Chapter 95: Nutrition, Must Be Taken Care Of (Alliance Leader Teng Bone Instant Noodles Extra Update)

Let's explore the other areas later!

Standing before the pitch-black mine tunnel, three forks appeared again.

Without hesitation, Luo Chen turned and walked back.

This mine tunnel network was extensive, delving deep into the ground, clearly not something that could be explored in a short time.

That's enough for today.

Recalling the pangolin puppet, Luo Chen relied on his memory to quickly return to the stone house.

He chipped a piece of stone to seal the opened hole and cast a Cleanse spell on himself.

Feeling refreshed, he pushed open the stone door.

"My last month's dividend?"

Luo Chen eagerly took the bag, which contained a pile of spirit stones.

After counting, there were 650 spirit stones in total.

Luo Chen's joy slightly diminished.

"Is the dividend less?"

Seeing his expression, Gu Caiyi asked curiously.

Luo Chen nodded first, then shook his head.

"It's a bit less, but not by much."

Last month's earnings from the Wondrous Pill, although he didn't handle the specific sales, he, as a pill master, naturally knew the costs and output.

In a month, with two furnaces running twice a day, the medium-grade cauldron could refine two sets of materials, and the two purple cloud copper furnaces could each handle one set.

Combined with his later advancement to the Master level in the Wondrous Pill, he ended up with a thousand pills.

Among them, there were different grades: upper, middle, and lower.

After Mi Junping's pricing strategy, the earnings varied.

But in the end, he should have received around 4,000 spirit stones, minus the 600 for raw materials, leaving the profit.

Luo Chen's dividend should have been around 700 spirit stones.

Now, it was 50 less.

Gu Caiyi handed him a list and said, "This is the list given by Hall Master Mi, specifically mentioning the expenses of the pill hall cultivators, the three shops, and the pill protection team."

"These expenses are deducted from the profit, shared by everyone."

"Of course, relying solely on this dividend is not enough to cover their wages, so the headquarters subsidizes a part of it."

While listening, Luo Chen carefully examined the list.

In the end, he nodded slightly.

Actually, this was within his expectations.

So, he wasn't particularly annoyed.

At this moment, he was calculating another account in his mind.

If he hadn't joined the Mountain Break Gang, how many spirit stones would he have earned last month?

Without the three pill furnaces, the raw materials provided by the Mountain Break Gang, and a group of fire workers and medicine apprentices helping him refine pills, and even someone selling them for him.

He could only open two furnaces a day, and even if his proficiency increased quickly, it wouldn't skyrocket to the Master level.

After calculating all the conditions, Luo Chen came up with a number: "800!"

Yes, if he relied solely on himself, his net earnings last month should have been 800 low-grade spirit stones.

In comparison, it seemed he lost 150 spirit stones by joining the Mountain Break Gang.

But the account shouldn't be calculated this way!

"Besides the dividend, I also have a fixed monthly salary of 400 spirit stones worth of Qi Nourishing Pills, even though they are obtained through exploitation."

Just this additional income alone offset his loss.

In fact, he even made a profit!

"Mass refining pills, boosting proficiency, thus gaining solid pill refining experience and achievement points."

This point also needed to be considered.

Moreover, the *Qingyuan Pill Explanation*, *Herb Atlas*, and the incomplete formula for the Tongyou Pill, these items were worth thousands of spirit stones!

Most importantly, the golden reputation of the Mountain Break Gang and the care of Senior Mi Shuhua, a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

This value, which cannot be measured in spirit stones, protected him from the covetous eyes of other cultivators when he was at a low level.

For example, the trouble with Gao Tingyuan was personally resolved by Senior Mi Shuhua.

After some thought, Luo Chen couldn't help but smile contentedly.

"Indeed, my decision back then was right."

"Although it seems like being a tool person isn't free, the benefits gained, in the long run, are absolutely worth it."

"Moreover, my monthly treatment has increased, hasn't it?"

Luo Chen picked up another item from the bag.

It was a wooden box. Opening it, he saw twelve neatly arranged thin incense sticks inside.

"Tranquility Incense!"

Gu Caiyi was incredibly surprised.

Senior Mi Shuhua's action was so swift, actually delivering this thing to Luo Chen.

Closing the box, Luo Chen nodded in satisfaction.

This was a genuine good thing, which he had personally experienced.

A box of Tranquility Incense was worth 120 spirit stones, a powerful tool for low-level cultivators!

With this incense, his cultivation speed could increase significantly.

Because this incense allowed low-level cultivators to circulate their life-essence techniques four to five more times a day without their spirit and soul feeling fatigued or painful.

Of course, the body also needed a large amount of nutrition to keep up, otherwise, the spirit and soul would advance, but the body would lag behind.

