Chapter 495: Plentiful Gains

The sky had gradually become dark by the time Xiao Yan had woken from his deep sleep. The setting sun descending in the west scattered the pale-red light into the window, forming a dense light spot on the ground.

Xiao Yan sat up in the chair, and eyed the blanket that covered his body. His heart felt a slight warmth. He stood up and walked a little to move his body a little. After having slept until he was satisfied, the earlier tiredness had vanished. Replacing it was a face filled with energy.

“Creak…”

While Xiao Yan was walking back and forth, the door was suddenly gently pushed open. A human head was carefully extended inside. Upon seeing that Xiao Yan had woken up, he finally sighed in relief. He laughed and said, “Chief, you can really sleep. You have slept all the way from morning to night.”

“Ke ke, so it’s Atai.” Xiao Yan could not help but laugh softly when he saw the person who stuck his head out. He beckoned with his hand to ask the latter to come in and smiled as he asked, “Has Xun Er and the others not returned yet?”

“Ke ke, that’s right. Senior Xun Er and the others brought nearly everyone away from ‘Pan’s Gate.’ Looking at the time, however, they should be back soon.” Atai rubbed his head and smiled as he replied.

“It is really thanks to all of you this time around.” Xiao Yan lifted a cup of cold tea beside him and took a shallow sip before softly speaking to Atai with a smile.

“Chief, you are being too polite. Now, everyone is a member of ‘Pan’s Gate.’ All of the members have received your protection, how can we not do anything?” Atai responded awkwardly. He was shocked at the favor he felt when Xiao Yan voiced his thanks.

“Since I have decided to establish this ‘Pan’s Gate’ back then, I naturally need to take responsibility of all these matters. Once the medicinal pills are sold, I will let Xun Er repay all of you twice the ‘Fire Energy’ that you all have donated. Business issues are business issues and personal issues are personal issues. They cannot be mixed.” Xiao Yan shook his head and voiced his thoughts.

Hearing this, Atai was just about to defer the matter when he suddenly heard the sound of a large number of footsteps outside the door. His face immediately rejoiced. “Senior Xun Er and the rest are back!”

His words had just sounded when the door was once again pushed opened. A large group of joyous people swarmed in. Xun Er, Hu Jia, and Wu Hao were leading them. From the looks of their happy faces, it appeared that they had quite a good result.

“Xiao Yan ge-ge, you have awoken?” Xun Er chided everyone to be quiet upon entering the room when she saw Xiao Yan sitting in the chair. She immediately spoke happily.

“Yes.” Xiao Yan smiled and nodded as he said, “Take a seat and rest first.”

Seeing that Xiao Yan was still calm, Xun Er curled her lips into a shallow smile as she, along with the excited faced Wu Hao and Hu Jia, sat down beside Xiao Yan. The other members of ‘Pan’s Gate’ sat on the ground because there were insufficient seats. In an instant, the originally s.p.a.cious large hall was immediately packed until it was full.

Seeing that everyone had sat down, Xiao Yan finally turned his gaze toward Xun Er and smiled as he asked, “How was it?”

“Not bad…” Xun Er laughed softly before speaking, “We have sold thirty ‘Energy Recovery Pills’ and thirty-five ‘Body Healing Pills.’ As for the ‘Quiet Ice Pills,’ we have sold a lot less. We only sold fourteen of them… As there is the problem of credibility initially, we have decided that the ‘Energy Recovery Pill’ is priced at one day of ‘Fire Energy’ each, a little cheaper than the ‘Return Spring Pill’ of the ‘Medicine Gang.’ The ‘Body Recovery Pill’ is also priced at one day of ‘Fire Energy’ each. As for the ‘Quiet Ice Pill,’ it is priced at three days of ‘Fire Energy’ each. By counting in this manner, we have sold the pills for a total of one hundred seven days of ‘Fire Energy.’ We are fast reaching the capital that we have taken out. Selling medicinal pills is indeed lucrative. No wonder alchemists are ultimately the most admired and envious occupation in the entire continent.”

