"Sha Wei let out a cold snort and said fearlessly, 'The pills sold by Hundred Herbs Hall are never returned!'"
Ning Wuque nodded. "Very well, since you insist, don't blame me for smashing your sign!"
"Be my guest!" Sha Wei made a gesture inviting him to proceed.
The medicinal pills in this jade vial were indeed refined personally by the grandmaster alchemist Luan Hongyi at someone's request, but a slight error had occurred during the refinement process, resulting in some tiny flaws. This left the ten Qi Gathering Pills stuck somewhere between high-grade and supreme-grade, failing to meet the client's requirements. Luan Hongyi had handed them to Sha Wei and ordered him to destroy them.
Yet Sha Wei could not bear to throw them away and instead brought them back to Hundred Herbs Hall to sell. After all, according to Luan Hongyi, the flaws in this batch of pills were extremely subtle—only someone with an alchemy attainment higher than his, or a powerhouse above the Yin-Yang Realm, could possibly spot the anomaly. Sha Wei certainly did not believe Ning Wuque's alchemy attainment could surpass Luan Hongyi's, nor did he believe Ning Wuque was a powerhouse above the Yin-Yang Realm. That was why he could act so unconcerned.
"Good. I hope you remember how you look right now and don't end up kneeling and begging me later!" Ning Wuque said.
Sha Wei shrugged indifferently. "Cut the crap! If you have any evidence, bring it out already!"
*Whoosh!*
Ning Wuque took a deep breath. Having just arrived, he originally did not want to cause trouble, but this was the first gift Mu Yunshang had ever given him—how could he let anyone fool him over it?
With a leap, Ning Wuque jumped straight up onto the counter.
The commotion here attracted even the pedestrians outside the shop, who gathered around one after another to see what was going on.
"Everyone, today my fiancée and I came to Hundred Herbs Hall and spent nine hundred taels of silver to buy ten supreme-grade Qi Gathering Pills. But..."
Ning Wuque glanced at Sha Wei and raised the jade vial in his hand high. "The Qi Gathering Pills in this bottle do not reach the supreme-grade level at all. I originally didn't want to make a big fuss; I only wanted to return the pills. Yet the people of Hundred Herbs Hall accused me of planting evidence and extortion. Now I am going to prove to everyone whether these Qi Gathering Pills are truly of supreme quality. I ask you all to bear witness for me!"
Hearing Ning Wuque's resolute words, Sha Wei's heart skipped a beat with a trace of uneasiness: *Could he really spot the flaws in these Qi Gathering Pills? Impossible. Master said that unless someone's alchemy attainment is higher than his, or a powerhouse above the Yin-Yang Realm steps in, it is simply impossible to tell. This kid must just be putting on a bluff...*
At this thought, Sha Wei let out a cold snort and said in a ringing voice, "Fine! If you can prove that these pills are indeed not of supreme grade, my Hundred Herbs Hall will compensate you at ten times the price. But if you cannot prove it, then..."
"If I can't prove it, I'll let you do as you please with me!" Ning Wuque sneered.
"It's a deal!"
"A promise is a promise!"
Ning Wuque immediately poured the pills out of the jade vial.
There were ten pills, as smooth as sugar beans and pale cyan throughout. Whether looking at the luster of the pills, their medicinal fragrance, or the pill markings, not a single flaw could be discerned.
"These look like supreme-grade pills at a glance!"
"Hundred Herbs Hall already said these were refined personally by Master Luan Hongyi himself. Could there really be a mistake?"
"I want to see how this kid plans to prove it..." Whispers broke out among the crowd.
Ning Wuque turned a deaf ear to the discussions of the crowd. He fetched an oil lamp and said, "Supreme-grade pills mean the impurities inside have been completely removed. Qi Gathering Pills burn when exposed to fire and emit a faint fragrance. If they are supreme-grade Qi Gathering Pills, there will be no residue whatsoever even after they are completely burned. I will now burn this Qi Gathering Pill with fire. By seeing whether or not there is any residual impurity, you will all know whether I am framing and extorting them, or if Hundred Herbs Hall is passing off inferior goods as superior ones!"
*Sizzle!*
The moment the Qi Gathering Pill made contact with the candlelight, it instantly ignited. Ning Wuque placed it upon an iron plate, watching as the dim green flames enveloped the entire pill. Just as he had said... supreme-grade Qi Gathering Pills leave behind no impurities whatsoever.
The reason he was able to tell was because in the Sword Ancestor's nine cycles of reincarnation, one of those lifetimes had been spent walking the path of alchemy. Armed with the Sword Ancestor's inheritance, Ning Wuque's attainments in the art of alchemy—while perhaps not number one in all the myriad realms—were at least far beyond the likes of Luan Hongyi.
As the Qi Gathering Pill burned, the air filled with a refreshing, subtle fragrance. But before the pill had even finished burning, the onlookers could already see tiny specks of black impurities resting quietly upon the iron plate.
Beads of cold sweat broke out on Sha Wei's forehead. He knew things had gone wrong.
