Appraising Pills

At the very center of Cloud City stood the City Lord's Residence. The four great lineages occupied the east, south, west, and north.

Given the Wonderful Elixir Workshop's standing, it could have occupied the center of ninety-nine percent of the cities in the Fragrance-Hearing Kingdom. Yet this vast organization chose locations only slightly closer to the city center than the great lineages. This was true in Cloud City, and everywhere else as well.

It was precisely this modesty and refusal to compete that earned the Wonderful Elixir Workshop considerable favor from the City Lord's Residence in every city.

About a quarter of an hour later, Tang Yan arrived at the entrance to the Wonderful Elixir Workshop.

The Wonderful Elixir Workshop occupied a sizable area. Its front hall sold low-grade pills and medicinal ingredients of all kinds.

When he entered the shop, he found little merchandise on the shelves.

"What can I get for you, young master?" Seeing someone enter, the shop assistant immediately greeted him with a smile.

Tang Yan opened his folding fan and asked with a smile, "Do you have any pills that increase true qi?"

"Here at the Wonderful Elixir Workshop, we mainly carry two kinds of pills for increasing true qi: Foundation Establishment Pills and Origin-Raising Pills," the shop assistant promptly explained.

Tang Yan knew something about both pills. They were both first-grade pills. Foundation Establishment Pills were low-quality first-grade pills, primarily intended for Origin Tier martial artists. Origin-Raising Pills were slightly higher in quality and suited martial artists at the Yellow Tier and below.

Although both types suited him fairly well, buying pills was not the purpose of this visit. His purse was painfully thin at present; he could afford half a bottle of Foundation Establishment Pills at most.

"Do you have any second-grade pills?" Tang Yan snapped his folding fan shut and patted his chest. "I've got plenty of money!"

The shop assistant's mouth twitched at those words. Wasn't this fellow practically asking to be fleeced? Still, second-grade pills really were not sold openly. With a troubled expression, the assistant said, "We don't have those, young master."

Tang Yan's eyes widened. He slammed his fan against the counter and shouted, "What?! With a name as big as the Wonderful Elixir Workshop, the best true-qi-enhancing pills you sell to the public are only middle-quality first-grade pills?"

Young Master Tang had bellowed at the top of his lungs, instantly drawing everyone's attention. Fortunately, the Wonderful Elixir Workshop was no ordinary establishment, and there were few customers inside.

"Young master, second-grade pills require a second-grade alchemist to refine them. Production is limited, so we supply them only to the great lineages rather than putting them on the counter for anyone to buy. With your distinguished appearance, you must be a son of a great lineage. Surely you know our shop's rules," the assistant patiently explained.

"If the pills are going to be sold anyway, and I have plenty of money, why not sell some directly to me?" Young Master Tang said airily.

The shop assistant was growing anxious. Powerful as the Wonderful Elixir Workshop was, it had no wish to provoke disputes without reason. This young master looked exceptionally handsome and well dressed; he surely belonged to a great lineage. The assistant was merely a pill seller and dared not offend him lightly.

Caught between those concerns, the shop assistant found himself at a loss for words.

"The Wonderful Elixir Workshop has its own rules. We rarely sell second-grade pills individually. Still, since you have the money, and rules are made by people, I shall make an exception and sell you a bottle of Qi-Gathering Pills. Second-grade pills, fresh from the furnace." An aged yet vigorous voice rang out.

Everyone turned to look. An elderly man in gray robes strolled out from the inner room, his hands clasped behind his back. His eyebrows were graying, his eyes bright, and a small tuft of beard adorned his chin.

"Master Ge!" At the sight of him, every assistant in the Wonderful Elixir Workshop bowed their head in greeting.

Ge Ming was the chief elder of Cloud City's Wonderful Elixir Workshop and a second-grade alchemist. His standing was above Wu Xuan's.

Qi-Gathering Pills were middle-quality second-grade pills with exceptionally gentle medicinal properties. Even a first-rank Origin Tier martial artist could take them without having their meridians burst. Thus, these pills were the first choice of the great lineages for nurturing their outstanding young disciples.

However, refining these pills was a rather involved process. Even a middle-level second-grade alchemist faced a fairly high failure rate.

Tang Yan frowned and sniffed the faint scorched odor lingering in the air, then fixed his gaze on the old man.

After giving the porcelain bottle in the old man's hand a meaningful glance, Tang Yan stepped forward with a smile. "Qi-Gathering Pills? How much?"

"I won't waste words explaining their effects. This bottle contains three pills. At auction, they could fetch as much as a hundred thousand taels of silver. I won't take advantage of you, either. I'll sell them to you for a hundred thousand taels, young friend. What do you think?" Ge Ming spoke in a clear, resonant voice, though his gaze held a trace of disdain.

A spoiled heir who thought he had money dared to swagger and shout in the Wonderful Elixir Workshop?

Tang Yan cursed inwardly. You old bastard! A hundred thousand is the highest they could fetch at auction, and that's what you're charging me? Keeping his expression unchanged, Tang Yan laughed heartily. "Certainly, certainly. Might I inspect the pills first?"

"Oh? Do you think I'm giving you counterfeit pills?" A cold glint flashed through Ge Ming's eyes.

Tang Yan hastily waved his hands. "The Wonderful Elixir Workshop has stood on this continent for countless years and enjoys an excellent reputation. Naturally, it wouldn't ruin its name over a mere hundred thousand taels of silver. But I've never seen Qi-Gathering Pills before, so I'd like to appraise them first. If I bought the wrong pills, I'd have trouble explaining myself when I got home."

"If you wish to look, then look. But if you damage the pills, you must compensate us at the full price." Ge Ming passed him the porcelain bottle, the mockery in his eyes deepening. A boy without even a ripple of true qi dared to boast about appraising pills?

Tang Yan accepted the bottle with a smile. He gently eased the stopper loose, leaving the tiniest gap, held it beneath his nose for a light sniff, then pushed the stopper back into place.

"Finished appraising them?" Seeing how casually Tang Yan had acted, Ge Ming felt even greater contempt.

"Finished." Tang Yan nodded.

To appraise a pill, one first examined its shape, with a smooth, rounded surface being preferable. Second came its color, which should be even. Third, one sensed the pill's spiritual energy; those whose cultivation was insufficient generally used equipment to assist them. There were also more complicated appraisal methods, but none of that mattered. This boy was nothing but a reckless greenhorn, pretending to understand and putting on a mysterious show.

Even the shop assistant beside them wore a mocking expression.

Xiao Cui lowered her head in shame. Even though she had never taken a pill, she had heard that appraising one involved more than a single sniff. Still, she did not flee in disgrace. After all these years of accompanying her young master through wind and rain as he embarrassed himself in public, she had developed a certain immunity.

"So, are these Qi-Gathering Pills counterfeit?" Ge Ming pressed.

Young Master Tang hummed thoughtfully and tapped his fan against his palm. Only after a long while did he say, "The pills are indeed genuine, but the price is still open to discussion."

"Oh? What price do you consider appropriate, young friend?" Ge Ming was already prepared to make the sale.

"Three thousand taels of silver. Will you sell them or not?"