Bai Mo watched quietly, not intervening.
In the soft firelight, Han Meng swallowed the Evil Exorcism Pill, and his face instantly contorted.
The blood vessels on his face bulged, squirming like centipedes.
This was not the first time Bai Mo had seen someone purge a Blood Curse.
He had even seen someone in a bustling market completely lose their mind, burst out of seclusion, and die as their body exploded in a mad frenzy.
That sight had been far more horrifying than what was happening to Han Meng.
Lanshan capped the pill bottle, tucked it carefully inside his robes, and said with an apologetic smile,
"Apologies for making a scene in your shop, Shopkeeper Bai."
Bai Mo smiled, not minding in the least. He simply said,
"I knew Brother Han was in a hurry, but not to this extent. What's the meaning of this?"
Lanshan was silent for a moment, then sighed and said,
"You could say I brought him here to get acquainted with you, Shopkeeper Bai."
"From now on, besides myself, Han Meng will be the one to trade with you."
Bai Mo raised an eyebrow. With the Evil Exorcism Pill in his possession, he was well aware of his importance to the Demon Hunting Team.
'It seems Lanshan's friendship with Han Meng's parents was no ordinary one.'
After a moment's thought, Bai Mo asked,
"Senior Lanshan, do you know about the recent changes in Immortal Arrival City?"
At the mention of this, Lanshan's expression darkened slightly.
"I've heard rumors."
Bai Mo's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "Do you know the details?"
'With his slight build, he'd have a hard time surviving any turmoil. He needed to take precautions.'
Lanshan answered directly, "I heard the Miaofa Sect plans to take complete control of Immortal Arrival City."
"Before, the Miaofa Sect only maintained order and took a cut in Immortal Arrival City. They were more interested in the resources produced in Celestial Barrier Mountain."
His expression was grave.
"From now on, Immortal Arrival City will be under the sect's direct management. You can't win against a stronger power, and I'm afraid the exploitation we suffer will only grow heavier."
He glanced around the shop. "If nothing changes, Shopkeeper Bai, you'll probably be paying your rent directly to the Miaofa Sect from now on."
This news greatly affected the Demon Hunting Teams, so rumors about it were now spreading like wildfire.
Bai Mo, however, had a different perspective.
'With a sect in direct control, Immortal Arrival City shouldn't be any more chaotic than it is now, logically speaking.'
'The city is currently crawling with all sorts of unsavory characters. A more orderly environment would be better for his development.'
After a moment of silence, Bai Mo took out a bottle of pills.
"Inside is a Qi Blood Pill. It has the effect of stimulating one's qi and blood."
"Are you interested, Senior Lanshan?"
This was a creation Bai Mo had derived from that one failed pill—a simplified version that he had named the Qi Blood Pill.
As far as Bai Mo was concerned, the Qi Blood Pill wasn't a very complex Pill, so its effects were both predictable and controllable.
It was nothing more than relaxing the muscles and improving circulation, mobilizing the qi and blood within one's body.
In the hands of the Demon Hunting Team, however, it could have miraculous, even life-saving, effects.
His Righteous Qi Pill had come about in the same way.
'Although customers said the Righteous Qi Pill's detoxification effects were unexpectedly potent, Bai Mo believed it was because the poisons of today's savage Demon Beasts were particularly vicious, and thus perfectly countered by the pill.'
'According to the panel, I have "some aptitude." I can even create simplified Pill Formulas. How could my judgment be wrong?'
Lanshan took the pill bottle from him and brought it to his nose for a sniff.
The Pill Fragrance rushed upward. A bright light flashed in Lanshan's fierce eyes, and he felt the pores all over his body open as his qi and blood began to stir restlessly.
HUFF!
He exhaled sharply and capped the pill bottle.
"A fine Pill! This could be a lifesaver in a pinch!"
"For a Pill like this, what's your price, Shopkeeper Bai?"
Bai Mo clasped his hands behind his back and said calmly, "I've tested the Pill myself. It stimulates one's qi and blood, allowing for a burst of potential. However, the burst of power is only moderate, and it leaves you drained afterward."
"I won't charge much. Three Spirit Stones per Pill."
Unlike the Evil Exorcism Pill and Condensed Dew Pill, this wasn't a Pill to be taken in large quantities, and it was also quite troublesome to refine.
After developing the Qi Blood Pill, it had taken Bai Mo a full two days just to refine a single batch.
The result: two finished Pills and one failed one.
Therefore, Bai Mo considered the price to be extremely fair.
