Soul Emperor Martial God

Chapter 12: Chapter 11: Gold-plated Furnace

”Hmm?” Xiao Yi’s eyes were sharp, and he suddenly spotted two familiar figures ahead.

”Heh.” Xiao Yi let out a cold laugh and quickened his pace.

...

”If you don’t hand over the money and the Body Tempering Pills right now, believe it or not, we’ll break your legs.”

Xiao Jie and Xiao Shi were punching and kicking a member of their clan, trying to extort from him.

”I won’t give them up. I need to save these Body Tempering Pills to help my brother increase his strength; he’s going to participate in the family competition in half a month.”

This clan member was roughly 11 years old, with merely the strength of the Mortal Realm Second Layer, no match for Xiao Jie and Xiao Shi. At the moment, he had been beaten black and blue but still stubbornly refused to hand over the Body Tempering Pills and Silver Taels.

”Since you’re asking for trouble, then don’t blame us.” Xiao Jie and Xiao Shi exchanged a glance, sneered menacingly, and simultaneously activated their Martial Soul Power. They were getting serious.

Xiao Jie and Xiao Shi always bullied the weaker members of the family, robbing them of their Cultivation Resources.

Unfortunately, with Xiao Ruohan backing them up, even those in the family older or stronger than them had no way to seek revenge against them.

”Ouch.” Just as Xiao Jie was about to bind the youth in front of him with Fire-Burning Vine, he suddenly felt a pain in his back and cried out in pain.

”Which ignorant fool dares to interfere with this young master’s business...” Xiao Jie turned around in anger, cursing loudly.

However, when he saw who it was, he was suddenly speechless.

”Who did you say is asking for trouble?” Xiao Yi looked at Xiao Jie coldly.

”Xiao... Xiao Yi...” Xiao Jie and Xiao Shi both shivered unconsciously.

”What are you standing around for, get going,” Xiao Yi said to the bruised and swelling clan member beside him.

”Uh.” The clan member hesitated, but realizing what Xiao Yi meant, he was immediately overjoyed, ”Thank you, Young Master Xiao Yi.” Clutching the Body Tempering Pills and Silver Taels to his chest, he ran off as fast as his legs could carry him.

Xiao Jie and Xiao Shi watched the fleeing clan member with resentment but didn’t dare chase after him.

”What are you looking at?” Xiao Yi barked, ”Have you gotten the money ready that I asked you to prepare?”

”That... uhm...” Xiao Jie stammered.

”We were just gathering money,” Xiao Shi argued with an insincere smile, never really intending to pay it back, merely stalling.

”Since you’re looking for trouble, then don’t blame me.” Xiao Yi threw their own earlier words back at them.

With a ’crack crack’, Xiao Yi dislocated both their shoulders in one swift move.

With his current strength at the Mortal Realm Fourth Layer combined with Leopard Form, Xiao Jie and Xiao Shi didn’t even have a chance to react.

”Ow.” Xiao Jie and Xiao Shi cried out in pain, cradling their dislocated arms.

”You little runt, what do you think you’re doing!” Xiao Jie yelled in pain.

”Still talking back?” Xiao Yi slapped him across the face, and a flurry of punches followed.

The two were beaten to the ground but still defiantly said, ”Hmph, you little runt, keep hitting us if you have the guts. We don’t believe you would dare to kill us right here in front of everyone.”

”Runt, just wait. Cousin Ruohan will pay you back tenfold for this. Soon, you’ll kneel and beg us like a dead dog,” Xiao Shi threatened as well.

”Seeking death.” Xiao Yi’s eyes turned cold instantly, and he picked up a stone from the ground.

”I don’t know if Xiao Ruohan will come after me, but at least you won’t have that chance anymore. I’d like to see if your heads will ’blossom’ when this stone comes crashing down.”

”You wouldn’t dare,” Xiao Jie and Xiao Shi blustered but were actually scared. They certainly didn’t believe their heads could withstand a stone.

”You think I wouldn’t dare? I had the nerve to slap Xiao Ruohan in front of all the elder deacons, let alone you two.”

With that, Xiao Yi hurled the stone down at their heads.

