Transmigration: The Peerless Immortal Husband

The grandfather and grandson chatted for a long time, mostly with Hu Weicai speaking and Valley Master Hu listening. Some things had been written in letters, but hearing them directly from his grandson felt different. Valley Master Hu could tell that his grandson was living much more happily at Tianfu Academy than he had been at Cuiyan Valley. He no longer said anything about wanting to return to Cuiyan Valley.

The little fat boy seemed to have regained the feeling of being pampered by his grandfather, just like when he was younger. He told his grandfather about all the things he had experienced, though there was one thing he didn’t mention—the improvement of his spiritual root purity. This was not only important but also something that should not be revealed by him first.

The four of them stayed at Valley Master Hu’s place for a full day and night. First, Hu Weicai spent time with his grandfather to strengthen their bond, then Gu Yao exchanged insights on alchemy with Valley Master Hu. They declined any interruptions during this time.

Many forces in Tian Shui Market were observing the relationship between Gu Yao and Valley Master Hu. Some believed the rumors might be exaggerated; after all, the news had come from Tianfu Academy, and perhaps the academy was just trying to show off.

Now, after so long without seeing Gu Yao leave the temporary residence at Cuiyan Valley, it was clear that Valley Master Hu had kept him behind for discussions and exchanges. Who could still say that Valley Master Hu didn’t value Gu Yao? Since Valley Master Hu came to Tian Shui Market, many powerful figures had tried to meet with him but failed, yet Gu Yao had simply handed him an invitation and entered. Fewer people in the city were now speaking ill of him.

This was not a peaceful era where one could say whatever they wanted. If the person you spoke ill of happened to be the one in charge, and they had a bad temper, a simple wave of their hand could turn you to ashes.

None of this concerned Gu Yao. He was discussing a type of pill with Valley Master Hu—one that he had spent the longest time researching since his cultivation began. He had already exchanged some ideas with Valley Master Hu through letters, and now the finished product was ready, although it had not yet been made public.

The little fat boy stood behind his grandfather at first, his round and soft face full of innocence. Later, Tian Feirong raised his eyebrows at him. Seeing that his grandfather and Gu Yao were engrossed in their conversation, forgetting everything around them, the little fat boy simply walked over to talk with Tian Feirong. Meanwhile, Chi Changye sat on a chair, holding the hilt of his sword, motionless for several hours, as if in a meditative trance.

Valley Master Hu directly threw an entire pill into his mouth, carefully savoring its taste, analyzing it, and feeling its effects inside his body. Though his cultivation level limited the pill’s effectiveness, he said, “Not bad, not bad. After several revisions, this pill’s effect is very good. It does indeed have the ability to clear pill toxins, and it can be taken continuously. Young friend, have you named this pill? Are you planning to promote it? If so, Hu can lend a hand.”

From his perspective, it was clear that Gu Yao wasn’t trying to keep the pill formula to himself. He had already handed over the formula for the Red Xuan Pill to Tianfu Academy for processing, and this new pill was designed for the public. The spiritual herbs used were not rare or precious.

“I think I’ll call it the Qingchen Pill. It’s better not to use the name Xichen Pill since it’s already taken.” Gu Yao originally wanted to call it Xichen Pill, but later discovered there was already a pill with that name. Furthermore, compared to the pill he had developed, Xichen Pill sounded more grandiose—it wasn’t about clearing the dust from the body, but from the spiritual realm and the soul.

“Not bad!” Valley Master Hu clapped his hands. “This name is simple and clear, making it obvious what the pill’s purpose is.”

“How about we launch the Qingchen Pill together, with Cuiyan Valley and our Tianfu Academy as partners? If I go at it alone, it might be hard to gain full trust,” Gu Yao continued. “Maybe other alchemists can develop a more refined pill recipe based on the Qingchen Pill.”

“Haha, good!” Valley Master Hu laughed heartily. “I knew I didn’t misjudge you, Gu Yao. Not only are you talented, but you also have a generous and open heart. You’re a model for all alchemists to learn from. If everyone were like you, who would worry about the decline of alchemy?”

After discussing the details, Gu Yao handed over the revised pill formula to Valley Master Hu. He then prepared to take his leave. Valley Master Hu finally snapped out of his trance, his gaze immediately turning to the little fat boy. As soon as the topic of alchemy came up, he had pushed his grandson aside, only now realizing how short their time together had been.

The little fat boy had come to terms with it. If his grandfather weren’t so invested in alchemy, he might not have reached such a level of mastery. Besides, he was no longer a child and didn’t need his elders around all the time. “Grandfather, I’ll be leaving with Gu Yao and the others. Don’t worry, I’ll write to you regularly. Please take care of yourself.”

Valley Master Hu sighed deeply. “Alright, young friend. I’ll leave my grandson in your care.”

“Weicai is a good boy,” Gu Yao said with a smile. At that moment, Chi Changye also snapped out of his meditation and stood up, nodding respectfully to Valley Master Hu. He then left with Tian Feirong and the little fat boy, who put his mask back on, resuming his ordinary, unimpressive appearance.

Five days later, Valley Master Hu released a public announcement stating that he would be collaborating with Gu Yao to launch a new pill—Qingchen Pill, which had been primarily developed by Gu Yao. The main function of the Qingchen Pill was to clear the pill toxins accumulated from overuse of medicinal pills. It could be taken repeatedly and was designed for Qi Refining stage cultivators below the Foundation Establishment stage. A more advanced version for Foundation Establishment cultivators would be released in the future, bringing great benefits to cultivators everywhere.

Those interested could purchase it at the temporary residences of Cuiyan Valley and Tianfu Academy in the city.

