Chapter 320: Exchange

Xu Yang did not know what had happened to the Zhu family, but he could guess; having lost his Blood-Clotting Pills, the Zhu family would surely be furious and desperate.

He had heard that Li Qiang had already returned, but had failed to capture any Phantom Leopard cubs; the once forthright senior brother from Weiyuantang no longer had the face to seek out Zhang Yong and the others.

That day, after Xu Yang returned from patrol, he saw Sun Tao with a ruddy complexion and surging spiritual energy.

"Congratulations, Senior Brother Sun, on reaching the minor success of Gang Qi," Xu Yang said with a smile, stepping forward to bow with clasped hands.

Sun Tao grinned so widely his gums showed: "It wasn't easy; finally reaching minor success in Gang Qi, I now have some confidence to venture into the Yunling Mountain Range."

Had it not been for Xiao Hua's threat, he would have entered the Yunling Mountain Range long ago.

Now that he has reached minor success in Gang Qi, he also plans to join forces with Zhang Yong to venture into the Yunling Mountain Range.

"Junior Brother Xu, you should also strive hard and reach major success in Gang Qi sooner!" Sun Tao patted Xu Yang's shoulder.

Xu Yang nodded with a smile, mentally calculating that once he refined more Gathering Yuan Pills, he could sell some to Sun Tao.

Currently, he did not have enough for himself, nor did he lack money, so he had no immediate plans to sell Gathering Yuan Pills.

"Is Junior Brother Xu Yang here?"

A familiar voice suddenly came from outside the courtyard; Xu Yang turned to look and found it was none other than He He Jingting.

"Senior Brother He, please come in quickly."

Xu Yang invited He He Jingting into the courtyard and introduced him: "This is my senior brother Sun Tao, also a native of Liu Qingyuan County; today he just reached minor success in Gang Qi."

Regarding the Liu Qingyuan Society matters, Zhang Yong and Xu Yang had already mentioned them to Sun Tao, who also had the idea of joining.

Among those seeking treasures in the Yunling Mountain Range, everyone has some good items they do not wish to hand over to the Zong Sect; places like the Liu Qingyuan Society are the best venues to sell such things.

Upon hearing about Sun Tao's situation, He He Jingting immediately extended an invitation to Sun Tao to join the society.

"Junior Brother Xu, I have come to inform you that in three days the guesthouse will hold an Exchange Meeting; if you are interested, you may attend."

"If you have items you wish to sell, you can bring them for trade." He He Jingting looked at Xu Yang.

The Jiaoyi Society mostly operates on barter, or requires contribution points for transactions; silver is not very useful at the exchange meeting.

Xu Yang smiled and bowed with clasped hands, saying, "Thank you, Senior Brother He, for informing me."

He was just planning to gather the main ingredients for the second batch of Gathering Yuan Pills; this exchange meeting came at a timely moment, though he did not know if he would find anything.

"First, let's check the Black Market tonight."

Watching He He Jingting and Sun Tao depart, Xu Yang thought to himself.

Buying the three major main ingredients all over Qingyang City would be too conspicuous, easily inviting trouble, and they were not easy to purchase anyway.

Major powers strictly control these items, rarely allowing them to flow into the market; today happened to be the tenth day, the day the Black Market opens.

When night fell, Xu Yang took his silver notes and quickly left the Ziyang Sect, soon arriving at the Black Market.

It was as lively as ever; Xu Yang appeared wearing a mask, drawing no one's attention.

After visiting a few stalls, he spotted one of his targets for this trip.

"Tiger-Bone Vine, priced at one hundred and thirty taels!"

The asking price was about the same as what he bought at the apothecary; after all, such items are brought to the Black Market only to sell at high prices; if they were cheaper than at the apothecary, they would be sold there directly, why take the risk of bringing them to the Black Market?

The stall owner was a short person wearing a monkey-face mask.

"May I see this Tiger-Bone Vine?" Xu Yang walked over.

The stall owner looked up at Xu Yang and said in a hoarse voice: "Please, help yourself."

Xu Yang bent down, picked up the Tiger-Bone Vine, examined it carefully to identify it, and confirmed it was undoubtedly genuine.

"One hundred and twenty taels!" he bargained as usual.

"Not a single tael less!" the stall owner said. "This is the real thing; you can go ask those apothecaries in the city whether you can buy it for less than one hundred and thirty taels."

Xu Yang actually knew the price could not be lowered; he was just worried about being mistaken for a fat sheep and ambushed later.

