Chapter 28
Azure Dragon Trading Company, an inner room.
An elegant woman held a ledger in her hand, and raised a refined eyebrow: “Manager Chen, has that person recently come by again?”
Across from her, a slightly plump middle-aged manager slightly bowed. With a deferential att.i.tude, he replied: “That's right, Chief Manager Qin.” [1]
Chief Manager Qin's beautiful eyes flashed: “Then, the amount?”
Manager Chen answered: “Those that were of poor quality are decreasing, and those of good quality are increasing.
He thought about it, and softly said: “How about we think of a way to find—”
Chief Manager Qin muttered to herself as her slim jade-like finger turned over a page in the ledger. Finally, she shook her head: “That person's social background definitely contains an extremely remarkable pharmacist. And since they hid their ident.i.ty, we certainly shouldn't think about provoking them. They selected us: the Azure Dragon Trading Company. This is due to the confidence placed in us and the acknowledgement of our power. And once we seek to track someone down, we'll probably push them to other places… Although Azure Dragon Trading Company doesn't fear any challenge, we absolutely mustn't offend a pharmacist of this caliber.”
Manager Chen accepted this willingly: “Chief Manager's words are reasonable. This Chen understands.”
After Chief Manager Qin pondered slightly on the matter, she opened her mouth: “After that man arrives, save the best inside and unveil them during the next auction. I'm confident that there'll be many interested people. As for those who may have a stroke of bad luck, we have nothing to do with them — Certainly, if that pharmacist were to encounter some trouble, we the Azure Dragon Trading Company would be very willing to lend a helping hand.”
Manager Chen understood tacitly. What more could be said? Rather, he slowly retreated and left.
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Recently, the Azure Dragon Trading Company met with a strange man, but this strange man brought with him something that caused people to tremble in antic.i.p.ation.
The man who arrived was very tall and had the looks of a martial artist. He was covered from head to toe with a black robe, and it was obvious that he didn't want to reveal his ident.i.ty. After he came, he took out an arm-length jade bottle that was filled with medicinal pills.
Although a great majority of pharmacists had their own personal industries or were fostered by Families, they were unlikely to show themselves in public. However, there were also remarkable solitary pharmacists who sold their refined medicinal pills to the trading company in exchange for medicinal herbs for future refinement. And regardless of the size of the trading company, there were still shops that were willing to purchase medicinal pills.
As a matter of fact, it was only because medicinal pills were things that were always in short supply. It was also to create a flourishing relationship with the pharmacist.
It was rare to see a person who'd bring so many medicinal pills at once, but it also wasn't unheard of.
Just as Manager Chen received the black robed man with a very courteous bearing, Manager Chen didn't expect that the pills brought this time around, despite all of them being qi generating pills, were all superior to the ones seen before!
— No, what was said wasn't at all comprehensive.
One should say that the black robed martial artist brought two jade bottles. The first contained three hundred qi generating pills, whose effects were three times better than those on the market. And the second contained one hundred qi generating pills, whose effects were ten times better than those on the market!
Without a doubt, the selling prices of the qi generating pills to the trading company would be three times and ten times, respectively.
However, the value of these pills wasn't merely just this!
They were the same qi generating pills, but the effects brought about were so different. This made the experienced Manager Chen guess that it was possibly a very fearsome pharmacist. They must've been in the middle of improving the method of refining qi generating pills, so the results of the medicinal pills' effects were different.
What happened later also served as some proof to him.
About every two to three days, a black robed martial artist would come by to deliver medicinal pills. Based on Manager Chen's sharp insight, he realized that, although every martial artist would shroud themselves in a black robe, they weren't all the same person. And from the batches of qi generating pills they brought, those that had low effects were decreasing and those that had a ten-fold effect were increasing.
This could already prove to be very problematic.
With such a major event, Manager Chen didn't dare act on his own. At once, he reported this to his superiors, and that graceful woman just recently arrived. Chief Manager Qin was the person sent by his superiors to take responsibility for this matter.