*It's over, it's over... Where on earth did this kid come from? How did he know to authenticate Qi Gathering Pills this way? Dammit, I have to notify Master immediately...* Sha Wei hurriedly glanced at a nearby servant, who understood and quietly slipped away into the crowd.
A moment later, the pill on the iron plate burned to ashes. Within the extinguished flames lay a small lump of pitch-black impurity, emitting a faint, fishy stench.
*Hiss!*
The crowd collectively drew in a sharp breath. "There really are impurities?"
"This young man is quite something, being able to spot even such tiny flaws!"
"Hundred Herbs Hall has gone too far, actually passing off inferior goods as superior ones..."
The crowd all cast their gazes toward Sha Wei.
Sha Wei's face was ashen.
Ning Wuque presented the iron plate directly before him and asked coldly, "Now, what else do you have to say?"
"I, I..."
Sha Wei's face turned green and white, as if he had been heavily slapped across the face dozens of times. This time, he had truly lost face in a massive way. He had thought everything was under control, that no one could possibly discover his trickery and allow him to make a heavy profit. After all, he was convinced that no one in Nanjiang City could surpass Luan Hongyi in alchemy attainment, nor did he expect a Yin-Yang Realm expert to come buy Qi Gathering Pills.
Yet he had run right into Ning Wuque.
Sha Wei's eyes were bloodred; he wished he could tear Ning Wuque to shreds. This was simply nailing him to the pillar of shame and grinding him into the dirt!
Seeing Sha Wei's expression, how could the crowd fail to realize that this bottle of Qi Gathering Pills genuinely had problems? Normally, relying on its monopoly over the medicinal materials industry in Nanjiang City, Hundred Herbs Hall always acted tyrannically. Now that they finally had a chance to kick a man while he was down, naturally no one let it slip. They all spoke up:
"So this is what Hundred Herbs Hall is really like, actually passing off inferior goods! We'll have to be careful buying pills here from now on."
"I remember Manager Sha just said 'compensate ten times for every fake', right? That's nine thousand taels of silver in compensation right there. Manager Sha's heart must be bleeding!"
"Bleeding? Master Luan handed Hundred Herbs Hall over to him to manage, and he turns around and pulls this kind of stunt. It'll be a miracle if Master Luan doesn't expel him from the sect!"
Those whispered discussions were like venomous steel needles piercing straight into Sha Wei's heart, making his expression grow even uglier.
With a cold expression, Ning Wuque looked at Sha Wei. He had already given the other party a chance earlier, wanting only to return this bottle of pills, but the other party's attitude had been extremely foul. *You treat me with a foot of respect, I'll treat you with a yard.* Since the other party cared nothing for face, Ning Wuque simply decided to blow the matter wide open. He walked straight up to Sha Wei and said, "Since I have already proven that these Qi Gathering Pills are not of supreme quality, it is time for you to honor your promise. Tenfold compensation—nine thousand taels of silver in total!"
"You..." Sha Wei looked troubled.
Nine thousand taels of silver! In a world where a single tael of silver was enough to support an ordinary family of three for a day, nine thousand taels was a considerable fortune. Even with Hundred Herbs Hall nearly monopolizing the pill industry in Nanjiang City, this was no small loss.
Just as Sha Wei was caught between a rock and a hard place, a deep voice rang out from outside the door: "Sha Wei, you bastard, where are you? Get out here this instant!"
Following the voice, the crowd automatically parted to clear a pathway.
A middle-aged man in a black robe, with a pair of connected eyebrows running straight across his forehead, walked forward with a gloomy face and long strides.
"M-Master!" Sha Wei greeted the newcomer anxiously. "D-Disciple is right here!"
"Master?"
Ning Wuque's gaze swept over the golden three-leaf-clover emblem on the newcomer's chest, and he muttered softly, "A Rank 3 Advanced Alchemist? It seems this must be the owner of Hundred Herbs Hall, Luan Hongyi, Vice President of the Alchemist Guild of Nanjiang City."
Alchemists were divided from Rank 1 to Rank 5, with each rank further split into junior, intermediate, and advanced tiers. But reaching Rank 3 was already as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns; within a domain, such a person could be called a grandmaster alchemist. Across the entire Dayan Dynasty, there were only two Rank 4 alchemists: one was the president of the Dayan Dynasty Alchemist Guild Headquarters, and the other was the chief alchemist retained by the imperial family. As for Rank 5, none had appeared yet, at least within the borders of the Dayan Dynasty.
Luan Hongyi glared at Sha Wei with a dark face. The connected eyebrows across his forehead twitched slightly. Raising his hand, he slapped Sha Wei fiercely across the face, reprimanding him mercilessly: "You still know I'm your master? Huh? What did I tell you? That bottle of pills was defective and I told you to destroy it, yet you actually brought it out to sell in the shop? Are you trying your hardest to ruin my Hundred Herbs Hall?"
After striking Sha Wei, Luan Hongyi's raised palm trembled slightly before he finally pulled it back.