Lanshan's eyes, however, went wide.
"Three Spirit Stones!?"
With a sweep of his large hand, he tossed three Spirit Stones onto the counter, having already pocketed the Pill.
Most people in their line of work were those who relied on building up their physical strength.
For them, who knew how much power a single Pill like that could unleash.
"For someone with your build, Shopkeeper Bai, what good would this Pill do? This Pill is meant to be used by those of us who make our living in Celestial Barrier Mountain!"
Bai Mo found the excited Lanshan's reaction a bit baffling.
'He had introduced the new Pill partly to expand his influence among the Loose Cultivators.'
'If disaster truly struck, he could then rely on the aid of those Loose Cultivators to resist.'
Lanshan calmed down and asked tentatively,
"This Qi Blood Pill…"
"Do you plan to produce more of these in the future, Shopkeeper Bai?"
Bai Mo nodded. "If there's a market for them, I'll continue to sell them."
'Refining the Qi Blood Pill was difficult and didn't do much for the proficiency score on his panel. Bai Mo was more interested in the Spirit Stones it could earn him.'
Just then, Han Meng, who had taken the Evil Exorcism Pill, suddenly opened his mouth and began coughing violently. A faint mist of blood sprayed from his lips before dissipating without a trace.
It was quite some time before Han Meng finally caught his breath.
When he stood up, the bloodshot traces in the whites of his eyes had already disappeared.
"The Evil Exorcism Pill is truly extraordinary. The Blood Curse inside me is completely gone," Han Meng marveled.
He still looked a little incredulous.
Lanshan smiled. "Thanks to Shopkeeper Bai, we've been able to escape the sect's exploitation for a long time."
Bai Mo waved his hand dismissively.
"The Evil Exorcism Pill is only half as effective as the sect's version."
"But it only costs thirty percent as much," Lanshan said.
"The Demon Hunting Teams shouldn't have to risk their lives only to go hungry."
He suddenly took out a thin booklet and handed it to Bai Mo.
"Thanks to the difference in price, we've finally managed to make a decent profit."
"This is a martial arts manual we took from a Cultivator who died on Celestial Barrier Mountain. Please don't refuse it, Shopkeeper Bai."
Bai Mo took it and saw it was a Cultivation Technique called *Intercept Mai Hand*.
Thinking about how his technique for processing medicinal herbs was still slightly flawed, Bai Mo's interest was piqued.
"Alright, I'll accept this. My thanks, Senior Lanshan."
After collecting the Condensed Dew Pills and Righteous Qi Pills, and receiving Bai Mo's instructions regarding the Climbing Vine, Lanshan finally left with Han Meng.
Having made a sizable profit, Bai Mo didn't plan to open the shop for the rest of the day. As soon as the two men left, he put up the door boards.
'If any regular customers were to come by, they would know to use the usual knocking rhythm.'
As Lanshan and Han Meng walked down the street, Han Meng was still buzzing with some excitement.
"Brother Lanshan, so this is where you've all been buying the Evil Exorcism Pills!?"
"The profit margin is massive! It's enough to push someone all the way to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer!"
He rambled on.
Lanshan took a slow breath in and out. "That's right," he said softly. "If our cultivation levels can keep pace, Ru'Er will have a good chance of entering a sect. She won't have to live the life of a Demon Hunting Team member with me."
He glanced at Han Meng.
"From now on, you need to pay close attention to things here with Shopkeeper Bai. He has no sect backing, so there's no telling how long he'll associate with the likes of us."
Han Meng naturally understood the benefits involved and nodded gravely.
Of course, Bai Mo was oblivious to their thoughts.
Back in his quarters, he took out *Intercept Mai Hand* and read it closely, his hands occasionally mimicking the movements shown in the manual's diagrams.
After an unknown amount of time, Bai Mo's palm suddenly chopped downward.
THUD!
The floorboards let out a muffled sound, struck by a wave of qi.
A smile appeared on Bai Mo's face.
'With my aptitude, a simple Cultivation Technique like this no longer takes much time to master.'
With a thought,
[Pill Master: Bai Mo]
[Realm: Qi Refining Second Layer]
[Identity: Apothecary Apprentice (363/500)]
[Aptitude: Path of Daily Reflection, Some Aptitude]
Recalling how Cultivation Technique manuals had looked like complete gibberish to him when he first set foot in the Cultivation Realm, Bai Mo couldn't help but smile.
'Still, I can't let my Alchemy fall behind.'