At this moment, thinking of all this, Li Youyan accepted the Pill Doctor introductory method and said, "Since Young Friend Yang Chen trusts this old man, this old man naturally cannot be stingy. I have already looked over this Pill Doctor introductory method, and it is indeed genuine. I simply wonder what Young Friend Yang Chen requires for this transaction?"
Yang Chen smiled and said, "This junior merely wants some spiritual medicine resources—several dozen types, and the quantities may be somewhat large. But I believe the Li Family Commerce Association should be able to provide them. This junior has no intention of opening his mouth like a lion; it is simply that this Pill Doctor introductory method is truly precious. Bringing it out for exchange was also permitted by the elders of my clan. I hope the two seniors can understand."
Yang Chen deliberately mentioned the words "elders of my clan." To put it bluntly, he was borrowing the Yang Family's tiger hide.
"Haha, Young Friend Yang Chen jests. Though our Li Family Commerce Association is not the finest association in the Great Wilderness, satisfying Young Friend Yang Chen's demands, as well as those of his clan elders, should not be difficult," Li Youyan said.
Hearing this, Yang Chen nodded in satisfaction, then listed every spiritual medicine resource he needed.
When he finished naming the several dozen kinds of spiritual medicine resources, Li Youyan drew in a cold breath.
These spiritual medicine resources were all extremely rare, yet still within what the Li Family could afford. It was not hard to see that Yang Chen had clearly come prepared.
Added together, the several dozen items would indeed make the Li Family Commerce Association bleed heavily. Yet after weighing the pros and cons, Li Youyan had no intention of refusing.
Very quickly, Li Youyan said heartily, "Good. Our Li Family Commerce Association has all the resources Young Friend Yang Chen requires. However, gathering them all will take some time. How about this? If Young Friend Yang Chen trusts us, within seven days, our Li Family Commerce Association will personally deliver these resources to your door and hand them to Young Friend Yang Chen."
Though Yang Chen was dissatisfied that he could not obtain the resources immediately, he did not show it on his face. He said gently, "The two seniors are too polite. This junior still trusts the reputation of the Li Family Commerce Association."
"Since that is so, then this transaction is settled. Would Young Friend Yang Chen be interested in sitting here for a while?" Li Youyan asked with a faint smile.
"I fear I cannot accept Senior's kind intentions. My maid is still waiting outside, and if I stay too long, she will inevitably worry. I shall not remain any longer." Yang Chen still did not wish to sit for long with two people who could control his life and death. With those words, he rose to leave.
Li Youyan had no intention of making things difficult for him. Rising as well, he said, "Then I shall see Young Friend Yang Chen out!"
"Many thanks, two seniors."
Afterward, Yang Chen obtained the Fire Red Fruit and the Li Family Commerce Association's promise, then left together with Gu Mingyue.
Watching Yang Chen depart, the two Li Family Elders, Li Youyan and Li Youren, fell into thought.
"Big Brother, isn't that brat opening his mouth like a lion a little too much? So many resources might not turn our Li Family Commerce Association upside down, but they will swallow up quite a few of our association's rare resources," the Elder beside Li Youyan said. He was Li Youyan's second brother, Li Youren.
Li Youyan smiled. "Didn't that brat also give us the Pill Doctor introductory method?"
"If you ask me, although this Pill Doctor introductory method is precious, he clearly lacks experience. He actually handed it over in advance. Why did we need to bother following so many rules of the martial world with him?" Li Youren was deeply dissatisfied with Li Youyan's approach.
After all, when dealing with a brat at the Body Refining Realm First Level, Li Youyan had been far too courteous.
Li Youyan sighed. "Second Brother, you only saw the surface, not the details beneath it. That brat looks foolish, as if he has no experience, but he is actually quite clever. Do you think he truly handed over the methods of the Way of the Pill Doctor? Yes, he gave them to us. But look carefully at the wording and paragraphs—every sentence contains words left unspoken. That brat clearly kept a card up his sleeve."
"He dared to toy with us?"