This scene caught Ning Wuque's attention. He narrowed his eyes slightly and gave Luan Hongyi another look.
"Master, calm your anger! Disciple knows he was wrong, Master, please calm your anger!" Sha Wei no longer had his previous swagger and arrogance, apologizing repeatedly with a panicky expression.
"No, the one who is wrong is not you, it is me. It's my failure to teach you properly. Passing off inferior goods to fool people is one thing, but you even dared to reverse black and white and frame others. I, Luan Hongyi, must have been blind to take you on as a disciple..."
Luan Hongyi glared fiercely at Sha Wei, then turned to look at Ning Wuque with an apologetic expression on his face. "Young friend, I am Luan Hongyi, the owner of this Hundred Herbs Hall. Today's matter is the fault of this unfilial disciple of mine. Whatever compensation is owed, my Hundred Herbs Hall acknowledges it. Of course, if young friend is still not satisfied, feel free to name your conditions, and I will do my best to satisfy them!"
With cupped hands, his attitude was quite sincere.
However, his cupped hands were trembling slightly. Even though the amplitude was extremely subtle, it still did not escape Ning Wuque's eyes.
Ning Wuque furrowed his brows slightly.
Luan Hongyi assumed Ning Wuque was dissatisfied with his handling of the matter and hurried to say, "Young friend, if you have any demands, speak your mind!"
"I don't have any demands. Master Luan's proposed solution has already satisfied me," Ning Wuque shook his head and said.
This Luan Hongyi was a Rank 3 Grandmaster Alchemist, and calling him the number one figure in the Southern Frontier's alchemy scene was no exaggeration. To be able to resolve the matter with such an attitude showed ultimate sincerity. Ning Wuque had no intention of making things difficult for him either. He handed the Qi Gathering Pills back to Luan Hongyi and said, "Since Vice President Luan has put it this way, if I, Wuque, were to demand anything further, it would mean I don't know what's good for me."
"Luan will keep this kindness of yours carved in my heart!" Luan Hongyi nodded heavily. Seeing that Ning Wuque was not trying to take advantage of his predicament, he let out an internal sigh of relief. Then he turned back and glared fiercely at Sha Wei. "What are you standing there for? Go fetch ten thousand taels of silver to compensate Young Friend Ning!"
Hundred Herbs Hall was built by Luan Hongyi with his own hands; naturally, he was unwilling to watch his life's work destroyed overnight. Furthermore, he had recently reached a critical juncture in researching an ancient formula. Once this formula succeeded, he could take another step forward and cross into the ranks of Rank 4 Grandmaster Alchemists. At this critical juncture, he did not want any extra complications and just wanted to settle the matter as quickly as possible.
"Oh!" Sha Wei drooped his head and walked toward the counter with extreme reluctance.
Taking this opportunity, Luan Hongyi cupped his fists toward the surrounding crowd and said, "Everyone, I am truly sorry for the trouble caused. To express my apologies, Hundred Herbs Hall will provide everyone with a free Blood Qi Pill as compensation..."
"As expected of Master Luan, so generous the moment he acts!"
"Many thanks, Master Luan!"
The crowd chimed in one after another. Although a Blood Qi Pill wasn't even worth a tael of silver, nobody turns down free items.
Seeing that the situation was finally under control, Luan Hongyi also felt a weight lift from his heart.
Before long, Sha Wei walked over to Luan Hongyi holding a stack of silver notes.
Luan Hongyi glared and said, "Why are you bringing them to me? These are compensation for Young Friend Ning!"
"Yes!"
Sha Wei lowered his head dejectedly, walked up to Ning Wuque, bowed deeply, and held the silver notes out with both hands. "Young Master Ning, this matter was entirely caused by my own greed, bringing you unnecessary trouble. This is the ten thousand taels of silver in compensation; please accept it with a smile, Young Master Ning!"
"Good." Ning Wuque took the silver notes, patted Sha Wei's shoulder, and said, "To know one's errors and be able to reform is the greatest of virtues. As long as you don't make the same mistake again in the future, you're still a good kid!"
Mu Yunshang covered her mouth and chuckled.
Sha Wei's eye twitched violently: "..."
*A good kid! I'm older than you by a few years!*
Ignoring Sha Wei's resentful gaze, Ning Wuque looked toward the smiling Luan Hongyi standing beside them. He raised his brows slightly, opened his mouth as if to speak, but stopped.
Luan Hongyi was also a shrewd veteran; naturally, he noticed Ning Wuque's abnormality. Keeping his smile unchanged, he asked in a gentle voice, "Young Friend Ning, is there something you wish to say?"
"There are indeed some things I'd like to say, I'm just not sure whether I should say them," Ning Wuque replied.
Luan Hongyi waved a hand. "Speak freely!"
Ning Wuque was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "Pardon my bluntness... but Master Luan's days may be numbered!"
*Boom!*
As soon as these words fell, it was like a flat bolt of lightning striking the ground, leaving the few people present frozen in place...