You Think You Can Produce a Third-Tier Pill?

Seated in the auction hall, Xiao Yan paid no attention to Jia Lie Ao nearby. He simply sat there quietly, waiting for the auction to begin.

Before long, however, Jia Lie Ao actually approached him, sat down beside him, and spoke with a mocking look on his face.

"Well, well, if it isn't Xiao Yan of the Xiao Clan. What's this I hear about you breaking through to Dou Zhe?"

Hearing Jia Lie Ao's words, Xiao Yan merely gave him an indifferent glance without responding.

Annoyed at being ignored, Jia Lie Ao continued his sneering mockery.

"Don't think breaking through to Dou Zhe makes you anything special. You're only a One-Star Dou Zhe. In Wutan City, that hardly amounts to much."

"To think you actually managed to break through to Dou Zhe. You really stumbled into a pile of dog-shit luck."

"Still, a One-Star Dou Zhe is only worth showing off in a little clan like the Xiao Clan. Out in the wider world, you wouldn't even be worth a glance. And let me give you some advice: someone like little sister Xun'er is far beyond your reach. You'd better put that dream to rest."

Xiao Yan was rather speechless at Jia Lie Ao's remarks.

Jia Lie Ao was exactly like his counterpart in the original story, always coveting Xiao Xun'er's beauty, which had led to plenty of conflict with the original Xiao Yan.

But the current Xiao Yan couldn't be bothered to argue with him. After all, he had only come for that medicinal herb today. There was no need to stoop to this sort of person's level.

So he merely replied coolly.

"My affairs are none of your concern."

Jia Lie Ao's expression immediately darkened, but before he could say anything else, Ya Fei stepped onto the auction stage.

Ya Fei was still dressed in a qipao, her voluptuous figure making her quite a dazzling sight on the stage.

"Everyone, today's auction will now begin."

Ya Fei's voice was clear and pleasing to the ear, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

Then she began auctioning off the day's items one by one.

Xiao Yan waited patiently in his seat. Several lots went by, yet the clearheart grass still hadn't appeared.

Lowering his voice, Xiao Yan asked an attendant beside him, "Excuse me, when will the clearheart grass come up for auction?"

The attendant answered quietly.

"Young Master Xiao, the clearheart grass is one of the closing highlights of the auction's second half. It should be another hour or so."

Xiao Yan nodded at the attendant's answer and continued waiting patiently.

Meanwhile, Jia Lie Ao, seated beside him, quietly took note of his inquiry about the clearheart grass.

After all, the Jia Lie Family had recently needed that herb as well. Jia Lie Ao had come today precisely for this stalk of clearheart grass.

Only when Ya Fei brought out the herb did Xiao Yan perk up. "Our next lot is a third-tier medicinal herb: a stalk of clearheart grass."

"This clearheart grass is fully matured, with pure medicinal properties. The starting bid is fifty thousand gold coins."

Upon hearing Ya Fei announce the price, Xiao Yan prepared to bid, but before he could speak, Jia Lie Ao raised his paddle first.

"One hundred thousand gold coins."

Jia Lie Ao's bid drew glances from quite a few people present.

After all, he had doubled the bid outright for a third-tier herb. Clearly, he was determined to secure this clearheart grass.

Seeing Jia Lie Ao bid, Xiao Yan raised his own paddle without hesitation.

"One hundred and fifty thousand gold coins."

Jia Lie Ao's expression immediately changed at Xiao Yan's bid. He turned to glare at him in displeasure.

"Xiao Yan, take my advice. Don't get any ideas about this herb."

Xiao Yan couldn't be bothered to indulge him and shot straight back.

"What, Young Master Jia Lie Ao? Does your family own this auction house? Is my bidding getting in your way?"

Jia Lie Ao's face darkened immediately, but with so many people watching, he couldn't very well lash out. Gritting his teeth, he raised his paddle again.

"One hundred and eighty thousand gold coins."

At Jia Lie Ao's bid, Xiao Yan raised his paddle again without the slightest hesitation.

"Two hundred thousand gold coins."

Quite a few people present sucked in a sharp breath when Xiao Yan announced his bid of two hundred thousand gold coins.

After all, two hundred thousand gold coins far exceeded the actual value of a third-tier medicinal herb.

Jia Lie Ao's face turned livid. Two hundred thousand gold coins was no small sum for him, either.

Moreover, he could tell that Xiao Yan was dead set on competing with him for this herb.

The thought left Jia Lie Ao seething with frustration, but he couldn't make a scene in the auction hall. He could only snort coldly and stop bidding.

"Two hundred thousand gold coins, going once."

"Two hundred thousand gold coins, going twice."

"Two hundred thousand gold coins, going three times. Sold."

As the little hammer in Ya Fei's hand fell, the clearheart grass officially became Xiao Yan's.

At the sight, the corners of Xiao Yan's lips lifted slightly.

But when it came time to pay, Xiao Yan suddenly remembered that he didn't seem to have that much money on him. After all, two hundred thousand gold coins was no small sum even for a young master of the Xiao Clan.

After a moment's thought, Xiao Yan walked up to Ya Fei and spoke.

"Sister Ya Fei, I don't have that many gold coins on me right now, but I'd like to offer a third-tier pill as payment. Would you consider it?"

Ya Fei froze on the spot at his words.

"A third-tier pill?"

Could this be real? Xiao Yan could actually refine third-tier pills? Ya Fei wondered to herself.

At that thought, the look she gave Xiao Yan grew somewhat complicated.

After all, a third-tier alchemist was an extremely prestigious figure in a place like Wutan City. There wasn't a single alchemist in the entire city capable of refining third-tier pills.

And how old was Xiao Yan? Only eleven. An eleven-year-old Third-Rank Alchemist—if word got out, probably no one would dare believe it.

Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Jia Lie Ao immediately began sneering from the side.

"A third-tier pill? Xiao Yan, you don't even bother drafting your lies before you spout them. You think you can refine third-tier pills?"

"I bet you can't come up with the money and are just making excuses!"

Xiao Yan couldn't be bothered to respond to Jia Lie Ao. He simply watched Ya Fei, waiting for her answer.

Ya Fei fell silent for a moment, then looked at Xiao Yan and spoke.

"Xiao Yan, if you really can produce a third-tier pill, I'll take it upon myself to give you this clearheart grass outright."