"Toy with us? Hehe, that would be overstating it. He did indeed give us the Pill Doctor method. He simply did not hand over all of it. At most, he gave us one-third of the content." Li Youyan stroked his beard.
"One-third of the content? Big Brother, and you still let him open his mouth like a lion?" Li Youren was confused.
Li Youyan said irritably, "Second Brother, this is what you do not understand. Think carefully. The Yang Family obtaining a Pill Doctor method and being willing to sell it to us is already exceedingly rare. The key does not lie in this Pill Doctor method. Even if that brat handed over the entire Pill Doctor method, do you think we could learn it?"
"To tell you the truth, the Way of the Pill Doctor is the hardest to set foot upon. Even entering the door is as difficult as ascending to heaven. If it were truly so easy to learn, have you heard of anyone else from the Yang family besides Yang Chen who learned the Way of the Pill Doctor? No. There is not a single one! In other words, only Yang Chen learned it."
Li Youren still said somewhat unconvinced, "Is being a Pill Doctor really that hard to learn?"
"More than merely hard to learn! If it were not difficult, do you think the Great Wilderness Hundred Clans would not have even a single Pill Doctor? Do you truly think that among all those people who left the Great Wilderness, none encountered a few opportunities outside? Several hundred years ago, there actually was a Pill Doctor in our Great Wilderness. But apart from that Pill Doctor, that Pill Doctor's tribe never produced a second one. What does that represent? Pill Doctors have exceedingly harsh requirements for talent. It is not something you can learn simply because you want to." Li Youyan shook his head.
Then he continued, "That is why we must curry favor with him. As a Pill Doctor, that brat will inevitably become someone many tribes seek to please in the future. The Yang Family will absolutely cherish him like a treasure. If you and I befriend him in advance, then one day when we are injured, we will surely have cause to seek his help. What do these resources count for, sent out in advance? You must understand, once experts like us in the Spiritual Martial Realm are injured, resolving it is most troublesome."
Only then did Li Youren suddenly see the light. "Big Brother, you truly see far ahead. Speaking of Zhao Xiaowen..."
"Yang Chen's identity as a Pill Doctor has been confirmed. I refuse to believe a little fellow like him could deceive this old man's eyes. Between a Pill Doctor and an outsider surnamed gatekeeping shopkeeper, hehe, Second Brother, you should understand which is lighter and which is heavier. I leave this matter to you. Do not let it look too ugly when Young Friend Yang Chen next comes to our association. Face is something both sides give each other," Li Youyan said plainly.
"Yes, Big Brother. I understand." Li Youren licked his lips.
How could Zhao Xiaowen fail to hear their conversation in the association hall?
The two Li Family Elders had never intended to avoid him in the first place!
Li Youren had already come before him and sneered. "Zhao Xiaowen, not bad. You treated the Li Family Commerce Association as if it were your own? Fine, you heard what my big brother said just now. If you know what is good for you, get lost immediately. Do not stand here and be an eyesore."
"No, don't! Elder, I, Zhao Xiaowen, rely on this shopkeeper position to make a living. You absolutely cannot drive me out! That Yang Chen is only a small fry. Even if I offended him, you would not need to expel me from the Li Family Commerce Association. I have worked bitterly for the Li Family Commerce Association for so many years. Even if I have no merit, I have still suffered!" Zhao Xiaowen was so anxious that tears were already streaming down his face.
Li Youren snorted coldly. "A Pill Doctor is small fry in your eyes? Then what kind of dogshit do you think you are? Get the hell out of here at once, or you will not even have the chance to roll away."
Zhao Xiaowen's heart turned cold, and he fell into complete despair. He knew Li Youren was not joking in the slightest.
The Li Family truly intended to drive him out.
How could he have imagined that the good-for-nothing he had once looked down on would, in the blink of an eye, decide the course of his future?
By this time, Yang Chen had already returned to the Yang Family. He did not know that the Li Youyan brothers had already begun considering how to curry favor with him. Right now, his mind was wholly occupied with refining the Gravity Pill. With a Fire Red Fruit in hand, he would undoubtedly have one more Gravity Pill, one more guarantee of instantly entering the Body Refining Realm Second Level.
