The Imperial Martial Pill Venerable

Chapter 282: Chapter 281: Shangguan Hao’s Invitation

"You, Elder Bai! In the past, whenever I came by asking for this Nine Lotus Celestial Heart Tea, you’d always make some excuse. But now that Young Friend Qin is here, you bring it out without even being asked. You really play favorites," Lin Liyu said with a chiding laugh, picking up his teacup from the table.

The translucent, milky-white cup held a pale yellow tea. When Qin Ya’s fingers touched the cup, he felt a gentle warmth. He examined it closely for a moment before understanding. The cup was carved from Upper-Class white jade, which insulated his hand from the heat of the tea.

’A fitting pair.’ Qin Ya smiled faintly. He took a light sip of the tea, and his eyes immediately lit up. The liquid was hot but not scalding, and a delicate fragrance filled his mouth. The moment the tea went down his throat, it transformed into a warm current that spread throughout his body.

Even with Qin Ya’s current Cultivation, he could still feel faint ripples stirring within his True Essence Qi Sea. The energy contained in this tea was extraordinary. If a Celestial Essence Realm Martial Artist drank it, their cultivation would improve by at least one or two grades. It was truly remarkable.

"Good tea," Qin Ya said with a faint smile.

He then took out a piece of paper covered in densely packed, tiny characters. Handing it to Bai Haocheng, he said, "I need all the medicinal ingredients on this list."

Bai Haocheng took the list, glanced at it, and said, "No problem. However, the quantity of ingredients is vast, and some of them aren’t currently in stock in Lieyang City. I’ll need some time to procure them from other cities. Please forgive the delay, Young Master Qin."

"How long will it take?"

"Two days," Bai Haocheng said.

Qin Ya nodded. He was, of course, well aware of what he had put on the list. It contained sixty-seven different Eighth-Grade Marvels alone, not to mention the other items. It was perfectly understandable that Bai Haocheng didn’t have everything on hand.

"Then I’ll come back to pick them up in two days."

"I wouldn’t dare trouble you, Young Master Qin. Just give me an address, and in two days, I will deliver them to you personally," Bai Haocheng said with a wave of his hand and a faint smile.

"That works. In that case, you can deliver them directly to the Heaven-Reaching Tower."

After settling the matter with Bai Haocheng, Qin Ya was about to leave when Bai Haocheng suddenly seemed to remember something. He appeared a bit hesitant, but then he gritted his teeth and said, "Young Master Qin, I have a favor to ask. I hope you can agree to it."

"Oh? Please, speak freely." Qin Ya was a little surprised.

"I love the Alchemy Dao, but I lack the talent for it. I often find myself putting in twice the effort for half the result. I would like to ask for some guidance from you, Young Master Qin," Bai Haocheng said, his expression somewhat unnatural.

’This was one of his greatest regrets. He didn’t aspire to become some incredible Alchemist, but after working so hard for so long, he couldn’t even become a Fifth-Grade Alchemist. It was too frustrating. And now, a Pill King was standing right in front of him. If he didn’t seize this opportunity to ask for advice, he would regret it for the rest of his life.’

"For the duration of my stay in Lieyang City, Chairman Bai, you may come find me at any time."

Qin Ya said with a faint smile. Upon hearing this, Bai Haocheng’s face filled with joy. He bowed slightly to Qin Ya and said, "I thank you, Young Master Qin."

Qin Ya stood his ground, accepting the bow as his due.

After all, the gift of knowledge was an invaluable treasure to anyone.

After descending from the Elegant Pavilion, the surrounding Martial Artists all turned to look, their gazes converging on Qin Ya. Their eyes held curiosity, jealousy, and envy. Faced with so many stares, Qin Ya remained impassive as he strode out of the Apothecary Guild.

However, just as he was leaving, he ran into someone unexpected.

Dressed in luxurious robes, a smile on his face and a devil-may-care curl to his lips, it was none other than Lieyang City’s most notorious wastrel... Shangguan Hao.

"Hey, it’s the Seventh Young Master of the Shangguan Family."

"What’s he doing here? Could he be looking for Qin Ya?"

"Now I remember! Qin Ya is the one who beat up the Third Young Master of the Shangguan Family at Hai Kou. That’s why half the city was in an uproar a couple of days ago. Is the Seventh Young Master here for revenge?"

