Nine Astra Skies

"To buy. Take out all the prized herbs that you have in your cabinet. If I see what I need and the price is fair, I'll take it," Ye Chen ordered. He was going to learn from Master Apothecary Xuanyi eventually so the herbs were bound to come in handy in some ways. Besides, he had some money hence buying a little more would not kill. Ye Chen had the intention of unearthing every single prized herb in every pharmacy found in the capital.

Hao Xu got the shock of his life when he heard Ye Chen's words. Ye Chen wanted all the prized herbs in their shop? Did he know their worth? Did he take the pharmacy for some lowly pharmacy in a little town? The best of the best was not meant for Ye Chen. Hao Xu opened the doors to the few cabinets beside him. "Here, we have the Winter Evergreen Herb, the Eagledove Herb, and Edelweiss!" He opened a few more cabinets. "And here, Flareful Thunder Herbs, Twilight Herbs… They serve a purpose. Are you looking to practice alchemy or are they for brewing purposes?"

Little Tanuki and Little Wingsy looked unamused. The two could not understand why Ye Chen had decided to visit the pharmacy. To them, these mediocre-looking herbs were uninteresting.

"These are herbs that you can buy from other pharmacies. I want the ones that I can only find here - a higher grade herb, if you will." Ye Chen's Astral Body showed that there were a couple of rare ones lying in the shop but they were placed in the black Xuan-iron cabinet. He could not tell what those herbs were but they emanated Celestial Chi and it made Ye Chen excited. "You, the guy who mans the counter. What herbs are in the cabinet to the left?"

Hao Xu stared at Ye Chen. He did not expect Ye Chen to come for the herbs that were locked away in the black Xuan-iron cabinet, though he obliged.

"The herbs in the cabinet are rare and prized herbs that the Hao Clan has collected from all over the world, some even I don't even know. But they carry a hefty price, some worth fifty Chi-amassing Pills and above! Are you sure you want that, buddy?" Hao Xu squinted his eyes, carefully considering his next words.

"Bring them over," Ye Chen ordered.

When Hao Xu realized that Ye Chen did not flinch at the mention of fifty Chi-amassing Pills, he knew the boy meant business. He simply nodded and presented the herbs. A few ten sprigs, all different kinds, and they vibrated with Celestial Chi.

Ye Chen recognized all the herbs that were presented to him. Having read a lot about herbs, he knew most of them. Hao Xu did not know what they were but Ye Chen knew them all too well. Many similar herbs were found in the armguard and in large quantities too. Unfortunately, these were of the lowest grade. Hao Xu did not present them with the best of the shop could offer. Ye Chen could not help but feel disappointed.

"These are worthless to me. Shopkeeper, show me the finest possession you have in your shop." Ye Chen was getting impatient as Hao Xu did not take him seriously.

"Don't you know the nature of these herbs buddy? These are the best of the best there is. The most expensive one fetches up to six hundred Chi-amassing Pills," Hao Xu remarked proudly. "The rest of the herb cannot be bought using money. Would you mind sharing which clan do you belong to perhaps?"

"A small clan from Yinbei Count." Ye Chen twitched his eyebrows. "Are you saying that I'd have to be a registered customer if I wish to purchase some items here?"

"The prized ones are only sold to our regulars and to the large families of the Xiwu Empire." Hao Xu was getting upset. "These are the best of the best that we sell to the public. If you have the Hao Clan seal, I'd gladly sell the prized ones to you."

Ye Chen's Astral Body showed a couple of valuable herbs at the lower compartment of the cabinet to the left, one of them looked extremely valuable even. Since Hao Xu would not sell him any of it, he had no choice either. Hao Xu was picking on them! It was unfortunate they were Xiwu Empire's biggest martial arts clan or else they would never regard other martial arts clans with inferiority.

Just as they were speaking, an elderly man in ragged clothes ran to the counter.

"I…I'd like to pawn something." The elderly man fumbled and retrieved a little sack from his clothes. He took out a porcelain vase that was covered in mud.

The staff of the shop looked annoyed. "What have you got to pawn?"

"Two medicinal pills, my son says these are Chi Deposition Pills."

Ye Chen looked at the old man, his eyes were focusing on the porcelain vase. His Astral Body showed two Chi Deposition Pills in the vase though they were nothing to him. The vase though, despite being covered in mud was good stuff. The vase was impeccably crafted - the texture seemed refined and it looked like it was made from jade yet was uncertain. It was an inch tall. Ye Chen's Astral Body had detected a soothing presence from the vase and the pills that were placed in it were a little warm too. He could tell there was a Spirit Artifact in the vase, pulsing with intense energy. The vase was probably a Tier One to Tier Three spirit artifact!

The staff looked into the vase. Sure, it was two Chi Deposition Pills. He was indifferent. "Two low-grade Chi Deposition Pills, fifty silvers for them!"

"My son said one Chi-amassing Pill could fetch the price of fifty solvers but these Chi Deposition Pills are worth hundreds of Chi-amassing Pills, each of them worth two million silvers at least!" The elderly man was unhappy with the price that the staff had offered that he was trembling with anger.

The staff did not expect a ragged lowlife like him to recognize the value of his goods. He looked at Hao Xu for a brief moment before responding inconsiderately again, "Three hundred silvers, take it or leave it!"

Ye Chen saw the gesture that Hao Xu had made. Hao Xu was the one who gave his men the idea. The store was a rip-off. Three hundred silvers for two Chi Deposition Pills? It was not surprising that the Hao Clan had prospered! Ye Chen finally knew the underhanded tactics that pawnshops ran!

"Save it, I ain't selling it!" The elderly man was so mad that his beard fluttered. He took the vase back.

"Think carefully, old man. I offered you three hundred silvers. If you don't sell them this time, the next time you come back here, it'll only be worth one or two hundred silvers. If the Hao Pharmacy won't take it, neither would the rest of the pharmacies!" The staff stared furiously at the old man.

The old man was shocked at the staff's true colors. He kept repeating the staff's words to himself. The old man was a little doubtful but three hundred silvers were enough for him to pay off a large sum of debt. His son would not let him sell the two Chi Deposition Pills, claiming they were a family treasure meant for his grandson. Now, however, his son was badly beaten up and captured by unknown people who had requested fifty silvers for ransom. He thought of selling the Chi Deposition Pills but the Hao Pharmacy had offered him a pathetic price. Rumor had it that the Hao Pharmacy was an influential bunch. If they gave the word to the other pharmacies not to take in his pills, they most likely would not do so.

Seeing how worried and indecisive the old man was, Ye Chen walked over to him. The others may fear Hao Xu but not Ye Chen!

"Old man, how about selling that to me? Just name me your price," Ye Chen offered. "The vase in your hands is a treasure and it's worth far more than three hundred silvers." Ye Chen had no reason to cheat an old man.

"Are you working at the Hao Pharmacy too?" The old man looked at Ye Chen, feeling doubtful.

"No, I'm a passer-by but I'm willing to buy your pills." Ye Chen smiled.

Hao Xu's expression grew dark at Ye Chen's words. How dare the boy disrupt his business in his pharmacy? Did he have a death wish?