The Demon Lord and I: Frenemies - Chapter 27

The pill furnace was not large to begin with, and when the ground shook violently, it almost seemed as if it would explode. Moments later, the buzzing and trembling ceased, and all returned to calm. When the lid was lifted, a rich medicinal fragrance wafted out. The furnace was filled with plump, emerald-green Heart-Clearing Pills, piled up like heaps of green lotus seeds.

Chu Zaishuang watched the entire process with great interest and remarked, “So this is how pill refining works.”

Li Jingjie was surprised. “You’re already that skilled? Am I the only one who hasn’t mastered our sect’s techniques?”

“My cultivation isn’t high enough yet, so I still have to recite the incantation. Otherwise, I might fail,” Su Hongli said sheepishly. “I can adjust the recipe, but controlling the fire still takes practice.”

Su Hongli divided the Heart-Clearing Pills in the furnace into four portions, handing one to Chu Zaishuang and another to Li Jingjie. The furnace was still half full, yielding a surprisingly large number of pills.

“Hey, did you come up with that recipe yourself?” A male Alchemist who had been selling by the roadside stood up at some point. He had just watched Su Hongli refine the pills and now approached to strike up a conversation. “I saw you only used two Spirit Heart Flowers. Normally, you wouldn’t get that many pills.”

Su Hongli was taken aback. Facing a stranger, her voice dropped. “…I made it myself.”

The male Alchemist offered, “Interested in exchanging recipes?”

“Exchanging recipes?”

“Yes, I’m an Alchemist too. Let’s swap recipes. I’ll trade you my Antidote Pill recipe for yours. How about it?”

“But I already know how to refine Antidote Pills.”

“How many types of poison can your Antidote Pill cure?” the man asked. “I bet it’s just the standard recipe-only two types, right?”

Su Hongli paused. “It’s true, only two.”

The man clapped his hands in delight. “Exactly! My recipe can cure five kinds of poison.”

Li Jingjie said, “It can really cure that many?”

“Of course. Ordinary Antidote Pills only cure two or three types. You’d definitely benefit from trading with me!”

Thousand-Gold Peak taught its disciples pill recipes, but always the standard versions. Some people would privately develop new recipes, using fewer spirit herbs to produce more pills, or by adding or substituting ingredients to enhance the effects. Such new recipes couldn’t be found in the Library Pavilion, and few Alchemists would share them for free. Usually, they were exchanged or only passed down to disciples.

Seeing the other party so confident, Su Hongli hesitated for a moment and stammered, “Alright then…”

Just as her companion was about to agree, Chu Zaishuang suddenly interjected, “Wait. Which five poisons does your Antidote Pill cure? What are the main ingredients?”

“Uh…” The man, seeing Su Hongli about to agree, was delighted, but didn’t expect to be interrupted. He dodged, “I can’t just reveal the recipe’s ingredients, or someone might steal it. It’s not that I don’t want to say-it’s just not proper.”

“Then just tell us the highest-grade spirit herb,” Chu Zaishuang said, her apricot eyes bright and her voice clear as spring water. She smiled, “You watched my friend refine pills just now, didn’t you? You even know she used two Spirit Heart Flowers, right down to the number.”

Li Jingjie realized, “That’s right! An Alchemist spying on another’s pill refining isn’t very proper, is it?”

“…I just glanced over, didn’t really see anything.”

Confronted, the man’s confidence faltered, and he changed the subject. “The highest-grade is Five-Flavor Herb, but that’s just a mid-grade spirit herb. Every recipe needs mid-grade herbs these days.”

A pill recipe usually consisted of main and auxiliary ingredients. Ordinary Elixirs were mainly made with mid-grade spirit herbs, supplemented by lower-grade ones. In most cases, the auxiliary ingredients were used in much greater quantity than the main ones, which only required one or two stalks.

Chu Zaishuang shook her head. “Finding mid-grade spirit herbs isn’t hard, but Five-Flavor Herb only grows on Qiandu Island, and outsiders are never allowed there. Where would we get any other Five-Flavor Herb?”

Realizing she saw through him, the man quickly changed his tune. “How about this, then? I’ll trade you two recipes for one, and throw in a Hemostatic Pill…”

Chu Zaishuang replied, “You still haven’t said which five poisons your Antidote Pill can cure.”

He grew flustered and annoyed. “Come on, junior sister, isn’t it enough that I guarantee it cures five poisons? You look like a nice person-why are you so nitpicky and persistent?”

“Am I being picky? It’s you who’s being picky,” Chu Zaishuang replied softly, her tone still gentle. “You think we look easy to fool just because we’re new, but you’re not sincere about exchanging recipes and then blame me for asking questions. Don’t think that just because we’re dressed like newcomers, we really don’t know anything.”

Su Hongli wore a yellow gourd at her waist, the standard accessory for new disciples of Thousand-Gold Peak, so the man had easily guessed her status. He probably thought the young girls were inexperienced and didn’t understand the value of recipes, hoping to take advantage.

