Chapter 72 - 71: Red Hot Dragon's Store

"Haa... Finally a vacation!" Xiao Yan yawned and excitedly exclaimed at the same time. He walked down the commercial streets of Suotuo City, walking passed the newly opening for the day street vendors and shops, he crossed both his arms behind his head.

Two days passed since the spar between him and the others and Xiao Yan could say that it was both satisfying and enjoyable, even though it was a one sided feelings between him and the others. Which was expected, having to be defeated for the fiftieth time and had realized the true gap between them, after waking up and given explanation from the ones who were awake, made them frustrated and disappointed beyond belief. But those feelings changed into motivation to try their best to either catch up or stand besides him.

The burning determination of both Ma Xiaotao and Zhu Zhuqing really impressed Xiao Yan, declaring their ambition to stand besides him really put a smile on his face.

Speaking of the others... Just a couple of hours ago, the ones who needed a new spirit ring: Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing were sent towards the Star Dou Great Forest with Grandmaster and Flender tagging along to help them when they run into any unnecessary trouble.

While the others like Xiao Yan, Xun Er, Ma Xiaotao, Tang San, Xiao Wu and Oscar all had given a vacation, till the others returned. So far, they were doing their own things for the moment.

Xun Er and Ma Xiaotao were both sparring against each other in the training ground, while Tang San is simp–accompanying Xiao Wu in shopping, and Oscar is refining his skills in close combat and hidden weapons.

As for Xiao Yan? Well...

He walked passed a couple of shops and stopped in front of a specific one he was looking for.

It wasn't anything special, just a two stories tall wooden building painted in red and black. Two wide see through windows, with the mahogany double doors in the middle and some minor ornaments like golden cats and red, with the symbols of "luck" etched on, lanterns could be seen put up in front of the shop around.

Atop of the building had a wooden colored red plack, that said: "Red Hot Dragon's Store"

'Ah... Everytime I see that name, it always reminds me that I suck at naming things.' Xiao Yan inwardly winced as he stared blankly at the frankly misleading name of the store. It sounded like a fast restaurant than what it really is, a store that sells alchemy pills. More specifically, his pills.

A couple months ago, after the Star Dou Great Forest fiasco, Xiao Yan decided to explore a bit to find a alchemist store.

Not only did he find one, he actually own it! It was actually pretty cheap, the previous owner sold it to him for just 1,000 spirit gold coins. A whole lot cheaper compared to other shops that costs around 3-5,000 spirit gold coins. But since the previous owner was really desperate to sold his shop, it was decided to be at 1,000 spirit gold coins.

Letting out a sigh, Xiao Yan stepped into his shop. Showcasing shelves full of pills in different variety that were all incased in see-through green-tinted glass boxes, all made out of jade, and price tags could be seen under the glass boxes.

Since it was still in the early morning, there were no customers at the moment. Though there was one certain employee of his, sleep sitting, behind the cashier desk with a slight silver drool sliding down her mouth.

It was a young girl in white clothes who was level to Xiao Yan's shoulders if she stood in front of him. The little girl appeared to be twelve to thirteen years old, a year younger than him. Her pale-purple hair was let out to her waist and her face was very soft. The girl's appearance was beautiful, white, and clear, and her pair of black watery eyes hidden behind her sleeping eyelids could tell anyone that she was a playful little devil, probably surpassing Xiao Wu.

A wry smile appeared on Xiao Yan's face as he stared at the girl, leaning her back on the chair, sleeping in a unladylike manner.

Her name is Zi Yan. A little orphan girl, the same as him, except she once walked the streets in rags and begging for anything to eat. She was a beggar.

He had meet her when he was looking for employees to be employed in his new store, actually, she was just sitting in front of his store with her knees on her c.h.e.s.t wrapped and her arms around them. While she stare into the empty space with a blank expression.

It had pained Xiao Yan's heart. As the assimilating of Flame Emperor's memories at the time had reached the point where he had once studied at Jia Nan Academy, and where he had met the ever cheerful and hard to please little aunt.

So, without any hesitation he asked Zi Yan if she wanted to be employed and adopted by him. Though expecting for her to decline, after all, who would easily trust a stranger?

And unexpectedly, she actually accepted!? What Xiao Yan didn't know at the time. Zi Yan was actually about to do what he thought she would do, declining and even running away from the rather handsome stranger. But a unknown feeling of warmth and familiarity that suddenly crept inside her heart stopped her.

Since then, Zi Yan, though her full name in paper from adoption is Xiao Zi Yan, life had changed for the better. She can eat any food she wanted, any clothes to wear, play around carefreely and a job to do that she still grumbles about once in a while.

Xiao Yan shook his head, amused and slightly concerned, as he made it so that in the second floor of the store was Zi Yan's own home. A room with a double bed, a kitchen, a living room, bathroom, etc etcetera.

