The Imperial Martial Pill Venerable

Chapter 280: Chapter 279: Not Very Polite

The World Medicine Association, located in the eastern district of Lieyang City, was the city’s largest purveyor of medicinal ingredients. It specialized in all sorts of rare materials, even including Seventh and Eighth-Grade treasures. Lieyang City had no shortage of Alchemists—the major families alone retained twenty to thirty of them, and the Shangguan Family even had an Eighth-Grade Alchemist.

And since Alchemists were some of the wealthiest people in the world, the World Medicine Association’s business was incredibly brisk. The Primordial Stones it earned in a month surpassed the income of some entire families. This attracted the envy of countless factions, but none dared to act on it, because the backer of this medicinal ingredient association was... the Worldwide Business Association.

If one were to name the wealthiest faction in the Southern Domain, there was no other choice besides the Worldwide Business Association. They dealt in medicinal ingredients, Profound Soldiers, Elixirs, and various other businesses related to Martial Artists. Over hundreds of years, the wealth they had accumulated had long surpassed the imagination of ordinary people. To possess such fortune and remain unscathed for so many years naturally meant they also possessed power commensurate with it.

According to keen observers, in the last century alone, the Worldwide Business Association had secretly fostered and supported more than ten Martial Artist factions. Furthermore, the number of powerful experts who owed the association favors and maintained friendly ties with it was at least thirty. This group even included figures at the level of a Martial Arts King, such as the renowned Ancient King of the Celestial Dragon Sea Region, who was one of them.

No one would willingly make an enemy of such a power.

"Steward Rong, I’m in urgent need of these medicinal ingredients. Could you please make an exception for me? I swear I’ll pay back the remaining Gold Coins as soon as possible." Inside the main hall of the World Medicine Association, a handsome youth who looked to be no more than sixteen or seventeen years old was tugging at the sleeve of a slightly heavyset middle-aged man, his expression anxious as he spoke.

The middle-aged steward looked troubled. After a moment of thought, he said, "Alright, you can take these ingredients for now. However, you must clear the remaining balance within ten days. You have a good Talent for Alchemy, kid. Keep up the hard work."

"Thank you, Steward Rong! Thank you! I’ll definitely pay off the balance as soon as I can."

Seeing the youth’s grateful expression, Steward Rong smiled and nodded. ’This kid is just a commoner, but his Talent for Alchemy is quite good. I’ll watch him for a few more days. If he’s suitable, I’ll pull him into the association’s alchemy training camp and develop him properly.’

"Alright, you may go."

After the youth left, another man, an elder in a gray robe, approached. He glanced at the departing youth, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said to Steward Rong, "Your esteemed association’s ability to win people’s hearts is as sharp as ever. If that boy grows into his potential, you’ll have another High-Level Alchemist. Truly enviable."

"Heh, you jest, Master Tang. It’s merely about forging a good bond."

Hearing this, Master Tang stroked his beard and laughed. "A good bond, indeed. I can’t even imagine how many powerful experts and transcendent factions in this Southern Domain have forged such ’good bonds’ with your esteemed association."

Steward Rong simply smiled and asked, "I wonder what Elixir Master Tang has come to refine this time? What ingredients do you need? I can have someone prepare them for you."

"It’s nothing too special, just a Seventh-Grade Cloud Mist Pill."

"Heh, a Seventh-Grade Cloud Mist Pill... In all of Lieyang City, besides Master Ming of the Shangguan Family, only you, Master Tang, would dare make such a claim so casually."

A smug look of satisfaction spread across Master Tang’s face upon hearing this.

Just then, two figures slowly entered through the main doors of the hall—one old, one young. The elder was full of vigor, his face ruddy with health, while the younger was strikingly handsome, with a tall and straight posture.

"That’s... Tower Master Lin!"

