Immortal Cultivation: Starting from a Pharmacy Apprentice

Chapter 193: Chapter 193: The Request

The fiends, however, had sharp eyes.

Qin Wen said calmly, "Lanshan already took his men and went door-to-door in the city to send a message."

"’If anyone dares to harm you, he’ll show up at their door to flay them and tear them apart.’"

The united Demon Hunting Teams have immense influence in the city. Even the major clans don’t dare to cross them.

They have that kind of power.

Bai Mo’s eyes weren’t as sharp; he couldn’t make out the face of the person who covered up and left.

’On this long waterway, the countless petty thieves are bound to be a problem.’

He himself had Lanshan and the Xuandao Sect as backing, a threat that kept others guessing and unwilling to act. Ordinary Cultivators didn’t have that kind of power.

Especially on the waterway, where you could scream for help and no one would answer, the thieves were all the more brazen.

The boatman, who had already prepared to meet his end at the bottom of the river, was now somewhat stunned, a dazed sense of relief washing over him after surviving the ordeal.

"They... they left?"

Bai Mo nodded and said casually:

"Just some petty thieves. Nothing to worry about. Let’s get going."

The boatman’s expression changed as he looked at the two of them, his demeanor becoming much more respectful.

His cultivation was low and his senses were dull, so he couldn’t hear what the fiends had said earlier.

But to scare them off without saying a word... one could only imagine how powerful his two passengers were.

’No wonder they dared to make a play for the wharf!’

He poled the raft again, going with the current, putting his back into it.

By dawn, the air grew colder and a mist began to rise, obscuring the distant scenery.

Bai Mo finally called for a stop.

"This is good. Let’s head back."

The boatman acknowledged, and the raft made a circle on the Green Dragon Waterway, heading back the way they came.

Bai Mo turned and asked Qin Wen:

"How was the waterway managed before?"

Qin Wen chuckled. "The fiends on the water and the managers have always been entangled. What need is there for management?"

"A word from above, and the people below know what to do."

"The only fear is some tactless petty thieves who think they can get away with it unnoticed. For them, you have to send out a few patrols who can keep things in line just to be a deterrent."

Dawn was breaking.

The three of them returned to the wharf. Bai Mo took out three Spirit Stones and handed them over, which the boatman accepted with a wide grin.

Although he had worked all night without rest, he had earned Spirit Stones in the end. He had faced danger on the water and escaped with his life.

’He must have had some great luck.’

Bai Mo and Qin Wen departed.

Qin Wen was still a little concerned, so he asked:

"Should we let Lanshan and his men know first?"

"The sooner they get involved, the less effort it will take."

Bai Mo shook his head and simply asked:

"Who built this wharf?"

Qin Wen answered, "It belongs to the Immortal City."

"A large sum of Spirit Stones must be paid as tribute to the city every month."

In the past, the Green Dragon Waterway was a place of tangled interests, a land of exploitation for Spirit Stones, overflowing with profit.

It wasn’t difficult for the wharf to handle the city’s required payments.

Qin Wen suddenly realized something.

"Shopkeeper, are you planning to start with the city?"

’Bai Mo is a disciple of the Xuandao Sect. With that connection, things should be more convenient.’

Bai Mo smiled.

"Of course. Why resort to fighting and killing?"

"It would just hurt the wharf’s business for no reason."

...

After entering the city, the two found a random noodle stall to fill their stomachs.

Then, Bai Mo went to find a fellow sect member.

"Junior Brother, you want the Green Dragon Waterway wharf outside the city?"

The senior brother who received Bai Mo was a stern, unsmiling man.

"That’s right."

Bai Mo nodded.

"I was wondering if Senior Brother could do me this favor?"

He knew that there were likely many powerful clans in the city who also wanted the wharf.

"Hmph. It’s not so much a favor. The wharf has just been vacated, and we’ve already reclaimed all the documents and such."

"It’s just a standard lease, especially when it’s to someone trustworthy."

The disciple receiving him thought for a moment, his face impassive.

"But, Junior Brother, you must understand that wharf requires a monthly payment of five hundred Spirit Stones!"

