C9 The Shame of Stealing the Pill

Lee Xiaoyong was acutely aware of the longstanding dispute between their families. When a group from the Zhang family suddenly appeared, clearly outmatching them in strength, his expression turned solemn.

Lee Mo had no desire to engage in further verbal sparring. The reality of their predicament was undeniable. All four of them were utterly exhausted, with no chance of contending with Zhang Shiliang and his crew.

It was obvious that Zhang Shiliang and his followers had been lying in wait, choosing the last possible moment to strike with their arrows, all to seize the fruits of victory.

He asked directly, "What do you want?"

Zhang Shiliang's response came with an arrogant smile, "I killed the Fire Bull, so the Inner Core is mine by right. You did contribute a little, so I'll be kind enough to give you the hide."

Lee Gaoyuan's eyes flashed with anger, and he was on the verge of objecting. They had risked their lives to defeat the Fire Bull, and now they were being relegated to claiming only its hide? It was blatantly unfair.

"Do you really want to spar with me?" Zhang Shiliang sneered condescendingly. "With your cultivation at the Middle Period of the Monolith Stage, do you think you're a match for me?"

Lee Gaoyuan was fuming.

Lee Mo gave him a discreet look and a shake of the head, signaling that it was useless to argue any further.

Lee Xiaoyong and his sister also realized their inferior strength and knew they had to endure.

With a wave of his hand, Zhang Shiliang signaled his men to pounce on the Fire Bull. They cut open its belly and retrieved the Inner Core.

The Inner Core of the Barbarian Bull was even larger than that of the elite Fire Bull. On the market, it could fetch at least two to three hundred taels. But now, it was in Zhang Shiliang's possession.

All the while, Zhang Shiliang stood by with a self-satisfied air, hands behind his back, his gaze filled with disdain as he watched Lee Mo and the others.

After the Zhang family had taken the Fire Bull's horns and some of its armor, they strutted off. Zhang Shijiu stopped after a few steps, turned around, and jeered, "Lee Mo, we'll meet again at the entrance ceremony! Better pray you don't run into me, or I'll be sure to give you a lesson you won't forget!"

After Zhang Shijiu finished speaking, he burst into hearty laughter and followed the departing group.

Once Zhang Shiliang and his party had disappeared into the distance, Lee Gaoyuan stamped his foot in frustration and cursed, "Zhang Shiliang has really crossed the line!"

Lee Xiaoyong responded calmly, "Gaoyuan, don't let it get to you. With dedicated training, we will surely get our revenge someday."

Lee Mo maintained a serene demeanor, but a glint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

He was once the top alchemist in the Vruthurenth Empire. Now, he had been outwitted by a bunch of upstarts.

The Fire Bull's inner core might have been worth only a few hundred taels, but the incident was a humiliating blow to him.

He was eager to retaliate against these individuals, yet he was painfully aware that with his current low level of cultivation, he was incapable of action. Furthermore, he knew such indignities could happen again at any time.

To surpass others, he realized he needed to train tenfold, even a hundredfold harder.

Afterward, the four of them began their journey back home.

They arrived back in the county at dusk and went straight to Lee's Drugstore in the eastern part of the city, the property of Lee Gaoyuan's family.

Because they owned the store, they were able to sell the Barbarian Beast hides for more than the going market rate, earning an extra dozen or so taels, which delighted Lee Xiaoyong and his sister.

After a short stay and Lee Mo gathering some medicinal herbs, they returned to the Martial Academy.

They handed in the heads of the elite Fire Bulls and each received forty taels of silver and forty glory points for their efforts.

The ten taels of silver were a handsome reward, and combined with the additional fifty to sixty taels from selling other materials and a collection of Barbarian Beast Inner Cores, they had indeed reaped a rich harvest.

After parting ways with Lee Xiaoyong and his sister, Lee Gaoyuan took out all the Inner Cores he had acquired and shared half of them with Lee Mo, totaling eight.

Lee Mo said, "I'm dealing with an injury right now. I won't be able to practice alchemy for the next half month, so I'll need to seek out an Alchemist at the Temple of Alchemy to help me refine the pills."

"I'll come with you," Lee Gaoyuan offered.

"There's no need. You've had a tough time hunting the Barbarian Beast. You should take some time to recover," Lee Mo replied.

After their conversation, they parted ways. Lee Mo headed toward the north gate of the Martial Academy.

Just a stone's throw from the North Gate was the Temple of Alchemy, separated only by a wall. Adjacent to the gate was an area filled with notice boards, plastered with a myriad of notes offering services such as pill refining, purchasing specific medicinal ingredients, and reselling spiritual treasures.

As Lee Mo perused the notices, he noticed a note in the corner of one board. It stated: I specialize in refining complex Yellow Level pills and guarantee top grade results. Prices are negotiable.

Lee Mo smiled at the note, the writer's confidence reminding him of his own self-assured youth.

The promise of consistently producing top grade pills suggested that the author was likely a third grade Yellow Level Alchemist.

If this individual had the claimed expertise, Lee Mo was certainly interested in a partnership.

He made his way into the Temple of Alchemy and, guided by the address on the note, arrived at a quiet courtyard in the north.

The residential area consisted of individual homes, each exuding a sense of nobility and grandeur.

