In the blink of an eye, five days had passed. Qin Feiyang, clutching a Qiankun Bag, left the ancient castle with some fatigue. After five days and nights of non-stop alchemy, he had produced nine thousand Healing Pills and nine thousand Bone-renewing Pills—a total of eighteen thousand pills! On average, he made one pill every twenty breaths or so. This was already his limit.
He pushed open the room door and stepped out of the attic. A cold wind swept through, making him shiver involuntarily. The sky was also filled with dense clouds. It was now the winter solstice. The weather was gradually getting colder; the biting cold wind stung the face like a sharp blade, causing a painful sensation on the skin.
THUMP, THUMP!
Fatty and Lu Hong came running down from the second floor, both having donned an extra layer of thick clothes.
Fatty laughed, "Master Fatty thought someone had broken in. Turns out it’s just you, Boss!"
Lu Hong stepped out of the attic, glanced at the gloomy sky, and said, "This damn weather. It was quite warm a few days ago, but the temperature has suddenly dropped. I guess it will start snowing next month."
Qin Feiyang smiled, turned and entered the house, closed the door, handed the Qiankun Bag to Lu Hong, and instructed, "In my absence, remember to distribute the pills."
Having Lu Hong take care of the pills was also a way of testing her.
"Okay."
Lu Hong nodded. She then frowned and asked, "Wait, what do you mean? You’re leaving?"
Fatty also looked at Qin Feiyang in surprise.
"Shhh!"
Qin Feiyang made a silencing gesture and said in a low voice, "Ling Yunfei and I are going to Star Moon City. Don’t breathe a word about it. If anyone asks, just tell them I’m cultivating inside the castle."
"What are you going to Star Moon City for?" Lu Hong asked, puzzled.
"Is there something good happening?" Fatty looked unsatisfied. "Brother Jian, it’s really not fair to leave Master Fatty out of a good thing!"
"If I said we were going to die, would you still want to go?"
Qin Feiyang rolled his eyes at Fatty and solemnly urged, "Remember, no matter what happens, you can’t leave the Martial King Palace. Also, let it be known tomorrow that henceforth, when distributing pills, mortals are prioritized."
"Give them to mortals?"
Fatty and Lu Hong looked at each other, their eyes full of doubt.
"Just do as I say," Qin Feiyang said. "Also, instead of distributing them once a month, make it every ten days. As for why I’m doing this, you’ll understand in the future."
Without further explanation, Qin Feiyang asked, "Did Chief Li bring the Image Crystal Stones?"
"Not yet. That old bastard is very cunning," Fatty said with disdain. "I heard from the disciples of the Martial Palace that to raise the price, he auctions off only one Top Grade Vermilion Glazed Pill each day."
Qin Feiyang smiled faintly. "That’s normal. What was the transaction price?"
Fatty thought for a moment and said, "The first day it went for 4.1 million Gold Coins, the second day for 4 million, the third day for 4.2 million, and yesterday for 4.3 million. Today’s result isn’t out yet, but it definitely won’t be less than 4 million."
"That little?"
Qin Feiyang frowned. By this calculation, five Top Grade Vermilion Glazed Pills would fetch just over twenty million Gold Coins, only enough to buy four Image Crystal Stones.
"Is that little?"
Fatty and Lu Hong were speechless. The auction price for a normal Vermilion Glazed Pill was around one million. This was four times higher; what more could he want? Furthermore, four million Gold Coins would make even the top-tier families in Yan City feel the pinch.
"Don’t look at me like that. Who doesn’t want more money?"
Qin Feiyang rolled his eyes at them, left the attic, and went to Shi Zheng’s residence downstairs. He smiled and said, "Elder, could I trouble you to go to the Treasure Pavilion for me?"
"What for?" Elder Shi looked puzzled.
Qin Feiyang smiled. "To help me retrieve the Image Crystal Stones, four in total. The leftover gold coins can be your service fee."
Elder Shi hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Fine, but you’re not to wander off."
"Apart from the Martial King Palace, where else can I go?" Qin Feiyang smiled wryly.
Elder Shi chuckled, leaped down, and quickly left.
Just as Qin Feiyang was about to go into the house, Ling Yunfei ran over. "Are you ready?"
Qin Feiyang nodded. "Now, I’m just waiting for the Image Crystal Stones. What about you? Did you find a shortcut?"
Ling Yunfei shook his head. "There are no shortcuts. The city walls in all directions are guarded by the royal family’s black-armored guards. If we try to climb over, we’ll definitely be intercepted. So, we can only walk out through the city gate openly."
"Openly?" Qin Feiyang couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.
"What exactly are you two going to do?" Fatty sidled over, peering at them mischievously.
"It’s none of your business. Stay out of it," Ling Yunfei glared at him, then turned back to Qin Feiyang. "I’ve prepared the Shape-shifting Pills too. Let’s just wait until midnight and find an opportunity to sneak out."
Qin Feiyang thought for a moment and said weakly, "For now, that seems to be the only way."
「More than an hour later」
Elder Shi finally returned. He took out four Image Crystal Stones from his Qiankun Bag and placed them on the coffee table. Ling Yunfei, Fatty, and Lu Hong immediately gathered around, their eyes flashing with curious amazement. This was the first time they had seen Image Crystal Stones. Qin Feiyang was much calmer. He rose and clasped his hands. "Thank you, Elder."
Elder Shi laughed. "It was nothing."
Fatty chuckled. "Elder Shi, you must have received a big service fee, right? Share some with me?"
"Service fee?" Elder Shi shook his head with a wry smile, then took out a piece of paper from his clothes and handed it to Qin Feiyang.
