"Can you even afford any pills?" Snail asked.

Kenja's plan to make up for his deficiencies through medicinal alternatives was feasible, but pills weren't handed out for free, even inside a Sect.

Kenja had obtained a small fortune earlier, but most of it was gold and silver, which wasn't valued by cultivators. The fortune did contain a few spirit stones, though, which should get him a few pills for now.

It didn't take Kenja very long to find the apothecary. He was a short distance away from the pillar, and the building was three times bigger than the other shops and stores near it. The disciples that he stopped to ask for directions from were very receptive.

"The sect appears to be full of many helpful brothers and sisters," Kenja said to himself.

"Yes, yes. I am sure it has nothing to do with the fact that you asked them while wearing inner sect robes or the fact that you appear to be a beautiful woman."

Kenja frowned at Snail's words. He knew it might have had something to do with his status or appearance, but hearing it said so bluntly put him off.

Ignoring Snail's remark, he entered the apothecary. There were a few bookshelves full of books about plants and pills, as well as a couple of tables with seats. A few people appeared to be studying or going through catalogues, looking for a specific pill or plant.

Kenja walked deeper inside and found a middle-aged man wearing outer-sect robes presiding over a counter. On the counter, there was a potted plant on one side and a strange black machine on the other side.

The man caught sight of Kenja and put on his best 'shopkeeper' smile in order to make a good impression.

'What an attractive sister!' the shopkeeper thought.

The man might be an older outer-sect disciple, but he had a Foundation Establishment cultivation base. Despite Kenja's higher status, he saw this 'sister's' cultivation level and believed he could win her fancy if he displayed some courtesy and prowess.

"May I be of any a.s.sistance to you, sister?"

Kenja rejoiced at the amiability of the shopkeeper. He had had many dealings with shopkeepers in the past, and they had always been rational and profit-seeking. Bargaining with them had always been a pleasurable battle of wits.

"Good day, brother. I am looking to purchase a few pills."

"Certainly, which pills are you looking for?"

Kenja held his breath for a moment as he thought about how to respond.

"I am not sure yet. May I see your selection's catalogue?"

The shopkeeper's brows furrowed in confusion when he heard this, but he held his smile in place. His confusion was completely warranted; only newcomers, usually mortals or those still in the Body Tempering stage, might need to see the catalogue. A high-level Qi Flouris.h.i.+ng that was unsure of which pill to buy or what the apothecary's selection held would be an extremely strange sight.

"Yes, sister. Give me a moment. My master was editing it earlier, so it is in the back. I will return shortly."

The shopkeeper nodded with a smile and exited through the door behind him.

Out of boredom, Kenja looked at the potted plant sitting on the side of the counter. It had green leaves that resembled the mint tea leaves he had seen used in tea or confectionary treats in Wise Man Satos.h.i.+'s shop, but he could smell a hint of sulfur coming from the leaves. He brought his hand to it to feel the texture and was surprised when a warm, almost hot, air enveloped his hand before making contact with the leaf.

"Isn't this Red Fireroot?" Snail asked, speaking to himself.

'Red Fireroot? What part of this is red?' Kenja wondered.

Sensing Kenja's doubt, Snail added, "Red Fireroot usually grows inside volcanoes, and they resemble plants from the Lamiaceae family, except its leaves and stem would be entirely red in its natural environment. It only adopts a green color when it is grown away from its original habitat, but if you look at the bottom of the stem, you will see a slight reddish tinge. If you see that and combine it with the smell of sulfur, of course, it has to be a Red Fireroot!"

Kenja observed the root of the green stem, and it did have a slightly red tinge compared to the rest of the stem. He nodded his head with an understanding smile. He was always happy to learn something new.

"But growing it like this is such a slow process, and if they don't infuse the soil with enough heat, the plant will never grow enough to blossom. I wonder if the person is trying to use the plant to create pills for a special technique or const.i.tution," Snail reasoned.

"Are you a botanist or some sort of pill alchemist, Snail?"

Snail snorted haughtily. "Of course I know this much! Who do you think I am?"

Sakura vibrated a bit in her scabbard, laughing at his retort.