Chief Manager Qin was very unordinary. Not only because her capabilities were outstanding, she was also the owner of Azure Dragon Trading Company — Emperor's Favored [2] Cang He's [3] most trusted concubine.
Azure Dragon Trading Company was the property of the Cangyun Empire's imperial family. Each generation was controlled by the Emperor's Favored; and the t.i.tle Emperor's Favored wasn't one that was recklessly bestowed. Rather, the strongest and most talented of each successive generation of the imperial family was given the t.i.tle.
It was easy to see the status and backing of this trading company.
However, even though it was like this, there were definitely other businesses that could compete with Azure Dragon Trading Company.
The imperial capital's Five Great Clans all had their own trading companies that equally extended across the empire. Compared to the Azure Dragon Trading Company, they were only slightly inferior.
Therefore, Chief Manager Qin, this extremely visionary woman, was very quick to make a decision. Manager Chen instantly created many projects in mind, and thought up a series of operation methods.
After half a month, a large-scale auction would start!
Just in time to clear out an acc.u.mulation of many valuable things, as well as this new kind of qi generating pill.
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Gu Zuo focused all of his attention on each and every strike of his hand art. At the final moment, he raised his arm, and a full forty eight qi generating pills were completely received!
The physical appearance of the qi generating pills were all exactly the same. Their color and l.u.s.ter were full and glossy. A sweet scent would a.s.sail one's nose. These were definitely qi generating pills of the highest grade.
In these last few days, Gu Zuo's pill refining skills quickly improved once again.
At first, he only used two bundles of medicinal herbs with a medium-sized pill cauldron to refine medicinal pills of various physical conditions. He often still sc.r.a.pped one to two boluses of medicinal liquid in the refinement process. However, soon all the medicinal boluses successfully became pills. As for the pills' physical condition, they were comparatively better than the ones before. The rate of refining pills of the highest quality was raised to one hundred percent!
But Gu Zuo still wasn't satisfied.
Due to his perseverance in practicing his cultivation method every day, the speed at which his psychic power grew was visible to the naked eye. It didn't take but a few times before he was accustomed to using the medium-sized pill cauldron. It absolutely wasn't like the powerless feeling before of being unable to continue.
Afterwards, he decided to replace it with the large pill cauldron. Each time he would throw in three bundles of medicinal herbs.
Automatically, this kind of work ethic posed even larger issues, and made him feel a challenge of sorts.
Even now, Gu Zuo already could easily utilize the large pill cauldron and refine three bundles of medicinal herbs simultaneously. Operated precisely, each qi generating pill was of the highest quality and were flawless.
He was even more capable of regulating the flames by himself. Thinking about the highest grade pills would produce the highest grade pills, and think about mid to high grade pills would produce mid to high grade pills.
As for low grade medicinal pills… Gu Zuo also made attempts, but what he refined really was a spectacle too horrible to endure. In the field of medicine refinement, he still had some pride in his heart. Indeed, he didn't want to mess around with these kinds of medicinal pills.
Under his dear patron's request, every day Gu Zuo refined three cauldrons of high grade pills, one cauldron of mid grade pills, and the rest were of whatever grade Gu Zuo felt like.
Fortunately, so long as Gu Zuo had appropriate control, there would be a lot of medicinal qi produced, without any obstacles.
Just after a cauldron was finished refining, Gu Zuo shook a gourd and found that it was already full. He promptly stood up and walked out of the secret room.
Although Dragon One and Dragon Two were very devoted, he still personally delivered the refined pills into his patron's hands every time.
Gu Zuo held the gourd in his hands, but didn't see his patron in the study.
After he thought for a bit, he walked out.
At this time, his patron ought to be…
In a s.p.a.cious courtyard, under a lush and verdant tree, a handsome young man wearing form-fitting clothes had spread his two legs in a stance. Just at that time, he was unhurriedly shadowboxing.
That's right. Roughly quite a few days ago, his patron would practice punching under this big tree at the same time every day.
