The next day.
Morning.
Qin Gengyun woke up in bed, and phantom text appeared before his eyes again.
[Name: Qin Gengyun]
[Lifespan: 35/40]
[Cultivation: Qi Cultivation Third-Layer, 11/500]
[Skills: First Tier Alchemist, 14/200]
[Spirit Roots: Fire Series Lower Grade Spirit Root (37/100), Ice Series Lower Grade Spirit Root (43/100)]
[Available Cultivation Points: 15]
Last night, after working three times and because of the increase in marital affection, I gained a bonus: each session granted three cultivation points.
Three times resulted in 9 points, plus another 6 points from the night of the furnace explosion, as Qin Gengyun felt hopeless at that time and didn't allocate any points.
Thus, there are still 15 points available to use.
The improvement in Fire Series and Ice Series Spirit Roots was not small either, with increments of 6 points each.
It seems the increase in "marital affection" also benefits the spirit roots.
But how did my relationship with Qiu Zhihe improve?
Last night, she didn't even like the lotus hairpin I gave her, right?
Could it be...
I've increased from thirty breaths to thirty-five breaths?
It seems the duration really does matter in married life!
Qin Gengyun made up his mind to exercise more in this regard.
Then he started allocating points, pondering for a moment, and put all 15 points into the Alchemist Realm.
He planned to upgrade the Alchemist Realm to the Second Tier as soon as possible, so he could produce even the lowest-grade Second Grade pills, each of which could sell for at least twenty Spirit Stones.
With sufficient Spirit Stones, he could buy certain cultivation resources, gain exposure to higher levels, and improve cultivation efficiency.
After allocating points, the attribute panel also changed:
[Skills: First Tier Alchemist, 29/200]
Given the current marital affection with Qiu Zhihe, 3 points can be gained per session, requiring only 57 more times to reach the Second Tier Alchemist.
With three sessions every night after alchemy, it would only take nineteen days of work.
No pressure!
Right, before heading out, I should ask Qiu Zhihe about her preference in hairpin styles. I should return the White Jade Lotus Hairpin at the Rouge Pavilion when I get back.
Qin Gengyun gingerly got up, noticing that Qiu Zhihe was no longer in bed.
As he got out of bed and was about to look for her, the door opened from the outside and Qiu Zhihe walked in carrying a basket of buns.
She was still in last night's plum blossom-patterned gauze robe. Petite but curvy, the most striking feature was the White Jade Lotus Hairpin on her head, adding an extra layer of elegance to this cool-tempered woman.
"Taoist Friend Qiu, did you go out to buy breakfast?"
Qin Gengyun stepped forward, took the basket of buns, and placed it on the table.
Qiu Zhihe silently sat down, her red lips slightly parted: "Eat."
"Okay, you should eat too."
Qin Gengyun responded, eating buns while glancing at Qiu Zhihe from time to time.
Qiu Zhihe glared at him coldly: "What are you looking at?"
Qin Gengyun chuckled: "This hairpin looks really nice."
She said last night she didn't like the lotus, yet she's wearing it this morning.
A woman's body is still the most honest.
Qiu Zhihe's gaze grew colder, and Qin Gengyun hastily corrected himself:
"What I mean is, you look even better with this hairpin!"
Qiu Zhihe ignored him, picked up a bun, and took small bites.
The two quickly finished breakfast, and Qin Gengyun was ready to head out when he suddenly turned back:
"Taoist Friend Qiu, red clothes actually suit you better."
Qiu Zhihe abruptly looked up, her gaze sharp, and Qin Gengyun quickly waved his hands:
"I'm off!"
He slipped out the door, just in time to meet Zhang Chengdao and Chen Fang from next door going out to buy breakfast. Seeing him smile, Chen Fang warmly asked:
"Taoist Friend Qin, what's got you in such a good mood?"
Qin Gengyun laughed: "Taoist Friend Zhang, Taoist Friend Chen, I've realized today that being married is truly wonderful."
And with that, he laughed heartily and strode away.
Chen Fang held Zhang Chengdao's hand and glanced next door:
"Husband, Taoist Friend Qiu seems outwardly cold, but inside, she's warm. Taoist Friend Qin is really fortunate."
