"Didn't expect things to go this smoothly…"
Looking at the token in his hand representing his new role as the garrison's alchemist, a strange expression flickered across Li Ye's face.
Wasn't Elder Ji the one who claimed to dislike socializing and rarely extended favors to other Foundation Establishment elders?
Otherwise, he wouldn't have handpicked someone from a group of spirit plant disciples just to tend to his spiritual fields.
But judging by Elder Yu's tone earlier, it seemed she and Elder Ji had some sort of relationship as well...
It looked like Elder Ji had deliberately found out where Li Ye would be stationed before pulling some strings on his behalf.
"Elder Ji is truly a man of character… Though he always says he's unimpressed by my talent and won't take me as a disciple, the care he shows me isn't one bit less than what he gives his official followers."
Li Ye sighed softly, etching this kindness deeply into his heart.
Before heading to his residence, he made a quick stop at the logistics office to exchange the two tokens he had for sect contribution points.
One token for a late-stage enemy, and the other for a mid-stage one. Once verified, they earned him 100 and 60 contribution points respectively shocking the attending disciple quite a bit.
That was more than he earned after half a year of planting spirit herbs!
Counting the 500 contribution points he'd gotten from Elder Ji's fields before leaving, he now had a total of 660 sect contribution points!
It was even enough to exchange for a complete cultivation technique that could take someone from Qi Refining all the way to Foundation Establishment!
However, as he browsed the available exchange items, Li Ye noticed that aside from a few techniques and secret arts, most things were a hodgepodge of random items likely sourced directly from the local bazaar.
There were so many that it was a bit overwhelming to look at.
Among them, what interested him most were the talismans, alchemy recipes, and the seeds and seedlings of various spirit plants.
Given that the Zimo Forest was rich in earth and saturated with wood spiritual energy, it naturally had a wide variety of spirit plants. The bazaar had no shortage of seeds and saplings flowing through it more diverse than he had expected.
He could collect a few for now, and once he had secured a place of his own, he could try planting them one by one.
"The sect might have a complete version of the Green Origin Technique or even better techniques, but they're not accessible to someone like me… And the ones I can access aren't much better than this incomplete version just lacking supporting spells. But I already have enough techniques for now, so there's no rush to switch paths…"
"And since this garrison's collection is even worse than the sect's, I'm better off not wasting time browsing."
With no spiritual sense cultivation methods or suitable wood-type techniques in sight, Li Ye quickly lost interest.
"Looks like I should just use this chance to gather some spirit plant seeds and seedlings… Hm? This secret art is intriguing!"
"Spirit Plant Symbiosis Technique…"
It allowed one to embed a spirit plant seed into their flesh and nourish it with their energy. When needed, the user could forcibly stimulate its growth and wield it as naturally as an arm serving as either an offensive or defensive tool.
"I wonder if this can trigger the panel bonus?"
Judging by its description alone, it didn't sound that impressive. The strength was unclear, and the idea of feeding it with one's flesh and blood would certainly scare off many cultivators.
But for Li Ye, it had research value. His robust vitality could easily handle the toll.
After flipping through the rest, he didn't find any other techniques that suited him.
So he settled on the Spirit Plant Symbiosis Technique, some rare spirit plant seeds, and a method for drawing Concealment Talismans, spending 300 contribution points in total.
As for alchemy recipes… he figured that if the sect assigned him alchemy tasks, they would provide those anyway.
Better to see how much he could get for free first before spending his contribution points!
Finally, he followed the provided directions and arrived at his assigned residence.
Aside from slightly weaker spiritual energy, the rest of the accommodations were a good deal better than before.
Setting aside all other concerns for now, Li Ye activated the residence's protective array and collapsed onto the bed quickly falling into a deep, restful sleep.
..........
"The disciples of Purple Mist Sect who came to aid us this time include an alchemist. He's already been appointed as the garrison's official alchemist by the elders…"
"Ever since Alchemist Gong from the marketplace ran off when things started looking dicey, we've only had Alchemist Luo left to handle our pill needs. But his success rate is terrible too much waste, barely enough results. He's nowhere near Gong's level…"
"Now that we finally have a new alchemist, I wonder how skilled he is?"