“We’re all disciples of the Lotus Flower Sect. We’ll see each other often. If you want to exchange recipes, at least be sincere about it.”
The male cultivator realized that Chu Zaishuang was neither yielding nor accepting, and found himself in a dilemma. He had no choice but to reveal the five poisons.

After listening, Chu Zaishuang calmly analyzed, “Three of these poisons are rare; ordinary people are unlikely to be poisoned by them. The remaining two can be cured with a common Antidote Pill, so there’s really no need to go to such lengths to take a pill that cures all five poisons.”

Antidote Pills are emergency medicine for cultivators when traveling; they should cover the more common types of poison. As for obscure poisons that aren’t immediately fatal, treatment can wait until returning to the sect.

“Even if the Antidote Pill doesn’t work, the Hemostatic Pill should be fine, right?” The male cultivator glanced at the three of them and hurriedly said, “Or if you want any pill recipes, just tell me now. If I know them, we can trade.”

Su Hongli and Li Jingjie exchanged glances, unable to get a word in since earlier, unsure how to respond.

“There’s nothing we want to trade for; nothing is as widely useful as the Heart-Clearing Pill,” Chu Zaishuang said. “Senior Brother, aren’t you just thinking our pill recipes use fewer ingredients but yield more pills? You can bring your own materials, and we’ll refine them for you.”

The male cultivator hesitated, “Refine them for me?”

“Yes, we’ll use our pill recipes to refine for you. You provide the materials, but we’ll need a little compensation for our effort.”

“How many Jade Lotus Seeds do you want?”

“Depends on how much you want refined. If it’s a large quantity, it’ll be cheaper. No need to pay in Jade Lotus Seeds; just bring the spiritual herbs. After we calculate everything, we’ll discuss how many pills to produce. You can come pick them up when they’re ready. If we make too few, we’ll make up the difference.”

“And if you make too many, I don’t have to pay for the extras?”

Chu Zaishuang blinked innocently, “Senior Brother, don’t be too ruthless. Every business has its ups and downs; you have to give us a chance to earn something.”

The male cultivator pondered for a few seconds, eyeing the half-furnace of high-quality Heart-Clearing Pills. He thought the price was much more reasonable than the market rate, and nodded, “Deal. But I need to try one first to make sure the pill’s efficacy is reliable.”

Chu Zaishuang scooped up a green pill with the lid and promptly presented it to him, her earlier probing replaced by enthusiastic hospitality, “Here, here, please, honored guest!”

The male cultivator picked up the Heart-Clearing Pill, and as soon as he put it in his mouth, the fragrance of fresh grass spread, rich with spiritual energy. Whether in appearance or efficacy, there was nothing to criticize.

“Good. Please wait a moment while I go back and bring some herbs.”

He packed up his things, losing all interest in running his stall, and hurriedly left Tongtian Tower, as if afraid Chu Zaishuang and the others would leave.

Li Jingjie witnessed the whole process, at one point thinking the negotiation would collapse, but was surprised by the sudden turnaround and successful deal. He was so shocked his mouth hung open, “I didn’t expect you to be so good at bargaining!”

Su Hongli twisted her two long braids, equally stunned, “Indeed, even I didn’t know there were so many tricks to trading pill recipes, or that you could question things so thoroughly.”

She hadn’t dared to ask, fearing she might offend the other party.

Chu Zaishuang pursed her lips, “It’s not like I had a choice. If I didn’t argue back and forth with him, he’d really think we were easy to push around.”

“But you still managed to strike a deal with him in the end,” Li Jingjie sighed. “I know some people are good at this, but since you’re Senior Brother Chu’s younger sister, it’s really amazing.”

The bargaining skills of the marketplace shouldn’t belong to her. After all, she grew up carefree, not the type to haggle for profit.

Chu Bingxiao always gave people that impression-a child of distinguished lineage, a favored son of heaven, always wielding a sharp blade, his snowy white robes fluttering, never seen arguing in the marketplace. He was taciturn, his sword only stained with blood, never discussing money.

“Just because my parents are the Sect Leader doesn’t mean I’m a pushover, someone anyone can take advantage of. If he’d been sincere from the start, I wouldn’t have said so much.”

Chu Zaishuang lifted her chin and said leisurely, “To be honest, if I hadn’t been dragged back to Lotus Peak Mountain, I almost opened a roast duck shop. There are way more trivial disputes in the marketplace-who threw water at whose door, people almost come to blows over it. This is nothing.”

“You wanted to open a roast duck shop?” Li Jingjie asked. “You should’ve taken me with you. I think you’re really capable, like you could actually make money!”

“Right, if he really brings the materials, aren’t we basically opening a shop?” Su Hongli said. “I just happen to need more practice controlling fire. If there are leftover spiritual herbs, we can refine them into Heart-Clearing Pills. We won’t even need to buy medicinal ingredients, and we’ll have pills to use in the tower.”

