Mittel Auction House

To familiarize himself with the Lightning-Fire Pill Refining Method, Xiao Yu refined all the flowers, grasses, and trees he had gathered into "pills," making his technique increasingly polished.

By the time he finished everything, it was already late at night, yet Xiao Yu felt no fatigue. His excitement still had not faded.

He lay on the wooden bench in his little courtyard, admiring the star-filled sky and leisurely eating the "pills" he had refined that day.

These "pills" were made from flowers, grasses, and trees, so they had little medicinal effect and could only serve as snacks. Luckily, they tasted good-crunchy and chicken-flavored.

"Since Lightning-Fire Pill Refining works, the next step is finding medicinal ingredients and pill formulas. And a medicine cauldron. Another huge expense."

Once his excitement passed, the thought of the capital needed to refine pills gave Xiao Yu a headache.

After turning it over in his mind, borrowing money remained his only option. He did not know many people, so he could only turn to Xiao Zhan.

Honestly, Xiao Yu did not want to trouble Xiao Zhan. Being supported by him for the past three years had already left him deeply indebted. He truly did not want to burden his second uncle any further.

"Forget it. There's no other way. I'll still have to trouble Second Uncle."

Xiao Yu got up and returned to his room, planning to get a good night's sleep. It had been an exhausting day, and after resting for the night, he would have to borrow money and buy medicinal ingredients tomorrow.

Xiao Yu rose early the next morning. He had plenty to do today and could not afford to sleep in.

Normally, he would never leave his comfortable little bed before noon.

Leaving his courtyard, Xiao Yu headed straight for Xiao Zhan's residence.

When he entered the courtyard, he happened to see Xiao Zhan about to leave.

"Second Uncle, where are you going?"

Xiao Zhan noticed Xiao Yu as well and smiled. "Nowhere special, just to the accounts office. Little Yu, did you need something from me?"

At that, Xiao Yu said somewhat sheepishly, "Well... could you lend me some money, Second Uncle?"

Xiao Zhan waved it off. "And here I thought it was something serious. Would twenty thousand gold coins be enough?"

"Huh?"

Xiao Yu was rather surprised. He had come to borrow a few thousand gold coins, so why was Xiao Zhan offering twenty thousand right off the bat? Since when had he become so rich?

Seeing Xiao Yu's stunned expression, Xiao Zhan chuckled. "What do you mean, 'huh'? I set it aside for you in the first place. I was going to give it to you after your Coming-of-Age Ceremony, but if you need it now, you can have it now. Knowing your temperament, I'm not worried about you squandering it."

"Set aside for me?" Xiao Yu was puzzled. Why had he prepared such an enormous sum of twenty thousand for him out of the blue?

"Not just you. Yan'er has the same amount. You two boys will need money when you're out in the world, won't you? Without some gold coins in your pockets, when will I ever get to hold a grandson or grandnephew?"

"Ah..."

Sure enough, elders loved pushing marriage no matter which world they lived in.

Seeing Xiao Yu's helpless expression, Xiao Zhan scolded him with a laugh. "You brat, why are you just like Yan'er? What's so bad about starting a family? You'll have someone to support you through life, and I'll be able to rest easy, won't I?"

"Yes, yes, you're absolutely right, Second Uncle."

Xiao Yu did not want to discuss this subject. Pressure to marry had always been his most hated topic. His parents had done it before, and now Xiao Zhan was doing it too, so he could only brush it off.

Xiao Zhan knew the boy would not listen, so he said no more. He took out a crystal card and handed it to Xiao Yu. "There are twenty thousand gold coins in here. Don't squander them. That's your entire marriage fund."

Xiao Yu accepted the card and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes. Don't worry, Second Uncle."

"I'll head to the accounts office now, then. There are still some matters I need to handle."

"All right. Take care, Second Uncle."

After seeing Xiao Zhan off, Xiao Yu held the crystal card in his hand and felt relieved. Now that funding was no longer a problem, he could go out and have a look.

