Two months later, Xu Mu’an could refine more and more types of pills, even able to refine the high-grade Nourishing Essence Pills.
“Mu’an, you’re really amazing!” Xiao Jingting couldn’t help but say.
Nourishing Essence Pills were effective for cultivators from the seventh to ninth layers of Qi Refining. Previously, Xiao Jingting had exchanged for some Nourishing Essence Pills from the Marquis Manor people, but he had almost used them up during this period.
Now that Xu Mu’an could refine Nourishing Essence Pills, it perfectly solved their current pill shortage problem.
The Marquis Manor people were quite stingy – they collected piles of spirit herbs but gave few pills in return. But it was understandable why the Marquis Manor was stingy, since Xu Mu’an had also wasted quite a few spirit herbs to refine these Nourishing Essence Pills.
Xu Mu’an smiled. “I’m not that amazing.”
Thinking about the wasted spirit herbs, Xu Mu’an felt somewhat pained. Fortunately, Xiao Jingting’s jade pendant space could continuously produce various precious spirit herbs. Otherwise, having ruined so many spirit herbs, he would have developed mental obstacles long ago. If he were an ordinary alchemist who had wasted so many spirit herbs like himself, he would have given up early.
Xiao Jingting looked at Xu Mu’an. “How are you feeling? Why don’t you rest for a few days?”
Xu Mu’an touched his belly nonchalantly. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. When I was pregnant with Xiaofan before, I went hunting in the mountains every day. Pill refining isn’t tiring – I know my limits.” However, he should be giving birth soon and needed to prepare early.
Xiao Jingting was stunned. “You’ve worked hard.”
Xu Mu’an smiled and leaned against Xiao Jingting. “With you here, what more could I ask for?”
Xiao Jingting embraced Xu Mu’an, feeling deep heartache.
…
A knock sounded at the door. Xiao Xiaodong rubbed his eyes and got up to open it.
Seeing the red-robed man at the door, Xiao Xiaodong frowned. “You’re here! So early.”
Tian Fei waved his folding fan and said earnestly, “It’s not early – the early bird catches the worm! Little friend, you should develop good habits of early sleeping and early rising.”
Xiao Xiaodong said somewhat suspiciously, “But I heard you do business at night! Does ‘the early bird catches the worm’ apply to you too?”
Tian Fei: “…” This damn kid really wasn’t cute.
“Where is your father?” Tian Fei asked.
“Are you here to buy aphrodisiac pills?” Xiao Xiaofan poked his head out from behind Xiao Xiaodong.
Tian Fei nodded. “Yes.”
“Daddy prepared them long ago. Big brother, bring them out,” Xiao Xiaofan said to Xiao Xiaodong.
Xiao Xiaodong brought out a large jar containing several hundred aphrodisiac pills.
Seeing the large jar of pills, Tian Fei felt like he was seeing a mountain of silver and immediately beamed with joy.
“Brother Xiao truly keeps his word!” Tian Fei said with satisfaction. He had been worried that Xiao Jingting couldn’t produce so many pills, but unexpectedly Xiao Jingting had actually prepared them.
Xiao Xiaofan looked at Tian Fei with curiosity. “Uncle, are you buying so many pills to eat as snacks?”
Hearing Xiao Xiaofan’s words, Tian Fei was stunned. Eating aphrodisiac pills as snacks? He didn’t have that kind of courage – it would kill someone.
“No,” Tian Fei said.
“Uncle, have you tried them? Do these pills taste good?” Xiao Xiaofan asked.
Tian Fei: “…” He hadn’t tried them! He bought them all for others to eat. He had no problems at all and didn’t need to eat these things.
“I want to try them, but big brother won’t let me. Not only won’t he let me eat them, he even hits me.” Xiao Xiaofan glared at Xiao Xiaodong with full complaint.
Tian Fei: “…” Hitting you was right, you little rascal. These things weren’t for casual eating.
“These pills don’t taste good at all – sour, bitter, and smelly,” Tian Fei said with disgust.
Xiao Xiaofan’s eyes widened as he looked Tian Fei up and down. “So uncle, you have tried them! I heard Daddy say that people who eat these pills all have health problems. Xiaofan has no health problems, so I can’t eat them.” Xiao Xiaofan looked at Tian Fei with sympathy in his eyes.
Tian Fei turned around and fled with the aphrodisiac pills. These two damn kids! The female cultivators at the academy said these two little ghosts were cute – where exactly was the cuteness? He couldn’t see it at all.
