"Thank you for your assistance tonight, Mr. Xu!"
After three rounds of wine and five courses of food, Ji Yuan offered his thanks before draining his wine bowl in one gulp.
Though the strong liquor didn't make him cough until his face turned red like before, it wasn't much better. A few hiccups later, he felt quite disoriented.
Zhao Yuansong also raised his wine bowl. Without a word, he swiftly emptied it.
Seeing this, Xu Liuqing shook his head helplessly, remarking that the man was just drinking for free. Nevertheless, he raised his own bowl and drank it dry.
Only the scholar Shen Lang appeared detached from it all. Though the fragrant meat in the clay pot was finished, he was still gleefully picking at the remaining side dishes.
"Since I've done you a great favor, you should show some appreciation, shouldn't you?"
After the three had put down their wine bowls, Xu Liuqing tapped his fingers lightly on the table and gazed intently at the young Daoist priest sitting opposite him.
Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan sighed inwardly. He had been prepared for this, knowing that the other wouldn't have intervened without expecting something in return, even if it was a trivial matter for him.
However, this was for the best. A give and take would clear any debts, leaving only a good impression for the future, which would be beneficial for both parties.
He straightened his back, awaiting the other's words.
After a moment of thought, Xu Liuqing spoke, "The matter is quite simple. My people have approached you multiple times hoping you could help refine a certain pill."
He paused, and seeing Ji Yuan about to speak, he continued, "I won't hide anything from you. In my younger years, I dabbled in some unorthodox methods to break through my cultivation, which left me with hidden ailments. Only this pill can help me escape my current predicament."
Xu Liuqing stated frankly that although his martial prowess was still at its peak, the unorthodox methods he had employed had rendered him incapable of further advancement in this life.
Furthermore, those methods had damaged his physique, causing a severe depletion of his Yang energy and vital essence. He had to consume potent tonics daily.
Yet, even with daily supplements, medicinal diets, and the aid of fragrant meat and strong liquor, he still suffered excruciating pain every few days.
"I am aware of your condition, Mr. Xu, but..."
Ji Yuan sighed. After some thought, he decided to be direct. "This pill is simply too important to you, and its required ingredients are extremely rare. The people you sent previously also mentioned that over several years, despite expending a large sum of money, they only managed to gather four sets of materials."
Although he couldn't refine this particular pill, the other party possessed a detailed recipe. He had glanced at it before and understood the immense difficulty involved in its creation.
For a pill he had never refined before, coupled with its inherent complexity, with only four sets of materials, Ji Yuan couldn't guarantee a successful outcome.
There was more than a seventy percent chance that the materials would simply be wasted.
Xu Liuqing's expression darkened, and he couldn't help but offer a wry smile. "I've inquired with other alchemists in the city, and even those from other regions, but none of them have been able to refine it."
Even an elder alchemist with decades of experience had explicitly stated that with only four sets of materials, he could only guarantee a thirty percent chance of success. More materials would be needed to increase the success rate.
However, these four sets of materials had already depleted nearly all his resources, and he had incurred significant debt because of it. He couldn't possibly gather even one more set.
If he didn't take this pill within the next few years, even with constant consumption of tonics, his Yang energy and vital essence would be completely depleted. Not only would his martial cultivation decline, but his very life would be in jeopardy.
"Just tell me, what are your chances of success?"
Xu Liuqing gritted his teeth, his gaze fixed on the young Daoist with anticipation.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan's face contorted with indecision. After a long deliberation, he hesitantly uttered a number.
"Roughly... around fifty percent."
He held back a little, fearing he might have spoken too boldly.
In truth, if he had three sets of materials for practice, he was confident that by the fourth attempt, he could control the success rate to sixty or seventy percent.
However, this pill was Xu Liuqing's lifeline. Without a ninety percent chance of success, his nature wouldn't allow him to accept the task. After all, success would be a boon, but failure would effectively extinguish the other's hope of survival.
"What did you say? Fifty percent?"
Upon hearing Ji Yuan's words, Xu Liuqing practically leaped from his stone stool, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Did you say fifty percent?!"
Even Zhao Yuansong, standing nearby, looked utterly astonished, staring at the young Daoist beside him with his mouth agape.
For a moment, he thought he had drunk too much and was hallucinating. But as Xu Liuqing repeatedly questioned, he managed to suppress the urge to slam his wine bowl onto the young man's face.
Did this person truly not understand what a fifty percent success rate meant?
"Is this... that surprising?"
Ji Yuan frowned, bewildered by their agitated reactions.
A fifty percent chance of failure was already a significant risk for him, and he would rarely choose to attempt the refinement lightly.
Generally, he would only consider "risking" it when he had a seventy or eighty percent chance of success. Otherwise, the cost of failure was simply too great, leaving him heartbroken for a considerable time.
