There was a trace of gentleness in Wu Shaoqian’s expression, but it quickly dissipated. He pondered and asked, “Do many people know about this pill recipe? Were those who competed with you just now also interested in it?”
Zhong Cai shook his head. “It’s hard to say. I can’t rule out the possibility. However, Youdan Hua Wu itself is a powerful celestial treasure that can enhance vitality when consumed alone. It has strong effects in healing internal injuries. If a cultivator who can’t refine pills or find an alchemist buys it, it will still provide them with some protection.”
Wu Shaoqian frowned slightly. Since there is a possibility, there might be disagreement.
After all, life-extending items are extremely rare in the market now, and the Xu Ming Dan can extend life by fifty years, which many old cultivators would value highly.
But it is not a big problem. Wu Shaoqian’s brow relaxed again.
This time, the Wu family ancestor will definitely come. He also needs the Xu Ming Dan. If someone is going to cause trouble, they can ask for his help. Whether it’s selling the Youdan Hua Wu to the ancestor or the ancestor decides to wait for Zhong Cai to improve his alchemy skills to refine it, there will always be the ancestor standing in front of him and Zhong Cai – and the latter possibility is greater.
Since Zhong Cai has the recipe for the Xu Ming Dan and clear talent in alchemy, he can attempt to refine it after advancing to the Palace Aperture Realm, with a good chance of succeeding before the ancestor’s lifespan ends.
Watching Wu Shaoqian’s changing expression, Zhong Cai casually said, “Stop worrying so much. If someone we can’t afford to offend comes looking for it, just give it to them. We might even gain some favor. It’s not like I can’t refine it if I give them the recipe. It’s not a big deal.”
Wu Shaoqian couldn’t help but laugh.
“You’re right. I was overthinking it.”
Soon, the auction item was delivered, with payment completed as usual.
Zhong Cai carefully placed the Youdan Hua Wu into a mustard seed bag, storing it safely.
“I guess those who just want the item itself will also go to Tianxing Trading House. They might have more in stock. If we have money left after the auction, let’s check. It’d be great to stock up on a few more.”
Wu Shaoqian readily agreed.
…
Since the appearance of the Youdan Hua Wu, the subsequent auction items mainly consisted of top-grade resources, occasionally interspersed with some rarer second-grade resources, offering a wide variety.
At this point, more people in the building started to place bids, but the prestigious suites on the top floor remained silent, evidently still unimpressed.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaoqian also refrained from bidding further. Although there were a few items that tempted them, their focus was solely on competing for the prized Mu Huo… and anticipating the profit from the Xuzhi Dan.
Time passed quickly, but it was still quite dull.
“…Cai… A Cai!”
Zhong Cai felt the annoying noise near his ear and the gentle push on his shoulder, finally opening his eyes groggily.
Only then did he realize he had fallen asleep.
Wu Shaoqian’s helpless voice sounded beside him, reminding him, “The auction for Mu Huo is starting, hurry and place your bid.” As he said this, he teased, “You were drooling; what pleasant dream were you having?”
Zhong Cai took out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, yawned, and muttered, “I didn’t mean to fall asleep, but before I knew it… these auction items just can’t hold my interest. Is that my fault?”
Wu Shaoqian found this amusing but didn’t argue further.
Zhong Cai then refocused, concentrating on placing their bid.
The Mu Huo resource’s market price starts at 100,000 gold, but at this auction, the starting bid was already set at 100,000 gold, with each increment not less than 1,000 gold.
Several rounds of bidding had already pushed the price above 500,000 gold—typically the highest price for a top-grade resource.
From the prestigious suites on the top floor, the bidding voices continued without pause.
Zhong Cai didn’t rush to join in. Instead, he waited for other bidders to eliminate some competition.
After about half a cup of tea’s time, the price exceeded one million gold.
A little while later, the bidding reached 1.8 million gold.
At this point, there were still four prestigious suites and two regular rooms actively bidding.
Zhong Cai finally activated the voice transmission array, and his first bid was “two million.”
Though he raised the bid by 200,000 in one go, those on the upper floors had millions in reserve and were not likely to give up easily.
More bids followed immediately, increasing by thousands and tens of thousands, with increments of one or two thousand not even mentioned.
“Two point one!”
“Two point…”
…
“Two point six!”
Zhong Cai pursed his lips and raised the bid again: “Three million.”
He had anticipated a higher price, but it was indeed getting quite steep.
His gold reserves were only about 3.6 million; if the price exceeded this, he would have to use Xuanzhu and Xuanshi.
…The bidding was indeed intense.
However, at the three-million mark, the number of bidders had significantly dwindled.
In fifth-tier cities, there are not many alchemists who reach the third level, and those who do are often quite advanced in age. Over the years, they have probably found ways to obtain a strand of higher-grade Mu Huo for themselves. Most second-level alchemists are already affiliated with a faction, and if their alchemy skills are outstanding with a high chance of breaking through, their factions typically secure Mu Huo for them early on.
