Disciple, Mortal, Vassal, Scholar, Master; Innate, Colonel, General, Spirit, Baron. Every Grade of alchemist corresponds to a particular realm of martial artists. For instance, if an alchemist is able to concoct an effective pill for Innate Martial Masters, they would be considered a qualified Grade Six alchemist. However, alchemists were few and far between, with an incredibly steep qualification requirement. As such, anyone who became an alchemist was truly the cream of the crop and would enjoy countless wealth and fame. This was especially the case for high-Grade alchemists, whose craft needed to be supported by equally powerful martial power.
It was no easy matter to simultaneously possess talent for alchemy and martial talent. Consequently, it would not be an exaggeration to say that alchemists were one in a million.
Wun Fan scratched his nose and laughed awkwardly as he said, “Miss Chan, if the Wun Clan really does have a Grade Six alchemist, would the Wun Clan only be as powerful as we currently are?”
“But, Young Master Wun, the herbs that you have collected are the ingredients of the Grade Six Pill of Meridian Fortification. Why else would you be collecting those ingredients if not to concoct that pill?” Chan Chi Yuet smiled lightly, as if everything was within her control. She was slowly coaxing Wun Fan’s secret out of him.
“Kid,” Old Lei’s voice suddenly rang out in Wun Fan’s mind. He said patiently, “Moving forward, you still need plenty of other herbs for your training. Why don’t you establish a good relationship with her? And then…”
“Do you remember? The most valuable thing for an alchemist is the favor others owe them. You can…”
Wun Fan listened closely to Old Lei’s plot as he betrayed a perverted, no, a gentle smile.
A plan hatched in his mind.
Suddenly, Wun Fan’s expression changed. His demeanor turned flirtatious and his gaze was much more provocative. He narrowed his eyes and teased, “Girl, why do you wanna know so much about me? Could it be that you’ve fallen in love with this young master?”
Chan Chi Yuet and Siu Ji were stunned into silence when they saw this. They stared at Wun Fan in confusion. How could someone’s whole attitude and personality flip so suddenly, faster than you could turn a book? Siu Ji’s face couldn’t help but blush when she heard Wun Fan’s words.
He was a completely different person now.
Chan Chi Yuet wasn’t a sheltered lady either. She had plenty of experience in the world of trade and was far more adaptable than an ordinary girl. She forced herself to put on a slight smile as she said, “Surely you must be joking, Young Master Wun. You have a tremendous beauty like Miss Siu Lan by your side. Your standards must be incredibly high. How could a modest girl like myself ever dream to catch your eye?”
“Don’t worry about it. I still need a concubine at home anyway,” Perverted intent was written all over Wun Fan’s face, nothing like an expression an eleven-year-old boy should be capable of. He seemed more like a seasoned playboy. For a moment, even Chan Chi Yuet couldn’t deal with Wun Fan’s incredibly invasive gaze. Her cheeks suddenly turned scarlet red.
“Cough,” Chan Chi Yuet coughed lightly and put on a serious expression once more, “Young Master Wun, can we return to the first thing we were talking about?”
“What? You wanna be the first wife? That’s asking for a little too much.”
“I said ‘first thing’, ‘first thing’.”
“This is the first thing we should be talking about.”
“Well, I…”309Please respect copyright.PENANAcRCkzV0dNq
After a long battle of tongues, Chan Chi Yuet was left grunting and panting. It was too much work to deal with Wun Fan’s flirtations. Her entire forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat. Siu Ji felt sorry for her mistress and took out her handkerchief to wipe the sweat away.
Wun Fan was done teasing her as well. His tactic seemed to have had some effect. He finally followed Old Lei’s advice and put on a reluctant expression as he said, “Truth be told, I don’t want to draw attention to myself. The alchemist behind me is my teacher.”
“Your teacher?” Chan Chi Yuet didn’t care about her image as much now. She let out a chuckle and said, “Young Master Wun, I must say, I have never received any information about you having a teacher.”
As a long-established clan of the Nap-Lan Empire, it was only natural that the Chan Clan had an excellent intelligence network of its own. Even in a place as remote as Green Sea Town, the Chan Clan still had a similar network of their own. It’s not like they knew absolutely everything that happened but they knew a lot. For instance, the commotion involving Wun Fan and the shocking aura on the mountain had been compiled into a report and left on Chan Chi Yuet’s table the very next morning following the incident.
However, the third young master of the Wun Clan finding a Grade Six alchemist to be his teacher was tremendous news! How could the intelligence network of the Chan Clan not pick up on something like that? They weren’t that useless, were they?
“It’s up to you if you believe me. I’m not asking you to, anyway,” Wun Fan said nonchalantly and shrugged. Why do adults these days just refuse to listen to the truth? Well, it’s their right not to listen. Always suspecting this and that. So troublesome.
Wun Fan stared at Chan Chi Yuet and asked directly, “Well, tell me, girl. That box in your hand, I want it for sure. Give me a price.”
