Chapter 11: Lin Ke’er’s Initiative!

A woman with a fifteen-fold compatibility multiplier was indeed a treasure. But approaching her recklessly would certainly make her wary. Moreover, she was clearly not like Lin Ke’er, a loose cultivator. Her clothes were all enchanted robes, which were more difficult to craft than ordinary magic items and thus were much more expensive.

Ye Chen couldn’t even assess her cultivation, which meant it was definitely higher than his. She was at least in the Qi Refining mid-stage. A rich, refined young woman… someone like him wouldn’t have a chance with her.

If Ye Chen gave her a gift out of the blue, she likely wouldn’t even look at it. In fact, it could bring him trouble. He decided it would be better to take a long-term approach. There was no rush. After all, there was Lin Ke’er, who could still serve as a backup.

Ye Chen found a secluded spot to restore his original appearance and changed back into the clothes he had worn when leaving. He then returned to his pharmacy through the front door.

The shop was empty when he entered. When the staff saw him come in, their expressions were complicated. Though it had already been a week since he had given away the external cultivation technique, the shock it had caused in the shop had not yet worn off.

The Dragon Elephant Fist, worth three mid-grade spirit stones. They couldn’t even afford that after ten years of living frugally, yet Ye Chen had just given it away to a woman like it was nothing. There was no doubt he was a wasteful fool.

If he had given such an expensive gift and taken Lin Ke’er into his room, then it might have made sense. The problem was that after giving the gift, Ye Chen had never shown up in front of Lin Ke’er again. What was that supposed to mean? Giving without expecting anything in return? What is that but a simp?

The staff couldn’t understand Ye Chen’s “simp” behavior. In fact, they despised it so much that they often laughed about it after work. As a result, many local cultivators in Silver Moon Market now knew that a young alchemist from the Ye family’s shop was nothing more than a hopeless simp. They all looked down on him.

Ye Chen was unaware that his reputation had spread far and wide. Even if he knew, he wouldn’t care. Whether he was a simp or not wasn’t up for others to decide. He alone could define it. If he said he wasn’t simping, then he wasn’t.

The staff watched Ye Chen with curiosity. Could it be that he was here to give another gift?

Lin Ke’er, seeing him, wore a complicated expression. She had already cultivated the Dragon Elephant Fist. The effects were truly outstanding, far surpassing ordinary external cultivation techniques.

But after receiving such a heavy gift from Ye Chen, she didn’t know how to face him anymore. What if Ye Chen had some improper request? How would she refuse?

What relieved Lin Ke’er was that Ye Chen didn’t come to find her. Instead, he called over a staff member and listed some medicinal herbs. He asked them to charge it to his account and have the herbs delivered to the back courtyard.

The herbs Ye Chen bought from Green Cloud Shop weren’t the full list. Some of the most common herbs he bought from his own shop. He also bought a few unnecessary herbs, ensuring no one could figure out what he was going to refine.

The Elephant Blood Pill was a unique pill of the Dragon Elephant Sect. If word got out that he could refine it, it might cause trouble. It was better to be cautious than to risk it.

…

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Back in his room, Ye Chen remained calm as he processed the herbs and began refining. After more than four hours, a peculiar aroma filled the room. With a soft hiss, the alchemy furnace lid lifted. Several red pills flew out and landed in Ye Chen’s hand.

“Elephant Blood Pills! Five lower-grade, three middle-grade, no upper-grade.”

Ye Chen examined the pills in his hand, nodding with satisfaction. The refinement of the Elephant Blood Pill was more difficult than that of the Qi Gathering Pill. To produce three middle-grade pills on his first attempt was already a good result.

As for the five lower-grade pills, Ye Chen planned to give them to Lin Ke’er. She was currently cultivating the Dragon Elephant Fist, and the Elephant Blood Pill was precisely what she needed. Moreover, his father had indeed given him ten Elephant Blood Pills in the past, so there was no fear of revealing that he could refine them. It was also an opportunity to see what the tenfold reward would yield.