It was a rare opportunity to have a gossip-loving know-it-all around, so Bai Mo wasted no time asking about the previous night's events.
"Last night? The Li family was wiped out. No one knows how many died, young or old."
The neighbor suddenly glanced left and right, then leaned in closer.
"The Li family, for all their faults, were one of the great powers in Immortal Arrival City. They had plenty of Mountain Entrance Maps and had given countless offerings to their patron sect over the years. They had connections."
"But I heard their backers didn't lift a finger to help! And that's what led to the fall of the Li family Patriarch."
Bai Mo had been there last night and knew some of what had happened, so he pressed for details about the raiders who launched the attack.
The neighbor's eyes lit up as if he'd been injected with adrenaline. He took the cue and ran with it, telling Bai Mo everything he knew and then some.
He had thin lips, and they moved at a dizzying speed.
Watching him ramble on with such relish, Bai Mo was struck by the surreal feeling that he was talking to a gossipy old woman from the market.
It wasn't just the motormouth; he was also blurting out exaggerated, unverified rumors, anything to grab one's attention.
Bai Mo thought of Lanshan and asked, "Did the law enforcement team make a move last night?"
The neighbor nodded. "They forcefully suppressed those raiders. Looked real impressive doing it, too, and took all the credit."
"But I hear they got bested by some unknown Cultivator. They say he was eight feet tall with a massive jaw and tusks. Two of their green-robed agents chased him all night but couldn't catch him."
"Word is he's a notorious outlaw, some kind of freak of nature…"
Bai Mo played the part of a diligent listener, but every joint in his body was screaming in protest.
His body felt limp and weak, and a cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
Noticing that something was wrong with Bai Mo, the neighbor trailed off in confusion.
"Testing Pills,"
Bai Mo explained.
At these words, the neighbor's expression filled with respect. The way he looked at Bai Mo changed in an instant.
"There are plenty of people in the city who'd test Pills for money…"
After offering this piece of advice, he urged Bai Mo to take care of himself and then left.
He wasn't the type to overstay his welcome.
Bai Mo stumbled back to his bed, wincing in pain.
'This medicine is a bit too potent…'
He was about to go back to sleep when there was another knock at the back door.
"Shopkeeper Bai, are you up?"
"Coming!"
Bai Mo had no choice but to get up, put on his shoes, and open the door.
Young Master Wei was standing outside, and beside him was an old servant with a kind, beaming smile.
Young Master Wei was wrapped in thick bandages that gave off the smell of medicine.
Seeing Bai Mo, he let out a chuckle.
"I've come to repay my debt. The Wei family never fails to pay what they owe."
"Elder Zhong."
The old servant beside him took a cloth pouch from his waist and placed it in Bai Mo's hands.
"My young master is indebted to you for your care, Shopkeeper Bai. Thank heavens… my young master has yet to produce an heir. If something had happened…"
He sounded immensely relieved.
"I don't know how I would have ever explained it to the old madam!"
Hearing this, Young Master Wei's face stiffened.
Bai Mo, however, was weighing the pouch in his hand.
"My bottle of Condensed Dew Pills isn't worth this many Spirit Stones, is it?"
Young Master Wei waved his hand nonchalantly, only to wince in pain.
"Are my life and Young Master Wang's worth so little? If Young Master Wang weren't unable to move, he would have come to thank you himself!"
"Besides, consider the extra a deposit for that Golden Spear Great Pill! Remember to call me when it's finished!"
Bai Mo's eyes widened when he heard this.
"Young Master Wei, where did you hear about this!?"
Young Master Wei said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world:
"The shopkeeper of the Talisman shop told me. He said Shopkeeper Bai obtained a partial formula and would be able to produce the Pill soon."
Bai Mo's expression darkened as he looked at him.
"I wouldn't have thought Young Master Wei would have need of such an item."
Young Master Wei quickly waved his hands.
"Hey, don't speak so carelessly! To tell you the truth, I've always led a pure life. I'm still a virgin…"
Beside him, Uncle Zhong sighed in exasperation.
