In the silent great hall, scorching gazes were fixed unblinkingly upon the thousand-plus small jade bottles on the table. Such a massive quantity of pills was something almost no one present had ever witnessed firsthand.
Her delicate pink tongue unconsciously moistened her red lips. Xiao Yu, too, was momentarily dazed by the staggering number of pills, her lovely face awash with shock. Only after a moment did she shake her head in admiration, and as she turned her gaze toward the black-robed figure, tiny stars seemed to dance in her eyes.
The blue-robed young woman seated by the window tilted her head slightly, casting a glance at the mountain of small jade bottles piled upon the table. A flicker of surprise passed through her autumn-water eyes before her gaze swept once more over the black-robed figure beside her. Failing to detect anything suspicious, she finally returned her attention to the ancient tome in her hands.
Observing the hall rendered speechless by the pills on the table, the black-robed figure gave a light cough, startling Xiao Zhan back to awareness.
"Uh..." Xiao Zhan's face flushed slightly, and he smiled with some embarrassment. The gaze he directed at the black-robed figure now held an even greater measure of reverence. To casually produce over a thousand bottles of healing medicine at a moment's notice was a feat no ordinary alchemist could accomplish.
"Elder, you are already aware of the Xiao Clan's current situation. We need healing medicine to win back the popularity we have lost, and your actions today are nothing short of sending charcoal in a snowstorm for our clan." Xiao Zhan sighed with gratitude. After a brief hesitation, he ventured tentatively, "How about this? The Xiao Clan will handle the distribution of these healing medicines. Of the proceeds, you take ninety percent, and the remaining ten... hehe, though I am somewhat ashamed to ask, we do still need those funds to take care of certain matters. What do you think, Elder?"
Having spoken, Xiao Zhan eyed the black-robed figure before him with some trepidation, fearing his terms might provoke dissatisfaction. In its current state, the Xiao Clan was entirely dependent upon this mysterious alchemist.
"Hehe." The black-robed figure chuckled softly and slowly shook his head.
Seeing this gesture, Xiao Zhan's expression shifted. He was about to open his mouth again to relinquish the final ten percent as well, but the aged voice that followed left him standing rooted to the spot in bewilderment.
"Clan Leader Xiao is far too generous. Though the pills were refined by me, distribution is no easy task either. How could I take such advantage of you... Let us be fair—fifty-fifty. Hehe."
Hearing these words, the three elders who had been anxiously pacing nearby, along with the entire hall full of clan members, gaped in astonishment. After a long moment, they involuntarily touched their ears, doubting the authenticity of what they had just heard. Fifty-fifty? This elder was showing the Xiao Clan far too much favor. In the current situation, even if he demanded all ten percent for himself, no one in the Xiao Clan would dare refuse.
"Heaven really is dropping pies from the sky..." The thought flashed through every mind as they exchanged stunned glances.
Standing in a daze for a considerable time, Xiao Zhan finally came to his senses. He let out a long, deep breath and smiled wryly. "Elder, this is truly making the Xiao Clan feel undeservingly honored. That you would help us in such a time is already more than enough. How could we possibly take further advantage of you?"
The black-robed figure waved a casual hand and spoke with a light smile. "This amount of profit holds little appeal for me. If not for the fact that you might feel uneasy, I would not even bother collecting that half."
Hearing such magnanimous words, Xiao Zhan could only smile wryly and nod.
"You may distribute these pills as you see fit. When I have time in the future, I will come and check in." The black-robed figure rose to his feet and continued, "I have other matters to attend to, so I shall not linger. There is no need to see me out, Clan Leader Xiao. Attend to your clan's affairs. Hehe." With that, under the watchful eyes of all present, he strode directly toward the exit of the hall.
Upon reaching the doorway, the black-robed figure's steps paused momentarily, and he smiled. "One last parting word—Xiao Yan truly is exceptional. Hehe, this old man offers his thanks."
Hearing this remark, Xiao Zhan was somewhat perplexed. Before he could ask further, the black-robed figure had already drifted out of the hall, gradually vanishing around the corner of the hallway.
Gazing after the departing figure, Xiao Zhan let out a soft sigh after a long while, a wry smile on his lips. "It seems Yan'er's relationship with this elder is not entirely ordinary. Otherwise, how could someone who has no connection to us go to such lengths to help?"
The three elders exchanged glances and nodded with sighs of their own. From the moment this elder had stepped through the door and the admiration he had shown toward Xiao Yan, it was clear he held the boy in particular favor. His generous treatment of the Xiao Clan was likely not unrelated to Xiao Yan in the slightest.
Within the great hall, the numerous clan members of Xiao Yan's generation could not help but regard him with faces full of envy.
The blue-robed young woman by the window tilted her head slightly, her gaze slipping through the crack in the window toward the corner where the figure had vanished. Her delicate willow brows furrowed faintly, and a flicker of puzzlement crossed her refined features.
Upon exiting the Xiao residence, the black-robed figure continued to walk at an unhurried pace. Once the crowds around him had thinned considerably, a youthful voice of complaint drifted from within the black robe. "Master, what did you have to drag me out here for? If I am discovered, I make no guarantees that I won't turn you in."
"Hehe, I simply spoke from the heart. If Xiao Zhan had not been kind to you since childhood, where would I have found such a fine disciple? It is only fitting to thank him." The aged voice chuckled with amusement. "Besides, without forging some ties, your cautious father would truly find it difficult to trust that I am not plotting something against his Xiao Clan."
Shaking his head helplessly, Xiao Yan glanced around and asked offhandedly, "Where are we headed now?"
"Let us stop by the auction house and deliver the Qi-Gathering Powder we refined, so we do not owe them any favors. I detest that sort of thing... Besides, the practice herbs you used have all been burned through. We should procure some different ingredients." Yao Lao pondered briefly before speaking with a smile.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded and asked with a hint of anticipation, "Master, at my current level, could I be considered a First-Rank Alchemist?"
"Tch, you think a few days of refining makes you an alchemist? Healing medicine is the simplest type of pill there is. Producing that hardly qualifies as anything worth boasting about." Yao Lao scoffed mercilessly, dousing Xiao Yan's enthusiasm with cold water without hesitation.
Rolling his eyes, Xiao Yan said with some frustration, "Then what does it take to truly qualify as a First-Rank Alchemist?"
"The alchemy world's baseline for assessing a First-Rank Alchemist is the ability to refine at least one pill with proper pill form, not some simple paste of mixed ingredients."
"It seems there is still quite a distance to go." Hearing this requirement, Xiao Yan could only shake his head helplessly and set off toward the auction house in the city center.