Pill Pavilion, Wang Fugui

As Wang Fugui entered the Pill Pavilion, a young clerk immediately hurried over to greet him.

The clerk wore a short cyan tunic and a professional smile, his demeanor courteous.

"Welcome to the Pill Pavilion, senior. Are you looking to buy pills or seek medicinal ingredients?"

Su Yun lowered his voice, deliberately making it sound hoarse and aged.

"Just looking around."

With that, he walked straight to the first-floor pill sales area.

Rows of exquisite jade boxes were neatly arranged, displaying various first and second-grade pills.

Blood Qi Pills, Qi Gathering Pills, Body Tempering Pills, and Healing Pills.

The prices were clearly marked.

After just one glance, Su Yun raised an eyebrow.

Most of the pills sold here were of medium quality, with only a small number of high-quality ones.

He didn't see a single top-quality pill.

He pulled the clerk aside and spoke with feigned casualness.

"Lad, do you have any top-quality Blood Qi Pills here?"

The smile on the clerk's face faltered, and he quickly explained with a hint of helplessness.

"Senior, top-quality Blood Qi Pills are rare commodities."

"The top-quality pills in our Pill Pavilion are usually reserved as soon as they arrive in stock."

"They are never put out for public sale."

"First-grade pills may seem low-level, but refining them to top quality is extremely difficult. Alchemists are unwilling to expend the mental effort, so the quantity is very small."

"Top-quality Blood Qi Pills have always been priceless and hard to find; even with money, you might not be able to buy them. Our Pill Pavilion rarely manages to keep them in stock."

The clerk rattled on, making the scarcity of top-quality pills perfectly clear.

After listening, Su Yun understood.

Top-quality pills were indeed hard currency in the market.

"What a coincidence."

"I happen to have a batch of top-quality Blood Qi Pills."

"Does your Pill Pavilion buy them?"

"What?"

The smile on the clerk's face froze instantly.

He was completely stunned.

He looked the thin, withered old man up and down, his tone hesitant.

"S-senior, are you... are you certain they are top-quality Blood Qi Pills?"

Su Yun remained expressionless and nodded slightly.

"Naturally, they are genuine."

The clerk's heart raced, and not daring to be negligent, he bowed quickly.

"Please wait a moment, senior!"

"I will go notify the manager immediately!"

With that, the clerk turned and sprinted toward the second floor.

Not long after.

Rapid footsteps echoed from the second floor.

Thump, thump, thump.

A middle-aged man hurried down the stairs.

The man was slightly plump with a round face and broad ears, wearing the smooth, slick smile unique to businessmen.

He wore a dark blue silk robe with smooth fabric and subtle patterns.

Hanging from his waist was a bronze jade pendant, a common storage accessory used by cultivators.

This man was the manager of the Pill Pavilion, Wang Fugui.

He locked eyes with the old man in gray immediately and walked straight toward Su Yun without stopping.

His attitude was respectful, without a hint of contempt.

In the world of cultivation, strength was respected; anyone capable of producing top-quality pills was certainly no ordinary person.

Wang Fugui cupped his hands slightly, his tone courteous.

"Greetings, fellow Daoist. I am Wang Fugui, the proprietor of this Pill Pavilion."

"May I ask your honorable name?"

"Han Li."

"Fellow Daoist Han, my assistant just reported that you possess a batch of top-grade Blood Qi Pills?"

His gaze remained fixed on Su Yun, his eyes betraying an unconcealable eagerness.

Top-grade pills were rare commodities in the market, and having been in the pill business for many years, he knew their true value better than anyone.

Su Yun nodded slightly, his expression impassive.

"That is correct."

Upon receiving the confirmation, Wang Fugui's eyes lit up instantly.

A grin stretched from ear to ear, and his entire demeanor became invigorated.

"Good! Good! Fellow Daoist Han, it is too noisy here, and it is inconvenient to talk."

"Please, move to the private room on the third floor so we may discuss this in detail."

Su Yun did not refuse and gave a light nod.

He followed Wang Fugui up the wooden stairs.

The second floor consisted of private trading cubicles, specifically designed to host cultivators conducting large transactions.

The third floor was much quieter, featuring only a few elegant guest rooms.

Sound-insulation arrays covered the entire floor, blocking out all noise from the outside world.

Inside a window-side private room, the tables and chairs were clean, and simple tea sets were laid out.

