On the fifth day of the tenth month, the weather was splendid.
At the foot of Miaofeng Mountain, within Immortal Arrival City, crowds of people bustled about, busy with their livelihoods.
Bai Mo walked along the street, sighing to himself.
A familiar merchant saw him and called out teasingly.
"Well now, Brother Bai, didn't pass the Daoist Child trial today either?"
"The Daoist Child trial is only for kids under fifteen. Next year will probably be your last chance."
Thirteen-year-old Bai Mo walked over to the merchant's roadside stall and examined the medicinal herbs laid out on an old black cloth.
"My talent isn't good enough, so of course I can't get into Miaofeng Mountain. Making a living here in Immortal Arrival City isn't so bad either."
As he spoke, Bai Mo's quick hands had already picked out the herbs he needed.
"Pack these up."
The herbs Bai Mo had chosen were all the best quality ones on the stall. The merchant, long used to this, gave Bai Mo a thumbs-up.
"Same price as always. Brother Bai, your eye is as sharp as ever!"
Bai Mo took the herbs, put down three Spirit Stones, and casually strolled back to his rented shop.
In truth, the storefront was barely ten feet wide. After accounting for the shelves, there was hardly enough room for two people to walk. Behind the shop was where Bai Mo lived.
Looking at the day's foot traffic, Bai Mo's eyes showed a hint of regret.
'That damn Daoist Child trial... All for some ethereal Pill Formula. I'd have been better off not going. I missed out on so much business for nothing.'
He deftly removed the door planks, sat down at the counter against the wall, and took out a Pill Book to study.
Before long, a customer entered.
"Is the Young Shopkeeper in?"
Bai Mo poked his head out and saw a beaming face. It was a regular customer.
Running a shop at his age, he was often the subject of lighthearted jokes, something he had long grown used to.
Bai Mo took a light breath, stood up, and asked, "What kind of Pills do you need today?"
"Qi Absorption Pills. Two bottles."
Qi Absorption Pills were the most common supplementary Pills in Immortal Arrival City, used to aid in cultivation.
"Tsk, tsk. Elsewhere, a bottle of Qi Absorption Pills costs two Spirit Stones, but you insist on charging an extra five Shattered Spirits."
"If your Pills weren't so immediately effective, I'd have to haggle with you a bit, Young Shopkeeper."
Without looking up, Bai Mo took five Spirit Stones from the customer's hand, tucked them into his own sleeve, and went back to his book.
The customer grumbled a few more words before leaving with a flick of his sleeve.
After a good while with no new customers, Bai Mo frowned and put down the Pill Book in his hands.
'I've already read all of these common Pill Books cover to cover. There's nothing more for me to gain from them.'
The common Pill Books weren't written by any great experts. In the six years since Bai Mo had arrived in this world, he had read so many that he could nearly recite them from memory.
'Without new Pill Formulas, I'll have to modify and comprehend them on my own to make any further progress.'
Bai Mo sank into thought.
The Qi Absorption Pills currently in his shop were the result of his own minor modifications, making them slightly different from the usual ones.
BANG BANG BANG!
The violent noise snapped Bai Mo back to his senses. He looked up to see a grim-faced, dark-skinned brute impatiently slapping the edge of a shelf.
Bai Mo's expression was calm as he stood up and said casually, "What can I get for you, customer?"
The dark-skinned brute frowned, looking Bai Mo up and down before speaking:
"Just a kid like you watching the shop? Where's the shopkeeper?"
Bai Mo kept his hands tucked in his sleeves and gave a slight bow.
"I am, in fact, the Shopkeeper."
The dark-skinned brute was clearly unconvinced, his face impatient as his eyes scanned the shop.
"I hear the Pills here are quite good."
He slapped the shelf and declared:
"These three types of Pills, give me five bottles of each."
As he spoke, the dark-skinned brute reached into his robes.
"We make our living in the mountains, so we'll be doing a lot of business with your shop in the future. I don't have enough Spirit Stones on me. Tell your Shopkeeper I'll pay sixty percent for now."
BANG!
He tossed an iron token onto the shelf.
"This is my Demon Hunting Team's token. I'll leave it here as collateral."
Bai Mo glanced at the iron token. It was already rusted and stained with dark, dried blood.
It was indeed a Demon Hunting Team's token, representing the team's face and credibility.
Bai Mo looked away and said softly, "My apologies, this little shop does not offer credit."
"You..." The dark-skinned brute's expression changed, a hint of anger now visible. He released a menacing Evil Qi, the kind possessed by those who live by the blade.
Bai Mo, however, was unfazed. He walked to the shelf, picked up the iron token, and casually straightened the pill bottles.
There were three types of Pills on the shelf.
Qi Absorption Pill, Condensed Dew Pill, and Righteous Qi Pill.
These three Pills corresponded to cultivation, healing, and detoxification—perfectly suited for a Demon Hunting Team.
