Seeking Medicine

"Young Master Xuan, here is the list of everyone who registered yesterday, along with their items. Please review it."

Ya Hanxiao presented the dossier.

Xuan Jin accepted it and flipped through it casually.

"Blood Pattern Ganoderma, Jia Lie Family..."

"Ice Flame Heavenly Heart Grass, Lin Family..."

Xuan Jin skimmed through the pages, his brow gradually furrowing.

Most of them were merely fifth-grade medicinal herbs. They might be considered treasures in a place like Wutan City, but in his eyes, they were no different from roadside weeds.

Ya Fei watched his expression from the side, her heart tightening as well.

She had expected this outcome. Wutan City was simply too small.

Xuan Jin's finger slowly moved down the dossier before finally stopping at two entries.

"Ao Ba Family, curious item: one Black Iron Lump, said to be incomparably hard and impervious to water and fire."

"Xiao Family, Xiao Zhan: one Ancestral Ancient Jade."

Xuan Jin lightly tapped the words "Ancestral Ancient Jade" with his fingertip.

This was it. However, Xuan Jin had not expected Xiao Zhan to truly be willing to send over this ancient jade that represented the Xiao Family's inheritance. As a father, Xiao Zhan was indeed a good one.

Still, if he chose only the Xiao Family, his intentions would be too obvious and would inevitably arouse suspicion from those with ulterior motives.

Xuan Jin raised his head and looked at Ya Fei.

"Notify the Ao Ba Family and the Xiao Family. Have them bring their items over."

"Both of them?" Ya Fei was somewhat surprised.

"Mm." Xuan Jin replied indifferently. "Have them come together."

Ya Fei immediately understood.

This Young Master Xuan was meticulous. He wanted the two families to compete against each other and drive up the price.

The actions of an expert truly left no flaws.

"Yes. Ya Fei will make the arrangements immediately."

Ya Fei bowed and withdrew. As she turned, the corners of her lips curved into a captivating smile.

Things were becoming more and more interesting.

She was looking forward to seeing what sparks would fly when Wutan City's two great Clan Leaders fought for a chance to meet that mysterious master.

The door closed.

Xuan Jin leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest.

The reason he had made such a high-profile move was not only to draw out the Xiao Family and Xiao Xun'er, but also to temper himself.

An alchemist's cultivation was not merely about shutting oneself away to refine pills.

Experiencing the mortal world, witnessing the myriad facets of life, and understanding the seven emotions and six desires were likewise tempering for one's state of mind and soul.

In his previous life, he had merely been an ordinary office worker. His days had been filled with repetitive, mundane work, and he could see his future at a glance.

In this life, he possessed power, but the growth of one's state of mind could not be achieved overnight.

Which of those old monsters in the Pill Tower had not lived for hundreds or even thousands of years? Their minds were as cunning as demons.

Fortunately, Xuan Jin had transmigrated early and possessed a special constitution, though he knew nothing of his own origins.

But none of that mattered. If Xuan Jin wanted to gain a foothold on the Dou Qi Continent, he had to grow stronger.

And Wutan City was the first stop on his journey through the mortal world.

Everyone here—Ya Fei's shrewdness, Xiao Zhan's fatherly love, Jia Lie Bi's greed—was scenery along his path of cultivation.

Xuan Jin slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. Everything had only just begun.

Inside a private room at Tianxiang Tower.

The atmosphere was somewhat tense.

Xiao Zhan and Ao Ba Pa, the two Clan Leaders of Wutan City, sat upright on opposite sides, neither looking at the other.

Ao Ba Pa held a long brocade box in his arms, his face brimming with proud confidence.

He believed that the treasure his family had brought would surely move that alchemy master.

Xiao Zhan, meanwhile, held a somewhat worn wooden box in both hands. He looked nervous, his palms covered in sweat.

He did not know whether his inherited Ancient Jade, which was hard but otherwise useless, could possibly catch the master's eye.

Ya Fei entered with graceful steps, a perfect professional smile on her face.

"Clan Leaders, thank you for waiting. Master Xuan will see you now."

Xiao Zhan and Ao Ba Pa rose at the same time and followed Ya Fei through a quiet corridor into a more spacious room.

The room was simply furnished, containing only a seat of honor.

Xuan Jin sat there casually, without even raising his head to look at them.

Yet an invisible pressure enveloped the entire room. Xiao Zhan and Ao Ba Pa both found their breathing falter.

There was no white-haired elder as they had imagined, nor any immortal bearing.

Sitting in the seat of honor was merely a black-robed young man who looked to be around twenty.

The young man was handsome and expressionless. He held a cup of tea and gently blew away the steam.

"This..."

Ao Ba Pa nearly blurted out, "What the hell is this?"

A mere brat?

Was the Miter Auction House playing them for fools?

Just as he was about to erupt, Ya Fei beside him gave a light, discreet cough.

Ao Ba Pa instantly came to his senses. Only then did he remember that the pressure that made his heart tremble was emanating from the young man before him.

He immediately swallowed every doubt, cold sweat forming across his forehead.

Xiao Zhan's heart, however, sank to the bottom.

Too young.

How could someone so young possibly be a Sixth Grade Alchemist?

Could this really be a scam?

The flame of hope that had just ignited in his heart was about to be extinguished.

"Begin."

Xuan Jin set down his teacup. His cool voice echoed through the room—not loud, yet clearly reaching everyone's ears.

Ya Fei inclined her head and moved gracefully toward Ao Ba Pa first.

"Clan Leader Ao Ba, please."

Ao Ba Pa came back to himself and hurriedly presented the brocade box in his arms with both hands, his attitude as reverent as if he were making a pilgrimage.

Ya Fei accepted the brocade box, turned, and placed it on the table before Xuan Jin.

Xuan Jin did not rush to open it, merely gesturing for her to continue.

Ya Fei then walked over to Xiao Zhan.

Xiao Zhan's heart rose to his throat as he tremblingly lifted the worn wooden box with both hands.

Compared to Ao Ba Pa's ornate brocade box, this box looked far more shabby.

Ya Fei accepted the wooden box and placed it on the table as well.

Xuan Jin's fingertips first landed on Ao Ba Pa's brocade box, giving it a light push.

The lid opened.

A pitch-black, dull, irregularly shaped lump of iron lay quietly upon the yellow silk lining.

Ao Ba Pa's heart nearly leaped from his chest as he hurriedly introduced it.

"Master Xuan, this item was obtained by chance by an ancestor of my Ao Ba Family. It is impervious to water and fire, difficult to damage even with blades and swords. We have exhausted every method, yet we could not harm it in the slightest. It is absolutely a rare curiosity!"

Standing beside him, Ya Fei was somewhat puzzled as well.

Rather than a rare curiosity, this thing looked more like a slightly harder piece of scrap iron.

Xuan Jin said nothing.

He reached out and picked up the Black Iron Lump.

It felt icy cold and heavy in his hand.

He sent a wisp of soul power into it.

The next instant, his movement paused.

Within his perception, this utterly ordinary lump of iron actually produced a faint resonance with his soul power.

Though he did not know what it was, anything capable of resonating with soul power was certainly no ordinary item.

"I'll take this."