Alchemy Partnership

White Tiger Hall, Zhu Residence.

Zhu Hu sat in the grand chair in the main hall, gripping the Marrow-Cleansing Pill as he turned it over and over, clicking his tongue.

The more he examined the pill, the more extraordinary it seemed.

Even with his status, he had never seen a Marrow-Cleansing Pill of such exceptional quality. It had surely come from the hand of an alchemy grandmaster!

A mere third-grade alchemist could never refine a pill of such quality.

Ding Wu stood beside him, his saliva flying as he spoke.

"Master Zhu, you didn't see it. Last night, old Jiang's residence was ablaze, and the aura was so terrifying it could probably burn even a Meridian Opening expert to ashes. That old bastard had really been hiding his strength!"

"This subordinate estimates that the pill he refined must be of no low grade!"

"Is that true?"

A flicker of surprise appeared on Zhu Hu's face. Flames capable of driving back a Meridian Opening martial artist—just what kind of pill was Jiang Yuan refining?

Could that old fellow truly be an alchemy grandmaster?

Just as he was thinking, footsteps sounded outside.

"Hall Master, Master Jiang has arrived!"

A disciple announced.

Zhu Hu immediately put away the gravity on his face, replacing it with a smile as he rose to greet him.

"Ah, Brother Jiang, we've been waiting for you!"

Zhu Hu strode to the entrance and seized Jiang Yuan's hand, warmly greeting him as though he had found a blood brother lost for many years.

"Hall Master Zhu is too courteous." Jiang Yuan gave a salute.

"Come, come, sit inside!"

Zhu Hu invited Jiang Yuan into the main hall, personally poured him tea, then sat down and looked at him with a genial smile.

"Brother Jiang, how was your night?"

"Not bad."

Jiang Yuan lifted his teacup, his expression unchanged.

"Not bad?"

Zhu Hu raised a brow. "I heard from Ding Wu that your residence was engulfed in flames last night. It was quite a magnificent sight."

"Oh, I was refining pills last night. The heat got a little too intense and disturbed Hall Master Zhu."

Jiang Yuan set down his teacup and replied blandly.

Zhu Hu burst into laughter. "Hahaha, Brother Jiang really is forthright. Who would have thought you were such an outstanding alchemist?"

"Had I known, I should have yielded this Hall Master position to you, Brother!"

Though it sounded like a joke, it was actually a probe.

Naturally, Jiang Yuan would not fall for it. He smiled faintly. "Hall Master Zhu jests. I merely know a few trivial tricks. How would I dare covet the Hall Master's seat?"

"Besides, the other Hall Masters would not agree."

His words were even more artful.

On the surface, he was saying that the other Hall Masters would not agree to let Jiang Yuan replace Zhu Hu. In truth, he meant that he now moved freely among all four halls and had no interest in a mere White Tiger Hall.

"Hahaha..."

Zhu Hu's smile deepened as he said warmly, "Brother, I was only joking. You and I are as close as brothers—how could there be such calculations between us?"

"However..."

Zhu Hu's smile faded slightly, and he continued, "Brother, you are being somewhat too distant with me."

"After all, you were recruited into White Tiger Hall. Since you possess such alchemy skills, why not think of your own people first instead of benefiting outsiders?"

"Those few fellows have always been quite wary of you."

This bastard talks as if you aren't wary of me too?

You're the one most on guard against me.

Jiang Yuan sneered inwardly, but his smile remained gentle. "Hall Master jests. I have not refined pills in many years. Recently, I merely acted on a whim, and I do not even know whether my skills have declined. How could I dare trouble Hall Master Zhu?"

"Ah, Brother, saying that only means you think too little of me!"

Zhu Hu waved a hand, righteousness written all over his face. "Since Brother wishes to refine pills, White Tiger Hall will naturally spare no effort to support you. How could we possibly neglect you?"

"From now on, White Tiger Hall will provide all the medicinal ingredients you need for pill refinement!"

"As for the profits..."

Zhu Hu grinned. "Brother, how about we split them fifty-fifty?"

"Twenty-eighty." Jiang Yuan's words were startling.

"Forty-sixty." Zhu Hu's smile did not change.

"Thirty-seventy." Jiang Yuan did not even raise his eyelids.

"Brother, I'm afraid that is not appropriate, is it?"

Zhu Hu's smile stiffened.

Old bastard, you're really fucking greedy!

"Hall Master, I am already advanced in years. I truly do not wish to exhaust these old bones." Jiang Yuan's face was full of regret.

"Ah, Brother, that is not right. Seventy is precisely the prime of life for martial artists like us!"

"How about thirty-seventy, then?"

Zhu Hu spoke so animatedly that his saliva flew everywhere. He had never been so enthusiastic toward Jiang Yuan; he was only one step short of kneeling and begging him to refine pills.

Damn it, with an alchemist, who could still compete with White Tiger Hall for profits?

Pills were truly a business of staggering profits.

A smile appeared on Jiang Yuan's face. Since Zhu Hu wanted to use him, why could he not use Zhu Hu in return?

Zhu Hu coming to find him had long been within his expectations.

Alchemy burned through money far too quickly.

If he could use White Tiger Hall's resources to make money for himself, it would be the most cost-effective choice!

Moreover, he could use this chance to further elevate his status within White Tiger Hall. No matter how wary Zhu Hu was of him, he would still have no choice but to curry favor with him.

That feeling was truly exhilarating!

In the end, amid the two men's hypocritical smiles, the matter was settled.

Zhu Hu personally rose to see him off, cheerfully escorting Jiang Yuan out of the Zhu Residence and having Zhang Yuan accompany him to the Elixir Hall to select medicinal ingredients.

Inside the main hall of the Zhu Residence.

Ding Wu cautiously said to Zhu Hu, "Hall Master, isn't giving him seventy percent of the profits too much?"

"After all, the hall is supplying the medicinal ingredients, and those aren't cheap."

A smug smile appeared on Zhu Hu's face. "Ding Wu, when I call you pig-brained, you always stubbornly refuse to admit it."

"Old Jiang is so greedy, and he manages the four districts. Sooner or later, something will go wrong!"

"I actually hope he grows even greedier. The greedier, the better."

"As long as we get hold of some leverage against him, we can dump all the rotten accounts and massive deficits from the West District over the years onto his head. When that time comes, forget seventy percent—even a hundred percent will have to be spat back out. And he'll have to refine pills for our hall for the rest of his life to pay off his debts! Hahahaha..."

The West District had ranked at the bottom in performance for years. Aside from its inherently poor business, it was also tied to enormous deficits and rotten accounts.

Zhu Hu alone had embezzled who knew how much public money from Black Tortoise Hall. If the higher-ups investigated, even a hundred heads would not be enough for him to lose.

Of course, nearly everyone in White Tiger Hall who knew about this matter had dirty hands, so no one would report it.

Ding Wu suddenly understood and gave a thumbs-up. "Master Zhu is truly brilliant!"

"Not only that, we can also put a huge charge on his account for the medicinal ingredients. When the time comes, he'll have to repay every last bit of it!"

Zhu Hu gave him a look that said he could be taught, praising, "You brat, you've finally wised up a little."

"Master Zhu, just what is this old Jiang's background?"

Lu Bai asked in confusion.

"I don't know."

Zhu Hu shook his head, his gaze flickering. "But I have a feeling that there is definitely something strange about this old man!"

"Forget it. Whatever his background, as long as he can make money for me, he's the God of Wealth! Hahahaha..."