Therefore, those who competed for Mu Huo were mostly factions trying to attract newly advanced second-level alchemists or independent second-level alchemists without any affiliations.
If they were independent alchemists, although they earned quite a bit, they still needed to buy many herbs to improve their alchemy skills. They also had to spend resources on cultivation and spend a lot to support their families, so they might not be able to save much money. Unable to afford the price, they naturally had to give up for now—after all, they still had some time before they advanced to the next level and could make plans slowly.
Factions also had their limits; if the price exceeded their budget, they would also choose to give up. They could always consider it next time when there was another Mu Huo available, as it wasn’t something they urgently needed.
“3.2 million.”
“3.2…2 million.”
“3.25 million.”
“3.3 million.”
As the bidding continued, the voices became increasingly hesitant.
Zhong Cai gritted his teeth and committed all his remaining gold.
“3.6 million.”
The room fell silent.
Zhong Cai was very nervous; he had nearly spent all his gold. This had to be successful!
—The heavens still favored Zhong Cai.
Perhaps the other bidders felt it wasn’t worth it anymore, so they finally gave up.
Zhong Cai once again secured the item he wanted.
However…
When the maid brought the item and Zhong Cai handed over the payment, he couldn’t help but feel a bit of heartache.
On the soft chair, Zhong Cai held a box in his hands, his expression serious.
He was holding something worth a staggering 3.6 million!
Wu Shaoqian looked at him, trying hard to keep a straight face. It was clear he was struggling not to burst into laughter. After holding back for a while, he managed to stifle his amusement.
After a long while, Zhong Cai let out a breath and carefully opened the box.
In an instant, a wave of heat rushed out, as if it could burn Zhong Cai’s hair.
Upon closer inspection, the box contained a transparent, colorless jade tube, inside of which a faint red glow was swirling.
Wu Shaoqian had never seen Mu Huo before and couldn’t help but lean closer to look together with Zhong Cai.
This faint red, seemingly intangible substance was indeed Mu Huo, burning quietly inside the jade tube.
The intense heat overflowed, and the temperature in the room seemed to rise, but in reality, the fire was tightly confined. Even though the two were close to it, they wouldn’t be burned.
Zhong Cai lightly tapped the jade tube with his finger.
Wu Shaoqian curiously tapped it too.
Warm.
The two exchanged smiles, both feeling very satisfied.
In any case, they had bought the item.
Although it had been quite risky.
Mu Huo was so precious that Zhong Cai naturally wouldn’t casually place it. He closed the box again and carefully stored it in his mustard seed bag.
After he returned home, he would properly place it in the altar, which would be safer.
While the two were examining Mu Huo, the auctioneer was not idle. The items being sold were fetching even higher prices, and bidding was now being done in Xuanzhu instead of gold.
After Mu Huo, all the items being auctioned were fourth-grade and above resources.
At the moment, they were auctioning off fourth-grade Qingzong Savage Beast.
Because these beasts couldn’t be contracted, there was no need for them to be alive. However, perhaps to fetch a good price, the hunters were very meticulous. The Qingzong Savage Beast had their heads completely severed, but the rest of their bodies were intact.
Qingzong Savage Beast are entirely green, with very long fur, especially beautiful manes. They are outstanding materials for refining, and their fur can also be used to make clothing.
Compared to many other bizarre beasts, they were quite popular.
The starting bid alone was a hundred Xuanzhu, equivalent to a million gold, and each subsequent bid had to be at least one Xuanzhu.
In the blink of an eye, the bidding had soared to over five hundred Xuanzhu.
Far surpassing Mu Huo.
Zhong Cai sighed, feeling a bit emotional.
“The difference between each grade of resources feels like two different worlds, it’s so huge, it’s really frightening.”
“Think about lifespan,” Wu Shaoqian patted Zhong Cai’s back, trying to comfort him. “With each advancement in cultivation, you can live hundreds more years. It’s only natural for resources to be expensive.”
Thinking about lifespan indeed comforted Zhong Cai. After all, what could be more valuable than life?
He suddenly felt calm and composed.
Before using the Xuanzhu to bid, Zhong Cai and Wu Shaoqian were bored enough to just watch, but after that, they could only watch because they had no money.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
The fourth-grade Qingzong Savage Beast was finally auctioned off for over seven hundred Xuanzhu to a guest in a private room.
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Zhong Cai… Zhong Cai could only be amazed.
He couldn’t afford it, really couldn’t afford it.
Even though he had a low-grade Xuanshi, it was only worth a hundred Xuanzhu.
After that, more than a dozen fourth-grade resources were auctioned off in succession, each with a final price of over eight hundred Xuanzhu.
At this point, they finally arrived at the last batch of auction items.
There were a total of five items.
