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Xiao Zhan's cold shout carried a trace of Dou Qi, making everyone present's eardrums tremble. After a brief stunned silence, their faces filled with utter horror—

The Jia Lie Family's Alchemist was dead?

Only after quite a while did someone finally step forward and force himself to question Xiao Zhan's words.

"Clan Leader, forgive my presumption, but according to information from our scouts, the Jia Lie Family dispatched at least two Da Dou Shi to guard that Alchemist. How did you learn that he had died?"

Xiao Zhan's expression remained unchanged. He was not surprised in the slightest.

He said solemnly, "Everyone here should remember that Yan'er regained his talent not long ago and broke through two stages of Dou Qi in succession, correct?"

The crowd below was startled at first, then nodded in confusion.

The Third Elder stroked his beard, saying rather disdainfully, "Could it be that this matter has something to do with Young Master Xiao Yan as well?"

"Heh heh, the Third Elder truly is farsighted." Xiao Zhan's smile held a hint of something subtle, as though he were mocking the old man's stubbornness.

"What the Third Elder does not know is that Yan'er's successive breakthroughs in Dou Qi were precisely thanks to the help of a mysterious young woman."

Afterward, Xiao Zhan briefly summarized the explanation Xiao Yan had given him earlier.

Knowing that words alone were not enough, Xiao Zhan tossed out the exquisite first-grade Alchemist badge before anyone could raise doubts, allowing them to inspect it.

With proof before them, they had no choice but to believe.

Watching the dumbfounded old men below, Xiao Zhan could not help feeling immensely satisfied, as though he had finally held his head high.

He said cheerfully, "With that young woman's intervention, the Alchemist is dead. What we need to do now is find a group to pose as a Merchant Caravan before the Jia Lie Family realizes what has happened. Using the Mittel Auction House as a platform, we will lure the Jia Lie Family into signing a massive order."

"Once the Jia Lie Family fails to deliver the Rejuvenation Powder, they will have to bleed heavily!"

Licking his lips, Xiao Zhan tightly gripped the armrest, and a fierce glint suddenly flashed through his eyes.

Having received such explosive news, the Xiao Family elders who had been seated together immediately rubbed their hands together in anticipation. Their previous exhaustion vanished completely.

As for the Third Elder, who had challenged Xiao Zhan earlier, his expression shifted between green and white. He quickly exchanged glances with the other two elders before sighing helplessly and nodding.

Under such circumstances, continuing to target Xiao Zhan and Xiao Yan would be no different from jumping into a fire pit.

Besides, he had to admit that this sudden piece of good news filled him with immense satisfaction as well.

"First, he broke through two stages in a single month. Then, he invited a mysterious woman to aid the Xiao Family. This once-useless young master is likely to grow completely at an unimaginable speed." The Third Elder's expression was complicated as he sighed inwardly.

Outside the door, the youth stood with his arms folded over his chest, leaning against the wall as he took in every word of their conversation.

"This should be enough, right?"

He shrugged slightly. Then his Black Robe fluttered as he slowly walked into the shadows.

The next day, at dawn.

As one of the Jia Lie Family's higher-ups, Gale Ku had always handled the sale of medicinal supplies personally. Nearly all matters concerning orders passed through his hands.

Of course, it was not because he was particularly diligent, but because—

"Heh heh, the Marketplace made even more profit than usual yesterday." Gale Ku rubbed the upturned mustache at the corner of his mouth, unable to stop a sly grin from appearing.

Ever since the Rejuvenation Powder had gone on sale, more than half of the Xiao Family's many small Marketplaces had shut down. Even their medium-sized Marketplaces, which could be called their lifeline, had become exceedingly deserted, with hardly anyone visiting.

At this rate, the Xiao Family would likely be completely ruined.

As the thought crossed his mind, Gale Ku called out to the tall, thin man carrying Rejuvenation Powder nearby. "Raise the price of the Rejuvenation Powder by another fifty Gold Coins today. Replace the original price listing."

