CHAPTER 8

Meanwhile, Astra had reached the inn during the time Nanea and the Head Elder were talking about something and sat down to cultivate as he had nothing else to do.

It hadn't been too long since he returned to the inn and had sat down to cultivate when there was a knock on the door.

'Who could be at the door? Could it perhaps be Nanea? It hasn't been that long since I left, have they already completed what they had to do?' [Astra]

Then he stood up and went to the door, and it really was Nanea at the door.

"Can I come in?" [Nanea]

To which Astra nodded to come.

"Thank you!" [Nanea]

"Um…

If I may ask, what did the Head Elder want to talk with you? I really wanted to go tour around the city with you as I've just arrived here and new to this city." [Astra]

"The Head Elder asked me to look after you as you are new to this city and have recently joined the sect so you might not have any idea about the rules of the sect. so, from now on I'll be with you. And to make things easier.

Though you are currently in the outer court of the sect, after you have been assessed by the elders, which I don't doubt that you will ace, our dorms will be next to each other in the Inner Court of the sect's dorms area. So, if you have any problem or need my help with anything the tell me anytime you want.

But now I am free so, let's go around the market to tour and do some shopping. I can see that you don't have any spare change of clothes on you and you can't possibly spend your entire life in that same cloth, can you?

And since you don't have any cash on you either as you only are an Outer Sect disciple so, I'll buy it for you. Later you can pay me back all the money you owe me. How 'bout it?" [Nanea]

"I think that sounds great, that way I can at least have someone whom I am close to and solve my queries. And gain some proper dress to put on, and later I can pay you back all the money that I owe you through completing missions.

Let's not waste any more time waiting here and go to the market. I want to see everything in this city as it's my first time in a city this big." [Astra]

Seeing this excitement in Astra Nanea couldn't help but chuckle at the behavior of Astra as if she was seeing a child's excitement to visit the outer world and see all those things that he hadn't seen before.

They both walked out of the inn and went towards the market.

On their way towards the market, Astra walked in almost all the shops that he came by to see all the things that the shops had for selling. seeing this action of his, Nanea felt quite awkward. But still bared with it as it was his first time here.

While Astra was going through all the shops, Astra stumbled upon an Alchemist's Store which was crowded with people but only small pills were in the store, about which he wasn't so sure so he turned to Nanea to ask about it.

"Nanea! What is the store selling for it to be so crowded at this time the day?" [Astra]

Hearing this query of his Nanea replies in a shockingly loud voice.

"Oh... The shop that you are referring to is one of the top pill and elixir selling shops in the city, commonly recognized as an apothecary, it is called Duo Wen. It is responsible for refining and selling as well as sometimes buying pills and elixirs to its customers and one can also buy and sell herbs. There is also the method to sell the refining recipe but no one has done so in the last years." [Nanea]

While hearing Nanea explain the workings of the particular shop, Astra began talking to Leilana in his consciousness whether she had some information about this apothecary thing.

Leilana did have some information on the apothecary, but it was similar to what Nanea had shared with him with the only new addition being that the people who dedicate their lives to the study of the art of refining pills and elixir are called alchemists. And it is a very crucial part of a cultivator. A cultivator will take ages to improve his cultivation, maybe even die without being able to achieve anything, if the use of such resource is not done.

Hearing this from Leilana Astra finally had some insights on what this apothecary is and its importance to a cultivator.

"If the master wants to learn to concoct those kinds of pills and elixirs, I can help master but the master has to be in presence of the books or materials containing information about concocting pills and elixirs for me to compile all those materials and form a flawless book about pills and elixir concoction and then have the information imprinted in your soul and mind. But you cannot expect to just be able to concoct the pills and elixirs like breathing but instead, you will have to practice it to make it come to you as second nature." [Leilana]

This part of the information that Leilana gave Astra made Astra's eyeshine. 'If I can Concoct these pills and elixirs then I can make a fortune and live a life that I never could in my past life. on top of that, I can be self-sufficient.'

"Thank you, Leilana!!" [Astra]

Then his focus returned out of his consciousness and looked at Nanea, who was looking at him with a worried expression as he had been standing in the same spot with a dazed expression for some time now. After some time she returned to her previous calm self and explained further about it in the same manner as Leilana did.

After this ordeal, both finally went to some clothes store, and both bought some clothes for themselves, but the bill was paid by Nanea, much to the embarrassment of Astras.

Seeing a lady pay for a man like him (technically a teenager but still a male) the people around the duo were strangely looking at Astra. With this he made himself more resolved, 'I will definitely learn to be an alchemist and never disgrace myself in this manner ever again.'

After shopping, they both went back to a restaurant for dinner, and then they went to the inn as it took them the entire day to roam around the market and do some shopping.

At the inn, in his room Astra tried out his clothes and was really satisfied with how they looked on him, then he changed back to his old clothes 'I should wear one of these sets of clothes tomorrow when I go to the sect to get my Temporary token, as the clothes will only be given after the assessment.', then he sat down to cultivate, he cultivated till midnight, further solidifying his current cultivation and refining his Qi again and again which made his Qi so dense that his Qi could all alone suffocate any cultivator who was in the same cultivation realm as his.

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