The mid-grade fifth-grade Xuzhi Dan happened to be second to last.
Tianxing Trading House did have a solid foundation. This batch was not only all fifth-grade resources, but also very rare and of good quality—the prices were accordingly extraordinary.
The first item was a mid-grade fifth-grade magic weapon, the Cloud Breaking Whip, a soft whip.
Pure white all over, the style was extremely beautiful. The handle was inlaid with magnificent beast pills, while the body of the whip seemed to be woven from the tendons of some kind of wild beast, making it quite flexible.
The starting bid was ten thousand Xuanzhu, with each subsequent bid not less than five hundred Xuanzhu.
This soft whip was truly exquisite and quite powerful, much loved by many.
Especially for some practitioners who liked magnificent things, it was very tempting, and they bid without hesitation.
Zhong Cai couldn’t help but say to Wu Shaoqian, “Old Wu, look at this whip. Just one increment of the bid could bankrupt us both.”
Wu Shaoqian chuckled and replied, “Take a look at what you’ve drawn, it shouldn’t be so easy to go bankrupt.”
Zhong Cai recalled it for a moment, quietly estimated, and felt comforted again. Then he changed the subject, “Tianxing Trading House has a lot of influence. At least a dozen cultivators who just bid are definitely not all from Fengyun City. Perhaps several nearby cities with cultivators above the Suspended Illumination Realm who like whips have all been invited to come, just to gather so many.”
Wu Shaoqian thought for a moment and said, “They probably made a special effort to promote it.”
Zhong Cai agreed, “That’s right, good things are definitely meant to be sold for a high price.”
The final price for the fifth-grade soft whip: 78,500 Xuanzhu.
Zhong Cai’s pupils trembled.
Wu Shaoqian chuckled, “Look on the bright side, the Xuzhi Dan is also very expensive.”
Zhong Cai laughed and couldn’t help but become hopeful, “You’re right!”
The second item was also remarkable, a fifth-grade mid-grade magic sword.
There are far more cultivators who use swords than those who use soft whips, so a sword of similar quality would naturally be more expensive. Therefore, despite starting at the same price, the final selling price was a whopping 90,000 Xuanzhu.
The third item was the fetus of a fifth-grade precious beast, the Di Hou Bear.
The Di Hou Bear is a rather savage precious beast. If one were to buy it and establish a blood contract, once the cub tears open its fetal sac and is born, it would become an excellent assistant to its master, with extremely formidable combat power.
Starting at five thousand Xuanzhu, there was an extremely high level of competition, with almost all major factions showing interest in this beast fetus.
Because the Di Hou Bear’s growth limit is at the fifth-grade and it can live for a full five thousand years, while a cultivator of Fusion Realm corresponding to its rank can only live for a thousand years—having it and nurturing it well would be equivalent to having a Fusion Realm powerhouse protecting the faction for several thousand years! As a result, even if the descendants of one or two generations were not exceptional, there would be enough time to wait for the next generation to grow.
Zhong Cai thought that the fetus of a precious beast would be popular, but didn’t expect it to be this popular. Suddenly, his mood soared.
Wu Shaoqian nudged him and asked curiously, “What are you so happy about?”
Zhong Cai giggled, “Guess.”
Wu Shaoqian didn’t think of it immediately.
Zhong Cai rubbed his fingers together towards him, giving him a hint.
Wu Shaoqian indeed guessed, “Could it be because you’re thinking that in the future, you might still be able to draw many beast eggs and beast fetuses, which can be sold for a lot of money… and you’re just too happy about it?”
Zhong Cai snapped his fingers, “Exactly!”
Wu Shaoqian chuckled, “Pfft.”
Zhong Cai immediately glared at him.
Wu Shaoqian quickly withdrew his smile and said seriously, “You’re right.”
Zhong Cai then softened his expression.
Wu Shaoqian was even more amused.
While they were talking, the Di Hou Bear fetus ended up in the hands of a guest in a large private room on the right.
Final price: 166,600 Xuanzhu.
Crossed the hundred thousand mark.
The price trend was becoming increasingly absurd.
It was at this moment that the Xuzhi Dan was brought up.
There was a slight change in Guan Ying’s expression.
While the earlier fifth-grade items were indeed excellent, Guan Ying, being an orphan nurtured by Tianxing Trading House, didn’t have to worry about family lineage and used different arcane tools. He didn’t have a special need for those treasures.
But now, things were different.
In battles between cultivators, losing some limbs is quite common. If one can prepare a Xuzhi Dan early on, it will provide more confidence. Moreover, although the Xuzhi Dan is fifth-grade, in reality, even those in the Suspended Illumination Realm can use it.
Guan Ying was currently at the peak of the Enlightenment Realm, not far from the Suspended Illumination Realm. Despite working as an auctioneer in Fengyun City for many years, he had never encountered a Xuzhi Dan sent here. Without any reserves, he naturally felt a bit envious.