That clenched fist seemed soft and weak, but the trajectory was very strange. There seemed to be some kind of cadence within them…
Every time Gu Zuo watched him, his heart couldn't help but sigh: A Casanova was a Casanova. No matter how ugly the punch, just one look at his face would halt any criticism at such a handsome man.
After waiting for a while, Gongyi Tianheng's practice was finished.
His forehead was beaded with sweat, and it seemed he rather used a bit of energy. His complexion was much stronger compared to his once pale appearance. After this kind of exercise, a healthy blush emerged.
When one looked closely at him, he could practically be counted as a “beauty” whose spender rivaled pearls and jewels.
Gu Zuo appreciated this scene for a second, then handed over the fire jade gourd in his hand: “Young master Tianheng, these are today's highest grade qi generating pills. There's two hundred forty of them.”
Tianheng took them, and faintly smiled: “Ah Zuo has worked hard.”
Gu Zuo didn't feel like he pushed himself all that much, but he was still very happy to accept his patron's comfort. Afterwards, he asked with deep concern: “Has young master Tianheng sensed anything recently? Can you practice a cultivation method?”
After all, he was a pharmacist and not a genuine physician. When he checked his patron's pulse, he could sense that the qi and blood within Tianheng was getting stronger each day. Feeling his wrists, Gu Zuo could also sense that his patron's meridians were somewhat stable. However Gu Zuo didn't know whether this level of stability had reached the point for Tianheng's true qi to smoothly circulate. He could only ask his patron.
Gongyi Tianheng nodded: “It should be time. I'll make an attempt tonight.”
Gu Zuo was a little excited.
To make up for such a long time, if his patron could really practice martial arts, refining the Xiantian qi that blocked his meridians would allow his martial strength to certainly advance by leaps and bounds!
He was itching to find out what kind of elegant style his cultivating patron would practice!
While Gu Zuo let his imagination roam, that Gongyi Tianheng over yonder spoke: “Ah Zuo, after the thirteenth, you and I will go on a trip.”
Gu Zuo replied lively: “Go out where?”
Gongyi Tianheng smiled: “Azure Dragon Trading Company will be holding an auction. It should be a little interesting.”
Gu Zuo thought about it, and asked: “This is that ‘Azure Dragon Trading Company'?”
Tianheng nodded: “This is the one the Tianlong guards went to at that time.”
His lips curled into a smile: “Reportedly, they have something unprecedented over there. Qi generating pills with ten-fold medicinal effects showed up.”
Gu Zuo was dumbfounded. He asked to clarify: “…The ones I refined?”
Gongyi Tianheng couldn't help laughing: “The ones Ah Zuo refined.”
As more time pa.s.sed, the greater the need for medicinal herbs. Most of all, the five essence pill required absolutely enormous amounts of five elemental attribute medicinal herbs. Gu Zuo's pill refining level was very great, and could produce profits of a hundred-fold. Gongyi Tianheng wanted to do something, and intended to being from this respect.
Although glory and honor was shared one for all, in the end, the Gongyi Clan was not Gongyi Tianheng. Tianheng could mobilize a lot of resources, but expenses that were too large would inevitably alert the Clan.
So it was necessary to develop new industries privately.
And Gongyi Tianheng, when all was said and done, was someone who believed in personal profit. He would never let others have access to the highest grade medicinal pills with a hundred-fold effects at such an early stage.
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[1] 陈 - Chen (Surname, exhibit, display). 秦 - Qin (Surname, same as the Qin Dynasty).
[2] 并肩王 - Bing jian w.a.n.g, a position conferring the status “equivalent” to the emperor. My understanding of the t.i.tles granted by the emperor to n.o.bility is a little shaky, so I can't say much more than this. So just to be clear, Cang He has an elevated status, not Chief Manager Qin.
[3] 苍鹤 - Cang (Azure) He (Crane).
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T/N: Let the commoners bid over ten-fold pills. Only the ML gets to keep his MC's hundred-fold pills!
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