”Stop... stop, Lord Xiao, please spare us!” Xiao Jie immediately began to beg for mercy.

”Xiao... Xiao Yi, I swear, within ten days, I’ll make sure to return the money,” Xiao Shi pleaded with a quiver in his voice.

”Hmph.” Xiao Yi didn’t pull back the stone, but instead, he changed the trajectory and aimed for their limbs.

”Ow.” Xiao Jie and Xiao Shi cried out again.

These two were lackeys of Xiao Ruohan, often cruel when bullying other clan members. Xiao Yi naturally didn’t show them any courtesy and hit them hard.

”Ow... Ow.” The cries of pain from Xiao Jie and Xiao Shi came one after another.

”I’ll let you say it once more, how long until you pay back the money.”

”Eight days, eight days.”

Xiao Yi brought down the stone.

”Ow, five days... five days.”

Another stone came crashing down.

”How many days?”

”Three days, three days, guaranteed in three days.”

”That’s more like it.” Xiao Yi tossed aside the stone.

”Get lost.” Xiao Yi commanded, ”Remember, you have three days. Don’t make me come looking for you. Otherwise, in three days, what’s coming down on you won’t be stones but knives.”

”We know, we know.” Xiao Jie and Xiao Shi, as if granted amnesty, scurried away as fast as they could.

Both being Martial Artists, a few hits with stones didn’t cause them any serious injuries, just pain for a while.

”Two scumbags who bully the weak and fear the strong.” Xiao Yi spat in disgust.

...

On the other side, the clan youths who were pointing fingers and whispering about Xiao Yi now wore expressions as if they had seen a ghost.

Was this still the same Xiao Yi who was a good-for-nothing?

Was this still the pushover who wouldn’t dare fight back when bullied?

Xiao Yi had actually cleaned up the two bullies, Xiao Jie and Xiao Shi?

”What are you staring at?” Xiao Yi turned his head and glared at the crowd, ”What, do you want to taste this stone too?”

With a whoosh, the clan youths quickly scattered.

Xiao Yi turned around and headed for the Xiao Family’s main gate.

He still had to purchase medicinal herbs and an alchemy furnace.

Purple Cloud City was quite famous throughout Northern Mountain County.

Backed by the Meteorite Mountain Range,

the range spread across a thousand miles and contained a large number of precious ores. Merchants from various places came in an endless stream, bustling with activity.

Thus, the business in Purple Cloud City was extremely developed.

Inside the Meteorite Mountain Range, there were countless demon beasts, where they roamed and dominated.

Therefore, many Martial Artists became Demon Hunters, either escorting merchants or roaming the mountains alone to seek profits.

After walking for some time, Xiao Yi casually chose a rather large medicinal herb shop and entered.

”Dear customer, how may I assist you?” The shop assistant noticed Xiao Yi’s luxurious attire, realizing he must be the son of a wealthy family, and quickly approached him with a servile greeting.

”Do you have Heartless Vine, Eight-leaf Flower, Red Polygonum multiflorum, Six God Grass, and Spirit Ginseng?” Xiao Yi inquired indifferently.

The assistant paused, then said, ”Uh, sir, those are not ordinary herbs...”

”Do you have them or not?” Xiao Yi asked with a frown.

”Of course, we have them,” the assistant quickly nodded and asked, ”How much do you need? Do you have any specific requirements for these herbs?”

”Hmm?” Xiao Yi pondered for a moment and then said, ”The first four herbs should be more than ten years old, and the Spirit Ginseng should be more than a century old. As for the quantity, let’s go with five portions of each.”

The assistant was taken aback and then hesitantly said, ”Sir, the first four herbs are no problem, but the century-old Spirit Ginseng is exceedingly rare, this...”

”You don’t have it?” Xiao Yi asked.

The first four herbs were the main ingredients for the Body Tempering Pill, while the Spirit Ginseng was the principal herb needed to refine the Nine Revolutions Body Refining Pill.

As long as he prepared these main herbs, the other auxiliary ingredients were not an issue at all.

”We have it, young master, please wait,” the assistant suddenly became more respectful, even changing his address.

Xiao Yi nodded.

