It was a normal day for Ning.

  He got up, practiced his qi manipulation techniques, tended to his field, then tried fishing, but came up empty.

  'Maybe tomato-egg fried rice would be good?' Ning pondered. It was simple to make, and the taste was always satisfying.

  As he thought such things, he spotted someone near his hut. A young man, about fifteen, wearing a bright red robe, faintly shimmering with qi. It was Su Fan.

  Su Fan also noticed his arrival.

  Ning approached with a relaxed smile. “Senior Brother Su, long time no see. You seem… busy.”

  It had been several days since Ning reached great accomplishment in spell techniques, and he had planned to contact Su Fan, but the boy had been missing for an entire month.

  Su Fan snorted, not bothering to hide his irritation.

  “Busy? That’s one way to put it.” He tossed the twig in his hand aside with a bit too much force. “I’ve been stuck with my dear sister for the last month.”

  Ning blinked. “…That sounds… helpful?”

  As far as he knew, Su Fan’s sister was a core disciple. To be a core disciple, one had to reach Foundation Establishment before the age of thirty and possess the potential to go even higher.

  So, having such a person guide you should’ve been a blessing.

  At least, after learning various things from Elder Shen, Ning clearly understood the value of such teachings. Even casual remarks from the old man had given him plenty to ponder.

  Of course, Su Fan didn’t seem to share that sentiment. He gave Ning a flat look. “Helpful? Junior Brother Ning, my sister’s idea of ‘help’ is dragging me out of bed before sunrise, stuffing bitter herbs down my throat, and beating flame control into my skull. If I fail her standards, she punishes me.”

  Ning coughed politely. “Ah. That kind of help.”

  Su Fan crossed his arms, clearly still annoyed. “You know what the worst part is? She’s a genius. Cold Jade Hand supernatural power, talisman talent that makes the elders cry tears of joy…”

  He waved dismissively. “And she lectures me like I’m some lost child who can’t even light a stove.”

  Even the arrogant Su Fan was helpless against his sister. Finally meeting someone who would listen, he naturally poured his heart out, painting his sister as nothing short of a demon who enjoyed abusing him, according to his own words.

  Ning took his complaints with a pinch of salt.

  But he actually knew the real reason Su Fan's sister, Su Xue, was so harsh on her brother.

  Su Xue was born with Cold Jade Hands, a supernatural ability said to double talisman efficiency and strengthen effects, occasionally adding unique buffs. It was a heaven-sent gift for the talisman-heritage Su Family.

  So, as her brother, Su Fan naturally faced pressure.

  And perhaps due to constant comparisons, instead of learning the family’s talisman arts, Su Fan chose alchemy to carve his own path.

  That was exactly why Su Xue was so strict, trying to “correct” her foolish younger brother. And she wasn’t wrong either. Although alchemy was an esteemed profession, the Su Family’s talisman heritage was extremely profound and profitable.

  So seeing him choose a harder road surely annoyed her.

  'Alas, the tale of one talented sibling and another seemingly mediocre one… a story as old as time. Just look at Sasuke and Itachi. Let’s hope their clan doesn’t end up the same way.' Ning’s thoughts moved in a weird direction.

  As for how Ning knew all this, simple. Knowledge was power. He made a habit of learning about his surroundings and fellow disciples, gathering information from people like Wei Zhusang or even mortal servants. Those servants, while weak, had excellent ears and peculiar sources of information.

  After the Scripture Pavilion restoration mission, Ning had befriended some of them. So while he didn’t get high-level news, he always heard a few useful things.

  Of course, hearing Su Fan’s family situation, Ning understood even more clearly why Su Fan wanted to partner with him; his standing at home likely wasn’t great.

  “So,” Ning asked carefully, “did the training… help?”

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  He was genuinely curious. Su Xue was a genius, after all.

  Su Fan’s jaw tightened. Then, grudgingly:

  “…Yes. Fine. It helped. A lot.”

  He looked away, clearly unwilling to admit it too proudly.

  “My fire control’s sharper now. My perception’s clearer. I can separate impurities three times faster. I’d like to say it’s because of my hard work, but no, she insists it’s because I’m ‘finally behaving.’ As if I’m some pet spiritual beast being trained.”

  Ning smiled lightly. “You sound like you survived something dramatic.”

  Su Fan clicked his tongue. “Dramatic? Please. If I had her supernatural power, I’d surpass her in a year.” He smirked, arrogance returning. “But fine. I’ll beat her without it.”

  Seeing him burn with passion was amusing. Such a rebellious, arrogant boy using classic protagonist lines was… strange.

  But Ning had the habit of categorizing people into protagonist, mob, or arrogant young master archetypes, purely for convenience. People were multifaceted; they can't simply be labeled as a single type.

  After a moment, Ning shifted the topic. “Anyway, about our contract...”

  That immediately snapped Su Fan’s focus forward.

  “Right.” Su Fan straightened, arrogance cooling into sharp business-like clarity. “I reorganized my entire schedule. Now that my sister’s done torturing me, I can finally start making pills.”

  Alchemy required at least three to five years of theory for the average cultivator; the sheer number of herbs and ratios was a headache.

