Chapter 77

In the waiting hall of the Miter Auction House.

On the neat table, a small jade box was placed, inside which lay a light green pill the size of a longan, quietly resting. The pill's surface was smooth and glossy, and a rich, exotic fragrance wafted from it, making one feel refreshed.

Looking at the pill in the jade box, the joy on the faces of Yafei and Guni, the managers of the auction house, was almost impossible to hide.

Glancing at the two somewhat flustered individuals through his black robe, Xiao Yan shook his head inwardly and thought to himself, "If they knew that this Qi Gathering Pill was just a result of the Old Medicine Master cutting corners, what kind of expression would they have?"

The Qi Gathering Pill that Xiao Yan had taken out was clearly not of the same quality as the one he had taken before. However, even so, this Qi Gathering Pill, casually refined by the Old Medicine Master, still brought a lot of surprise to Yafei and Guni.

"The old sir's alchemy skills are truly admirable. The quality of this Qi Gathering Pill could probably match those refined by some fifth-grade alchemists," Guni said with genuine admiration after taking another deep look at the light green pill.

Under the black robe, the old voice chuckled and said, "Please put the pill away, both of you. I feel a bit uneasy if I don't thank you for all your help."

"Hehe, the old sir is too polite. You are our guest, and we are just doing our duty," Yafei said with a bright smile, carefully picking up the jade box with her jade hand, her eyes twinkling.

Smiling without comment, this statement was not only dismissed by the Old Medicine Master but also by Xiao Yan, who sneered inwardly. If they really did their duty as she claimed, the Miter Auction House would have gone bankrupt long ago.

Taking out a scroll of paper from his pocket, Xiao Yan handed it to Yafei and said with an old voice, "Please help me prepare the herbs listed on it."

Yafei eagerly took the paper, quickly glanced at it, and smiled, readily agreeing. After the lesson from last time, she dared not show any hesitation now.

Summoning a servant, Yafei handed her the paper and instructed her to prepare the items quickly.

Picking up the teacup beside him, Xiao Yan took a sip, and his heart suddenly stirred. After a moment of contemplation, the old voice slowly said, "Miss Yafei, I have a question."

Hearing the Old Medicine Master speak, Yafei smiled and said softly, "Please go ahead, old sir."

"Has the Caili Family purchased a lot of herbs here?" the Old Medicine Master asked casually.

Upon hearing this, Yafei's heart tightened, and her charming face changed. She secretly exchanged a glance with Guni, then hesitated for a moment before saying, "The Caili Family indeed bought herbs worth nearly ten thousand gold coins at the last auction, and these herbs... also have some blood-stopping and healing effects."

Nodding slightly, the old voice fell silent.

Seeing the black-robed figure in front of her, Yafei became uneasy. She already knew that the old man intended to help the Xiao Family, and now the auction house had sold such a large amount of herbs to the Caili Family. It was uncertain whether this old man, whose temperament was unknown, would harbor any resentment towards the auction house.

The atmosphere in the hall gradually became heavy. Looking at the black-robed figure who remained silent, Yafei became increasingly restless. If it weren't for Guni's constant eye signals, she would have already asked a question.

"Shouldn't you know what I intended to do with the herbs I bought last time?" After a long pause, the old voice finally broke the silence.

Biting her lower lip, Yafei nodded slightly and said softly, "The old sir intended to refine healing pills to help the Xiao Family, right?"

"Before coming here, I had already given the refined healing pills to the Xiao Family," the Old Medicine Master said with a nod. "Perhaps in a couple of days, the Xiao Family and the Caili Family will start competing for popularity in the U坦 City market using healing pills."

Yafei didn't know how to respond to this topic, so she wisely remained silent.

"Refining healing pills requires a large amount of low-grade herbs. In U坦 City, only the Miter Auction House can provide such a large quantity. Other herb shops don't have this capability," the Old Medicine Master continued, seeing that Yafei was silent.

"The competition between the two families in healing pills, besides the price and quality of the pills, also depends on the sufficient supply of herbs."

"So, I hope that the Miter Auction House will refuse to provide herbs to the Caili Family in the future!"

As the Old Medicine Master spoke, Xiao Yan's gaze, hidden under the black cloak, fixed intently on the mature, fox-like beauty beside him. He would not stay in U坦 City for more than two months, so within these two months, he must help his father bring down the Caili Family. Only then could he leave with the Old Medicine Master in peace.

Hearing the Old Medicine Master's words, Yafei's face changed, and she said with some difficulty, "Old sir, the Miter Auction House has a rule not to get involved in any family conflicts. If we agree to your request, it would be indirectly helping the Xiao Family, which goes against our rules..."

"I can refine two more Qi Gathering Pills for you for free," the Old Medicine Master said calmly.

"Old sir, this isn't about the pills, really..." The temptation of two Qi Gathering Pills made Yafei's jade hands tremble involuntarily, but she tried to hold her ground.

"Three..."

"Old sir..." Yafei smiled bitterly, and Guni's face twitched. Three Qi Gathering Pills? That would be worth at least 500,000 gold coins.

"Five!" The calm old voice mercilessly shattered Yafei's bottom line.

"Hisss..." Yafei's long, beautiful eyes slowly closed, and she took a deep breath of cool air. After a moment, she suddenly opened her eyes and said with a bitter smile, "Old sir, you win. From now on, the Miter Auction House will not provide a single herb to the Caili Family!"

"Miss Yafei's self-control is truly surprising. I will bring the items in a month, provided that the Miter Auction House does not disappoint me," the Old Medicine Master said with a faint smile.

"Old sir, please rest assured. I am very clear about what is important."

Having been trained in the auction house for several years, Yafei quickly calmed down. The value of the Caili Family and the value of a fourth-grade alchemist were incomparable. Making this choice was not difficult; the challenge was to maximize profit while making the choice. The current profit was already satisfactory for Yafei.

(Rolling for recommendations...^_^)