Black Tortoise Auction House

"Just as I thought, it worked!"

Jiang Yuan stared at his hands, unable to hide the delight on his face.

The effects of this pill were far too potent!

It was not as though he had never taken Marrow-Cleansing Pills before, but their effects had been nowhere near that of the one he had refined himself. At the very least, they could never have produced results so immediate!

This was a top-grade Marrow-Cleansing Pill!

A Marrow-Cleansing Pill of this quality would be worth at least five hundred spirit stones if sold on the market.

If he could refine them in batches...

Hiss!

At that thought, Jiang Yuan stood up and shouted toward the door, "Shuang'er, quickly call in a few outer disciples and have them harvest all the medicinal herbs from before in the spirit herb garden. This old man is going to refine as many as he can in one go!"

"Ah?"

Shuang'er was stunned when she heard that. "Master, isn't one pill enough?"

"Please don't torment Shuang'er to the point of breaking her."

"What do you mean by that?"

Jiang Yuan was utterly baffled as he glanced at Shuang'er.

"Bite down? Master, you're awful!"

Shuang'er immediately realized she had misunderstood. With a cry, she fled Jiang Residence with a flushed face, looking rather adorable.

Before long, Shuang'er had summoned several outer disciples from White Tiger Hall to serve as laborers. In one sweep, they harvested every last stalk of the several herbs needed to refine Marrow-Cleansing Pills from the spirit herb garden and respectfully presented them to Jiang Yuan.

"Master Jiang, all the herbs you requested have been gathered," one outer disciple said with a fawning expression.

"Mm."

Jiang Yuan nodded and waved his hand. "There is nothing else for you to do here. Go attend to your own business."

"Shuang'er, see them out!"

"Yes, Master Jiang."

The outer disciples were escorted out of Jiang Residence with baffled expressions, each of them pondering the matter.

"What do you think Master Jiang needs so many herbs for?"

"Idiot. Naturally, to refine pills."

"That can't be right. I heard that Pill Hall was reprimanded by the deputy helmsman for privately selling pills from the hall. How would they dare refine pills for anyone now?"

"Could it be that Master Jiang is refining them himself?"

"Hiss, no way. Master Jiang has that skill too?"

"Never mind that. The Hall Master told us to keep a close eye on Master Jiang's movements. We need to hurry and report this to the Hall Master!"

"Yes, yes, let's go!"

After discussing it, the outer disciples prepared to report the news of Jiang Yuan refining pills to Zhu Hu.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yuan was in high spirits as he spent the entire night madly refining Marrow-Cleansing Pills.

Over the course of a full day and night, he refined at least thirty Marrow-Cleansing Pills. Not only was that enough to support his upcoming cultivation without restraint, but he even had five or six left over to sell.

This time, he had truly struck it rich!

The one who suffered, however, was young Shuang'er next door. With the scent of pills wafting from Jiang Yuan's room, she could not sleep all night.

"Just how many does Master intend to eat?"

"Ah, how embarrassing!"

Shuang'er buried her blushing face in her pillow. She left her door wide open throughout the night, awaiting the favor of that elderly figure.

Unfortunately, her hopes were destined to come to nothing that night.

Early the next morning, Jiang Yuan emerged from the pill room and stretched his limbs, his entire body crackling.

Though he had not slept all night, he was not tired in the least. Instead, he was brimming with energy.

Thirty Marrow-Cleansing Pills were stored in several pill bottles, their fragrance pungent and permeating the entire room.

Jiang Yuan picked up a pill bottle and weighed it in his hand as he calculated in his heart.

These things were valuable and scarce. After keeping what he needed for himself, he still had five or six remaining, enough to exchange for a considerable sum.

But with the quality of his pills, selling them to Pill Hall would inevitably mean taking a loss.

Why not auction them through Black Tortoise Hall instead?

Right!

An auction!

Jiang Yuan's eyes lit up. He was, after all, also the deputy hall master of Black Tortoise Hall. Though he had never involved himself in the auction house business, surely his own people would give him some face?

