The Mittel Auction House belongs to the wealthiest Family in the Jia Ma Empire: the Mittel Family.
The Mittel Family is also a massive Family known as one of the three giants of the Jia Ma Empire, alongside the Nalan Family and the Intel Family. (This Intel Family was written this way at the beginning of Chapter 21 of the original novel; the author, Tian Can Tu Dou, just retconned it later.)
With light steps, Chen Yang quickly followed the directions of passersby and arrived at the entrance of the Mittel Auction House.
Even during the day, several fully armed guards stood at the entrance of the Mittel Auction House.
Stepping into the establishment, a wave of cool air immediately brushed against his face. (Reading this again, I realized that kid Tu Dou snuck in quite a bit of personal flavor; they even have a clubhouse!)
Chen Yang looked at the magnificent hall, scanned his surroundings, and walked into an appraisal room.
In the appraisal room, a middle-aged man sitting in a chair looking somewhat bored did not look down on Chen Yang because of his attire. He rose with a professional smile and stepped forward: "Young Brother, are you planning to have an item appraised?"
Chen Yang shook his head: "Your auction house should have an Alchemist, right?"
The middle-aged man was slightly taken aback, then nodded: "That's right. Great MasterGu Ni of the Mittel Auction House is a Second-Grade Alchemist. Everyone in Wutan City knows this. Does Young Brother wish to ask Great MasterGu Ni for help in refining a Medicinal Pill?"
The appraisers trained by the Mittel Family would never let any business opportunity slip by.
Chen Yang reached out to steady himself against the table and said softly, "You could say that. Could I trouble you to introduce me to Great MasterGu Ni?"
The middle-aged man looked at Chen Yang's youthful face. Experience told him that the young man before him likely didn't have the capability to hire a Second-Grade Alchemist. However, when his eyes swept over Chen Yang's left hand resting on the table, his pupils suddenly constricted.
He saw at a glance that the ring on Chen Yang's hand was a storage ring. For a young man to possess a storage ring, his financial resources must be extraordinary.
"Sir, please follow me. I will take you to see Great MasterGu Ni right now." The professional smile on the middle-aged man's face vanished, and his form of address changed from 'Young Brother' to 'Sir.'
Chen Yang nodded and followed the middle-aged man out the door, up the stairs, and around a corner, soon arriving in front of a door.
Seeing no guards outside, the middle-aged man stepped forward and knocked.
Knock, knock, knock!
"Who is it?"
"Great MasterGu Ni, there is a gentleman who wishes to ask you to refine a Medicinal Pill," the middle-aged man said respectfully while standing at the door.
He was merely an ordinary Six-Star Fighter, while the Gu Ni inside was not only a Second-Grade Alchemist but also a Three-Star Great Dou Shi expert.
"Oh."
Having received a response, the middle-aged man continued to wait. An Alchemist's room was not a place just anyone could enter casually.
Creak!
A few seconds later, the door opened, and a grey-haired old man in green robes walked out.
"Great Master, this is the gentleman who wishes to ask you to refine a pill," the middle-aged man said, bowing slightly to Gu Ni.
"Mm." Gu Ni had the arrogant expression common to all Alchemists. He turned his head to lightly scan Chen Yang, but suddenly his brow furrowed. The youth before him was actually an Alchemist as well.
"You may leave," Gu Ni said to the middle-aged man, his arrogant expression softening slightly.
"Yes!"
As the middle-aged man departed, Gu Ni welcomed Chen Yang into the room.
Upon entering, Chen Yang smelled a rich medicinal fragrance. He glanced at a Medicine Cauldron in the corner, then looked at Gu Ni and said with a smile, "Mr. Gu Ni, were you just attempting to refine a third-grade qi recovery pill?" (In the original Dou Po, the qi recovery pill is sometimes second-grade and sometimes third-grade; let's just assume it exists from second to ninth grade, mainly to restore different levels of Dou Qi.)
"Hmm???" Gu Ni looked at Chen Yang in surprise. To be able to identify the pill he was refining just by smell—could this youth be a Third-Grade Alchemist?
"That's right. How did the young gentleman tell?" Gu Ni intentionally prodded, wanting to see if the youth was truly a Third-Grade Alchemist or if he had made that judgment for some other reason.
"I recently advanced to a Third-Grade Alchemist. I've refined several batches of this qi recovery pill, so I'm naturally familiar with it." As Chen Yang spoke, he walked over to Gu Ni's Medicine Cauldron and flicked his hand over it a few times.
This was a Rank Two Medicine Cauldron. It could technically be used to refine third-grade pills, but the success rate would be lower.
Moreover, Gu Ni was only a Second-Grade Alchemist on the surface; this third-grade qi recovery pill was merely an attempt for him.
"Since Your Excellency is a Third-Grade Alchemist, why have you come to find me to refine a pill?" Gu Ni asked in confusion.
"If I didn't say that, how would that appraiser have brought me to see Mr. Gu Ni?" Chen Yang countered, looking back at Gu Ni.
"That's true..." Gu Ni nodded slightly, then asked again, "I wonder what Your Excellency specifically needs from me?"
A Third-Grade Alchemist wouldn't normally command such respect from Gu Ni, but such a young Third-Grade Alchemist was a different story.
As far as he knew, only the little princess of the Imperial Family and the top disciple of Pill King Gu He were at this level.
