After making an excuse to separate from Xuner within the family, Xiao Yan quietly slipped out of the Xiao residence. After a moment’s thought, he made his way towards the nearby small market of the Galley family. Though he had no interest in helping the elders solve their problems, he hoped to do something within his capabilities to aid his father. To help, he naturally needed to know where to start, and so, Xiao Yan decided to investigate the Galley family’s market first. The location of the Galley family’s small market was somewhat secluded, and it usually had very little foot traffic. However, when Xiao Yan entered the market, the densely packed crowd on the street and the deafening noise left him momentarily stunned. On the wide street, people surged like a sea. Some brawny men, bare-chested, yelled loudly while pushing their way through the crowd. From the faint smell of blood on these men, it was clear that most were mercenaries who often flirted with death. They had a near-obsessive love for healing potions, as a small amount of medicine could potentially save a companion’s life during perilous missions.
Standing at the entrance of the market, Xiao Yan saw some mercenaries squeezing through the crowd, clutching small wooden boxes and rushing out with joy on their faces. “The box must contain ‘Rejuvenation Powder,’ right?” he muttered to himself. He then darted into the street and pushed his way through the crowd to one of the stalls selling Rejuvenation Powder. There, he spent a hundred gold coins to purchase a box.
Holding the box, he struggled back through the crowd, finally letting out a deep breath. Recalling the smug and impatient look on the face of the seller, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. These people were truly arrogant, relying on others’ influence.
Holding the box, Xiao Yan walked out of the market and opened the lid, revealing ten small bottles inside. The bottles were made of rough, low-grade jade, and such containers made it difficult to fully preserve the medicinal effects. Opening one of the bottles, he found a light green liquid with a faint medicinal scent.
“Teacher, is this also considered a healing potion?” Surprised by the weakness of the medicinal properties, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but ask in his mind.
“Yes, it’s the lowest grade of healing potion, capable of some minor healing. This kind of simple healing potion isn’t too difficult to make, but since they aren’t rare and are cheap, only Alchemists of the first rank have the leisure to make them.”
“Indeed, it’s very cheap. A hundred gold coins for ten bottles, which means each bottle costs only ten gold coins. It’s quite shabby for an Alchemist,” Xiao Yan nodded slightly, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, “Teacher, do you have any better healing potion formulas?”
“Lots, but those medicines are too low-level. I rarely make them.” The Pharmacist Elder paused, then casually added, “Do you want to make some for the Xiao family? That’s fine, since you’ve become a Fighter, it’s time to try your hand at some Alchemy.”
“Huh? Me?” Xiao Yan was taken aback.
“Do you expect me to do everything?” The Pharmacist Elder retorted, then instructed, “First, go to the auction to find a better quality Alchemy Cauldron. Also, you need to buy a large number of low-grade medicinal ingredients. In the early stages, Alchemists gain experience by burning herbs.”
Xiao Yan licked his lips, a look of eagerness on his face. Tossing the box into a nearby gutter, he quickly headed towards the center of the city, where the Miter Auction House was located. Before reaching the auction house, Xiao Yan changed into a bulky black cloak in a secluded area, then slowly approached the entrance.
His appearance was familiar to all the internal staff of the Miter Auction House. When they saw the figure in the black cloak, someone quickly went inside to inform Yaphira and Gunny. Hearing the report, Yaphira and Gunny immediately dropped what they were doing and rushed to the entrance, greeting Xiao Yan with warm smiles and leading him to the waiting lounge.
“I’m here to get a better Alchemy Cauldron,” Xiao Yan said, taking a sip of tea, his voice old and croaky.
Knowing his identity, Yaphira wasn’t surprised and nodded, calling over a maid and whispering instructions before dismissing her. “Old master, you came at just the right time. This morning, the auction house received an Alchemy Cauldron made of Flaming Essence. Crafted by the famous Master Haer of the Jia Ma Empire, it not only enhances the power of Dou Qi flames but also contains rare metals that increase the success rate of Alchemy. Such cauldrons are very popular among Alchemists of the Jia Ma Empire,” Yaphira said, her eyes twinkling.
“Hmm,” the old voice replied, sounding satisfied. After a brief hesitation, he added, “Also, prepare a low-grade ‘Natal Ring’ for me. Additionally, five hundred Clotgrass, six hundred Boneflower, five hundred Opium Flowers, and five hundred Vitality Fruits…”
Hearing these requirements, Gunny’s eyelids twitched. A Natal Ring, even at the lowest level, cost around seventy or eighty thousand gold coins. The other herbs, while not rare, would still require around one hundred thousand gold coins in such quantities. Moreover, the Flaming Essence Cauldron mentioned by Yaphira could fetch around fifteen thousand gold coins at auction. All these items together would easily exceed three hundred thousand gold coins.
Yaphira was also stunned by the list of materials. The auction house wasn’t solely hers, and most profits had to be reported to the headquarters. Privately moving three hundred thousand gold coins, though not impossible, would definitely be noticed. Biting her lip, she weighed the benefits of having a fourth-rank Alchemist and smiled lightly, “Old master, give us an hour, and we’ll have everything ready.”
“Good…” the old voice laughed, genuinely pleased for the first time in front of Yaphira.
Under the black cloak, a white hand reached into his robe and pulled out a blue jade card, placing it on the table. The Pharmacist Elder smiled, “The money in here isn’t enough to cover the earlier items… But please add the materials for one more set of Qi Gathering Powder.”
Hearing this, Gunny’s expression changed slightly. Adding another set of Qi Gathering Powder materials? That would cost another fifty thousand gold coins! Yaphira’s mouth gaped open, a slight anger rising in her heart. Although he was a fourth-rank Alchemist, always asking for more was a bit too much. But despite her anger, her charming face remained smiling. After a moment’s thought, she sighed and nodded, “Alright, thank you, old master.”
“Ha, it seems there’s a misunderstanding. These materials aren’t for me; I just want to help you make a ‘Qi Gathering Powder.’ You only need to pay for the materials, which isn’t unreasonable, right?” the old voice chuckled.
Her charming face paused, then filled with joy. The sudden surprise left her dazed for a moment. Finally, her cheeks flushed, and she exchanged a glance with Gunny, both of them equally elated. “Thank you, old master,” she said, her voice tinged with nervousness.
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