They hadn't seen each other in days, but after what had happened that night, the two were naturally much more familiar.
"Waiter, cut off five pounds from that side of Demon Pig meat I have here. Shopkeeper Bai and I are going to have a proper drink!"
Lanshan declared, his voice booming with bravado.
Bai Mo already had two pounds of Mountain Bear meat, so he was about to decline, but he couldn't argue with Lanshan's insistence and had no choice but to accept.
"This restaurant uses Spirit Wood for its fires?" Bai Mo asked.
If Lanshan was confident enough to have the waiter cook the meat, it meant they must use Spirit Wood as fuel. Otherwise, it would be impossible to cook Demon Beast meat until it was tender in such a short time.
"Ah, the brothers from the Demon Hunting Teams just bring some back whenever they return."
Lanshan said with a dismissive wave.
"That stuff isn't worth much. They either do it as a favor to the Shopkeeper, or it means the Demon Hunting Team didn't have a great haul."
As the two waited for their food, they made small talk, and the conversation soon turned to the recent situation in the city.
Just as Lanshan was about to speak, he suddenly sensed several pairs of eyes on them and couldn't help but frown.
He shot a cold glare around the room, and the gazes vanished in an instant.
Lanshan turned back, his expression softening, and said,
"The situation in the city… it's complicated."
He lowered his voice.
"The great clans, the Demon Hunting Teams, families from outside the city, Loose Cultivators from every trade…"
"People from the Marvelous Law Sect have gotten involved too."
Immortal Arrival City was an external asset of the Marvelous Law Sect, so naturally some of its disciples had stakes here.
Lanshan shook his head. "This situation has long since grown beyond some petty grudge between the Demon Hunting Teams and the clans that prey on the vulnerable."
Bai Mo hadn't expected things to escalate to this degree.
They fell silent for a moment. Soon, two stir-fried Demon Pig dishes were brought to the table, along with a plate of scored kidney.
The waiter set down the plates, then laid out bowls and chopsticks for them.
"The Shopkeeper wanted to show his appreciation for Brother Lan, so he had the kitchen add the kidney on the house."
They both picked up their chopsticks.
The savory aroma of the stir-fry filled his mouth. Paired with the pleasantly chewy texture of the Demon Pig meat, it was a flavor Bai Mo thoroughly enjoyed.
Lanshan was an enthusiastic host, a sight that made the jaws of many other customers in the restaurant drop.
Bai Mo sat opposite Lanshan, and he could see a hint of gloom behind the big man's brow. He smiled and said,
"In the short time I've been out, I've heard many people discussing Senior Lanshan. It seems your reputation is on the rise…"
Lanshan picked up a slice of meat and sighed.
"It's all because of that night. When we went back, we saw their lackeys hiding outside our home. Some weren't even hiding, just openly watching us…"
"Do they take us for dead!?"
He extended his hand and made a sharp, downward chop.
"That night is the only reason people are putting me on a pedestal."
Lanshan was fiercely protective of his sister. Bai Mo could imagine his fury at that moment.
It would have been stranger if the man had managed to control himself.
"But I don't dare get arrogant," Lanshan said. "Compared to the people making moves in the city lately, who am I?"
"Even among the Demon Hunting Teams, I'm barely considered one of the top hunters."
Seeing Lanshan's cautious demeanor, Bai Mo's heart tightened.
"In your opinion, Senior Lanshan, is a major change coming to Immortal Arrival City?"
Hearing this, Lanshan paused, his hand hovering.
"Hard to say. But people like us can't afford a major upheaval. I've already contacted a few other Demon Hunting Teams."
"We'll be a considerable force when the time comes. We'll just have to band together and hold on."
'A reputation was a good thing,' Bai Mo thought. 'It could be used to rally people.'
Bai Mo glanced around, then lowered his voice.
"We're all just trying to get by. I have some decent Pills here. I'll give you a twenty percent discount, Senior Lanshan. You can use them to win some people over."
