Alchemy Master

Chapter 1123, The Medicine Market of Myriad Beasts City

Translator: Silavin

The Medicine Market was situated at the midpoint between the outer and inner districts of Myriad Beasts City.

In every neutral territory across the continent, a Medicine Market of some kind could always be found.

For a city of Myriad Beasts City’s great renown, its Medicine Market carried a reputation that was far from negligible. This was because within the Medicine Market of Myriad Beasts City, members of the Medicine Race were permanently stationed!

At the deepest end of the Medicine Market stood a manor that appeared dignified and prestigious beyond measure, which stood in stark contrast to the Medicine Market’s otherwise sparse and dreary atmosphere. Before the gates of that manor, a line stretched out like a dragon, never-ending, present at all hours.

That was where the Medicine Race resided.

Across the entire continent, beyond the Pills that each Race produced for itself, only the Medicine Race possessed the ability to refine Pills suited to any given Race’s constitution.

And even those were only the most basic of Pills. For anything of a higher Grade, one would need a great figure of the Medicine Race to personally take action before success could be hoped for.

After all, the constitution of each Race differed greatly, and the Pill Formulas designed specifically for them were extraordinarily complex. Some Pills that produced the same effect would even require entirely opposite ingredients depending on which Race was being treated.

As for the great figures of the Medicine Race, they were generally courted by the major Top Tier Races, and would hardly so easily lend their hands to help Forces they did not deign to notice.

“Truly absurd. Where has this ignorant fool come from, daring to claim there is a Pill that works for every Race?”

“*Hmph!* Not even capable of a convincing deception, yet still speaks of a Pill with three effects. It is genuinely laughable to the extreme!”

“It is nothing but a way to swindle the uninformed. I rather want to see who would dare come to the Medicine Market and try to peddle such nonsense!”

At this moment, inside the great hall of that manor, a group of middle-aged men sat with expressions that had grown somewhat overcast, and from time to time a sharp rebuke would ring out among them.

Those voices made no effort whatsoever to lower themselves, so that the many powerful experts queued up outside found themselves involuntarily hunching their necks, terrified of being caught in the crossfire of that fury.

These figures emanated no fluctuations of Yuan Energy from their persons, but rather the towering pressure of a vast and boundless Spiritual Energy, making it evident that in the domain of Spiritual Energy, each of them had attained no small level of mastery.

And the small cauldron embroidered upon their robes announced to the world what they were: members of the Medicine Race, of the most prestigious standing.

“All this clamouring, with not a shred of composure between you! What is all this fuss about?”

Just as everyone in the great hall was fuming with indignation, a slightly aged voice suddenly rang out.

“Elder Song!”

“Elder Song!”

Upon hearing that voice, the many Medicine Race members within the great hall hurriedly bowed in greeting.

Beneath their respectful gazes, an elderly man stepped slowly in from outside the great hall. Behind him, three Saint Realm experts remained at his side, not one step away.

“Elder Song, did the Young Master of the Netherworld Sea Clan come to extend another invitation?”

As the old man entered, a Medicine Race man immediately stepped forward to enquire.

“Can you not tell just from looking?”

“Indeed. What sort of existence is Elder Song? That Netherworld Sea Clan has extended invitations time and again without result, and this time even their Young Master has had to come personally.”

Before his words had even finished landing, several other men spoke up, as though they had long since anticipated this outcome.

At their rather unrestrained manner, the Elder Song in question showed no sign of displeasure. While it was true that in the eyes of other Races, those of the Medicine Race were seen as proud and difficult to approach, the Medicine Race’s ability to reproduce was extraordinarily poor, and their population had always remained sparse. Amongst their own people, however, they were uncommonly united and warm with one another.

An atmosphere of this kind, where differences in status vanished entirely, something that most Races would scarcely ever witness, was in no way rare within the Medicine Race.

“Enough. Since the Young Master of the Netherworld Sea Clan has come personally, it would be improper of me to refuse again. When the time comes, I will be relying on all of you to hold things together here in Myriad Beasts City.”

Elder Song waved a hand to stop their chatter, then asked, “What were you all discussing just now?”

“Oh, Elder Song, word just came in from outside that someone announced they will be selling Pills at the Medicine Market tomorrow.”

“That is right. Apparently these Pills are said to work for every Race, and even possess two or three different medicinal effects!”

Several Medicine Race members answered Elder Song’s inquiry, their words dripping with unconcealed disdain.

Evidently, phrases like ‘works for every Race’ and ‘several medicinal effects,’ in the ears of specialists such as themselves, amounted to nothing short of a joke.

“Nothing but a crowd-seeking fool. Is Jie’er still here?”

Elder Song startled slightly, then gave a faint, dismissive laugh. Clearly, he had not expected that the ignorant fellow he had encountered at the Blood Boulder Platform would actually dare to put the news out publicly.

He found it slightly puzzling, in fact, that after his own departure, the young man had somehow walked out unscathed. Had no one seen through his pretence?

“Elder Song, are you intending to…?”

“En. Tomorrow, have Jie’er go and deal with those ignorant fools who are resorting to petty tricks and shameless swindling. A firm hand is called for.”

A sharp gleam passed through Elder Song’s eyes, and he spoke with quiet composure.

“Understood. I will go and relay the message at once!”

…

With the news spreading and clamouring from all directions, the following day arrived quickly.

Although the vast majority of people did not truly believe in the existence of this legendary Pill said to work for every Race, there was still a considerable crowd who came to watch the spectacle with all manner of motivations in mind.

The Medicine Market was ordinarily a place of sparse traffic and little activity. Were it not for the presence of the Medicine Race, the area would likely have no reason to exist at all.

But the Medicine Market on this particular day had swept away its customary emptiness entirely. Wherever one looked, the streets were crammed with figures.

“Hey, were you not at the Blood Boulder Platform yesterday? Is that piece of news true or false?”

“I was also fairly far from the action, so I could not see the details clearly. But I did personally witness Li Shan beaten to the point he could not move with my own eyes, and after consuming a single Pill, in no more than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, he had recovered a portion of his injuries.”

“Really? Could they not have colluded beforehand and staged the whole thing deliberately?”

“That is probably the case. Given the Giant Spirit Race’s physical constitution, feigning serious injury is not that difficulty.”

Amidst the sea of people, whispers and murmurs arose constantly, and in most of those words, a sceptical tone prevailed.

“Come to think of it, could this not simply be a trick the Giant Spirit Race is using to make fools of us? To sell at the Medicine Market of all places, would that not be walking straight into a death trap?”

“It is nearly noon already. Where is the one who put out this announcement? Why has he still not appeared?”

“Could it be that they have only just learned of the Medicine Race Elders’ presence here and have retreated before the battle even began?”

Time moved swiftly toward noon, and in the long wait, quite a few powerful experts were beginning to grow restless.

Were it not for the curiosity gnawing at their hearts and the irresistible pull of watching a good spectacle unfold, it seemed likely that a good half of those present would have already walked away.

Yet just as the crowd’s patience was beginning to wear thin, a path suddenly parted through the press of people at the Medicine Market’s entrance.

There, Li Shan, Xiang Linzi, and a group of others led the way deeper into the Medicine Market.

At the very centre of that party stood a young man who appeared extraordinarily youthful. Facing the countless gazes and the occasional sounds of mocking laughter, he wore a faint, unhurried smile throughout, walking in with the ease of someone strolling through a quiet courtyard, as though everything around him had absolutely nothing to do with him.