Unrivaled Medicine God, page 181
Ye Yuan also made out some things by the side. The Xiao Family's present situation seemed to be very bad. They actually did not even dare to offend these alchemists without backgrounds.
Logically speaking, although a large family like the Xiao Family was not a pinnacle faction in the capital, wanting to take care of a few alchemists without backgrounds was still a piece of cake.
But all these were not what he could bother about. His goal was to figure out who those two slaves were.
At this time, Xiao Ruyan broke away from her pessimistic mood and returned to Ye Yuan once again.
"Mister Ji, if my conjectures are correct, you should have refined the Jade Dragon Heart Calming Pill before in the past, right?" Xiao Ruyan asked Ye Yuan with glittering eyes.
Chapter 369. Xiao Family Guest Retainer |
"Ha! Of course I've refined it before. Such a simple medicinal pill." Ye Yuan did not have the intention of hiding it.
To Ye Yuan, this Jade Dragon Heart Calming Pill was indeed simple. The truly heaven-defying difficulty level Tier 3 medicinal pill were countless times more complicated than this!
Except, Xiao Ruyan had an impulse to cough blood when she heard these words.
"Mister Ji, can you enlighten Ruyan who you learned from?" Xiao Ruyan asked dejectedly.
"Hehe, my master is just country folk. Miss Ruyan has definitely never heard the name before. Moreover, before I left, Master severely warned me not to use his name."
Ye Yuan pulled out another master. This move was the best. The Fierce Gale World was so huge. Could Xiao Ruyan really dig his master out?
But Xiao Ruyan was not someone who was so easy to dupe. She interrogated again, "Since you're not willing to say, I won't force you either. But how do you make me believe that you're not somebody sent by the Tong Family?"
"This . . . I really have no way of proving it," Ye Yuan said helplessly.
"That means that there's a possibility that the Tong Family sent you here?" Xiao Ruyan stared fixedly at Ye Yuan's eyes, wanting to see if he was telling lies.
Ye Yuan naturally had a composed look as he said with a smile, "I think that if the Tong Family wanted to do something, they wouldn't be foolish enough to send an expert like me over, right? Just based on those dregs that you were recruiting just now, wouldn't they winning you be as easy as turning over their hands?"
"Urgh . . ." Xiao Ruyan was rendered speechless.
Yeah, the Tong Family completely did not need to do anything now and was already sure to win this Grand Pill Assembly.
Sending over one Ye Yuan to be a spy now was simply something superfluous.
An alchemist that could refine the Jade Dragon Heart Calming Pill so casually was not some common good.
At this time, Manager Tong moved close to Xiao Ruyan and said, "Second Miss, that's the logic. Furthermore, there are only three days before the Grand Pill Assembly takes place. We have no other alternatives either. Even if he really is a spy, we can only use him!"
Xiao Ruyan sighed and gave a limpid bow, saying, "Alright then, Mister Ji. From today onwards, you're Xiao Family's guest retainer alchemist. I hope that Mister Ji can go all out to help my Xiao Family win this match. As long as Mister Ji can win a match, my Xiao Family is willing to pay any price!"
"For real? Does this any price include Miss Ruyan?" Ye Yuan's eyebrows raised up.
Once these words came out, two killing intents instantly locked onto Ye Yuan.
Ye Yuan hastily chuckled and said, "Hahaha! Just making a joke, just making a joke! Don't take it seriously, Miss Ruyan."
"Humph! This sort of joke, I advise that you better not make them next time, so as to avoid you losing your small life! I still have things to do so I'll head back to the Xiao Family first! About Mister Ji's matters, Manager Tong, you arrange it." Xiao Ruyan then left without even turning her head back.
Ye Yuan involuntarily stuck out his tongue. Cracking this kind of joke with women would indeed suffer a disastrous catastrophe!
Manager Tong saw the situation and used his finger to poke Ye Yuan, "Oh you, what kind of joke did you have to crack? Why did you have to crack one with Second Miss? You're already considered lucky that she didn't kill you on the spot!"