However, Guan Ying had good self-control. He quickly composed himself, regretfully began the bidding, and raised his voice slightly.
“A fifth-grade mid-grade Xuzhi Dan, capable of restoring any missing limbs for cultivators of corresponding realms. Starting price is ten thousand Xuanzhu, with each subsequent bid not less than five hundred Xuanzhu—gentlemen and ladies, you may place your bids!”
“Eleven thousand!”
“Twenty thousand!”
“Twenty-five thousand!”
In just a moment, the price soared rapidly.
Zhong Cai was a little nervous, and his body unconsciously leaned forward.
“Hey, I’m going to strike it rich!”
The bidding didn’t disappoint Zhong Cai’s expectations. In no time, it surpassed fifty thousand, and shortly after, it broke eighty thousand!
Only at this point did the bidding slow down slightly.
Feeling a bit weak in the knees, Zhong Cai leaned back in his soft chair and suddenly asked, “Old Wu, which bid belongs to the Wu family ancestor? There are so many competitors; won’t it end up not going to the Wu ancestor’s hands in the end?”
Wu Shaoqian was enjoying Zhong Cai’s ever-changing expressions with great interest. He paused for a moment at his question and then answered confidently, “It will definitely end up in the hands of the ancestor.”
Zhong Cai became interested and asked, tilting his head, “How can you be so sure?”
Wu Shaoqian smiled and explained, “More than ninety percent of the Wu family’s resources are provided to two ancestors. Not to mention, they receive a monthly stipend of ten thousand Xuanzhu, totaling up to twelve thousand per year. They have also accumulated numerous resources from their past experiences in many places.”
“Nowadays, the ancestor urgently needs the Xuzhi Dan. Although others in the aristocratic circles also want it, they won’t necessarily have to bid if they still have limbs. But the ancestor is different; he will be willing to pay a huge price for the pill, and no one can outbid him.”
Zhong Cai suddenly smiled, “That’s really something.”
Sure enough, the bids in the auction hall were getting higher and higher.
“Eighty-five thousand!”
“Ninety-two thousand!”
“Ninety-five thousand!”
“One hundred thousand——”
“One hundred twenty thousand!”
Zhong Cai gasped in a breath of cold air.
“So many Xuanzhu! So many!!”
At this moment, Wu Shaoqian said, “The one who bid one hundred twenty thousand is the Wu ancestor.”
Zhong Cai looked at him, “You recognized his voice?”
Wu Shaoqian nodded, “The number of voices is less, so it’s easy to distinguish.”
Zhong Cai nodded in understanding and sighed, “According to the normal market price, even top-grade items wouldn’t go for this much.” Then, with a hint of regret, he added, “It’s a pity the auction house takes a ten percent fee; just like that, over ten thousand Xuanzhu are gone… They’re making a fortune!”
Wu Shaoqian patted his shoulder reassuringly.
“Well, this pill is obtained through drawing lots anyway, and the cost of the spiritual aura is just a byproduct of refining pills. In fact, we’re making a profit.”
However, Wu Shaoqian could increasingly appreciate how terrifying Zhong Cai’s altar actually was.
As the competition for the Xuzhi Dan continued, another person gave up, and ultimately, the competition reached a stalemate between two major factions.
—-
Naturally, one side was the Wu family ancestor, while the other side was Wan Qingqu, who had traveled a long way.
Wan Qingqu originally planned to travel to other places, but because there was an auction held in Fengyun City, he decided to stay for a while and experience the atmosphere of the remote area auction.
However, the resources in this place were indeed too ordinary for him. He was dozing off until the end of the auction, and even the last few fifth-grade resources couldn’t catch his attention.
It wasn’t until the appearance of the Xuzhi Dan that Wan Qingqu finally became interested.
The Wan family had fifth-level alchemists, but they could not refine the Xuzhi Dan. So, after several Fusion Realm ancestral members of the Wan family suffered injuries to their limbs, they could only seek appointments with alchemists in the city. Several of them had been waiting for years.
It is unexpected that such a pill would appear in this insignificant town. Could it be leaked from Fengxing City?
But that’s not important.
Just bid.
Wan Qingqu was a young master from a wealthy family, so he naturally had money on hand when he went out. However, he was only at the peak of the Palace Aperture Realm, and using Xuanzhu would be too eye-catching, so he only used gold and silver. However, he still had a few black tokens in his storage bag. Each token had the Wan family’s seal on it and could be exchanged for Xuanzhu at the Wan family’s store.
When he first joined the bidding, Wan Qingqu thought there would be no competitors. To his surprise, someone was stubbornly holding on, even when the bid reached 150,000, they still refused to give up.
A mid-grade Xuzhi Dan was not worth this much, but the recovery of the Wan family elders needed to be expedited. After a moment of contemplation, Wan Qingqu decided to continue bidding.