Xiao Yan brows were slightly knit when he initially heard the amount that was sold. His heart immediately felt relief as he spoke softly, “It is indeed considered not bad. Our ‘Pan’s Gate’ is selling medicinal pills for the first time and does not have any credibility. It is very difficult for other people to trust the effects of the medicinal pills that we sell. The price does indeed need to be a little lower. As for that ‘Quiet Ice Pill,’ its price is a little high and an ordinary student would really be reluctant to purchase it.”

Xiao Yan quietly laughed at the last few words that Xun Er spoke. If it was not because he had the help of the ‘Heavenly Flame,’ which greatly increased the success rate of forming pills, an ordinary alchemist would have difficulty obtaining this kind of profit even though they might be able to earn something.

“Originally, we never hoped that everyone would be able to purchase it…” Xun Er smiled and said, “Those ten students who purchased the ‘Quiet Ice Pill’ were quite strong. Moreover, they do not lack these three days of ‘Fire Energy.’ Therefore, they purchased it skeptically to try it. However, I think that after we wait one to two days, these medicinal pills might be snapped up in an instant.”

“Yes.” Xiao Yan nodded his head. As long as their credibility and the effect of the medicinal pill was spread around, it was likely that there would be people automatically coming to purchase even if they did not go out and sell.

“Xiao Yan ge-ge, I suggest that we should first purchase the medicinal ingredients with all of the ‘Fire Energy’ that we have earned through the first batch… currently, the ‘Medicine Gang’ has not had a reaction due to our sudden actions. However, once they discover them, it is likely that they will take action.” Xun Er hesitated for a moment before suggesting.

“You are afraid that the ‘Medicine Gang’ will quietly purchase all of the medicinal ingredients?” Xiao Yan was startled when he heard this. His brows were immediately tightly knit together.

“No matter how one put it, the foundation of the ‘Medicine Gang’ is much firmer than ours. After selling medicinal pills for so many years, they have become so fat that they are overflowing with oil. If they really want to cut off the source of our medicinal pills, we would really have some trouble. After all, they… really have the financial ability. Hence, we must take precautions.” Xun Er voiced her thoughts.

“Ai, you are right.” Xiao Yan nodded heavily as he said in a deep voice, “We really cannot underestimate this ‘Medicine Gang.’ From tomorrow on, send everyone out to purchase the medicinal ingredients that we need!”

“Yes!”

Xiao Yan slowly exhaled a breath of air as he stood up. His gaze swept across the members of ‘Pan’s Gate’ within the hall. He smiled and said, “Everyone has worked hard. All the members that have partic.i.p.ated in today’s sale will each be able to obtain five days of ‘Fire Energy!’ Once we have sold the medicinal pills! I, Xiao Yan, will do what I say and will not eat my words!”

“Long live the Chief!”

All the members of ‘Pan’s Gate’ in the hall were initially startled when they heard Xiao Yan speak of such a grand and great reward. Immediately, their faces were filled with a wild joy. Their excited roars nearly tore apart the ceiling. There were nearly forty to fifty members within ‘Pan’s Gate’. If each person was to be rewarded with five days of ‘Fire Energy,’ that meant that one had to take out over two hundred days of ‘Fire Energy.’ This generosity could be considered extremely lavish even if it was placed in the entire Inner Academy.

If it was in the past, Xiao Yan would naturally not be able to take out such a large sum. However, now that they were selling medicinal pills, and with his refining skills, ‘Fire Energy’ would sooner or later flow in endlessly. Hence, he naturally did not need to be stingy.

“As for Atai and the others who donated ‘Fire Energy’ to purchase medicinal ingredients, they will be repaid twice the amount at that time. Remember, everyone is not allowed to refuse!” Xiao Yan once again turned his gaze toward Atai and the others as he spoke in a clear voice.