…
Pei Song had been waiting for Xiao Jingting and Xu Mu’an to fail at pill refining and leave Bifeng Academy.
Unfortunately, Xiao Jingting’s aphrodisiac pills were selling like hotcakes, and the two showed no intention of leaving.
Pei Song looked at Tian Fei in his red robes, frowning deeply with a gloomy expression. “This guy Tian Fei seems quite pleased with himself!”
Mo Bei nodded. “I heard his brothel has been doing very well lately – no wonder he’s pleased.”
“As someone from the academy, he goes and opens a brothel, corrupting the academy’s atmosphere. He still has the face to swagger around the academy. He’s not even a ger, yet dresses in such an effeminate way every day. I really don’t know what he’s thinking,” Pei Song said with disdain.
Mo Bei smiled bitterly. “Though Tian Fei’s behavior is somewhat despicable, it must be said that his money-making skills are impressive!” Tian Fei was always quite generous with money. Few people in the academy were richer than Tian Fei.
Pei Song snorted coldly. “He only knows crooked and devious methods.”
Mo Bei looked at Pei Song and smiled helplessly. Tian Fei had once pursued Pei Song, which Pei Song found deeply shameful. He showed disgust whenever he saw Tian Fei. After Tian Fei pursued Pei Song for a while and found it boring, he shifted targets, making Pei Song hate Tian Fei even more.
“What is he doing?” Pei Song watched Tian Fei constantly distributing flyers.
“Seems like he’s handing out flyers. He apparently teamed up with several brothels to organize a courtesan competition,” Mo Bei said.
Pei Song looked constipated. “He really knows how to make trouble.”
“Xiao Jingting and Tian Fei seem to have a good relationship. Xiao Jingting’s aphrodisiac pills seem to have helped Tian Fei quite a bit,” Mo Bei said.
“I don’t know where Xiao Jingting gets so many aphrodisiac pills,” Pei Song said.
“He probably refines them. Aphrodisiac pills aren’t that difficult to refine,” Mo Bei said.
He heard that the aphrodisiac pills Xiao Jingting refined had very good effects – presumably this person had some special pill formula.
Mo Bei didn’t know that Xiao Jingting had discovered that adding a bit of spirit spring water when refining pills could greatly increase the success rate and improve pill quality.
“This guy Xiao Jingting could refine any pills, but he chooses to refine these. This guy definitely isn’t any good either,” Pei Song said coldly.
Mo Bei nodded. “Indeed! Birds of a feather flock together.” Xiao Qingyan was someone who cared most about face. If his own brother were selling aphrodisiac pills at the academy, he would definitely feel ashamed. Unfortunately, he wasn’t at the academy now.
…
In a pavilion, several female cultivators from Bifeng Academy gathered together.
“Haven’t seen those two little ghosts selling pills lately! Actually, the Qi Recovery Pills those two kids sold were quite useful,” a yellow-robed female cultivator said.
“The Detox Pills were also good,” a red-robed female cultivator added.
“The Qi Recovery Pills and Detox Pills are indeed good, but those aren’t really anything special. Those two kids’ signature pills are aphrodisiac pills. I heard those pills are really effective,” a blue-robed female cultivator said with giggles.
“Xinlan, you’re shameless,” the yellow-robed female cultivator said helplessly.
“Senior Sister Biting, I heard you bought aphrodisiac pills! How were the effects?” the female cultivator called Xinlan asked with curiosity.
The blue-robed female cultivator smiled. “Effects? I don’t know! These aphrodisiac pills have such a big reputation – they must be good. I still have several bottles here. If you sisters want them, I’ll sell them to you for three hundred taels per bottle.”
“Senior Sister Biting, you’re even more ruthless than Senior Brother Tian! When he resells them, it’s only two hundred taels per bottle,” the red-robed female cultivator said, shaking her head helplessly.
Biting smiled. “I’m better looking than Senior Brother Tian Fei, so what’s wrong with selling them for more?”
“Sister Biting, be careful or Senior Brother Tian Fei will come beat you up for saying that!”
“Senior Brother Tian Fei shouldn’t be that petty,” Biting said, lowering her head. After buying the pills, she had given them to her brother with a desperate attitude, not expecting much. Surprisingly, after her brother took them, he said the effects were very good. Biting quickly went back to secretly buy a pile more pills, including aphrodisiac pills.
After several doses, her brother said his problems seemed to be resolved. When Biting learned this, she was overjoyed and bought some more as backup.
