Chapter 74: Yaffie!

"Hey, pretty boy, open your eyes and take a good look. The pill in my hand isn’t something ordinary—it’s a high-grade elixir. Ah, but it’s pointless to explain it to you. Just go and fetch whoever is in charge of the pills here," Qian Mo said to the inexperienced young man.

"Oh… alright! I’ll call for them right away, young master, please wait a moment." The young man, hearing Qian Mo’s words, dared not speak further and hurried off to summon someone.

…

Inside the room—

Yafei and Master Nigu were chatting together. Just as Nigu was about to set out for the Xiao family, a knock sounded at the door.

Knock knock—

"Who is it?" the two asked.

"Master Nigu, there’s a young master outside with a pill. He’d like you to come take a look," replied the same young man who had just spoken to Qian Mo.

"Oh? A pill?" Nigu mused.

Curious, Yafei said to Nigu, "Master Nigu, let’s go see what this is about."

"You’re right, Miss," Nigu replied.

"Hurry and tell that young man we’ll be there shortly," Nigu instructed the attendant.

"Yes, Master Nigu!" the young man responded, then dashed out quickly.

Seeing the young man return alone, Qian Mo found it odd and asked, "Why is it just you again? Where are the others? Don’t tell me they’re too busy for me?"

Sweat beaded on the young man’s brow as he caught his breath; after all, the room where Master Nigu was was some distance from the front desk.

He waved his hand and quickly explained, "Young master, no, they’re coming. They asked me to inform you that Master Nigu will be here soon."

He swallowed nervously after speaking.

"I see. For a moment, I thought no one was coming," Qian Mo replied coolly.

"Haha, nothing of the sort, young master, don’t misunderstand," the young man reassured him, waving his hand.

"So what now? Do you mean to keep me waiting out here all day?" Qian Mo pressed.

Hearing this, the young man slapped his forehead. "Ah! My foolishness, forgive me, young master. Please, come inside."

He gestured invitingly.

"Very well," Qian Mo agreed with calm indifference.

Soon, the sound of two sets of footsteps echoed on the floor. The newcomers were Master Nigu and Miss Yafei.

The two glanced at each other, then looked to the attendant, who, sensing their gaze, nodded in confirmation.

Qian Mo sat in a chair, holding a teacup. He inhaled gently and said, "How odd… why does this tea suddenly smell so fragrant?"

He took a sip.

"It’s said that where fresh flowers bloom, even the most odorless things become fragrant," he remarked, setting his teacup down and letting his eyes fall on Yafei, finally resting on hers. "The rumors do not lie. Just now, I sniffed the tea and found it tasteless. But the moment you arrived, it became aromatic."

Their eyes met, and Yafei, under Qian Mo’s unblinking gaze, grew uncomfortable. His words brought a flush to her cheeks.

"Young master, please don’t tease me so. I’m not as wonderful as you say," Yafei replied shyly.

The scene was growing awkward for Nigu, who coughed lightly.

"Ahem! I am Nigu, a second-rank alchemist. May I ask, young master, have you come regarding a pill?" he broke the tension.

He cupped his hands in greeting.

"So this old man is Nigu. Doesn’t quite match the image I had…" Qian Mo squinted to size him up.

Nigu, under Qian Mo’s scrutiny, also felt awkward, thinking he’d disrupted the atmosphere. He started to speak, but before he could, Qian Mo stood and returned the gesture, saying, "So it’s Master Nigu. Please, be seated. After all, this is your domain. It feels as though I’m the host here, and that’s rather inappropriate."

"Haha, indeed, indeed. Please, young master, sit," Nigu replied, and the attendant discreetly withdrew.

The three settled down.

"I am here to auction a pill," Qian Mo announced, revealing the elixir in his hand before them. "This pill is called the Vitality Pill. As for its grade… well, it’s both high and low in a sense."

The moment Qian Mo produced the Vitality Pill, Nigu found himself drawn to it. Although he was a recognized alchemist, he was only of the second rank and his knowledge limited. Thus, the pill in Qian Mo’s hand seemed almost magical.

"Young master, may I ask, what exactly does this pill do?" Nigu inquired.

Yafei nodded in agreement.

"Anyone who takes the Vitality Pill can advance their rank, and their cultivation speed will be more than twice as fast as normal," Qian Mo stated calmly. "For instance, if it would normally take a year to advance to the level of Dou Practitioner, with my pill, it would take only about half a year."

"What!!" Both Nigu and Yafei, hearing this, were thunderstruck.

Yafei, usually so poised, was now utterly astonished, her composure shattered.

Her chest heaved with excitement.

"So impressive," Qian Mo observed, eyes lingering.

Realizing her own loss of composure, Yafei blushed fiercely at his comment, glaring at Qian Mo with a look both angry and shy.

"Ahem, young master… did you refine this pill yourself?" Nigu asked, unable to resist.

"Yes," Qian Mo replied, his tone utterly indifferent.

"If Master Nigu doubts me, I can let Miss Yafei try one. The results will not disappoint you," Qian Mo added.

The two looked to Yafei.

"Young master, isn’t that a bit much? Such a precious pill…" Yafei stammered, surprised to suddenly be the focus.

"Heh, this pill may be precious to you, but to me, it’s nothing—I can bring out more at any time," Qian Mo replied. As he spoke, he procured another Vitality Pill from the system’s store.

He displayed it before them.

Then, the pill in his hand became two, then three, and soon he was juggling ten pills as if they were toys.

"This…"

Qian Mo paused, then continued, "Besides, I’m more than happy to be of service to the lovely Miss Yafei."

He raised his brows and smiled at her.

"Come now, take it. Don’t you wish to become stronger? Don’t you want your family to value you? Or do you want to remain here, appearing important but in truth discarded by your clan?" His gaze was sharp. "Don’t ask how I know this—let’s just say I’ve read the novel Battle Through the Heavens."

"Young master, I want to become stronger. I want my family to notice me! If you can help me, I…" Yafei’s eyes shone with resolve.

"Will marry you," Qian Mo finished her sentence before she could.

"If you do not mind, young master, then I would not refuse," Yafei whispered, blushing and lowering her head.

"Haha! That is precisely what I wanted to hear. To be honest, I came here with this very intention. Otherwise, with so many auction houses, why would I choose yours?" Qian Mo declared. "I won’t hide it—my aim is clear: I seek the one who has caught my eye."

"And that person, Miss Yafei, is you."

(End of chapter)

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