Qin Feiyang looked closer, and his face turned green. It was yet another IOU.
On it was written, "Jian Haotian owes the Treasure Pavilion 1,100,000 Gold Coins, to be repaid within one week. Failure to repay will incur daily interest of 1,000 Gold Coins."
At the very bottom was Chief Li’s personal signature.
"How do I owe him one million one hundred thousand?" Qin Feiyang looked at Shi Zheng, puzzled.
Shi Zheng said, "Your five Top Grade Vermilion Glazed Pills were auctioned off for a total of twenty-one million Gold Coins, and the Treasure Pavilion also takes a commission..."
"Silly me, how could I have forgotten about that!" Qin Feiyang slapped the back of his head.
Upon hearing "commission," he understood. The Treasure Pavilion’s rule was to take a one-tenth commission. From a total sale of twenty-one million Gold Coins, they would take two million one hundred thousand, leaving only eighteen million nine hundred thousand. The four Image Crystal Stones cost twenty million Gold Coins. Subtracting the eighteen million nine hundred thousand naturally left a debt of one million one hundred thousand.
Ling Yunfei and the others were also a little stunned. Taking a commission was reasonable. But they were all old acquaintances; couldn’t they take a little less? Two million one hundred thousand Gold Coins was enough for an ordinary person to live a worry-free life for several generations. And to write a formal IOU, even charging interest for late payment—it was such a rip-off!
"Ahem!" Qin Feiyang coughed dryly and smiled faintly. "Chief Li doesn’t call all the shots at the Treasure Pavilion. He’s just following the rules. It’s understandable."
Saying that, he took out his Qiankun Bag, counted out two million Gold Coins, and handed them to Shi Zheng, smiling. "Elder, I’m afraid I have to trouble you to run another errand. The extra nine hundred thousand is for you to buy some good wine."
Shi Zheng chuckled. "How can I accept this?"
Though he said this, he wasn’t being polite and accepted it immediately.
Of course. Nine hundred thousand Gold Coins, for a Steward Elder like him, was a very considerable fortune.
As soon as Shi Zheng left, Fatty began to grumble, "Parting with nine hundred thousand just like that! You’re so generous. Why don’t you give Master Fatty nine hundred thousand?"
"Seriously, Fatty, that Top Grade Vermilion Glazed Pill you snatched was worth four million! What more do you want? Do you expect me to give you all my possessions?" Qin Feiyang retorted angrily.
"Well, not really. Just give me a million or so to spend," Fatty smiled sheepishly.
Qin Feiyang felt mentally and physically exhausted. Why was he surrounded by such characters?
"Do your job well. When I get back, you’ll be rewarded," Qin Feiyang said. "One Image Crystal Stone for each of you. Quick, drip your blood to claim them."
Qin Feiyang took one first, bit his finger, and dripped blood onto it. The Image Crystal Stone immediately emitted faint wisps of blood-red light, but it soon faded.
"Do I get one too?" Lu Hong pointed at herself, somewhat incredulous.
"Yes." Qin Feiyang nodded. Giving one to Lu Hong was for ease of contact, as she was now working for him.
Lu Hong was very excited. Even Feng Ling’er, a martial arts prodigy, and Shi Zheng, a War King, didn’t have an Image Crystal Stone yet. And she actually had one.
It was like she was dreaming.
After they all claimed their stones with blood, the four of them exchanged a drop of blood on each other’s Image Crystal Stones. This established a connection between them. To send a message, they only needed to activate their Image Crystal Stone with a thought.
After storing the Image Crystal Stones in his Qiankun Bag, Qin Feiyang looked at Ling Yunfei. "There’s no time to lose. Give me the Shape-shifting Pill. We act immediately!"
Ling Yunfei was taken aback. "Weren’t we supposed to wait until midnight?"
Qin Feiyang said, "If we wait till midnight, I won’t know how to get Shi Zheng out of the way."
Ling Yunfei realized, "So you gave him nine hundred thousand Gold Coins to send him away. You’re really cunning."
"Nonsense! That was purely to thank him for his care during this time," Qin Feiyang glared, speaking with righteous conviction.
Ling Yunfei, Fatty, and Lu Hong, however, rolled their eyes. If any outsiders were present, they would surely sigh that birds of a feather flock together—none of them were good eggs.
After taking the Shape-shifting Pills, Qin Feiyang and Ling Yunfei both transformed into slightly burly young men. Of course, Ling Yunfei’s most eye-catching sky-blue hair and eyes also turned black.
"How do we look?" After completing their disguises, they looked at Fatty and Lu Hong.
Lu Hong studied them carefully, then frowned. "Ling Yunfei is fine, but your hemp clothes are too conspicuous. You need to change them."
"Hemp clothes are conspicuous?" Qin Feiyang frowned.
"Take a look around! Who in the Martial King Palace still wears such cheap stuff from street stalls? Only you. You’re one of a kind. Don’t you think that’s conspicuous?" Lu Hong said, somewhat exasperated.
"You don’t get it," Fatty smirked. "Brother Jian is playing the fool to get the better of others, or to put it more bluntly, he’s ’showing off.’"
"Uh!" Qin Feiyang was taken aback and felt helpless.
With no other option, he had to get a set of Martial King Palace disciple’s clothes from Ling Yunfei and put it on over his own.
"That’s more like it," Lu Hong nodded.
"Then let’s go." Qin Feiyang’s expression turned serious. He led Ling Yunfei out of the attic, quickly left Quiet Heart Lake, and headed towards the main gate of the Martial King Palace.

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