C4 The First Bucket of Gold

The next morning, before heading to work, Wang Xiaochuan cycled over to Bao Fan's place. As he announced his arrival through the intercom, he could hear Bao Fan's voice brimming with excitement.

Shortly thereafter, Bao Fan, clad in his pajamas, hurried down the stairs, clutching a bag. "Xiaochuan! I've been thinking about you all night!"

Upon seeing Wang Xiaochuan, Bao Fan embraced him with the enthusiasm of reuniting with a long-lost relative. "Xiaochuan, I had no idea there were such miraculous remedies in the world... No, this isn't just any remedy; it's clearly a kidney-reinforcing drug!"

Bao Fan took Wang Xiaochuan's hand, his excitement palpable as he gestured with his fingers. "Xiaochuan, can you believe it? Last night, I managed to do it seven times! Never thought I'd see the day when I could do it seven times in one night."

For a man in his middle years, the biggest crisis is often a lack of vitality, and Bao Fan was no exception. As a businessman, his social obligations often involved indulgent evenings out, leading to an earlier onset of these challenges than most.

Bao Fan had tried medications like Viagra in the past, but they never lived up to their legendary status, often just numbing his sensations. But the tonic Wang Xiaochuan gave him the day before had truly opened his eyes to what a kidney-reinforcing drug could do.

This medicine was nothing short of the magic medicine every man dreams of!

"Bao Fan, you've overdone it. My drug can indeed bolster the kidneys, and it's all-natural with no side effects, but it's also quite potent. Did you drink the entire thing at once yesterday?" Wang Xiaochuan asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

Bao Fan, cheeks tinged with red, nodded sheepishly.

With a gentle smile, Wang Xiaochuan advised, "There's no wonder you went seven times last night. Bao Fan, from now on, just a small sip will do. If you keep drinking so much, I'm afraid your body won't be able to handle it."

As he spoke, Wang Xiaochuan produced the last bottle of kidney-reinforcing drugs and handed it to Bao Fan. "Bao Fan, this is the last one. Use it sparingly. If you need more, I'll bring you some in a couple of days."

As Wang Xiaochuan held the bottle, Bao Fan's eyes gleamed with envy. He eagerly took it, caressing the bottle as if it were a precious gem before carefully placing it into his satchel. Next, he pulled out a thick wad of cash.

"Xiaochuan, I'm a bit short on cash at home, but here's 17,000 yuan. Take it!" he said, pushing the money into Xiaochuan's hands.

"This... seems like too much!" Wang Xiaochuan was taken aback. He hadn't expected Bao Fan to offer such a hefty sum for just two bottles of kidney-reinforcing drugs, especially since they were made with a bunch of expired herbs. That was over 8,000 yuan per bottle!

"Hey!" Bao Fan objected, "Xiaochuan, it's not too much at all. For such a magic medicine, you're charging me just over eight thousand a bottle? That's a steal! If my friends knew about this, they'd pay ten thousand a bottle without hesitation. I only gave you this much because I'm short on cash, got it?"

"Alright then," Wang Xiaochuan conceded, unable to refuse. Clutching the thick stack of bills, he felt a rush of excitement. Seventeen thousand yuan! He used to work an entire year to save up that amount, and now he had earned it in less than a day!

Indeed, his plan was sound; selling medicine was a lucrative business!

"Thank you, Bao Fan!"

"Hey! Don't call me that. From now on, just call me Mr. Bao," Bao Fan said, slinging an arm around Xiaochuan's shoulder. "Xiaochuan, this is truly a magic medicine. If it hits the market, you'll make a fortune! How about it? Are you interested in getting this off the ground?"

Bao Fan, ever the entrepreneur, had immediately recognized the potential of the kidney-reinforcing drugs.

Wang Xiaochuan had already considered this the night before but wasn't ready to jump in just yet. He lacked the necessary capital and didn't want to depend on someone else's influence, like Bao Fan's. While it could be profitable, it might also leave him at the mercy of others. Xiaochuan preferred to wait until he could afford to start the business on his own terms.

Secondly, sourcing the herbs for the kidney-reinforcing drugs was a challenge. Wang Xiaochuan had scoured the market, and even including expired stock, some ingredients were in short supply. To mass-produce the drugs, he'd need to secure a reliable supply chain first.

"No can do, Bao Fan, crafting this medicine is quite a hassle. I'm afraid we're not ready for mass production yet."

Bao Fan expressed disappointment, "Well, that's a shame. But Xiaochuan, when you do have more stock, make sure to send some my way first. I have many friends who need this stuff. I'll introduce them to you later, so you can make a tidy profit."

"Thanks in advance, Mr. Bao."

Going from broke to wealthy overnight had Xiaochuan over the moon with excitement.

After a busy morning, Xiaochuan, with the seventeen thousand from Bao Fan, seized a free moment from his delivery job to visit the herbal medicine market once more.

This visit wasn't just to gather more herbs for the kidney-reinforcing drugs; his primary goal was to concoct a potion known as Soul Draught for himself.

