Back Mountain

"Then, let's discuss how we'll split the profits!" Yun Shu looked at Xiao Zhan.

"Well... being able to cooperate with Your Excellency is an honor for the Xiao Family. As for the split, how about thirty-seventy? You take seven, and we take three. What do you think?"

Since the Xiao Family's market had not yet been suppressed by the other two great families, Xiao Zhan did not propose a one-nine split as he had in the original story.

But Yun Shu would not haggle over such a small amount. After all, his main goal was to have the Xiao Family help gather Medicinal Herbs and Magic Cores. As for money, it would all be used for the Lottery anyway.

"Happy cooperation!" Yun Shu said to Xiao Zhan with a smile.

"How did the discussion about the partnership go, little brother?" Ya Fei entered at that moment. She appeared to be checking on Yun Shu's affairs, but in truth, she was here to warn the Xiao Family not to do anything foolish...

"Sister Ya Fei, we've already settled everything." Yun Shu walked to Ya Fei's side with a smile and stood beside her.

"Did you refine all these pills?" Ya Fei asked in surprise when she saw the three hundred small porcelain bottles on the table.

"Mm. Although my success rate isn't very high yet, I've accumulated quite a lot over time." Yun Shu was telling Xiao Zhan in advance: My success rate in pill refinement isn't high...

There was no helping it. The Xiao Family had Yao Lao, and Yun Shu did not dare use Strange Fire to refine pills. He could only use Dou Qi flames, which had a lower success rate.

"Since the partnership has been settled, little brother, go visit the Xiao Family with Clan Leader Xiao. I still need to deal with that Dou Technique scroll you left with me. Once I'm done, I'll have someone notify you!"

"Mm, then please come with me to the Xiao Family, Your Excellency!" Xiao Zhan said excitedly.

He had gone out once and returned with an alchemist.

Once he got back, he could see the expressions on those trash who spent all day coveting his position as Clan Leader.

Xiao Family.

After Xiao Zhan and Yun Shu arrived at the Xiao Family, Xiao Zhan immediately summoned every member of the clan. It seemed he intended to hold an introduction and welcome gathering in the Guest Hall.

"Clan Leader, who is this little brother?" Before everyone had arrived, Xiao Zhan had not spoken, and no one else dared to either. Only the three elders who had always opposed Xiao Zhan looked at Yun Shu, who was currently resting with his eyes closed, and asked in surprise.

Ever since arriving at the Xiao Family, Yun Shu had abandoned the gentle attitude he had shown at the Mittel Auction House. His face was stern, and since Xiao Zhan had not introduced him, he did not speak either.

It could not be helped. He was an alchemist, after all, and he had to keep up appearances. In ordinary people's eyes, alchemists were exceptionally noble and arrogant figures. If Yun Shu acted easy to push around, some trash might really look down on him.

"Since the Great Elder has brought it up, I won't wait any longer!" Xiao Zhan did not look at the Great Elder. Instead, he swept his gaze over the Xiao Family's younger generation and upper ranks. When he realized his son, Xiao Yan, had not come, he sighed inwardly.

"This master is Master Yun Shu, a First-Rank Alchemist I invited from the Mittel Auction House to cooperate with our Xiao Family!" The moment Xiao Zhan finished speaking, it was as if a stone had stirred a thousand waves, and the entire Guest Hall exploded into an uproar.

"An alchemist?! No way!"

"Didn't you hear the Clan Leader? He was invited from the Mittel Auction House!"

"Such a young alchemist! I feel like he isn't even older than me. That's insane!"

"Drop the 'feel like.' He's definitely younger than you! Just look at the beard on your chin!"

"An alchemist... he became a Dou Zhe at such a young age. He's got something, all right!" In a corner, an incomparably beautiful girl in a pale purple dress murmured as she looked at the boy in the center of the hall, who seemed to be lost in thought.

"Quiet!!" Seeing that the scene had unfolded as he expected, Xiao Zhan nodded in satisfaction before speaking.

"From now on, seeing Master Yun Shu will be the same as seeing me, the Clan Leader. Everyone, remember this well: do not offend the master. Otherwise, even I do not know what your fate will be!" What Xiao Zhan meant was that anyone who offended Yun Shu would be left for Yun Shu to handle personally.

After hearing this, everyone sat up straight, pursed their lips, and looked carefully at Yun Shu, afraid their appearance might displease this distinguished alchemist... and get them killed.

"It's not as frightening as Clan Leader Xiao makes it sound. Just carry on as usual. So long as you don't disturb me while I'm busy, it'll be fine."

Seeing that Xiao Zhan's warning had gone a little too far and made him seem like a particularly difficult person to get along with, Yun Shu spoke up with a smile.

"Master Yun Shu has a pretty good personality!"

"Ah~ I'm falling for him!"

"He's a genius, an alchemist, and so damn handsome! Can you leave us ordinary people a way to survive?!"

Several days had already passed since Yun Shu came to the Xiao Family.

Damn, it was like going to work. Every day, when the sun was about to set, Yun Shu returned to the Mittel Auction House.

After all, that girl Ya Fei had arranged for his room to be right next to hers...

Although Xiao Zhan had also arranged a room for him, Yun Shu had no intention of staying at the Xiao Family. It had nothing to do with beautiful women; the main reason was that Yun Shu was not used to sleeping on the Xiao Family's hard bedboards.

So every morning, he refined some pills; in the afternoon, he wandered around; and at night, he got off work and went home. And sure enough, after several days, Yun Shu's control over flames had improved somewhat, and his success rate in refining Medicinal Herbs had risen directly to around seventy percent.

Sure enough, the more diligently one refined pills, the more one's pill-refining skill improved.

"Where are today's Medicinal Herbs?" Early in the morning, Yun Shu got up and arrived at the Xiao Family, only to find no Medicinal Herbs in his workshop today. He opened the door and asked the maid Ya Fei had assigned to him in confusion.

"Master, did you forget? This batch of Medicinal Herbs will not arrive until this afternoon."

"Oh~ I remember now!" Yun Shu slapped his forehead. He had been refining pills every day for the past two days and had gotten used to it. He had already used up all the Medicinal Herbs provided by the Mittel Auction House yesterday.

"Forget it. I'll wander around the Xiao Family today!" Yun Shu was happy to have some leisure time. Though he had gradually come to enjoy pill refinement, why not properly enjoy a rare relaxing day off?

He also had not seen Xiao Yan during this time, so Yun Shu decided to go see this protagonist himself.

When he arrived at the residence of the Xiao Family's Third Young Master, Yun Shu frowned at the utterly silent, empty house. Could he be at that so-called Back Mountain again...

Fine, then today I'll go see what the Back Mountain that appeared in practically every fantasy novel actually looked like.

With that thought, Yun Shu headed toward the Xiao Family's Back Mountain. As for why he did not use the faster method of "running," ahem! It would damage the image of a master alchemist.