Ye Yuan suddenly thought of something and asked curiously, "Oh, right, isn't Miss Xiao Ruyan hosting a martial competition to find a spouse? What's with that?"
Manager Tong sighed heavily and said, "Sigh, Second Miss, she . . . has a bitter life! Spouse finding martial competition is also Xiao Family's action that could not be helped. Truthfully, within this capital, how can it just be the two Huang and Xue Families that are coveting Second Miss's beauty?"
Since Ye Yuan already became Xiao Family's guest retainer, Manager Tong naturally did not have anything much to hide from him. He briefly introduced the Xiao Family's matters to Ye Yuan.
Ye Yuan also sighed unceasingly after he heard it.
As a second-rate family, the Xiao Family's and Tong Family's strength had always been equally matched. In so many years of Grand Pill Assemblies, both sides had victories and defeat.
But this sort of equilibrium situation was utterly shattered 30 years ago.
30 years ago, the Tong Family's Alchemy Path strength suddenly skyrocketed. Quite a number of top geniuses appeared in the junior generation in succession, winning the Grand Pill Assembly in one fell swoop!
According to the agreement, the Xiao Family must hand over 50% of the medicinal pill market after defeat!
This Grand Pill Assembly was actually the deciding factor on how many shares the two Xiao and Tong families occupied in the medicinal pill market. The victor occupied 70% of the medicinal pill market, while the loser only had 20%. The remaining 10% was allocated to the other small factions.
For so many years, the two families had always been well-matched in strength. When one side lost, they would think of any way possible to win back too. Hence, it would practically replace once every ten years.
But since 30 years ago, the Xiao Family had never won a match before, consecutively losing three periods!
This year's match was the fourth period. If the Xiao Family lost again, they could basically announce their withdrawal from the medicinal pill market.
The Xiao Family was obviously unresigned to continuous defeats. These ten years, they piled virtually all of their resources on Xiao Rufeng and Xiao Ruyan.
These two people did not let them down either. Especially Xiao Ruyan, who cultivated to the realm of a high-rank Alchemy Grandmaster at a young age!
But there were unforeseen storms in nature. A while back, when Xiao Rufeng entered closed-seclusion, wanting to break through to the Soul Sea Realm in one stroke and to become a Quasi-Alchemy King, his breakthrough failed; he suffered a backlash!
Now, Xiao Rufeng was bedridden with severe injuries and simply could not recover for the Grand Pill Assembly in three days' time.
Compelled against their will, the Xiao Family invited Qiu Zhi and the rest over.
The medicinal pills refined at the Grand Pill Assembly were basically all Jade Dragon Heart Calming Pill difficulty level. Qiu Zhi and the rest could not even refine the prepared medicinal embryos. At the Grand Pill Assembly, they would only serve as a stopgap.
Xiao Ruyan was also very disheartened earlier behind the partition. Who would have expected Ye Yuan's appearance would actually make her eyes light up.
As for the spouse finding martial competition, it was also because the Xiao Family's strength was weak. The Xiao Family had to consolidate their position through means of uniting in marriage.
If the Xiao Family really lost the Grand Pill Assembly, they had to find a way out for themselves in advance.
Except, the Xiao Family could not afford to offend either one of the Huang and Xue families. So, they could only use this kind of spouse finding martial competition method to determine who Xiao Ruyan belonged to.
Speaking of that, Xiao Ruyan was a pitiful person.
Ye Yuan also sighed endlessly after hearing the Xiao Family's story.
"Therefore, regardless where Mister Ji come from, please put your best effort forward and help the Xiao Family win the match! This old man is forever indebted!" Manager Tong said, giving Ye Yuan a deep bow.
Ye Yuan hurriedly went to help him up and said with a smile, "Isn't it just a Grand Pill Assembly? A piece of cake! Forget about one match, even three matches is not an issue! Ah, right, can I take on three matches by myself? This way, the Tong Family will lose for sure!"
Manager Tong hurriedly said, "That's naturally not permitted! This Grand Pill Assembly is competing in the composite strength of the two family's juniors. How can they possibly allow one person to fight three matches?"
"Like that huh? Then that's too bad! Guess they got lucky!" Ye Yuan said with a face full of regret.