While making money was crucial, Xiaochuan understood that without sufficient strength, having more money could be more of a curse than a blessing.

With the depletion of spiritual energy on Earth, Xiaochuan couldn't practice the Myriad Forms Body Tempering Art through conventional means. He had to rely on the power of pills.

Yet, pills were not comparable to ordinary medicines. Even the lowest grade required herbs aged over a hundred years to produce. Such herbs were exceedingly rare on Earth, and sometimes not even money could secure them.

Thus, to advance his practice of the Myriad Forms Body Tempering Art, Xiaochuan had to settle for creating the Soul Draught.

The Soul Draught straddled the line between regular medicine and pills, containing spiritual energy. Although its effects paled in comparison to pills, it was sufficient to initiate Xiaochuan into the Myriad Forms Body Tempering Art and embark on his cultivation journey.

After making his rounds at the herbal medicine market, Wang Xiaochuan had managed to spend his entire 17,000 yuan, with the majority going towards ingredients for the Soul Draught.

Reflecting on his expenditures, Wang Xiaochuan realized how quickly money could disappear. It was clear that he needed to find additional ways to make money. Though the kidney-reinforcing drugs had been profitable, the high costs meant that his earnings were hardly sufficient for his cultivation needs.

Back at home, Wang Xiaochuan prepared another dozen bottles of kidney-reinforcing drugs to sell before he began concocting his own batch of Soul Draught.

The process of making the Soul Draught wasn't overly complex, but it did require a meticulous selection of herbs and a fair bit of prep work. It took Wang Xiaochuan two hours to mix the ingredients and another three to successfully brew the concoction.

By the time he finished, it was well past ten at night.

With everything in order, Wang Xiaochuan settled into a cross-legged position, and without further ado, he tilted his head back and drank the entire Soul Draught.

The liquid scorched down his throat like a ball of fire, leaving his abdomen ablaze with heat.

Feeling the discomfort, he quickly engaged his cultivation method to process the potent medicine.

As he activated the cultivation method, the medicinal power was refined and absorbed, transforming into spiritual energy that coursed through his body.

In the midst of this, Wang Xiaochuan's body began to transform in remarkable ways. His physique grew more robust, and his once dark skin slowly lightened. All the scars on his body vanished as if they had never been.

Next to change was his face, which, from being rather unremarkable, became noticeably more handsome due to subtle alterations in his features.

Additionally, a dark liquid started to seep out from within him.

Yet, Wang Xiaochuan was completely oblivious to his body's metamorphosis, his attention consumed by the intense heat in his belly.

As time slipped by, the moon gave way to the sun, and before he knew it, Wang Xiaochuan had been cultivating through the night.

With the dawn's light, Wang Xiaochuan slowly opened his eyes, which now sparkled with a vivid intensity, reminiscent of the stars twinkling in the celestial expanse.

"I've finally reached the foundational stage of Foundation Building, the most basic realm for Immortal Cultivators."

There are eight major realms in the world of cultivation: Foundation Building, Profound, Golden Core, Sea of Consciousness, Nascent Infant, Deification, Body Fusion, and Tribulation Crossing. Each realm is further divided into four sub-stages: early period, middle period, late period, and perfection.

Wang Xiaochuan has now entered the Foundation Building realm. Though he's only in the early period, he could be considered to possess the body of a demi-immortal, far beyond what any mortal could match.

Wang Xiaochuan could feel that his condition was better than it had ever been. His body had truly undergone a transformation, and he could feel boundless strength with every gesture.

Beyond his strength, his senses had sharpened considerably. Gazing out the window, he could spot a tiny insect on a tree several kilometers away. Straining his ears, he could even hear the sounds of heavy breathing and a bed shaking from several rooms away.

Wang Xiaochuan's face turned red as he thought to himself, "Why would someone be engaging in such activities so early in the morning?"

Then, a foul odor hit him.

"How foul!"

Wang Xiaochuan quickly covered his nose, scanning the room until he realized that the source of the stench was the black liquid on his body.

"Yuck, what is this stuff, and why does it smell so bad?"

The odor was from the impurities within his body, expelled during his cultivation, now accumulated on the floor, creating an unbearable stink.

"I can't take it; the smell is going to kill me!"

Suppressing the urge to gag, Wang Xiaochuan covered his mouth and dashed into the bathroom for a shower.

After he had scrubbed off the filth and dried himself off, Wang Xiaochuan had completely parted ways with his former self.

He looked into the mirror, barely recognizing the somewhat unfamiliar yet familiar reflection staring back at him.

"Is... Is this really me?!"

Feeling as if he had been reborn, Wang Xiaochuan sensed that from this point forward, his life would take a dramatically different path.

Without pause, Wang Xiaochuan spent his time exploring the changes in his body. He discovered that he had indeed been transformed, with his speed and strength surpassing that of an ordinary person by leaps and bounds.

He even believed that if he were his present self back when he was catching thieves, he could likely knock one out with a single punch.