Snail didn't look at her, but he closed his eyes and snorted again.

"That's not the only reason! I was plenty knowledgeable before we landed in that forest. I just didn't have anything better to do, so I read a couple of books and enhanced my knowledge on a few subjects at that time."

Kenja had gotten better at understanding Sakura's retorts. Snail must have spent his idle time in the forest with his personal library.

Sakura vibrated once more, mocking him.

"I did TOO know what Ratgra.s.s was!"

Ratgra.s.s was a commonly known weed by most people. It invaded mortal crop fields and required crop farmers to go through their fields every evening and pluck every blade out the moment it showed up; otherwise, the weed would multiply overnight, and the crops would be overrun. This pro-genetic nature to multiply like a rodent was the reason people called it Ratgra.s.s.

'He didn't even know what Ratgra.s.s was?' Kenja laughed inwardly.

The shopkeeper returned at this time with a thin book. He placed the book on the counter in front of Kenja.

"Take all the time you need, sister. I will be here if you need further a.s.sistance."

'What a polite shopkeeper!' Kenja was impressed with him as he took the book to the nearest table and sat down to read it.

Kenja skimmed through the few pages of the book and read up on the pills and their properties. He had an idea of what effect he was looking for and only hoped the apothecary kept it in stock.

'This is it! Meridian Nourishment Pill...nourishes the wounds and flaws of the body's meridians and allows improved Qi retention when cultivating.'

"They only have low-quality pills such as these? Is this a sect's apothecary or a mortal's pharmacy?! We should go yell at the shopkeeper!" Snail declared.

Kenja ignored him and returned to the shopkeeper. He stood there with the smile still plastered on his face.

"I believe I know which pill I am looking for. I would like to purchase some of your Meridian Nourishment Pills."

The shopkeeper furrowed his brows again without letting his smile droop.

"Did sister injure herself recently?"

This 'sister' came into the store to purchase pills she had no clue about, and she decided on pills that only disciples who had injured their meridians during their cultivation would buy.

Kenja was slightly puzzled by the question before he shook his head. "No, no. It's a...preparatory measure," he a.s.sured.

The shopkeeper was unconvinced.

'Perhaps she is here to flirt with me?' The shopkeeper thought and secretly celebrated his pa.s.sive charm and charisma.

He nodded his head at Kenja knowingly and bent under the counter to open its drawers. "Let me bring out the pills, sister."

He brought out a small box and opened it on the counter. Kenja took a look at the three pills inside the box and was disappointed.

"Is something not to your liking, sister?" The shopkeeper was surprised by Kenja's downcast face.

"Do you have more than three?" inquired Kenja.

The shopkeeper's face made a scowl when he heard this, but he quickly caught himself and put his smile back on. A decade could pa.s.s by, and these three pills would still be unsold. Injuries that would require them for healing were very rare and could often be healed without them, and no one would waste their money on any to nourish their natural flaws. It would be faster and more productive to purchase pills that enhanced or sped up one's cultivation. The flaws would naturally be reduced as they advanced to the next stage.

"If three is not enough, sister, then how many do you require?"

Kenja paused for a moment.

"I'd like to purchase around 100 of these pills, but I'll buy however much you can produce."

The shopkeeper nearly keeled over.

"Sister, why do you need 100 of these pills? Do you hope to open your own shop in town because...if you are, I don't think these pills will bring you any profit."

Kenja stared blankly at the shopkeeper, a little curious about his comment.

"I am not interested in opening up a shop, but I get a discount if I buy in bulk, right?"

The shopkeeper felt the blood drain from his face. For every minute of speaking with Kenja, the shopkeeper felt he lost years of his life.

'You want a discount, so you decide to buy 100 pills??'

Businesses usually offered discounts to customers for buying in bulk, but pills weren't incense sticks or bottles of sake. They were expensive and usually bought 2-3 at a time. Perhaps an elder would come purchase five, maybe ten at once. But who in the world would buy 100 for the sake of a discount? Even if he gave twenty of those pills on the house, who in the world could afford 80 pills?

