Lou Qinru's face burned with heat, as if she'd been slapped across the cheeks!
This supreme-grade Face-Preserving Pill was something she'd never seen before!
The ordinary-looking young man before her was actually a pill refiner? And not just any pill refiner, but one capable of creating top-grade medicinal pills!
Gongsun Ming studied Qin Yang with intense scrutiny. A talent like this would be fiercely pursued by any clan!
Liu San's forehead glistened with sweat. He'd initially dismissed the youth as a mere attendant, never imagining he could possess such skill! While he remained uncertain about the others' origins, the fact that this young man could casually produce a second-grade supreme Face-Preserving Pill made him a force beyond Liu San's control.
Lou Mengyu gazed at the Face-Preserving Pill still emanating medicinal qi in her palm, then looked at the stunned Gongsun Ming and the envious Lou Qinru. A sense of satisfaction flooded her heart.
"The Eight Divine Clans aren't so impressive after all," Qin Yang scoffed, turning to leave. "Mengyu, let's go."
Lou Mengyu hurried after him.
Only Liu San remained, breathing a sigh of relief. It seemed his pill shop wouldn't be closing after all...
"You don't even have supreme-grade Face-Preserving Pills here?" Gongsun Ming's voice dripped with anger as he turned on Liu San. "Some random person can create them, yet you don't stock them?"
Liu San wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and could only shake his head. Was that kid just some random passerby? Could such a dan refining genius really be found everywhere?
Lou Qinru was so angry she was about to jump up and down. Two direct descendants of the Eight Divine Clans had been humiliated by some country bumpkin cultivator!
If this got out, their clans would never forgive them! They'd lost all the face of the Eight Divine Clans.
And to top it off, it had happened right in front of Lou Mengyu!
"I'll get that supreme-grade Face-Preserving Pill no matter what!" Lou Qinru said through gritted teeth. "I refuse to believe there's only one person in the world who can refine it!"
If Qin Yang had been there, he would have burst into laughter at these words. That's right, there's only one person in the world who can!
On the street, Lou Mengyu walked closely behind Qin Yang. After a long moment, she murmured, "Thank you."
Qin Yang raised an eyebrow. "You're actually thanking me?"
Seeing Qin Yang about to start grinning triumphantly, Lou Mengyu turned her head away without responding.
Qin Yang chuckled softly. "I didn't do it for you. I did it for myself."
"What do you mean?" Lou Mengyu asked, not understanding.
"You're my woman," Qin Yang said. "When they bullied you, they were bullying me. If I could have tolerated that, I wouldn't be a man!"
Lou Mengyu shuddered at his words, her frozen heart beginning to melt imperceptibly.
"They're still direct descendants of the Eight Divine Clans," she said. "What you've done has humiliated them. They won't let this go."
"Hmph, I won't let it go either!" Qin Yang scoffed.
Noticing a nearby plaque, Qin Yang said, "We're here."
Lou Mengyu saw the same plaque: Wanshan Auction House.
"This Face-Preserving Pill will be our starting capital," Qin Yang assured her. "Don't worry, the pills you eat daily will be freshly concocted on the spot—hot and fresh!"
As they entered the auction house, they displayed a second-grade premium Face-Preserving Pill. The receptionist immediately changed from an ordinary clerk to a manager.
The manager was a refined middle-aged man who stared intently at the pill, occasionally frowning in thought or drifting into contemplation.
"What, you won't take it?" Qin Yang began his sales pitch. "Though this is only a second-grade pill, it's of premium quality. With the upcoming beast tide, geniuses from across the continent will flock here. Most of them aren't particularly strong—this pill is perfect for them."
The middle-aged manager studied Qin Yang and nodded to himself. These two knew so much—they must be among those prodigies with significant backgrounds.
As an auction house manager, he was well-informed. These young people came from extraordinary backgrounds and possessed exceptional talent. Their goals were clear: the Northern Hunter Rankings and Celestial Academy's selection trials. Being young, they naturally couldn't help but compete with each other.