With that thought, Jiang Yuan put away the pill bottles, changed into a clean set of clothes, and pushed open the door.

"Master, where are you going?"

Shuang'er poked her head out from her room. There were faint dark circles beneath her eyes, as though she had not slept all night.

"Going out to handle something." Jiang Yuan did not look back.

"Then... will you be back for dinner tonight?"

"We'll see."

Shuang'er watched Jiang Yuan's departing figure, pursing her lips as if she wanted to speak but stopped herself.

Master really was... utterly devoid of romantic feeling!

Black Tortoise Hall's territory lay in the northern district of the outer city. Its core area was Black Tortoise Auction Venue, which occupied fully half a street.

Everything was sold there, and they dared sell anything.

Two disciples with long sabers at their waists stood at the street entrance. When they saw Jiang Yuan approaching, they froze for a moment before hurriedly stepping forward.

"Master Jiang!"

The two clasped their fists in salute, their respectful voices carrying a trace of surprise.

Jiang Yuan's status was far from ordinary now. As the deputy hall master of one of the Four Halls, who in the entire Black Market would dare slight him?

Yet he had always kept a low profile and never involved himself in the core businesses of the Four Halls. His sudden appearance here naturally surprised the disciples of Black Tortoise Hall.

"Mm. Is Hall Master Xu here?" Jiang Yuan asked casually.

"He is, he is. Master Jiang, please come in. I'll go notify him right away."

The two disciples did not dare delay. They immediately led Jiang Yuan into the Black Market and all the way to the auction house building.

The building stood three stories tall, with blue brick walls and black tiled roofs. Coiling dragons were carved into its pillars, giving it an imposing air.

The first floor was a hall furnished with dozens of chairs. At the front stood a tall auction platform. It was not yet time for the auction to begin, but several lots covered with black cloth could already be vaguely seen, lending the place an air of deep mystery.

Jiang Yuan was invited to sit in a private room on the second floor. An attendant brought him tea and waited on him with utmost care.

Before long, hurried footsteps sounded from the other end of the corridor.

Xu Teng, the Hall Master of Black Tortoise Hall, pushed open the door. His hearty laughter arrived before him. "Hahaha... Brother Jiang, what brings you here today?"

Though his smile was bold and open.

The instant he saw Jiang Yuan, a hint of wariness flashed deep in his eyes.

Over the past few months, Jiang Yuan had stirred up a storm across the four districts. His performance had soared, and his prestige had risen ever higher. Now that he had suddenly come to the auction house, could he be planning to meddle in the business Xu Teng managed?

If that were the case, where would Xu Teng's dignity as Hall Master go?

"Hall Master Xu, I came here today over a private matter."

Jiang Yuan rose to his feet and clasped his fists in return.

"Oh? A private matter? Brother, whatever you need, just say the word."

Xu Teng sat down, his smile unchanged. "We are brothers of the same family. So long as I, Xu Teng, can do it, I will brave fire and water for you, elder brother, and never refuse!"

Jiang Yuan did not beat around the bush. He took a bottle of pills from his robes and set it on the table, stroking his beard with a smile.

"Hall Master Xu, I have a few pills that I would like to entrust to you to sell for a good price."

"This old man has been occupied with cultivation lately, and my purse is truly rather tight."

"Oh?"

At those words, Xu Teng's smile stiffened slightly before a strange expression appeared on his face.

Selling pills?

Coming to the auction house to sell pills?

This old bastard must be here to extort me, right?

Xu Teng grumbled inwardly, finding it somewhat amusing.

In his view, the pills in Jiang Yuan's hands were probably nothing more than worthless, ungraded trash. He had deliberately come to sell them through the auction house only to swindle him.

Still, that made sense. Half of the Four Halls' businesses were now in Jiang Yuan's hands. This old bastard taking all he could grab and squeezing others dry was simply standard practice.

Hadn't Vermilion Bird Hall even sent him a pretty widow?