Free Web NovelChapter 56: Chapter 55: Arrival of the Yue Family
Wen Qingye walked over to Xiaxia’s side and asked, "Are you all right?"
Xiaxia kicked the Black Shopkeeper’s corpse viciously and muttered, "To think this was actually a Black Shop. It’s so infuriating! Master, I’ll take you to another store."
Wen Qingye shook his head and said, "Wait a moment."
Wen Qingye went to the square opening and grabbed a corner of the Pill Furnace inside. The veins on his arm bulged as a simple, pale purple Pill Furnace slowly emerged before Xiaxia’s eyes.
"THUD!"
"Master, this Pill Furnace looks pretty good," Xiaxia said after circling it for a moment.
Wen Qingye smiled, walked over to the Pill Furnace, and examined it closely for a moment. "This should be a Fifth-Grade Pill Furnace."
Xiaxia said in surprise, "No way! That Black Shopkeeper actually had a Fifth-Grade Pill Furnace?"
Wen Qingye nodded. He carefully checked the size of the Pill Furnace, compared it to the size of his Sumeru Mustard Seed, and found they were about the same. Then, with a flick of his hand...
"Huh? Where’s the Pill Furnace? Where did the Fifth-Grade Pill Furnace go?" Xiaxia exclaimed when she saw it had vanished.
Wen Qingye smiled faintly. "I put it away."
"What?" Xiaxia blinked her big eyes and looked at Wen Qingye curiously. "Master, how did you put it away? Can you teach me?"
Wen Qingye nodded and said, "Alright. When your strength is sufficient, I’ll teach you."
Hearing this, Xiaxia nodded excitedly. Sumeru Mustard Seeds were incredibly rare; she never would have imagined that Wen Qingye had one. After all, the number of people in the Celestial Martial Country who possessed one was minuscule.
Wen Qingye’s expression suddenly turned serious. He looked at Xiaxia and said, "Let this be a lesson to you. When you’re out and about, you must not flaunt your wealth. Understand?"
Xiaxia also nodded seriously, beginning to silently admonish herself.
The two of them cleaned up for a bit, then returned directly to the Xia Mansion.
"Master Wen, you’ve returned," Elder Yuh called out respectfully upon seeing Wen Qingye. He was like a completely different person from when he first met him.
Wen Qingye looked at Elder Yuh and asked, "What is it?"
Elder Yuh rubbed his hands together and gave a dry laugh. "Master Wen, I’ve been studying some Pill Formulas recently, but I feel like something is missing. I was wondering if you could offer me some advice and guidance?"
Xiaxia wrinkled her little nose and said, "Just yesterday you were calling my master a greenhorn, weren’t you? Now you’re already running over to suck up to him."
Standing to the side, Elder Yuh’s expression grew even more awkward.
Wen Qingye said with a smile, "It’s fine. Bring them here and let me see."
Elder Yuh quickly took out the Pill Formulas. Wen Qingye looked them over once and then said, "These few medicinal ingredients aren’t very useful; you can stop using them. Then just add Cloud Ganoderma Grass and Willow Snake Skin."
Upon hearing this, Elder Yuh said gratefully, "Thank you for your guidance, Master Wen! Thank you, Master Wen!"
Wen Qingye waved his hand. "No need to be so polite."
Wen Qingye smiled. Just then, Xia Heng hurried over, his face beaming with joy, the worries on his brow completely smoothed away.
Xiaxia looked up at Xia Heng and said, "I wonder how the Xia Family’s business did today?"
She and Wen Qingye had been to the Xia Family’s shop, so she naturally knew that business was booming. She was just saying it deliberately now. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
Xia Heng said with great joy, "Good! Very good! The Xia Family’s business has never been this good! It’s all thanks to Young Master Wen. Otherwise, we would never have seen such a spectacle today. Please, Young Master Wen, stay for a few more days and allow the Xia Family to properly host you." ƒгeewёbnovel.com
For a moment, Xiaxia forgot to bicker with Xia Heng. Instead, she looked at Wen Qingye and said, "Yes, yes! Master, you should stay here for a few more days!"