  Ning nodded. “So, which pill do you want to start with?”

  “Bigu(Fasting) Pill,” Su Fan said. The most standard answer. A pseudo–first-tier pill, requiring basic spiritual grain and a few cheap herbs. Perfect for gaining experience, especially with its precise condensation requirements.

  “I see.” Ning nodded. “Then how about I sell you all my excess spiritual grain from now on?”

  “Alright.” Su Fan nodded. “In return, for the pills I sell using your materials, you get twenty percent of the earnings.”

  Twenty percent was surprisingly generous. But judging by the shimmering spiritual robe Su Fan wore, he probably looked down on the small profits of Fasting Pills. The terms would likely change for higher-tier pills.

  They spent several minutes discussing details before agreeing to sign a spiritual contract later.

  After the business was done, Su Fan said, “Junior Brother Ning, you really need to buy a communication talisman. Otherwise, I have to come all the way here to find you every time.”

  “Senior brother, you know my situation. I’ll buy one after saving up a bit more.” Ning, having lived in the modern world, knew better than anyone how convenient communication tools were.

  But even the most basic talisman cost fifty spirit stones, not to mention maintenance.

  Speaking of expenses, Ning added, “Senior Brother, can I buy a few qi-gathering pills for mid-stage from you?”

  Pills for early-stage disciples were easily available from Fang Zhu, but mid-stage ones were rarer. So Ning decided to use Su Fan’s connections to buy some.

  “Sure. I can buy them from my seniors, but they’ll cost at least forty spirit stones each, so be prepared,” Su Fan warned kindly to his 'poor' junior brother.

  Ning gritted his teeth. More than double the price of early-stage pills. Alchemists really were high profiteers. “Okay. Please buy three pills for now.”

  Su Fan nodded and, after complaining a bit more about his sister, he left with ease, as if refreshed.

  Glancing at his departing back, Ning narrowed his eyes, thoughtfully. “Alchemy, huh?”

  …

  As previously mentioned, Fang Zhu mostly sold stuff useful to early-stage disciples. Now, as a mid-stage cultivator, Ning's requirement naturally became higher. So after asking the well-connected man for directions, Ning finally found a suitable shop.

  A shop for what, you ask?

  A weapon.

  He had delayed this long enough. With his farming techniques advancing and his qi cultivation stabilizing, it was time to pick up a proper weapon. While punching was cool and all, weapons were the main reason for humans' dominance.

  Following Fang Zhu’s directions, Ning entered the sect market. Soon, he found a spacious wooden building with a prominent signboard:

  Golden Bell Armory

  Ning stepped toward the entrance...

  and was immediately ambushed.

  A blur swooped down on him like a hawk spotting prey.

  “OH! A NEW FACE!”

  A hand shot out, grabbed Ning’s wrist, almost dangerously, and yanked him inside.

  Ning stumbled. “S-Senior Sister?”

  The blur stabilized into a woman in a tight-fitting blue robe, hair tied in a high ponytail, eyes sparkling with dangerous excitement.

  “I’m Senior Sister Ling Yao! Welcome, welcome!” she declared, dragging him deeper into the shop with the enthusiasm of a salesperson spotting a whale customer.

  Before Ning could introduce himself, she launched into her spiel:

  “You want a weapon, right? Of course you do! Every handsome young junior brother who enters this shop wants one! Come, let me show you our TOP PICKS!”

  She whisked him through the racks so quickly he wondered if she had a movement technique specifically for abducting customers.

  Ling Yao grabbed a sword and held it dramatically.

  “This! This is the Azure Wind Longblade! Forged using wind-attribute ore from the peak of Mount Gale! It slices through air so smoothly your enemies will not even realize they have been cut."

  Ning blinked, "?”

  Before he could respond, she placed the blade aside and picked up a spear.

  “And THIS! The Violet Lightning Spear! Rumor says the ore was struck by lightning nine times! One stab, just one, and your enemies will feel the wrath of thunder!”

  Then, she grabbed a massive hammer next. “And this, look at this beauty, the Earthshaker Crushing Hammer! Hit the ground once, and you’ll make a crater so impressive your descendants will be proud!”

  “…Senior Sister, I’m actually looking for something more… normal.” Amidst the chaos, Ning was finally able to speak.

  “Normal?” Ling Yao slapped her chest confidently. “Junior Brother, everything in this shop is extraordinary! Ordinary is for mortal peasants.”

  Ning had imagined a simple visit, browse, choose something practical, pay, and leave.

  Instead, he was being dragged around by a senior sister who seemed to run on pure caffeine and spiritual energy.

  Suddenly, Ling Yao leaned close, eyes sparkling with dangerous sales intent.

  “So! Junior Brother! Tell me, what weapon calls to your soul? A sword that sings? A spear that pierces the heavens? A hammer that flattens the hopes of your enemies?”

  “…A functional, affordable one,” Ning said carefully.

  Ling Yao fell silent.

  Ning tilted his head. “Senior Sister?”

  Bang.

  Then, without any warning, she suddenly collapsed onto the floor as if dead.

  After ten seconds with no movement, Ning blinked.

  "Well, f*ck!"

  ...

  Thanks for reading~