The three discussed it and immediately set up a stall at the entrance of Tongtian Tower, planning to offer pill refining services for passing cultivators.

*

Lone Star Mountain. The night was thick, with no stars or moon in sight.

This mountain was located in a remote part of Lotus Peak Mountain. Because the Elder in charge of this peak often left the sect, it was usually deserted. Generally, only during lectures would the mountain become lively.
Fei Wanghuai returned using Boundless Reach, arriving silently back in his room to contact the distant Bone Elder.

“How is the situation?”

Blue flames flickered, and a familiar voice came from the candlestick: “Your Highness, we have found them, but the other side has made a request that may be difficult to handle.”

“What is it?”

“They want to meet you in person to confirm your identity,” Bone Elder said helplessly. “Back then, the incident was suspicious. I have always suspected there was a traitor colluding from within, helping the enemy cross the Huai River. The other side probably thinks the same, so they dare not trust me and insist that you negotiate in person.”

Bone Elder and his people were once the direct subordinates of Fei Wanghuai’s mother, but there are still other scattered Demon Cultivators elsewhere. Gathering them all together again is no easy task.

“Of course, we also have no way to confirm the other side’s identity. If you show yourself rashly, it might bring disaster upon us.”

“That’s not a problem. Since I’ve decided to do this, I must be prepared to face danger,” Fei Wanghuai said in a low voice. “The real problem now is that I can’t get out. Su Tingyun’s formations cover the entire Qionglian Twelve Islands. Using Boundless Reach within the islands is fine, but if I try to move outside, he will surely notice something amiss.”

“I only managed to enter the islands by disguising my Demon Qi and pretending to be an Immortal Sect cultivator, using the regular formation. If I leave by other means, I won’t be able to return, and my whereabouts might be exposed.”

The Qionglian Twelve Islands were established by Su Tingyun and other cultivators. They are not fully open to outsiders, and only the proper channels allow entry. If he senses any unusual connection between the islands and the outside, it would be easy to track anomalies through the spiritual energy.

This is also why the Four-Symbols Jiuzhou won’t come here to search for him-they, too, cannot easily interfere in another Immortal Cultivator’s territory.

“Is there no place on the Qionglian Twelve Islands that is outside his formations?”

“There should be on the smaller islands, but those have other Island Lords who would also notice my presence.” He pondered for a few seconds. “I’ll look around in the coming days. If I really can get out, we’ll discuss the details then.”

“Alright, Your Highness, please be careful. You scared me half to death when you lost contact for days last time.” Bone Elder hesitated. “By the way, how is your progress now? It’s been a while since you mentioned her. Is she still, as you once said, a useless person who knows nothing of cultivation?”

Fei Wanghuai used to complain endlessly about Chu Zaishuang, but ever since he lost contact for several days, he rarely brought her up, even avoiding the topic. He never said the disappearance was due to injury, nor explained why he was hurt-the real reason was too foolish to speak aloud.

He felt that killing her in such a way would be dishonorable, but by his old logic, as long as he won, why care about the means?

He accused her of being logically inconsistent, but in truth, he was no better.

Fei Wanghuai was silent for a few seconds, his dark lashes trembling. He spoke softly: “Her cultivation is still not high, but she is probably not useless.”

Bone Elder was a little surprised by his calm tone.

This was the first time he had evaluated her so peacefully, rather than recounting bizarre encounters with emotion.

“You were right before. She is not without merit-it was my own narrow-mindedness. She truly is someone who can bear the title of Immortal Venerable in the future. There is a reason I lost to her.”

Her cultivation is indeed low, but she possesses great insight and depth. The mere fact that she can offer opinions without bias is already beyond most people.

The white-robed youth leaned by the lamp, the ghostly blue fire swaying, casting his tall, cold figure onto the wall.

His ink-black brows and eyes relaxed, and a glimmer of light appeared in his deep, pool-like gaze. It was as if a spring breeze had melted the lingering ice and snow, and he suddenly let go: “But isn’t this better? A worthy opponent is far more valuable than bullying the weak.”

“Even if there were no Chu Zaishuang, perhaps there would be a Wang Zaishuang or a Li Zaishuang in the future. Mere defense is useless-it’s better to address the root cause.”

Yes, he suddenly understood.

Rather than struggling inwardly, it was better to learn from her strengths, analyze the reasons for his defeat, and turn them into his own experience. As long as he became strong enough, no matter who he faced, he would remain undefeated.

Bone Elder was stunned: “What do you mean by that, Your Highness?”

“She cannot die for now. Learning from her strengths and surpassing her in every way-that should be the purpose of my coming here,” he said softly. “Perhaps there will be a final battle, but not now. It should be after I have mastered everything.”

Since she can defeat him in the future, she must possess something he lacks-a ready-made model to follow.

Only by digging to the root can this journey be worthwhile.

“Your Highness, you have grown.”