The old shopkeeper, upon hearing the question, looked as though he hadn't fully woken up yet. His clouded eyes betrayed no trace of spirit.
Only when Liu Shiyi stood waiting impatiently did he crack one eye open and beckon her closer with a curl of his finger.
Seeing his manner, Liu Shiyi's heart settled.
Ah, right on target!
This old fellow was definitely up to something!
He must have taken her for some clueless newcomer—a low-ranked female cultivator who knew nothing—and so he had decided to put on an act.
Since that was the case, she too immediately put on a look of cautious curiosity, obediently leaning her head closer.
"You want to know where this pill came from?" The old shopkeeper's voice dropped low, hoarse yet brimming with a mysterious allure.
Liu Shiyi nodded firmly.
The old man chuckled and went on:
"This pill is extremely rare. The pill recipe was only recently obtained by our Honored Market Master from an ancient ruin. Its refinement process is strictly forbidden to outsiders. However… you're in luck."
"Just a few days ago, I heard that the alchemy room responsible for refining this very pill happens to be short one assistant. If you're willing, I can put in a word for you. Think about it—being able to witness the refinement of such a spirit pill with your own eyes… that's an opportunity countless people would beg for in vain! What's more, the Market Master himself decreed that anyone willing to help will receive a stipend of one hundred spirit stones per month! Well? How about it?"
One hundred spirit stones!
Joy surged unbidden onto Liu Shiyi's face. She barely even paused to think before blurting out her answer:
"I'm willing! Of course I'm willing! Thank you for your kindness, Shopkeeper!"
The old shopkeeper wasn't the least bit surprised at how quickly she agreed. Without hurry, he drew out a yellowed contract from beneath the counter and slid it over to her.
"Since you're willing, then sign this contract first. Take a look—if you find no problem, press your handprint."
Liu Shiyi picked up the aged contract, skimming over it with a show of seriousness.
On the surface, there really seemed to be nothing wrong.
It clearly stated that she was volunteering to go to the alchemy room as an apprentice, earning one hundred spirit stones a month, provided she followed the rules and never leaked any pill recipes.
With her current knowledge, Liu Shiyi couldn't even spot any hidden traps in the wording. But she didn't need to—she could tell just from instinct that this contract was anything but clean.
Sign it, and she'd no doubt end up a slave, forced to toil endlessly without freedom.
If the contract really was problem-free, she'd eat dirt standing on her head!
Without hesitation, Liu Shiyi bit her fingertip and pressed a heavy, bloodied handprint at the bottom of the page.
After all, her goal was precisely to let herself fall under their control.
The moment the contract was sealed, she carefully probed her body—but for now, felt no change.
The old shopkeeper, seeing her signature, broke into a kindly smile. Carefully storing away the contract, he chuckled: "Good. Come with me."
Naturally, Liu Shiyi rose to follow him. Though she still felt nothing strange, a hint of unease began to stir within her.
The Aoki Spirit Boat soon activated, rising smoothly into the air. But rather than flying outward from the market, it descended into the canyon below.
Side by side, the old shopkeeper had now shed his sleepy air. Animatedly, he gestured toward a freshly carved stone cavern, steaming with heat as he explained with spittle flying:
"Look there—that's the alchemy chamber where the 'Foundation-Condensing Pill' is refined! They say the Market Master only just obtained this pill formula. Priceless beyond compare! Were it not for the shortage of hands, you'd never have gotten such a chance to lend a hand inside!"
"You're truly fortunate—barely arrived and already landed a task like this! To be honest, even I envy you!"
He went on to explain in detail where she would lodge, which alchemist she'd serve under, how she should assist, how to collect her stipend—every last thing spelled out clearly.
He even added with special emphasis:
"Oh, and another good thing I forgot to mention—so long as you work here, you'll be exempt from the sect's monthly tasks. Even after becoming a full disciple, this rule still applies! This was specially approved by the Market Master himself—something others would beg for and never obtain!"
Such thoroughness gave Liu Shiyi pause.
Something wasn't right.
If they were merely tricking her, was there any need to explain everything in such detail?
Ask yourself—if your target were to die the next second, would you waste so many words on them?
The thought unsettled her.
Could it be… they weren't out to scam her? Were they actually recruiting her in earnest?
That couldn't be right!
Since when had this old shopkeeper grown such a conscience?
What kind of world was this, where even getting scammed was so hard?
Was this even the same demonic sect she knew?!
Just as doubt began to gnaw at her—
Liu Ming suddenly realized he had lost control of Liu Shiyi!
That shared strand of consciousness was severed as if by an invisible blade. No longer could he steer her words or actions—he could only watch helplessly as she followed the shopkeeper into the steaming stone cavern.
At that, however, a faint smile curled at his lips.
So that was it. For a moment, he'd actually thought the shopkeeper had grown a conscience.
Turns out, he was simply a talkative villain.
Relieved, Liu Ming refocused a portion of his mind into Liu Shiyi's perspective.
Though he could not control her, he could still see through her eyes.
The cavern within was vast, lit bright as day by dozens of great pill furnaces burning with blazing fire.
One cultivator sat cross-legged before a furnace, fully absorbed in controlling its flames.
The shopkeeper called out in a familiar tone:
"Brother Wang, I've brought you another work slave. Pretty decent of me, eh? All the workshops are short on hands these days. When I tricked this fool, you were the first I thought of!"
The alchemist called "Brother Wang" slowly opened his eyes, scrutinizing Liu Shiyi. After a moment, he frowned and muttered four words:
"Too old already."
The shopkeeper, expecting this, immediately began whining:
"Brother Wang, you know how hard it is to find people now! The sect's grand competition is just around the corner—most people are on edge, and all the gullible fools have already been tricked by others! This one I only stumbled upon by sheer luck! If you don't want her, I'll just send her elsewhere!"
The alchemist sneered. "Forget it. She'll do. Leave her. A share of the refined pills will be sent to you."
"Excellent! Thank you, Brother Wang!" The shopkeeper left beaming, leaving Liu Shiyi alone with the alchemist.
The alchemist circled her, visibly dissatisfied, yet in the end said nothing more.
Placing his palm on her forehead, he confirmed her spirit was utterly dormant. Only then did he retrieve a flawless white jade slip from his storage bag and press it gently against her sea of consciousness.
In an instant—
A torrent of knowledge surged madly into her mind!
Properties of countless spirit herbs, proportions of thousands of pill recipes, techniques of flame control, methods of pill condensation… all of it forcibly branded into her very soul.
Among them—was the formula for the Foundation-Condensing Pill!