Seeing the standalone courtyard, as opposed to a crowded shared space, Lee Mo deduced that the occupant must be from a distinguished family.

A wooden plaque by the entrance bore the name Su Yan, the resident of the home.

The Su family, along with the Hsu family, Zhang family, and Lee family, were the Four Noble Houses with significant clout in Millbourne. It seemed this young woman was from the Su family.

The door was unlocked, and Lee Mo pushed it open to enter.

He stepped into a serene courtyard, flanked by neatly trimmed potted plants on both sides of the walkway.

Wind chimes hung from a corner of the roof, their gentle ringing adding to the courtyard's charm.

As Lee Mo took in the scenery, footsteps echoed from the corridor, and soon after, a striking young woman appeared.

She was only fifteen, with delicate features, fine eyebrows, and bright, star-like eyes. Dressed in a skirt, her beauty was striking.

Lee Mo hadn't expected Su Yan to be so young and so breathtakingly beautiful.

Su Yan's beauty was such that she could easily rival the most esteemed consorts of the court, and with a few more years, she would undoubtedly be a woman capable of toppling empires. Her charm, combined with her temperament, was sure to captivate many men.

Lee Mo, however, had never been one to dismiss the allure of beautiful women; his focus had simply always been on the path of alchemy.

Her beauty certainly caught his eye, but even more impressive to Lee Mo was her potential.

For someone her age to have reached the third grade of the Yellow Level was no small feat.

In alchemy, innate talent is paramount. If someone began their apprenticeship at the age of five, even with a good aptitude, it would take several years to reach the first grade of the Yellow Level.

By contrast, in martial arts, a practitioner could reach the Early Period of the Qi Condensation Stage within a year. But for an Alchemist to advance from the first to the second grade of the Yellow Level, it would take much more time. It's quite normal for someone to only reach the third grade of the Yellow Level in their thirties.

Lee Mo watched Su Yan quietly. From her perspective, however, his stare was quite rude.

Coming from a noble family, she was unaccustomed to men daring to look at her so intently.

She frowned slightly and asked, "Are you here to request pills?"

Lee Mo slowly shifted his gaze away and asked with a smile, "Miss, what is your level in alchemy?"

"Third grade of the Yellow Level," Su Yan replied, her lips curving with a hint of pride.

"You are indeed talented for your age," Lee Mo said softly.

But to Su Yan, his compliment sounded condescending.

She would have been pleased with such an evaluation from an elder, but coming from someone her own age, it seemed presumptuous.

Nevertheless, due to her excellent upbringing, she didn't show her annoyance. She asked, "What pill do you wish to refine?"

"A Stellar Pill," Lee Mo replied with a slight smile.

Su Yan nodded lightly. "I can help you refine the Stellar Pill, but you must provide the ingredients. I can guarantee four pills per batch, with one being of top grade."

"You can guarantee four pills per batch, including a top grade Stellar Pill? Do you truly have that ability?" Lee Mo asked, clearly intrigued.

He knew the difficulty involved in creating the Stellar Pill. For a third grade Yellow Level Alchemist, producing two to three pills per batch was the norm. Su Yan's claim of being able to produce four pills, with one of top grade, was surprising and piqued his interest in her potential as a disciple.

Lee Mo had a knack for gathering treasures and recruiting talent. Given this young lady's capabilities, she was clearly on par with his other disciples.

At the moment, he was focused on advancing his own cultivation and didn't have the bandwidth to take on a new disciple. Perhaps he could provide occasional advice and see if she was able to learn.

"We can sign a contract. If I fail to refine the pill successfully, I'll return your silver," Su Yan replied with a cool confidence.

Lee Mo probed further, "Which technique do you use for refining pills?"

"The Seven Stars Incantation," responded Su Yan.

Lee Mo nodded, recognizing the complexity of the Seven Stars Incantation. If she had mastered this art, her talent was indeed impressive. Curious, he asked, "Are you capable of producing a supreme grade Stellar Pill?"

Su Yan's demeanor changed slightly. Accustomed to others revering her refining abilities, she was not used to being interrogated so intensely. His bold request for a supreme grade pill struck her as both presumptuous and naive.

Annoyed, she replied, "Within the entire academy, no Yellow Level Alchemist can create a supreme grade Stellar Pill. You would have to consult a Profound Level Alchemist for that, and their services come at a much higher cost, with no guarantee of success."

Lee Mo smiled subtly, sensing her displeasure.

To an average Martial Apprentice, obtaining a batch of top-grade Stellar Pills would be an extraordinary fortune. However, his pursuit of the supreme grade might seem somewhat pedantic to others.

But it was his high standards for pill quality that drove his relentless progress.

Undeterred by the risk of irritating Su Yan, he added, "I have one more condition."

"What is it?" Su Yan asked, barely concealing her impatience.

"I must be present during the refinement process," Lee Mo declared.

Su Yan did not object. They agreed on the price, formalized the contract, and after Lee Mo checked the herbs and their proportions, he followed Su Yan to a side room.

Su Yan carefully tended to the alchemy fire, her hand moving slightly, and the flames beneath the cauldron naturally split into three streams.

Lee Mo watched quietly, not uttering a single word.

The moments passed quickly, and the initial stage of pill refinement was approaching its end.