Those members of ‘Pan’s Gate’ could only smile bitterly and nod their heads after being blocked by Xiao Yan’s words. However, they were also a little moved as they smiled bitterly.

Xun Er and the other two could not help but exchange glances with one another as they eyed the high morale displayed by the members of ‘Pan’s Gate’ under Xiao Yan’s hefty reward. The morale was so high that it could not become any higher. After which, each of them quietly gave Xiao Yan a thumbs up.

On the second day, the members of ‘Pan Gate’ divided their workforce. Xun Er and the other two still led some people to sell medicinal pills while Xiao Yan led some people to the Exchange Area. He basically spent all of the ‘Fire Energy’ in his hands to purchase the necessary medicinal ingredients to refine the three kinds of medicinal pills. He then led everyone back to the new student area after he had bought enough.

The sale situation on Xun Er’s and the other’s side was nearly double what it was yesterday. Some of those people who had consumed the pleasantness of the medicinal pills quietly and secretly told their friends about it. Although they severely told the others not to spread around in their selfishness, the name of the three types of medicinal pills had already transmitted throughout the entire Inner Academy within just a short night. This was especially the case for the ‘Quiet Ice Pill.’ The effect of it, enabling one to increase the time one could train in the ‘Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower,’ caused some people’s eyes to turn red on the spot.

By the time Xun Er and the rest returned after the second day, most of the first batch of medicinal pills that were refined had already been completely sold. The large amount of ‘Fire Energy’ that had reached their hands caused the entire ‘Pan’s Gate’ to descend into excitement.

Over ten people were seated in the s.p.a.cious, luxurious large hall. The atmosphere was somewhat depressing, and had some faint dark waves flowing around. A man wearing an alchemist robe was sitting in the chair at the leader’s position of a large table. There was an ancient medicinal cauldron drawn on his chest. The surface of the cauldron had four flas.h.i.+ng ripples. The eye-piercing glow from it caused the other ten plus people in the room to lack the courage to look at him directly.

“Who can tell me just when an alchemist appeared in this ‘Pan’s Gate?’” The man finally opened his mouth slowly after the silent atmosphere continued for a long while. His low voice contained some anger. At this moment, three medicinal pills were placed in front of him. It was the three types of medicinal pills that Xiao Yan’s group sold.

“Rumor has it that their leader, who is also that Xiao Yan, refined them…” A person below softly replied.

“He is actually also an alchemist?” The man knit his eyebrows and questioned.

“Ai… from the looks of it, he should be one.”

“Each of these three types of medicinal pills is better than any of those that we sell. They are also cheaper…” The man stared at the medicinal pills in front of him and said in a dark and cold voice, “If we allow their reputation to spread completely, I’m afraid that our monopoly on the sale of medicinal pills will be directly overturned.”

“What should we do now? We cannot just sit here and watch while they become stronger, right?” A person said in a somewhat fiery manner.

The man ignored the noise below. His finger gently tapped on the surface of the table. After a long while he finally said in a dark and cold voice, “Investigate the medicinal ingredients that they are purchasing. We will use twice the price to buy whatever they bought… Our ‘Medicine Gang’ does not have many things, but we do have a lot of ‘Fire Energy.’”

“Yes sir!” Upon hearing their leader speak, the noisy people below immediately responded in unison.

“That’s right. ‘Pan’s Gate’ seems to have some conflict with the ‘White Gang’, right?” The man appeared to have recalled something as he said faintly.

“Yes, it is rumored that Xiao Yan had once defeated Fu Ao. Moreover, he publicly had a conflict with Bai Cheng…”

“Ke ke, what a group of arrogant new students… Go and find someone to invite Chief Bai Cheng over. I have some matters that I wish to discuss with him… This ‘Pan’s Gate’ really doesn’t know the immensity of the Heavens and Earth. Can one Xiao Yan overturn the sky?”