"If the elder appointed him personally, how bad could he be? Surely he's not worse than Alchemist Luo uh… Alchemist Luo?!"
The two cultivators chatting merrily in the tavern suddenly fell silent. The rest of the scattered conversations in the tavern also died down.
All eyes turned to them, clearly expecting some drama.
The two cultivators looked up to see a well-dressed young man standing before them. His robe was tidy, his hair and beard meticulously groomed, and he carried a faint herbal scent. Their hands trembled as they hurriedly dropped their wine cups and stood up to apologize.
"Alchemist Luo, we were running our mouths. Please forgive us!"
Regret welled up inside them. They wished they could slap themselves.
How did we manage to get caught badmouthing the guy right when he walked in?!
No matter how poor his skills were, this was still one of the only two alchemists available in the marketplace now!
That new Purple Mist Sect alchemist, regardless of his talent, would prioritize sect disciples' needs first. Only then might he take on commissions from rogue cultivators.
Given that, at least Alchemist Luo took on jobs without turning anyone away. He still had plenty of people sucking up to him, not someone to offend lightly!
Alchemist Luo, who always kept a precise and polished appearance, gave the two of them a cold, expressionless glance. His voice was icy as he spoke:
"My alchemy skills do indeed need improvement. If that new alchemist proves to be capable, I'd be glad to exchange insights and refine our craft together…"
"But the two of you gossiping behind my back? I find it quite unpleasant. I won't be accepting any commissions from you going forward."
With that, he turned and walked straight out, stepping into the carriage waiting by the roadside.
Only when he was alone inside did his carefully maintained expression suddenly darken.
He had thought that after Alchemist Gong fled and the remaining shops had scarce, overpriced pill supplies, he could take the risk of staying here and monopolize all alchemy resources in the marketplace using other people's materials to hone his craft.
Unless the entire area was overrun, he'd have more commissions than he could ever complete, given how abundant spiritual herbs were here.
That gave him the leverage to pick and choose jobs and enjoy the perks of being sought after.
But it hadn't even been that long, and now the Purple Mist Sect sent in a new alchemist?
Never mind the rogue cultivators. Once this person arrived, even the commissions from sect disciples his most valuable clients would likely disappear!
Taking someone's livelihood is like killing their parents. And this wasn't just about money it was about his path in alchemy.
He'd already begun to harbor resentment toward Li Ye, someone he hadn't even met.
Luo's gaze flickered with uncertainty.
"Should I go and join a family faction? Or maybe… just take more decisive action…"
"Didn't expect to stumble upon such a show just by randomly picking a tavern,"
On the second floor of the tavern, Qu Zijian withdrew his gaze from the two embarrassed cultivators downstairs and looked across the table at Li Ye with a grin.
"Junior Brother, you've only just arrived and already stirred up a formidable rival. Do you have confidence in putting him in his place?"
"But I must say, you truly are full of surprises. Not only is your combat strength impressive, but you've also hidden your alchemy skills so well!"
"Now you've been appointed as the garrison's official alchemist and don't even have to set foot on the battlefield. Truly admirable!"
"I'm not worthy of such praise, Senior Brother,"
Li Ye replied with a calm smile.
"I'm not fond of conflict. As long as I can refine enough pills to meet the needs of our fellow disciples and support the war effort, that's more than enough for me…"
"Why would I care about 'putting someone in their place'?"
"If my presence pushes him to step up his game and produce better pills, isn't that ultimately a good thing for the garrison?"
"A bit of fame… he's welcome to it."
Qu Zijian's gaze lingered for a moment, a bit puzzled, then he laughed heartily and raised his wine cup.
"Junior Brother, you are something else. If I ever need pills in the future, I'll be sure to come knocking!"
Li Ye clinked his cup lightly in return.
"Don't say you're imposing I'd be more than glad to help."
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