A slight, almost imperceptible frown touched Chen Yue’s brow.
Chen Yue deliberated for a moment. "One tael of silver."
"What?" The stall owner’s smile froze on his face, quickly turning to displeasure.
"Are you joking, sir? This is the Pill Formula for the Spirit Condensing Pill! One hundred taels! Not a single coin less!"
One hundred taels. The price was nothing short of exorbitant. To put it in perspective, Chen Yue’s current monthly share from Alchemy was only seven or eight taels. One hundred taels was almost more than his entire income for a year.
Upon hearing this, Chen Yue showed no intention of haggling. He placed the paper in his hand back on the stall owner’s wooden board, then turned around cleanly and started to walk away.
The stall owner clearly hadn’t expected Chen Yue to be so decisive. He stared, stunned for a moment, and opened his mouth, but in the end, he just curled his lip and muttered, "Broke bastard," making no move to stop him.
Chen Yue kept walking, feeling little disappointment.
In fact, the stall owner’s attitude confirmed some of his suspicions. Either the man was certain the Pill Formula was a rare commodity that would sell itself, or there were some unwritten rules or taboos in this black market regarding the sale of such formulas.
Chen Yue didn’t leave the black market. Instead, he made his way to the stall where he had bought the Secret Manual last time.
The stall was as deserted as before. The old man had his hands tucked in his sleeves, dozing in the shadows. Hearing footsteps, he lifted his eyelids. His cloudy gaze swept over Chen Yue, seeming to pause for a moment.
"Sir, you’ve returned? What can I get for you this time?" the old man asked proactively in a hoarse voice. He had actually recognized Chen Yue as a previous customer just from his build.
Chen Yue lowered his voice. "Proprietor, this time I’d like to ask if you have the Pill Formula for the Spirit Condensing Pill."
"The Spirit Condensing Pill?" The old man was visibly stunned by the question.
He studied Chen Yue carefully before shaking his head. "That’s an Elixir used by masters of the Bone Forging Realm. The Pill Formula is precious. If taken in large quantities, it can even help a Martial Artist break through from the Refining Flesh Realm to the Bone Forging Realm.
"Here in Youlin County, that kind of Pill Formula is actually under covert control. The major families and the powers behind them keep a tight watch on it, so it rarely leaks out. I’m afraid you’ll have a hard time finding a genuine copy elsewhere."
’Covert control?’
Chen Yue’s brow tightened. That made sense. High-level Pill Formulas were strategic resources; keeping them in the hands of a few was the only way to maintain their monopoly and the profits that came with it.
He cupped his fist. "I see. Thank you for the insight." With that, he was about to turn and leave.
"Wait a moment, sir," the old man suddenly called out, stopping him.
Chen Yue stopped and looked back.
The old man pondered for a moment, his cloudy eyes shifting. He lowered his voice. "I don’t have the Pill Formula for the Spirit Condensing Pill. However, I do have another Pill Formula that might interest you, sir."
"Oh? What Pill Formula?" Chen Yue’s interest was piqued.
"The Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill!" The old man slowly spoke the four words, his gaze fixed on Chen Yue with profound meaning.
’The Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill?’
A flicker of understanding crossed Chen Yue’s eyes. He had indeed heard of the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill.
Unlike the Spirit Condensing Pill, which directly raised one’s Cultivation, the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill’s effects were geared more toward Marrow Cleansing and Bone Forging. It washed away the impurities accumulated after birth, purified one’s Qi Blood, and fundamentally improved a Martial Artist’s constitution.
Taking this pill long-term would not increase one’s Cultivation nearly as significantly as the Spirit Condensing Pill, nor could it be used as the Elixir needed to break through from the Refining Flesh Realm to the Bone Forging Realm. However, it could solidify the foundation of one’s Martial Dao.
But how long this process would take was hard to say, and there was no definitive conclusion on whether it truly had this effect.
Still, even setting aside this uncertain benefit, the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill was far superior to the Solid Essence Pill he was currently taking in terms of boosting Cultivation.
"I need to see the Pill Formula first," Chen Yue said in a low voice.
