The others' eyes nearly popped out when they saw the pills Han Chen offered.
Pills on the Dou Qi Continent were sold individually, yet Han Chen had handed over an entire bottle. Such extravagant generosity only further confirmed their belief that he was a scion of a great family from the Imperial Capital.
Only someone from one of the Imperial Capital's great families could throw money around with such outrageous abandon.
"An... Alchemist! You're an esteemed Alchemist!"
The others came back to their senses then, recalling the word "Alchemist" Xiao Yi Xian had just uttered. Could the young man before them really be an Alchemist?
"I'm hardly accomplished. I only became an Alchemist recently."
Han Chen smiled at her words.
That was no lie. He had only become an Alchemist two days earlier.
"He really is an Alchemist."
"Yes, this is my first time seeing one."
Xiao Yi Xian hurriedly returned the Yellow Dragon Pills in her hands. Her pretty face flushed, and she nervously rubbed her hands together. She had never been this close to an Alchemist before.
"I... I can't accept these. They're too precious."
Han Chen raised an eyebrow. If you won't accept them, how am I supposed to get close to you?
He put on a stern expression and pushed the Yellow Dragon Pills back toward her.
"Once I, Li, give something away, how could I take it back? Consider it the start of a friendly connection. If you ever want to learn about pill refining, feel free to come to me."
"R-really? But I don't have the aptitude to become an Alchemist..."
Xiao Yi Xian grew a little downcast as she spoke. What a wonderful opportunity this was-the first time in her life an Alchemist had been so close to her.
"That doesn't matter. A heart that looks toward the future is more important than anything else. The wood-fire attribute isn't the only path to becoming an Alchemist. There's always a way."
Seeing Han Chen's serious expression, Xiao Yi Xian did not want to waste such a wonderful opportunity. A chance to befriend a genius Alchemist was rare indeed.
She was also afraid of angering Han Chen and bringing trouble upon herself, so she accepted the bottle of Yellow Dragon Pills and carefully tucked it into the pouch at her waist. She patted it with her delicate hand, then bowed to him.
"Thank you, Senior Li."
Han Chen waved a hand and continued walking.
"All right, calling me 'Senior' is going too far. Just call me Fei Yu, or... Brother Li."
As he spoke, a mischievous smile curled at the corners of his lips.
The others exchanged glances.
"Could he have taken a liking to Xiao Yi Xian?"
"Possibly. She is the most beautiful woman in Qingshan Town, after all."
Walking ahead of them, Han Chen could naturally hear what they were saying with his powerful spiritual sense.
Disdain flashed through his heart at their words. If you knew the woman before you was the future Calamity Saint, you'd be even more over the top than me.
Before long, the group returned to Qingshan Town. Only after passing beneath its stone archway and stepping onto the street paved with bluestone bricks did everyone truly relax. Relief at having survived the ordeal showed on their faces. At last, they had returned safely.
Once their payment had been settled, the mercenaries left one after another. As they departed, however, each looked at Han Chen, who stood to one side admiring the scenery, with an indescribable expression.
After putting everything away, Xiao Yi Xian turned to Han Chen beside her and asked with a slightly apprehensive expression,
"Brother... Li, do you have a place to stay?"
She regretted the question as soon as she asked it. What kind of question was that? Han Chen had only just arrived in town. How could he already have a place to stay?
Han Chen shook his head at her question, folded his arms, and replied calmly.
"Not yet. Are there any inns in this town?"
"There are, but they're a little far away. If you don't mind, why not come back to the Myriad Medicine Pavilion with me? Boss Yao is very kind. Once he knows you're an Alchemist, he certainly won't turn you away."
Seeing that Han Chen had not noticed, Xiao Yi Xian quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Then she smiled and led the way.
The three arrived at an ornate medicine shop. The medicine girl beside them stepped forward, pushed open the door, and gestured for the two to enter.
"Xiao Yi Xian, Senior Li, please come in. I'll go fetch Boss Yao."
"Please come in, Brother Li."
Once they entered the shop, its interior proved rather more plain than its ornate exterior.
Han Chen carefully examined the medicinal ingredients at the counter. Unfortunately, it was still too early, and there was no Yellow Spirit Lotus on display at all.
"None here..."
He was not too disappointed. He had the Little Green Bottle, after all. Whatever he wanted would only take a few days.
"Oh my, having an Alchemist visit our humble shop truly makes these modest walls shine!"
Just as Han Chen was examining the counter, a strong, resonant voice sounded behind him. A middle-aged man in a yellow brocade robe entered, cupping his fist in greeting as he approached with a hearty smile.
"Greetings, Boss Yao. I'll be imposing on you for a while."
"Oh, don't say that! I only hope you won't find our accommodations wanting. How could I object? A room in the rear courtyard is already prepared, and I've also arranged a pill refining room especially for your use. This way, please."
Boss Yao looked at the young Han Chen before him, excitement gleaming in his eyes. Whether Han Chen was a genius did not matter to him, so long as he was an Alchemist.
In resource-starved Qingshan Town, medicine was hard currency, representing an endless stream of wealth.
As long as an Alchemist like Han Chen stayed at the Myriad Medicine Pavilion, it could control the supply of pills. For mercenaries who spent every day licking blood from the edge of a blade, the value of a single pill went without saying.
The more Boss Yao thought about it, the more attentive he became. The man before him was a genuine god of wealth.
Han Chen was quite satisfied with Boss Yao's arrangements and nodded.
"Sorry for the trouble."
He followed Boss Yao, while Xiao Yi Xian hesitated behind them. Now that Han Chen had a room, would following him seem too forward?
"Xiao Yi Xian, what are you standing there for? Senior Li's room is right next to yours. You can show him around."
"Ah! Oh~"
Xiao Yi Xian froze briefly at his words, then happily followed, a spring in her step.
Behind the Myriad Medicine Pavilion was a charming little courtyard. It could be reached directly through the shop's rear door and also had a separate main entrance.
There were no pavilions or towers inside, only two rows of rooms. In the center, however, stood a garden and a small curved pond, lending the place a peaceful, refreshing air.
"These humble lodgings are rather plain. I hope you won't mind, Senior Li."
"Not at all. These surroundings are excellent. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Boss Yao. By the way, where is the pill refining room?"
Hearing that Han Chen wanted to refine pills, Boss Yao's eyes lit up.
"This way, please. It's just around the corner."
As he spoke, Boss Yao pulled Xiao Yi Xian back a little and whispered into her ear.
"Make sure you attend to Senior Li with utmost care. If he refines pills, find a way to get him to sell them to the Myriad Medicine Pavilion. Don't worry, you'll get your share of the benefits."
Xiao Yi Xian's expression darkened with displeasure. Although she had known Han Chen for less than half a day, she could tell he was not a bad person. Naturally, she could not approve of Boss Yao's attempts to profit from him.
But remembering that she was only an employee here, Xiao Yi Xian kept her dissatisfaction to herself and merely nodded without expression.
"Understood."
Before you continue