Chapter 74: Are You Trying to Keep Me?

The night was quiet and the world seemed still.

In that small room that once belonged to Qin Xiaohu, Qin Liangchen's son, Luo Chen lay awake. His hands were tucked behind his head, but his mind was anything but at rest.

He replayed the evening's events over and over, his thoughts circling the same regret.

Maybe if I hadn't attended the banquet, this wouldn't have happened.

A hint of frustration weighed on Luo Chen's heart. But he quickly dismissed such thoughts.

Even without tonight's gathering, Mi Shuhua would have approached him sooner or later. It was evident that Mi Shuhua hadn't acted on a whim; his plans weren't inspired just by seeing Luo Chen. Mi Shuhua had clearly investigated him, gathered details about his life, and even possessed a mid-grade Myriad Wonders pill, one that Luo Chen had only recently started producing.

For Mi Shuhua to possess one was no coincidence—it was a message. The elder had been watching him for some time. Due to this mid-grade Myriad Wonders pill's unique properties, cultivators usually consumed such pills quickly after acquiring them. The fact that Mi Shuhua had specifically obtained one showed his deliberate intent.

Therefore, even without today's banquet, he would have eventually approached me. On the contrary, with Qin Liangchen present, he was courteous and even adopted the demeanor of an elder, earnestly guiding me.

Having worked through this reasoning, Luo Chen stopped dwelling on regrets. Instead, he began pondering his next steps.

Run away?

Running away was out of the question. While he had some combat prowess, his cultivation realm was simply too low.

Moreover, he had little understanding of the world outside. Having transmigrated a year and a half ago, almost all his time had been spent struggling to survive in Dahe Market. Moving to an unfamiliar place would incur prohibitive expenses. Not only, who could guarantee that in another location, as a rogue cultivator frequently selling pills wouldn't attract the attention of other factions? If that happened, it would merely be history repeating itself.

Staying in Poshan Gang might mean sacrificing some of his previous freedom. However, this gang had many people he was familiar with, most of whom held high positions. Wang Yuan would certainly protect him, Qin Liangchen and Murong Qinglian were kind to him, and there were others he was acquainted with, such as Zeng Wen.

"Giving up the freedom of a rogue cultivator to become the leader of the Alchemy Hall might not be a bad trade."

With the situation unlikely to change, Luo Chen began analyzing what his position might be like if he became the Alchemy Hall leader. "First of all, the status wouldn't be bad!"

Luo Chen was quite confident about this.

In the cultivation world, there were four mainstream arts along with numerous other professions, forming a vibrant tapestry. Among those mastering these skills, alchemists were the hardest to succeed in, but even minor achievements made them highly sought after.

The reason was simple—pills were directly tied to a cultivator's progress. No one would offend an alchemist without a very good reason. This was true across the board, from Nascent Soul sects to rogue cultivator factions.

Everyone instinctively tried to build good relations with alchemists, even if only to secure future goodwill. During his time in Dahe Market, many had shown him goodwill, likely because of his identity as an alchemist. Even though he had encountered two battles, they were more incidental calamities rather than targeted attacks.

Now, the status is high enough, it's time to think about benefits! And that will depend on how well I can negotiate with Mi Shuhua and Poshan Gang.

Luo Chen felt a heaviness in his heart. Negotiating with Mi Shuhua and the Poshan Gang would be difficult. Pills meant profit, and profit bred greed. But Luo Chen had no intention of becoming a mere tool. He had worked tirelessly in his past life, and he had no desire to spend this life being exploited again.

To transmigrate and still work for free—what would that even mean? Working for others before transmigrating and still working for others after—was his transmigration for nothing?

"Finally, there are the additional benefits I can secure through the position of Alchemy Hall leader."

Actually, there are the benefits I can secure through the position of Alchemy Hall leader

The status panel—the mysterious system that had guided him this far. The proficiency shown in the status panel was the foundation of his hopes for eternity.

If the Alchemy Hall was established, his alchemy endeavors would no longer be the small-scale operations they used to be, where every material had to be meticulously calculated. With the backing of the entire faction, he was sure he could expand significantly. As a result, his alchemy proficiency would skyrocket!

Mi Shuhua said he had some books related to alchemy and even one or two recipes. This is also one of the benefits I can gain.

Luo Chen's eyes flickered, his heart filled with a secret excitement.

Both Mi Shuhua and Qin Liangchen assumed his alchemy talent was exceptional. However, he knew himself best, Luo Chen's alchemy talent was far from remarkable.

He had exchanged a few words with Xiangxiang from Tianxiang Tower before, and those encounters didn't leave fond memories. When faced with Xiangxiang's occasional questions, he couldn't respond at all. At the time, Xiangxiang was puzzled. These were just the basics of alchemy—why did Luo Chen seem like he had never come across them before?

In truth, that was entirely accurate. Luo Chen's alchemy was merely copying patterns and following instructions. He had never undergone systematic alchemy training and was entirely unfamiliar with many fundamentals. Even the knowledge he had now was gleaned from trial and error, from failures and successes alike.

As for the supplementary knowledge imparted by the status panel system with each proficiency increase, it was limited to fasting concoctions and Myriad Wonders pills.

If I can get my hands on Mi Shuhua's collection of alchemy books, it would greatly enhance my skills. In the long run, if I ever manage to break free from Poshan Gang's control, these gains would prove valuable.

