4: Black market transactions

In Shen Qifa's view, this High Grade qi gathering powder was the Family's lifeline, the only hope for a comeback.

"Third Elder, an innocent man is guilty only when he possesses a treasure."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qifa trembled, and the hot blood in his mind instantly cooled.

"A minor Family struggling on the brink of the Ninth Grade suddenly produces Medicinal Pills of High Grade quality. What do you think other forces in Linjiang City, especially the Lin Family, would think?"

"They won't think our Shen Family's luck has turned; they'll only think our Shen Family has obtained some extraordinary Legacy or secret treasure."

Shen Yuanmo walked to the Pill Furnace and picked up a warm, High Grade qi gathering powder.

"By then, what comes won't be a test, but wolves. They will use every means to pry open the mouths of our Shen Family members and dig out this secret. Can a Family without even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator guard such a secret?"

A series of rhetorical questions made cold sweat seep from Shen Qifa's back.

He only saw the immense benefits brought by the Medicinal Pills, but overlooked the risks that could lead to the Shen Family's eternal damnation.

The Young Lord thought deeper and further than he did.

"Then... what should we do? Guarding this mountain of gold, yet starving to death?" Shen Qifa asked anxiously.

"Therefore, it cannot be sold in the name of the Shen Family." Shen Yuanmo placed the Medicinal Pill into a jade bottle.

"I will handle this batch of Medicinal Pills. Third Elder, you only need to do one thing."

"Young Lord, please speak!"

"Refine the remaining two portions of Materials into Medicinal Pills. Remember, use my new method. After refining, don't touch a single one; wait for my news."

After Shen Yuanmo finished speaking, he tucked the jade bottle containing twelve High Grade qi gathering powder into his embrace and turned to leave the Pill Chamber.

Shen Qifa watched his retreating figure, opened his mouth, and finally let out a long sigh, yet his eyes held an unprecedented awe.

This usually taciturn Young Lord seemed to have been reborn overnight.

...

Night falls.

South of Linjiang City, an area called Ghost Willow Alley is a gathering place for all sorts of people in the city.

It's a mixed bag, not directly governed by the City Lord's Mansion, forming its own unique underground order.

Shen Yuanmo changed into a loose black robe, his hood pulled low, covering most of his face.

He then used a wisp of Scarlet Sun spiritual power to wrap around his throat, making his voice hoarse and deep, before walking into Ghost Willow Alley.

Deep in the alley, there was an inconspicuous teahouse.

The teahouse had no sign, only a green-skinned lantern swaying in the night wind.

Pushing open the door, a mixed scent of stale tea, sweat, and faint blood wafted over.

The teahouse was dimly lit, with a dozen Cultivators dressed similarly, maintaining a cautious distance from each other, creating a tense atmosphere.

This was the entrance to Linjiang City's black market.

Shen Yuanmo ignored everyone and walked straight to the counter.

Behind the counter, an old man with a goatee was dozing with narrowed eyes, an abacus in front of him, seemingly uninterested in the incoming guests.

"Shopkeeper, I have goods to sell," Shen Yuanmo said in a hoarse voice.

The old man with the goatee lifted an eyelid and weakly stretched out a hand.

"You know the rules, right? Inspect the goods, estimate the price, and we take a ten percent cut."

Shen Yuanmo said nothing more, placing the jade bottle containing a qi gathering powder on the counter.

The old man lazily picked up the jade bottle, pulled out the stopper, and casually poured it into his palm.

The moment the round, full, azure Medicinal Pill, with its naturally formed pill patterns, rolled into his palm, a sharp gleam burst forth from the old man's cloudy eyes.

His drowsy posture vanished, and he sat up straight, bringing the Medicinal Pill to his nose, taking a deep breath.

"This... this pill fragrance!"

The old man's hands began to tremble.

He suddenly looked up, re-examining the Black-Robed Man before him.

"High Grade qi gathering powder?"

Swish!

In an instant, the attention of all the Cultivators in the teahouse focused on the counter.

Perceptions, some greedy, some surprised, some scrutinizing, swept unreservedly towards Shen Yuanmo.

"What a joke! Old Qian, are you muddled from sleep? Where would High Grade Medicinal Pills come from in a broken place like Linjiang City?" A rough voice sounded.

"Exactly, even High Grade qi gathering powder is rare, let alone High Grade?"

The old man with the goatee ignored the crowd's doubts. His fingers gently caressed the Medicinal Pill, feeling its warm texture and the pure medicinal power it contained.

"I've run a pawn shop my whole life, handled at least eight thousand, if not ten thousand, Medicinal Pills. My eyes aren't mistaken about whether it's High Grade!"

The old man spoke with certainty. He looked at Shen Yuanmo, his attitude becoming much more respectful.

"Fellow Daoist, how do you intend to sell this Medicinal Pill?"

"Highest bidder," Shen Yuanmo said, being sparing with words.

"Good!" The old man slammed the table.

"Everyone, you heard that! High Grade qi gathering powder, its efficacy is more than three times that of ordinary qi gathering powder, with no pill toxins, and it can help Late Stage Qi Refining Cultivators stabilize their cultivation and break through their Bottleneck! The starting bid is fifty Low-Grade Spirit Stones, and each increment must not be less than five! The bidding starts now!"

Fifty Low-Grade Spirit Stones!

This price made many present gasp.

An ordinary qi gathering powder sells for only ten Spirit Stones, but this starting price was five times that.

But no one thought it was expensive; High Grade Medicinal Pills were priceless.

For Cultivators stuck at a Bottleneck for years, this was a lifeline.

"Fifty-five Spirit Stones!" A Cultivator in a corner was the first to speak.

"Sixty!"

"I bid seventy!"

