Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Su Xiao was taken aback by the question, and subconsciously replied, "An ancient pill refined by the patriarch? That...that must be priceless!"

"Even if the medicinal potency is somewhat diminished, its research value and the ancient techniques it contains are enough to drive countless cultivators mad!"

"But... Sect Leader, where would we get such a treasure...?"

She stopped abruptly halfway through her sentence, her beautiful eyes widening instantly as she looked at Shen Mo in disbelief, then followed his gaze to the several bottles of dusty, discarded pills!

An absurd yet heart-pounding conjecture surfaced in her mind.

"Sect Leader... Sect Leader, you... you don't mean to..." Su Xiao's voice trembled slightly.

A mysterious smile played on Shen Mo's lips. He picked up a bottle of discarded pills, poured one out, and placed it in his palm. The pill was grayish-brown, its surface dull and even somewhat mottled, emitting a faint stale smell.

"Look at this pill," Shen Mo said, handing it to Su Xiao. "Its color is deep and somber, its aura restrained, devoid of the flashy, restless feel of ordinary pills. Doesn't it possess a certain... rustic charm, a quality refined by time?"

Su Xiao: "..."

Looking at the clearly ruined pill that had lost all its medicinal power, and listening to her senior brother's serious nonsense, she was at a loss for words.

Returning to simplicity? This is clearly on the verge of going astray!

But Shen Mo's eyes grew brighter as he spoke: "Who was the founder of alchemy? His methods must have been vastly different from those of today!"

"Perhaps the pill hasn't failed, but rather its medicinal power is dormant in some way we can't understand, requiring special methods or opportunities to activate?"

"Even if the medicinal effects are weak, being able to glimpse the profound mysteries of ancient alchemy is still a tremendous opportunity for us low-level cultivators, isn't it?"

Su Xiao was stunned. Could...could it be explained like that?

Looking at Shen Mo's confident expression, as if he had discovered an amazing treasure, she almost believed him!

The sect leader's way of thinking is... too... too unique!

"But...but Senior Brother," Su Xiao struggled to find her voice, "the quality of this pill is just...too 'ancient.' Anyone with eyes can tell at a glance..."

"So, it needs a little 'processing'." Shen Mo interrupted her, his eyes gleaming with wisdom (cunning), and slowly said, "We need to make it look more like an ancient artifact that carries history, rather than just a useless pill."

He immediately took action. First, he asked Shi Tie to find a special dark red clay in the back mountain, and then he asked Su Xiao to bring some old ordinary spirit bamboo and burn it into bamboo charcoal powder.

Finally, he personally concocted a "spiritual essence liquid" made from a mixture of morning dew, a small amount of spiritual spring water, and several non-toxic herbal juices with a light and elegant fragrance.

After preparing the materials, Shen Mo called Su Xiao and Shi Tie and A Yuan, who had gathered around out of curiosity, aside and began his "ancient antiquing" craft demonstration.

He first took out a discarded pill and carefully brushed away the surface dust with a soft brush. Then, using a special technique, he used a fine needle dipped in a small amount of dark red clay to outline several blurry, seemingly naturally formed fine pill patterns on the surface of the pill.

"This is 'Traces of Time,' which cannot be replicated by human hands," Shen Mo explained earnestly as he operated the device. Su Xiao, Shi Tie, and A Yuan watched in stunned silence.

Next, he placed the processed pills into a jade plate lined with bamboo charcoal powder and slowly roasted them over a low flame. This allowed the fragrance and color of the bamboo charcoal to seep into the surface of the pills, making their color gradually become deeper and more subtle. At the same time, he removed the obvious stale smell and transformed it into an indescribable, subtle fragrance reminiscent of ancient books.

Finally, he immersed the pill in the "spiritual essence liquid," took it out in an instant, and then carefully dried it with his own weak spiritual power.

This step is crucial, allowing a very light patina to form on the surface of the elixir, as if it contains an inner spiritual light, which feels cool and moist to the touch, rather than dry.

After going through the whole process, the originally dull and unappealing waste pill was transformed!

The color turned a deep, dark brown, with subtle, elusive lines on the surface. It exuded a strange fragrance that blended the scents of bamboo, herbs, and the passage of time, and it really did have the charm of an antique!

"This...this..." Su Xiao picked up the "processed" pill, sniffed it lightly, and examined it carefully against the light. Her beautiful eyes were filled with shock and disbelief!

"It looks... completely different! It feels... like something really is different?"

Shi Tie scratched his head and said sheepishly, "I think... it smells a little better than before? And it looks much better too!"

Ah Yuan also tiptoed, sniffed the air, and whispered, "It smells so good..."

Shen Mo looked at his "masterpiece" with satisfaction, thinking to himself: The power of packaging is indeed universal, no matter which world you're in!

"This is the first step, 'restoring it to its original state'," Shen Mo said with his hands behind his back. "Next is the second step, 'story packaging'."

He retrieved the old agarwood box that had previously contained the "Ancestor's Ancient Paper" and carefully wiped it clean. He then asked Su Xiao to find some soft, antique-colored spirit silk.

He carefully placed the three "Ancient Qi Gathering Pills," now artificially aged, into the box, padding them with silk. Then, he took out a specially made, yellowed blank talisman paper (scented with spiritual tea), dipped his brush in ink, and wrote a few lines of small characters in a simple and vigorous style:

"Qingyun Ancient Method - Qi Gathering Pill"

"This is a work I created in my early years as a trial in alchemy. It was made by melting hundreds of herbs and following ancient methods. Unfortunately, I did not reach the perfect level of control over the heat, and the elixir was completed but its spiritual essence remains hidden. I leave it for someone with the right affinity to recognize its value."

At the end of the inscription is a blurry monogram of the character "墨" (mo), similar to the mark on the jade pendant.

After writing it down, he put the note into the box as well, alongside the elixirs.

Finally, he closed the box. Instantly, a gift box containing the stories of "the legacy of the patriarch," "the secrets of ancient methods," and "the profound spiritual essence" was freshly made!

Throughout the entire process, Su Xiao, Shi Tie, and A Yuan watched with bated breath, as if observing a sacred ritual. Only after Shen Mo finished his performance did the three of them finally breathe a long sigh of relief.

"Sect Leader...you are truly amazing!" Su Xiao exclaimed, looking at the antique wooden box, her beautiful eyes sparkling with admiration.

She was almost convinced that this really was a treasure left behind by the ancestor!

Shi Tie was utterly impressed: "Sect Leader! You can even imitate the Founder's handwriting? It looks exactly like the real thing to me!"

Shen Mo smiled slightly, concealing his accomplishment: "It's not imitation, but merely an attempt to understand the patriarch's intentions. Tomorrow, I will take this pill to the market again. If successful, it may alleviate my sect's urgent crisis."

He thought to himself: I hope to meet one or two people who "know their stuff", or... some fools with lots of spirit stones.

Looking at the meticulously packaged wooden box, Shen Mo seemed to already see a continuous stream of spirit stones. The sect's development plan seemed to have taken another solid (and unique) step.

The next morning, Shen Mo went down the mountain alone again and headed to Qingtai Market.

This time, what he carried in his arms was no longer a broken magic artifact, but a sandalwood box containing three "Ancient Qi Gathering Pills".

Su Xiao wanted to follow, but Shen Mo asked her to stay on the mountain to help Shi Tie reinforce the formation and take care of the herb garden.

With fewer people and a smaller target, it's easier for him to act opportunistically (deceive).