C3 The Poor Learned Literature, While the Rich Learned Martial Arts..

"Young Master, please allow me to handle this," Meng offered.

Upon noticing Lin Yun clearing the scattered medicinal residue from the floor, she swiftly reached for the broom.

"No, I insist on doing it myself. You should rest," Lin Yun firmly declined.

He couldn't bear the thought of the frail and slender girl doing such laborious work.

"Meng, where did these medicinal ingredients come from?" Lin Yun inquired, "And does the kitchen staff usually bring us our meals?"

"The medicinal ingredients were provided by Steward Wang from the pill room," Meng replied.

With a hint of bewilderment, she added, "Young Master, the kitchen has never made meals specifically for you. You've always eaten the leftovers I bring you. Have you forgotten?"

"My memory hasn't been the best lately," Lin Yun admitted with a chuckle.

Yet, as his gaze fell upon the heap of medicinal dregs, his eyes gleamed with a chilling sharpness akin to blades. He pondered, "Bone Corrosion Grass again? How intriguing."

As Lin Yun was about to sweep away the dregs, the system alerted him that they contained the toxic components of Bone Corrosion Grass—a lethal poison capable of killing its original host.

Had it not been for his creation of the Green Spirit Pill, Lin Yun's life would have been at risk.

It seemed that everyone in the vast Mystic Moon Sect underestimated him, with some even intent on ending his life!

To survive in such a perilous environment, Lin Yun realized he had no choice but to find a way to grow stronger quickly. That way, no one would dare to cross him.

Being a Grade One Spirit Alchemist was a start, but it was hardly sufficient. Despite the revered status of Spirit Alchemists, a Grade One was barely noteworthy, especially with a Grade Five Spirit Alchemist Master present in the Mystic Moon Sect.

"I must become a martial cultivator first and gain the strength to defend myself!" Lin Yun resolved.

This was his preliminary strategy. Currently too vulnerable, he was merely a scholar, while even the most menial servant, Hongxiu, had attained Power Refinement Grade Two.

"I wish to master the refining of Marrow Cleansing Pills, Bone Forging Pills, and Essence Cultivating Pills," Lin Yun communicated to the system silently.

Shortly thereafter, his attribute panel updated:

Host: Lin Yun

Title: Grade One Spirit Alchemist

Psychic Force: 1.3

Refinable Pills: Green Spirit Pill, Marrow Cleansing Pill, Bone Forging Pill, Essence Cultivating Pill

Points: 20

Authority: Pillheart Hall (including Water Cloud Pill, Profound Sun Pill, etc.)

Initially, Lin Yun had 90 points, but after investing 60 to learn the methods for four new pills, he was left with only 20.

Yet, Lin Yun harbored no regrets. By investing more points to enhance his capabilities, he could find ways to accumulate even more. As long as he allocated his points wisely, it would all be worthwhile.

"I require a Marrow Cleansing Pill," Lin Yun requested.

A dusky pill materialized in his palm. This Grade One pill was designed to refine the meridians and bone marrow, cleansing the body of impurities. To embark on the path of a martial cultivator, his initial step was to temper his meridians and bone marrow.

Without uttering a word, Lin Yun consumed the Marrow Cleansing Pill.

Moments later, he was wracked with an intense pain unlike any he had experienced before. Collapsing to the ground, he endured the agony. Moreover, his pores exuded a purple-black blood, and a foul odor emanated from his body.

After enduring roughly thirty minutes of nightmarish pain and torment, it finally subsided.

He glanced at his clothes, now stained with blood, and shook his head in dismay. Without hesitation, he fetched two buckets of water and washed himself clean. Donning a fresh set of clothes, he felt an immediate sense of rejuvenation.

"This is the strength of a martial cultivator!" he exclaimed, gripping his fists tightly, reveling in the surge of unprecedented power coursing through his veins. It was Genuine Force! In a sudden burst of energy, he punched the cobblestone ground, shattering the stones instantly, yet his arm remained unscathed.

He had achieved Power Refinement Grade One, officially becoming a martial cultivator!

"Young Master, dinner is ready."

In the rundown dwelling, two bowls of rice soup with scarcely a grain of rice and a small dish of pickles sat on an almost rotting table. Meng eagerly scooped up the meager soup, eating with gusto.

Witnessing the sparse meal and Meng's contented smile, Lin Yun felt an ache in his heart. Meng was just a child who should have been in school, living without a care, yet her life was filled with such hardship.

Abruptly, Lin Yun set his chopsticks down and handed his larger bowl of rice soup to Meng. Puzzled, she looked up at him as he smiled and said, "I've got to step out. You eat my share, too."

