[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-above-the-mage":3,"chapter-above-the-mage-above-the-mage-chapter-65":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Above the Mage!",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2257069,4404,"Chapter 65: Malicious Acquisition","above-the-mage-chapter-65",65,"\u003Cp>“Good, when Master Seda returns, I will convey your intentions to him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De naturally had no intention of selling the herb garden, especially since Master Seda was already gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But given the circumstances, he could not think of a solution right away, so he could only resort to the “delay” tactic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He mentioned before leaving that his journey was due to prolonged failure in researching a potion formula, so he decided to take a break and return home to visit family—no one knows when he’ll come back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing Gao De say this, Oliver’s expression changed subtly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De noticed the slight shift in the man’s demeanor, his heart tightening slightly, yet he continued calmly: “I have mastered all of Master Seda’s knowledge of potion science, which is why he entrusted me with temporary control of the herb garden until his return.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oliver’s eyes suddenly brightened, though with a hint of skepticism: “You mean you have mastered all of Master Seda’s potion knowledge?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear he remained doubtful, half-believing, half-skeptical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Gao De still looked far too young.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De nodded firmly, “Master Seda has already taught me the basics of Low-Grade Spider Venom Potion and Low-Grade Endurance Potion, and I have fully mastered them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If that’s truly the case, we’d be willing to hire you as our apothecary,” Oliver said with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Moreover, if Master Seda fails to return, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for you to make certain decisions on his behalf.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oliver feigned a careful inspection of the herb garden, then extended two fingers of his right hand: “Two hundred gold coins—I’m willing to pay two hundred gold coins to purchase your herb garden.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this price, Gao De clenched his teeth inwardly in fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention anything else, when Master Seda originally acquired this herb garden, it cost more than two hundred gold coins, let alone all the subsequent renovations and construction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Add to that the four stable, high-yield herb plots meticulously cultivated over years, and two hundred gold coins wouldn’t even be half its worth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Seda only entrusted me with temporary management of the garden—I dare not make such a decision on my own. This matter must wait until Master Seda returns.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though inwardly seething, Gao De still smiled warmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s true,” Oliver said dismissively. “But opportunities have deadlines. I’m in a hurry and can’t give you much time—think it over carefully.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sure even when Master Seda returns, he’ll understand your decision—after all, joining our Feiermoyaodian  is a tremendous blessing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Oliver smiled, waved his hand, boarded the carriage parked beneath the tree, and departed leisurely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After seeing off Oliver and his party, Gao De muttered under his breath: “Smiling tiger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had sensed Oliver’s malice in that brief moment, which prompted him to reveal he had inherited all of Master Seda’s potion knowledge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was both a display of his value and a move to stabilize the man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only by possessing value could he force the other to think twice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But how long that hesitation would last, and how effective it would be, remained uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gao De, what do we do?” Amy, who had witnessed the entire scene, could not match Gao De’s calmness—he had been panicking inside, only holding it together in front of outsiders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that Oliver’s group was gone, he could no longer maintain composure: “Master Seda is already...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t tell anyone else about this yet. Let me think,” Gao De said, understanding Amy’s meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feiermoyaodian , second floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A long table made of rosewood divided the room into two spaces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the table sat a man of great authority—deep-set eyes, slightly raised brow ridges, neatly trimmed beard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wore a custom-made robe of deep purple, high-grade fabric, with an obscure emblem embroidered on the chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, this was a man of extremely high status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oliver, the owner of the pharmacy, stood respectfully before the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a trace of the self-satisfied demeanor he had shown earlier at Seda’s herb garden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My Lord Baron, today I visited the Seda Herb Garden and the Yibolan Herb Garden on the city’s outskirts. Yibolan has agreed to sell their garden to me; Seda’s garden is more complicated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How so?” asked the man addressed as Baron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I did not meet their head, Master Seda. The apprentices there claim he returned home to visit family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I suspect Master Seda didn’t go home—he’s already dead, and the apprentices are hiding the news.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Seda was already old. The last time he came to our shop to collect spirit-bone powder, I served him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His complexion was utterly gray and lifeless—he looked like a man on his deathbed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For the past ten years, he has obsessed over his high-grade potions, spending countless gold coins and energy—he’s been insane, determined to succeed at any cost.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How could such a man suddenly stop his research and choose to return home to visit family?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Moreover, a reclusive old master who hasn’t left his tower in ten years—does he even have living relatives? Who would believe this story of visiting family?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And if it were truly a family visit, I sent men to check the city’s relay station—they found no record of Master Seda renting horses or carts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“An old man like him, traveling far—how could he possibly walk? Would he even be able to?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nine times out of ten, he’s already died in the herb garden, and these apprentices are brazen enough to fabricate the illusion that he’s still alive, just to keep operating his garden.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I must admit, if you hadn’t instructed me to begin absorbing and acquiring herb gardens in the city, I’d never have noticed Seda’s garden—this scheme almost succeeded.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I went today to investigate. If I could confirm the old master was dead, I planned to fabricate charges against these apprentices, lock them up for a while, and seize the unclaimed garden outright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A bunch of apprentices who were once beggars—what power do they have against me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why didn’t you act?” the authoritative man behind the table finally asked after listening for a long while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There was an unexpected development—one apprentice claims he inherited all of the old master’s potion knowledge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The apprentice looks extremely young—perhaps thirteen or fourteen. If what he says is true, he shows great potential for cultivation, so I temporarily shelved my plans and decided to observe further.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Someone like this should join our Feiermoyaodian  and produce Moyao  for us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With his age and talent in potion science, he could bring us untold profits in the future.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sending him to prison for a bit of gold would be shortsighted. So I thought it better to acquire their garden through peaceful means.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That said,” the authoritative man tapped his fingers lightly on the table, “it’s not wrong. Get this done quickly, without mistakes—or else...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My Lord Baron, rest assured—I will handle this perfectly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Before long, he will agree to sell us the garden—and become our apothecary.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1163,"2026-06-19T14:28:48.629Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","fa2fe95ed3d23ec2c883ad5c33200257385e990ec2d6a58251cbfa64f601c163","above-the-mage-chapter-66","above-the-mage-chapter-64",529,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fabove-the-mage-cover.jpg"]