“150,000 Xuanzhu.”
The competitor also raised the bid.
—-
Zhong Cai rubbed his face, full of disbelief. “Old Wu, did I hear wrong? Did the Wu family ancestor just bid 160,000?”
Wu Shaoqian was also a bit shocked by the amount, but he was sure he heard it correctly and said, “It was indeed 160,000.”
Zhong Cai took a deep breath.
—-
In fact, not only Zhong Cai and Wu Shaoqian, but other guests in the auction hall also couldn’t believe that a single pill could fetch such a high price.
Now the other party seemed to be silent. Could it be that they had finally given up?
However…
A new bid was heard again.
Wu family ancestor: “160,100.”
By this point, both sides were already being very cautious—
“…165,000.”
“170,000.”
“172,000…”
“180,000…”
—-
The Xuzhi Dan was finally auctioned off at a price that Zhong Cai had never even dared to imagine before—a full 207,000!
Of course, after deducting the commission, the remaining amount was 186,100 Xuanzhu, and it couldn’t be received immediately.
But, after all, it was nearly 200,000!
Zhong Cai’s fingers were trembling a bit.
Wu Shaoqian grabbed his hand and said with a smile, “Calm down, calm down.”
Sure enough, Zhong Cai calmed down and soon became radiant with excitement.
“This isn’t just getting rich, this is hitting the jackpot!”
Wu Shaoqian’s heart was also racing a bit, but after seeing Zhong Cai’s stunned expression, he regained his composure.
The two exchanged a glance, their expressions bright.
Zhong Cai exclaimed, “What a thrill!”
Wu Shaoqian agreed, “We won’t have to worry about expenses for a long time.”
Zhong Cai added, “Once we get out, let’s go shopping and buy you some talisman materials!”
Wu Shaoqian immediately suggested, “Let’s have Qingkong buy medicinal herbs for you and stock up plenty.”
Zhong Cai cheered, “A big shopping spree!”
Wu Shaoqian echoed, “Let’s do it!”
The two were excited for a while.
Zhong Cai finally couldn’t help but say in a low voice, “Just thinking about how the Wu ancestor overpaid so much to get it makes me feel great.”
Wu Shaoqian paused for a moment and then quietly agreed, “Me too.”
They looked at each other and laughed happily.
—-
In a certain luxurious private room on the top floor, a thin middle-aged man had a flash of eagerness in his eyes, and a flush appeared on his face. His aura surged around him, clearly showing that he was overwhelmed with emotion and momentarily unable to control himself.
Beside him, a beautiful woman in a simple dress smiled slightly. “Congratulations, cousin.”
—These two were none other than the Wu family’s two ancestors, Wu Yuanxiao and Wu Baifeng.
Before long, a middle-aged steward in luxurious clothes personally arrived, carefully delivering an exquisite jade bottle containing the recently auctioned Xuzhi Dan.
Wu Yuanxiao suppressed his excitement, handed over the Xuanzhu, and exchanged them for the jade bottle. Only after inspecting it did he feel relieved.
Wu Baifeng also felt a great burden lifted from her heart and said with a smile, “When we return, I will help you through this ordeal, cousin.”
Wu Yuanxiao also smiled and said, “Thank you very much, sister.”
After many years of planning, they finally obtained the Xuzhi Dan.
It was indeed expensive, and he felt some resentment towards the person who persistently bid against him, but getting the item was what mattered.
Wu Yuanxiao had been severely injured and hadn’t left the Wu family for many years. Wu Baifeng also didn’t dare to go out often; otherwise, if something happened to her and Wu Yuanxiao was still weak, the Wu family would be in danger.
But now things were different.
Once Wu Yuanxiao’s limbs were restored, he could take turns with Wu Baifeng going out to seek opportunities. They could even join forces to tackle more challenging places, significantly increasing their chances of breaking through.
Wu Yuanxiao carefully stored the pill and then, together with Wu Baifeng, turned their attention to the final auction item.
—-
At this moment, the Qingkong Swordsman took the earned Xuanzhu and quietly left the auction.
Although it was merely a puppet, because the auctioned item was a fifth-grade resource, it was still granted a private room in the building, making its departure very convenient.
The Tianxing Trading House did not obstruct its exit.
Indeed, the fifth-grade pill and the person behind the Qingkong puppet piqued the interest of many, but this did not include the heads of Tianxing Trading House—after all, being from a second-tier city meant their headquarters had access to seven-grade and eight-grade resources.
Therefore, they naturally wouldn’t covet the tens of thousands of Xuanzhu, as it would harm their reputation.
The Qingkong puppet smoothly avoided others’ notice.
—-
Guan Ying was introducing the final auction item.
Zhong Cai said in surprise, “It’s actually a sixth-grade technique?”
The auction catalog listed all items with images, names, and brief descriptions. However, the final item, reserved as the grand finale, was kept secret and only vaguely mentioned as a technique.
