was busy serving customers, so Qin Gengyun stood quietly to one side.
A moment later, after selling two Divine Movement Talismans, Mo Xiaolan turned back to Qin Gengyun with a bright smile:
"Taoist Friend Qin, the seller has sent over the Pill Furnace, let's go."
She asked Taoist Friend Huang to watch her stall, then led Qin Gengyun to a secluded stall in the deepest part of the East Market.
This time, the disheveled Taoist Friend Zheng was not sleeping. Upon seeing them, he immediately said:
"Follow me."
Qin Gengyun and Mo Xiaolan followed him into a small alley and walked through winding, twisted paths.
"Oh yes, Taoist Friend Qin, Taoist Friend Zheng helped us negotiate the price with the seller, and the seller is willing to lower it by three Spirit Stones."
Mo Xiaolan suddenly said.
"Really?" Qin Gengyun was overjoyed, quickly saying:
"Taoist Friend Mo, Taoist Friend Zheng, thank you."
Getting a second-hand Pill Furnace and a Lower Grade Spirit Fan for just twelve Spirit Stones is like a pie falling from the sky!
Taoist Friend Zheng glanced back at him, then at Mo Xiaolan, chuckling:
"Taoist Friend Qin, you're truly lucky, haha!"
After walking a bit more, they finally arrived in front of a dilapidated house, Taoist Friend Zheng said:
"The seller doesn't want to show up, I've arranged with him to leave the items inside, you can inspect first."
Qin Gengyun nodded, the three entered, and a familiar bronze furnace appeared in front of him, leaving Qin Gengyun stunned:
"This is..."