Hearing Gu Ni's words, Chen Yang knew it was time for his performance. He reached out and tapped Gu Ni's Medicine Cauldron, making it ring, then sighed and said with an embarrassed expression:
"Sigh!"
"It's quite shameful. After I broke through to become a Third-Grade Alchemist recently, I got curious and refined a pill with unknown effects. To test the medicine, I fed it to my Senior Sister's pet beast, and as a result, I almost poisoned the creature to death."
"When my Senior Sister found out, she was furious. She took all the gold coins, Medicinal Pills, and medicinal ingredients I had, kicked me out of the Sect, and ordered me not to return until I reached the Dou Ling level!"
"In the Sect, I'm not afraid of the teacher or the Elders, but I'm only afraid of my Senior Sister. She's only two years older than me, yet she's already a Dou Wang expert and a Fifth-Grade Alchemist."
"Right now, I'm penniless. I heard that your Jia Ma Empire's Mittel Auction House has a good reputation, so I wanted to borrow some medicinal ingredients to refine into pills and exchange them for some money."
"If your auction house is willing, we can also establish a long-term cooperation. I also need some resources to Cultivate and practice my Alchemy Skill!"
Chen Yang was just making things up on the fly, though not all of it was fabricated.
The Senior Sister in the story was the upperclassman he used to go cycling with, and the poisoned pet beast was a cow cat she kept—except the cat had actually just gotten diarrhea from stealing food.
Meanwhile, Gu Ni was listening with a look of utter bewilderment.
A Dou Wang expert and Fifth-Grade Alchemist only two years older than you?
Telling you to return to the Sect after reaching Dou Ling—doesn't that mean you're a Great Dou Master, and a High-Level Great Fighter at that?
Even the Cloud Mist Sect in the Jia Ma Empire couldn't produce such a Genius, right?
Just now he said 'your Jia Ma Empire,' so could this person be a young Genius from a top-tier Sect somewhere else?
Thinking of this, the look in Gu Ni's eyes as he watched Chen Yang was one of shock and suspicion.
Looking at Gu Ni's expression, Chen Yang knew that if he didn't do something, today's plan wouldn't work. Thus, he mobilized the Dou Qi in his body. Fiery red Dou Qi instantly erupted from his body, condensing without dissipating, forming a layer of fiery red Dou Qi Armor on his skin.
"Dou Qi Armor... and his Aura is much stronger than even Xiao Zhan of the Xiao Family. He is clearly a High-Level Great Fighter!"
If Gu Ni only believed half of what Chen Yang said before, he now believed at least ninety percent.
The remaining ten percent was regarding Chen Yang's Alchemy Skill.
"Mr. Gu Ni, how about I refine a batch of qi recovery pills right now, and then we can discuss the price?" Chen Yang tapped the Medicine Cauldron under his hand and suggested.
"Of course!"
Gu Ni had no reason to refuse.
For one, he wanted to gain the friendship of a young Third-Grade Alchemist.
Secondly, as an Alchemist for the Mittel Family, he naturally had to boost the performance of the Mittel Auction House. If the Wutan City branch's performance improved because of this youth, he might have a chance to be transferred back to the Imperial Capital.
Lastly, the youth before him was a High-Level Great Fighter. He feared that if he refused and offended him, the youth might forcibly rob the auction house and leave.
If that happened, it would be his own fault.
"I wonder... would it be convenient for the young gentleman to tell me his name?" Gu Ni knew that Alchemists were eccentric people, and some didn't like revealing their names, so he asked very politely.
"There's nothing inconvenient about it. I am Chen Yang. I'll have to trouble you, Mr. Gu Ni!" Chen Yang said with a smile and cupped his hands.
"You're too kind, young gentleman. Here are two sets of ingredients for third-grade qi recovery pills. Please refine them here. I will give orders so that no one disturbs you!" Gu Ni returned the gesture, pulled out two sets of ingredients from his storage ring, and prepared to turn and leave.
On the Fighting Qi Continent, an Alchemist's refining techniques were closely guarded secrets. Even masters and disciples would withhold some tricks, let alone strangers meeting by chance.
However, just as Gu Ni was about to leave, Chen Yang raised his hand and said, "Mr. Gu Ni, please stay here and keep watch for me!"
Gu Ni was stunned: "This... Young BrotherChen Yang, are you not afraid I will steal your techniques?"
Chen Yang laughed heartily: "Haha... my teacher once said that there are countless top-tier Alchemists on the Fighting Qi Continent. Why should we hoard such rudimentary skills?"
After speaking, Chen Yang sat cross-legged and pulled out his own Medicine Cauldron from his storage ring: "Mr. Gu Ni, feel free to watch. If you can learn a thing or two and further your Alchemy Skill, my teacher might even praise me when I return!"
Chen Yang's appearance of wanting all the world's Alchemists to prosper deeply moved Gu Ni.
However, in reality, Chen Yang had no such selfless heart. He was purely doing it to see if he could train Gu Ni into a Third-Grade Alchemist.
When that happened, the System would trigger its mechanism again and upgrade his own Alchemy Skill to fourth-grade. He would still be the one profiting!
Thinking of this, Chen Yang shook his head with a smile, placed his right hand on the fire port, and channeled his Dou Qi into it...
(End of Chapter)
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