Talking about alchemy, Ye Yuan was naturally excited. Forget about three matches, he would not mind even 30 matches.
Chapter 370. Xiao Changfeng |
"Ah! Where did this little white tiger come from? How adorable! Come, let Big Sister hug!"
"Hehe, look, he got angry. Even his angry appearance is so cute!"
"Hehe, this Sir, is this your little white tiger? Can you lend me to play for two days?"
From yesterday onwards, White Light became a beautiful scenic spot in the Xiao Manor. No matter where Ye Yuan went, he would become the focal point of everyone.
Especially these young ladies and maidservants, when they saw White Light, each and every one of them would be rooted to the ground and be unable to resist coming forward to tease him.
But White Light did not like other people's affection. Each time other people came over, he would put on a posture that kept people a thousand miles away and bared his fangs at them.
However, the more he did so, the more lovable these young ladies and maidservants found him.
Ye Yuan was obviously not wandering around with nothing to do. He wanted to find an opportunity to inquire about the matter regarding the slaves. But he could not be so obvious with this kind of thing either. To prevent drawing suspicion, White Light naturally became the best cover-up.
With White Light as a front, Ye Yuan could openly find these maidservants and young ladies to chat. In the long run, he really found out quite a bit of news.
By approaching the subject in a roundabout manner, Ye Yuan still confirmed in the end that the Xiao Family really purchased two Endless World slaves recently!
Speaking of it, those two slaves were not bought by the Xiao Family, but the Huang and Xue Family gifted one each.
Evidently, these two families gifting slaves was in order to curry favor with Xiao Ruyan.
As a second-rate family, the Xiao Family did not have the qualifications to buy such rare slaves yet.
Ye Yuan still wanted to inquire about the looks of those two slaves. But regretfully, those two were sent to Xiao Ruyan's manor directly. Other people totally did not get a chance to see.
And the residences of women were all a part of the inner courtyards. There were experts guarding all around. With Ye Yuan's present strength, wanting to intrude inside silently was not very probable.
Seemed like to approach those two Endless World people, it ultimately still fell on Xiao Ruyan.
With Ye Yuan's present condition, he could only come into contact with these two people. The others should have been bought over by powerful factions. Wishing to figure it out in a short period of time was something not very easy.
But Ye Yuan was not in a rush either. Ever since he knew that Mei Zhen and the rest were peddled to the Central Capital, Ye Yuan made the preparations for a long period of struggle.
"Aiya, Ji Qing, I finally found you! I've been following behind you and asking around for quite some time!" Ye Yuan was currently ruminating when Manager Tong yelled out at the top of his voice.
The Xiao Manor's area was immensely vast. Wanting to find a person really needed to expend some effort.
"En? Manager Tong is finding me for something? I figured out that I'll have to live in Xiao Manor in the future, so I obviously have to familiarize myself. That's why I'm looking around," Ye Yuan said with a smile.
Manager Tong had an indignant look as he said, "I say, Little Brother Ji, there are only two days to the Grand Pill Assembly. You have to do some preparations, right? Wandering leisurely around like this . . . probably isn't good, yeah?"
Ye Yuan could not help rolling his eyes when he heard this. "Isn't it just a Grand Pill Assembly? What's there to prepare? Isn't the Tong Family just sending a couple of juniors up? It's not like we're competing against their family's old freaks."
Seeing Ye Yuan pay no attention to it, Manager Tong was furious. "I say, Ji Qing, you're our Xiao Family's guest retainer now, and drawing our Xiao Family's salary! The Grand Pill Assembly concerns the Xiao Family's survival. You have to at least put in some effort, right? Although the Tong Family is sending their juniors, their strength is very formidable!"
"How formidable?" Ye Yuan asked curiously.
Speaking of which, Ye Yuan was really completely clueless about that so-called Tong Family.
"Tong Family . . . Sigh, forget it, forget it. Come with me, there's somebody who wishes to see you! After you see him, you'll naturally know."
. . . . . .
Ye Yuan followed Manager Tong to a quiet and secluded courtyard and entered a room.