"Do you know that for an alchemist, if they can guarantee even a thirty percent success rate within ten attempts for a pill they've never refined before, they are already considered 'experienced'?"
Zhao Yuansong couldn't help but explain, "Even for pills they refine regularly, some alchemists can only guarantee about a fifty or sixty percent chance of success, and even that is enough to earn them a revered position in many sects."
Within the Nine Profound Sect, most of their haughty alchemists could only guarantee a forty or fifty percent success rate for familiar pills, and that alone was enough to be appointed as honored guests.
For an alchemist to guarantee a fifty percent success rate for a pill they had never refined before was already approaching the level of a Grand Alchemist, something that would take decades, if not a century, of dedicated study.
Yet, this young man before them... was he even fifteen years old?
Even if he had started studying the art of alchemy in the womb, it was almost impossible to reach this level in just over a decade.
Furthermore, as far as Zhao Yuansong knew, this young man had only been cultivating for less than two years!
"The alchemist with the highest attainment in our city, and among the others I've consulted, only dared to guarantee a fifteen percent chance for the pill I need."
Xu Liuqing also chimed in, "To my knowledge, their success rate for the pills they are most skilled at refining doesn't exceed thirty percent!"
He uttered the last sentence almost through gritted teeth, his gaze towards Ji Yuan seeming as if he could devour him.
After hearing their words, the young Daoist finally realized that his own alchemy skills were... quite high?
"Please, Master Daoist, refine the pill for me!"
Xu Liuqing stepped back and, despite his usual dislike for formalities, clasped his hands together and bowed deeply.
Upon witnessing this, Ji Yuan quickly stood up to dodge the bow, not accepting the gesture.
However, after a moment of contemplation, he finally let out a heavy sigh and nodded, agreeing to refine the pill for the other party.
"Mr. Xu, you may send someone to deliver the ingredients and the recipe to Xuan Tian Temple. Once I familiarize myself with the formula, I will attempt to refine it. However, I cannot guarantee a successful outcome in the end."
Ji Yuan shook his head, appearing quite resigned.
This was a bit like being forced into a situation. However, he did owe the other party a favor, and he happened to be the alchemist with the highest skill among those Xu Liuqing had encountered.
Moreover, with the atmosphere reaching this point, he had no choice but to agree. Otherwise, he strongly suspected he might not be leaving this place alive tonight.
Seeing his agreement, Xu Liuqing's mood greatly improved, dispelling the gloom that had clouded his heart for years. With a wave of his hand, he ordered Weng Yang to bring out his prized collection of fine wines, declaring that they would drink until they were all intoxicated.
Although Ji Yuan was not accustomed to such gatherings, he grudgingly sat down. To his surprise, besides several bottles of fine wine, the old man also presented a pot brimming with fragrant meat.
For him, who didn't drink, it was quite a filling meal.
As Ji Yuan walked out of the Three Blade Association, he couldn't stop belching. Zhao Yuansong, beside him, now held a recipe for the fragrant pot's seasoning and notes on the cooking process.
"The new Third Leader of the association is a man of great chivalry."
When the Three Blade Association's mansion was no longer in sight, Zhao Yuansong shook off his drunken demeanor, his eyes flickering as he commented.
While the physiques of cultivators were often inferior to those of warriors at the same level, he was still a late-stage Enlightenment realm expert. Coupled with some immortal techniques, he wasn't truly tipsy.
Ji Yuan nodded, deep in thought. "The general sentiment in the city about this Third Leader is that he is either righteous and chivalrous or a true man."
Xu Liuqing was not a local. It was said his family had been a prominent clan in the prefectural city, but they had fallen into decline. He was forced to wander the martial world with his old servant, Weng Yang.
Eventually, for reasons unknown, he chose to settle in Qianyu City and, through a stroke of luck, joined the Three Blade Association. In just a few years, he had risen to the position of the new Third Leader.
Anyone in the city who had interacted with him spoke highly of him. Even those from opposing factions, when mentioning Xu Liuqing of the Three Blade Association, couldn't help but exclaim, "A true hero."
"Tell me, why did you, of all people, clash with the Three Blade Association? And why were you so ruthless, showing no regard for the reputation of martial artists?"
Changing the subject, Ji Yuan turned to the scholar beside him and asked with a slight frown.
In his impression, this fellow, though stubborn and eccentric in his behavior, was not someone who lacked judgment.
On the contrary, over the years, Ji Yuan had learned much about how to conduct himself from him. Otherwise, he might not be much different from Hui Xin yesterday.
Upon hearing this, Shen Lang retied his loose hair, his eyes unfocused as he looked ahead and casually replied, "Inside the Hundred Flower Pavilion, there is a powerful ghost hiding."