Since the Xuzhi Dan, a fifth-grade resource, was the penultimate item, everyone naturally assumed the last item would also be fifth-grade. Unexpectedly, Tianxing Trading House managed to acquire a sixth-grade one.
Moreover, the technique had broad applicability and was a fire technique that many people could cultivate.
Although the technique was only of low-grade, it still attracted the attention of all the Fusion Realm cultivators present.
The bidding was unprecedentedly fierce, and after more than half an hour of intense competition among many powerful individuals, it was finally won by the Ai family.
A total of 150,000 low-grade Xuanzhu.
—-
The auction ended at this point.
Wan Qingqu had no interest in the technique, but regretted that his black tokens quota only allowed him to withdraw 200,000 Xuanzhu.
Next time he returned, he would need to apply for more black tokens.
—-
Zhong Cai stretched and walked out of the private room with Wu Shaoqian.
Outside the door, maids, guards, and Xiang Lin all bowed to them.
Zhong Cai casually paid ten gold for the food expenses.
The maid quickly thanked him and led the way.
Xiang Lin followed closely behind the two, carefully protecting them.
The group left through a side corridor, avoiding the paths taken by guests from other private rooms and the first and second floors.
Tianxing Trading House had already made arrangements to ensure that any guests with some financial means could leave safely—what happened after they left was none of their concern.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaoqian got into the carriage inconspicuously.
Xiang Lin drove the horses, taking them back to the inn.
—-
The auction was successfully completed, and many excellent items were sold. Although the destination of each item wasn’t always disclosed, some were inevitably known and quickly spread.
For a time, many people in Fengyun City were discussing it, feeling envious and jealous of the cultivators and factions that had acquired the good items, making the atmosphere very lively.
In many small circles, cultivators who didn’t get their desired items were privately quite displeased.
—-
Shunyun Restaurant, private dining area.
Xi Qinglei threw aside a teacup and said angrily, “Tianxing Trading House is too much! Even after the auction, they still sell things so expensively. It’s outrageous!”
Beside him, a delicate young boy was nestled against him. Hearing this, he quickly reached out to comfort him.
Opposite at the round table, Wen Yihai, dressed in blue, held a teacup with a calm expression.
“If you’re angry, just vent. I invited you for tea to help you cool down.”
Xi Qinglei’s expression improved slightly. He said, “You’re a true brother.”
But after a pause, he couldn’t help but get angry again, gulping down the tea.
“That money-grubbing trading company!”
The reason Xi Qinglei was so eager for a suitable second-grade talisman brush was to smoothly draw second-grade talismans and produce them more reliably. Not only did he fail to win it at the auction, but when he went to Tianxing Trading House to look for new items, he got a price similar to the auction.
He had spent all his savings on talisman materials and needed to wait until he produced talismans to recoup his money. As a result, he was short on cash, making things difficult for him and naturally causing resentment towards Tianxing Trading House.
Wen Yihai consoled him, “Don’t worry, I still have a few hundred gold. You can use it to buy the talisman brush first. You can repay me after you’ve produced the talismans.”
Xi Qinglei was stunned and immediately felt touched. “You’re truly loyal. Don’t worry, I will definitely produce talismans. When I do, I will not only repay the money but also give you some good talismans!”
Afterward, he couldn’t help but complain about the person who drove up the price of the talisman brush at the auction, expressing a lot of resentment.
Wen Yihai laughed and agreed with him, making polite conversation with Xi Qinglei.
In reality, Wen Yihai felt some goodwill towards that person.
The one who bought the talisman brush and the one who bought the Mu Huo were from the same private room. His distant uncle from the Wen family, who was overambitious with mediocre talent, was one of the competitors for the Mu Huo.
Wen Yihai’s fifth branch and his distant uncle’s fourth branch had been at odds since their ancestors’ time, and they had long been suppressed because his uncle was a second-level alchemist. Now, his uncle not only sold off the second-grade Mu Huo the family had arranged for him, but also failed to acquire a new one. It wouldn’t be easy for him to obtain another second-grade Mu Huo in the future, and the family wouldn’t help him again.
As a result, his uncle’s pill production rate was sure to decline.
This matter may be slightly disadvantageous to the entire family, but for his fifth-branch, it’s beneficial. As long as they manipulated it fiercely, the uncle would not be so arrogant again.
—-
Adjacent private rooms separated by a folding screen.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaoqian exchanged a glance, both with subtle expressions.
The two came out today to make purchases. They didn’t expect that after casually finding a restaurant for breakfast, they would overhear someone speaking ill of them.
It was quite a coincidence.
They tacitly hastened their pace of eating.
The person who spoke ill had no idea about this, still chattering away next door, but they felt a bit embarrassed.
They decided to skip chatting and quickly finish their meal to leave.
After settling the bill swiftly, Zhong Cai pulled Wu Shaoqian to leave, trying not to make any noise.
