The Whole City Was Shaken

Walking into the courtyard, Zhao Ping'an called to the Wet Nurse, who was hanging laundry, "Wet Nurse, please help me invite Guard Captain Steward Chen Donglai to see me."

Chen Donglai was the Guard Captain Steward of Jiang Manor. A Family Born Servant of Jiang Manor, he was loyal and dependable. With cultivation at the Late Channel Opening Realm, his strength was fairly respectable.

Zhao Ping'an needed not only manpower to go out and purchase medicinal ingredients, but also guards to deter Petty Thieves, lest someone failed to recognize their place and robbed a child of his money.

The Wet Nurse answered yes, paused her laundry, and left the courtyard to summon Chen Donglai.

Before long, a middle-aged man in his thirties, dressed in the uniform of Jiang Manor's guards, entered with the Wet Nurse and approached Zhao Ping'an.

"Cousin Young Master, what are your orders?" Chen Donglai asked respectfully with a bow.

He did not slight Zhao Ping'an because of his young age or because he was merely a cousin young master. On the contrary, he considered Zhao Ping'an extremely important.

Zhao Ping'an said, "I need to purchase a batch of medicinal ingredients. They are rather valuable, so send two guards to accompany me."

"As you command," Chen Donglai answered without hesitation.

Less than half an hour later, Zhao Ping'an and the Wet Nurse left in a carriage. Besides assigning two guards to follow them, Chen Donglai personally rode alongside them for protection.

The purchase of alchemy ingredients went both smoothly and poorly.

Smoothly, Zhao Ping'an bought the ingredients he needed without much effort. Poorly, the ingredients were so expensive that they made his tongue click in disbelief.

He had intended to buy one set of ingredients for the Hundred Herbs Pill and one set for the Qi and Blood Pill. Yet three hundred Silver Ingots were only enough for one set of Hundred Herbs Pill ingredients, and even those ingredients were of poor quality.

After returning to Jiang Manor and having the accompanying guards carry the ingredients into the Alchemy Room, Zhao Ping'an immediately began refining pills.

The Wet Nurse and Chen Donglai did not dare leave. They watched Zhao Ping'an's pill refinement closely, afraid that something might go wrong.

Alchemy itself was dangerous, let alone for Zhao Ping'an, who was only a one-year-old child.

The two accompanying guards did not leave either. They stood watch outside the door, curiously observing Zhao Ping'an refine pills.

Alchemy was an exceptionally noble craft.

Though it was Zhao Ping'an's first time refining pills, he was already highly practiced, proceeding in perfect order.

Chen Donglai and the two guards watched in utter astonishment. All they could do was marvel inwardly: A Child Prodigy was indeed a Child Prodigy. From the very beginning, he looked as though he had refined Spirit Pills for many years.

About an hour later, faint pill fragrance began to drift continuously from the Alchemy Furnace.

The fragrance was a rich, fragrant scent of grass and wood. One breath of it made a person feel refreshed and invigorated.

Chen Donglai was familiar with that pill fragrance, and his heart was shaken to its core. "Could Cousin Young Master be refining the Hundred Herbs Pill?!"

"The Hundred Herbs Pill is a Low-grade Spirit Pill. Only a true Alchemist can refine it!"

"But this is clearly Cousin Young Master's first time refining pills!!!!"

After another quarter of an hour, Zhao Ping'an opened the furnace and retrieved the pills, obtaining eight Hundred Herbs Pills in total.

A single batch of Spirit Pills could yield at most ten pills, while the usual yield was six. If the refinement failed, the ingredients would be utterly destroyed and nothing would remain, making alchemy rather risky.

As Zhao Ping'an placed the Hundred Herbs Pills into a small jade bottle, he thought to himself, It is not that my alchemy is lacking. The medicinal ingredients were simply too poor in quality.

After Zhao Ping'an put away all the Hundred Herbs Pills, Chen Donglai finally recovered from his immense shock and could not help asking, "Cousin Young Master, are the Spirit Pills you refined Hundred Herbs Pills?"

The Wet Nurse and the two guards also came back to their senses, pricking up their ears to listen.

"They are Hundred Herbs Pills." Zhao Ping'an nodded slightly.

"C-Cousin Young Master, you truly are a divine being!" Chen Donglai cried out with excitement and worship, nearly dropping to his knees before Zhao Ping'an.

The Wet Nurse and the two guards were even more appalled. Zhao Ping'an had actually refined the famous, exceedingly expensive Hundred Herbs Pill!