Surprise flashed in the eyes of Steward Rong and Master Tang upon seeing the two newcomers. They quickly walked forward. Master Tang cupped his fists toward Lin Liyu and said with a smile, "Greetings, Tower Master Lin. I didn’t expect to see you here. What a pleasant surprise."

"Oh, it’s Master Tang. I trust you’ve been well."

Steward Rong stepped forward, adopting a deferential posture, and said respectfully, "Greetings, Tower Master Lin. To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit? Shall I inform the Chairman?"

Lin Liyu chuckled and said, "Go and get Elder Bai down here. Tell him an honored guest has arrived and to hurry up and greet them. And tell him to stop wasting time on Alchemy. At his skill level, he won’t be able to refine a decent Elixir no matter how much he messes around."

The corners of Master Tang and Steward Rong’s mouths twitched. It was a well-known fact that Chairman Bai of the Lieyang City World Medicine Association loved Alchemy but possessed little Talent for it. However, very few people dared to say so out loud in public like Lin Liyu.

"Please wait a moment, Tower Master Lin."

Steward Rong glanced at Qin Ya. He was inwardly curious about who this young man could be, to be walking alongside Lin Liyu, but he knew not to ask.

After Steward Rong departed, Master Tang also cast a curious gaze toward Qin Ya. ’With Lin Liyu’s status, he and Chairman Bai are peers, so he wouldn’t refer to himself as an honored guest. Could the guest he was talking about be this young man?’

He shook his head, amused. ’I must be overthinking things,’ Master Tang thought. ’Considering the status of Chairman Bai and Tower Master Lin—they are two of the biggest figures in Lieyang City—what qualifications could a mere youth possibly have to be called an honored guest?’

’At best, he’s just a youth with decent talent, that’s all.’

Suddenly, Master Tang shot Qin Ya a surprised glance. He had just realized that he couldn’t see through the boy’s strength with his own Cultivation. This astonished him. Although he had been engrossed in the Alchemy Dao for years, he was, after all, a Martial Artist of the Extraordinary Realm. The fact that he couldn’t gauge the power of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy was startling.

As Master Tang was probing Qin Ya’s Cultivation, Qin Ya’s brow furrowed slightly and he shot a look at the older man. In the Martial Arts Realm, probing someone’s Cultivation in this manner was highly impolite. If there was a vast gap in power between the two, it might be excusable. But if their levels were similar, it was tantamount to a provocation.

In truth, Master Tang couldn’t be entirely blamed. In his mind, Qin Ya’s Cultivation should be at the Celestial Essence Realm at most. He never would have imagined that Qin Ya had actually reached the Extraordinary Realm, putting him on nearly equal footing.

Noticing Qin Ya’s expression, Lin Liyu’s brows furrowed as well. He cast an icy glance at Master Tang and said, "Master Tang, that was hardly polite."

Hearing the coldness in Lin Liyu’s tone, an inexplicable chill ran through Master Tang’s heart. He quickly said, "I was the one who was rude. Please forgive me, young friend."

As he said the last part, Master Tang gave Qin Ya an apologetic smile.

Qin Ya simply nodded, not saying anything more. In truth, due to his youth, he had lost count of how many Extraordinary experts had tried to probe him like this. If it weren’t for the concealment from his Scenic Landscapes, his true nature would have been exposed long ago.

"It’s nothing."

Seeing Qin Ya’s casual response, Master Tang felt an odd sense of relief. At the same time, his curiosity about the boy’s identity intensified. His mysterious Cultivation Realm and the subtle respect shown by Lin Liyu both indicated that this youth was anything but ordinary. The latter point, especially, was shocking to him.

’Who was Lin Liyu? He was a Martial Artist of the Celestial Human Realm and the Tower Master of the Heaven-Reaching Tower. In all of Lieyang City, with the exception of a few individuals, everyone—even the patriarchs of the great families—had to greet him respectfully as Tower Master Lin.’

’When had he ever seen such a personage show deference, and to a young man at that? The very idea was utterly inconceivable.’