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Chapter 57 Jin Sumian

Pei Ling’s heart sank. Just as he was about to ask questions, he heard a crisp voice that sounded like a little girl’s. He looked over and saw a green-feathered parrot standing on a branch. It flapped its wings and said in a crisp voice, “Customer, don’t talk nonsense. The Hundred Treasures Pavilion was set up by the sect. Why would it cheat you disciples? It’s just that you were buying medicinal pills outside. Whether those medicinal pills are good or bad depends on one’s judgment. But the things that come out of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion are checked by professionals.

For example, the bottle of Bone Tempering Pills that I showed you just now was refined by Jin Sumian.

This person is quite famous in Elixir Peak. She’s touted to be one of the disciples who is most likely to enter the Dao by refining elixirs.

We convinced her to sign a contract for long-term supply and had to pay a premium price.

How can a medicinal pill refined by such a person be priced the same as a medicinal pill refined by an ordinary person? That male cultivator said indignantly, “Then you’ll refine it for me with an ordinary alchemist. Although I’ve heard of this Senior Sister, Jin Sumian, no matter how talented she is in alchemy, the Bone Tempering Pill is just a Bone Tempering Pill. Could it be that she can make me fly on the spot? Since that’s the case, why should I waste this money?!”

The parrot said plausibly, “There’s a saying in the market that goes, ‘One cannot travel a thousand miles without accumulating small streams’… In terms of cultivation, one has to take things one step at a time. Good medicinal pills are naturally better than bad! In the mortal world, aren’t people who eat big fish and big meat generally stronger than those who eat plain porridge and small dishes? This sort of thing might not be obvious in a short period of time, but if you take the medicinal pills concocted by an alchemist like Jin Sumian every time, others can only use ordinary things. After accumulating for so long, how could there be no difference?”

“This…” The male cultivator was actually tempted and hesitated for a moment.

Pei Ling took a deep breath and went forward to say, “May I know the procedure for selling medicinal pills?”

The parrot glanced at him casually and said nonchalantly, “Go to the back. When you see the entrance to the Lunar Cave, enter and head for the third room on the left. The elixir appraiser is inside.”

Pei Ling thanked it and followed its instructions. After taking a few steps, he heard the crisp voice of the parrot from behind him. “Look at that person just now. He wants to sell medicinal pills too. Look at how shabby his clothes are. Can he afford good medicinal herbs? Can he afford a good alchemy room? Can he have superior immortal fire? He looks so young and has such a weak cultivation level. How much experience does he have in mixing water and fire, and sorting out medicinal properties?

The pills refined by such a person are only benevolent by the sect. They would rather lose money than take them. You’re a good-looking person. Do you dare to use it? Aren’t you afraid that after taking it, you’ll lie down for a few days? It’s a small matter delaying your cultivation. If something serious happens, it’ll affect your foundation. That’s a big matter for life!”

“…” Pei Ling was speechless.

He turned around and saw that although the male cultivator still looked a little conflicted, he had already taken out his spirit stones…

This bastard!

Pei Ling cursed silently but did not take it to heart. He followed the directions given by the parrot, found the room, and pushed the door open. Just as he entered, he heard a low shout. “Get out!”

Pei Ling was stunned. He looked inside and saw a very spacious room with luxurious furnishings. There were already two male and two female cultivators sitting there.

Three of them seemed to be crowding around a female cultivator with a wooden hairpin.

The person who spoke was a well-dressed male cultivator who looked to be in his twenties. He had long eyebrows and bright eyes. He was very handsome, but his expression was rather arrogant.

Seeing that Pei Ling did not move, he frowned slightly and reprimanded bluntly, “Didn’t you hear? Get out!”

Isn’t this the place of the Hundred Treasure Pavilion’s medicinal pill appraiser? Pei Ling’s first reaction was that that feathered thing was playing him! It was deliberately pointing the wrong way. But on second thought, he said, “I’m here to sell pills.”