Zhao Ping'an smiled and lightly shook his head. Then he asked Chen Donglai, "Since you recognize the Hundred Herbs Pill, tell me—how much can one pill sell for?"

"One Hundred Herbs Pill sells for at least one hundred Silver Ingots. Better quality pills will only fetch more," Chen Donglai answered immediately.

Zhao Ping'an poured one Hundred Herbs Pill from the jade bottle and handed it over. "Help me take a look. What quality is this Spirit Pill, and how much is it worth?"

The same type of Spirit Pill could be divided by quality into four grades: Inferior Quality, Normal Quality, Superior Quality, and Perfect Quality—the last meaning flawless quality.

The better the quality, the stronger the pill's medicinal potency, the fewer its impurities, and the milder its side effects. Naturally, the price was higher as well.

Generally speaking, Inferior Quality sold for twenty percent less than Normal Quality, Superior Quality cost fifty percent more than Normal Quality, and Perfect Quality was worth three times as much as Normal Quality.

Chen Donglai bent down and respectfully received the Hundred Herbs Pill with both hands, then carefully appraised it.

While Chen Donglai examined the Hundred Herbs Pill, Zhao Ping'an thought to himself, I spent three hundred taels on ingredients. Eight Hundred Herbs Pills are worth at least eight hundred taels. That is a net profit of Five Hundred Taels. Making money through alchemy is rather easy.

At that moment, Chen Donglai's ashamed voice sounded. "Cousin Young Master, this subordinate is deeply ashamed. I cannot distinguish the quality of your Hundred Herbs Pill. This subordinate has only ever taken Inferior Quality Hundred Herbs Pills."

Immediately afterward, he said quickly, "But I feel that your Hundred Herbs Pill is of extremely high quality. It is very likely Superior Quality, perhaps even Perfect Quality!"

"Is that so?" Zhao Ping'an nodded slightly, then said, "This Hundred Herbs Pill is yours."

"Ah?" Chen Donglai thought he had misheard.

This was a Hundred Herbs Pill. Even the cheapest Inferior Quality Hundred Herbs Pill required one hundred Silver Ingots to buy. A Hundred Herbs Pill that was highly likely to be Superior Quality was worth at least one hundred and eighty Silver Ingots!

One hundred and eighty Silver Ingots!

Zhao Ping'an smiled. "Why are you saying 'ah'? If you do not want it, give it back."

Chen Donglai hurriedly clutched the Hundred Herbs Pill tightly in his hand, then dropped to his knees with a thud. "Thank you for your reward, Cousin Young Master!"

"Do not be so excited. Get up." Zhao Ping'an smiled and lightly shook his head.

Then he poured out another Hundred Herbs Pill for the Wet Nurse. "Wet Nurse, this one is for you too."

The Wet Nurse was so pleasantly surprised that she too was about to kneel in thanks, but Zhao Ping'an immediately held her up and would not let her kneel. "It is only one Hundred Herbs Pill. You are my Wet Nurse."

"Thank you for your reward, Young Master." The Wet Nurse was so moved that tears filled her eyes.

Seeing Chen Donglai and the Wet Nurse each receive a Hundred Herbs Pill, the two guards looked eagerly at Zhao Ping'an, longing for a reward as well.

Unfortunately, Zhao Ping'an was not some money-scattering boy. He would not hand out rewards at random.

The two guards had merely accompanied him on a trip to buy medicinal ingredients. That was not worth a Hundred Herbs Pill, nor were they worth courting.

Moreover, rewards had ranks. If everyone received one, it was nearly the same as rewarding no one.

"That will be all. You may leave," he said.

Chen Donglai bowed. "Yes."

Then he turned and left with the two guards.

Though the two guards were disappointed, they did not dare ask for a reward. They also understood that they had made no contribution.

"Tonight, I will treat you two to drinks at Apricot Blossom Pavilion," Chen Donglai said quietly to the two guards.

The two guards immediately brightened. "How could we let Brother Chen spend so much?"

Apricot Blossom Pavilion was a famous restaurant. One meal and drinks there would cost at least twenty or thirty taels of silver.

"Haha, it is no great expense. I am treating you on behalf of Young Master," Chen Donglai said with a hearty laugh.

Zhao Ping'an had needed him when purchasing alchemy ingredients today, and would likely need him again when going out in the future. While he could not possibly receive Hundred Herbs Pills every time, with enough occasions, he would certainly receive more rewards.

In less than an hour, news that Zhao Ping'an had refined Hundred Herbs Pills spread like wildfire through all of Jiang Manor.