But Zi Yan would sometimes just sleep in the cashier chair, which Xiao Yan knows that she would subconsciously do that when her guts tells her that he would be coming into the shop and she wanted to be there to wait for him.

Going behind the desk, Xiao Yan left arm went under Zi Yan's legs while his right arm circled around her shoulders. Without any trouble, he lifted her and carried her up to the second floor of her room.

'... Everytime I do this, I feel like the FBI would suddenly burst in and started busting everything till they arrest me.' Xiao Yan sweat dropped as he opened the door to the second floor.

"Hm..." Zi Yan's eyelids suddenly trembled and slowly opened, showing misty black eyes that still looked half-asleep. Looking around and to find Xiao Yan carrying her, she just closed her eyes and leaned back into his c.h.e.s.t.

"Good morning ge..." Zi Yan muttered.

"Un, good morning to you too Zi Yan. Now just go back to sleep okay? It still early for you to work, okay?" Xiao Yan muttered back as he stepped in front of the Zi Yan's bedroom door. He opened it to reveal a room that looked like a tornado had swept the entire room.

"...Though you have to clean this up when you wake up." Xiao Yan said with a chuckle as he maneuvered around the clothes, candy packs and blanket on the floor. Putting Zi Yan in her bed, he got the blanket on the floor, brushing off some dust to make it clean, he put it on Zi Yan's body. She snuggled tightly into the blanket with a smile on her face, she then muttered.

"Ge, your the best..."

Xiao Yan just smiled gently at the now comfy and asleep girl before standing up and walked out of the room, not before closing the door, and went back to the first floor.

He then looked at the wall clock behind the cashier desk, that had the numbers of 6:25 am.

'Looks like I've got time to concoct a few pills to restock the store.' Xiao Yan inwardly decided as he went and gone to a back door that could only be accessed by him and Zi Yan. The back room had herbal ingredients from medicinal to poisonous, which each had their own jade containers, that would help preserved them more, and separated so the herbs won't contaminate with one another. As well as other extra pills if the shelves outside is of need of restocking.

'Hm... Looks like I need to restock most of the tier 1-3 pills here and a few tier four pills. Business is booming as ever.' Xiao Yan inwardly cheered as he checked each pill jade bottles and herb bottles.

Which is expected. He is the only alchemist in the district, probably even the city, that can make tier 4, and tier 5 pills if specially requested, that can reach a purity of 100%. Which are most sought after by all spirit masters.

The worth of a pill is define by both their use and purity, but mostly the latter. After all, even if the pill has heaven defying powers given when digested, if the purity of the pill is of shitty grade the power the pill has, it wouldn't be able to brought out even by it's full potential. If it were a 100% purity, the effects of the pill will be completely brought out. But creating a 100% perfect pill is easier said than done. Only those of a higher tier, with a lot of experience and control of their flames could hope to achieve such a thing.

Example, if someone is a very experienced and at tier 7 alchemist. They would possibly be able to bring the purity of their tier 1 to tier 5 pills to 100% due to their experience of concocting numerous amounts of the same pills and great flame control. But if a alchemist is at tier 7 but with a small experience and control of their flames on concocting pills won't have the same result as the former.

It could already be said that for someone to be at tier 7, mean they are at Spirit Sage rank. Even if they aren't as rare as Titled Douluos, they just ranked third. What's worst, Spirit Sage alchemist are much more rarer by ten times. Meaning they are as rare as Titled Douluos. Only those from sects or nobles that can hire their services can they have a privilege like that. So pills that have 100% purity being sold ordinarily in this city, is something that anyone would do to buy them.

Xiao Yan especially know about this, and unlike some ignorant and naive protagonists that would be easily exploited, he would be used this opportunity to devour those desperate users–customers.

He would rise the prices of the pills from five to ten times of their original prices to nobles or anyone that looked as if they were rich and fan afford them. As for those with ordinary background, he would just sell them at the original prices. And of course, he had already this move to Zi Yan.

There were problems at first. Arrogant young masters kind. Showing off and flaunting their status to his store and ordered him to be their supplier and below the original prices he would sell them to them. And of course, like a protagonist Xiao Yan just face slapped or kicked them off of his place.

Then came retaliation, which were all ended easily. All of the families of those young masters didn't have a Spirit Sage or Spirit Emperor, the only level of spirit masters that can make Xiao Yan get a little serious. Of course he didn't kill them, those kinds were reserved for those who really pissed him off. No, he humiliated them and acted as a message to send to all those who had malicious intent to his store.

He wasn't like those hypocrite protagonists who all wanted to kill people for justice and shit. No. He is someone who has the memories and experiences of the Flame Emperor and a man of culture. If he were to kill someone, he would do it if they are bastards that would dare go after the ones he loves.

For those who just pissed him, he would humiliate them. For those who touches his reverse scales? They deserve death. No one, not even the gods and devils themselves, would touch the ones he loves.