Chapter 9: Earth-Tier Elixir

"Ah? It's broken..."

Jiang Yi fell to the ground, landing on his buttocks. The number of elixirs in the cauldron was not small—there were at least fifty pills, and most importantly they were Man-tier superior-grade Spirit Pills! He had heard hearsay that this Man-tier superior-grade elixir was sold outside for at least ten taels of silver per pill. In other words, if all the elixirs in the cauldron exploded, he had instantly destroyed elixirs worth five taels of purple gold...

Swish!

A brown-colored figure explosively shot out from within the side room, the violent air surrounding that figure bearing down on Jiang Yi so much that he could not breathe. Elder Liu's large, bull-like eyes were filled with rage as he stared viciously at Jiang Yi. With one hand, he grabbed the cauldron lid and lifted it up, revealing the contents of the cauldron. He immediately started investigating the dregs.

Jiang Yi held his breath, secretly praying that not too many elixirs in the cauldron had been destroyed in the explosion. Otherwise, should Elder Liu become violent with rage, even if he was beaten to death, the Jiang family would say nothing...

"You darned brat, this cauldron full of elixirs has been completely destroyed! What the hell did you do?"

Upon looking into the cauldron, Elder Liu's wrath grew further. His gaze cut across Jiang Yi's face like a knife as the red essence force on his hand rolled. He was getting ready to hit Jiang Yi with one slap.

"I'm done for!"

Jiang Yi closed his eyes and awaited the incoming slap. Even though Elder Liu was in charge of refining elixirs, he was considered one of the top ten most powerful in the Jiang family. Was he not going to be beaten to death with this single slap?

"Eh?"

Suddenly, Elder Liu paused, bewildered. He retracted his hand in the process. He stared in curiosity and suspicion at the two remaining elixirs left in the cauldron. He felt as though... they were different from the Spirit Pills he was originally refining.

Jiang Yi had just escaped from death. Hurriedly wiping off his cold sweat, he nervously observed Elder Liu's every little move.

"This... this elixir..."

Elder Liu completely ignored Jiang Yi. His eyes were wide as a full moon as he grabbed the two black pills from the cauldron, his face filled with shock and confusion as he said, "Isn't the Spirit Pill white in color? How did these two become black? And it seems like... their medicinal efficacy has increased in power!"

"Black? Two pills?"

Jiang Yi's eyes flickered as his mind raced, suddenly coming up with a bold idea.What if the exploding elixirs were caused by me inserting two strands of black essence force? Not only did the remaining two pills not explode, their colors changed from white to black? Were these two strands of black essence force also the reason behind it?

"Their medical efficacy did indeed increase by a lot!"

Elder Liu's eyes brightened the more he looked. With much liveliness, he chattered non-stop. "This hue, this medical healing power... similar, very similar! I have refined elixirs all my life... could it be... finally two Earth-tier elixirs have been refined?"

"Earth-tier elixirs?"

Jiang Yi's mind was shaken. He remembered that last night when he was healing his injuries, the black essence force was strangely able to increase the medical healing power of the Yellow Ginseng Elixir by four to five times. Adding the circumstances that just happened, he had much certainty in his heart that the explosion of the elixirs in this cauldron, as well as the change of these two elixir pills to Earth-tier quality, was definitely caused by the black essence force...

Gulp!

Right as Jiang Yi was muttering to myself, Elder Liu suddenly grabbed one of the black elixir pills and swallowed it, before sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed. He opened his eyes almost instantly, his eyes filled with excitement and ecstasy.

"Hahaha! This is indeed an Earth-tier inferior-grade elixir! It's been thirty years! I finally refined an Earth-tier elixir! I am no longer a first-rate elixir-refiner..."

Jiang Yi twitched his lips, silently thinking to himself that it was not he himself who refined it anyway...

However, he did not dare to make a sound. Instead, he merely stood there like he was well-behaved, hoping in his heart that with his excellent mood, Elder Liu would let him off the hook.

Shh-shh-shh!

At this time, the light sound of footsteps came from the exterior of the Elixir Room. A young man secretly entered, glanced at Jiang Yi with one look, before walking in the direction of Elder Liu while putting on a face filled by a flattering and charming smile and cupping his hands in greeting.

"Congratulations, Elder!" he exclaimed. "Congratulations, Elder! You, dear elder, have finally refined an exceptional elixir..."

Pow!

Elder Liu's look transformed instantly and sent a slap at him, sending the youth entering the room flying out of the main doors.

He then snorted coldly. "Jiang Song, you can get out of my sight now! You no longer need to return to this elixir-refining room. Damned thing, all you do is laze around!"