"Young Master, let me save it for you," offered Meng, reluctant to consume the soup herself, preferring to save it for Lin Yun.

Her innocent smile, despite her plain features, warmed Lin Yun's heart.

He refrained from further conversation. Understanding that Meng's gesture stemmed from concern, he accepted it graciously. To reject the kindness of someone as destitute as Meng could cause unnecessary pain.

Then, drawing from his memories, he retrieved a wooden box from a concealed spot beneath the bed. Opening it, a refreshing aroma filled the air, revealing a crimson pill nestled inside.

It was a Grade Two Divine Power Pill.

"Young Master, isn't that the pill the Sect Master gave you?" Meng inquired, recalling how Qin Yutong had given Lin Yun the pill months ago after seeing his impoverished state.

She remembered Lin Yun's excitement upon receiving the pill, claiming it was worth a fortune of two hundred taels of silver, enough to sustain them for three years. Yet, Lin Yun had not cashed it in for money but chose to safeguard it as a gift from Qin Yutong.

"Now's the time to put it to use," Lin Yun said with a chuckle.

He was not the original inhabitant of this body. The previous owner, despite possessing such a treasure, had lived a life of squalor. Lin Yun, however, would not make the same mistake.

After bidding Meng farewell, he stepped outside.

"Isn't that our esteemed and valiant Young Master? What brings him out for a stroll today?"

"Brother Lee, even a lady cooped up indoors needs to stretch her legs once in a while!"

As Lin Yun walked by, disciples from the Mystic Moon Sect sneered and jeered, but he remained stoic, their taunts sliding off him like water off a duck's back.

He made a mental note of each face that mocked him, as if etching their features into his memory for a time when he would settle the score.

His day of retribution would come.

Navigating the serene bamboo path, Lin Yun followed his recollections to a favored locale within the Mystic Moon Sect.

Welcome to the pill room of the Mystic Moon Sect.

Every disciple within the sect is aware that this special place was established by the Sect Master specifically for Master Bao, a distinguished Grade Five Spirit Alchemist. Master Bao alone possesses all the sect's treasures and spirit herb materials, which are amassed here in the pill room.

Spirit Alchemists are among the rarest and most revered individuals on the Kyushu Continent. Those who achieve Grade One and earn the Spirit Medicine Alliance's official endorsement are afforded the Alliance's protection. Regardless of the country they visit, these Spirit Alchemists are entitled to the highest level of treatment, akin to that of nobility.

Master Bao, a certified Grade Five Spirit Alchemist by the Spirit Medicine Alliance, is a sought-after talent by every major force in the Great Qin Dynasty, all eager to forge strong connections with him.

Thus, even Qin Yutong, the Sect Master herself, must approach Master Bao with the utmost courtesy when requesting pills. Such is the elevated status of a Spirit Alchemist within a sect.

For other Mystic Moon Sect disciples desiring pills refined by Master Bao's own hand, the task is daunting. They must exchange either money or rare treasures for these coveted pills, first having their value assessed in the pill room before they can even hope to obtain their desired remedies.

This very reason is why a constant stream of hopefuls can be found outside the pill room.

"Quite the bustling scene," Lin Yun mused to himself.

His presence caught many of the sect's disciples off guard; Lin Yun was no stranger to them. Merely being the Sect Master's husband was enough to draw attention.

Nevertheless, those who ventured to the pill room were united in purpose: to acquire pills that would aid in their cultivation. Hence, Lin Yun's arrival sparked little interest.

Upon arrival, Lin Yun promptly set a battered wooden board before him and inscribed a message: "Marrow Cleansing Pills, Bone Forging Pills, and Essence Cultivating Pills available at low prices."

The sight of the wooden board instantly captured the crowd's attention.

Daring to compete for business right at the pill room's entrance? He was practically inviting disaster.

A bookworm like him, in possession of such pills? Preposterous. He must have lost his mind.

Given their familiarity with Lin Yun, no one approached to inquire. Yet Lin Yun appeared unfazed by the lack of interest, sitting in calm solitude.

He seemed an anomaly in this place.

"Do you really have Marrow Cleansing Pills?" A slender disciple approached, skepticism lacing his voice.

Despite being a mere Grade One pill of modest value, the Marrow Cleansing Pill was highly sought after within every sect. Nearly every disciple needed one for each breakthrough to the next level. Without it, even those with exceptional talent faced insurmountable challenges in their advancement.

On the market, a Marrow Cleansing Pill fetched at least fifty taels of silver, and in times of scarcity, the price could soar to eighty taels!

In essence, without sufficient wealth, a martial cultivator's path to power is all but unattainable.