The Coming-of-Age Ceremony was drawing ever nearer. Yang Chen did not dare be careless. To make a name for himself with one cry at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony was something he had long planned. The Body Refining Realm Second Level was merely a foundation for making a name for himself at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony.
One had to know that in the Yang Family, although Yang Heng's Alchemy Way was the strongest, his martial cultivation could only be considered average within the Yang Family. It was only because of his Dual Cultivation of Alchemy and Martial Arts that Yang Heng bore the name of a genius.
Within the Yang Family, there were quite a few whose martial cultivation was stronger than Yang Heng's. Some had astonishingly reached the Body Refining Realm Third Level; what was more, there were even those at the Body Refining Realm Fourth Level.
Yang Chen naturally did not dare slack off. His advantages all lay in alchemy and his use of resources. He now had to make perfect use of those advantages.
"Unfortunately, the Li Family's resources cannot be delivered here for the time being. If I could obtain those resources from the Li Family, then although I could not achieve the most perfect medicinal bath in my mind, fulfilling twenty or thirty percent of it should not be a problem," Yang Chen muttered.
Resources among the Great Wilderness Hundred Clans were simply too scarce. Before entering the Spiritual Martial Realm, whether he could obtain the most perfect effect of a medicinal bath tempering his body could only be left to fate. After all, outside, medicinal baths to temper the body were something only great sects and major schools could afford to play with.
"Now, I begin refining the Gravity Pill." Yang Chen's eyes shone.
As soon as that thought fell, Yang Chen wasted virtually no time, tossing all the prepared materials into the pill furnace.
The Fire Red Fruit was the main ingredient, the other materials auxiliary ingredients, and the Fire Control Wood burned with roaring flames...
"Miss, you're back!" Gu Mingyue spotted Yang Caidie returning from afar and immediately greeted her. "Miss, where have you been these past few days?"
Yang Caidie returned from outside in high spirits. No one knew where she had gone, but two large tears had been ripped into her floral skirt. Her face was even smeared with dirt, leaving her without the proper image a young lady ought to have. Yet upon closer inspection, one could see Yang Caidie clutching several large geese in her hands.
Yang Caidie returned triumphantly, baring her white teeth in a grin. "Bao'er loves stewed goose the most. Didn't we run out last time? I went into Demon Beast Mountain these past few days and hunted a few more. See these geese? They're nice and fat."
The Bao'er she spoke of was naturally Yang Chen.
Gu Mingyue blinked her beautiful eyes and said worriedly, "Miss, I heard Demon Beast Mountain is very dangerous."
"So what if it's dangerous? Bao'er loves stewed goose. No matter how dangerous it is, I still have to go." Yang Caidie happily pinched the goose meat, as if she could already see Yang Chen's delighted face. "Right, what is Bao'er doing now?"
"Young Master has been in seclusion these past few days. I heard he is cultivating martial arts and tempering his body." Gu Mingyue said carefully, "Miss, I suspect Young Master has truly turned over a new leaf this time. You do not know this, but I admire Young Master a little now. Following behind him makes me feel especially safe."
Yang Caidie stood where she was and asked blankly, "You said he has been in seclusion for several days?"
"Three days, I think. He has not come out even once. I was worried Young Master would go hungry, so I secretly placed several bowls of food by the window, but Young Master has not eaten any of it," Gu Mingyue said carefully.
Yang Caidie stood there dumbly for quite a while before saying dejectedly, "Stop talking."
"Miss, what's wrong?"
"Whenever I hear that Bao'er is cultivating martial arts, I think of the exhaustion and pain he suffers while cultivating. The moment I think of his suffering, I want to cry. Three days without eating or drinking—why cultivate martial arts at all? Wouldn't it be enough to let his sister do it?" Yang Caidie somehow pulled out a cleaver. "Enough talking. First, I'll slaughter these two geese and stew them. Otherwise, my heart will feel stifled."
Before you continue