Chapter 70

After making an excuse to separate from Xun'er in the family, Xiao Yan quietly slipped out of the family compound. After a brief moment of contemplation, he headed towards the nearest small market of the Jia Lie family.

Although he had no interest in helping the elders resolve their troubles, he hoped to provide some assistance to his father within his capabilities. To help, he naturally needed to know where to start, so Xiao Yan decided to first investigate the Jia Lie family's market.

The small market of the Jia Lie family was located in a rather remote area, with very few people around on a regular day. However, when Xiao Yan entered the market, the crowded streets and the deafening noise made him pause in surprise.

On the wide streets, people were packed tightly. Some burly men, bare-chested, were shouting loudly as they pushed their way through the crowd. The faint bloodstains on their bodies suggested that they were mostly mercenaries who often risked their lives. They had an almost obsessive love for healing medicines, as a little bit of healing medicine could potentially save a comrade's life in dangerous situations.

Standing at the entrance of the market, Xiao Yan watched as some mercenaries squeezed out of the crowd, holding small wooden boxes and running out of the market with joy.

"Those boxes must contain 'Spring Revival Powder,' right?" he muttered to himself, then darted into the street and squeezed through the crowd with great effort. He spent 100 gold coins to buy a box of 'Spring Revival Powder' at a stall.

Holding the box, he struggled to squeeze out of the crowd again and finally let out a deep sigh of relief. Recalling the seller's smug and impatient face, he couldn't help but sneer, thinking, "A lackey."

Leaving the market with the box, Xiao Yan opened the lid to reveal ten small bottles inside. The bottles were made of rough material, clearly the lowest grade of jade, which made it difficult to fully preserve the medicine's potency.

Opening the bottle cap, a faint medicinal smell wafted out.

"Teacher, is this considered a healing medicine?" Xiao Yan asked, somewhat surprised by the weak medicinal potency.

"Yes, it's considered the lowest grade of healing medicine. It can have some healing effects. This simple healing medicine isn't too difficult to refine, but since healing medicines aren't rare and are sold cheaply, only first-grade alchemists usually bother to refine them."

"Indeed, it's quite cheap. One hundred gold coins for ten bottles, which means each bottle costs only ten gold coins. That's indeed a bit meager for an alchemist." Nodding slightly, Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment and asked, "Teacher, do you have a slightly better healing medicine formula?"

"Many, but those pills are too low-grade, and I rarely refine them." Yao Lao paused and said casually, "Do you want to refine them for the Xiao family? That's fine. Since you've already become a Fighter, you should try refining some medicines to gain experience."

"Uh? I'm going to refine them?" Xiao Yan was somewhat taken aback.

"Do you expect me to do it?" Yao Lao replied irritably. "First, go to the auction house and look for a slightly better alchemy cauldron. Also, you need to buy a large amount of low-grade medicinal materials. In the early stages of being an alchemist, you gain experience by burning medicines."

Xiao Yan licked his lips, his face showing a hint of eagerness. He casually threw the box into a nearby ditch and then quickly headed towards the central part 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 spot and then slowly approached the auction house.

Xiao Yan's appearance was already familiar to all the internal staff of the Miter Auction House. So, when they saw the slowly approaching black-cloaked figure from a distance, someone quickly entered the auction house to inform Yafei and Guni.

Upon hearing the report from their subordinates, Yafei and Guni immediately dropped what they were doing and quickly appeared at the entrance of the auction house, leading Xiao Yan into the guest hall with a smile.

"I'm here to ask for your help in getting a slightly better alchemy cauldron." Xiao Yan took a sip of tea from a cup beside him, and the elderly voice came from under the black cloak.

Yafei, who knew his identity, was not surprised by this request. She smiled and nodded, calling over a servant girl and giving her some instructions before dismissing her.

"Hehe, Sir, you have good timing. This morning, the auction house received an alchemy cauldron made from Flame Essence. This cauldron was forged by the famous Master He of the Jia Ma Empire. It not only enhances the power of combat flames but also increases the success rate of alchemy due to the rare metals mixed in. Recently, this type of cauldron has become very popular among alchemists in the Jia Ma Empire." Yafei said with a smile, her eyes sparkling.

"Um." The elderly voice showed some satisfaction. After a brief hesitation, he continued, "Also, prepare a low-grade 'Storage Ring' for me. Additionally, 500 Blood Coagulation Grass, 600 Bone Growth Flowers, 500 Poppy Flowers, and 500 Vitality Fruits..."

Hearing these requests, Guni's eyelids twitched. Even a low-grade 'Storage Ring' costs 70,000 to 80,000 gold coins. The medicinal materials, though not rare, would cost about 100,000 gold coins in such large quantities. The Flame Essence cauldron, if auctioned, would fetch at least 150,000 gold coins. Altogether, it would be impossible to get all these items without 300,000 gold coins.

Yafei was also stunned by the list of materials. The auction house wasn't solely hers, and most of the profits needed to be remitted to the headquarters. Mobilizing 300,000 gold coins privately, though not impossible, would definitely be noticed by the higher-ups.

Biting her lower lip, Yafei weighed the benefits of a fourth-grade alchemist. She smiled and said, "Sir, all the items will be ready in an hour."

"Hehe, good..." The elderly voice, for the first time, showed satisfaction in front of Yafei.

Under the black cloak, a fair hand pulled out a blue jade card from his pocket and placed it on the table. Yao Lao smiled and said, "The money in this card isn't enough to buy the items you mentioned... but add the materials for a 'Qi Gathering Powder' to the list of medicinal materials."

Hearing this, Guni's face changed slightly. Adding the materials for a 'Qi Gathering Powder' would cost another 50,000 gold coins.

Yafei's rosy lips parted slightly, and she felt a bit of anger. Although the other party was a fourth-grade alchemist, this was getting a bit too much.

However, despite her anger, Yafei's charming face remained smiling. After a moment of contemplation, she sighed and nodded, thinking, "No pain, no gain."

"Hehe, it seems there's a misunderstanding. The materials are not for me. I just want to help you refine a 'Qi Gathering Powder.' Asking you to only pay for the materials isn't too much, right?" the elderly voice said calmly.

Yafei's charming face froze for a moment, then suddenly filled with joy. She was taken aback by the unexpected surprise. After a moment, she calmed down and exchanged a joyful glance with Guni, who also looked delighted. She said nervously, "Thank you, Sir."

(Apologies for the delay. The power was out for a few hours, and I'm just uploading this now, ^_^)