Don't Panic, I'll Earn the Million

"A third-tier fire-attribute Magic Core has been driven up to thirty-five thousand gold coins apiece. That's only if you're lucky enough to find one. That alone comes to one hundred seventy-five thousand."

"Wood-attribute ones are slightly cheaper, but they're rare too. Add earth-attribute ones... the Magic Cores alone will cost five hundred thousand gold coins."

Ya Fei's voice grew lower and lower, carrying a fierce edge, as though she wanted to chew those numbers to pieces and swallow them whole.

"Then there are thirty third-grade Yao Cai, including the markup, the transport costs for urgently moving goods from a major place like Black Rock City, bodyguard fees, bribes..."

She looked up at the sky and sighed helplessly. "That's already heading toward eight hundred thousand gold coins. If anything goes even slightly wrong, one million won't be enough."

What did one million gold coins mean?

The Xiao Family, one of Wutan City's three great powers, could only earn eighty to one hundred thousand gold coins in net annual profit after deducting the food, clothing, and daily expenses of its massive clan, along with marketplace maintenance and all sorts of other costs.

With a single word, Lu Heng wanted to devour the Xiao Family's savings from an entire decade.

In Wutan City, where a Da Dou Shi was considered the strongest, third-tier Magic Cores and Yao Cai were already scarce. Naturally, they were not cheap.

Only a behemoth like the Miteer Auction House could stomach this. Any slightly lesser faction would probably suffer a heart attack on the spot just hearing the materials Lu Heng had listed.

Lu Heng stood to one side, looking at Ya Fei's once radiant and captivating face, now filled with worry. He did not feel good either.

Of course, he knew how much pressure that sum represented.

Although she had the Mite'er Family behind her, Ya Fei was ultimately just a clan member sent out to gain experience. The authority and funds at her disposal were limited.

If she spent a million like this and the old fogeys in the family found out, who knew how they would gossip about her?

"Sister Ya Fei, don't force yourself too much..." Lu Heng had barely opened his mouth.

Ya Fei instantly straightened up, determination flashing through those alluring eyes.

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Ya Fei raised a hand to tuck back the loose strands by her ear. The gloom around her was forcibly suppressed in an instant, replaced by the shrewd and decisive bearing she displayed on the auction stage.

"One million may be a lot, but your sister can still afford it."

Ya Fei took a deep breath and stared into Lu Heng's eyes, her voice firm beyond argument.

"The current stock in the warehouse definitely won't be enough. This dump of a Wutan City is too small, with barely any Da Dou Shi around. They won't have stockpiled much, but I have my own channels."

Ya Fei turned around and headed into the house to fetch her seal, speaking without looking back.

"Little brother, give me three days. Just three days. Even if I have to empty out every warehouse nearby, I'll gather everything and deliver it to you. Since I said I would support you, how could I survive in the Mite'er Family without even this much ability?"

Though her words sounded impressive, how could Lu Heng fail to see that Ya Fei was putting on a brave front?

Lu Heng quickly followed her. Just as Ya Fei was about to step across the threshold, he reached out and caught her wrist.

"Sister Ya Fei."

Lu Heng exerted a little force and pulled back the woman who was about to work herself to the bone.

Ya Fei halted and had no choice but to stop. She turned back in confusion.

"What is it? Time is tight and the task is urgent. I need to hurry and write an expedited letter to the higher-ups..."

"Don't rush."

Lu Heng pressed her back onto the stone bench.

"How can I not rush?" Ya Fei grew anxious and tried to stand.

Lu Heng did not let go. Instead, he stepped closer.

He had been growing rapidly lately. Though he had not fully grown into himself yet, when he stood before Ya Fei, their gazes were already level.

However, Ya Fei wore a pair of exquisite high heels, making her appear just slightly taller than Lu Heng.

Lu Heng did not care about that small height difference. He simply reached out and gently pulled the tense woman into his embrace.

"I know you want to help me."

Lu Heng lightly patted her straight, rigid back. Through the thin brocade, he could feel her tensed muscles gradually relaxing.

"But the pressure is too great. You came here to gain experience, not to go bankrupt. If I can't even accomplish something like this, how will I be able to protect Sister Ya Fei?"

Ya Fei's cheek rested against Lu Heng's chest. Listening to his powerful heartbeat, her eyes suddenly stung.

She had actually been anxious all along.

As someone with terrible cultivation talent, even after taking Yuan-Nurturing Powder and breaking through to become a Dou Zhe, she knew exactly where the limits of her life lay.

And Lu Heng?

Lu Heng was a genius, a monster destined to soar into the heavens and leave everyone else far behind.

An eleven-year-old Dou Master!

If word got out, the entire Jia Ma Empire would be shaken to its core.

Only by desperately earning money and desperately providing him with resources could Ya Fei feel that she was useful, that she could still stand by his side instead of becoming deadweight who could only look up at him.

"Little brother..."

Ya Fei buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled.

"Your sister has poor talent. This is all I'll ever amount to. Other than this little business sense, I truly don't know what else I can give you. If you don't let me do something, I'll feel uneasy."

Lu Heng laughed.

The laughter rumbled from his chest and reached Ya Fei's ears, making them itch slightly.

"Sister Ya Fei, have you been so busy that you've gone muddleheaded?"

Lu Heng released her and stepped back half a pace, placing both hands on her shoulders as he looked into her slightly reddened eyes.

"Have you forgotten what I do?"

Ya Fei froze for a moment and blinked. A trace of un-wiped moisture still clung to her long lashes.

"Huh? Aren't you a Dou Master?"

"I mean my side profession." Lu Heng smiled and lightly scraped her nose.

"Side profession?"

Ya Fei was dazed for a moment before she reacted.

"You mean... an alchemist?"

But her gaze quickly dimmed again.

"I know you can refine medicine. That Beast Power Pill sold quite well before, so it was a source of income. But we're short one million gold coins this time! If we rely on selling first-grade pills like that, how long would it take?"

"Who said I was going to sell Beast Power Pills?"

Lu Heng raised a brow, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.

He did not keep her in suspense. He directly took out three small jade bottles from his Storage Ring and lined them up on the stone table.

The morning sunlight fell over the jade bottles, giving them a warm, lustrous sheen.

"Sister Ya Fei, let me introduce my products to you again."

Lu Heng pointed to the first bottle.

"You know this one: first-grade Spirit-Nurturing Powder. It helps with cultivation during the Dou Qi stage, increasing cultivation speed. Its medicinal properties are mild, and it has hardly any side effects."

Ya Fei nodded. She had taken this herself, and its effects were indeed outrageously good. Otherwise, she could not have broken through so quickly.

Lu Heng moved his finger to the second bottle.

"This is called the Yuan-Gathering Pill. It's a second-grade medicinal pill. Its effect is simple: anyone below the ninth star of the Dou Zhe realm will directly rise by one star after taking it. If a ninth-star Dou Zhe takes it..."