Chapter 56: The Emerald Treasure Pays Again
Damian looked at the jade bottles on the tray and nodded in satisfaction.
The pills Esmeralda had prepared were all useful, and some of them were even quite rare among Top-Rank Profound Grade pills.
Without wasting time, Damian directly took out the spirit stones and paid for everything.
The attendant carefully accepted the payment, and only after confirming the amount did he respectfully step back.
Damian stored the jade bottles into his storage ring before looking back at Esmeralda. "Right, Manager Esmeralda. Can I ask you something else?"
Esmeralda smiled faintly. "Of course, Sir Damian."
Damian leaned back slightly. "Are you an alchemist?"
Esmeralda paused for a moment, then nodded calmly. "Yes, but I have only started recently."
Damian raised an eyebrow. "Recently?"
Esmeralda gently lifted her teacup and took a small sip. "Before this, most of my time was spent on cultivation and business. Managing branch matters, handling trade partners, inspecting medicine quality, and dealing with customers already took quite a lot of effort."
She smiled helplessly. "Only recently did I begin focusing more seriously on alchemy."
Damian blinked. "So you didn’t start learning from childhood?"
Esmeralda chuckled softly after hearing that. "Sir Damian, not every alchemist starts learning as a child."
Damian tilted his head slightly. "Really? I thought most serious alchemists were raised from a young age."
Esmeralda smiled. "That is only true for some geniuses in major sects or direct heirs from powerful alchemist families."
Her eyes became slightly calmer as she continued, "I may have some family connection to the Golden Medicine Pavilion, but I am not that kind of peerless genius, nor am I someone with an extremely high status in my family."
Damian slowly nodded. "I see."
For a moment, he looked at Esmeralda quietly.
Then a thought suddenly appeared in his mind.
If Esmeralda was only starting alchemy now, then something useful for beginners might be enough to move her emotions.
After all, she was already at a high cultivation realm, had good talent, and had access to resources, but what she lacked might be proper insight.
Damian smiled faintly and took out a jade slip from his storage ring.
Esmeralda noticed it immediately and raised an eyebrow. "Sir Damian?"
Damian placed the jade slip on the table and pushed it toward her. "Since you helped me today, let me give you this."
Esmeralda looked at the jade slip with curiosity. "What is it?"
Damian smiled. "Some insight from a genius in pill refining. It’s mainly about the process of refining pills, controlling the feeling of the medicinal liquid, sensing herb reactions, and understanding when to adjust the flame."
He leaned back casually. "For someone just starting, it should be pretty useful."
Esmeralda’s eyes changed slightly.
She picked up the jade slip and sent her consciousness into it.
At first, her expression was calm.
But after reading only a small part, her emerald eyes suddenly widened slightly.
The insight inside was not some complicated high-level inheritance, nor did it contain any powerful pill recipe.
But the explanations were extremely clear.
The way it described the feeling of herb fusion, the rhythm of flame adjustment, and the subtle changes in medicinal liquid was honestly excellent.
For a beginner alchemist like her, this was far more useful than ordinary theory books.
Esmeralda slowly raised her head, and this time, her surprise was hard to hide. "Sir Damian... this is honestly very good."
Damian smiled. "Then it’s useful?"
Esmeralda nodded seriously. "Very useful."
Her gaze softened slightly as she looked at him. "Thank you. I did not expect Sir Damian to give me something like this."
Damian waved his hand casually. "No need to thank me too much. I already said I like giving gifts to beautiful women."
Esmeralda chuckled softly, but this time, her smile carried a little more warmth than before. "Then I will accept it gratefully."
Damian stood up and cupped his hands lightly. "Good. Then I’ll take my leave first."
Esmeralda nodded gracefully. "Safe travels, Sir Damian."
Damian smiled and walked out of the room.
After he left, Esmeralda remained seated while holding the jade slip in her hand.
Her emerald eyes lowered slightly, and her smile became thoughtful. "Damian..."
This time, there was a little more curiosity in her voice than before.
---
Damian calmly walked out of the Golden Medicine Pavilion.
But the moment he was far enough from the building, he quickly turned into a quiet alley.
A familiar system screen had already appeared in front of him.
---
[Target: Esmeralda]
[Gift Given: Alchemy Insight Jade Slip]
[100× Critical Multiplier Activated]
[Reward Obtained: Top-Rank Noble Grade Alchemist Talent]
[Reward Obtained: Knowledge of 5 Top-Rank Profound Grade Pills]
---
The moment Damian saw the reward, his eyes widened so much that he almost shouted.
"Damn... Top-Rank Noble Grade Alchemist Talent?!"
He quickly covered his mouth and looked around, making sure no one had heard him.
After confirming the alley was empty, Damian finally couldn’t hold back anymore and grinned like a madman.
"Hahaha... Esmeralda, you really are a monster treasure chest."
Previously, his alchemist talent had only been Top-Rank Profound Grade, and even that had already allowed him to refine pills like a cheat.
But now, it had directly jumped to Top-Rank Noble Grade.
This meant his perception, instincts, flame control, herb understanding, and refinement speed would all become even more terrifying.
And that wasn’t even the best part.
Damian’s gaze slowly moved toward the second reward, and as soon as he took out the jade slips and absorbed them, he grinned.
The knowledge was different from a simple pill recipe.
It did not merely tell him what herbs to use. Instead, it contained everything about those pills.
The nature of each herb, the proper age and quality needed, the correct flame temperature, the reaction between medicinal liquids, the timing of fusion, possible failures, and even how to adjust the refinement based on different cauldrons.
In other words, Damian did not just know the recipes.
He understood the pills.
His grin became even wider as excitement filled his chest. "This is insane... This is way better than just getting five recipes."
With this knowledge, he could refine five different Top-Rank Profound Grade pills as if he had practiced them for years.
Damian clenched his fist tightly while laughing quietly in the alley. "Good. Very good. With this, my alchemy path is really opening now."
