Chapter 181: Chapter 180: The Pastry Boxes (2)
Zhao Mingyuan looked at the medium-sized dessert box. His fingers tightened: "If the small boxes contain Grade Four pills...Then the medium box..."
His wife understood immediately and was also looking forward to it.
Zhao Mingyuan opened the medium-sized dessert box, inside were more pastries. The spiritual snacks were packed carefully, and beneath them was a small jade-sealed package.
Zhao Mingyuan stared at it for a long time before opening it. The medicinal aura that spread out was much stronger than before.
Inside were six jade bottles. Each bottle was labeled with the same clean handwriting; Grade Six Soul Calming Pill.
Zhao Mingyuan’s heart almost stopped. Six Grade Six Soul Calming Pills! Since when were these so easy to give out?
These pills were useful to Spiritual Sea stage cultivators and even some Soul Palace cultivators. They were especially valuable for people who cultivated soul techniques. A single pill could cost a small fortune, and high-quality ones were difficult to find even at auctions.
Yet Li Jain had packed six into a medium dessert box.
Zhao Mingyuan looked at the pastries arranged around the pills. His expression became complicated. The return gifts had never been ordinary pastries. The pastries were only acting as the outer layer. The real gifts were hidden inside.
Since the small boxes contained Grade Four pills and the medium boxes contained Grade Six pills, then what about the large boxes?
Zhao Mingyuan’s heart began beating faster. The Li family ancestor took thirty-two large dessert boxes, while the Qian family took four. Several other powerful families had received large boxes as well.
And Zhao Mingyuan only had medium boxes and two small boxes.
For the first time since returning from the banquet, Zhao Mingyuan no longer cared about his argument with the Qian family head.
He only cared about one thing. He had lost very badly. Why wasn’t he more of a showoff like those bastards? He knew his gifts were well sorted and very valuable. If he’d known that it was more about size than quality, he would have prepared bigger boxes. But now, it was useless thinking about it.
Most families here send out returning gifts the following day after the banquet. It gives them time to open and sort out the gifts so they can know what to give in return.
Zhao Mingyuan immediately took out a communication talisman.
His wife looked at him and asked: "Who are you calling?"
"The Qian family head. My dear old friend."
He activated the talisman. A faint light shone as the communication talisman activated, suspended in the air like an ember.
Soon, Qian Rong’s sharp voice filled with irritation, cut through the silence: "What is it now, Zhao Mingyuan? If you’ve called merely to air your grievances once more regarding the distribution of those four large dessert boxes, I suggest you end this transmission immediately."
Zhao Mingyuan did not rise to the bait. He drew a sharp steadying breath, as his knuckles turned white because of his gripped on the edge of his table: "Put aside your pettiness, Qian Rong. Open the dessert boxes you received at the banquet. Every single one of them. Now."
The line fell deathly silent, a sudden tension filled the air. It felt as if Qian Rong was trying hard to hold in his anger.
"I beg your pardon? Did I hear you correctly?" Qian Rong asked slowly, his voice was low and incredulous.
"Just open them, who are you trying to show off to?" Zhao Mingyuan repeated, his tone giving no room for argument.
Qian Rong took a deep breath: "I have pressing matters to attend to, Zhao. I haven’t the time for your little games... My grand kids are going to enjoy this..."
"Open the boxes, Qian Rong," Zhao interrupted, there was urgency in his voice: "The small ones I receive contain Grade Four pills. And I suspect the contents of your larger boxes are far more significant than mere confectionery."
The silence that followed was heavy. Then something crashed loudly from Qian Rong’s side: "What did you say?"
"The medium boxes contain Grade Six pills. I don’t know what the large boxes contain, but you have four large boxes. Open them immediately. Hope you haven’t given them to the children yet."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Mingyuan heard hurried footsteps from the other side.
Servants being called, and Qian Rong’s voice becoming much louder: "Bring the dessert boxes!"
Zhao Mingyuan’s expression became dark. The thought of Qian Rong opening the large boxes and finding rare pills inside, makes his heart hurt.
A short while later, Qian Rong’s shocked voice came through the talisman: "Grade Nine."
Zhao Mingyuan’s body stiffened: "What?"
"There are actually Grade Nine pills inside." Qian Rong sounded like he had forgotten how to breathe.
Zhao Mingyuan closed his eyes. His heart ached so badly that he almost wanted to cough blood. Grade Nine pills were extremely rare.
Even large families could not casually obtain them. Some were only traded during major auctions, while others were held tightly by powerful alchemists or sects. A single Grade Nine pill could save a cultivator’s life, help someone break through a bottleneck of a higher realm, or repair damage that other medicine could not touch.
And Li Jain had placed them inside dessert boxes.
Qian Rong’s voice came through again: "Zhao Mingyuan."
"What?" It was Zhao Mingyuan’s turn to be irritated.
"You only received medium and small boxes?"
Zhao Mingyuan’s face darkened further: "Yes."
Qian Rong was silent for a moment. Then, in a voice that sounded strangely pleased, he said: "That is unfortunate. How many times have I told you to be more generous, but you won’t listen to me."
Zhao Mingyuan gritted his teeth: "Qian Rong."
"What?" Qian Rong had a bad feeling.
"Tomorrow, I will visit your residence. You should prepared to receive me."
Qian Rong immediately understood: "No, don’t bother coming over. I don’t have time to receive guests."
Zhao Mingyuan’s face darkened: "I just want to see what the grade 9 pills look like. Why are you being so tight?"
Qian Rong said calmly: "Perhaps next time, you should bring larger gifts. Why are you taking out your loss on me?"
The communication talisman dimmed as Qian Rong had cut off the call.
Zhao Mingyuan stood in the quiet hall with the medium dessert box in one hand and an empty expression on his face.
His great-grandson looked up at him: "Great-Grandfather, can I eat another pastry?"
Zhao Mingyuan looked down.Then he suddenly held the small dessert box closer.
"No."
The child blinked: "But you gave it to us."
Zhao Mingyuan cleared his throat: "This one isn’t very delicious. I will buy you more delicacies later."
The child’s expression slowly became suspicious.
Zhao Mingyuan looked at the remaining desserts with a complicated face. He had nearly given away Grade Four pills to children without even knowing. Luckily, this great-grandson of his was smart. Otherwise, what would he have done if the children had unknowingly eaten the pills?
At the same time, across South River City, the Qian family residence had become completely chaotic.
Qian Rong stood in the main hall with four large dessert boxes opened before him.
Inside each one were carefully packed pastries and beneath the pastries were jade-sealed packages containing Grade Nine pills of different types.
There were Meridian Reconstruction Pills, Spirit Root Stabilizing Pills, Soul Fortification Pills, and Heavenly Pulse Pills.
Each one was rare enough to make cultivators fight over it. Qian Rong stared at the boxes for a long time. Then he slowly leaned back in his chair.
Earlier that evening, he was pleased because his four large gift boxes had made the Zhao family head, that old fox unhappy.
Now, he understood that he had accidentally gained something far more valuable than face. How angry is Zhao Mingyuan right now?
The Qian family head suddenly began laughing.
His servants looked at him in confusion: "Master?"
Qian Rong waved his hand: "Prepare the carriage tomorrow."
"Where are we going?"
Qian Rong smiled: "To the Li residence."
The servant hesitated: "But the banquet is over."
Qian Rong’s smile widened: "Who said I am going for the banquet?"
He looked down at the Grade Nine pill package again: "I’m going to lure old Zhao over to the Li ancestor. When he sees the 32 Grade Nine pills, he wouldn’t covet my little four."
"Master is really smart." The servant said in admiration.
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