The first time he got Tranquility Incense, Luo Chen had to use one stick over two to three days.

This was because his nutrition at the time couldn't keep up.

But now, we have money!

With the dividend in hand, plus his previous savings, he broke the thousand mark for the first time through his own efforts.

1,300!

This was his current net worth, not counting various external assets.

And nutrition supplementation?

He now had some methods for that.

Putting away the Tranquility Incense, Luo Chen pulled Gu Caiyi and hurried out.

"Off work, off work!"

Gu Caiyi was a bit confused, "Aren't we supposed to open the furnace and refine pills in the afternoon?"

"Why rush? And today we refined the Jade Marrow Pill, which is enough to make that old man happy for two days."

Luo Chen snorted, "I, Luo Chen, work only to get off work. Overtime is not in my character."

After saying that, he turned and shouted to the pill hall.

"Brothers, today is a holiday, come early tomorrow!"

The new apprentices, who were struggling to familiarize themselves with the Jade Marrow Pill's ingredients and fire control, instantly cheered.

They shouted, "Long live the Hall Master!"

"See, no one wants to work overtime."

Gu Caiyi blinked, but isn't this considered truancy? How can it be called overtime?

Luo Chen didn't care; she was a silly girl.

In the past, at Tianxiang Tower, she worked night shifts every day and was tamed by those sect capitalists.

...

Leaving early wasn't really about being lazy.

Mainly, he usually got up early and came home late, missing the daytime market.

After all, in the treacherous and cold-hearted cultivation world, everyone did little business at night.

So, the good stuff was mostly available during the day.

Luo Chen was afraid that if he delayed any longer, he wouldn't have a place to spend his spirit stones.

Under the strange expressions of two bodyguards, Luo Chen hurriedly returned to the inner city with Gu Caiyi.

Then, he dove into the South City Loose Cultivator Market.

Now, the number of cultivators in Dahuang Market was increasing, with a stable population exceeding 20,000.

Nearby, two more small Foundation Establishment cultivation families had emerged, each with several thousand people.

It was said that the Yuding Sword Sect was also migrating more people here, not just ordinary people in the tens of thousands, but also cultivators in family units.

It could only be said that Dahuang Market was indeed becoming more prosperous.

Along with the South City Loose Cultivator Market and the central shop street, two more trading centers had emerged.

One was at the White Stone Square outside the Dao Discussion Platform, where Xiaoyue used to sell immortal bean popcorn.

The other was in the north of the city, a small commercial street, where the Mountain Break Gang's shops were located.

This street mainly operated differently from the central shop street, not having any sect background, mostly small families and small gangs running the stores.

Luo Chen planned to visit it when he had time.

But today, the main destination was still the familiar South City Loose Cultivator Market and the central shop street.

"First-stage Dragon Bone? It's just a fancy name, it's actually the bone of a swamp crocodile!"

"But to kill this thing, you do need some skill. Give me one!"

"What? Just a bit of bone, and you want three spirit stones? Are you crazy? I'm not buying, I'm not buying!"

Luo Chen shouted, pulling Gu Caiyi and running away.

The loose cultivator behind them gritted his teeth, "Fellow Daoist, come back, let's talk. How about this, two spirit stones, really can't go any lower, this dragon bone weighs over thirty pounds."

Luo Chen reluctantly walked back, taking out spirit stones while being picky.

What's this, it's not monster meat!

What's this, severely damaged, only a few pounds can be used in a pot.

The loose cultivator selling the bone looked as if his mother had died.

This was getting a bargain and still complaining!

If it weren't for the swamp crocodile bone being hard to sell, he wouldn't have sold it for two spirit stones.

Gu Caiyi watched with interest, clearly Luo Chen had just received a substantial dividend, but he still lived frugally.

Of course, it could also be Luo Chen's nature of never losing, always haggling with people.

Next, Luo Chen swept through the Loose Cultivator Market, even giving Gu Caiyi a list to notify him if she saw any of the items on it.

Spending three hours in the South City, they then headed to the central shop street, making large purchases at Lingyuan Hall, Baicao Hall, and Lingyao Pavilion.

When they returned to the courtyard, Gu Caiyi calculated the expenses and was shocked.

"Luo Chen, you actually spent 300 spirit stones in one go?"

Luo Chen nodded and hurried into the house.

Gu Caiyi was still stunned, clearly Luo Chen was frugal, usually trying to split a spirit stone into two halves to use.

But when it came to spending spirit stones, he didn't seem to be stingy at all.

It was really contradictory.

Contradictory?

Luo Chen knew he wasn't contradictory.

He worked hard to earn spirit stones, but when it came to useless expenses, he was more frugal than anyone else.

But when it came to cultivation, he was more generous than anyone else.

The Qi Nourishing Pills were so expensive, and even when he was at the fourth level of Qi Refinement, he bought them in batches of five bottles.

