Chapter 15: Fragmented Classics

Despite knowing full well it was a scam, Chen Lin was still swindled out of twenty spirit stones, leaving him feeling extremely depressed.

He could only blame his poor aptitude; he couldn't even master the lowest level of Object Manipulation, otherwise, he wouldn't have been blinded by the recipe for the Enlightenment Pill.

Standing in the biting wind, he casually unfurled the scroll.

"Huh?"

Chen Lin let out a startled exclamation.

He had expected a blank sheet of paper or perhaps some random scribbles, but it was not what he had imagined.

Not only were there words on the paper, but they densely covered the entire sheet.

Furthermore, they were not ordinary characters, but rare Ancient Cultivator script!

The original owner of this body also came from a minor cultivation clan and had some knowledge of this script, allowing him to barely decipher it.

*Three drops of Spirit Grass juice, two mace of Blue Light Spiral Stone powder, one Three-Fragrance Mushroom, three drops of Wood-attribute Spirit Beast blood...*

After reading it carefully, a look of doubt appeared on Chen Lin's face.

The paper first listed various material names, then detailed the refining method for each step, and even included precautions. It truly looked like an actual pill recipe.

"Could it be... that this recipe is real?"

For a moment, Chen Lin became uncertain.

Although he found it impossible to believe that twenty spirit stones could buy a genuine pill recipe, a sense of luck made him grit his teeth and turn toward a shop.

It was like a lottery player who always believes they will hit the jackpot, thinking they will be that special exception.

A short while later, Chen Lin walked out of the shop with a strange expression on his face.

The materials listed in the recipe could indeed be purchased, and they were extremely cheap.

This was mainly because the quantities required were minuscule. For instance, a bottle of Spirit Grass juice cost twenty spirit stones, but a single bottle contained dozens of drops; three drops were practically negligible.

He estimated that he could buy all the materials for this recipe for about twenty-some spirit stones.

It was truly dirt cheap!

But how could such inexpensive materials possibly be used to refine an Enlightenment Pill?

No matter how much Chen Lin felt like a "destined protagonist," he didn't dare believe it was true.

With a self-deprecating smile, he shook his head and walked outside.

Just as he reached the exit of the market, he stopped again.

*Maybe... I should try?*

It wouldn't cost many spirit stones anyway.

Besides, that man had even sworn a Heart Demon Oath.

If he succeeded, the gains would be massive.

But if he didn't try, the spirit stones spent on the recipe would truly be thrown down the drain!

Unwilling to give up, Chen Lin's gambling instinct flared up again.

After a long time, he emerged from a shop with a bulging backpack.

He had bought almost all the materials for the recipe, with only one auxiliary herb missing: something called Eight-Section Root.

However, this herb was not a rare item; he could find it by visiting a few more shops, or even at a street stall.

Sure enough, after walking not far, he found it at a roadside stall.

He bought over a dozen roots for only two spirit stones.

With all materials ready, Chen Lin was in no hurry to leave. Since he had finally made it to the Inner City, he might as well wander around more and stock up on some resources.

The rewards from refining Soul-Seizing Talismans had fattened his wallet; even after his previous spending, he still had quite a bit left.

In truth, he was still somewhat puzzled by the generosity of that wealthy second generation from the Lu family. After all, fifty mid-grade spirit stones was a massive sum.

The man clearly could have refused him, or even killed him to silence him, yet not only did he pay, but he also let him leave first to avoid any future trouble.

He didn't seem to have followed him either.

Such an upright and generous cultivator was truly rare.

However, doubts notwithstanding, they didn't stop him from spending.

Since he had used a disguise back then, it didn't matter whether the man had other motives; he couldn't be found now anyway.

"Huh?"

As he walked past an inconspicuous little stall, Chen Lin's footsteps faltered, and he looked at a book on the table.

The stall owner was a sallow, thin female cultivator. Judging by her appearance, she looked to be in her twenties or thirties, with a cultivation level at the second layer of Qi Refinement.