Once outside the restaurant, both of them burst into laughter.
Wu Shaoqian shook his head and said, “It seems that in the future, when we are outside, we also need to be mindful of not speaking ill of others behind their backs.”
Zhong Cai nodded in agreement, “You’re right.”
…
Tianxing Trading House.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaoqian stood quietly at a counter, listening to a young manager’s introduction.
“This is talisman paper made from the descaled skin of a first-grade Bailin Savage Snake. This here is talisman ink made from the ground scales, and using them together will enhance the success rate of crafting talismans.”
“Each portion of the talisman ink comes in inch-long bottles, containing about a thousand drops. The prices are eight copper coins per sheet of talisman paper and eight silver coins per bottle of ink. However, if purchased together, it’s cheaper—each set is fifteen silver coins, which includes one bottle of ink and ten sheets of talisman paper.”
The young manager pointed to a small wooden box divided into two sections, with a small bottle of ink on the left and a stack of talisman paper on the right.
This talisman paper was evidently very well-made. Although it was snow-white like all first-grade talisman paper, it seemed to have a faint shimmer of scales, making it look more high-end compared to ordinary talisman paper.
“This talisman paper has excellent absorbency for the ink, and the integration of the ink with the paper while drawing talisman characters will be smoother than with regular talisman paper. However, if you are not satisfied, we have another option.”
The young manager brought out another wooden box, similarly arranged.
“This is talisman paper made from the crushed tendons of the Chi Xie Savage Wolf, paired with matching wolf blood talisman ink, which also enhances the success rate. Compared to the snake scale talisman paper, this is cheaper: six copper coins per sheet and six silver coins per bottle, totaling ten silver coins for one bottle and ten sheets.”
The barbarian wolf talisman paper was also very finely made and equally snow-white, but it had a faint red glow, giving it a unique beauty.
Next, the young manager introduced five more types of talisman papers and inks.
Aside from the snake scale and wolf materials, the others were not paired and were slightly cheaper. However, regardless of the lower price, a single sheet of talisman paper never cost less than five copper coins, and a bottle of ink never less than five silver coins.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaoqian listened attentively.
Zhong Cai was mainly absorbing basic knowledge, while Wu Shaoqian silently compared the introductions with those in the “Comprehensive Guide to Basic Talismans.”
After the young manager finished, Zhong Cai smiled and said, “We’ll take a thousand sets of the snake scale and wolf materials each.”
The young manager, feeling a bit parched from talking, was thrilled to hear about such a large order and his eyes lit up.
Zhong Cai then instructed, “No need for these boxes. Just use large crates and separate the different types of paper and ink for easy access.”
The young manager readily agreed and quickly began preparations.
“Here, you see, these crates are partitioned. The left side holds ten thousand snake scale talisman papers, and the right side holds ten thousand wolf talisman papers, easily distinguishable. In this crate, each large bottle contains ink from two hundred smaller bottles, five white bottles for the snake scale ink, and five red bottles for the wolf ink. Rest assured, not a drop less. The total cost for all talisman materials comes to two hundred and fifty gold.”
Zhong Cai promptly paid the full amount.
After storing all the talisman materials in his mustard seed bag, Zhong Cai inquired about another item he wanted to purchase.
“Do you have any first or second-grade Mu Huo for sale?”
The young manager was momentarily stunned and then asked, “Are you an alchemist, sir?”
Zhong Cai smiled and said, “I’ve only recently started learning alchemy and can just about make a few first-grade pills. Since I’m here, I thought I’d ask. Your establishment is well-connected, and I assumed you’d have the information. The sooner I buy it, the sooner I can adapt.” He raised an eyebrow, “Is there some issue if the buyer isn’t an alchemist?”
The young manager sighed in relief and somewhat proudly explained, “Indeed, our store has connections in this area. However, Mu Huo is rare, and its sale cannot be taken lightly. If the buyer isn’t an alchemist, we must conserve resources and ensure they go to the right hands. But if the Mu Huo is for a confirmed alchemist, we can make an exception.”
Zhong Cai understood and said, “So you have both first and second grades available.”
Young Manager: “Yes.”
Zhong Cai smiled broadly and said, “Please give me a quote for each. I’ll take a portion of both.”
The young manager was taken aback, “Both?”
Zhong Cai nodded, “Is there a problem?”
The young manager looked troubled but responded without hesitation, “Well, we need to keep a record of Mu Huo sales. Therefore, we must verify the buyer’s alchemist status.”
Zhong Cai frowned, “How do you verify that? Do I have to refine a pill in front of you?”
The young manager quickly replied, “I wouldn’t dare to make such a request. However, if I could know the guest’s background, or the name of the pill sect where the guest obtained their guest alchemist badge… then our humble shop would naturally understand.”
This was not something to be concealed.
