Gu He Got Fleeced Down to His Underwear

"Your Majesty, please stay!"

Gu He gritted his teeth and called out, stopping Medusa Queen. His gaze swept over the Snake-People Tribe's many experts before finally settling on the four elders. He spoke in a deep voice.

"One Transformation Pill, four Sect-Breaking Pills, four Spirit-Doubling Pills, and a promise to refine a seventh-tier pill for Your Majesty. How about it?"

Even Medusa Queen was taken aback. She had not expected Gu He to be so generous. Four Sect-Breaking Pills were no ordinary treasures; their combined value even surpassed that of many seventh-tier pills.

"Oh? Master Gu He is truly willing?"

As she spoke, Medusa Queen could not help glancing at Yang Chen, seeking his opinion. If Gu He truly offered these pills, was she really going to trade the Heavenly Flame she had reserved for her nephew to Gu He?

Yang Chen merely chuckled and gestured for Medusa Queen to remain calm. So many pills—let alone Gu He, even Yang Chen could not produce them all at once.

Of course, it was not that Yang Chen could not refine them. Although alchemy was not his specialty and he was better at fighting, his success rate in refining pills below the seventh tier was still at least sixty percent. The problem was that there simply were not enough medicinal ingredients for him to refine so many pills.

Seeing that Medusa Queen was clearly tempted, Gu He immediately let out a breath of relief. As long as he could persuade Medusa Queen, it would be enough. At the very least, Yang Chen would no longer be able to act so fiercely.

"However, I cannot hand all these pills over to Your Majesty at once. I can only fulfill the agreement gradually over the next two years!"

After saying that, even Gu He felt somewhat embarrassed. This installment-payment method was a little too ahead of its time. At least, he felt that Medusa Queen might not necessarily agree.

Yet in the next instant, it was Gu He's turn to be stunned. Medusa Queen gave a soft laugh and replied.

"Very well. However, Master Gu He will have to return in two years to collect the Heavenly Flame. During this period, I have other uses for it."

Gu He first stared at Medusa Queen in surprise. Once he came to his senses, he glanced at Yang Chen, who stood nearby with his arms folded in silence. A look of realization then appeared on his face.

Earlier, Gu He had been wondering why Yang Chen's offer was far higher than his own. Even if his negotiations with Medusa Queen had fallen through, it should not have escalated to a full-blown fight. After all, an alchemist's standing carried considerable weight.

No matter where one went, few people were willing to offend an alchemist unless they were mortal enemies. Once one offended an alchemist, it was equivalent to offending a group of powerful experts. Plenty of people were willing to do an alchemist a favor, even using the opportunity to build a connection with them.

Moreover, every alchemist had a lineage behind them. They had fellow disciples, senior and junior brothers, perhaps even disciples and followers stronger than themselves, not to mention their sect.

It could be said that offending an alchemist was nearly the same as offending an entire network of alchemists—and an unknown number of powerful experts.

No wonder Yang Chen and Medusa Queen had been fighting when he arrived. So that was where the conflict lay.

Yang Chen was willing to pay a high price for the Heavenly Flame, but Medusa Queen could not deliver it immediately. Naturally, Yang Chen was unwilling. If he handed over the pills yet failed to receive the Heavenly Flame, what if Medusa Queen went back on her word later?

But looking at Yang Chen, who was eyeing him like a tiger from the side, Gu He still gritted his teeth and nodded.

"Fine. In two years, I will come to the Tagore Desert to take the Heavenly Flame and pay the pills!"

"Hehe, Master Gu He, words alone are no guarantee. You cannot expect me to reserve the Heavenly Flame for you indefinitely based on a single sentence, can you? What if, when the time comes, I do not receive Master Gu He's pills, but powerful experts invited by Master Gu He instead?"

Medusa Queen sneered, as though she genuinely intended to make this deal with Gu He. She considered every detail so thoroughly that even Gu He felt her words made perfect sense.

"Fine. This is the first payment: one Sect-Breaking Pill and one Spirit-Doubling Pill!"

As Gu He spoke, he took two jade bottles from his storage ring and flicked them out. Medusa Queen reached out and caught them. After inspecting their contents, she immediately smiled.

"I shall accept this deposit. However, I hope the remaining pills will be delivered once every six months. Otherwise, I fear it will be difficult for me to keep the Heavenly Flame for Master Gu He all this time!"

As Medusa Queen spoke, she cast a smiling glance at Yang Chen, as though reminding Gu He of the existence of Yang Chen, his competitor. In truth, however, she was merely delighted that the man she fancied had given her a gift upon their first meeting.

Glancing at Yang Chen, whose expression had changed slightly, Gu He took a deep breath. Things had reached this point; whether he wanted to or not, he had to agree.

"Very well. However, the seventh-tier Transformation Pill must wait until after I obtain the Heavenly Flame before it can be delivered!"

"Of course. But I must remind Master Gu He of one thing: when the time comes, whether you can successfully take the Heavenly Flame away will depend on your own abilities."

After hearing Medusa Queen's words, Gu He's expression turned somewhat ugly, and even his voice carried a trace of anger.

"What does Your Majesty mean by this? Are you planning to accept the pills and then deny knowing me?"

"Master Gu He may have misunderstood. After I finish using the Heavenly Flame, I will enter seclusion for a long time. As for the four great elders of my tribe, they will not act unless the tribe faces a crisis of life and death. However, I will send people to help Master Gu He delay them as much as possible."

Medusa Queen was not angered by his words. She merely smiled. After all, there were four Sect-Breaking Pills and four Spirit-Doubling Pills in total. The way Medusa Queen looked at Yang Chen was practically dripping with affection, and the strange fragrance innate to the Seven-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python bloodline was almost impossible to suppress.

"Hmph, then I shall take my leave first!"

Seeing that Gu He and Medusa Queen had settled on a price, Yang Chen also put on an "indignant" expression. After stiffly uttering those words, he prepared to call Hai Bodong, Lei Na, and the others away.

Gu He became anxious again upon seeing this. He could not allow Yang Chen to take Yun Leng and the other two away. Otherwise, once the news reached Yun Yun's ears, she would surely descend the mountain to find Yang Chen and beg him to release Yun Leng and the others.

But would someone like Yang Chen release Yun Leng, Yun Lei, and Yun Feng so easily? When the time came, he would likely force Yun Yun to agree to some vile and shameless conditions.

For example: "Sect Leader Yun Yun, you would not want several of Yunlan Sect's Dou King elders to perish, would you? Sect Leader Yun Yun, you would not want Yunlan Sect to decline from this day onward, would you?"

The thought of such a scene sent a chill through Gu He's heart. He spoke to Medusa Queen once more.

"Your Majesty, please keep this man here. Otherwise, once news of the Heavenly Flame spreads, the Snake-People Tribe will never know peace again!"