Zhang Chengdao nodded: "Indeed."
Chen Fang turned to him: "Husband, do you envy Taoist Friend Qin too?"
Zhang Chengdao was taken aback, hurriedly replied: "No, dear wife, don't misunderstand, in my eyes, you are the best wife."
Chen Fang smiled sweetly, leaned in, and whispered: "Husband, I'll reward you twice tonight."
Zhang Chengdao held his back with a wry smile: "Thank you, my wife..."
At the Spirit Pill Workshop, Qin Gengyun found that it was lazy as ever today. Despite being 7 a.m., few people were around.
Even Yang Fengshan hadn't arrived.
Only Fang Chao was in the backyard, cleaning up the Pill Poison. In recent days, the Pavilion Master had been doing frequent alchemy, and a lot of Pill Poison had accumulated in the furnace.
Qin Gengyun naturally didn't dare join in the excitement and cleaned up the front yard instead. He noticed the old alchemy room had been locked and its windows tightly closed, with no idea of the situation inside.
At a quarter past 7 a.m., Wang Ping and Xu Li finally arrived with unsteady steps.
Their faces were pale, yet they seemed extremely excited:
"The courtesan from Zhenyang City is truly extraordinary!"
"Her dancing was enchanting, her figure curvy, truly mesmerizing!"
"It's a pity she only performs but doesn't indulge, admired from a distance, not to be toyed with!"
With the Pavilion Master absent today, these two had indeed visited Yihong House again last night.
Seeing Qin Gengyun, the two approached eagerly, spitting about last night's experience—that a courtesan from the city had come to Yihong House, dancing in a Black Gauze Cloud Pattern Robe like the Demon Sect Saintess Xia Qinglian.
Qin Gengyun shook his head, waiting for their excitement to pass before asking:
"Did the Pavilion Master go out to sell Ice Purity Pills again?"
In recent days, the Pavilion Master had refined three Ice Purity Pills, and at the previous price of 65 Spirit Stones each, it amounted to a total of 195 Spirit Stones, which was not a small income.
Wang Ping chuckled: "This time the Pavilion Master might be gone for more than ten days!"
Qin Gengyun was a bit surprised: "Why so long?"
Xu Li put an arm around Qin Gengyun's shoulder, speaking mysteriously:
"Taoist Friend Qin, you may not know, but the Pavilion Master is not just selling a few Ice Purity Pills this time!"
Wang Ping added: "This time the Pavilion Master's client is the Celestial Pill Pavilion!"
"Celestial Pill Pavilion in Zhenyang City?" Qin Gengyun was slightly moved: "Don't they supply pills exclusively to Zhenyang Sect?"
Having worked as a Medicine Attendant at the Celestial Pill Pavilion, Qin Gengyun had heard some insiders talk: the Celestial Pill Pavilion was actually set up by an elder from the inner sect of Zhenyang Sect, primarily responsible for the sect's pill supplies.
"Taoist Friend Qin certainly has been around Zhenyang City." Wang Ping chuckled:
"Then you must know about the annual Northern Wilderness Trial by Zhenyang Sect, right?"
Qin Gengyun was taken aback, quickly realizing:
"So the Pavilion Master has really caught a big opportunity this time?"
In the Eastern Cultivation Land, the Three Great Sects—Zhenyang Sect, Feiyun Sect, and Thunder Sword Sect—jointly organized their disciples to the Northern Wilderness Trial annually.
This large-scale sect trial required a vast amount of talisman paper and pills.
If Talisman Masters and Alchemists could seize this opportunity, they could definitely earn a fortune.
However, such opportunities were only available to High Tier Alchemists and Talisman Masters. Qin Gengyun, as a First Tier Alchemist, didn't dare to hope for that.
"Exactly!" Xu Li chimed in:
"But the Pavilion Master hitched a ride with a High Tier Alchemist this time, I heard they want two hundred Ice Purity Pills. If successful, the Pavilion Master might get a tenth of it."
"Twenty pills, that's 1300 Spirit Stones!" Wang Ping marveled:
"If this works out, the Pavilion Master might actually buy a Spirit Vein Immortal Mansion, wow, being an Alchemist truly has prospects!"