Immortal Realm’s Smuggling Kingpin - Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Forming a Boat By Chance

Translator: Atlas Studios

Editor: Atlas Studios

Having taken his money, Xiao Xiangzi really put in a great effort. The reputation of Mountain Ning Yao’s Young Master Du indeed need not be boasted about. Very soon, a piece of metal radiating a greenish-red glow was placed before Luo Qian. Luo Qian looked at this item that slightly resembled the ‘X-box’ and asked confusedly, “That’s it?”

Du Lengning said, “Yes, give it a try.”

Seeing his scrutinizing look, Xiao Xiangzi chimed in with some discontent, “The design that you gave me was only a concept. Many aspects of it were very incomplete. I rectified each of them one by one and made a metal casing for free. What else are you not satisfied about? If this wasn’t done on account of Young Master Du, this would cost you at least 10 million Standard Immortal Jade.”

Luo Qian pursed his lips and thought inwardly, You only spent 30 million Standard Immortal Jade to buy an area of land on Mountain Ning Yao, yet you’re asking for 10 million for this palm-sized case. Why is it that I don’t see master craftsmen in the Immortal Realm’s ranking list of professions that can make huge profits in a short period of time? If it weren’t because I couldn’t do this job, I would already be considering a career change already.

“Here, plug in a piece of Standard Immortal Jade, and it can provide constant electricity for three days.” Xiao Xiangzi’s nose was turned up to the sky while his eyes looked down, a look of ‘I can’t be bothered with you.’

Luo Qian did not make any trouble either. Since you can’t be bothered with me, I can’t be bothered with you as well. It’s purely a cooperative relationship between us. If it weren’t for Immortal Jade, Grandfather Luo would make a detour upon encountering you, a fellow shrouded in ghostly air.

Click.

Luo Qian did as he said, pushing in a piece of Standard Immortal Jade. Sure enough, a green glow of lightning flooded the case. An electric current shot out from in between the two metal rods on the case.

Psst.

The sound of electricity made Luo Qian’s hands tremble.

Du Lengning beamed with delight. “Haha, it works!”

Luo Qian waved his hand, picked up the case, and said, “I’ll go back and test it out.” He appeared calm but was actually thrilled with joy in his heart. He did not care to bid goodbye to Xiao Xiangzi and left swiftly.

Du Lengning left a word of thanks, and hurriedly followed Luo Qian. “Old Luo, wait for me…”

In Luo Qian’s Fushan cave abode, other than his own laptop that could not be returned, the only other electronics were that rice cooker that was never sold, and that massage chair.

The massage chair was Luo Qian’s secret; he did not want Du Lengning to know about it for the time being. Moreover, it was rather wasteful to use it for a test. He’d only brought it to the Immortal Realm after sparing great effort. Wouldn’t it be regrettable if the electric current turned out to be unstable and ended up burning it? Of the three electronics, he was only left with the rice cooker.

Luo Qian carefully took apart the rice cooker’s plug, tying two wires to the two metal rods on the case. With a beep, the red light on the rice cooker lit up. Luo Qian was delighted. “Ha!”

Du Lengning patted his shoulder with force from the side. “Brother, we’ve made it big!”

Luo Qian’s eyes moved around. “Young Master Du, didn’t you say that you were just lending a hand for this and that everything had nothing to do with you?”

Du Lengning laughed embarrassedly and played possum. “Have I said that before? Why don’t I remember, hehe…” Seeing rolling profits before his eyes, in spite of the fact that he was a famous, rich young master of the Immortal Realm, Du Lengning could not help but be tempted. Considering how Luo Qian had been in this business for many years and did not get arrested by the Imperial Guards, though it was dangerous, it was also safe. Hence, he could not resist wanting to join in.

“Alright, Young Master Du, since you’re doing me this honor, we’ll work side by side. However, you and I are grasshoppers tied to the same rope henceforth!” Luo Qian stretched out his palm.

Du Lengning hesitated for a moment. Sweeping a glance at that case, he finally could not resist the temptation and stretched out his hand to high five Luo Qian as an oath of alliance.

Luo Qian finally promoted his company—from managing his own workshop to working as a gang. However, this gang was currently still at the configuration of the most minimal standard.

“Old Luo, quickly test it!” Du Lengning was slightly impatient.

Luo Qian thought for a moment and brought out some of the Immortal Realm’s Yuying Rice from his office. Immortals needed to eat too; it was said that Immortals abstained from eating the five grains but that only applied to the worldly grains. This Yuying Rice was a kind of rice extensively grown in the Immortal Realm. Every grain contained Immortal air. Consuming it in the long term would lead to Immortal air accumulating as days and months passed. It was of great help to cultivation.