Zhong Cai said directly, “I am originally from the fourth branch of the Zhong family in Kunyun City and recently married into the ninth branch of the Wu family. Everyone in the Wu family knows that I am a first-level alchemist. Most of the pills I have made were sold to the Wu family’s Pill Hall.” He then pulled the person beside him closer and added, “This is my husband.”
Wu Shaoqian smiled and nodded slightly.
The young manager had no more questions and quickly went to the secret vault to retrieve two boxes, each containing first-grade and second-grade Mu Huo.
The prices were high, but much cheaper compared to the inflated prices of the third-grade Mu Huo.
First-grade Mu Huo should cost between ten and fifty gold, but it was priced at eighty gold here. Second-grade Mu Huo should be between one thousand and five thousand gold, but here it was ten thousand gold.
Zhong Cai, prepared for the cost, took out ten Xuanzhu.
… Gold wasn’t enough, so he had to pay with Xuanzhu.
The young manager completed the transaction with him.
Zhong Cai also spent two thousand one hundred gold to buy two contract talismans from first to third grade each.
The young manager didn’t waste any words and directly provided the goods.
Zhong Cai then thought to ask about the matter of the Youdan Hua Wu and looked at Wu Shaoqian, signaling him.
Wu Shaoqian slightly shook his head, glancing at his sleeve—where Xiao Qingyu was nestled, soundly sleeping, having behaved all day and night without showing itself.
Zhong Cai received Wu Shaoqian’s hint and nodded at him.
That’s right, I’ll let the Qingkong Puppet go to the business to inquire later, they don’t need to show their faces.
After thinking for a while, Zhong Cai tilted his head and whispered to Wu Shaoqian, “Is there anything else we’re missing?”
Wu Shaoqian whispered, “Isolation array disk.”
Zhong Cai suddenly remembered, for his altar! He had forgotten himself, fortunately, Old Wu had remembered it for him.
So he quickly asked the young manager.
“I wonder if your shop has any soul-shielding array disks?”
The young manager often heard similar requests and said confidently, “Then it depends on the range of the array disk that the two of you need to shield.”
Zhong Cai: “Can you be more specific?”
The young manager answered in detail, “If it’s just a low-grade array disk, it can shield at least a square meter of land, and at most an acre or so. And the larger the shielding range, the more Xuanzhu are consumed.” He was honest, “The low-grade array disks sold in our store, once activated, can use at least one Xuanzhu for a year, and at most one Xuanzhu can only last for a month.”
“In our store, the highest quality array of this type costs 30,000 gold coins, while the lowest quality one costs 10,000 gold coins.”
Zhong Cai shivered slightly when he heard the words “consume Xuanzhu,” feeling completely numb – He is only at the fourth level of the Heavenly Induction Realm, yet he already needs resources like Xuanzhu? It’s too terrifying!
But this thing was absolutely essential, so he had to spend the money.
The only thing to be thankful for was that it only needed to be activated when using the altar.
“Please take two.” Zhong Cai handed over another six Xuanzhu. “I want the best ones.”
The young manager immediately took out two palm-sized array disks covered in intricate patterns.
Zhong Cai：“……” Very good, very portable.
Zhong Cai put away the array disks and looked at Wu Shaoqian again.
Wu Shaoqian shook his head, indicating that they didn’t have anything else to buy.
The two of them left together.
—-
Inside the business, the young manager put away the gold and Xuanzhu, quite satisfied with himself.
It was rare for a cultivator at the Heavenly Induction Realm to be so generous, but after all, this alchemist’s husband was once the Young Master Shaoqian who had made a name for himself, so it was not surprising that he was wealthy.
… It is a pity that such an outstanding person had been crippled.
However, the couple seemed to have a lot of affection for each other, so it could be considered a great fortune in misfortune.
!!! i really love how wsq can freely tease and be so comfortable around zc. like, yeah. good foundation for any type of relationship. i am so pleased. the fluff is satisfying my thirst for this type of sweet love. not just enjoying the big things but also the little moments in between. good stuff.
“wsq was enjoying zc’s ever-changing expressions with great interest.” next he’ll be enjoying watching zc’s every expression.
207,000 xuanzhu for free… add 4 zeroes and it’s 2,070,000,000. over two billion gold! minus the auction house fee and it’s 1,861,000,000 gold. pie in the sky. easy money.
[zc finally couldn’t help but say in a low voice, “just
thinking about how the wu ancestor overpaid so much to get it makes me
feel great.”
wsq paused for a moment and then quietly agreed, “me too.”
they looked at each other and laughed happily.]love how they’re a bit petty here. kids shouldn’t bottle their emotions. they should share their joys and sorrows with their friends.
[…a single sheet of talisman paper never cost less than five COOPER coins…] whoops! small typo
Thank you :). Fixed
Thanks for the chapter 🤗🧡
Thanks for the chapter!
Great~
Thank you for your translation 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