“Young Master, I have found out who the teenager in the bamboo hat is. His name is Xu Yang, from the Xu family.” The guard, Li Feng, bowed his head and reported in a wide and luxurious hall.

 “I didn’t expect him to come from the Xu family. It’s strange. Why does a member of the Xu family have to go to Liberty Street to sell herbs?” Li Wang was sitting on a carved wooden chair, sniffing the scent of the tricolored Nine-Petals Orchid and said curiously.

“Young Master.” Li Feng said respectfully. “Xu Yang was not treated well in the Xu family. He lives in a ruined courtyard that is not a part of the main courtyard of the Xu family.”

 “Young Master, do we need to continue observing him?” Li Feng asked Li Wang, seeing that he was silent.

 “No, you don’t need to.” Li Wang smiled, displaying a level of maturity that was rare at his age. “Sincerity is the base for making friends. I have already gone too far for investigating him secretly.”

 Li Feng bowed and accepted the order. As he straightened his body, he could not help himself and said, “The teenager named Xu Yang was not valued by the family. His identity doesn’t suit you. It is his honour to know your name. You don’t have to put so much consideration into this relationship.”

 Li Wang laughed and placed the Nine-Petals Orchid into the wooden box. “Enough is enough. That is why you will never know what being a friend means. I’m giving this box to Elder Sister. She is crazed about producing elixirs. She may need it.”

 A melodious voice came from outside the walls. “Oh? What was that?”

 A noble girl in luxurious clothing entered the room suddenly and said, “You have grown more sensible. You even know to buy gifts for your sister. Good.”

 The young girl was about seventeen or eighteen years old. She was wearing a beige dress and a white halter, showing her seductive figure perfectly. Her black hair was held up by a bright gold hairpin donned with jewellery, and three golden spikes hanging at the end of it. The girl’s delicate face was as charming as a flower.

 Li Wang promptly stood up and bowed at her, “Hello, Elder Sister.” He laughed after greeting her and said, “Elder Sister, if Father had seen you rushing in such a hurry, he would have asked you to copy the Female Rites a hundred times.”

 The girl pouted and said, “Those things such as Female Rites and Daughter Classic are for those incapable eye candies. I, Li Yuanzhi, will never have to use them.”

 1Li Wang said helplessly, “Yes, you are right. You don’t need to adhere to the Female Rites as you are a female Alchemist.”

 LI Yuanzhi said proudly, “Of course! I’ve been preparing to produce the Life-Extension Elixir. It is a real Grade-4 elixir. Father won’t be able to control me after I have succeeded.”

 Li Wang was excited and said, “Is that for Grandpa?”

 Li Yuanzhi nodded and answered, “Hmm. I will bring the Life-Extension Elixir to Father after I have produced it. Let’s see if he’ll still ask me to copy the scriptures again!”

 The siblings laughed for a while and their solemnity returned.

 Li Yuanzhi was a rare genius in alchemy. She had reached the level of a Tier-3 Alchemist at her young age and could be called a top-notch alchemist in Lin Yuan City.

 “Life-Extension Elixir is a Grade-4 elixir that can extend the lifespan of an ordinary person.” Li Wang recited the function of a Life-Extension Elixir. “Grandpa is not an ordinary person but a Mystical Lord. The vitality of an ordinary person is like a stream but the Mystical Lord’s is like a long river! Life-Extension Elixirs can fill a stream but it is hard to fill a river… Are you sure you can do that?”

 Li Yuanzhi sighed and said, “No matter what it takes I’m not going to see Grandpa becoming older and older. The status of the Li family is supported by Grandpa. If Grandpa is no longer alive, the emperor would probably remove the position of the governor and it would be a calamity for the Li family.”

 Li Wang nodded and took the wooden box. “Elder Sister, I know nothing about alchemy and can’t help you much. However, I found a Nine-Petals Orchid when I was strolling outside. It could maybe help you.”

 Li Yuanzhi was suddenly energized and opened the wooden box. She said, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Nine-Petals Orchids can increase the success rate in producing elixirs. Now I’m even more sure that I’ll succeed.”

 “It’s too bad it only has only three colors.” Li Wang sighed and said slowly when his sister opened the box. I’ll pay a thousand times the price if it has one more color.”

 Li Yuanzhi’s excitement soon de-escalated. It would not help her much as it only had three colors.

 “Well. It is better than nothing.” Li Yuanzhi sighed. “Father has gone to Dong Lai City to hire a higher tier alchemist. Hopefully there will be good news soon.”

 Li Wang nodded and exhaled once. “Stop thinking about that, Elder Sister. Li Feng, tell her what we saw when we went to Liberty Street.”

 1***

 “The Thousand-Treasures Pavilion is indeed the largest trading center in Lin Yuan City.” Xu Yang sighed at the magnificent gates of the Thousand-Treasures Pavilion.

 As he entered through the gates, the guards at the gates had cultivation at the realm of Mystical Warrior and their eyes flashed with surprise when they saw Xu Yang’s worn-out clothes, but they did not stop him.

 The guards at places such as the Thousand-Treasures Pavilion were more open and all-embracing. They knew that they should not judge a book by its cover. A lot of masters with high realms of cultivation appeared poor and unkempt. One who was dressed like a beggar could also possess valuable treasures.