"Sister, we don't carry 100 of these pills at one time, but if you would like, I could make a request to create them and personally deliver them to you once they are done."

Although speaking with Kenja had not bode well for the shopkeeper's health, Kenja was an attractive-looking, inner sect 'sister' who wasn't afraid to throw her wealth around. He would be an idiot of a sales clerk if he didn't curry Kenja's favor.

Kenja nodded. Shopkeepers always became more agreeable once money entered the picture.

"How many spirit stones do you require for this purchase, brother?"

The shopkeeper blinked twice while staring blankly at Kenja.

"Sister, we only trade with sect credits here. Perhaps...are you new to the sect?"

The shopkeeper was curious as to why he didn't recognize Kenja, but if this sister was new to the sect, it all made sense.

"Sect credits? What is that?" This was the first time Kenja had heard of such a thing.

"The sect doesn't trade in spirit stones or other currency. We use sect credits that you earn by performing odd-jobs, winning compet.i.tions, performing reputable feats...basically, you have to do things for the sect, and the sect will reward you with credits," the shopkeeper explained smugly.

He was ready to display his vast knowledge to impress this sister. Even if she didn't buy anything, befriending an inner sect beauty was worth his time and effort.

"This way, rich newcomers cannot enter the sect and immediately reap its benefits by using their outside wealth. They have to contribute to the sect some way or another."

"So I cannot use my spirit stones?" Kenja was at a loss. He needed resources to improve his cultivation, but, apparently, he needed to improve his cultivation before obtaining any. It was a very unpleasant Catch-22.

Seeing Kenja's face adopt such a dismal look, the shopkeeper hurriedly continued, "Of course you can always find other disciples who will trade their sect points for spirit stones. Usually, no one does this because you would operate at a loss, but if you really need credits quickly, it's either that, or you complete a sect challenge."

Kenja stood there pondering what he should do next. He was about to ask about the challenges when a powerful figure walked into the apothecary and approached the counter.

"Fourth Elder, disciple welcomes you. Here to try your hand at the challenge again?" greeted the shopkeeper.

The supposed fourth elder was an elderly man of short stature. His lips curved into a frown and below it was a long beard, black as the night sky.

"Oooooo, a Nascent Soul elder. Throw him some compliments, disciple. Perhaps he will give us some sect credits!"

Kenja ignored Snail and bowed alongside the shopkeeper in greetings to the elder.

The elder didn't pay them any mind and waddled over to the black machine on the side of the counter. He took out a black keystone with the number four engraved on it and placed it inside one of the machine's sockets. The dial above the socket pointed to the number 50,000.

"Bring out the challenge stone!" he ordered.

The shopkeeper rushed through the door behind him and returned with long strides. He held an egg-white rock similar in shape to the keystone. He placed it in the black machine's second socket, and the dial above it made several full revolutions before stopping on the empty s.p.a.ce past the upper limit. The shopkeeper then twisted a k.n.o.b clockwise until it indicated 500 before turning to the elder.

"Elder may press the b.u.t.ton when he is ready," the shopkeeper announced after backing up.

The elder approached the machine and pressed the big red b.u.t.ton. The dial above the elder's keystone moved down a pinch, indicating a transacted loss. He moved his face closer to the challenge stone before speaking up.

"Viridian Charcoal Tree."

He stood there waiting for a moment in silence as if waiting for the machine to respond to him. Two more breaths pa.s.sed, and he pressed the b.u.t.ton again which caused the dial to go down once more. He leaned in a little more before speaking out.

"Dry-Air Geranium."

Another three breaths pa.s.sed before he pressed the b.u.t.ton a third time and leaned in extremely close to the machine this time.

"Reverse Frozen-Yang Yarrow."

Everyone stood still for five breaths before the elder sighed and took his keystone out of the socket. He grumbled to himself while looking at his keystone.

"If this elder wishes to court that contraption, he should bring flowers in person instead of just giving out their names," Snail whispered to Kenja.

The shopkeeper broke the silence.

"I really thought you might have gotten it this time, Fourth Elder."

The elder looked at him for a second before turning his head to the plant on the counter.