Thud!

The Purple Cloud Copper Furnace landed directly in his pill room.

He started a fire, added water, and poured in a bottle of先天散 (Xiantian Powder) sold by Lingyao Pavilion for ten spirit stones, stirring it thoroughly.

Then he added various herbs, and finally, he threw in a seemingly small but actually thirty-pound crocodile dragon bone.

"Boil for three hours, and a batch of the Primordial Essence Liquid from the *Qingyuan Pill Explanation* should be ready."

Luo Chen sighed, feeling quite excited.

The *Qingyuan Pill Explanation* recorded many things, including the basics of pill making, pill-making techniques, and some small formulas for pill masters.

They weren't considered pill formulas, but if used long-term, their effects were not inferior to first-stage pills.

The Primordial Essence Liquid was one of them.

Absorbed through a medicinal bath, pill masters could gain a large amount of essence energy and become more sensitive to the power of the herbs.

The author, Qingyuanzi, intended for pill masters to gain the latter effect, to better perceive the changes in the power of the pills during pill making.

But now, Luo Chen was interested in the former effect.

A large amount of essence energy, wasn't that the nutrition his body needed?

Of course, there were other ways to supplement nutrition.

Luo Chen went to the kitchen, set up a large pot, and threw in all the vegetables, bones, and monster meat he had bought.

"Today, we're having a big hot pot stew!"

"Still missing some vermicelli, let's use these large tendons instead!"

Throwing in a bunch of cleaned monster tendons, Luo Chen clapped his hands.

Just waiting for the food to be ready!

...

...

Night fell.

The couple returned home together!

Qin Liangchen walked down the alley, with Murong Qinglian holding his arm.

"The dividend for last month has come in. The Medicine Hall gave 300 spirit stones, and the Pill Hall gave 100. The main part is still our spirit fish business. Besides supplying the Zhongding family, we've reached a regular supply agreement with another cultivation family, earning over 500 spirit stones."

"Dear, what about you?"

Qin Liangchen blushed and spat out a number, "300!"

As the mainstay of the family, earning less than half of his wife's income made him both ashamed and angry.

Murong Qinglian smiled, "Don't be upset. The Spirit Fish Lake was originally conquered by you, I just helped manage it."

Qin Liangchen still felt a bit uncomfortable.

Being this powerless elder, the earnings were not as much as he had imagined.

But there was another way to look at it. If he hadn't become this elder, Murong Qinglian wouldn't have become the head of the Medicine Hall.

"Let's save up a few more months of spirit stones and send them to Xiaohu!"

Suddenly, Qin Liangchen said.

He looked at the dark alley ahead, showing a hint of longing.

"I wonder how Xiaohu is doing at Luoyun Sect. Have the pills we left him run out? How is he getting along with his fellow disciples?"

Murong Qinglian listened quietly.

Their family was quite strange. Although Qin Liangchen was the mainstay, most external matters were handled by Murong Qinglian.

And Qin Liangchen wasn't like a typical strict father or husband, he was used to showing his emotions openly.

Even when his son was around, he would lift him up and fly him around, regardless of Xiaohu's embarrassment.

"Lao Qin, I heard the gang recently acquired a high-grade metal magical weapon, a giant sword, which suits your fighting style very well."

"Should we buy it?"

Qin Liangchen was surprised, "Not save spirit stones for Xiaohu?"

Murong Qinglian shook her head, "We should still save, but not now. He's only at the initial Qi Refinement stage, he won't need many resources."

"But you're different. You still have a chance to reach Foundation Establishment, and you need a powerful magical weapon."

"If one day you advance to Foundation Establishment, Xiaohu will be more respected in the sect!"

Hearing this, Qin Liangchen thought seriously for a moment.

After a while, he nodded heavily.

"That's true. I still have a Foundation Establishment Pill from Senior Mi Shuhua, I can't waste it."

After saying that, he quickly kissed Murong Qinglian when no one was around.

"My dear, you're so good. When you're close to Great Perfection, I'll definitely help you reach Foundation Establishment!"

Murong Qinglian wiped the saliva from her face and playfully pushed him away.

"Old pervert!"

Laughing and scolding, they entered the courtyard and smelled a strong aroma.

It was a bit pungent and made them want to sneeze, but the aroma made their mouths water.

"Brother Qin, Sister Murong, you're back!"

"Come and have hot pot, I've saved some bowls and chopsticks for you."

Luo Chen warmly invited them, even kicking Bai Meiling.

Bai Meiling, while gnawing on a bone, moved aside to make room.

Beside her, Gu Caiyi set up two sets of bowls and chopsticks and poured a cup of wine.

Murong Qinglian was surprised, "You guys must have hit the jackpot, eating so lavishly."

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