Jia Ma Royal Family

After briefly meeting the other members of the Mite'er Family, Gu He and Teng Shan went to the courtyard to talk. After finishing a cup of Jade Dew Tea, Teng Shan was the first to set down his cup and said with a smile, "Old Gu! Did you know that because of your hobby, the price of top-quality Jade Dew Tea on the market has risen by at least thirty percent? Tell me, if I can't drink Jade Dew Tea in the future, shouldn't I come looking for trouble with you?"

Hearing Teng Shan's words, Gu He could not help but feel his teeth ache. He said incredulously, "That actually happened?"

"You've underestimated your reputation and people's desire for pills. If I weren't the Mite'er Family head, if I weren't a Dou Wang, then just to have a pill refined, I would hoard the things you were interested in and find every possible way to give them to you, as long as you would help refine pills." Teng Shan suddenly grew somewhat emotional as he spoke.

"Ultimately, there are simply too few alchemists." There were two prerequisites for becoming an alchemist: one's body had to possess a fire affinity mixed with a trace of wood affinity, and one had to be born with powerful soul perception. In the world of Dou Po, a person's affinities were determined by their soul. A soul possessed only one affinity and could not be mixed with any others, unless the soul mutated. Those with mutated souls had the potential to become alchemists! Powerful soul perception was the key to controlling fire. If one's soul perception was even slightly lacking, their fire control would fail to meet the standard, and that cauldron of pills would more or less be ruined.

Meeting those conditions merely allowed one to become an alchemist. To become a higher-grade alchemist, both talent and hard work were indispensable. As for becoming a Sixth-grade Alchemist like Gu He, there was only one among millions. It was therefore no wonder why high-grade alchemists were so sought after.

Setting aside these rather heavy topics, Gu He asked Teng Shan, "Brother Teng Shan, have any of the major families in the Imperial Capital contacted you about refining pills?" When Gu He had first arrived in the Imperial Capital, he and Teng Shan had agreed that whenever Gu He was absent from the Imperial Capital or unable to show himself due to other matters, Teng Shan would represent him in discussions with the other families concerning pill refinement.

"The Jia Ma Royal Family hopes you can refine a Primal Bone-Shaping Pill. They have already delivered ten portions of medicinal ingredients as payment, along with three portions of ingredients for refining the Primal Bone-Shaping Pill. The Mu Family wants you to refine a Spirit Dou Pill. They have gathered thirteen portions in total and sent over eleven; they are still collecting the remaining two."

"The Mite'er Family also wants a Spirit Dou Pill refined. All thirty-seven portions of medicinal ingredients are in this Ring. The Nalan Family did not place enough importance on medicinal ingredients and was a step too late in buying up ingredients for sixth-grade pills from the market. Nalan Jie was also fortunate enough to obtain a Spirit Dou Pill before, so he likely will not pay a huge price to trade with other families for ingredients to refine pills. In other words, aside from the Mu Family's remaining two portions, it will be difficult for you to gather more ingredients in the Imperial Capital." As Teng Shan spoke, he handed a Ring to Gu He. Before Gu He had left last time, he had given Teng Shan a list of ingredients that could make up a set for a sixth-grade pill, so there was no issue of Teng Shan not knowing the exact quantities needed.

"That was within expectations. I never naively thought that was all the reserves they had."

Gu He directly put away the Ring without inspecting its contents one by one.

"What, you trust me that much? Those are medicinal ingredients worth millions of gold coins. Aren't you afraid I might pocket them?" Teng Shan joked.

"I trust Brother Teng Shan. If I can't even trust Brother Teng Shan, then who can I trust?" Gu He said seriously.

A trace of emotion flashed through Teng Shan's eyes. He did not continue the topic and instead began speaking of the shock that the heavenly phenomenon caused by Gu He refining a sixth-grade pill at the Alchemist Guild had brought to the Imperial Capital.

"The Jia Ma Royal Family had already delivered their ingredients to the Mite'er Family, but the Mu Family and Nalan Family had been hesitating. After you successfully refined a sixth-grade pill, the Mu Family sent over eleven portions that very day. The Nalan Family has also been buying medicinal ingredients in the market and the Imperial Capital's black market, causing a slight rise in ingredient prices. If you stay in the Imperial Capital a little longer, the Nalan Family will definitely personally deliver the ingredients to you." Teng Shan spoke cheerfully.