Once the news was spread, it caused a huge stir in the market. Could the Qingchen Pill really clear pill toxins from the body? How much would it cost? Could ordinary cultivators afford it? Was it truly developed by Gu Yao and not Valley Master Hu? How could this be possible? Gu Yao was so young and his cultivation so low!

But if Valley Master Hu had truly developed this pill on his own, why was it being attributed to Gu Yao? What kind of power could Gu Yao have to make Cuiyan Valley bow to him? And besides, Gu Yao had already developed pills in the past—wasn’t the Red Xuan Pill real? That had also been personally verified by Valley Master Hu, and this pill was no different.

Despite all the doubts among the cultivators, once the news spread, the cultivators in the market split into two groups: one went to Tianfu Academy and the other rushed to the temporary residence of Cuiyan Valley. Once they got their hands on the pills, they would know how effective they were—after all, it couldn’t possibly kill them.

Merchants were also quick to react, seeing a huge business opportunity. Since the formula belonged to Gu Yao, if they could secure exclusive rights to sell the pill, they’d be sitting on a gold mine. After all, which cultivator hadn’t consumed medicinal pills that left toxins in their body? If everyone had a Qingchen Pill, they could collect countless spirit stones, and since the pill could be reused, it was even more valuable.

So, most of the merchants rushed to Tianfu Academy as soon as possible. As long as Valley Master Hu’s words were not false and the pill formula was truly developed by Gu Yao, then only Gu Yao himself could be the one in charge of the formula’s distribution. Valley Master Hu didn’t seem like the kind of person who would steal someone else’s pill formula.

Jiang Yan and Lu Qiusheng didn’t expect Gu Yao to make such a move. Over the past two years, although they had been continuously supplying Gu Yao with materials, and Gu Yao himself had frequently ventured into the Qiuqiu Mountain Range to collect various rare herbs, they had thought that Gu Yao had been using those materials to improve his alchemy. After all, none of the advanced pills could challenge him anymore, yet they didn’t expect him to stir up such a big commotion.

The two were also quite happy about it. The Qingchen Pill, once released, would indeed benefit many cultivators. The accumulation of pill toxins over time could slow down cultivation, hinder the flow of spiritual power, and make it harder to advance further. When Gu Yao told them about the Qingchen Pill’s effects, they both wished they could drink a bottle to experience its benefits firsthand.

Gu Yao handed over the agency rights for the pill to the Xingyue Chamber of Commerce, mainly because he didn’t want to deal with the hassle. Even though Tian Feirong and the little fat boy were helping, their resources were limited, and it was difficult to manage the large number of cultivators outside. Besides, some merchants had strong backgrounds.

Jiang Yan couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head. “Junior Brother Gu is really something… He didn’t even give us a heads-up. We were totally unprepared. It was such a surprise. No wonder every time I visit his pill room, I see so many different instruments—he must have been working on his research.”

Other alchemists, in the early stages, usually follow the steps of their predecessors carefully, afraid to make any mistakes, so their progress is slow. But Gu Yao not only had high talent, he was also bold and willing to experiment with everything. It’s said that his previous pill furnace was destroyed in an explosion.

It’s rumored that Gu Yao had been insisting on body refinement. Jiang Yan had an idea—maybe Gu Yao focused on body refinement precisely because he frequently faced the risk of furnace explosions. Most alchemists couldn’t handle the occasional explosion like that.

Lu Qiusheng was also impressed by Gu Yao for the first time. “I knew Junior Brother Gu was exceptional, but I didn’t expect him to make such a big impact quietly. If you look at the students we came with, they all look at him as if he were a god.”

Even though Chi Changye was stronger and a big weapon on the battlefield, no one could match him, the people in the academy obviously respected Gu Yao more. Being able to refine pills was truly impressive, and it made Lu Qiusheng think about giving it a try himself—who knew, maybe he also had a talent for it?

“Senior Brother Jiang, how should we handle these requests?” A staff member from the Xingyue Chamber of Commerce brought a stack of letters with a distressed expression. They were in a difficult position—previously, it had been hard for these people to even get a meeting, but now they were bringing gifts and begging for an audience. At first, it was a pleasant surprise, but now it had turned into a nightmare. Handling it poorly could feel like poking a hornet’s nest.

Lu Qiusheng casually flipped through a few letters and said, “How to handle it? Just leave them there. It’s only fair to not meet with any of them. Junior Brother Gu has already said that the Qingchen Pill will be exclusively distributed by the Xingyue Chamber of Commerce. In the future, anyone who wants the Qingchen Pill can buy it from our chamber or from the pill shops under Cuiyan Valley.”

Jiang Yan nodded in agreement. Although Lu Qiusheng had said it casually, that was the outcome. “We’ll release the news. Over the next few days, we’ll increase the supply of the pills, but it will still be limited. Once this wave of excitement dies down, the Xingyue Chamber of Commerce will accept bulk orders from other merchants.”

At the moment, it’s not possible. The cultivators in the market are all lining up, waiting for the Qingchen Pills. We need to satisfy their needs first. Although they respect Gu Yao, if the Xingyue Chamber of Commerce dares to accept bulk orders from outside, those cultivators might team up and flatten Tianfu Academy.

When Gu Yao came back from Valley Master Hu and mentioned this matter, Jiang Yan immediately mobilized a group of alchemists from both the academy and the external branches of the merchant guild. Fortunately, the Qingchen Pill is a mid-level pill, which means that mid-level alchemists can refine it. Otherwise, it would be impossible to meet the external demand.

There is also a distribution network from Cuiyan Valley, so while the pressure is large, it is still manageable.