Jiang Yi retracted his head, thinking to himself silently that this Elder Liu was no doubt a weird man—just moments before he was all smiles, yet instantly he could become hostile...

Observing Jiang Song's red and swollen face as he fearfully left with quick steps, Jiang Yi did not dare to stay for any longer.

He cupped his hands and said in a low voice, "Elder Liu, I'll take my leave," before he hastily made his way outside.

"Wait!"

Who knew that Elder Liu would call him loudly in a low voice, his vision locked on to Jiang Yi? Jiang Yi could only bitterly stop and ask, "Elder, do you have any more instructions?"

Elder Liu suddenly revealed a smile on his face. He walked forward by a few steps and slapped Jiang Yi's right shoulder with his large hand. Grinning widely, he said, "You're not bad, kid! You're my lucky charm! Hmmm... That useless good-for-nothing, Jiang Song—I don't want him anymore! Since I temporarily don't have any more people to help me, why don't you stay here and help me refine elixirs from now on?"

What? Jiang Yi shuddered and immediately shook his head like a rattle drum, resolutely rejecting the offer. "No way, Elder Liu. I don't know how to refine elixirs—for the matter I don't know anything. On top of that... I'm right now still working in the herb plantations. If I were to work for you here, I don't know how I'd account to Chief Rong."

Elder Liu's temper was so bizarre—what if one day he insulted the chief while working here? If he got beaten to death in the elder's rage, Jiang Yi would have nowhere to relate his grievances to in his death...

"Account my ass!"

Elder Liu's emotions changed faster than pages of a book being turned. He scowled fiercely and said angrily, "When I want someone, to say nothing of that Chief Rong, even the Internal Affairs Chief Supervisor Jiang Yunshe doesn't dare to say a word.

"You go and tell your chief; if he doesn't agree, I will rip him to shreds. As for not knowing how to refine elixirs, this you can learn slowly. However, you cannot learn to be lazy like that good-for-nothing Jiang Song, or I will never let you off... That's settled then. You can go back first, and come back here and work tomorrow morning. I have to go carefully research this elixir. Hahaha... Earth-tier elixir..."

Holding the remaining black elixir pill, Elder Liu left shaking his head. However, Jiang Yi remained looking miserable and was on the verge of crying.

However, he switched his thinking. If I take this job, I no longer have to go out to the Western Hills? Additionally, Jiang Ruhu and his gang would not dare to come here or go to my house and fight me, right?

He had just the right time to carefully research the black essence force.

Black essence force?

Suddenly, a thought flashed past his mind. His eyes shone brightly like stars. Could his black essence force increase medicinal effects? That Man-tier superior-grade Spirit Pills just now had become Earth-tier elixirs, their medical healing power increasing very likely a result of the black essence force.

If... he started working here, did that mean he could secretly refine elixirs? He could borrow the power of the black essence force to refine and produce high-grade elixirs, before selling them outside without anyone knowing!

A Man-tier superior-grade elixir pill was worth ten taels of silver. Ten pills were worth a hundred taels—or one tael of purple gold. If he could produce a hundred Man-tier superior-grade elixirs within a month's time, wouldn't he be able to easily return the enormous debt to the people of Fengyue Brothel?

"Haha!"

Jiang Yi was secretly in ecstasy, finally being able to put down some of the stress applying pressure on his heart like a rock. Initially, he was very unwilling to work under Elder Liu; at this moment he was more than happy to do so.

"Yes, I should go inform Chief Rong first."

Jiang Yi broke into a brisk walk heading out of the room. He abruptly remembered the purpose of his visit when he reached the door. He thought that it seemed as though Elder Liu viewed him in a new light. He hesitated for a moment, before slowly making his way to the side room.

...

"Haha, Earth-tier elixirs? This cauldron of Spirit Pills could actually refine Earth-tier elixirs? Could there perhaps be something mysterious behind it? No, I have to carefully examine and research this..."

Elder Liu sat on the ground in the side chamber, his back facing Jiang Yi. He wrapped the remaining black elixir pill in the red essence force released from his hand. With his full attention on research, he completely ignored Jiang Yi.

"Elder Liu."

Jiang Yi stood for a while, but Elder Liu continued to ignore him. He had no choice but to grit his teeth, cup his hands and say, "I would like to acquire a pill each of Yellow Ginseng Elixir and Essence Force Elixir..."

Elder Liu finally came to his senses. Glancing at Jiang Yi with one look, he responded impatiently, "Go to the Elixir Room on the other side and take them yourself. Take as much as you want, and don't disturb me... Eh? This Spirit Pill still contains the original ingredients, and does not contain any extra components? How did it suddenly become Earth-tier? Strange, strange..."