In the back hall of the herb shop, the assistant respectfully said to an elder, ”Shopkeeper, the other four herbs are no big issue, but the century-old Spirit Ginseng has recently been used by you for refining. That’s why I came to ask for instructions.”

The elder, being the shopkeeper of this herb shop, was also a First-grade Alchemist and had a bit of fame in the entire Purple Cloud City.

”Spirit Ginseng, and century-old at that,” the elder pondered for a moment and then instructed the assistant, ”Sell them all to him and give him a discount on the price.”

”A discount?” The assistant was puzzled and asked, ”Shopkeeper, our shop has never offered a discount before.”

”Just do as I say,” the elder scolded.

”Yes,” the assistant replied and exited.

”Young master,” the assistant prepared the medicinal herbs and returned to Xiao Yi.

”Here are the herbs you requested, five portions of each, totaling five hundred Silver Taels. Our shop is offering you a discount at seventy percent, so it will only cost three hundred and fifty Silver Taels.”

”A discount?” Xiao Yi was a bit puzzled.

Before leaving home, Xiao Yi had considered how much he could buy with his funds. He had obtained about five hundred Silver Taels from Yang Fu.

A Body Tempering Pill was valued at ten Taels, but that was only the internal rate within the Xiao Family.

Just the materials for a Body Tempering Pill would cost ten Taels, and commissions for Alchemists to refine the pill would be another substantial fee.

The Body Tempering Pills sold outside were at least fifty Taels each.

The first four herbs, five portions each, would be around two hundred Taels. The Spirit Ginseng would be about sixty Taels per portion, equating to three hundred Taels for five portions.

Added up, that was five hundred Taels, and the assistant’s price was quite fair.

But why would this medicinal herb shop offer him a discount?

Xiao Yi nodded and inquired, ”Do you sell alchemy furnaces here?”

”Yes, of course, young master, please follow me,” the assistant said as he respectfully led Xiao Yi to another area.

The shop was not small in scale; in addition to various medicinal herbs, they also sold alchemy furnaces, finished elixirs, and so on.

The shop had three types of alchemy furnaces for sale, and the assistant introduced them one by one.

”Young master, this is a fine steel alchemy furnace, personally forged by a renowned blacksmith in our city, priced at fifty Silver Taels.”

”This is a Gold-plated Furnace, personally made by our shopkeeper, priced at two hundred Silver Taels. Oh, by the way, the shopkeeper happens to be a distinguished First-grade Alchemist.”

”This is a Three-Spiral Furnace, the treasure of our shop, priced at eight hundred Silver Taels.”

”Sure,” Xiao Yi inwardly scoffed, impressed by the assistant’s salesmanship.

He knew well that the first kind, the fine steel alchemy furnace, was only used by unremarkable Alchemists.

The second was similar, albeit of much higher quality.

The third was indeed impressive; the First-grade Alchemists in his family used this kind of Three-Spiral Furnace, but it was far too expensive.

”Get me a Gold-plated Furnace,” Xiao Yi decided.

”Right away,” the assistant nodded, saying, ”We’ll still offer you a seventy percent discount. Do you need anything else, young master?”

”That’s all,” Xiao Yi paid the money, collected the medicinal herbs and Gold-plated Furnace, and left the herb shop without looking back.

Not long after Xiao Yi departed, the herb shop’s keeper emerged, watching the direction Xiao Yi had left with a detached gaze.

The assistant asked in confusion, ”Shopkeeper, those five portions of Spirit Ginseng were intended for your attempt to advance to a Second-grade Alchemist, why...”

The shopkeeper muttered to himself, ”Heartless Vine, Eight-leaf Flower, Red Polygonum multiflorum, Six God Grass; these are all essential ingredients for the Body Tempering Pill. This youth is either an Alchemist himself, or there’s an Alchemist guiding him behind the scenes.”

”Century-old Spirit Ginseng would be an ingredient for at least a Second-grade or higher elixir. Therefore, it’s very possible that behind this youngster, there is at least one Second-grade Alchemist, or even a Third-grade Alchemist.”

”Remember, if this young man comes to buy medicinal herbs again, try to build a good relationship with him, perhaps even a friendship,” the shopkeeper instructed the assistant.