"Hehe, is Mr. Xiao Yan still upset about what happened earlier?"
On the street, Xiao Yan and Lan Ye walked slowly forward, with Fang Zhicong accompanying Lan Ye like a child.
Normally Lan Ye would let him do as he pleased, but now that important matters were at hand, Lan Ye naturally had to keep an eye on him, which was also one of the tasks that Fang Zhicong's father had given him.
"The actions of the Hundred Herbs Pavilion are tantamount to street robbery. How can such a shop still operate?"
Xiao Yan couldn't understand why anyone would be willing to do business with the Hundred Herbs Pavilion if it was so treacherous, and even willing to give them Spirit Stone.
"Hehe, Mr. Xiao Yan's words make some sense. If they were only making a fuss about the price of the medicinal herbs, that would be quite normal. But the fact that they are charging a large amount of Spirit Stone while not losing money themselves is indeed unbearable for ordinary people."
At this point, Lan Ye opened her mouth, glanced at Xiao Yan, gave a dry laugh, and continued:
"But Mr. Xiao Yan, have you ever considered why they would do such a thing?"
"Kindness?"
Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow. Wasn't the logic obvious? They were purely here for the Spirit Stone.
"Most of the medicinal herbs in the Hundred Herbs Pavilion are actually sold at auctions. All the truly valuable items are there. The remaining herbs or pills, while equally rare to find outside, are far less valuable. Even so, the resources Hundred Herbs Pavilion possesses are unmatched by any other shop in Hopeless City."
"Because they monopolize all medicinal resources outside of Hopeless City. Of course, this only applies to high-grade medicinal herbs, but this alone is enough to make them the top boss in Hopeless City. The Spirit Stone obtained from the Hundred Herbs Pavilion are only used to supply their mercenary teams outside. The real profits are firmly in their hands."
Upon hearing Lan Ye's words, a look of surprise immediately appeared in Xiao Yan's eyes. According to this, what Hundred Herbs Pavilion obtained was only a fraction of their profits; the real benefits came from the auction.
"I ask you, if someone were searching for high-grade medicinal herbs like you are today, in this Hopeless City, besides the Hundred Herbs Pavilion, there's nowhere else. If you don't buy from them, what else can you do? Without high-grade medicinal herbs and pills, you're destined to be unable to obtain high-grade pills. From a certain perspective, it's even equivalent to losing a bit of self-protection. In a situation like this, would you still care about the price of medicinal herbs?"
"To save your life, you must do it, no matter the cost!"
At this point, Lan Ye couldn't help but glance at Fang Zhicong beside her. If you really think about it, the latter's fate seemed to follow the same logic!
Hearing Lan Ye's words, Xiao Yan couldn't help but frown. So, the transactions in the Hundred Herbs Pavilion not only didn't cause them any losses, but they could also regularly invest large quantities of medicinal herbs into the auction house to obtain greater profits. Meanwhile, the mercenaries outside, even if they died in the clutches of magical beasts or disappeared into the endless mountains and forests, would never receive the rewards they truly deserved.
"The core of this entire operation always lies in medicinal herbs. Spirit Stone are merely used to repair external losses. As long as there is a continuous stream of mercenaries, Hundred Herbs Pavilion will never run into debt. The people behind them only need to wait for the right opportunity to reap sufficient profits."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan felt a chill run down his spine. However, he understood that the reason for this irreversible situation was ultimately due to differences in strength.
If it weren't for their lack of cultivation, why would the other shops in Hopeless City willingly be trampled on? Why would all the high-grade medicinal herbs end up in the Hundred Herbs Pavilion? All of this is simply because there is another powerful hand controlling things behind the scenes.
"Oh, by the way, when I saw Mr. Xiao Yan release that Heavenly Flames earlier... I couldn't help but wonder, could it be that you are also an alchemist?"
Seeing the slightly gloomy look on Xiao Yan's face, Lan Ye sighed helplessly in her heart. In order to change the subject, she asked again. Hearing this, Xiao Yan did not hide anything and nodded with a smile.
"Hiss..."
Upon seeing Xiao Yan nod in agreement, Lan Ye gasped in astonishment. Not only was he incredibly powerful at such a young age, but he was also an alchemist. This was truly unbelievable. Moreover, judging from Xiao Yan's cultivation level, Lan Ye guessed that Xiao Yan's mastery of alchemy was probably not low either!
Then, Lan Ye launched into a string of common flattering remarks, which Xiao Yan naturally accepted with a smile.
After exchanging pleasantries, the three of them finally arrived at a villa. According to Lan Ye, this villa was specially purchased for Fang Zhicong's convenience. Villas like this exist in many cities in the Far Southern Land. Hearing this, Xiao Yan was speechless.
A moment later, in a room, Xiao Yan stood before the bed, with Lan Ye Xiao Yan quietly beside him, gazing at him expectantly.
On the bed, Fang Zhicong had already fallen into a deep sleep. To avoid trouble, Lan Ye had been quite harsh on his young master, and it seemed that the fat man wouldn't wake up until the next day.
"Mr. Xiao Yan, we're counting on you now."
Getting back to the main point, Lan Ye cupped his hands in greeting to Xiao Yan again, who smiled and returned the gesture before turning his attention to Fang Zhicong.
To be honest, Xiao Yan had only used his Spiritual Strength to roughly investigate before, and he couldn't confirm the exact condition of the toxins in Fang Zhicong's body. So now, to be on the safe side, Xiao Yan had to carefully investigate Fang Zhicong's body again from beginning to end.
With a thought, a surge of Spiritual Strength erupted from between his brows, accompanied by an invisible aura of oppressive force.
Sensing the immense pressure, Lan Ye's aged face underwent a dramatic change. His deep eyes instantly fixed on Xiao Yan, and the shock in his heart caused his breathing to quicken.
"This... such powerful Spiritual Strength! This Spiritual Strength is probably... comparable to a fifth-tier being! Then he..."
Lan Ye's thoughts raced. He had imagined Xiao Yan's skill in alchemy and could guess that he must be a high-level alchemist. But to his utter surprise, this guy was actually a Fifth-Tier Alchemist!
Such an alchemist is not someone who can be ignored, even within the Fang Clan!
"This kid... just who is he?"