"It's Tong Suan, right? Did you bring Ji Qing here?" A deep voice came from inside the house.
"Yes. He's right outside," Manager Tong said respectfully.
"You withdraw first. Let him enter." The voice inside the house sounded again.
"Yes!"
Finished talking, Manager Tong turned around and said to Ye Yuan, "You enter alone. Remember, don't be impudent."
"Oh," Ye Yuan replied very carelessly.
Manager Tong was depressed but did not say anything. He still withdrew.
Ye Yuan entered the house, but it was a pill refinement room. A middle-aged man was currently meditating on the bed in the center of the refining room.
Ye Yuan was just about to go forward to greet, only to see a majestic soul force attack him in a manner that blotted out heaven and earth.
Ye Yuan's eyes flickered but did not evade, allowing the other party to do as he pleased.
The middle-aged man's divine soul looked to have very strong offensive power, but when it landed on Ye Yuan's body, it was incomparably gentle.
The light soul force enveloped Ye Yuan as if it was seeking out something.
After several breaths, the other party's soul force retreated like tidewater.
"Young man, you're very poised! When my soul force attacked you, you were actually completely unruffled!" The middle-aged man's deep voice sounded.
It was just that although his voice was calm, it carried some astonishment. Clearly, Ye Yuan's performance just now greatly exceeded his expectations.
Ye Yuan smiled and said, "Can't dodge it. Why take a superfluous action? Ever since I entered this house, if Senior wanted to kill me, I can only be at your mercy."
The middle-aged man suddenly laughed and said, "Indeed, heroes come from the youngsters! Listening to the meaning in your words, if it were outside, you have the ability to escape?"
Ye Yuan sad neither servilely nor arrogantly, "Might not be without assurance!"
Evidently, the other party was a Soul Sea Realm powerhouse!
The possibility of trying to escape from the other party's hands was trifling. But in Ye Yuan's dictionary, there wasn't the word impossible.
If he made proper use of the environmental and human conditions, he might not have zero chance of escaping.
Recalling back then, he was only at the Second Level Spirit Condensation Realm, didn't he still kill the Sea Transformation Realm Black Crow Old Man?
Of course, the difference between Soul Sea Realm and Crystal Formation Realm was an entirely different concept from the disparity between Sea Transformation Realm and Spirit Condensation Realm.
Hence, Ye Yuan just 'humbly' said that he might not be without assurance.
There was a heaven and earth difference between the lower three realms and middle three realms for martial artists. No matter how strong a Sea Transformation Realm was, they were only a lower three realm martial artist; completely incomparable from the middle three realm Soul Sea Realm.
"Heh heh, Tong Suan said that you're capable but doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth. Indeed not false. But . . . you really escaped a calamity just now," the middle-aged man said with a laugh.
Ye Yuan knew in his heart, but intentionally asked in confusion, "Oh? What do Senior's words mean?"
"News came from the realm passageway that an Endless World youth might have already silently infiltrated the capital. I was testing your divine soul just now. If your divine soul was different from us Fierce Gale World martial artists, I would have killed you without hesitation earlier!" said the middle-aged man indifferently.
Ye Yuan was taken aback at the right level, asking in surprise, "There's actually such a thing? Senior actually suspects that I'm a person from another world?"
"Hur hur, just that your age matches the information report. Your appearance in the capital is also very sudden. I only tested you out of cautiousness. Oh, right, I'm called Xiao Changfeng, Xiao Family's Family Head."
Chapter 371. Interacting a Little Is Good Too |
Towards the middle-aged man's identity, Ye Yuan had already deduced it. Hence, there was not really anything surprising.
In truth, when Xiao Changfeng's soul force pounced towards Ye Yuan earlier, Ye Yuan's first reaction was to retaliate.
But he reacted very quickly. Xiao Changfeng most likely held suspicions towards his identity. Therefore, he might as well release his divine soul and let Xiao Changfeng examine freely.
Ye Yuan did not have much attainments in disguising skills. But in the camouflaging of the divine soul, who in the Lower Realms could match him?
Although they were all humans, on different planes, human souls still had some slight differences.