A sharp glint flashed in Lanshan's eyes. He snapped his head up and stared intently at Bai Mo.
"Shopkeeper Bai, are you serious!?"
For a group of Loose Cultivators, having an Alchemist backing them versus not… well, it was a world of difference.
Even if he was only a Medicine Boy.
Bai Mo nodded slightly.
"However, my production is low. It's best if only your people come to purchase the Pills."
"Don't let anyone else know."
"Done!!" Lanshan agreed without a moment's hesitation.
"If you ever need anything in the future, Shopkeeper Bai, just say the word. I'll bring my men over immediately!"
...
All in all, Bai Mo was quite satisfied with his trip to the restaurant.
He returned to his residence carrying a jar of the Mountain Bear meat and set it aside for the moment.
He had eaten his fill at the restaurant and couldn't manage another bite.
He didn't regret the agreement made at the restaurant. There was no point in second-guessing his decision.
Especially after learning that the Demon Pig Lanshan had hunted wasn't a true Demon Beast, but merely a wild animal on the verge of becoming one.
Lanshan had only acted for the meat and the bounty offered by the ravaged town outside the city walls.
It was a considerable sum.
The Demon Hunting Teams that relied on Celestial Barrier Mountain for their livelihood were all holed up in the city, not daring to venture out rashly. It was easy to imagine why Lanshan was being so cautious.
After tidying up his home, which he had neglected for days, Bai Mo finally plopped down on his bed.
He slowly lowered his upper body, mentally taking stock of his resources.
There wasn't much: only the last of his old stock of Pills and the hundred or so he had refined in the past few days.
'Alchemy is a quick way to make money, but that's only if you're not trying to improve.'
'If you want to create new types of Pills, you have to invest a fortune in trial and error.'
However, Bai Mo's aptitude was extraordinary, which could drastically reduce his costs from trial and error.
'Besides Pills, I have no other assets I can show the world.'
As for winning the loyalty of Lanshan and his men, relying on Pills like the Condensed Dew Pill wouldn't be enough. Those were replaceable.
Even the Evil Exorcism Pill was just a major draw.
'Qi Blood Pills,' Bai Mo thought.
In this kind of situation, no other Pill could compare to a life-saving one that could serve as a trump card.
Demon Hunting Teams competed on courage and ferocity. With Qi Blood Pills, they would have a much bigger say in things.
'I forgot. I should have bought some Demon Beast essence blood at the restaurant.'
Bai Mo was a little annoyed with himself, but the restaurant wasn't far.
He was about to get up when he suddenly heard a faint PUFF.
Immediately after, a faint medicinal scent wafted into his nose.
Bai Mo's face darkened.
He had sprinkled a medicinal powder along the base of the walls around his residence.
The powder was the same color as the dirt, and its weight kept it from being easily blown away by the wind.
Only when stepped on would the settled powder be crushed, releasing its scent.
An ordinary person would dismiss it as just another strange medicinal smell from the Pill Shop, but Bai Mo could identify the powder's unique scent.
'They know about the Enforcement Patrols, yet they still dare to sneak over here…'
'I don't have any grudges with anyone. At most, it could be a dispute with a competitor.'
'Even if it's for money, my wealth isn't enough to justify someone taking such a huge risk.'
'Could it be because of my meeting with Lanshan at the restaurant?'
Just then, Bai Mo's senses sharpened. He smelled the thick scent of blood.
'The intruder is injured, and the wound is still bleeding!'
Bai Mo crouched down, lightened his footsteps, and crept slowly toward the door. Through the wooden panel, he could hear the slightly heavy, ragged breathing from the other side.
This was the back door of the residence.
When he wasn't open for business, Bai Mo never used the front entrance, always coming and going through this door.
'If you think the scent of herbs can mask the smell of blood, you're sorely mistaken.'
Bai Mo held his breath. 'That's a mistake only an incompetent Medicine Boy would make.'
As Bai Mo watched with a piercing gaze, the tip of a steel blade slid through the crack between the two door panels and gently began to lift the crossbar.