Luo Qian poured the Yuying Rice—every grain was sparkling and translucent like jade—into the rice cooker. He scratched his head. “Wait a moment. I’ll go fetch some water.” There was only one spring on Fushan; it was small and was even located within the deep valley in the back mountains. Luo Qian went out for a short while and returned carrying a pail of water. He dug out the rice cooker manual and added water till the gauge mark. Covering the lid, the green light on the rice cooker lit up.

Du du du…

Hot vapor spouted out. A fresh and rich aroma lingered in the cave abode. Du Lengning could not resist taking in a deep breath. Swallowing his saliva, he commented, “So fragrant. I never knew that the cheapest Yuying Rice could make such fragrant rice.”

That was right. Yuying Rice was the cheapest Immortal rice in the Immortal Realm. As the young master of Faraway Hall, the lowest grade of rice that Du Lengning usually ate was the ‘Yunying Grain’ that was two grades above Yuying Rice.

The culinary standards of the Immortal Realm were nothing like that of the Human Realm. Although China was known as the kingdom of delicacies, the people who ascended devoted themselves to cultivation wholeheartedly. How many of them would have the time to satisfy their ‘desire for good food?’ If it weren’t because consuming these Immortal grains that contained Immortal air was of help to cultivation, probably nobody would be growing them in the Immortal Realm.

When they ate, it was also merely spouting out some Immortal fire to cook the food and then casually swallowing it down. Only households like Du Lengning’s had exclusive chefs, but the standards of chefs in the Immortal Realm could not be compared to those of the Human Realm. The promising Immortals were all busy cultivating. Who would go be a chef?

…

“Old Luo, why is it not done yet?” Du Lengning’s stomach was rumbling from that fragrance. However, half a day had passed, yet the rice cooker’s indicator light was still green, indicating that the rice wasn’t cooked yet.

Streaks of green lightning jumped here and there above the rice cooker. Presently, the rice cooker did not resemble an electronic device, but more like a furnace used to refine elixirs. The raw ingredients were ingredients from the Immortal Realm, and the energy source was lightning from the Immortal Realm. Only the tool used for cooking came from the Human Realm.

Du Lengning was increasingly famished, yet the rice cooker was just about anything but done. Du Lengning looked towards Luo Qian helplessly.

Luo Qian spread both hands, meaning, how would I know?

One day passed.

Two days passed.

Three days passed…

Just as Luo Qian prepared to change the Standard Immortal Jade inside the power supply case, a beep suddenly sounded. The red light on the rice cooker lit up. Du Lengning was so agitated that he almost cried. “It’s finally done…”

Luo Qian had originally wanted to rush forward and be the first to get a taste. To be honest, he was starving as well. Who said Immortals didn’t feel hunger? That was only because there were no delicacies before them. However, how could Luo Qian’s pitiful First-Order immortal art, Sky Leap, be faster than Young Master Du’s Third-Order Drifting Steps? Luo Qian only saw a black shadow flash before his eyes, and Du Lengning had already opened the rice cooker.

A greenish-red glow sparkled in the pot as a fragrance greeted him. Du Lengning could not help but freeze. A drop of translucent liquid secretly fell from the corner of his lips…

“Old, Old Luo, we’ve really made it…” Du Lengning said dazedly.

Luo Qian quickly moved over. “Why? What delicacy has been cooked? Are you planning for us to open a restaurant?” Two heads leaned together above the average-sized rice cooker. Luo Qian was also stunned upon seeing the situation inside. He stretched out two fingers and picked up an azure-green elixir the size of a longan from inside the pot. Lifting it with his hand, he held it under the light for a second. “What is this?”

Du Lengning’s slap landed on his neck. “Old Luo, this is an elixir. We’ve created elixirs…”

Just like crafting, not every Immortal was able to make elixirs. For Immortals who do not specialize in this, not only would their success rates be rather low, even the effect of the elixirs that they created couldn’t compare to those made by alchemy experts. Crafting magical artifacts and creating elixirs were two profitable businesses in the Immortal Realm.

Luo Qian rejoiced. “Really?!”

“My pair of eyes aren’t blind, of course it’s real!” In the rice cooker, there were about ten of the azure-green elixirs. Du Lengning seized the one in Luo Qian’s hand. “I’ll bring one back for my uncle to appraise it first and see exactly how powerful its effects are.”

Du Lengning’s uncle, Du Boan, was crazy about elixir creation. In the earlier years, he’d left Faraway Hall to establish his own business; as such, the successor position of Faraway Hall went to Du Lengning’s father.

After all these years of painstaking research and study, although Du Boan could not be considered one of the best elixir makers, he could at least rank amongst the top 20.

“Alright. Go and return quickly!” The two’s cultivation attainments weren’t much, so they could not determine this elixir’s quality. With Luo Qian’s urging, Du Lengning flew through the air and went on his way.