Bai Mo held out the iron token. "Please take this back."
The dark-skinned brute stared at him coldly. "Are you looking down on me?"
Bai Mo said calmly, "The city is patrolled by the Immortal Sect's law enforcement team. I'd advise you to conduct yourself with respect, customer."
The land for hundreds of miles in every direction belonged to the Marvelous Dharma Sect.
Immortal Arrival City was a melting pot of all walks of life, and it was only through the authority of the Marvelous Dharma Sect that stability was maintained and no one dared to cause trouble.
This was also why Bai Mo had spent a considerable sum to rent this place and make a living.
Anywhere else, a Cultivator like him, a skilled alchemist with no backing, would have been devoured, with not even his bones left behind.
The dark-skinned brute didn't back down. He met Bai Mo's gaze, trying to intimidate him, and the two stood in a stalemate.
"Heh, which Demon Hunting Team's token is this? Let me see."
A burly man suddenly entered from outside the shop. His eyes swept over the iron token, and he laughed.
"The Tieshan Demon Hunting Team? I remember they ran into a Tier Two Demon Beast while clearing new territory two years ago and were completely wiped out. I don't recall any sole survivors."
He gave the dark-skinned brute a hard shove on the chest, so forceful that the man staggered backward.
"Get lost! You dare cause trouble in the Young Shopkeeper's place?!"
"It's scum like you that ruins the reputation of us Demon Hunting Teams!"
A murderous glint flared in the dark-skinned brute's eyes, but then his expression changed abruptly.
"You're Lanshan!?"
Lanshan didn't speak, merely watched him coolly.
The dark-skinned brute's face flushed red, then darkened, but in the end, he left.
Bai Mo knew that this man named Lanshan was quite famous among the Demon Hunting Teams.
"Thank you very much for your help this time."
Lanshan waved it off, just smiling. "He's just a lowlife who picked up a token to go around swindling people. He wouldn't dare actually harm the Young Shopkeeper here in Immortal Arrival City."
Bai Mo invited him into the shop and lowered the cloth curtain at the entrance.
Lanshan's burly frame seemed to crowd the small shop. He spoke in a familiar manner:
"Young Shopkeeper, this time, I need five bottles each of Condensed Dew Pills and Righteous Qi Pills."
His expression turned serious as he cupped his hands. "And on top of that, five bottles of Evil Exorcism Pills."
Bowing to a child might seem laughable to an outsider, but there was no trace of awkwardness on Lanshan's face.
This was a big order.
The Demon Beasts of this world are savage and bloodthirsty, each carrying its own demonic nature.
When a hunter kills one, this demonic nature can transform into a Blood Curse that taints the mind and spirit. If not dispelled in time, it can cause Qi deviation during cultivation at best, or complete annihilation of body and soul at worst.
Bai Mo lowered his gaze, thought for a moment, and asked:
"Are you planning a major operation?"
Lanshan said, "Exactly. My Demon Hunting Team is heading deep into Celestial Barrier Mountain to risk it all for a fortune."
Bai Mo knew he had a younger sister and was likely trying to earn enough to send her to a sect to cultivate, a venture that was inevitably expensive.
"Of course, that's no problem. It's just, the deposit..."
For special orders like this, Bai Mo always required a deposit.
Normally, Bai Mo wouldn't have brought it up, but he had heard that Lanshan and his team were injured on their last trip into the mountains and hadn't had any income for quite some time.
They were the very definition of living hand-to-mouth.
Lanshan smiled faintly and took out a wooden box.
"Don't worry, Young Shopkeeper. I don't have the Spirit Stones right now, but I did come across something else recently."
He opened the wooden box. Inside was a Pill, rust-colored all over and lacking any strange fragrance.
"I found this on a corpse in the mountains. Judging by the clothes, it was a Sect Disciple."
"It's a failed pill."
After saying this, he watched Bai Mo fixedly, saying no more.
Bai Mo took the wooden box, examined the Pill closely, and recognizing it as a type he had never encountered before, said with satisfaction, "This will cover the deposit."
Only then did Lanshan let out a sigh of relief.
"In that case, I'll be counting on you, Young Shopkeeper."
Bai Mo accepted the wooden box and saw him to the door.
"You can pick up the Pills in ten days."
After Lanshan left, customers were few and far between, and before long, night fell.
Bai Mo put up the door planks and returned to his living quarters behind the shop.
The room was spacious, with no courtyard. The furnishings were simple—just a few tables, a bed, and some chairs.
Sitting upright at a desk, Bai Mo took out the wooden box, pinched the Pill in his fingers, laid out his tools, and a trace of anticipation appeared in his eyes.
With a thought, a panel that looked like it was made of ink wash appeared before his eyes.
[Pill Master: Bai Mo]
[Realm: Qi Refining Second Layer]
[Identity: Pill Apprentice (305/500)]
[Aptitude: Reflective Path, Minor Insight]