Of course, the notion of eating Qi Gathering Powder like peanuts was an exaggeration — but with Yao Lao's skill, producing dozens of the pills would be no great feat, so long as the materials were at hand.
However, before Xiao Yan could even begin to celebrate the prospect, Yao Lao's list of required ingredients struck him like a series of blows to the chest. Each item the old man named was more expensive than the last, and with every new addition, the boy's face grew a shade paler.
"Tomorrow, you will procure four stalks of fifty-year Ink Leaf Lotus, two ripe Snake-Saliva Fruits, a Spirit-Gathering Herb of approximately twenty years' growth, and a single water-attribute second-tier magic core," Yao Lao said, his tone as casual as if he were ordering tea. He tilted his head and caught sight of Xiao Yan's frozen expression. "What's wrong?"
"Fifty-year Ink Leaf Lotus? That's over three thousand gold coins per stalk!" Xiao Yan exclaimed, his voice rising. "Ripe Snake-Saliva Fruit — those are practically supreme-grade among low-tier herbs! Some apothecaries don't even carry them, and when they do, the price starts at eight thousand gold! A twenty-year Spirit-Gathering Herb — I saw one at auction once, and the bidding ended at fifteen thousand! And a second-tier water-attribute magic core — that's at least two thousand more!" He slapped his forehead with a groan. "Just the raw materials alone come to over fifty thousand gold coins. Where am I supposed to find that kind of money?"
Yao Lao rolled his eyes and spread his hands in an exaggerated gesture of innocence. "That, my boy, is your affair. I am responsible for the refining — not the shopping."
"Damn it, the cost is outrageous," Xiao Yan muttered through gritted teeth, cursing under his breath. He reached beneath his pillow and drew out a green card, running his thumb along its smooth surface with a pained expression. "The money from the Foundation Liquid I sold last time is down to ten thousand points. That won't even cover half of what you've listed."
Yao Lao settled back in his chair, looking for all the world like a man who had no stake in the matter.
Xiao Yan rubbed his temples and winced. "Fine — I'll use what's left to buy materials for more Foundation Liquid, brew a fresh batch, and take it to the auction house. Otherwise, there's no way I'll have enough."
Yao Lao nodded with an air of supreme indifference. Refining a low-grade elixir like Foundation Liquid was, to him, no more demanding than folding a napkin.
Seeing the old man's assent, Xiao Yan let out a long breath and collapsed back onto his bed, a bitter smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Money," he sighed. "The absence of it is a kind of suffering."
...
The following morning, Xiao Yan slipped out of the clan compound before dawn. He moved through the apothecaries of Wutan City with practiced efficiency, gathering the ingredients needed for Foundation Liquid. When the last vial had been placed in his satchel, he made his way to a quiet, out-of-the-way inn and locked himself in a room.
Since these were meant for resale, he had no intention of using top-grade ingredients — that was a luxury reserved for his own cultivation. Instead, he purchased the cheapest materials available, the sort no self-respecting alchemist would touch. He needed the gold too desperately for such niceties.
Needing to maximize his returns, Xiao Yan bought enough raw materials for seven bottles. When he was finished, every last coin on his green card had been spent.
While Yao Lao set to work refining, Xiao Yan tossed the empty card in the air and caught it with a rueful shake of his head. He was back to destitution.
This time, Yao Lao spent the better part of an hour before the work was complete. Xiao Yan gazed at the seven white jade vials arranged in a neat row on the table, and a wide grin split his face. He wrapped each one carefully in cloth and tucked them inside his robe.
He donned the black cloak that concealed him so thoroughly that only his eyes were visible, patted the vials hidden within its folds, and strode out of the inn.
...
Mitel Auction House. The appraisal chamber.
Ya Fei, the chief auctioneer of the Mitel Auction House, stood with her lips slightly parted in surprise, her dark eyes fixed on the seven bottles of Foundation Liquid arranged before her. The sight of so many vials at once was enough to quicken the pulse of even the most jaded collector — and Ya Fei, for all her composure, was not immune to the thrill.
"Ahem." The cough came from the cloaked figure seated a short distance away, and it broke the spell. Ya Fei blinked, then reached for the nearest bottle, lifting it to her nose. She inhaled the faint, medicinal scent, then passed it to Gu Ni at her side.
The old appraiser accepted the vial and examined it with the meticulous care of a man who had spent his life judging the quality of rare goods. After a long moment, he looked up, a trace of genuine surprise in his eyes. "They are all authentic Foundation Liquid."
Ya Fei's eyebrows arched. Her gaze drifted back to the black-robed figure, and a smile — warm, practiced, and faintly conspiratorial — blossomed across her face. "It has been half a year since our last transaction, and already you bring us such a remarkable consignment, sir."
"When will the auction take place?" The voice that emerged from beneath the hood was old and dry, devoid of any emotion that might betray the speaker's identity.
"If there is no great urgency, I would suggest waiting a day or two," Ya Fei replied, her tone careful and probing. "Seven bottles of Foundation Liquid appearing simultaneously is an extraordinary event. If the house is given time to advertise, the final prices will be considerably higher — and so will your profit."
Beneath the cloak, there was a brief silence, followed by a soft grunt of assent.
Ya Fei's smile deepened. She rose, took the teacup from the table at her elbow, and brought it to the cloaked figure herself — a gesture reserved, in the hierarchy of the auction house, for the most valued of clients. She was now nearly certain that the man before her was not merely a second-tier Alchemist, but possibly a third.
The cloaked figure took a sip of tea, then spoke again. "I wonder — does your house have the means to procure certain rare herbs for me?"
Ya Fei's eyes lit up. She settled into a chair nearby, the elegant lines of her figure accentuated by the way she sat, and replied with a smile, "What herbs does the sir require?"
"Four stalks of fifty-year Ink Leaf Lotus, two ripe Snake-Saliva Fruits, a Spirit-Gathering Herb of approximately twenty years' growth, and a water-attribute second-tier magic core."
At Gu Ni's side, the old man's expression shifted almost imperceptibly. He studied the black-robed figure with new eyes, suspicion mingling with curiosity.
Ya Fei, whose gaze had not left the cloaked guest, caught the change in Gu Ni's demeanor and filed it away. "I will make inquiries on the sir's behalf," she said smoothly. "As soon as anything becomes available, I will see that you are notified immediately. Might I ask where the sir is staying? How might we reach you?"
"There is no need to contact me. If the materials are found, deduct the cost from the Foundation Liquid proceeds. I will return to collect them." The words were spoken with an air of finality that brooked no further questions.
"If you will excuse me, I have other matters to attend to. I will return in two days." With that, the cloaked figure rose and walked out of the appraisal chamber, his footsteps silent on the polished floor.
Ya Fei watched him disappear around the corner, her slender eyes narrowing to thoughtful slits. "Were there any problems with those ingredients, Uncle Gu Ni?" she asked softly.
Gu Ni nodded slowly, his expression troubled. "If I am not mistaken, those are the materials required to refine Qi Gathering Powder."
Ya Fei's composure cracked for an instant, and a note of alarm entered her voice. "But Qi Gathering Powder requires a fourth-tier Alchemist at minimum! Is that even possible?"
Gu Ni nodded again, a deep sigh escaping his lips. "It seems I may have misjudged our visitor. But there are only twenty-odd fourth-tier Alchemists in the entire Jia Ma Empire — and I have never heard of this one."
Ya Fei shook her head, her eyes gleaming with an unreadable light. "A fourth-tier Alchemist..." she murmured. "If there is an opportunity, we must find a way to bring him into our fold."