"Do you have that kind of wealth?"

Bai Mo’s brow twitched. He gritted his teeth and said:

"After taking over the wharf, producing five hundred Spirit Stones a month won’t be difficult."

"Oh?"

The disciple was a little surprised.

"I heard Junior Brother has already returned to the sect. I wonder which peak you joined? It couldn’t possibly be the Beast Taming Peak, could it?"

Usually, only the disciples of the Beast Taming Peak, dripping with pearls and jade, had that kind of confidence.

Bai Mo said, "No, I’m from Broken Blade Peak."

The disciple mused, "The senior and junior brothers of Broken Blade Peak aren’t known for their business acumen..."

"I am a Pill Master, after all. I know a thing or two about how these things work,"

Bai Mo explained.

"If it really comes down to it, I’ll bet my entire savings. I can still hold on to the wharf for a few months!"

The disciple gave a slight smile, clearly aware that Bai Mo’s Pill business was doing well.

"Fine, then. As long as you know what you’re doing."

"If there really is a problem, it will reflect poorly on me. Don’t make things difficult for me."

As he spoke, he turned and pulled out several documents from behind him.

"Just sign and seal it."

...

「An hour later, as the sun reached its zenith.」

Bai Mo returned to the shop, pleased with himself.

Qin Wen had already returned earlier. His energy and spirit were drained, and he had gone to rest.

Only Wei An was there, attending to the customers coming and going from the shop.

After seeing the last customer out, Wei An brought a pot of hot tea to Bai Mo.

"Shopkeeper, what about the Green Dragon Waterway?"

Bai Mo said approvingly, "It’s an excellent waterway. Although the Spirit Beasts used for transport in the city have taken some of the business..."

"...many low-level Cultivators still have to rely on the Green Dragon Waterway to make a living."

He took a sip of hot tea to perk himself up, then looked Wei An up and down a few times.

"For the next little while, I need you to work hard and study the refinement method for Feeding Pills."

"Once you’ve got the hang of it, I’ll pass on some simple Pill Formulas to you."

Wei An was taken aback, not understanding why the Shopkeeper was taking such a huge step.

For a moment, he felt the pressure, but he still agreed.

"I understand."

Bai Mo was very satisfied. He grabbed the whole teapot and returned to his bedroom.

’With my current Alchemy efficiency, I’m afraid I can’t supply such a large market.’

’I’ll need to find more help. There’s still time to prepare.’

The Green Dragon Waterway wharf wasn’t being handed over immediately. Although his three fellow disciples had already left, they had paid rent in full and still had the right to use it for another two months.

’Two months... heaven knows what else they plan to do.’

Bai Mo just hoped that when it was finally handed over to him, it wouldn’t be a barren wasteland.

As for governing the waterway, Bai Mo already had a plan in mind; it was just a matter of seeing how to implement it when the time came.

Meanwhile, that group of fiends who had fled from the Green Dragon Waterway ran head-on into a group of formidable-looking people.

They jumped in fright.

"Lanshan! We didn’t touch your precious Pill Master Shopkeeper!"

Lanshan looked at them with a frown.

"I know. If you had, would you still be standing here?"

He waved his hand impatiently.

"Scram!"

Earlier, a passing Cultivator ran into Lanshan and his men, telling them about how the ruffians on the Green Dragon Waterway had been scared off.

When he heard it was Bai Mo who had scared off those lowlifes, Lanshan was genuinely startled.

’If something had really happened, what would he have done?’

Showing up before them was also meant as a convenient warning.

After the others retreated, Lanshan turned his attention forward, waiting quietly for the true target of his trip.

Less than an incense stick’s time later, the sound of rumbling footsteps arrived as expected.

Lanshan held his breath, a Pill already held discreetly in his hand.

BOOM!

A boar-like Demon Beast burst through the vegetation, its face ferocious. Several weapons were still embedded in its body, and it charged out aggressively, dripping blood.

Lanshan threw, and the Five Obstacles Pill exploded almost instantly, releasing a thick, dark-red smoke that billowed out.

His scalp tingled. In a flash, he dove straight into the nearby bushes.