In the waiting room of the Miter Auction House, a small jade box was placed on a neatly arranged table. Inside the jade box lay a light green pill, about the size of a dragon’s eye, resting quietly. The pill was smooth and glossy, exuding a rich, unique fragrance that made one feel refreshed.
Looking at the pill in the jade box, Yaphira and Gunny, the auction house’s managers, could hardly conceal their joy. Glancing at the two who were almost out of control with excitement, Xiao Yan silently shook his head, inwardly mocking, “If they knew that this Pill-Gathering Powder was only made by Pharmacist Elder cutting corners, what kind of expression would they have?”
The Pill-Gathering Powder that Xiao Yan had brought out was clearly of a different quality than the one he had taken before. Even so, this pill, casually refined by Pharmacist Elder, still brought much joy to Yaphira and Gunny. “The Elder’s alchemy skills are truly admirable. This Pill-Gathering Powder is probably comparable to those refined by some fifth-grade alchemists,” Gunny said, after looking deeply at the light green pill once more, sincerely praising it.
Under the black robe, the old voice chuckled, “Please take good care of the pill. After helping so much, not thanking you would leave me with a sense of discomfort.”
“Ah, the Elder is too polite. You are our guest, and we are merely doing our duty,” Yaphira smiled, her eyes twinkling, as she carefully picked up the jade box.
Smiling without comment, both the Elder and Xiao Yan inwardly dismissed her words. If she really did her duty like this, the Miter Auction House would have long since gone bankrupt.
Taking out a roll of paper from his pocket, Xiao Yan handed it to Yaphira, and the old voice said, “Please help me prepare these herbs.”
Taking the paper eagerly, Yaphira glanced over it quickly and agreed cheerfully. She didn’t dare show any hesitation, learning from her previous experience.
Calling over a servant, Yaphira gave her the paper and instructed her to prepare the herbs swiftly.
Picking up a teacup beside him, Xiao Yan took a sip, and suddenly, a thought came to him. After a brief pause, the old voice slowly spoke, “Miss Yaphira, I have a question.”
Hearing the Elder speak, Yaphira smiled and said softly, “Please go ahead, Elder.”
“The Gally family has bought quite a lot of herbs here, right?” the Elder asked lightly.
Upon hearing this, Yaphira’s heart tightened, and her charming face changed slightly. She exchanged a quick glance with Gunny and then, after a moment of silence, hesitantly replied, “The Gally family indeed bought nearly a hundred thousand gold coins worth of herbs at the last auction. These herbs… all have some blood-stopping and wound-healing effects.”
Nodding slightly, the old voice fell silent abruptly. Looking at the robed figure before her, Yaphira felt a bit uneasy. She had already known that the Elder was preparing to help the Xiao family, and now the auction house had sold such a large amount of herbs to the Gally family. It was hard to tell if the Elder, with his unpredictable temperament, would hold any grudge against the auction house.
The atmosphere in the hall gradually became heavy. Seeing the silent, robed figure, Yaphira grew restless. If not for Gunny’s repeated warning glances, she would have long since asked what was on the Elder’s mind.
“You must know why I bought so many herbs last time, right?” After a long silence, the old voice finally broke the heaviness.
Biting her red lips, Yaphira nodded slightly and said softly, “Elder, you planned to refine these herbs into healing pills to help the Xiao family, right?”
“I have already given the healing pills I refined to the Xiao family.” Nodding slightly, the Elder said in a deep voice, “Perhaps in two days, the Xiao and Gally families will start competing for popularity in the market with healing pills.”
Yaphira didn’t know how to respond to such a topic, so she wisely kept silent.
“Refining healing pills requires a large amount of low-grade herbs. In Uta, besides the Miter Auction House, no other herb store has the capability to provide them in such quantities,” the Elder continued, even though Yaphira didn’t say anything.
“In the competition between the two families regarding healing pills, apart from the price and grade of the pills, an ample supply of herbs is also a key factor.”
“Therefore, I hope the Miter Auction House will refuse to supply herbs to the Gally family in the future!” As soon as the Elder finished speaking, Xiao Yan’s gaze, through the black cloak, fixed tightly on the mature, fox-like beauty beside him. His stay in Uta would not exceed two months, so within that time, he must help his father bring down the Gally family. Only then could he travel with the Elder in peace.
Hearing the Elder’s words, Yaphira’s face changed slightly, and she said hesitantly, “Elder, the Miter Auction House has a rule not to get involved in any family disputes. If we agree to your request, it would be indirectly helping the Xiao family, which goes against our rules…”
“I can refine two more Pill-Gathering Powders for you for free,” the Elder said calmly.
“Elder, this is not a matter of pills, really…” The temptation of two Pill-Gathering Powders made Yaphira’s hands tremble involuntarily, but she still tried to hold firm.
“Three…”
“Elder…” Yaphira smiled bitterly, and Gunny’s face twitched wildly. Three Pill-Gathering Powders? That would be worth at least five hundred thousand gold coins, right?
“Five!” the old voice said firmly, mercilessly smashing Yaphira’s bottom line.
Sucking in a breath of cold air, Yaphira closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them, smiling bitterly, “Elder, you win. The Miter Auction House will no longer supply any herbs to the Gally family!”
“Miss Yaphira’s determination is impressive. In a month, I will bring the things over, assuming the Miter Auction House does not disappoint me,” the Elder said with a faint smile.
“Rest assured, Elder, I know what is more important,” Yaphira said, quickly regaining her composure. She had worked in the auction house for several years and understood the value of a fourth-grade alchemist or higher. This choice was not difficult; the difficulty lay in maximizing profit. And now, Yaphira was very satisfied with the profit she had secured.
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