"You want a Clear Heart Pill?"
Elder Huang furrowed his brow, seeming to recall something. After a long moment, he continued, "If my memory serves me, medicines of this treasure-grade haven't appeared in Ping Province's martial world for over a decade. As far as I know, the last Clear Heart Pill to appear in Ping Province was kept close at hand by Tie Yuyang, leader of the Fire Cloud Gang, Ping Province's greatest gang. Unless someone can persuade the great leader Tie to part with it, there's no way to find a second pill. But he's keeping it to save his life, so there's no chance he'd sell it to an outsider."
"This junior would also like to ask, Elder: what's the price of a Clear Heart Pill?"
"Haha! A treasure like this has never had a fixed price. If there's only one and everyone's fighting over it, then even a hundred Gold Leaves would be a perfectly ordinary price. If there are dozens or even hundreds, then it would be worth only twenty or thirty Gold Leaves."
Elder Huang laughed heartily, amused by Ye Qin's question.
Ye Qin now had a rough idea of the going price for a Clear Heart Pill. He didn't mind the old man's laughter and took out a small pill bottle. "As it happens, I have one of the 'Clear Heart Pills' that everyone in the martial world is fighting over. How much would you be willing to pay for it, Elder?"
Elder Huang's laughter abruptly cut off, and his face filled with astonishment. "Young man, you have a Clear Heart Pill?"
Ye Qin cupped his hands in apology. "That's right. I do have a Clear Heart Pill, and I'm looking for a buyer. I simply didn't know its price, so I took the liberty of testing the waters. I hope you'll forgive me, Elder."
"Oh, no wonder you're wearing a bamboo hat and hiding your face. You're carrying a treasure! Seems this old man misjudged you today. I don't mind you misleading me a little, but I'll need to inspect the goods first."
After hearing Ye Qin's explanation, Elder Huang wasn't angry. Instead, he looked rather pleased. To see a Clear Heart Pill appear again after more than a decade was an undeniably delightful thing for a treasure merchant like him.
Ye Qin flicked his wrist and tossed the small pill bottle. It traced an arc through the air and landed in the old man's hand.
The Treasure Gang's entire business rested on its reputation; that was how it had built such a thriving enterprise in Ping Province. Although a Clear Heart Pill was a treasure, in the eyes of a treasure merchant it was merely a commodity worth dozens or even a hundred Gold Leaves. A dignified elder of the Treasure Gang wouldn't ruin his reputation over a mere pill worth a hundred Gold Leaves.
Elder Huang took the bottle and opened it, then poured out a green pill. He first examined its color, then tested it with his fingernail and carefully identified its scent. Finally, he nodded in satisfaction.
"Good. It's indeed a Clear Heart Pill, a top-grade restorative medicine. Its medicinal fragrance is pure and potent, and it must have been made quite recently. Young friend, how would you like to sell it?"
After verifying the goods, Elder Huang returned the pill bottle to Ye Qin. He now regarded Ye Qin as a customer looking to sell, and even changed the way he addressed him.
"I'm not familiar with the Treasure Gang's business practices. I'd be grateful if you'd explain them, Elder."
"With this pill, young friend already qualifies as a seller to our Treasure Gang. I'll explain how our transactions work. The Treasure Gang offers three kinds of transactions.
"One option is consignment auction. The seller deposits the treasure with the Treasure Gang, and it's auctioned publicly. We take only a small commission. The auction determines the price, whatever it may be. Once the auction is over, the Treasure Hall collects the payment from the buyer and then pays the seller. This takes a little longer, since auctions aren't held every day. I expect we'll hold a small treasure auction here in Zhuqi County every ten days or so. If you have time to spare and aren't in a hurry for money, young friend, you can consign the pill to me for auction."
"What are the other options?"
"Another option is an outright sale. If a seller is eager to get rid of their goods, they can sell their treasure directly to the Treasure Gang. We'll pay on the spot, and the transaction will be settled then and there. But the price will definitely be much lower than at auction. The last option is a treasure exchange. If a seller takes a fancy to one of our treasures, they can trade their own treasure for it. Naturally, they must offer something more valuable in exchange for something less valuable. The Treasure Gang isn't a charity, after all; we don't offer free exchanges at equal value. Young friend, will you consign the pill for auction, sell it outright, or trade it for another treasure?"
Ye Qin considered it for a moment, then made up his mind.
From now on, he would conduct private transactions only with Elder Huang of the Treasure Hall, concealing his identity as much as possible. The Herb Gathering Hall in Zhuqi County would never dare investigate an elder of the Treasure Gang.
The Medicine King Gang wouldn't go to great lengths to track down an obscure disciple like him, either.
As long as they couldn't trace things back to an elder of the Treasure Gang, they couldn't trace them back to him.
As for the White Jade Embryo at the Spring Jade Shop, he'd already decided to give it up, lest it bring trouble down on his head.
In that case, he wasn't in a hurry for money.
What he needed most now was spirit-infused jade to cultivate the second level of the Sitting-in-Forgetfulness Sutra. Even a small shop like the Spring Jade Shop had one or two pieces as prized treasures. A major gang like the Treasure Gang should have jade like that as well.
Ye Qin made his choice. "A treasure exchange. Elder Huang, I'll trade this pill for a piece of jade. But it must be rich in spiritual energy. If it doesn't have enough, I won't take it."
Elder Huang pondered for a moment. "Jade rich in spiritual energy? We do have quite a lot of jade in the Treasure Gang, but I don't know whether any of it will meet your requirements. Why don't you come with me to the inn? I brought quite a few treasures with me to Zhuqi County this time. Perhaps there's something you're looking for among them."
Ye Qin nodded.
The two left the alley one after the other and headed to the luxurious inn where Elder Huang was staying. To avoid suspicion, Ye Qin deliberately kept over a hundred paces behind. He waited until Elder Huang had entered the inn before going in himself.
A young, burly member of the Treasure Gang was already waiting inside. When he saw Ye Qin in black with his bamboo hat, he immediately led him upstairs to a luxurious room on the second floor. As soon as Ye Qin entered, he sensed several sharp gazes warily watching him from the neighboring rooms.
Ye Qin was startled for a moment, but soon relaxed. It was only natural for a Treasure Gang elder's residence to be guarded by many people. They weren't necessarily watching him.
Elder Huang was already waiting in the room.
Dozens of small treasures were arranged on a large rosewood table: a sharp Blood-Coagulating Dagger, a gold-threaded inner vest, several volumes of advanced secret manuals, some rare formulas, a few bottles and jars, and a number of items whose uses Ye Qin didn't know.
Elder Huang picked out several pieces of jade, pendants, and bracelets, then smiled. "These are the few small jade pieces I carry around with me. Take a look, young friend. If none of them suit you, you can choose any of the other small treasures instead."
Ye Qin's gaze swept over the jade, and his heart stirred. He picked up one of the green jade pendants.
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