"Hiss... This Qin Ya is way too bold. He even dares to provoke the Shangguan Family."

"Heh, normally I’d mock him for being so clueless, but after seeing him today... even Chairman Bai and Tower Master Lin were respectful toward him. What’s the Shangguan Family to someone like that?"

"That’s true."

The crowd buzzed with discussion.

Qin Ya glanced at Shangguan Hao and the gray-robed elder behind him, smiled faintly, and prepared to leave. But Shangguan Hao suddenly stepped forward to block his path.

"Heh, fancy meeting you here, Brother Qin."

Qin Ya gave him a long look and said indifferently, "Is it really a coincidence?"

Shangguan Hao slung an arm over his shoulder, a beaming, enthusiastic smile on his face. "Coincidence or not, who cares? Brother Qin, you’ve just arrived, so you probably don’t know the fun spots in Lieyang City yet. Come on, let me show you around. I’m not just bragging, but when it comes to what’s in Lieyang City... Ah!"

Before he could finish, Shangguan Hao felt a tremendous force erupt from Qin Ya’s shoulder, throwing his arm off. He had to circulate his True Essence to disperse the force.

"Alright, what do you want from me?" Qin Ya asked, looking at Shangguan Hao indifferently.

"Heh, don’t be so cold, Brother Qin." Shangguan Hao’s lips curled into a slight smirk. "What happened at Hai Kou last time was my third brother’s fault. See? I’m here to apologize. Come on, it’s my treat. Let’s find a place and have a chat?"

"Oh." Qin Ya gazed indifferently at Shangguan Hao.

"How about it?"

"Lead the way," Qin Ya said indifferently.

"It’s wonderful that Brother Qin would grace me with his presence!"

Just then, Lin Liyu walked up and said, "Heh, the Seventh Young Master of the Shangguan Family is hosting? I wonder if this old man might have the honor of attending."

"You jest, Tower Master Lin. It would be my honor to have you."

’A flash of astonishment crossed Shangguan Hao’s eyes. I can’t believe Lin Liyu would ask to come along. Just what is the relationship between this Qin Ya and Tower Master Lin?’

Lin Liyu nodded, then his gaze swept over the gray-robed elder beside Shangguan Hao. He smiled and said, "Fourth Elder, aren’t you going to greet an old friend?"

The gray-robed elder slowly raised his head. A sharp glint flashed in his cloudy eyes as he looked at Lin Liyu. "Congratulations, Tower Master Lin. Your Cultivation has improved."

"You’re too kind."

’A slight smile touched Qin Ya’s lips. The notorious Seventh Young Master Shangguan, who was clearly just pretending to be a fool, had specifically come looking for him with a Celestial Human Realm Elder in tow. No matter how he looked at it, this wasn’t a simple matter. Was this banquet a gesture of goodwill, or a trap?’

"Heh, I didn’t expect that Brother Qin would befriend a major figure like Tower Master Lin so soon after arriving. I’m truly envious!" Shangguan Hao said with a laugh.

"It was just a coincidence," Qin Ya said indifferently.

"Is that so? Come, let’s go."

The moment Shangguan Hao turned, a sinister look flashed in his eyes.

’Lin Liyu’s appearance had clearly disrupted his plans. He never would have imagined that Qin Ya, after only a few short days in Lieyang City, would have already gotten to know a lofty figure like Lin Liyu. And from the looks of it, their relationship was anything but ordinary.’

The three of them arrived at a famous Restaurant in Lieyang City, the Sea View Tower.

Upon arriving at the Sea View Tower, Shangguan Hao found the Shopkeeper, tossed him a Storage Ring, then walked to the center of the main hall and shouted, "Today, I’m booking the entire place! Everyone else, get out of here right now!"

When the crowd saw it was the wastrel Seventh Young Master of the Shangguan Family, more than half of them left immediately. But some remained, sitting and minding their own business. These were either disciples from major families or arrogant Extraordinary Martial Artists who weren’t the least bit afraid of Shangguan Hao.

At that moment, the gray-robed elder beside Shangguan Hao took a step forward and released just a hint of his aura. Instantly, the faces of the remaining group changed drastically. They felt as if a great mountain was crushing them, making it hard to breathe. Without another word, they fled the Sea View Tower. ’My god,’ they thought, ’that terrifying pressure... he’s definitely a Celestial Human!’