“So what if you are?” The male cultivator said impatiently, “Can’t you see Junior Sister Jin here? Wait outside! Come in after we leave.”

“Forget it.” Just as he finished speaking, the female cultivator with the wooden hairpin and cloth robe spoke slowly and said calmly, “It’s not like there’s no empty seat here. Let this junior brother in.”

When the male cultivator heard that, his expression instantly turned gentle as he said with a smile, “Junior Sister Jin, you’re always so approachable.”

He glanced at Pei Ling again and said coldly, “It’s just that there are always some people who don’t know what’s good for them and take your thoughtfulness as their opportunity!”

“How many medicinal pills are you selling?” Junior Sister Jin ignored this male cultivator and looked at Pei Ling instead. “I brought quite a number of medicinal pills today. I’m afraid the appraiser will be busy for a while. If you don’t have many medicinal pills, I can let them appraise yours first.”

Pei Ling cupped his hands at her but did not say anything.

After all, comparing them to his good senior sister, Chen Mei, none of these fellow disciples made him feel at ease.

The female cultivator seems to be doing this out of goodwill. But who knows if she’s trying to seduce me? he thought.

So after taking a seat in the furthest corner from them, Pei Ling lowered his head and pretended that he did not want to join the conversation at all.

“Senior Brother Shao, look at how fierce you are.” Seeing that, the female cultivator in the cloth robe shook her head and did not say anything. Instead, another female cultivator who wore a green shirt and had her hair in a topknot covered her mouth in a chuckle and teased, “You scared this junior brother. Not only did he sit so far away from Junior Sister Jin, he didn’t even dare to greet her.” The male cultivator who reprimanded Pei Ling snorted and said, “At least he knows his place.” The green-shorted female cultivator did not pay too much attention to Pei Ling. However, after teasing her companion, she quickly mentioned something else. “… The last mission was indeed difficult, having to deal with a demon beast at the ninth-stage of the Awakening Realm. Fortunately, Senior Brother Fan’s sword techniques were excellent. At the critical moment, he turned the tide and saved us from being wiped out…”

“Junior Sister Lu, you’re exaggerating. We’re all from the same sect. We should watch out for each other,” a male cultivator who had not said a word all this while said slowly. “Besides, if I were alone, I wouldn’t be able to deal with that bastard…”

Pei Ling did not show it on his face as he listened to their idle chatter, but he was feeling a little apprehensive.

Shockingly, these four people were all at the sixth-stage and higher Qi Refinement realm. They were disciples who were quite well-known in the outer sect.

The female cultivator in the cloth robe who was surrounded by the other cultivators was Jin Sumian, whom the parrot outside mentioned. She was now at the seventh-stage Qi Refinement realm and could be considered the weakest among the four. However, she was good at refining pills, and her status could not be measured solely by her cultivation level. The male cultivator surnamed Shao, who reprimanded Pei Ling, was called Shao Ningzhi. He was at the eighth-stage Qi Refinement realm.

This Shao Ningzhi seemed to have a good family background. His speech and deportment revealed the arrogance that came from being pampered since he was young. He was only very gentle and obedient towards Jin Sumian. Clearly, he was wooing this junior from Elixir Peak.

The female cultivator in the green blouse was called Lu Luqiang. She was at the eighth-stage Qi Refinement realm and had a good relationship with Jin Sumian. They were like sisters.

As for the last male cultivator, Fan Xi, he was at the ninth-stage Qi Refinement realm and was only one step away from Foundation Establishment!

“Fellow Daoist Jin.” Just as Pei Ling was feeling a little uncomfortable, a door close to him suddenly opened. A white-robed, white-bearded old man rushed in and said apologetically, “Sorry to have kept you waiting! The appraisal results are out. Please have a look.”

As he spoke, he moved aside to reveal a long line of maidservants in colorful clothes behind him. All of them were holding ebony lacquer plates covered in brocade. Before the servants even got close, they could already smell the fragrance of elixirs.