Chapter 43

Song Shuhang took the Medicine Master on a tour around the Daji Street, looking at about ten apartments for rent. Unfortunately, none of them met the Medicine Master’s standards, and Shuhang didn’t know exactly what kind of house the Medicine Master was looking for.

‘If it really doesn’t work out, we can try other streets,’ Shuhang thought.

At this moment, the Medicine Master finally found a house that satisfied him.

It was a brand new house, a three-bedroom, five-story suite, complete with a wall and front and back yards. The interior was exquisitely decorated, and it was clear at first glance that the owner had put a lot of effort into the room.

It was a good house!

However, this house didn’t seem to be for rent at all!

"This is the house, let’s rent it!" the Medicine Master laughed heartily.

"Wait, Senior, this room isn’t for rent; it’s someone’s private property," Song Shuhang called out.

But the Medicine Master didn’t listen to his explanation. He laughed and dragged Song Shuhang to the house, pressing the doorbell.

"Coming!" a rough voice replied.

Soon, the door opened, and a middle-aged man with a buzz cut and a slightly plump figure appeared, looking at Song Shuhang and the Medicine Master.

He stared at the Medicine Master’s afro for a while before asking, puzzled, "Delivery?"

"No, we want to rent a house," the Medicine Master cut to the chase.

The middle-aged man stiffened, his mouth twitching. However, he still replied politely, "I’m sorry, but my house is for my family’s use. Moreover, my family doesn’t like living with strangers, so we have no intention of renting it out."

"Dislike living with strangers? That’s great!" the Medicine Master said happily. "I also don’t like living with strangers under the same roof. So, how about you move out, and I’ll rent the entire building? The rent is up to you; I won’t haggle!"

It felt like the Medicine Master was asking for a beating. Song Shuhang covered his face—asking the original owner to move out and then renting the house to himself? Wouldn’t the original owner end up sleeping on the streets? How could such a request possibly work?

Sure enough, the veins on the middle-aged man’s forehead bulged, and his face turned unfriendly. "I’m sorry, but I don’t need that small amount of money, so I won’t rent the house. Please look elsewhere. Goodbye."

The fact that he could still hold back at this point showed that the middle-aged man was a well-mannered gentleman. If it were Shuhang, he wouldn’t be able to hold back and would at least call him a lunatic!

"Hey, think about it! Money isn’t a problem!" the Medicine Master still didn’t want to give up.

Song Shuhang could already imagine the scene of the middle-aged man angrily driving them away. He quickly pulled the Medicine Master, intending to drag him away.

...

...

To his surprise, in the end, the Medicine Master and Song Shuhang still moved into the three-bedroom, five-story house.

"Ah, this detached house is perfect. The size is just right, and if we knock down some walls, one floor can become a perfect alchemy room!" the Medicine Master toured the house floor by floor, nodding in satisfaction.

"But, we only needed to rent a room," Song Shuhang pointed out.

In the secular world, everything has a price. Sometimes, the reason you can’t buy something isn’t because it’s not for sale, but simply because the price you offer isn’t high enough.

The same was true for this three-bedroom, five-story suite.

Even though the owner had put a lot of effort into building it for himself and his family, after the Medicine Master offered an irresistible amount of money... the middle-aged man, who had been about to attack, suddenly changed his expression like a Peking Opera performer, instantly turning from stormy to sunny.

Then, the middle-aged man happily handed over the property and land use certificates, all the keys, and scheduled a time to complete the transfer procedures with the Medicine Master.

After that, the middle-aged man’s family moved out of the house within two hours. The efficiency was impressive!

Yes, they bought it.

The Medicine Master straightforwardly bought the entire house.

Rich people are just whimsical like that!

"Don’t worry about the details. The most important thing is that we have a suitable alchemy room, so we can start refining the Body Tempering Liquid," the Medicine Master laughed, pulling out a porcelain bottle from his pocket, taking out a pill, and tossing it to Song Shuhang.

Song Shuhang caught the pill, looking puzzled.

"This is a Pigu Pill, a pill that can replace food. It’s one of the essential pills for cultivators. As your cultivation deepens in the future, you might spend months, years, or even decades in seclusion. Cultivators still need to eat, and this Pigu Pill comes in handy. Just put it in your mouth, and the effects will gradually dissolve. This is the lowest quality, but for you, one Pigu Pill can replace a month’s worth of food," the Medicine Master explained with a smile.

"Thank you, Senior," Song Shuhang felt warmth in his heart. The Medicine Master actually remembered that he hadn’t eaten lunch, and despite his rough appearance, he was unexpectedly considerate.

The Medicine Master said, "Don’t be so formal. Keep it in your mouth for a while, and once you’re full, we’ll start refining the Body Tempering Liquid."

Song Shuhang put the Pigu Pill in his mouth, and immediately, his mouth was filled with a fragrant aroma. The hunger in his stomach disappeared, and after a moment, he even felt like burping.

"Once you feel full, take it out to avoid overeating. Also, the Pigu Pill can be reused until its effects completely dissipate. Keep it; you might need it in the future," the Medicine Master added. The things he refined had a shelf life measured in centuries, so there was no need to worry about it going bad.

Hearing this, Song Shuhang took the Pigu Pill out of his mouth and put it away. Fortunately, he hadn’t swallowed it. He had been wondering if the Pigu Pill would work like in TV shows, where you could go a month without eating or drinking after swallowing it.

Now, he realized that if he had swallowed it, he might have burst.

...

...

The induction cooker, no problem.

The hot pot, okay.

The forty-five simplified Body Tempering Liquid ingredients were already arranged in portions and order next to Song Shuhang.

"Repeat the process from your first attempt, and let’s start," the Medicine Master said. "Don’t feel pressured, and don’t worry about failure; I have plenty of Body Tempering Liquid ingredients."

Song Shuhang smiled shyly, closed his eyes, and recalled the process of his first Body Tempering Liquid refinement. Since it had happened just yesterday and was his first time refining it, he remembered every step clearly.

"Add water first." He added a ladle of water to the hot pot.

Next, he added sliced ginseng and simmered it for five minutes.

Then, he added goji berries and continued simmering for another five minutes.

By the time he added the third ingredient, ‘Morning Dew Black Grass,’ Song Shuhang no longer kept track of time. He began to closely observe the subtle changes in the ingredients in the hot pot, and after a moment, he increased the heat on the induction cooker.

The Medicine Master pinched his chin, watching Song Shuhang’s every move, remaining silent and not interrupting.

"Even with mental preparation, I still can’t associate Shuhang’s actions with ‘alchemy,’” the Medicine Master sighed inwardly.

Fortunately, he was a relatively modern alchemist.

If a more traditional alchemist knew that Song Shuhang was using a hot pot and an induction cooker for alchemy, they would probably be so angry that their livers would hurt.

"Also... modernizing the alchemy furnace should be added to the plan. At least for refining pills that don’t require ‘pill fire’ or special flames, modern equipment can control the heat and temperature more easily," the Medicine Master thought.

Like Song Shuhang, he could control the heat with just a few button presses, something that even the old alchemy furnaces and fire-controlling treasures couldn’t achieve so easily.

At this moment, with the help of the ice bead, Song Shuhang entered a highly focused state. In his eyes, there was nothing but the Body Tempering Liquid he was refining.

The Medicine Master’s gaze showed appreciation.

Although he was a bit older, this Song Shuhang might have a talent for alchemy!