Finding a Powerful Backer
"Uncle Gu Ni, is this the villa?"
"Yes, miss. I'll go to Song Bai Gate Office."
"Um."
"Ya Fei, auctioneer at the Mittel Auction House in Wutan City, requests an audience with a master."
"Ya Fei?"
Ye Feng's lips curled slightly, thinking to himself that the other party had arrived very quickly, "Let's let it cool down first."
Ye Feng, observing the pills being refined in the cauldron, showed no hurry to see Ya Fei. He continued refining the pills. Even after the pills were finished, Ye Feng still showed no intention of going to see Ya Fei. Instead, he continued refining the pills.
"It's been so long, why is there still no movement?" Gu Ni asked.
"Great masters always have some unique characteristics. That flame just now should be Heavenly Flames I've seen in ancient books. Possessing Heavenly Flames means you have the qualifications to fight against a Dou Huang powerhouse. Let's wait a little longer," Ya Fei said.
"Okay." Gu Ni nodded.
A unique fragrance wafted from the villa.
"Danxiang?"
Ya Fei's eyes widened in surprise, and she exclaimed, "He's refining pills?"
"It can't be wrong."
Gu Ni's eyes were filled with shock.
"Uncle Gu Ni, I remember you told me that only fourth-grade pills emit a fragrant aroma. Is that right?"
"Yes."
"So that means he's also an alchemist, at the fourth rank?"
"It should be. That's really strange. Wutan City is just a small place, how could a fourth-grade alchemist appear there?"
Gu Ni was deeply shocked. A fourth-grade alchemist in the Alchemist Guild of the Gamma Empire would be a figure of elder rank, or the head of a branch in a first-class city. Yet he had never heard of a fourth-grade alchemist arriving in Wutan City.
"Uncle Gu Ni, this place is attracting a lot of people. Could you do Ya Fei a favor?"
"Alright, I'll go and dismiss these people. Just make sure they don't disturb this senior's alchemy."
Gu Ni understood Ya Fei's intentions.
Ya Fei were twofold: first, she didn't want these people to disturb Ye Feng's alchemy; second, she wanted to monopolize Ye Feng and prevent other forces from competing with her.
Gu Ni also wanted to meet this mysterious fourth-grade alchemist. He even hoped to receive some guidance from the master. Even just a word or two would be immensely beneficial to him.
With so many benefits, Gu Ni naturally didn't want others to share them with him.
Gu Ni revealed his identity, deterring those gathered there. He also brought in some people from the Mittel Auction House to maintain order.
Danxiang's appearance still alarmed the three major families in the city: the Xiao Family, the Ouba Family Jia Lie Family. Upon hearing the news, the three families rushed to the scene.
A fourth-grade alchemist is a figure of great importance in the Gamma Empire. In the small Wutan City, such a figure is enough to attract the attention of the three major families.
In the original storyline, a first-grade alchemist once appeared and stirred up the market in Wutan City, almost bankrupting the Xiao Family and Ouba Family. This demonstrates the importance of alchemists in the Douluo Continent.
The alchemist appearing in Wutan City right now is not a first-grade alchemist, but a fourth-grade one. The difference between the two is like heaven and earth.
On the first day, Ye Feng did not Open Gate to receive guests.
The next day, Ye Feng did not Open Gate to receive guests.
On the seventh day, Ye Feng still did not Open Gate to receive guests.
"Miss, the Clan Chief of the three major families have all returned. Only one elder has been left here to guard the place. Why don't you go back first? I'll send someone to inform you when the senior is willing to Open Gate to receive guests," Gu Ni suggested.
"No. If I go back now, what difference will there be between me and the Clan Chief of the three major families? I will continue to wait. No matter the wind or rain, I will continue to wait here until he is willing to Open Gate to receive guests," Ya Fei said stubbornly.
On the eighth day, Ye Feng did not Open Gate to receive guests.
On the fourteenth day, Ye Feng did not Open Gate to receive guests.
On the fifteenth day, a powerful energy ripple emanated from the villa.
"Energy Ripple, Grade 5 Pill."
Gu Ni was shocked. Being able to refine a fifth-grade pill meant that the senior he mentioned was a fifth-grade alchemist.
The elixir has a fragrant aroma, which is a sign that the elixir has reached the fourth grade.
The ability of elixirs to generate energy ripples is a sign that the elixir has reached the fifth grade.
If a pill can trigger Heaven and Earth Phenomenon, then the pill's grade would be sixth grade.
Over the past ten days or so, different fragrances of elixirs had been emanating from the villa from time to time. This indicated that the alchemists inside were refining different elixirs.
On the sixteenth day, red clouds appeared in the sky above Beiyuan.
"Strange phenomenon".
Gu Ni exclaimed in surprise.
The red clouds, carrying a very high temperature, formed a flame shape in the sky.
"Sixth rank!"
The First Elder of the Xiao Family exclaimed in surprise.
"Could the person inside be Pill King Gu He? Or perhaps the president of the Alchemist Guild?"
Gu Ni believed that only Pill King Gu He and the president of the Alchemist Guild were capable of refining sixth-grade pills.
"Quickly, tell the Clan Chief this news."
The First Elder of the Xiao Family, the Jia Lie Family, and the Ouba Family all instructed their entourage to inform their respective clan Clan Chief of this important news.
Before long, the Clan Chief of the three major families gathered at this villa.
The strange phenomenon in the sky disappeared, and so did the unusually high temperature of the Heavenly Flames.
"Is it finished?"
The Clan Chief of the Jia Lie Family couldn't wait any longer. He opened the brocade box in front of him and respectfully addressed the villa, saying, "Jia Lie Bi, the patriarch of the Gale Family, one of the three great families of Wutan City, brings his family's most treasured possession and requests an audience with you, senior."
Seeing the actions of the Jia Lie Family Clan Chief, the Ouba Family Clan Chief Ouba Pa, and the Xiao Family Clan Chief Xiao Zhan, fearing they would fall behind, quickly opened the brocade boxes before them, revealing their respective family treasures. They all hoped to curry favor with the "owner" of the villa.
"Ouba Pa, the patriarch of the Oba Family, one of the three major families in Wutan City, brings his family's most prized possession and requests an audience with you, senior."
"Xiao Zhan, the Clan Chief of the Xiao Family family, one of the three major families in Wutan City, brings his family's most treasured possession and requests an audience with you, senior."
When sending gifts to an alchemist, one should naturally send expensive medicinal herbs.
The medicinal herbs that Jia Lie Bi, Ouba Pa, and Xiao Zhan brought out weren't of very high grade, only fourth and fifth rank. Even so, these herbs were the prized possessions of their respective families. They had gone to great lengths to curry favor with this mysterious alchemist.
This is understandable, as the Clan Chief of the three major families could not be blamed. Any one of these families, if they gained the favor of an alchemist and acquired their assistance, would have the opportunity to monopolize the market in Wutan City. This was precisely what the Clan Chief of the three families feared most.
"Miss," Gu Ni reminded Ya Fei.
Seeing the three families acting this way, Ya Fei had no choice but to take out a brocade box in advance and say loudly, "Ya Fei, chief auctioneer of the Mittel Family's Wutan City auction house, requests an audience with you, senior."
After the voices of the four influential figures from Wutan City faded, no sound came from within the villa. About five seconds later, a slightly childish voice rang out from inside.
"The Blood Flame Sky Lotus is only a fourth-grade medicinal herb. I remember the Xiao Family has a family heirloom jade. The Xiao Family wants to use the Blood Flame Sky Lotus to meet me, but that shows a lack of sincerity."