In the Far Southern Land, in the Hopeless City, at the Hundred Herbs Pavilion.
Xiao Yan stared intently at the herb currently displayed on the counter, his heart filled with joy.
With the Mirror-Breaking Flower, he could refine the Mirror-Breaking Pill. Once Luo Jin and the others consumed it, their strength would increase dramatically once again!
However, with only one Mirror-Breaking Flower, the number of Mirror-Breaking Pill that can be refined is extremely limited. Given Xiao Yan's current alchemy skills, the success rate of refining Mirror-Breaking Pill is not very high. If he succeeds, he will probably only be able to refine one at most.
"Hehe, young man, you seem quite interested in this Mirror-Breaking Flower?"
In the bustling hall, a middle-aged man with a full head of gray hair spotted Xiao Yan at a glance. His eager eyes were exactly what their shop needed.
The more demanding the customers are, the more revenue they can generate for their stores.
Hearing voices, Xiao Yan turned around in confusion and immediately saw a middle-aged man walking towards him with a smile on his face.
With his slanted mustache, narrow triangular eyes, and thin lips, he gave the impression of being a bad guy at first glance. His lewd smile, which matched his appearance perfectly, was even more chilling. If he hadn't mentioned the Mirror-Breaking Flower right away, people would probably have thought he was after Xiao Yan.
" Middle Origin Transformation Realm."
Xiao Yan raised his eyes slightly, his gaze sweeping over the middle-aged man from head to toe. He thought to himself, then asked a question.
"And you are, sir?"
"Oh, my name is Hu Yanzao, and I am the manager of this Hundred Herbs Pavilion. If you have any needs or questions, please feel free to ask me."
Hu Yanzao grinned, revealing a row of yellowish-brown teeth, and gave Xiao Yan a slight fist and palm salute.
" Manager Hu, do you still have any of these Mirror-Breaking Flower in stock?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded slightly. Although the man in front of him was not very likable, he was at least a manager, and the Mirror-Breaking Flower was also his property, so he naturally had to be more polite when speaking to him.
"What a coincidence! A few days ago, I just got a few Mirror-Breaking Flower into my Hundred Herbs Pavilion. If you need them, young brother, I'll have someone fetch them for you."
Upon hearing Xiao Yan's words, Hu Yanzao's eyes lit up, and he replied with a beaming smile. He was about to order someone to fetch it when Xiao Yan quickly stopped him.
Having traveled the continent for many years, Xiao Yan had some understanding of the ways and styles these guys did business. Once the Mirror-Breaking Flower was taken out, this guy would definitely not give up until he sold a few, and the selling price would be by no means a small amount.
These guys will do anything to sell the medicinal herbs. Although this middle-aged man's cultivation is not as good as Xiao Yan's, the fact that he is only in charge means that there is a more powerful force supporting the Hundred Herbs Pavilion. It is best not to cause any conflict with them unless necessary.
"Please don't be hasty, Manager Hu. I was just asking casually. I simply want to know, what is the value of this Mirror-Breaking Flower?"
With a slight smile, Xiao Yan fixed his gaze on Hu Yanzao in front of him and casually asked about the value of the Mirror-Breaking Flower.
Seeing Xiao Yan's calm demeanor, Hu Yanzao was slightly taken aback. He had originally wanted to use this opportunity to see how Xiao Yan would react to the Mirror-Breaking Flower, but he hadn't expected him to be so indifferent. Although there was a possibility that this was just for show, at least he hadn't figured it out yet.
"Oh, I see. My Hundred Herbs Pavilion has a rule that all medicinal herbs sold must be exchanged for herbs of equal or higher value. Of course, if the quality is lacking, it can be compensated for by quantity. My Hundred Herbs Pavilion has specialized alchemists to assess this. The same principle applies to elixirs."
As soon as Hu Yanzao finished speaking, Xiao Yan frowned. This Hundred Herbs Pavilion had played its cards well. In this way, no matter what item the buyer of medicinal herbs or pills received, the other party would definitely receive an item of equal value. In other words, wasn't this the same as having no trade at all?
But where do they get their profits?
Thinking of this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity. How could a shop without sales generate profits, and how could it operate sustainably in the long run?
"This Mirror-Breaking Flower is nearly two thousand years Suiyue, and its medicinal properties are extremely concentrated. If used to refine Mirror-Breaking Pill, it should be able to produce three to four pills. If you, young brother, could find a Fifth-Tier Alchemist to successfully refine such a herb, the profits would skyrocket!"
Although Hu Yanzao was not an alchemist, he had been running the Hundred Herbs Pavilion for many years and was very familiar with the effects and properties of all the medicinal herbs. Although the Mirror-Breaking Flower could be used to refine many pills, as far as he knew, the most sought-after pill was the Mirror-Breaking Pill. Moreover, Xiao Yan was just a young man. Since he had come to the Mirror-Breaking Flower, his request must have been for the Mirror-Breaking Pill.
"Young brother, as you know, the Mirror-Breaking Pill has a very high chance of helping a Origin Transformation Realm expert break through to the Origin Return Realm. If you take it, not only can you use it to improve your own cultivation, but the remaining Mirror-Breaking Pill would be extremely sought-after treasures at an auction, yielding a huge profit!"
Hu Yanzao's words significantly increased the value of the Mirror-Breaking Flower. If Xiao Yan were to speak up now, this guy would definitely raise the price of the Mirror-Breaking Flower even further, and then it wouldn't be a matter that could be resolved with just a medicinal herb of equal value.
While the Mirror-Breaking Flower is indeed the most important ingredient for refining the Mirror-Breaking Pill, Hu Yanzao is somewhat of a generalization. Although he praises the Mirror-Breaking Flower to the skies, there is no reason to rely on just one medicinal herb when refining pills. Once other medicinal herbs are added, the properties of the pill will change drastically, and the value of the Mirror-Breaking Pill will decrease accordingly.
This Hu Yanzao, truly lives up to his name. He'll do anything for his own benefit. He can exaggerate the miraculous power of just one main ingredient. If it were anything else, wouldn't he have blown it out of proportion?
"Since that's the case..."
After a long silence, Xiao Yan Xiao Yan listened quietly to Hu Yanzao's boasting until the person in front of him stared intently at him for a long time before finally speaking.
Before he could even utter a word, Hu Yanzao held his breath, his eyes wide, waiting for Xiao Yan to nod.
"How many of these Mirror-Breaking Flower are left? I'll take them all!"
However, just as Xiao Yan was still hesitating about whether to refuse, a young man dressed in a magnificent brocade robe, who had appeared from the side at some unknown time, suddenly spoke, his words like a thunderclap, instantly shattering the atmosphere between Xiao Yan and the other man.