Chapter 44: Main Medicine, Auxiliary Medicine

Chen Mobai was puzzled. Were there people in this world who didn't have surnames? But seeing Qing Nü had already walked away, he didn't ask and followed her.

“This restaurant’s grilled fish is exceptionally delicious. I only treat myself to a meal here once a month, when I get paid.” Chen Mobai followed Qing Nü to a small eatery in a corner of the city. Qing Nü, familiar with the place, picked up the menu. She was about to order a spicy flavor when she remembered it was her treat today.

“You order.”

“I haven’t eaten here before. You order, just nothing too spicy.” Hearing Chen Mobai, Qing Nü said “Oh” and quickly changed the order to a pot of salt-and-pepper grilled fish. She also added side dishes like lotus root slices, bean sprouts, and vermicelli, and finally ordered two sodas.

“So, how is it? Good, right?” Qing Nü ate happily. Chen Mobai took a bite and felt the seasonings were indeed delicious, but the fish itself was rather ordinary.

After all, he had been eating Blood Jade Carp every day recently. That kind of earthly delicacy was so good that even Gold Core True Persons from the Tianhe Realm would linger over it, making the common farmed fish here at the Immortal Gate completely incomparable.

“It’s alright.” Chen Mobai could only give a moderate evaluation. Qing Nü across from him rolled her eyes, as if saying he had no emotional intelligence, but this didn't stop her from devouring the food. Three-quarters of the large pot disappeared into her small, cherry-like mouth.

“Do you really like grilled fish?” Chen Mobai watched Qing Nü, who was drinking soda to cut through the greasiness, and suddenly asked.

“Yes, this was the first place I ever ate out. At the time, I felt it was the most delicious food in the world.”

“Next time, if we get a chance, I’ll personally catch a fish. Paired with this restaurant’s seasonings, I guarantee it’ll taste even better.” Although he had eaten all the Blood Jade Carp in Biyun Lake, where the Water Mansion was located, there were still some descendants of Blood Jade Carp. Their taste might not be as good as the original, but they were definitely better than this restaurant's fish.

Qing Nü was momentarily stunned, unsure how to respond. The scene instantly became very awkward, as the owner was clearing their table. Who would say a restaurant's fish isn't good right to their face! Qing Nü concluded that the young man in front of her had poor emotional intelligence.

“The play is about to start; let’s go.” Qing Nü, who had originally intended to sit a while longer to discuss their next collaboration steps, could only find an excuse to pay immediately and pull Chen Mobai away.

“Do you have any cheap sources for the raw materials for Qi Replenishing Spiritual Water?” The two could only find a quiet coffee shop to discuss their cooperation.

“No, all the medicinal ingredients in our shop are packed and delivered by Baoping Pharmacy. My teacher handles the list, and I verify it upon receipt.” Qing Nü shook her head.

“I looked at the elixir formula; it mainly requires three primary ingredients and four auxiliary ones. The primary ingredients are fine; I can find them in online pharmacies. But there are so many brands for the auxiliary ingredients, and I’m not sure which ones are correct?” Chen Mobai took out his unopened tube of Qi Replenishing Spiritual Water and handed it to Qing Nü.

The three primary ingredients are Solomon’s Seal, Atractylodes, and Ledebouriella.

Since they were only refining first-tier Qi Replenishing Spiritual Water, ingredients with ten years of medicinal potency would suffice. These are common medicinal ingredients that can be purchased with Good Deeds points.

The four auxiliary ingredients, however, were different: dextrin, mannitol, flavoring agent, and spirit-sealing agent. These seemed to be industrial raw materials, with countless strange brands, and it was unclear which ones worked best.

“For dextrin, use this brand. This manufacturer’s mannitol is good. This factory’s flavoring agent is sweet. And for the spirit-sealing agent, if you’re going to use it immediately after refining, you can buy the cheapest one from this supplier…” Qing Nü was indeed a professional. She had Chen Mobai open the Immortal Gate Network and then systematically guided him on which stores to buy from, speaking confidently and clearly, obviously having planned this for a long time.

“I can understand the literal meaning of ‘spirit-sealing agent’; it should be for sealing to prevent the spiritual water’s efficacy from dissipating. But what are the other three auxiliary ingredients for?”

“Dextrin blends the medicinal properties of the three primary ingredients. Mannitol, when added, makes it easier for the body to absorb. The flavoring agent is for taste. The raw liquid is very bitter once prepared; it’s difficult to consume without adding this.”

“So, according to that, can the flavoring agent be omitted?” Chen Mobai asked another question, causing Qing Nü to choke.

“It’s not impossible; that would save 500 Good Deeds points. But are you sure? Don’t you dislike the taste of medicine? I’ve had spiritual water without flavoring, and it’s incredibly bitter.” Qing Nü continued to persuade him, and Chen Mobai hesitated. He truly disliked the taste of medicine.

“Alright then, for the first batch of spiritual water, let’s go with the formula and proportions you’re most familiar with. How do we handle the tools and location?”

“As for that, I can temporarily borrow my teacher’s medicinal pool and cold extraction machine. If he finds out and doesn’t approve, then you’ll have to figure something out.”

The two discussed the details further. Qing Nü also helped Chen Mobai select some online stores for the primary medicinal ingredients. Some of the ingredients in her teacher’s pharmacy were sourced from these very stores, so their quality was trustworthy.

Chen Mobai didn’t say much more, placing the order directly as per her instructions. He filled in Changqing Pharmacy and Qing Nü as the address and recipient, respectively. Anyway, she signed for all the packages at the shop, so there was no fear of her teacher finding out.

After all three primary and four auxiliary ingredients were purchased, a large portion of Chen Mobai’s ten thousand Good Deeds points, which he had exchanged for spirit stones, was gone.

“For this batch, how many tubes do you expect to refine?” Chen Mobai picked up the unopened tube of Qi Replenishing Spiritual Water from the table and asked.

“Between 10 and 20 tubes, I’d say.”

“Cough, cough…” Chen Mobai, who was drinking coffee, couldn’t help but nearly choke. “Won’t that definitely result in a loss, then?”

“There’s definitely an initial investment. Don’t worry, once I get more proficient, you’ll make a huge profit.” Qing Nü clenched her slender fingers, patted her chest, and looked full of confidence.

Chen Mobai, however, could only sigh.

Still, there was no other way. Resources were scarce at the Immortal Gate. If one wanted unlimited access to Qi Replenishing Spiritual Water, or even higher-grade elixirs, it was best to support an alchemist. He could only hope that Qing Nü, right in front of him, would prove worth his investment.

“Let’s go, let’s go! They’re already letting people into the theater.” At this point, Qing Nü checked the time and immediately urged Chen Mobai. She was eager to see the Jade Phoenix Troupe’s “Stepping on the Moon.”

Inside the theater.

Chen Mobai sat in his seat, looking embarrassed.

He had overlooked something.

“Brother, is this my sister-in-law?” To his left was his cousin, Wang Xinying, who had taken one of his tickets and planned to see Jiang Yuyuan today. She stared, wide-eyed, scrutinizing the beautiful Qing Nü sitting in the seat to Chen Mobai’s right. Qing Nü’s pretty face flushed slightly, and she lowered her head, a little flustered by the innocent question from the little girl.