Chapter 29: A Mysterious Benefactor Behind the Scenes

Hu, the court alchemist, had studied the art of alchemy for decades and considered himself to have achieved a certain level of mastery. Yet, in all his years of experience, he had never encountered pills such as these two. Merely from their luster and fragrance, Hu could tell they were not just of the highest quality—they were divine among the finest.

“Young Master Wu… Wu, allow me a moment to compose myself.” Hu took several deep breaths, collecting himself before turning to Wu Tian. “Young Master Wu, might I trouble you to allow me a moment to appraise these?”

“Of course. Please, go ahead.” Wu Tian certainly had no objection; only by letting Hu fully appreciate the pills’ extraordinary properties could he hope to fetch a high price.

Hu inhaled deeply, pressing his palms together, then slowly parting them as a faint blue spiritual energy emanated from his hands. He enveloped the two mutated pills in this blue aura and closed his eyes slightly to begin his appraisal.

Gradually, an even greater look of astonishment appeared on Hu’s face. His hands, still hovering over the pills, began to tremble with excitement.

“Incredible! Truly incredible! Young Master Wu, these two pills in your possession are unlike anything I have ever seen or even heard of! Though they are of the Profound Grade, their effects are comparable to those of Earth Grade pills, and they even possess additional properties. I am ashamed to admit, I cannot even begin to estimate their value.” After his assessment, Hu’s eyes brimmed with admiration. The pills had far surpassed his understanding.

“Impossible to estimate? What do you mean by that?” Wu Tian raised an eyebrow.

“Young Master Wu, your pills are tantamount to an extra life and can at least double one’s overall combat prowess for a short time. Imagine two masters locked in a life-or-death struggle—if one of them took your pill, it could be the deciding factor. If I had to assign a price, I’d say each pill would start at no less than two hundred thousand silver taels!”

“Pfft!” Wu Tian, in the midst of sipping his tea, spat it out. “How much did you say?”

“At least two hundred thousand,” Hu replied, holding up two fingers, thinking perhaps Wu Tian found the amount too low. “Of course, that’s only my estimation. Selling such rare pills directly would not be wise. Better to auction them—they could easily fetch more than two hundred thousand in the end.”

Two hundred thousand silver taels—equivalent to two thousand gold taels, or twenty taels of black gold. For Wu Tian, it would mean twenty points of exchange value—a considerable sum.

“Young Master Wu, as it happens, our Shunfeng Trading Company is holding a major auction in Pingyang City in five days. We’re in need of high-quality pills such as these. You could put your two pills up for auction, or, if you prefer, our Jiming Pharmacy would be happy to buy them outright at two hundred thousand apiece!” Hu continued, clearly eager to secure the pills, given their rarity.

“Alchemist Hu, let’s put them up for auction,” Wu Tian decided after a moment’s thought. Pills like these were so rare that they were surely worth more than two hundred thousand silver taels.

“Young Master Wu, an excellent choice. We’ll make sure to stir up considerable excitement and fetch a price that will satisfy you.” Hu beamed.

“Very well! I’ll leave the matter in your hands, Alchemist Hu. Thank you for your trouble.”

“It’s no trouble at all.” Hu nodded, a subtle, meaningful smile flashing in his eyes. “Young Master Wu, for you to casually produce two such divine pills—I suspect these aren’t the only ones you have, are they?”

“Haha! Alchemist Hu, you flatter me. I truly have only these two. I’m in need of money, so I’m selling them now!” Wu Tian laughed heartily, unwilling to admit he had more. After all, rarity breeds value; flooding the market would only drive the price down.

Hu said nothing more, simply offering another enigmatic smile.

Afterward, Wu Tian and Hu discussed the arrangements for the auction. When all was settled, Wu Tian took his leave.

Once Wu Tian had gone, Hu carefully placed the two mutated pills into an exquisite box and brought it to a refined pavilion behind the inner chambers. Inside the elegant room sat a woman clad in white, her face veiled.

“My lady, Young Master Wu was just here and brought several exceptional pills. These two, in particular, are beyond anything I have encountered; their quality even surpasses Earth Grade medicine. This Young Master Wu is certainly no ordinary man.” Hu respectfully presented the ornate box.

The woman accepted the box, examined the contents closely, and a rare glimmer flashed in her beautiful eyes. “Indeed, such pills are seldom seen in the world. Wu Tian possesses remarkable talent in alchemy—to produce such exquisite pills in a single night is impressive.”

“My lady, I do find it puzzling. No matter how gifted one is, alchemy requires experience to truly master. Wu Tian is so young—where could he have gained such skill?”

A faint, knowing smile danced in the woman’s eyes. “A crippled youth with a shattered dantian suddenly recovers his cultivation in a matter of months, and even single-handedly slays more than a dozen guards of the Nie family. Don’t you find that odd? I suspect he has a powerful benefactor behind him.”

“My lady, your insight is truly unmatched.”

The woman shook her head slowly. “The situation in the Wild Martial Empire appears stable on the surface, yet it teeters on the brink of collapse. Should anything disturb the balance now, a storm will surely follow. Our Shunfeng Trading Company is already in decline; we must amass strength while we can, or we’ll be swept away by the coming chaos.”

“You are absolutely right, my lady. Wu Tian is a rare talent—if we can win him over to Shunfeng, it would be a great boon,” Hu agreed solemnly.

“Therefore, Alchemist Hu, keep a close eye on this matter.”

“Yes, my lady!”

...

Having sold ten Blood-Nourishing Pills and Qi-Gathering Pills, Wu Tian now had one hundred and sixty thousand silver taels in hand. It still didn’t seem enough, but with the two mutated pills yet to be auctioned, he eagerly anticipated the event, wondering just how high the bidding might go.

Five days passed in a flash. Wu Tian spent the time refining pills, amassing a trove of top-grade Blood-Nourishing and Qi-Gathering Pills. If anyone dared trouble him now, he could pelt them to death with pills. Unfortunately, he hadn’t managed to create any more mutated pills during this period, but Wu Tian remained unfazed. Such rare pills were a matter of chance—he was already fortunate to have a few.

The grand auction hosted by Shunfeng Trading Company commenced as scheduled in the most bustling district of Pingyang City. On this day, every powerful and influential figure in the city gathered for the event. All four major powers of Pingyang were present, assembled in a grand pavilion—truly a rare sight for the city.

Wu Tian was given a private box on the second floor by Alchemist Hu, a gesture of both respect and recognition of his status. This area was reserved for honored guests and representatives of Pingyang’s leading factions.

“Distinguished guests, welcome to the Shunfeng Auction House. I’ll dispense with formalities and proceed directly to our main event—the auction! To begin, our first lot: a Profound Grade, divine-quality Blood-Nourishing Pill, and a Profound Grade, divine-quality Qi-Gathering Pill.” Alchemist Hu, serving as the auctioneer, strode onto the stage and began the proceedings without delay.