In conclusion, immersing himself in Poshan Gang and becoming the Alchemy Hall leader might not be a bad thing after all. At the very least, he wouldn't be a solitary figure anymore.

Perhaps there would be some conflicts and struggles within the gang, but those were internal matters. But externally, he would be protected. He would have status. He would no longer be a solitary rogue. He would be Hall Leader Luo—an alchemist who commanded respect.

Lying on the bed, Luo Chen tossed and turned. He thought about everything repeatedly, weighing the pros and cons.

Gradually, his mindset improved, and he became less anxious and uncertain. Adaptability had always been one of Luo Chen's most valued strengths. Whether it was his tough experiences as a worker in his past life or his penniless days as a rogue cultivator after transmigrating. He always managed to adapt quickly, find joy in hardship, and believe that perseverance would eventually lead to success.

"Now, it's just starting over again!" With a heart full of hope for the future, Luo Chen fell into a peaceful sleep.

***

The days that followed were calm. The establishment of the Alchemy Hall was not something that could be finalized overnight.

In the following days, Luo Chen didn't go to Poshan Gang but stayed in the courtyard, watching a few juniors repair his house.Meanwhile, he busied himself with woodworking, using some high-quality wood.

"What exactly are you tinkering with?" Gu Caiyi asked curiously from the swing, watching Luo Chen at work.

Whoosh!

With a flick of Luo Chen's hand, a chair with wheels spun under his palm. Rolling chairs had been his specialty back in his school days!

"A wheelchair, for people with mobility issues."

Gu Caiyi was surprised. "Are you talking about the kind of wheelchair that lets people who can't walk, move effortlessly and even fly through the air?"

Luo Chen plopped onto the chair, and without using his hands to push, a slight release of spirit power made the wheelchair move. It carried him around the courtyard, weaving back and forth.

"Too bad I'm clueless about array formations. Otherwise, I could add a few to it, power it with spirit stones, and I bet it'd sell like hotcakes!"

Wheelchairs, of course, had already been invented in this world. It was said that the inventor was a Foundation Establishment cultivator during the founding of Tianfan City. Over the centuries, the wheelchair had become one of Tianfan City's representative enchanted artifacts.

However, in Dahe Market, no one was selling this item yet. The main reason was the low demand; even disabled cultivators had their own ways to move freely.

Dahe Market was too remote, far from the Tianfan Domain, and most of the enchanted artifacts sold by Treasure Pavilion were designed for easy transport. As a result, many cultivators had heard of "wheelchairs" but had never seen one.

"Get off, let me try it!" Gu Caiyi jumped up immediately.

Sitting on a stone bench, Luo Chen watched Gu Caiyi gleefully playing with the wheelchair and felt a sense of relief.

This small gift wasn't expensive but was filled with sincerity. It would make starting a conversation with Old Man Yuan much easier.

"You've been home more than usual lately. Isn't Tianxiang Tower keeping you busy?" Luo Chen asked curiously.

While happily maneuvering the wheelchair around the courtyard, Gu Caiyi nonchalantly replied, "I'm planning to quit that job!"

Luo Chen was startled but quickly found it reasonable.

The personnel changes at Tianxiang Tower had already been decided. The next overseer would be Senior Brother Hua, as mentioned by Xiangxiang—a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Hehuan Sect, known for his unpredictable moods and predatory habits.

With Gu Caiyi's personality, she'd be bound to suffer working under such a person.

It was better to quit before his arrival.

"So, what are your plans after that?"

"Haven't decided yet. I'll check which of the six major shops in town needs help and try my luck there."

The Jade Cauldron Domain was established by the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect in collaboration with fifteen other sects, with the five major sects as the leading force. Consequently, the domain was dotted with industries run by these five major sects.

Although Dahe Market was geographically remote, it was by no means small in scale. Even with the number of cultivators surging to twenty or thirty thousand, the place never felt crowded.

Additionally, being close to the Great Million Mountains of the Eastern Wilderness made it the best stronghold for resource extraction and future territorial wars.

As a result, the area boasted the most comprehensive businesses run by the six major sects and numerous shops from minor sects within the Jade Cauldron Domain. The six major sects specifically stationed Foundation Establishment cultivators to oversee their businesses, unlike smaller sects, which were only managed by Qi-Refining cultivators.

The ten-year mark was a particularly sensitive period. Every ten years, sect cultivators stationed here would be gradually replaced. After all, no one wanted to stay long in a market town with only first-tier spirit veins for cultivation. Hence, the rotations were scheduled!

This time, in addition to the Hehuan Sect's Tianxiang Tower, other institutions such as the Divine Talisman Sect's Divine Talisman Pavilion and the Five Elements Sect's Spirit Source Pavilion were also undergoing minor personnel changes.

With so many personnel changes, some positions were bound to open up.

Gu Caiyi had good looks and was at the ninth stage of Qi-Refining. After spending years at the Tianxiang Tower, she had naturally developed skills in hospitality and interpersonal interactions. If she wanted to find a new job and didn't set her expectations too high, it shouldn't be too difficult.

"Why are you asking?"

"As a good friend, can't I just show some concern?"

"Tch, I thought you were going to offer to support me."

"Well, that's not entirely off the table."

Suddenly, Gu Caiyi's wheelchair came to a halt, and she fixed Luo Chen with a burning gaze.