"As you should." The stall owner nodded, rummaged around in a wicker chest behind him for a while, and took out a sheet of paper, handing it to Chen Yue.
Chen Yue took it and moved closer to the storm lantern, focusing his attention to examine it closely.
Chen Yue read it with extreme care, cross-referencing it with the principles of alchemy he knew.
This Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill outline was similarly logical and rigorous, and the combination of medicinal ingredients was exquisite. Overall, the authenticity of this Pill Formula was at least seventy to eighty percent.
However, its refining difficulty was likely much higher than that of the Spirit Condensing Pill, demanding an extremely high level of control from the Alchemy Master.
"What’s the price?" Chen Yue looked at the stall owner and asked directly.
The stall owner, Shen Dujiang, smiled and held up one finger. "In this black market, the price for a Pill Formula on the level of the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill or Spirit Condensing Pill is more or less fixed. If you want to buy it, one hundred taels of silver is the minimum."
’One hundred taels! That price again!’
Chen Yue’s brow furrowed tightly. ’The one-hundred-tael asking price for the Spirit Condensing Pill earlier probably wasn’t just a random number. Even if I were to ask at other stalls, I’d most likely get the same price.’
But the key issue was, Chen Yue had no money.
How long had he been an Alchemy Master? His monthly cut was only seven or eight taels, and he still had to buy ingredients for the Solid Essence Pill and cover his living expenses. Plus, he had just bought that Secret Manual. The amount of Cash Silver he had on hand was far from one hundred taels.
As if sensing Chen Yue’s hesitation, Shen Dujiang changed his tune. "Of course, if you can’t produce one hundred taels of Cash Silver right now, we can do this another way."
"What way?" Chen Yue’s heart stirred.
"I can sell you this Pill Formula for fifty taels of silver."
Shen Dujiang said slowly, his eyes fixed on Chen Yue’s reaction. "Furthermore, I can also help you find the ingredients needed for the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill. But there’s a condition. In the future, once you’ve successfully refined the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill, you must sell the Elixirs through my stall. How about it?"
’Fifty taels?’
"Aren’t you afraid I’ll take the Pill Formula and never return to this black market?" Chen Yue asked.
"Of course I’m afraid,"
Shen Dujiang actually nodded, admitting it frankly. "There’s always some risk in doing business..."
He paused, then added meaningfully, "Besides, this black market isn’t so big, but it isn’t so small either. If you succeed in refining the pills and want to sell them for a good price without attracting too much trouble, my stall might be an excellent choice for you."
Chen Yue fell silent. The man had a point.
He did need the Pill Formula, and he lacked a reliable channel for purchasing ingredients. Entrusting the sale of his Elixirs to a fixed black market dealer, while it would mean giving up a portion of the profits, would save him a lot of trouble and risk.
"Will you provide the ingredients for the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill for free?" Chen Yue pressed for details.
"Where would you find such a good deal!"
Shen Dujiang chuckled and shook his head. "I can help you find the ingredients, but you have to pay for them yourself. After you’ve actually refined the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill and start selling them through me, I can consider providing some ingredients for free, starting from the second batch. Of course, that will depend on your Pill Formation success rate and the quality of the Elixirs."
’A very practical approach. He won’t risk anything until he’s seen results.’
"If I sell them through you, what’s your purchase price for a single Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill?" Chen Yue asked the most crucial question.
Shen Dujiang clearly knew the market inside and out. He answered without hesitation, "Right now in Youlin County, a Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill of decent quality sells for about nine taels of Silver. If I provide the ingredients for free later on, I can set the purchase price at five taels of silver per pill."
’He buys for five taels and sells for nine, for a profit of four taels. Even with the cost of ingredients, that’s still a huge profit margin.’
"Five taels is too low."
Chen Yue shook his head. "It has to be at least seven taels. You should know that refining the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill is far more difficult than ordinary Elixirs."
Shen Dujiang looked at Chen Yue and finally smiled. "The price is negotiable, but we can only talk about it after you’ve actually managed to refine the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill. It’s too early to discuss this now."
That was true enough. Chen Yue stopped haggling over the specific purchase price and changed the subject. "Fine. In that case, for this Pill Formula... I’ll offer one tael of silver."