Wang Fugui gestured with his hand.

"Fellow Daoist Han, please, have a seat."

The two sat down in turn.

He raised a hand to signal the assistant outside.

"Bring up a pot of Cloud Mist Spirit Tea."

A moment later, the assistant entered carrying a white jade tea set.

As the boiling water was poured, the tea leaves unfurled, and a faint fragrance of tea mingled with a subtle spiritual aura drifted through the air.

The tea was warm and smooth, capable of soothing a cultivator's mental fatigue.

Once the assistant withdrew and closed the door, Wang Fugui could no longer suppress his curiosity.

He leaned forward slightly, his tone sincere yet urgent.

"Fellow Daoist Han, if I may be so bold."

"Could you bring out the pills so I may feast my eyes upon them?"

Su Yun moved casually, his fingertips flickering.

A snow-white jade bottle appeared in his palm out of thin air.

He tossed it over nonchalantly.

Wang Fugui's pupils constricted, and he hurriedly caught it with both hands, his movements cautious and careful.

He cradled the jade bottle, his breathing subconsciously softening.

His fingertips gently pried open the stopper.

A strand of rich, mellow medicinal fragrance instantly burst from the mouth of the bottle.

The aroma was soft and not pungent, spreading through the air to fill the entire elegant room.

Just by smelling this fragrance, one could sense the pure and potent medicinal power.

Wang Fugui lowered his head to look inside the bottle.

Three round, crimson Blood Qi Pills lay quietly at the bottom.

The pills were plump and smooth, with a uniform and translucent luster.

A faint, blood-colored light shimmered across their surfaces, and intricate pill patterns coiled around them.

They were flawless, without a single impurity or defect.

Wang Fugui stared fixedly at the pills, frozen in place.

His eyes were wide open, his mouth slightly agape, and his mind went completely blank.

Good heavens!

They really were top-grade Blood Qi Pills!

Having been in the pill business for over thirty years, he had seen many top-grade pills.

Never had he seen such a perfect specimen!

Ordinary top-grade Blood Qi Pills would, more or less, carry a hint of impurity, with broken or intermittent pill patterns.

Yet this one was pure throughout, its pill patterns complete, and its medicinal potency condensed to the absolute limit.

Even a top-tier pill refined by a second-grade alchemist might not reach this level of quality.

He could clearly sense the thick, rich medicinal power sealed within the pill.

The potency was condensed and held firm, without the slightest leakage.

It was evident that it had been refined very recently and preserved perfectly, with not a shred of medicinal efficacy lost.

He had hit the jackpot!

He had truly hit the jackpot this time!

Once a top-grade pill of this quality hit the shelves, disciples from great families and sects would scramble for it like mad!

Ordinary top-grade pills could only be used to assist cultivation, but this pill had almost no pill toxins.

Low-level cultivators could take it long-term without accumulating toxins; it could even nourish their meridians.

Whether sold retail or resold in bulk, it was a guaranteed profit!

Wang Fugui forcibly suppressed the excitement in his heart, his peripheral vision quietly sizing up the gray-robed old man before him.

The Han Li before him had a plain aura, with a cultivation base of only the sixth level of Qi Refining.

While this cultivation level was considered high in the marketplace, he absolutely could not refine top-grade pills.

Let alone a top-grade pill of such perfect quality.

He was definitely not an alchemist.

To be able to produce a batch of top-grade Blood Qi Pills at once, there must be someone behind him.

At the very least, a third-grade alchemist!

Only a third-grade alchemist, with exquisite techniques and masterful fire control, could refine a first-grade pill to such an extreme quality.

A second-grade alchemist simply could not do it!

In all likelihood, Han Li was a traveling representative for some high-level alchemist.

He was specifically out to help sell pills and hide the identity of the big shot behind the scenes.

Having figured this out, Wang Fugui's attitude toward Su Yun became increasingly respectful.

He could not afford to offend him.

Absolutely not.

With a third-grade alchemist standing behind him, let alone a small Pill Pavilion manager like himself, even an inner sect elder of the Azure Cloud Sect would have to show some face.

Wang Fugui tucked away the shock on his face, replacing it with a professional and sincere smile.

"Fellow Daoist Han."

"Forgive my bluntness, but this is the finest top-grade Blood Qi Pill I have ever seen in my life."

"The quality far exceeds that of the top-grade pills currently circulating on the market."