Buddhist Dharma Protector Mysterious Fire

"Brother Jie..." Lian Xinjie was somewhat unaccustomed to that form of address. Still, he understood that Wang Qi was doing it to conceal his identity. His first reaction to Wang Qi's question was, "Medicinal ingredients? Do you know how to refine pills?"

"No, I'm merely curious..." Wang Qi shook his head and did not reveal the truth.

Before heading out to sea, he had made thorough preparations. When Liu Yi handed those supplies over to him, she had specifically explained that many of the items in that Ruyi Pouch had been contaminated by the power of the Heart Demon Curse. If necessary, he could unload all those supplies through trade and contaminate the entire Ancient Method Immortal Sect.

Though this was a backup plan that was not recommended, Wang Qi still needed to gain a full understanding of this black market and prepare accordingly.

Lian Xinjie said in a low voice, "Because medicinal ingredients are truly difficult to obtain here, the Holy Emperor has decreed that anyone who has not passed the alchemist examination is forbidden from handling medicinal ingredients. So, if you are not an alchemist, it is best not to touch them, or someone may seize upon it as evidence against you. Artifact refiners face similar restrictions."

"Oh?" Wang Qi grew interested. To be honest, this decree of the Holy Emperor was the least foolish decree he had heard since putting out to sea. No matter the trade, the more standardized and regulated it became, the more methods it accumulated, and the more it could advance toward greater sophistication. He could not help asking, "An examination? How does it work?"

"First comes the written test. To pass it, one must be thoroughly familiar with pill scriptures and understand the properties of all kinds of medicinal ingredients... that whole