"Take as much as I want?"

Jiang Yi's mouth twitched as he could not believe that working at the alchemy lab could have such benefits. Not daring to disturb Elder Liu any further, he immediately cupped his hands, before walking back out of the side room to the inner court. He spotted two rooms on the other side, both of them having their doors closed.

Jiang Yi pushed one of the doors open and took a glance. He saw the interior of the room filled with medicinal herbs, which he guessed were sent there after being collected from the medicinal plantations of the Western Hills. He did not dare to see further and thus retreated backward, before heading into the next room. Just as he opened the door, a puff of medicinal scent permeated out and entered his nose.

"So many elixirs..."

The storeroom where the elixirs were kept was very wide, containing two large three-tiered counters inside. The counters were filled to the brim with bottles and containers, all holding elixirs.

"Essence Soul Pills, Spirit Pills, Black Ginseng Elixirs, Essence Force Pills, Yellow Ginseng Elixirs..."

Jiang Yi felt a rush of excitement the more he looked. Elder Liu did say he could take as much as he wanted, so does that not mean that he could take more elixirs, and even take those elixirs of Man-tier medial or even superior grade?

"Forget it, I should not be too greedy..."

Resisting with great difficulty the greediness in his heart, Jiang Yi with great humility retrieved a Essence Force Elixir, the lowest-quality pill, as well as three pills of Yellow Ginseng Elixir, the pill with the lowest medicinal healing power, before hastily leaving the alchemy lab and walked in the direction of the Housekeeping Chamber where Chief Rong was located.

"Uh huh, this Jiang family son has a good personality, he's not at all greedy!"

After Jiang Yi left, Elder Liu, the man with a head full of grayish white hair, suddenly walked out of the side room and entered the Elixir Room to check. When he left, he nodded his head with satisfaction and, muttering to himself, once again entered the side room to research on his "accidentally refined" Earth-tier elixir...

...

Jiang Residence Eastern Court, Housekeeping Chamber.

Chief Rong saw Jiang Yi walking over. He glared at him and snorted coldly. "Jiang Yi, are you done accounting for the medicinal herbs in Plantation Number Five?"

Jiang Yi sincerely cupped his hands and said, "Chief Rong, not yet—"

"Useless boy!" Chief Rong snorted loudly, directly interrupting him. "What are you doing here, since you're not done counting? Is this a place you can even come in? Hurry up and run back to the Western Hills for accounting!"

Jiang Yi scratched his nose and responded with some embarrassment. "Chief Rong, it's not that I don't want to go do my accounting, it's just that Elder Liu informed me to go over to his place to help him..."

"Bastard!"

Upon seeing Jiang not only not leave, but instead try to defend himself, Chief Rong instantly flew into a rage. Without waiting for Jiang Yi to finish his sentence, he slammed the table and stood up, ready to scold the boy. However, he suddenly appeared startled, his eyes abruptly expanded, as he asked, "What did you say? Who asked for your help? Elder Liu? You mean, the Elder Liu from the alchemy lab?"

"That's right!"

Jiang Yi was somewhat speechless—there was only one elder with the surname Liu in the Jiang family after all...

"Oh?"

Chief Rong's face instantly changed its color as he quickly revealed a thin thread of a smile, before reaching over to ask, "Good, Jiang Yi, a boy like you can sure be incredible—you actually received Elder Liu's favor? Frankly speaking... do you have natural talent in refining elixirs? This was what got you Elder Liu's favor? Elder Liu is very inflexible and stubborn—it took Jiang Song's father much begging for a very long time before he could send him over."

"I have talent my ass."

Jiang Yi secretly thought to himself, as he smiled bitterly and shook his head saying, "I do not how I got favored by Elder Liu either."

"Alright then, off you go. Work at the alchemy lab in peace. The family will not treat you unfairly either—I will report this to the chief supervisor and grant you a salary increase of one fold."

Chief Rong cordially slapped Jiang Yi's shoulder, his attitude completely different from before. Elder Liu had a special position in the Jiang family and had collaterally increased Jiang Yi's position considerably. This tiny housekeeper now no longer dared to insult Jiang Yi—otherwise, should he say something to Elder Liu, his position as housekeeper would be in jeopardy...

Jiang Yi nodded his head and turned around to return home, ready to heal his wounds. Unexpectedly, Chief Rong suddenly opened his mouth and said, "Right, Jiang Yi, since you're headed to work at the alchemy lab, return me the command token I gave you. Don't head up to the Western Hills if you have no business there either."

The token!

Jiang Yi's face changed. The command token that Chief Rong gave him was now impawned by the people at the Fengyue Brothel. What could he possibly hand up to Chief Rong at that moment?