Chapter 91: As They Fight and Squabble, I Reap the Profits

Pu Hanzhong leaned in and whispered to Qin Haoxuan, “They all seem desperate. Two hundred stones isn’t too expensive. Should we raise the price?”

Qin Haoxuan glanced at the eager, anxious faces in the crowd and smiled. “No need to rush,” he said calmly. “There are many wolves and very little meat. If they truly want it, they will raise the price themselves.”

As if to prove his point, a senior disciple in a cyan sect robe stepped forward. “I’ll take all six packets,” he said, his voice cool and proud. “On top of the twelve hundred stones, I’ll add another ten.”

The disciple was tall and handsome, with a heroic brow and features as sharp as a blade. The well-tailored cyan robe only enhanced his elegant bearing. Among the other disciples, most of whom wore grey or brown, he stood out like a crane among chickens.

“Isn’t that Senior Brother Xu Can from the Ancient Cloud Hall? That cyan robe… has he broken through to the Thirtieth-Leaf Realm?”

“Ai, with him here, we don’t stand a chance.”

“Shh, quiet down! If you want to die, don’t drag me down with you. If he hears you, he might think we have a problem with him.”

The moment Xu Can stepped forward, the enthusiasm on the faces of the crowd, who had been waiting for three hours, vanished. Not only was their chance to buy gone, but the bidding war they had been hoping for was over before it began. Who would dare to outbid Xu Can of the Ancient Cloud Hall? That would be suicide. For him to add another ten stones was a gesture of immense wealth and confidence. To him, twelve hundred stones was likely three years of income, but with these six packets and some other spirit medicines, he had a real chance of breaking through to the Thirty-First-Leaf Realm. At his level, every single step forward was incredibly difficult. When he had heard news of this miraculous powder, he knew his opportunity had arrived.

Qin Haoxuan frowned. The Ancient Cloud Hall again. It seemed every conflict he’d had in the sect so far had involved them in some way.

Just then, a hearty laugh rang out. “Well now, Xu Can. Did you really think you could swallow such a fine treasure all by yourself?”

A path opened in the crowd, and another man in a cyan robe walked through, the faint, clean scent of medicinal herbs preceding him.

“Huh? Senior Brother Chang Jizi from the Jade Bamboo Hall is here too. With his level of alchemy, why would he be interested in mere powder?”

“You don’t get it. He’s a pill fanatic. He must want to buy it to study its ingredients!”

“Now this is a show! Chang Jizi is obsessed with alchemy. He’ll definitely bid against Xu Can for a powder that’s stronger than a pill.” The onlookers who had been about to leave were now buzzing with excitement. “The disciples of the Jade Bamboo Hall are all rich! Only the wealthy can afford to be alchemists. With him here, it won’t be so easy for Xu Can to get his hands on that powder.”

“No kidding,” another disciple muttered resentfully. “They have a monopoly on most of the good pill formulas. Anything they make sells instantly.”

“Not necessarily,” another voice chimed in, pretending to be an expert. “Yes, they make a lot of money, but think of their expenses! They go through furnaces like underwear. And the rarer the pill, the higher the quality of furnace they need. They also have to buy most of their ingredients from the other halls. Their profits aren’t as astronomical as you think.”

The others considered this. Cultivation was a cycle of resources. Alchemists might make money, but they also had to spend it on materials and tools. If alchemy were really that profitable, everyone in the sect would be doing it.

“Still,” a final voice concluded, “there’s no doubt that an alchemist like him has a lot of spirit stones to throw around. He’s much richer than we are.” This sentiment was met with nods of agreement.

Seeing Chang Jizi arrive, Xu Can’s cool, arrogant smile vanished, replaced by a dark scowl. He knew that for an alchemy fanatic like Chang Jizi, this miraculous powder was a must-have. It seemed he was going to have to spend a fortune today. But for the sake of his breakthrough, he was prepared to go all out. A powder this potent was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Chang Jizi, for his part, sized up his rival. He could see the determination in Xu Can’s eyes. He patted the bulging pouch of spirit stones at his waist. For Xu Can to consume this powder would be a reckless waste of a heavenly gift, he thought. I must buy it and study it properly.

Despite their rivalry, they maintained a veneer of civility. “Brother Chang,” Xu Can said with a tight smile, “news travels fast. It seems nothing escapes your notice.”

“Haha, you flatter me. I’m still a step behind you, Brother Xu,” Chang Jizi replied with a laugh. “If I had been any slower, you would have scooped up this treasure all for yourself.” After the pleasantries, his gaze fell upon the sellers.

He saw Qin Haoxuan and Xu Yu in their commoner’s clothes and knew they were new disciples. And behind them stood Pu Hanzhong of the Nature Hall. He was completely baffled. How could this ragtag group produce such a thing?

He was so focused on them that he dismissed Luo Jinhua, who was standing a little apart, as a mere spectator. As an alchemist of thirty years, he knew how hard it was to refine a good pill. To make a low-grade powder with such world-shaking efficacy was even more difficult. The curiosity was like a thousand cats scratching at his heart. He had to have it.

“Junior Brother,” he said, unable to restrain himself any longer, “your powder is magnificent. Might you tell me how it was made?”

Qin Haoxuan just shook his head. “It’s not mine. My junior sister refined it.”

Chang Jizi turned his eager gaze to Xu Yu, but she just gave him a cool look and, adopting the tone of a seasoned merchant, said, “You’ve all seen its effect. It’s better than a Qi-Circulating Pill. That senior brother has offered twelve hundred and ten third-tier spirit stones for the lot. How much is this senior brother willing to offer?”

Rebuffed, Chang Jizi felt a flash of embarrassment, but he couldn’t lose face in front of the crowd. Besides, he knew asking for a formula was a serious breach of etiquette. “Very well,” he said, his excitement growing. “I’ll add another ten stones on top of his offer. Twelve hundred and twenty for all of them!” To study such a wondrous powder, he was willing to spend two years of his net income.

“Senior Brother Chang, how ungracious of you to raise the price as soon as you arrive!” Xu Can snapped, his face darkening again. This powder was his best hope for a breakthrough, and he wasn’t about to let this alchemist get in his way. “I’ll bid twelve hundred and fifty!”

“Wow… a jump of thirty stones!” someone in the crowd gasped, their face flushing with vicarious excitement. “Fifty stones is my entire yearly income!” He stared at Xu Yu, who remained completely unmoved by the offer. If I were her, he thought, I would have already taken the deal!

“You’re lucky,” another voice lamented. “My harvest was poor last year. I only made thirty.”

Xu Can’s bid ignited the crowd’s passion. Even if they couldn’t afford the powder, watching two wealthy disciples fight over it was a fine spectacle. In their hearts, they hoped the bidding would go even higher.

(End of Chapter)