"Your Sixth Elder is a sly, old fox. It's been more than ten years, and no one has been able to figure out what this d.a.m.ned plant is. Perhaps no one will ever complete this challenge."

The shopkeeper gave an awkward smile before also turning his head to the plant on the counter. "Even Master won't tell me what this plant is called, and I've gone through all the books in the shop and the sect's library."

From their conversation, Kenja pieced together what they were talking about. "Figuring out this plant's ident.i.ty is one of the challenges you previously mentioned, brother?"

As if remembering Kenja was still in the shop, he turned to him with an apologetic look and replied, "Yes, my master started the challenge as a small joke a few years back. For five hundred credits, you can take a guess as to what kind of plant this thing here is. If you are right, the challenge stone will recognize your answer and return all its acc.u.mulated credits."

"Ah...may I give it a try?"

The shopkeeper and the elder blinked at him in disbelief.

'You just found out about the challenge, and you wish to try the challenge without even reading up on the possibilities or comparing it with pictures in a book? Isn't this a tad foolhardy?'

"You certainly may, sister, but wouldn't you like time to research a bit before trying your luck? Even as an outer sect disciple, we are only given 100 sect points upon entry."

"I see. I am not sure how many sect credits I have. Can you find out for me?" Kenja requested as he pulled out his keystone and handed it over to the shopkeeper.

"No problem, give me a moment." He took the stone and placed it in the machine to examine the dial.

The elder stood to the side, ignoring the two juniors and examining the plant for any new facts he may have overlooked before.

"It appears you have 1000 credits, sister. It seems inner sect disciples are given this much when first joining the sect. If you wish to attempt this challenge, you have two attempts, but since you have only recently joined the sect, I advise against it. These points could be used for sustenance or several Calming Meditation Pills for your cultivation," he advised Kenja.

The shopkeeper was chuckling inside; this sister was trying to buy a hundred pills with only a thousand points.

'As the experienced brother, I need to look after her,' he told himself.

Kenja paused for a moment before mentally speaking with Snail.

"You are positive this is Red Fireroot?"

"Who do you think I am? Does it look like I make mistakes?" Snail questioned haughtily.

"So serving a mere Body Tempering cultivator was all part of your plan?" retorted Kenja.

Snail was speechless for a whole two breaths before responding to him, "Every master needs a disciple! I couldn't find a good enough disciple at the time, so it was only natural I settled for you. Consider yourself lucky to have met this gracious Snail-sensei."

The shopkeeper continued to wait for Kenja's response while the elder had finished examining the plant and was about to leave.

"I would still like to take up the challenge," Kenja declared to the shopkeeper.

"Very well," the shopkeeper sighed as he placed the challenge stone back into the machine and twisting the k.n.o.b to 500. He tried to warn her.

"Press the b.u.t.ton when you are ready."

Kenja approached the machine.

'Would it be strange to guess it on the first try?'

Kenja thought it might be too strange to give the correct answer on the first go, so he decided to use his first attempt on a random plant's name.

He pressed the b.u.t.ton and spoke out, "Sandstorm Mint Herb."

Sandstorm Mint Herb was a tea leaf mortals found in the Freezing Desert. Sandstorms would s.h.i.+ft the sands enough to reveal these plants that were originally buried in sand. Its appearance was not too far-off from the Red Fireroot.

He paused already antic.i.p.ating no response when he heard the elder chuckling merrily. He looked at the venerable elder to see why he was laughing.

"Not bad, young one. Picking a mortal's herb. I tried this name myself around four years ago, thinking that brother of mine was trying to pull a fast one," he explained before he turned and left the apothecary in a slightly happier mood than when he came.

'That's one less witness.'

Kenja wouldn't usually try to keep a low profile, but he didn't really want a lot of eyes on him while he was dressed as a woman. He also wasn't sure what would happen if people found out about Snail or Sakura, so he figured it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Sister, it appears that your guess was incorrect. Perhaps you should save the remaining—" the shopkeeper was interrupted by Kenja pressing the b.u.t.ton a second time.

The shopkeeper held his tongue to let Kenja guess without interference.

"Red Fireroot!"