What a pity there was only one...
"We'll definitely take it," the manager said. "But are you sure you want to sell it directly to us instead of waiting for the auction? We have one in three days."
Qin Yang sighed. What good was an auction if he couldn't afford anything?
"Just give me your offer," Qin Yang said.
The manager considered for a moment, glancing at Qin Yang and Lou Mengyu. He quickly calculated the price in his head. "Ten low-grade spirit stones."
Qin Yang felt indifferent, but Lou Mengyu was stunned. "Ordinary second-order pills only cost one low-grade spirit stone! Ten low-grade spirit stones could buy a third-order pill!"
She thought about the pill she'd eaten earlier. Had that single bite been worth ten low-grade spirit stones?
The middle-aged manager chuckled, his favorite type of customer being straightforward and transparent. He immediately stated, "Second-order pills require between seven to twenty types of spirit herbs. Each herb is valued at ten taels of gold, making the cost roughly equivalent to one spirit stone."
"This calculation assumes a hundred percent success rate in refining..."
"Generally, pills sold in the market are crafted by high-level alchemists using low-grade formulas to increase success rates. They also have access to cheaper spirit herb sources, which reduces production costs."
"The higher the pill's grade, the greater the profit margin. Second-order pills usually don't yield significant profits, but the premium-grade Face-Preserving Pill is an exception."
At this point, the manager lowered his voice, "To my knowledge, there are very few formulas capable of producing premium-grade pills, and among them... none can refine Face-Preserving Pills."
"Brilliant!" Qin Yang's eyes lit up with newfound respect for the manager. This is how real business should be done - honest and fair to all!
He quickly calculated on his fingers - the cost was just slightly over a low-grade spirit stone. Yet in an instant, that value could multiply tenfold?
This was indeed a promising path to wealth! No, a path to sudden riches!
The middle-aged manager, adhering to the principle of fairness in business dealings, actually placed greater value on the potential benefits hidden within.
Firstly, Wanshan City wasn't home to just one auction house. Secondly, if there was one pill...
The middle-aged manager cleared his throat and asked with some embarrassment, "Is this second-grade supreme-grade Face-Preserving Pill truly the only one available?"
Qin Yang fell silent, considering that while refining spirit herbs himself could yield substantial profits, he couldn't keep producing these pills indefinitely... Moreover, once his cultivation level advanced, he'd likely look down upon second-grade pills. At that point, he'd be refining third-grade, fourth-grade, or even higher-grade pills...
Currently, his cultivation technique and martial arts replication progress stood at 7/10. Advancing to the Qi Sea Realm was imminent, which would enable him to refine third-grade pills. Though first, he'd need to replicate the formula...
In that case, the formula for this second-grade supreme-grade Face-Preserving Pill held little value for him.
The middle-aged manager waited patiently, his anticipation growing.
Lou Mengyu had her own suspicions. Could Qin Yang be seeking a long-term partnership with the Wanshan Auction House?
"Would you be interested in acquiring the formula for a second-tier premium Face-Preserving Pill...?"
Lou Mengyu's eyes widened dramatically, while the middle-aged manager nearly collapsed from shock!
The manager clutched the table for support. No matter how composed he'd been earlier, he never anticipated Qin Yang would attempt to sell the formula outright!
"This... this... I can't make that decision... Wait here!" The manager took several deep breaths before hurrying away.
"Are you insane? Don't you understand the implications of this second-tier premium Face-Preserving Pill? Pills are consumables, and this Face-Preserving Pill sells as well as some cultivation pills..."
"So what?"
"Such a formula has never existed on the continent before..."
"So what?"
Lou Mengyu was stunned. She knew the formula's value, but as Qin Yang pointed out, what difference did it make?
Qin Yang chuckled mischievously. "The more valuable it is, the better. We might... become incredibly wealthy!"