There were only a few items on the stall, and none of them looked particularly good.

With a glance, Chen Lin knew this woman must also be from the outer slums; a cultivator residing permanently in the Inner City wouldn't look so malnourished.

"How much for this book?"

Squatting in front of the stall, he picked up the book.

The book was thick, but unfortunately, it was in a state of disrepair, riddled with wormholes.

The cover was only half-intact, but one could barely make out the two Ancient Cultivator characters for "Artifact Refining."

It was precisely those two words that had made him stop.

Since he possessed the talent of "Ten Guaranteed Hits," he couldn't limit himself to alchemy and talisman making. He should dabble in any skill involving the creation of items; otherwise, it would be a grave waste.

"Ah, Fellow Daoist, do you want to buy this? This is an Artifact Refining Manual, an ancestral treasure of my family. If you want it, just give me... give me thirty spirit stones."

The female cultivator had been dozing off, but upon hearing someone ask the price, her eyes lit up and she blurted it out.

"An ancestral treasure? Heh, is Fellow Daoist also from an artifact-refining clan?"

Chen Lin curled his lip, not believing her nonsense at all. If she were truly from a prestigious clan, she wouldn't have ended up in such a miserable state.

Even if she was, she would be a fraud like Zhao Zhengyuan.

Unexpectedly, the woman grew agitated at his skepticism, saying huffily, "We *are* an artifact-refining clan. What, do I not look the part?"

"You do, you look very much like one. However, Fellow Daoist, you haven't taken very good care of this family treasure. Look at these pages; there's hardly any good part left. Since it's an heirloom, there must be a backup. Why not bring out a new copy for me to see?"

*Err.*

The woman was momentarily speechless, her face flushing slightly.

"This is the only one. Take it or leave it. But this isn't just any ordinary text; it contains the refining methods for rare treasures. If I weren't in urgent need of spirit stones, I wouldn't sell it for any price."

After being stumped, the woman immediately became sharp-tongued again.

No female cultivator surviving in the slums was a pushover. Chen Lin didn't bother arguing with her; he continued to carefully flip through the pages, fearing that if a page fell out, she would try to extort him.

After flipping through every page, he put the book down with a look of disappointment and shook his head.

"What? Fellow Daoist doesn't want it? If you do, the price is negotiable," the woman said urgently upon seeing him stand up.

"This book has almost no intact pages left, and the writing is blurred. Forget about it being a low-level artifact refining book; even if it were a divine manual, it would be useless."

Having said that, he turned to leave.

"Wait a moment!"

Seeing that Chen Lin was truly leaving, the woman stood up immediately.

Chen Lin turned back, his expression somewhat displeased.

"What? Is Fellow Daoist planning to force a sale? This isn't the Outer City; the law enforcement teams of the Five Great Families are here."

The woman waved her hands repeatedly. "No, no, I was just asking. If it were a bit cheaper, would you buy it? Besides, not all the content in this book is missing; you can still make out the general refining methods for a few types of magical tools."

Chen Lin chuckled and shook his head. "Since Fellow Daoist comes from an artifact-refining clan, you should know that whether it is alchemy, talisman making, or artifact refining, the content must be precise. A single wrong character can lead to a thousand miles of error. Such things cannot be 'approximate'."

The woman gave a sheepish smile, unable to find words.

Chen Lin was right; otherwise, her "prized treasure" wouldn't have gone unsold for so long. Her trip to the Inner City was merely a gamble; if she didn't make an income this time, she would have no choice but to venture into the wilderness.

Seeing that the woman had lost her temper, Chen Lin changed his tone abruptly. "Fine. I see you aren't having a very easy time. Since we are both people of ill fortune, I'll buy the book. But I can only give you ten spirit stones."

He had originally intended to offer five, but fearing she might fly into a rage, he offered a price that would certainly make her accept.

Although the book was as badly damaged as he had described, it did indeed contain the general outlines for refining two types of magical tools. He wanted to try and see if his talent could successfully refine them.

If he could, it would be an incredible bargain!