…

“Uncle, uncle…” Under Du Lengning’s feet was a sea of dark-green, a forest of tall trees, concealing everything on the ground, not leaving a thread of a gap. Du Lengning was also helpless against his uncle’s ‘Great Wilderness Array.’ Each time he failed to find Uncle’s ‘prescription medicine hut,’ he would start shouting in the air. If he was lucky, his uncle would come out very quickly to fetch him. If Lady Luck wasn’t with him and he happened to come just as his uncle was starting to refine elixirs, Du Lengning could only return crestfallenly after calling dozens of times with no response.

However, he was rather lucky today. After shouting twice, a funnel-shaped green light rose up and pulled Du Lengning into the Great Wilderness Array below.

Du Lengning landed on his butt with a thud. He complained, “Uncle, can’t you use another method to receive me?”

Du Boan was flipping through an archaic, thread-bound book. He asked without even looking up, “You rascal, why are you looking for me again? Have you run out of money and come to steal my elixirs to sell them?”

Du Lengning had done a good amount of things like that. Du Boan was alone with no children, so he really doted on his biological nephew. Although he knew about what he’d done, he never punished him.

Du Lengning grinned, presented that azure-green elixir with both hands, and said, “Uncle, could you please take a look at what this elixir’s grade is?”

Seeing how he was holding it carefully, Du Boan could not help but frown. “Ning’er, feel free to ask Uncle for whatever elixirs you need. You’re holding this elixir so dearly. Did you spend lots of money to buy it from elsewhere? Don’t get taken advantage of…” He picked up the pill using two fingers, studied it carefully, then rubbed it forcefully between his palms before returning it to Du Lengning. He then placed both hands in front of his nose for a sniff and nodded, saying, “Not bad. A top-grade Spirit Pill.”

Just like Immortal Artifacts—where not all artifacts created by Immortals could reach the standard of an Immortal Artifact—not all elixirs created by Immortals could reach the standard of an elixir. Elixirs could be categorized into numerous levels, such as Spirit Pill, Treasure Pill, Immortal Pill, and Divine Pill. Within every level, they were also differentiated into top-grade, middle-grade, and inferior-grade.

“Really?” Du Lengning was delighted.

Du Boan nodded. “That’s right. Although it cannot increase one’s cultivation, it is still a pretty good spiritual power supplement.”

Du Lengning said, “In other words, such an elixir can be a swift spiritual power supplement during a situation where there is excessive loss of Immortal air from one’s body?”

“That is right…”

If a person suddenly lacked the strength to continue at the critical juncture of a battle, what would become of him? If the body’s supply of Immortal air became insufficient when making elixirs, what consequences would there be?

Now, there was no need to worry about these problems because one could swiftly replenish Immortal air with such top-grade elixirs. Hence, while such Spirit Pills—which weren’t of a high level—appeared to be rather valueless, they were elixirs that were essential for everyone in reality. The market was huge; the prospects were vast!

Du Lengning burst into the air with a somersault. He shouted, “Uncle, thank you! I will bring you some good wine next time…”

Du Boan shook his head and said, “Hmph, you say that every time. When have you ever made good on your word…”

Luo Qian was currently testing out the Immortal Artifact power supply case in his Fushan cave abode. Although Xiao Xiangzi had said that a piece of Standard Immortal Jade could provide a stable supply of electricity for three days, this was only an average standard. For a laptop that used very little electricity, a piece of Standard Immortal Jade could be used for a long time. According to Luo Qian’s estimations, it could last for at least nine days and longer.

In comparison, for the massage chair, which had much greater power consumption, it might only be able to last a day and a half. But who would switch on the massage chair and use it for a day and a half? Hence, the amount of time that a piece of Standard Immortal Jade could last was still very long.

“Old Luo…” A voice came closer and closer. The excited Du Lengning hastily rushed in with two big baskets on his back. “Old Luo, all for you.”

Two cloth sacks as tall as a human landed at Luo Qian’s feet. Luo Qian stumbled as he was struck by the weight. “What are these?”

“Two hundred catties of Yunying grain and 150 catties of Azure Sea Millet. I emptied the entire Faraway Hall’s kitchen. Make the elixirs quickly!” Du Lengning explained eagerly.

Luo Qian could not resist a bitter smile, but Du Lengning remained as enthusiastic. “Old Luo, we’ve made it big this time. Do you know that this is a top-grade elixir? By the Immortal Realm’s market prices, one top-grade elixir can be sold for 100 Superior Immortal Jade. Haha, we’ve made it big…”

Rice in the Immortal Realm was expensive, but those at the grade of Yuying Rice only cost one Standard Immortal Jade per catty. Luo Qian used three catties of rice to make ten top-grade elixirs. Together with the use of one Standard Immortal Jade for the power supply case, the total cost was three pieces of Superior Immortal Jade. For a gain of 1,000 Standard Immortal Jade, this could be considered spending one to gain 10,000.

Du Lengning suggested, “We’ll use better ingredients for an experiment. Who knows, we might be able to make even better elixirs, hahaha…” This was why he emptied Faraway Hall’s kitchen.