Wen Qingye refused. "No, thank you. If there’s nothing else, I think I’ll head back tomorrow."
Seeing this, Xia Heng shot a sharp glance at Xiaxia. Taking the hint immediately, Xiaxia said to Wen Qingye, "Master, my engagement hasn’t been called off yet! How can you leave? Just stay a few more days. It won’t be too late for you to leave after I’ve broken off the engagement."
Wen Qingye pondered for a moment. He wasn’t sure if the Yue Family would let the matter drop so easily.
"Alright, I’ll stay a little longer then."
Upon hearing that, Xiaxia’s lips curved into a small smile. She had already made up her mind: she would use the next few days to ask Wen Qingye more questions about alchemy and learn as much as she could.
Xia Heng finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had to go back and quickly discuss things with Elder Yuh, have him learn a bit more from Wen Qingye, and then use the next few days to get closer to Wen Qingye himself.
Wen Qingye was so young, yet his Alchemy Dao was already so profound. In a few more years, he would definitely become an Alchemy Master renowned throughout the Celestial Martial Country. It was a wise choice for the Xia Family to befriend Wen Qingye.
......
By evening, Wen Qingye was examining the Pill Furnace before him. The name ’Purple Patterned Furnace’ was inscribed on it.
The Purple Patterned Furnace was engraved with various patterns, including insects, fish, birds, and beasts, and it emitted a faint, ancient fragrance. Among Fifth-Grade Pill Furnaces, this Purple Patterned Furnace was considered a fine specimen. It was astonishing that a mere Black Shop’s Shopkeeper possessed such a treasure.
In truth, the Black Shopkeeper had also acquired this Pill Furnace through illicit means. Otherwise, why would he not dare to display such an incredible Pill Furnace, instead burying it underground? Possessing a Fifth-Grade Pill Furnace would have absolutely made his shop famous throughout Feiyun City.
"Young Master Wen, the people from the Yue Family are here! They’re in the main hall demanding someone right now! You should go take a look!"
Just then, the hurried voice of Third Uncle Xia, Xia Dong, came from the doorway.
Hearing this, Wen Qingye immediately put the Pill Furnace away and opened the door.
"Young Master Wen, hurry and go see!"
Xia Dong’s expression was a mix of panic and urgency, as if the person who came from the Yue Family was formidable. He led Wen Qingye toward the Xia Family’s main hall.
After a short while, the two arrived at the entrance to the hall. Before Wen Qingye even stepped inside, he could hear a clamor.
"Xia Heng, how dare you go back on your word! Our two families had an agreement, and now you want to renege on it? I’m telling you, no way! This marriage is happening whether you agree to it or not!"
Xia Heng snorted. "Yue Shan, let me tell you something too! You coerced me back then, otherwise I would never have agreed to this marriage. In any case, our Xia Family is calling it off!"
The Yue Family’s Patriarch, Yue Shan, had an ashen expression. His own son’s engagement was being broken; how could he tolerate this? At this thought, Yue Shan roared, "You’ll call it off just because you say so? Back when your Xia Family was in dire straits, beaten black and blue by our Yue Family, you came to my door begging! I took pity on you, and now what? Your Xia Family improves its Pill Formulas and you immediately turn your back on us? You’re a heartless, shameless scoundrel!"
Xia Heng sneered, "You took pity on me? That was blatant blackmail! I was only pretending to comply at the time!"
The Xia Family and the Yue Family were in the same line of business, and Xiaxia was unwilling to marry Yue Peng. Now, with Wen Qingye backing them up, Xia Heng felt as if he had taken a calming pill.
Just as Yue Shan was about to erupt, a pale-faced, middle-aged man in his thirties behind him reached out a hand to stop him. He then looked at Xia Heng and said lazily, "Do you really think that with just a few improved Second-Grade Pill Formulas, your Xia Family can turn its fortunes around? Let me tell you, you’re dreaming."