After exchanging a few words, he reluctantly took out silver to pay.

While putting the Tiger-Bone Vine away, Xu Yang asked, "Does your good sir have more Tiger-Bone Vines?"

The stall owner replied hoarsely, "Yes, but I did not bring them; if your lordship wishes to have them, you may now accompany me to fetch them."

This was an attempt to ambush him, though it was also possible they truly had Tiger-Bone Vines.

Xu Yang could not tell the difference, nor did he believe that reaching major success in Gang Qi made him invincible; among those frequenting the Black Market, there were no shortage of inner sect disciples who had already undergone Marrow-Washing; he could not be careless.

"There is no need for me to go with your good sir to fetch them; if your good sir intends to sell, you may bring them next time," Xu Yang shook his head and said.

The stall owner said, "There are three in total; do you want all of them?"

Xu Yang nodded; even if there were thirty, he could absorb them all.

After settling with the stall owner, he quickly left the area and continued searching for the three major main ingredients.

After completing a full round, he found none of the three; he saw many old ginsengs, but none were thirty years old.

There were some that were forty or fifty years old.

Such aged ginsengs could actually be used to refine Gathering Yuan Pills, but he was not a orthodox alchemist and could not handle the medicinal properties of herbs that did not match the prescription; even if he bought them, he dared not use them.

Regarding alchemy, he was more like a worker on an assembly line; as long as everything followed the prescription, he had no problem.

But as soon as one herb's age did not match the record in the prescription, he could not handle it.

He waited at the Black Market for a long time until it gradually dispersed, still with no gains; he left the Black Market and returned safely to the Ziyang Sect, without being ambushed.

The next day, the canteen.

Xu Yang got his food and sat down with Sun Tao and the others at an empty table.

The canteen was bustling with people; many outer sect disciples chatted while eating, making it the place with the most up-to-date news in the Ziyang Sect.

"I heard that the alchemist who refined Blood-Clotting Pills for the Zhu family in Qingyang City has disappeared; the Zhu family cannot produce a single Blood-Clotting Pill, and several martial arts halls cooperating with them are demanding to terminate their contracts."

Suddenly, a piece of news caught Xu Yang's attention.

"The head of the Zhu family is extremely anxious and has publicly declared to that alchemist that everything can be negotiated; unfortunately, that alchemist has not appeared."

"Serves them right; I heard that relying on their control of the Return Yuan Pills, they demanded that alchemist refine two hundred Blood-Clotting Pills a month, which was not enough, and wanted him to refine three hundred a month; that alchemist ostensibly agreed, then simply stopped appearing."

"Tsk tsk... three hundred pills. Even the inner sect alchemists are considered diligent if they refine thirty pills a month. It's no wonder Zhu Zhu Xiancheng ran away; I would have too. They truly don't treat alchemists like human beings."

"I have a bit of inside news. The Zhu family has secretly placed a bounty, offering a thousand taels of silver to anyone who can provide information on that alchemist."

"It's useless. The great families of Qingyang City have also offered high rewards to find that alchemist. Even if that alchemist wants to cooperate, he won't choose the Zhu family again."

"I heard the Li family's offer is to take no share of the pill profits, provide one Xuan Yuan Hua Qi Pill every month, and gift a formula for a Gang Qi Pill."

Hearing this, Xu Yang's heart stirred. Were other families in Qingyang City also looking for him?

If the news has spread to the Ziyang Sect, those families probably suspect he is a disciple of the Ziyang Sect.

"Alchemists are really in high demand. If only I were an alchemist," Jiang Ping said, his eyes shining.

An alchemist is a treasure-like figure everywhere.

Sun Tao struck a blow: "Stop dreaming. Not everyone can become an alchemist. Xu Yang bought a formula to study; ask him if he learned anything."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ping looked curiously at Xu Yang and asked, "Junior Brother Xu, have you learned to refine pills?"

Xu Yang shook his head: "Pill refining is too difficult. I burned through a lot of money and only produced a lump of paste. I have already given up."

Sun Tao comforted him: "Giving up is good. Don't waste money. Pill refining is not something for people like us to think about. I heard those alchemists are trained from childhood, with alchemists teaching them hand-in-hand."

Xu Yang nodded with a smile: "Rest assured, Senior Brother."

Time quickly passed to the second day.

Xu Yang took that piece of spirit iron, all his contribution points, and the fifty-year-old ginseng obtained at Qingfeng Stronghold, and went with Sun Tao and Zhang Yong to the Liu Qingyuan Society.