Biting secretly congratulated herself for acting quickly enough. Now those two kids rarely set up their stall, and the aphrodisiac pills seemed to have been bought in bulk by that bastard Tian Fei for eighty taels each. That black-hearted guy was selling them for two hundred taels each.
…
When Xiao Qingyan returned to the academy, he heard rumors about Xiao Jingting selling aphrodisiac pills in large quantities at the academy.
Xiao Qingyan had always been aloof and arrogant, and greatly disliked Tian Fei, who always dressed flamboyantly and attracted attention everywhere. Learning that Tian Fei and Xiao Jingting actually had a close relationship, he couldn’t help but go to the earth fire chamber to find Xiao Jingting.
“Big brother, it’s you! When did you return to the academy?” Seeing Xiao Qingyan, Xiao Jingting exhaled and said casually.
Xiao Jingting’s hair was messy, with deep dark circles around his eyes. His whole person exuded fatigue, but his eyes were full of excitement.
Seeing Xiao Jingting’s appearance, Xiao Qingyan said suspiciously, “What’s wrong with you? Don’t tell me you’ve gotten addicted to pleasure drugs again. Brother, you need to stay clean and not ruin your future.”
Xiao Jingting: “…” This guy Xiao Qingyan just couldn’t think well of him, could he?
“No, Mu’an gave birth. I’ve been watching over him these past few days, so I haven’t rested well,” Xiao Jingting said.
Xiao Qingyan said with some surprise, “Xu Mu’an gave birth?”
Xiao Jingting nodded and boasted, “Yes! A fat baby boy, really vigorous.”
Xiao Qingyan looked at Xiao Jingting with some disgust. “How could you let your husband give birth at the academy?”
“What’s wrong with that?” Xiao Jingting said.
He had thought it over and felt having Xu Mu’an give birth at the academy was safest. Besides, he had spent a fortune renting the earth fire chamber and should make full use of it. Technically, giving birth at the academy shouldn’t be allowed, but since Xu Mu’an kept a low profile and no one paid attention, and now the child was already born, presumably no one would pursue the matter.
“Let’s not talk about that. I heard you’ve been getting close to Tian Fei?” Xiao Qingyan asked.
Xiao Jingting nodded. “Mm, he’s a decent person. We have business dealings.”
Tian Fei was generous. When Xiao Jingting said he wanted to exchange some silver for spirit jade, Tian Fei agreed without hesitation. When Xiao Jingting said he wanted to trade the Nourishing Essence Pills he had obtained from the Marquis Manor for Spirit Stones, Tian Fei helped arrange that too.
“How can you associate with such a person?” Xiao Qingyan asked with disappointment.
Xiao Jingting looked at Xiao Qingyan helplessly. “Big brother, he has money, I need money. There’s nothing strange about me associating with him!”
Xiao Qingyan looked at Xiao Jingting coldly. “You’re simply unreasonable. Stay away from that person.”
“Big brother, he hasn’t bothered you – why do you dislike him so much?” Xiao Jingting said.
Xiao Qingyan said somewhat angrily, “I’m doing this for your own good. Do you know what he does?”
Wasn’t he just running a brothel? What was the big deal? He didn’t believe his big brother had never been to brothels or slept with women from the pleasure quarters, yet he looked down on someone who ran brothels. “Big brother, instead of worrying about me, you should focus on how to improve your strength,” Xiao Jingting said.
Xiao Jingting really wasn’t impressed with Xiao Qingyan, so he didn’t speak very politely.
Hearing Xiao Jingting’s words, Xiao Qingyan’s face alternated between green and white, and he turned and ran off.
Xiao Jingting watched Xiao Qingyan’s departing figure and helplessly rolled his eyes. His big brother! When he didn’t appear, that was fine, but whenever he appeared, he would lecture him. Knowing that Mu’an had given birth, he didn’t care about Mu’an or the child, only complained about him giving birth at the academy, as if it defiled the academy’s sacred grounds. What a bastard.
Xu Mu’an turned around and looked at Xiao Jingting. “Who was that just now?”
“Xiao Qingyan came by,” Xiao Jingting said lazily.
Seeing Xiao Jingting’s expression, Xu Mu’an knew the two brothers had parted on bad terms again.
“What did your brother say?” Xu Mu’an asked.
“What else could he say? He said I embarrassed him by selling aphrodisiac pills, said I wasn’t learning good things by getting mixed up with Tian Fei,” Xiao Jingting said with a curled lip.
Xu Mu’an shook his head. “Xiao Qingyan really hasn’t changed at all!”
Xiao Jingting nodded. “Indeed! A leopard can’t change its spots.”