When everyone heard the news, they thought it was hearsay growing wilder with every retelling. It exaggerated Zhao Ping'an far too much.

Anyone capable of refining Hundred Herbs Pills was a true Alchemist. Countless alchemy apprentices refined pills their entire lives until their hair turned white, yet still could not produce a single batch of Hundred Herbs Pills.

Therefore, they simply did not believe anyone could refine Hundred Herbs Pills as soon as they began learning alchemy. Moreover, Zhao Ping'an was only one year old—other children his age had not even been weaned.

Only when the news reached Jiang Wen did he, after his initial shock, immediately seek out Zhao Ping'an for confirmation. Then he could not restrain a wildly joyous laugh that soared into the clouds.

Still, he was puzzled. He had clearly given Zhao Ping'an the Pill Recipes for the "Hundred Herbs Elixir," so how had Zhao Ping'an refined the higher-grade Hundred Herbs Pill instead?

Once it was confirmed that Zhao Ping'an had truly refined Hundred Herbs Pills, everyone was so stunned that their mouths fell open and would not close for a long while.

Eldest Maternal Aunt and Second Maternal Aunt both personally came to see Zhao Ping'an and view the Hundred Herbs Pills he had refined with their own eyes.

"Ping'an, you are truly so clever. You learn anything the moment you see it, and you learn it exceptionally well." The two maternal aunts could not help sighing in admiration, their hearts full of expectations for Zhao Ping'an's future.

That evening, Jiang Shuyue returned home earlier than usual.

The moment she saw Zhao Ping'an, she impatiently asked, "Ping'an, did you really refine Hundred Herbs Pills?"

"Mother, these are the first Spirit Pills your child has refined. They are for you." Zhao Ping'an took out the small jade bottle containing the Hundred Herbs Pills and presented it to Jiang Shuyue.

Jiang Shuyue accepted the small jade bottle with emotion, opened its stopper, and poured out one Hundred Herbs Pill for a close look.

The scent of grass and wood rushed to her nose. Breathing it in invigorated her, and the exhaustion from a full day's labor was faintly swept away at once.

"They truly are Hundred Herbs Pills! And they have reached Superior Quality!" Jiang Shuyue was overwhelmed with excitement and joy. She scooped Zhao Ping'an into her arms and kissed his fair, tender little cheek with a loud smack. "Mother is very happy."

Of course, she was not happy because she had received half a bottle of Hundred Herbs Pills. She was happy because Zhao Ping'an had become an Alchemist, and he had done so with ease.

After setting Zhao Ping'an down, Jiang Shuyue kept only one Hundred Herbs Pill and returned the rest to him.

That night, Eldest Maternal Uncle, second maternal uncle, and other elders came one after another to congratulate Zhao Ping'an and Jiang Shuyue.

After only one night, the news that Zhao Ping'an had refined Hundred Herbs Pills spread beyond Jiang Manor.

Within just two days, the news had spread throughout White Emperor City's alchemy circles, shocking every Alchemist and alchemy apprentice.

Those Alchemists who had rejected Zhao Ping'an all secretly regretted it upon learning the news. They had missed out on a fine disciple and on a future golden thigh to cling to.

Within only three days, the news had spread through every street and alley of White Emperor City. The entire city was shaken, and it became the topic of countless conversations before and after meals.

Some did not believe it, some believed it completely, and others remained half-convinced. Yet no matter how they argued, Zhao Ping'an had become famous throughout White Emperor City and was called a Child Prodigy.

The news also reached the Zhennan Marquis Estate.

Zhao Yingpeng was not at the Zhennan Marquis Estate, so the news did not reach his ears.

The old madam of the Zhennan Marquis Estate remained as dismissive as ever. She snorted with deep scorn. "The Jiang Family still refuses to give up. They are playing mysterious tricks again, building momentum for that bastard in hopes that Yingpeng will bring that mother and son back to the Marquis Estate. Not a chance!"

After coaxing her two-month-old son to sleep, Su Yingluo heard the dowry head maid report that Zhao Ping'an had refined Hundred Herbs Pills. A trace of worry could not help appearing between her brows.

Seeing that her young lady, holy as a snow lotus, had actually revealed worry, Qiushui, the dowry head maid, felt deeply distressed. She quietly suggested, "Young lady, should we...?"

As she spoke, intense killing intent appeared in her eyes.

Su Yingluo considered it briefly, then lightly shook her head. "Not for now. Let us wait and see."

"You are too kindhearted, young lady." Qiushui sighed helplessly. "That bastard should never have existed in this world."