Leaving the Xiao Clan, Xiao Yu headed straight for the Market District. The bustling streets teemed with people and an endless stream of carriages and horses.

Xiao Yu wandered aimlessly, looking at one thing, then another.

Pill formulas were essential for refining medicine, but even a first-tier formula was beyond what Xiao Yu could currently afford. That was why he had come specifically to browse the street stalls, hoping to uncover a hidden bargain like the protagonists in novels.

His original plan had been to buy medicinal ingredients with similar properties and a medicine cauldron, then return home to develop his own pill formula. However, while studying the Lightning-Fire Pill Refining Method yesterday, he had come to feel that his talent for refining medicine was only average, so he had abandoned the idea.

Thus, trusting that a road would appear once his cart reached the mountain, he had come to the Market District.

But after wandering for two hours, he still had not found anything worthwhile, let alone so much as a trace of a pill formula.

With Returning-to-Truth Lightning, Xiao Yu had no fear of overlooking a treasure hidden beneath dust. In other words, the things here truly were junk.

"Looks like I was being naive."

Somewhat disappointed, Xiao Yu left the Market District.

Xiao Yan had managed to find Suction Palm in a Market District, so why had he come away empty-handed? Perhaps the Market District where Xiao Yan had found that bargain was a different one.

After walking for a while, Xiao Yu spotted an enormous building at the end of the street. This had to be the Mittel Auction House.

Xiao Yu walked straight inside. The lingering heat vanished without a trace as he entered the spacious, gilded hall, leaving only refreshing coolness.

"As expected of Mittel. They even have built-in air-conditioning. No wonder their business ranks first in Jia Ma."

No sooner had Xiao Yu entered than a delicate-featured attendant approached with quick little steps to inquire.

"How may I help you, sir?"

He glanced around at the assorted items displayed on the counters. Although Mittel operated an auction house, it also sold goods, and those goods were anything but ordinary.

"I'd like to buy a medicine cauldron. Do you have any recommendations?"

"A medicine cauldron? Are you an Alchemist, sir?" The attendant looked at the handsome young man before her in surprise.

Alchemists were rarely seen in Wutan City, and many were already in their sixties. This was her first time seeing one so young.

Hearing that she had mistaken him for an Alchemist, Xiao Yu shook his head. "No, I haven't attained a tier yet. You could call me an apprentice Alchemist."

He had no desire to put on airs like that. There was no need. He was what he was.

The attendant dared not neglect him. Even an apprentice Alchemist was not someone to offend, since most had an Alchemist as their teacher.

"You're so young, sir. I'm sure you'll become an Alchemist very soon," the attendant complimented him. A future Alchemist deserved her respect.

Then she gestured invitingly and said, "This way, please. Since medicine cauldrons are rather expensive, I don't have the authority to handle the sale. Please wait in the lounge while I fetch the manager."

Xiao Yu nodded and followed the attendant to the lounge.

After he had sat there for a little while, a slightly plump middle-aged man entered.

"Hahaha, sorry for the wait, sir. Please forgive our inadequate hospitality."

His hearty laughter made him seem approachable, and his manners were impeccable.

Xiao Yu smiled. "Not at all. Sorry for the trouble, Manager."

The middle-aged man was pleased to see the young man's good manners. After all, who would not like an amiable customer?

The man asked politely, "May I ask your surname, sir?"

"My surname is Xiao. Just call me Xiao Yu, Manager."

"Xiao? Could you be a member of the Xiao Clan, sir?" the man asked.

"That's right. May I ask your surname, Manager?"

"Look at me, getting muddleheaded. I forgot to introduce myself. My surname is Liu."

After exchanging pleasantries, the man did not forget why he had come. He said to Xiao Yu, "This way, please, sir. Medicine cauldrons are valuable, so we keep them in a separate room. I'll take you to have a look."

"Thank you, Manager Liu."