 There was a wide hall behind the gates. There were more than a dozen rows of shelves covered with glass panels which made it easy for the customers to view the goods.

 There were four doors at the innermost area. It was the inner pavilion for entertaining important clients.

 There were plenty of people looking at the items on the shelves. Four guards with cultivations of Advanced Mystical Warriors were standing at the four corners of the hall, protecting the goods.

 Xu Yang directly walked to the shelf marked with herbs and started to look for the Red Dragon Root.

 “Specter-Face Flower, Salivation Leaf, Withered Spirit Vine…” Xu Yang looked at the herbs one by one. Most of them were Grade-1 spirit herbs and a few of them were Grade-2 ones.

 Red Dragon Root was not a rare spirit herb. Xu Yang soon found it. Its appearance looked like a small red root. Most people would not be able to tell that it was a graded spirit herb if there were no signboards.

 Xu Yang rang the bell on the side and a woman in a splendid attire walked toward him. “How can I help you, Sir?”

 The service of the Thousand-Treasures Pavilion was indeed refreshing and it really lived up to its reputation as Lin Yuan City’s top trading center. The woman in front of him was pretty with a good temperament which made him feel good.

 “I want to buy this one…” Xu Yang said calmly. He then heard a disdainful voice when he pointed his finger at the Red Dragon Root.

 “Oh? Is that my useless Younger Brother? Aren’t you embarrassed coming to the Thousand-Treasures Pavilion? Don’t you know what kind of place this is? You can’t buy anything here even if you sell your ruined mansion!”

 A slightly familiar voice came from behind. Xu Yang turned around and saw two teenagers about fifteen or sixteen years old. The person on the left was tall and had a slightly yellowish complexion, while the person on the right was thin and had a fair complexion. Both of them wore the Xu family’s uniforms which had a small seven-colored emblem on the left chest.

 The seven-colored emblem was the emblem of the Xu family.

 Xu Yang recognized the two of them. The taller one was Xu Zhengzha while the thinner one was Xu Zhengfei.

 Xu Zhengzha and Xu Zhengfei had been bullying Xu Yang before he moved out of the main courtyard. Many of the hidden injuries on his body were created by the two ‘brothers’.

 1‘Cultivation in the pinnacle of a Mystical Learner? It is not worth paying attention to those with cultivation below that of a Mystical Warrior.’

 He could sense the cultivation of the two siblings. He glanced at them coldly and said to the woman of the Thousand-Treasures Pavilion. “I want to buy this Red Dragon Root.”

 Xu Zhengzha and Xu Zhengfei were furious. How dare the useless Xu Yang ignore them. The two brothers were in disbelief. In the past, Xu Yang would be trembling whenever he saw them but he was so relaxed at the moment.

 “You have good eyes, sir. This Red Dragon Root has a century-old medicinal ability. It is a rare body-refining herb.” The woman in the splendid attire smiled and said. “It cost only twenty-five Wolf Coins.”

 Xu Yang nodded. It cost slightly higher than the normal price as the Thousand-Treasures Pavilion had to earn a profit. That was still reasonable. The two flies started to hum before he could say another word.

 “Wait.” Xu Zhengfei with his fair complexion walked two steps forward between Xu Yang and the woman. He first stared at the woman’s chest several times with ill intentions and laughed. “You must not know that although Xu Yang is a member of the Xu family, he has been expelled from the Xu family as he has been behaving badly. He doesn’t even get monthly payment. You must not be fooled by him.”

 The woman frowned as Xu Zhengfei’s wicked eyes made her slightly uncomfortable. However, she could only take it as it was as a salesperson in the Thousand-Treasures Pavilion hall. “Thank you for reminding me. The Thousand-Treasures Pavilion is open for business. Anyone can be our customer as long as the trade is fair.” After that, she looked at Xu Yang again.

 Xu Zhengfei smiled complacently and turned his head to look at Xu Yang. “Take out the money! Even if you were to starve for a year, you can’t possibly get twenty-five Wolf Coins.”

 Xu Yang was not bothered by the noisy guy. He took out his purse and laid twenty-five Wolf Coins in a row on the cabinet. “Please help me to wrap this Red Dragon Root.”

 Xu Zhengfei’s eyes were wide open as he was clearly surprised. Xu Yang did not say a word to him from the beginning up till the end as if Xu Zhengfei was a contemptible scoundrel who was not worthy of his anger.

 The smile on the woman’s face widened. She took out a sandalwood box and put the Red Dragon Roots inside.

 “Stop!” Xu Zhengfei could not sustain his wrath. “I’m buying this Red Dragon Root. I’ll pay thirty Wolf Coins for it.”

 Xu Zhengfei looked at Xu Yang tauntingly and said, “Once trash, always trash. Do you dare to fight with me? If we’re not at the Thousand-Treasures Pavilion, you would have been knocked to the ground by me!”

 Xu Yang ignored him. Words were useless. Strength was the only truth in this world.

 The woman in the splendid attire was a little embarrassed and said softly, “Please don’t make things difficult, sir. Mr. Xu Yang came first, our items are sold based on a first-come-first-serve basis. I can’t break the rules of the Thousand-Treasures Pavilion.”

 1