Young Master Wei shot a glance at his old servant and continued:
"After last night's failure, I was hoping to use this item to win back some support. Shopkeeper Bai, your Alchemy Skill is superb. The Condensed Dew Pill was incredibly effective, so I imagine that Golden Spear Great Pill must be extraordinary as well!"
'It seemed the two young masters' failure to steal the ledger last night had a significant impact.'
After sending the young master off with a few quick words, Bai Mo returned to his room.
A thought stirred in his mind. Bai Mo remembered that after he had taken the *Jia Chen Alchemy Skill*, Han Meng had packed up everything else from the hidden compartment and taken it away.
There had been a ledger among those things.
'He wondered what secrets these family members thought they could glean from someone else's ledger.'
Bai Mo pushed the affairs of others to the back of his mind and opened the cloth pouch the old servant had given him.
Ten Spirit Stones lay inside.
Not too many, not too few. It was a respectable amount without being overly extravagant.
Bai Mo accepted the Spirit Stones with a clear conscience. As for the Golden Spear Great Pill, he wasn't even going to think about it.
After quickly washing up, Bai Mo went to open the shop.
There were still Pills on the shelves, but Bai Mo made sure to put out a few more bottles of Condensed Dew Pills.
'After an incident as big as last night's, there was no telling how many people would be looking to buy this Pill.'
With no customers for the time being, Bai Mo ate his breakfast and then took out the *Jia Chen Alchemy Skill*.
As he casually flipped through it, a sharp glint appeared in Bai Mo's eyes.
The book mentioned as many as five different methods for processing medicinal ingredients.
There were two Alchemy Skills: Fire-refining and Water-refining.
Fire-refining was the method Bai Mo currently used, and it was also the one used by most Pill Cultivators in the world.
Bai Mo gave the Water-refining method a single glance and paid it no further mind.
The Spiritual Springs and Spiritual Water it required were far beyond what Bai Mo could afford.
The most important parts of the book were the thirteen complete Pill Formulas and six partial formulas, which included notes left by previous owners.
'Good heavens, this alone constitutes a significant Alchemy Skill inheritance, and it was just left in a side room!'
Bai Mo was somewhat astonished, marveling at the sheer wealth and casualness of the great families.
'But on second thought, that couldn't be right. There must have been other factors at play.'
'But no matter what, the book belonged to him now!'
Bai Mo's eyes gleamed; he wished he could devour the entire book right then and there.
Unfortunately, a steady stream of customers kept interrupting his train of thought.
Just as Bai Mo had expected, the Condensed Dew Pills sold out quickly today.
Most of the people who came to buy the Pills weren't injured themselves, though; it was hard to say who they were buying them for.
In the afternoon, an unexpected visitor arrived.
Han Meng.
His face was pale and his lips were white, but he still walked with a steady gait.
"Shopkeeper Bai, do you have any Condensed Dew Pills left?"
"Yes."
Bai Mo fetched a bottle of Condensed Dew Pills.
"Is Senior Lanshan injured?"
Han Meng gave a wry smile. "Just some minor injuries. He'll be fine after a few days of rest."
"It's just… those two in green robes, I don't know what got into them, but they chased Brother Lanshan for an entire night."
He hesitated for a moment before adding:
"Brother Lanshan isn't doing too well. I was wondering if you might be able to go take a look at him?"
Remembering Lanshan's heroic act of staying behind to cover their retreat, Bai Mo immediately agreed.
"Alright. Leave me an address. I can't get away right now, but I'll head over tonight."
...
After a busy day, Bai Mo's body had recovered a fair bit.
He hadn't really exerted himself in the first place, and given his constitution, he hadn't expended much vitality.
Closing up the shop, Bai Mo headed to the tavern at the end of the street.
A waiter immediately came over to greet him.
"Shopkeeper Bai, what can I get for you today?"
"Do you have any fresh Demon Beast meat?"
"We do."
"Five pounds, cooked," Bai Mo said, holding up one hand.
"Right away." The waiter beamed and hurried off. This was a sizable order.
Coincidentally, the Demon Beast meat the waiter brought out was from a Horned Wolf.
He remembered that when Lanshan and the others ran into trouble on Celestial Barrier Mountain, it was these very beasts that had been chasing them.
'Heh, this will make a perfect gift!'