Gu He's advancement to Sixth-grade Alchemist had left most of these families doubtful. Their hesitation had merely been doubt over his alchemy skills, and nothing was more convincing than personally refining a sixth-grade pill successfully on the first attempt. Once news of Gu He successfully refining a Spirit Dou Pill spread, these families decisively changed their attitudes. It was no wonder Teng Shan felt so pleased.

"Most people in these families probably doubted that I had advanced to Sixth-grade Alchemist. Under such circumstances, it was only normal for them to be cautious." Gu He did not particularly resent what these families had done.

"Old Gu really is magnanimous. Oh, right—the Jia Ma Royal Family only left the ingredients with me. They did not give me the formula for the Primal Bone-Shaping Pill, saying they would hand it to you personally. Having learned that you came to the Mite'er Family, they are probably almost here." Teng Shan reminded him as though he had just recalled it.

"Oh, Elder Jia is probably bringing their juniors over." Gu He and Teng Shan exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly.

They both knew that the Misty Cloud Sect was like a massive boulder pressing upon the Jia Ma Royal Family's chest, one that could not be moved. Otherwise, the wound it left behind would be enough to kill the entire nation. In previous years, as Yun Shan, the older generation's Misty Cloud Sect leader, had gone into seclusion and ceased handling affairs, while Yun Yun, the new generation's leader, had yet to fully mature, the Jia Ma Royal Family had finally breathed easier. But as Yun Yun grew stronger, especially with her impending advancement to Dou Emperor, the pressure on the Jia Ma Royal Family sharply increased. Once Yun Yun became a Dou Emperor, she would possess sufficient prestige to unify all the open and hidden forces of the Misty Cloud Sect. That force had been built upon the Misty Cloud Sect's inheritance of several centuries, enough to make even the Jia Ma Royal Family feel suffocated.

At such a time, a Sixth-grade Alchemist breaking away from the Misty Cloud Sect undoubtedly gave the Jia Ma Royal Family room to breathe. If they could recruit this Sixth-grade Alchemist, the increase in power and enhanced ability to attract experts would be enough to give the Jia Ma Royal Family confidence to contend with the Misty Cloud Sect. Thus, even knowing the chance was extremely small, Jia Xingtian would not give up recruiting him as long as there was even a sliver of hope.

Sure enough, a servant soon reported that the Jia Ma Royal Family had arrived. Teng Shan could only say helplessly, "Old Gu, I'll go receive them first. Sit here for a while."

"Go on! Welcoming the guests comes first." Gu He waved dismissively.

After sitting in the courtyard for a while, Gu He soon saw Teng Shan leading Jia Xingtian toward him, followed by two women, one older and one younger. Gu He guessed that they were the Two Princesses of the Jia Ma Royal Family. It was rather tragic: although the Jia Ma Royal Family had many members, the only truly outstanding ones of this generation were the Two Princesses.

When they drew near, Gu He stood and cupped his hands in greeting. "Elder Jia, you look quite well today!"

Although Gu He had long since crossed out the possibility of being recruited by the Jia Ma Royal Family, he still showed a measure of respect toward Jia Xingtian, the publicly acknowledged strongest expert in the Jia Ma Empire.

"Haha, Pill King, you look quite well yourself today. I feel that your bearing has gained much more vitality, as though you suddenly became far younger." Jia Xingtian had merely been exchanging ordinary pleasantries, but after remaining at the Peak Dou Emperor for so long, although he had not dared to break through for fear of failing to advance to Dou Zong, his perception had grown increasingly sharp. He noticed the unusual change in Gu He's bearing after he absorbed Spiritual Energy and furrowed his brow in confusion. Yet he was not an alchemist and had never understood the realms of the soul, so naturally he could not know that this change in temperament came from Gu He's inability to swiftly control his greatly increased Soul Power after absorbing Spiritual Energy, allowing a faint trace of it to leak out.

Gu He's heart tightened. His vigilance toward this old monster who had lived for over a century rose even higher, but his face showed no abnormality as he said, "Oh, perhaps it is because I resolved a knot that had troubled me for a long time!" As for what that knot was, Gu He did not say, leaving them to speculate.

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