After thinking it over, Han Chen shook his head. He wanted to pop Foundation Establishment Pills to cultivate too, but he simply could not use them yet.
"My strength is still too low. I can't even take pills to cultivate. I'll sell it first and trade it for some resources."
Following a passerby's directions, Han Chen soon arrived before an imposing building. Several red satin banners hung from a massive arch carved from white stone, and gilded lettering at its very top read "Mittel Auction House."
By now, the sky was almost completely dark, and the street vendors had packed up their stalls. For the Mittel Auction House, however, the nightlife had only just begun.
An endless stream of people came and went at the auction house entrance. Han Chen tugged at his hood and squeezed inside along one side.
As he entered, a refreshing coolness washed over him, and the clamor outside was shut out as well. Standing in the lobby, Han Chen surveyed his surroundings.
"Senior, is there anything I can help you with?"
Just as Han Chen was taking in his surroundings, a pleasant voice reached him.
Han Chen turned toward the voice and saw a shapely young woman in a red qipao approach him respectfully. She dipped in a curtsy, a courteous smile on her face.
"I'd like to auction some pills."
"Oh? Pills? Certainly, Senior. This way, please. Master Gu Ni happens to be here."
The attendant nodded respectfully, then turned and gestured for Han Chen to follow before leading the way.
"Sorry for the trouble."
Han Chen followed the attendant out of the lobby and into a quiet corridor.
Han Chen had been studying the paintings along the corridor, but after only a glance, the figure ahead caught his attention.
The attendant walked before him, her waist swaying with every step. Her high heels clicked crisply against the floor, and her graceful movements made her seem like a little cat tugging at his heartstrings.
Han Chen shifted his gaze slightly aside and asked the attendant a question.
"Does Mittel have any major auctions coming up?"
Naturally, the attendant had noticed the unusual attention from behind her. She covered her mouth and chuckled.
"Of course. If you want your pills to fetch a high price, Senior, you'll have to wait for the monthly Intermediate Auction. We're only holding small auctions at the moment."
As she spoke, the attendant stopped before a black door and knocked lightly, her tone respectful.
"Master Gu Ni, a guest would like to auction some pills."
After the attendant spoke, the room fell silent for a moment. Then an elderly yet vigorous voice rang out.
"Understood. Come in."
Hearing the voice inside, the attendant nodded to Han Chen.
"Please, Senior."
Han Chen pushed the door open and entered. The room was dim, with only a few flickering flames ahead. Shelves of medicinal ingredients surrounded him, and a rich medicinal fragrance filled the air.
Looking ahead, he saw a white-haired old man seated behind a desk, carefully studying a pill formula in his hand. This was Gu Ni, the alchemy elder specially recruited by the Mittel Auction House. The Second-Rank Alchemist badge pinned to his chest proclaimed his ability.
Gu Ni put away the formula and looked at Han Chen, who stood in the middle of the room, then asked casually.
"You're the one who wants to auction pills? Let me make this clear first: if you're hoping to pass off inferior goods as something better, put that thought out of your head."
Gu Ni paid little attention to Han Chen's attire. Nine out of ten people who came to the auction house were fencing stolen goods, so dressing like this was hardly unusual.
Han Chen was not annoyed by Gu Ni's attitude. Alchemists were proud people, all of them lofty and arrogant. Besides, in this remote little city, Gu Ni stood at the very pinnacle, so his attitude was only natural.
After all, what treasures could a place like Wutan City possibly have?
Putting a hand behind his back, he pretended to retrieve something from there. In truth, he took the Foundation Establishment Pill out of his system storage and handed it to Gu Ni.
Gu Ni accepted the sandalwood box from Han Chen and gave him a curious look, finally showing a little interest.
"With such a fine box, whatever's inside should be no worse. Could I really have stumbled upon a treasure today?"
Rather than opening it immediately, Gu Ni first held the box and examined it carefully, then nodded.
"Not bad. Fine sandalwood, with a seal every bit as effective as some high-quality jade bottles. At the very least, it looks promising so far. Now we'll see what the pill inside is like. Have a seat."
Han Chen did not take Gu Ni's remarks to heart. He was confident in the Foundation Establishment Pill's quality. He chose a seat at random and sat down.
Meanwhile, Gu Ni had opened the sandalwood box. An unusual pill fragrance immediately wafted out, leaving him stunned as a sharp gleam lit his eyes.
"This... this pill fragrance!"
Gu Ni took the Foundation Establishment Pill from the box and held it in his hand to examine it closely. As he studied the cloudlike markings on its surface, his eyes filled with shock.
"This fragrance, and a pill pattern! How is this possible? This pill is at least third rank!"
The longer Gu Ni looked, the more alarmed he became. To refine a pill this perfect, an alchemist had to be at least one or two ranks higher. Since this pill was at least third rank, the alchemist who refined it had to be at the peak of the third rank, if not the fourth or fifth.
What did that mean? How many fifth-rank alchemists were there in the entire Jia Ma Empire? Most were gathered in the imperial capital. When would one ever come to such a remote little city?
"Young friend-no! Senior, please wait a moment. This pill is far too exceptional for me to make the decision alone.
"I'll go fetch the person in charge of our auction house right away and have her discuss it with you."
As he spoke, Gu Ni bowed to Han Chen with his hands clasped. After securing the pill in its box, he hurried out of the Appraisal Room.
A little while later, the door was pushed open from outside again. Gu Ni entered first, talking excitedly to the person behind him as he walked.
"You really must take a look. I'm telling you, this is the finest pill I've seen in all these years, without exception.
"Even the pill the vice president refined at that alchemy gathering I attended in the imperial capital years ago couldn't compare to this one."
Hearing Gu Ni's words, the person outside laughed. A woman's voice drifted in, mature and melodious, yet brimming with seductive charm.
"Hehehe, Senior Gu Ni, is it really as extraordinary as you say?"
"Come in and see for yourself."
Gu Ni beckoned to her, then entered the room and smiled at Han Chen, clasping his hands in greeting. After that, he hurried straight to the desk, utterly absorbed, and resumed examining the pill.
Behind him, a woman in red followed closely. She wore a brilliant red brocade robe, her figure alluring and her features bewitching. A soul-stirring smile graced her face, and her eyes gleamed like those of a fox whose scheme had succeeded,
Her full breasts and rounded hips traced breathtaking curves with every step. Her long, snow-white legs moved in turn, tugging tightly at the heartstrings and making it impossible to look away. In a word, she was a beauty who could topple kingdoms and bring ruin to their people.
Even Han Chen was deeply captivated the instant she entered, unable to tear his eyes away for a moment.
Sensing Han Chen's gaze, Ya Fei turned to look at him and gave him a knowing smile.
At that, Han Chen hastily turned his head away, inwardly cursing her as an enchantress.
Was she born with some sort of natural charm physique? Looks like I need to speed up my progress with the Great Evolution Art. If I can barely keep myself under control around a woman like her, who knows what I'll do when I run into someone who can cast illusions?
Before you continue