Chapter 8: Appraising the Pill

In Yun City, the City Lord's Manor stood at the very center. The Four Great Families were spread across the four cardinal directions — east, south, west, and north.

Given Miaodan Pavilion's current standing, it had the influence to occupy the central position in ninety-nine percent of the cities across the Nation of Tingxiang. Yet this vast organization had chosen a location only slightly closer to the city center than the great families — and it was the same in Yun City as it was everywhere else.

It was precisely this humility and refusal to compete for prominence that earned Miaodan Pavilion considerable goodwill from the City Lord's Manor in every city it operated in.

After about fifteen minutes, Tang Yan finally arrived at the entrance of Miaodan Pavilion.

The pavilion occupied a sizable plot of land. The front hall handled the sale of lower-grade pills and various medicinal herbs.

Stepping inside the shop, Tang Yan noticed the shelves were not particularly well-stocked.

"Young master, what can I do for you?" A shop attendant immediately greeted him with a warm smile upon seeing someone enter.

Tang Yan flicked open his folding fan and asked with a grin, "Do you have any pills that boost True Qi?"

"Our Miaodan Pavilion carries two main types of pills for boosting True Qi — the Foundation Pill and the Qi Elevation Pill," the attendant promptly replied.

Tang Yan was familiar with both. They were both first-grade Pills. The Foundation Pill was a lower-tier first-grade Pill, primarily intended for warriors at the Primary Realm. The Qi Elevation Pill was of a slightly higher grade, suitable for warriors at the Yellow Realm and below.

While both types of pills were reasonably suited to his current needs, buying medicine was not the actual purpose of his visit. With his purse as light as it was, he could afford at most half a bottle of Foundation Pills.

"Do you have any second-grade Pills?" Tang Yan snapped his folding fan shut and patted his chest confidently. "Money is no object for this young master!"

The attendant's mouth twitched at that. Is this guy just asking to be fleeced? Still, second-grade pills were genuinely not something sold openly over the counter. The attendant's expression turned awkward. "Young master, I'm afraid we don't have those."

Tang Yan's eyes went wide. He slammed his fan down on the counter and bellowed, "What?! A prestigious establishment like Miaodan Pavilion, and the highest grade of True Qi-boosting pills you sell openly is mid-tier first-grade?!"

That shout — delivered at full volume by the First Young Master Tang — instantly drew every eye in the room. Fortunately, Miaodan Pavilion was no ordinary shop, and there were not many customers inside.

"Young master, second-grade Pills require a second-grade Alchemist to refine, and they are produced in limited quantities. They are supplied exclusively to the great families and are not placed on open sale. Given your distinguished bearing, you are surely from a prominent household and should be aware of our shop's policies," the attendant explained patiently.

"If the pills are going to be sold eventually anyway, and this young master has plenty of money, why not sell some directly to me?" the young master said with breezy nonchalance.

The attendant was growing flustered. Miaodan Pavilion, despite its considerable power, preferred to avoid unnecessary disputes. This young master's fine appearance clearly marked him as the scion of a great family, and a mere shop attendant could not afford to offend him lightly.

Caught between hesitation and indecision, the attendant found himself at a complete loss for words.

"Miaodan Pavilion has its own rules, and second-grade pills are rarely sold retail. However, since the young master has money, and rules are made by people — I will make an exception and sell you one bottle of Qi Gathering Pills. A second-grade pill, freshly refined not long ago." A deep, aged yet vigorous voice rang out.

Everyone turned to look. An elderly man in a gray robe stepped unhurriedly out from the back of the shop. His eyebrows were streaked with white, his eyes sharp and bright, a small tuft of beard adorned his chin, and his hands were clasped behind his back.

"Elder Ge!" Every single attendant in Miaodan Pavilion bowed their heads in greeting.

Ge Ming — Grand Elder of Miaodan Pavilion in Yun City, a second-grade Alchemist, and a figure of higher standing than Wu Xuan.

As for the Qi Gathering Pill, it was a mid-tier second-grade pill with an exceptionally gentle medicinal nature. Even a warrior at the first grade of the Primary Realm could consume it without risk of their Meridians rupturing from the surge of energy. For this reason, it was also the preferred choice among the great families for nurturing their most promising young talents.

However, the pill was notoriously difficult to refine. Even a mid-tier second-grade Alchemist faced a considerable failure rate when attempting it.

Tang Yan furrowed his brow slightly. He caught a faint, barely-there smell of something burnt in the air, and his gaze settled on the old man.

He glanced meaningfully at the porcelain bottle in the elder's hand, then stepped forward with a smile. "Qi Gathering Pills? How much?"

"I won't bore you with a lengthy introduction to the effects. This bottle contains three pills. At auction, they could fetch up to one hundred thousand taels of silver at the highest bid. I won't deceive you — I'll sell them to you, young friend, for exactly one hundred thousand taels. What do you say?" Ge Ming announced in a clear voice, though the look in his eyes as he regarded Tang Yan carried a trace of disdain.

A pampered second-generation heir who fancied himself wealthy — and he dared to make a scene in Miaodan Pavilion?

Tang Yan was cursing inwardly. This old geezer — the highest auction price is one hundred thousand, and you're selling them to me for one hundred thousand? Keeping his expression perfectly neutral, Tang Yan laughed heartily. "Of course, of course. Might I be permitted to inspect the pills first?"

"Oh? Do you suspect that what I'm offering you is counterfeit?" A cold glint flashed briefly through Ge Ming's eyes.

Tang Yan quickly waved his hand. "Miaodan Pavilion has stood on this continent for countless years with an impeccable reputation. It would never ruin its name over a mere one hundred thousand taels. However, this young master has never personally seen a Qi Gathering Pill before, and I'd like to appraise it first — to avoid buying the wrong medicine and having trouble explaining myself when I get home."

"If you want to look, go ahead. But if you accidentally damage the pill, you will be charged the full price." Ge Ming handed over the porcelain bottle, the mockery in his eyes growing even more pronounced. A young man with not even a flicker of True Qi fluctuation on him — and he had the audacity to talk about appraising pills?

Tang Yan accepted the bottle with a smile, gently pulled out the stopper just enough to open a tiny gap, brought it to the tip of his nose for a single light sniff, then smoothly pressed the stopper back in.

"Finished your appraisal?" Seeing how casually Tang Yan had handled it, Ge Ming's contempt deepened further.

"All done." Tang Yan gave a nod.

Appraising a pill properly required, first, examining its form — a smooth, round surface was ideal. Second, one observed its color — an even, uniform hue was preferred. Third, one sensed the Spiritual Energy within the medicine; those without sufficient cultivation would typically rely on specialized instruments. There were even more complex appraisal methods beyond these, but none of that mattered here — this young fool was clearly all bluster, pretending to know what he was doing.

Even the shop attendant standing nearby wore a look of open mockery.

Little Cui, for her part, hung her head in embarrassment. Even she, who had never taken a pill in her life, had heard that appraising one was not as simple as taking a single sniff. Still, Little Cui did not flee in mortification. After years of weathering embarrassing situations alongside her young master, she had built up a certain immunity.

"So — is this Qi Gathering Pill genuine or not?" Ge Ming pressed.

The First Young Master Tang hummed thoughtfully, tapping his palm with his folding fan for a long moment before finally speaking. "The pill is genuine, no question about that. However, the price is still open for discussion."

"Oh? And how much does young friend think would be appropriate?" Ge Ming was already prepared to close the sale.

"Three thousand taels of silver. Take it or leave it?"

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Edited by Fat Goose