The price soared, quickly breaking the hundred Spirit Stone mark, deterring many impoverished Loose Cultivators.

Shen Yuanmo stood before the counter, his face under the hood calm as an ancient well.

This price was still within his expectations.

Just then, the conversation between two Cultivators who were whispering drifted into Shen Yuanmo's ears.

"Have you heard? The Lin Family recently increased their bounty. Anyone who can provide accurate information about the Shen Family's Old Ancestor, Shen Zongdao, will be rewarded with a hundred Spirit Stones."

"I heard too. That wolf from the Lin Family has probably smelled blood. It's likely that old man from the Shen Family is really on his last legs."

"What a pity. If the Shen Family falls, those shops they own in the east of the city will probably all belong to the Lin Family."

These few sentences made Shen Yuanmo's heart sink.

The Lin Family had already begun to act.

There wasn't much time left for the Shen Family, for him.

"One hundred and fifty Spirit Stones!"

A booming voice overpowered the entire room. A burly man with a fierce face pushed through the crowd and walked to the counter.

His eyes were bloodshot, and his aura fluctuated, clearly indicating his cultivation had reached the verge of Breakthrough and he urgently needed Medicinal Pills to assist.

"I, Zhou Hu, want this Medicinal Pill! Who dares to snatch it from me!"

The burly man's Qi Refining Ninth Stage aura was unrestrainedly unleashed, making some low-level Cultivators around him breathless.

One hundred and fifty Spirit Stones already far exceeded the value of this Medicinal Pill.

The scene fell silent for a moment.

"Fellow Daoist, is there a higher bid?" The old man with the goatee looked at Shen Yuanmo.

"I have eleven more," Shen Yuanmo said in a hoarse voice.

As soon as these words came out, the entire place fell into a dead silence.

The burly man named Zhou Hu's eyes instantly widened.

Even the old man with the goatee was stunned. He leaned on the counter and tremblingly asked, "Fellow Daoist... how many... did you say you have?"

"Eleven."

Shen Yuanmo placed the entire jade bottle on the counter.

The old man tremblingly opened it and poured all the Medicinal Pills onto a black cloth.

Twelve!

Twelve identical High Grade qi gathering powder, swirling with pill patterns, emitted an alluring glow and a refreshing medicinal fragrance under the dim light.

Crazy!

Everyone felt that this world had gone mad!

To refine twelve High Grade Medicinal Pills at once? A hundred percent success rate?

What kind of concept was this? Even a Second Grade Alchemy Great Master in the commandery city would never be able to do it!

Zhou Hu's breathing became incredibly heavy. He stared intently at the Medicinal Pills, greed clearly evident on his face.

But he ultimately suppressed the evil thoughts in his heart.

Anyone who could produce so many High Grade Medicinal Pills at once surely had a backing that he, a Loose Cultivator, could not afford to provoke.

"Fellow Daoist! I... I want them all!" Zhou Hu's voice was trembling.

"I have eight hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones here, and this piece of Profound Iron Ore. That should be enough!"

He said, pulling out a large pile of Spirit Stones and a human-head-sized black Ore from his Storage Pouch.

The old man with the goatee inspected the goods and nodded to Shen Yuanmo.

"Deal."

Shen Yuanmo put away the Spirit Stones and Profound Iron Ore, then turned to leave.

"Fellow Daoist, please wait," the old man with the goatee called out to him.

He waved for the others to disperse, and the teahouse quickly returned to its previous dead silence.

"May I know your esteemed name, Fellow Daoist? If you have such good goods again in the future, my Ghost Willow Alley will definitely give you a satisfactory price."

The old man wore a businessman's smile, but his shrewd eyes constantly scrutinized Shen Yuanmo, trying to discern his origins.

Shen Yuanmo stopped, without turning back.

"We met by chance, why ask for names?"

"Heh heh, Fellow Daoist is right. However, I have one more request," the old man changed the subject.

"I wish to ask Fellow Daoist for a Pill Formula, or an introduction to the Alchemy Great Master behind you. The price is negotiable."

This was his true purpose.

Compared to Medicinal Pills, the person who could refine such Medicinal Pills and the Pill Formula were priceless treasures.

The atmosphere in the air became somewhat stagnant.

Shen Yuanmo slowly turned around.

Under the shadow of the hood, a wisp of extremely subtle, yet supremely pure, crimson spiritual energy fluctuation flashed and disappeared.

That spiritual power was scorching, domineering, carrying a profound truth of glazed flame that seemed capable of burning all things.

The smile on the old man with the goatee's face froze.

He felt a terrifying pressure from Shen Yuanmo that made his heart pound.

He could be sure that the opponent's cultivation was definitely not higher than the Qi Refining Stage, but the quality of that spiritual power was more terrifying than any Qi Refining Stage Cultivator he had ever seen!

What kind of Cultivation Technique was this?

A monstrous wave surged in the old man's heart, and his back was soaked with cold sweat.

He immediately lowered his head, not daring to meet the gaze of the being under the black robe again.

"It was my presumption, Fellow Daoist, please forgive me."

"foundation establishment pill, what auxiliary Medicinal Materials are there, and where can they be bought?" Shen Yuanmo didn't pursue the matter, but directly asked his question.

The old man was startled and quickly replied, "Auxiliary Medicinal Materials for the foundation establishment pill? Purple Monkey Flower, White Jade Ginseng... these should be available at the Myriad Treasure Pavilion in the commandery city."

"But the most crucial ingredient, 'Dragon Blood Sunflower,' is only produced in Central Continent, and it has been monopolized by the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty and those High Grade aristocratic families for years, making it extremely difficult to acquire."

"Understood."

Shen Yuanmo left these words, no longer lingered, pushed open the wooden door of the teahouse, and his figure quickly disappeared into the night of Ghost Willow Alley.