C8 – Crazy Pill Refining
After exiting the auction house, Min Zhenkang ducked into a corner to change his clothes and then made a beeline for the pharmacy.
“Pal, I need three doses of these,” he said, handing the previous list back to the pharmacy clerk.
In no time, the clerk had the medicine ready. Min Zhenkang paid and quickly took the medicine back to Min’s mansion.
Upon arriving home, a maidservant stopped him.
“Young Master, Miss Keke was looking for you this morning. She left when she didn’t find you here.”
“Oh no, I completely forgot,” he blurted out, then dashed from Min’s mansion toward the Chu residence.
“Grandfather Chu.” Only Chu Le was present in the courtyard.Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m
“Zhenkang, you’re here for Keke, aren’t you? She’s gone to make tea. Please, have a seat,” Chu Le said, gesturing to a nearby chair.
“Did you attempt to refine any Pills yesterday?”
“Grandfather, I did try to refine a few pills yesterday, but all attempts ended in failure.”
“Failing is to be expected. It’s your first time refining Pills without a master’s guidance; it’s naturally challenging.” Chu Le couldn’t offer much help with pill refining to avoid giving poor advice. “By the way, how has your grandfather been lately?”
“He’s been in seclusion for some time now.”
“Seclusion, huh? It looks like your grandfather is aiming for a final push!”
“Zhenkang, you’re here!” Chu Keke, emerging from the house and spotting Min Zhenkang in the yard, hurried over.
“You two chat; I’m going to rest,” Chu Le said, leaving them.
“Keke, I heard you were looking for me this morning?” Zhenkang asked, a sheepish grin on his face.
“Yes, but you weren’t at the mansion. Where did you go, Zhenkang?”
“I was at the auction house, so I wasn’t home. You’re not upset, are you, Keke?”
“Zhenkang, what brought you to the auction house? If you need something, just let me know. Maybe I can help you out.”
“Thanks, Keke. I was just browsing at the auction house; I didn’t actually need anything.” Min Zhenkang felt a sudden urge to pull the girl before him into an embrace.
“Zhenkang, why do I sense that you’re a bit different today than you were yesterday?”
“Do you? It must be because you’ve been missing me, that’s all.”
“Oh, Zhenkang, you’re so full of yourself,” Chu Keke teased, playfully scratching her cheek in mock annoyance.
He then visited the medicine store, intending to purchase ingredients for nine batches of the Muscle Meridian Cleansing Powder, only to find just six batches available. Settling for the six, he quickly returned home to continue his dedicated pill refining.
After consuming a pill to sustain his cultivation, Min Zhenkang returned to the auction house the next day to continue his business. This time, before the auction commenced, he inquired whether it was possible to barter, specifically to trade pills for medicinal herbs. Receiving an affirmative response, Zhenkang promptly exchanged all his auction proceeds for twenty sets of herbs, two more than the original eighteen sets he was entitled to, thanks to the auction house’s generosity.
Once home, Zhenkang secluded himself to refine pills, and by the time he finished with all twenty sets, daylight had already filled the sky, leaving no time for further cultivation that day.
With that, Zhenkang brought ten pills back to the auction house. Elder Di, the seasoned appraiser, was visibly impressed by the flawless quality of the pills, despite his decades of experience. He scrutinized Min Zhenkang intently, trying to pierce through his disguise, but to no avail.
Even though Zhenkang had altered his voice, Elder Di was no fool. He could tell by Zhenkang’s hands that the voice was feigned—a common trick. Nonetheless, Elder Di acted with haste, passing the pills to the maidservant for auction. As she entered, Zhenkang caught Elder Di off guard with an unexpected remark.
“Elder Di, this will be my final visit to auction pills. I hope they fetch a handsome price.”
“Rest assured, sir, the auction will certainly meet your expectations,” Elder Di replied, secretly lamenting the missed opportunity for the auction house to elevate its status with such exceptional pills, even if they were only Level One Meridian Cleansing Powder. He recognized that the alchemist behind these pills must be of a high caliber, and establishing a connection with such a craftsman would undoubtedly be fortuitous.
The auction house certainly didn’t disappoint Min Zhenkang. The ten Perfect Grade Meridian Cleansing Powders fetched a staggering 4,000 Mysterious Stones, far surpassing Min Zhenkang’s expectations. He had originally thought that selling them for 3,000 Mysterious Stones would have been quite an achievement.
Perhaps the feverish bidding was due to it being the final auction for the Meridian Cleansing Powder, coupled with its impeccable quality and the auction house’s enthusiastic promotion. These factors drove the price to such impressive heights.
“Sir, here are your 4,000 Mysterious Stones, please keep them safe. Additionally, this is our Heaven and Earth Auction House VIP card. With this card, you’re a VIP member at any of our branches, including the main branch. You’ll receive a 10% discount on purchases and a 50% discount on auction commissions,” the auction house representative said.
To forge a friendship with Min Zhenkang, it was clear that the Heaven and Earth Auction House had spared no expense.
Min Zhenkang had seen a VIP card like this with his father before, but this one was clearly different.
“Shouldn’t it be 3,600 Mysterious Stones?” Min Zhenkang asked, puzzled as he looked at the 4,000 Mysterious Stones in his Bag of Heaven and Earth.
“Allow me to explain, sir. The auction house executives decided to waive the commission fee for your auction, so the total is actually 5,000 Mysterious Stones. Please verify the amount,” Elder Di clarified, stepping forward to address Min Zhenkang’s confusion.
“Thank you, Elder Di. I have a question for you,” Zhenkang said, recalling that he still lacked his own flame. While he could manage to refine low-level Pills with his Profound Qi, refining high-level Pills would undoubtedly require a flame of his own.
“Please, sir, don’t hesitate to ask. If there’s any way our auction house can assist you, we are fully committed to doing so,” Elder Di responded warmly.
“Do you have any flames available for auction?”
“May I ask what type of flame you’re interested in? Or perhaps a specific level of flame?”
“The higher the level, the better. Ideally, I’d prefer to barter for it.”
“I’ll keep an eye out for you, sir. But if we do acquire the flame you desire at the auction house, how shall we contact you?” Elder Di was clearly trying to forge a connection with Min Zhenkang.
“If the Heaven and Earth Auction House comes into possession of such a flame, simply hang a flag with a flame emblem at the entrance. I’ll see it and come by.” Min Zhenkang preferred to keep his identity to himself.
“Understood, sir.” It seemed his own plans had come to naught.
“Thank you for your assistance, Elder Di.” With that, Min Zhenkang departed without further delay.
Elder Di watched Min Zhenkang’s retreating figure and hastened to consult with the executives of the Heaven and Earth Auction House. What exactly Elder Di and the auction house officials discussed remained a matter known only to them.