Chan Chi Yuet stared deep into Wun Fan’s eyes, hoping to see any sign of discomfort or uncertainty to prove that he was just making things up. However, Wun Fan’s eyes were clear and firm. He was confident and showed absolutely no signs of weakness. Chan Chi Yuet couldn’t make up her mind. The smile faded from her face and her tone turned serious as she said, “If you aren’t lying, Young Master Wun, I would like your teacher to concoct four Grade Six pills for Thousand Relics Auctions every month.”
“And the payment?” Wun Fan raised an eyebrow and stared at Chan Chi Yuet curiously, inviting her to state a price and see if it was worth it to work together.
“Your master can do it?!” Excitement was written all over Chan Chi Yuet’s face. She was just like a little girl. She grabbed Wun Fan’s hands in her excitement. Her eyes were glowing so brightly Wun Fan was almost blinded.
Chan Chi Yuet’s fingers were snow-white and as smooth, soft and cold as the finest of jades. In truth, Wun Fan was enjoying his hands being grabbed by Chan Chi Yuet.
However, he had to pretend to be a little more aloof than that in front of a stranger. He couldn’t break his image. He coughed lightly and said, “Say, Miss Chan, I don’t think we are that close.” Wun Fan pulled his hands back a little unnaturally and put on a show of being a noble and proper gentleman.
Chan Chi Yuet seemed to have realized that her behavior was a little out of line as well. Her cheeks and her ears flushed red. For a moment, she just looked like a shy little girl to Wun Fan. However, she was a very composed person and recovered her usual expression in a matter of seconds. She stuttered a little as she said, “All the herbs will be prepared by Thousand Relics Auctions and twenty-five percent of the sales will be given to your teacher. Is that alright?”
“Twenty-five percent?” Wun Fan burst out laughing and mocked, “Girl, lowballing and haggling are common in negotiations, but I’ve never seen anyone lowball so hard. You might as well just ask my teacher to work for you for free.”
Chan Chi Yuet tactfully explained, “There is a reason for my offer. I hope Young Master Wun won’t mind my insolence.”
Chan Chi Yuet patiently explained everything.309Please respect copyright.PENANA7VibCZLG1u
The lady sits alone on an empty bench, ten years dust and dirt brush her hair and face;309Please respect copyright.PENANALoKJwCc9Sv
The husband cries and wishes for no dust, but how will pink cheeks glow with no dust to match?
Most people would claim that things are best when clean and without dust, but how can you see anything if there is no dust nor light to reveal its form to you?
The Chan Clan was like the dust of this world. They were all over the Nap-Lan Empire and served as the largest intelligence network for the Empire. They collected all sorts of information, large or small, allowing the capital to have eyes in every corner of the Empire. Some people have joked that where there was a town, there was the Chan Clan’s shadow. And where there was the Chan Clan’s shadow, there was a Hundred Treasures Hall and a Thousand Relics Auctions.
As the highest authority of the Chan Clan, the clan master of the Chan Clan spread his seeds. He had a total of twenty-five offspring. Chan Chi Yuet was the fifteenth child.
To raise a proper heir, every child would have to face trials to prove their worth. They started from the bottom. Every child would be sent to a remote town and be responsible for a Hundred Treasures Hall and a Thousand Relics Auctions. They were to use their ability and network to earn the most profits. It was only when their profits were considerable that the elders of the clan would approve of them. They would then move on to a larger city to develop, before finally returning to the capital and having true power in their grasp!
That was why Chan Chi Yuet had her sights set on Old Lei. More accurately, she had her sights set on Old Lei’s alchemy abilities. Grade Six pills weren’t rare or unobtainable by any means, but they were hard to come by in Green Sea Town.
If they could be produced in large quantities…
Wun Fan was not in a hurry to reply after hearing Chan Chi Yuet’s words. He looked at her amusedly, his eyes filled with mockery. You might have your own troubles, Miss Chan, but I and Old Lei won’t be free labor for you either.
Old Lei had never told him how pills were made and Wun Fan himself had absolutely no idea. However, all he had to do was use his brain a little. If alchemists were so rare and pills were so valuable, being able to concoct pills was no trivial matter!
They might exhaust the spirit and drain away Old Lei’s mental energy. He would have to be the one to pick up the tab and funnel more aether to the Spiritstartler Ring. However, Wun Fan did not have no clue how profit-sharing portions looked like when it came to pills. He made sure to ask in his mind, “Old Lei, what do you think?”
“Heh, a profiteering merchant indeed. There are no merchants who doesn’t find a way to squeeze every last drop of coin out of you. This girl must be hedging on you not knowing the industry and the proper prices,” Old Lei sneered as he continued explaining, “A long, long time ago, when I crafted pills for other people, it was a given for them to provide three sets of materials and the recipe. As for the profits? I always got at least sixty percent of the share.”
“The hell? That’s outrageous?” Wun Fan opened his mouth in shock. He was speechless for a long time. He had no idea alchemists were so expensive. They were almost cutting into their partner’s capital already with those rates. They were already making money with no initial investment and they could still demand for sixty percent!309Please respect copyright.PENANANQJHusiggn