The tall, thin man froze for a moment before smiling ingratiatingly. "My lord, the Rejuvenation Powder already costs more than three hundred Gold Coins. If we raise it any further, I'm afraid..."

"Afraid of what? The Xiao Family is finished. Do those mercenaries have any other choice besides buying Rejuvenation Powder?"

"I'm not worried about those mercenaries, my lord. You may not know this, but earlier, a Merchant Caravan entered the Mittel Auction House before dawn. They said they wanted to order a large quantity of healing medicinal liquid."

"Hm? A large quantity of healing medicinal liquid... Is that true?"

"Absolutely true!"

"Lead the way!"

Gale Ku swiftly gathered what he needed, brought several men with him, and rushed toward the largest auction house in Wutan City.

The Mittel Auction House was the largest auction venue in Wutan City. At the same time, it belonged to the Mite'er Family, the wealthiest family in the Jia Ma Empire.

Aside from their wealth, the Mite'er Family possessed tremendous influence and was known as one of the Three Great Families of the Jia Ma Empire.

For that reason, the Mittel Auction House had become an authoritative platform for countless transactions.

Reception hall.

Gale Ku sat in the guest of honor seat with his bloated body, panting heavily from time to time while two petite maids beside him fanned him.

Not far away stood Ya Fei, one of the auction house's managers.

She wore a red dress. Her mature, seductive charm and professional smile made the maids, who possessed some beauty themselves, seem utterly dull by comparison.

Ya Fei parted her red lips, her voice incomparably alluring. "Lord Gale Ku, are you certain you wish to sign a contract with the gentleman who placed the order?"

Not long ago, a travel-worn Merchant Caravan had suddenly arrived at the Mittel Auction House, claiming they wished to purchase a large batch of healing medicinal liquid.

She had seen far too many Merchant Caravans rushing into the city before sunrise, but someone asking for five hundred portions of healing medicinal liquid the moment he opened his mouth was something she had truly never encountered before.

Left with no other choice, she, as one of the managers, had come personally to complete the contract.

Gale Ku chuckled. "I cannot guarantee anything else, but when it comes to a large quantity of healing medicinal liquid, only my Jia Lie Family can provide it in all of Wutan City. As long as he has enough money, everything else is negotiable."

"Please confirm it carefully. Once the contract is signed, the Mittel Auction House will collect three percent as a security deposit to ensure that the contract remains valid and stable."

"Confirmed, confirmed. Bring the inkpad."

At that moment, Gale Ku was wildly excited. An unimaginable amount of profit and grease was passing through his hands. How much he skimmed off would not be entirely up to him?

As for breaching the contract?

The Clan Leader had already formed a deep partnership with that Alchemist. As long as the money and women were in place, that Alchemist was easy enough to deal with.

Half an Hour later.

The signatures and seals were completed, and an enormous order worth nearly two hundred thousand Gold Coins was finalized. Gale Ku carefully clutched the gleaming Crystal Card and once again hauled his bloated body toward the Jia Lie Family.

"My lord, my lord, something terrible has happened!" The tall, thin man who had been so ingratiating earlier ran toward him desperately from afar, gasping for breath, his face as ugly as if his parents had died.

Gale Ku discreetly put away the Crystal Card, then frowned and rebuked him. "Why are you making such a fuss? What kind of behavior is that? Speak slowly."

"Lord Liu Xi died suddenly on top of a woman last night!"

Lord Liu Xi naturally referred to that first-grade Alchemist.

Upon hearing this, the many auction house staff following behind Gale Ku unconsciously turned their eyes toward the formerly triumphant fat man—

His face was deathly pale, and the fat all over his body convulsed uncontrollably. He actually collapsed onto the ground on his backside.

"Th-this..."

A pale liquid seeped out from beneath him. Gale Ku rolled his eyes back and fainted on the spot.

For an order worth nearly two hundred thousand Gold Coins, breaching the contract meant triple compensation.