C19 Vitreous Body Tempering Liquid

"Sir, I've placed all the medicinal ingredients into the storage ring for you. With the discount applied, your total comes to five hundred gold coins. Will you be paying with cash or a gold card?" Gu Xue inquired, her smile warm and inviting.

"I'll use a gold card," Ling Chen replied as he accepted the storage ring and produced a gold card from within.

Gold cards were a popular method of transaction in Heavensfall Continent, especially useful when carrying large sums of gold coins became impractical.

Being a member of the prestigious Ling family, it was no surprise that Ling Chen possessed a gold card. However, as he set the card on the reader, an embarrassing situation unfolded: insufficient funds!

"This..." Gu Xue chuckled awkwardly. "Sir, there are only 350 gold coins on your card. Will you be paying the remainder in cash?"

"Let me check," Ling Chen said, clearing his throat. He rummaged through his pockets only to discover, much to his dismay, that he didn't have a single gold coin on him. He let out a wry smile.

Gu Xue, standing nearby, seemed to pick up on the dilemma, her face mirroring the awkwardness of the moment.

"Sir, I have a hundred gold coins with me. If that's not enough, I can lend them to you," Gu Xue offered with a sympathetic smile. "But we're still short by fifty."

Under different circumstances, she might have waived the remaining fifty gold coins, but the prices of these ingredients were set by the branch, and she couldn't offer Ling Chen a discount.

Just as the tension began to mount, a voice filled with surprise called out from behind, "Master Ling?"

Ling Chen turned, slightly taken aback, to find Lee Qingqiu approaching eagerly. "Master Ling, is that really you? I was just on my way to see you!"

"Master Lee?" Ling Chen's eyebrows lifted inquisitively, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes.

"Do you have any money on you?" Ling Chen asked directly.

"Ah?" Lee Qingqiu paused, then quickly understood and retrieved a gold card. "Yes, of course! There's two hundred thousand gold coins on this card. Please, Master Ling, accept it with my compliments!"

Whoa!

As soon as those words were spoken, the alchemists nearby were visibly shaken.

Gu Xue's expression even turned rigid.

This kid actually had the nerve to borrow money from Master Lee? And even more astonishing, Master Lee actually lent it to him?

"Who is this guy that Master Lee would lend him money?"

"My goodness, am I dreaming?"

The crowd murmured in disbelief.

"I don't need that much; just one hundred and fifty will suffice," Ling Chen said with a wry smile, internally remarking on how lucrative the alchemy profession must be.

He nonchalantly pulled out a gold card to discover it contained two hundred thousand gold coins—nearly half of the Ling family's annual income!

"Master Lee, I need to purchase some medicinal herbs and I'm short one hundred and fifty gold coins. Could you swipe for me?" Ling Chen asked, grinning.

"Of course!" Lee Qingqiu didn't hesitate, promptly taking out his gold card and swiping it through the machine.

Witnessing this, Gu Xue couldn't help but offer a wry smile.

She packed away the machine and then made her exit.

With the issue resolved, Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief and expressed his gratitude, "Master Lee, I really appreciate this. I'll repay you in a few days!"

"Master Ling, you're too kind. It's a trivial matter, hardly worth mentioning!" Lee Qingqiu replied, almost flustered.

The idea was laughable! Ling Chen was a distinguished figure in the alchemy world. Lee Qingqiu would relish the opportunity for Ling Chen to borrow from him daily, as it would mean more chances to interact with him.

He wouldn't dare accept repayment from Ling Chen!

"By the way, Master Lee, you mentioned you had something to discuss with me? What's the matter?" Ling Chen inquired.

"Well, I have a pill formula here for a third-grade Jade Dragon Pill. But there seem to be some discrepancies with a few of the medicinal herbs. Could you take a look for me, Master Ling?" Lee Qingqiu requested, presenting the formula to Ling Chen with great respect.

"Jade Dragon Pill?" Ling Chen mused, accepting the formula and examining it closely.

After a short inspection, Ling Chen chuckled, "Ah, I see. The issue lies with the Tyrant Twig."

Ling Chen spoke with a casual ease, but Lee Qingqiu's heart was roiling with shock and awe. With just a glance, Ling Chen had pinpointed a flaw, revealing depths that Lee Qingqiu hadn't anticipated. "So, what do you suggest we do, Master Ling?" Lee Qingqiu inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"Use Taurleaf," Ling Chen replied as he handed the pill formula back to Lee Qingqiu. "Replace the Tyrant Twig with Taurleaf, and the medicinal effect will be less domineering."

"Taurleaf!" Lee Qingqiu gasped, as if a fog had lifted from his mind, clearing away his concerns in an instant.

"Yes, Taurleaf! Of course! Why didn't I think of that? Master Ling, your brilliance is undeniable!" Lee Qingqiu expressed his admiration wholeheartedly, his respect for Ling Chen reaching new heights.

Ling Chen offered a modest smile. "I'm glad to be of assistance to you, Master Lee. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now." With that, he turned and departed.

Lee Qingqiu followed him to the door, only turning back reluctantly when Ling Chen insisted, "No need to see me out."

In the following days, Ling Chen divided his time between the alchemy room and the Ling family affairs. With the Family Competition looming and his father's health hanging by a thread, he had to soak up every moment like a sponge.

Ling Chen spent days on end sequestered in the alchemy room, scarcely stepping outside. He was as diligent as a devoted homemaker, focusing on nothing but his craft, save for the necessary breaks for meals and restroom visits. Anyone entering would find his room cluttered with a disarray of medicinal ingredients, all discarded from his failed attempts at refinement.

Suddenly, a snapping sound echoed through the room. A charred scent wafted from the furnace, signaling yet another unsuccessful endeavor.

"Failed again?" Ling Chen said with a wry smile, talking to himself. "It seems that, in my current state, concocting a seventh-grade pill is still quite the challenge."

Ling Chen let out a sigh. Yet, if anyone else had overheard him, they would have been astounded beyond words. A teenager, barely seventeen or eighteen, was in the midst of concocting a seventh grade pill? Such news, if it got out, would surely send shockwaves throughout the entire empire.

Without lingering on a break, Ling Chen promptly resumed his work on the pill. Finally, after three days, a resonant buzzing filled the air. The medicinal liquid within the furnace transformed into a golden hue, resembling amber, and began to exude a fragrant aroma.

With a gesture from his right hand, Ling Chen guided the liquid, now airborne, directly into a jade bottle. "Success!" he exclaimed. "Vitreous Body Tempering Liquid!" His eyes sparkled with delight as he gently shook the jade bottle, listening to the reassuring sound of liquid sloshing within. He spoke with a sense of achievement, "This Vitreous Body Tempering Liquid is a superior grade of Body Tempering Liquid, incomparable to the previous concoctions!"

But what mattered most was that this Body Tempering Liquid had the potential to heal Ling Shan's ailment.