After nearly an hour of stillness, a graceful attendant finally entered from the door, holding a small silver tray in both hands, upon which rested a delicate rose-colored ring. Receiving the tray, she was sent away, and Lady Ya personally presented the ring to Xiao Yan with a warm smile. "Master, all the medicinal cauldrons and herbs you require are contained within the 'Nagarat.'" She extended her hand to take the Nagarat from the tray, turning it gently in her palm. Xiao Yan nodded slightly, and the voice of the elderly physician came out perfectly timed: "Yes, once the Qi-concentrating powder is properly prepared, I'll bring it over to you." A touch of delight shimmered in Lady Ya's eyes, and she promptly nodded in agreement. "That's all, you need not accompany me any further—I'll go out myself." With a wave of her hand, Xiao Yan casually slipped the Nagarat onto his finger and then walked out toward the antechamber without turning back. The blue jade card on the table, which he had decided not to burden anyone with further hospitality, remained where it was. Gazing at the figure fading behind the door, Yafei gently bit her red-lipped, took a step forward, and placed the blue jade card into her hands. After a brief pause, she softly asked, "Uncle Guini, isn't the success rate for preparing the Qi-accumulating Powder rather low?" "Yes," Guini replied in a steady tone. "It's said that even Master Goh, the Master of the Dan Dynasty, achieves a success rate of only about seven out of ten. For a regular fourth-rank alchemist, it might be less than five out of ten." "But this elder gentleman succeeded on his very first attempt..." Yafei said, frowning slightly. "Who knows? Perhaps it's just good fortune on his part..." Guini shook his head, not overly concerned. After all, when alchemists prepared pills, a significant portion of success depended on luck—sometimes, with good fortune, they might succeed in a row without a single failure. "Could it be... that he's actually more than a fourth-rank alchemist?" Yafei hesitated, then asked cautiously. "Hehe, how could that be possible? In the Jamah Empire, fifth-rank alchemists are so rare that even the most powerful forces—like the imperial court or Yunlan Sect—would treat them as honored guests. How could they come here to auction their pills?" Guini smiled. Upon hearing this, Yaofi also nodded slightly, exhaled softly, and sighed with a wry smile, saying, "I suppose I still haven't gained enough experience. My hesitation earlier must have significantly dampened this mysterious alchemist's favorable impression of us." "That's not your fault at all. With such a substantial amount involved, even I wouldn't have been bold enough to offer it all upfront. You've already done remarkably well. As for the relationship, we can build it gradually—just so long as he doesn't develop any negative feelings toward us." Guini reassured her. Nodding with a wry smile, Yaofi lounged comfortably in her chair, her curves clearly visible, and blinked her long, slender eyes, murmuring with slight curiosity, "Why would he be taking so many low-grade ingredients? What does he intend to do with them?" "The herbs all have hemostatic and bone-repairing effects—so he must be preparing healing remedies. After a brief pause, Gu Ni furrowed his brows, equally puzzled: 'Given his status, how would he be making such modest, common healing preparations?' Upon hearing this, Ya Fei narrowed her eyes, lightly tapping the table with her long, elegant fingers. After a moment, she stopped abruptly and said softly: 'It seems this elder gentleman has been particularly attentive to the Xiao family.' Gu Ni, his expression filled with astonishment, asked: 'You mean he intends to prepare healing remedies specifically for the Xiao family?' 'Recently, the Jialei family has hired a first-rank alchemist, and their affordable 'Spring-Revival Powder' has already captured the majority of the city's market share. If the Xiao family doesn't take swift action, they may end up with little recognition among the merchant guilds.' "Yafei's eyes sparkled as she smiled gently, 'The elderly gentleman from last time had mentioned that, should the opportunity arise, he would collaborate with the Xiao family. And now, with him purchasing such a large quantity of healing herbs at this very moment, his intentions seem quite clear.' 'Heh, it looks like the Xiao family has truly landed a solid ally—Lielu Family is now in for some trouble,' said Gu Ni, chuckling as he nodded in agreement. With a four-rank alchemy master at their side, such a privilege wasn't something other families could boast of. He looked at Yafei with a touch of admiration. 'Perhaps we should strengthen our contact with the Xiao family,' Yafei added lightly. 'While it's pleasant to enhance their standing, it's even more effective in solidifying our relationship when we provide support during their difficulties.' Gu Ni nodded in assent. With a four-rank alchemy master backing them, the Xiao family now deserved their serious attention. ... After leaving the auction hall, Xiao Yan proceeded as usual—carefully turning several corners before finally entering a quiet alley and changing his garments. After giving his pale red "Nagette" a few tosses, Xiao Yan felt a sense of delight. This type of Nagette was crafted from a rare material known as "Nash stone," which contained a special compact space capable of storing any inanimate object, making it exceptionally convenient. However, due to the scarcity of Nash stone, Nagettes were highly valuable. Even the most basic model in Xiao Yan's hands had a storage space measuring only about three to four square meters. Still, at that size, its price approached ten thousand gold coins. Within the Xiao family, Xiao Yan had only seen his father and the Senior Elder possess such Nagettes. Walking along the path through the family, as he passed the hall where his father's furious outbursts were echoing, Xiang Yan briefly fluttered his eyelids and gently peered in through the door crack. "Damn it! That old fool, Jialebi, is being absolutely arrogant—daring to openly snatch our business!" In the hall, Xiao Zhan was furiously pounding the table, his face flushed with rage, spilling tea all over the table. "Now, the several market districts under the Xiao family are suffering significant losses in foot traffic. The remaining merchants are anxious and unsettled, many of them quietly relocating to Jialebi's markets. If this trend continues, within another ten days, we might just see our own markets collapse." The second elder, seated below, was equally grim, his teeth clenched as he spoke. "What if I personally lead a group of elite family troops to quietly eliminate that first-tier alchemy master?" The third elder spoke with a fierce glint in his eyes, his tone sharp. "Right now, at least two Grand Combatants are guarding that alchemy master—there's no way it'll be that easy." Xiao Zhan waved his hand, sighed helplessly. "But if we keep dragging on like this, our losses will be enormous—the profits from the markets within Wutan account for the bulk of our family's income." The Third Elder spoke with growing frustration. Xiao Zhan's lips twitched; at that moment, he couldn't think of any other solution. "That mysterious alchemist who appeared at the auction that day—didn't he say he was open to collaborating with us? Given Guini's respectful demeanor, I'm certain he must be of high rank. With his support, the Gailie family would surely cause little ripple." The usually silent Senior Elder suddenly spoke softly. "Ah, who knows—maybe he was only saying that casually. For someone of his caliber, what would he gain by collaborating with us? After all, our modest profits—wouldn't he care about that?" Xiao Zhan shook his head with a wry smile, then sat heavily in his chair, exhaling in resignation. The three elders remained silent. Indeed, it was true—someone of that rank was indeed beyond the reach of the Xiao family. "Damn it, just hang on a few more days. If the Jialie family doesn't show any restraint, we'll be forced to go all the way—until either we or them are completely wiped out!" With a quick swipe of his lips, Xiao Zhan gripped the chair back tightly, fierce determination flashing in his eyes. Outside, hearing this, Xiao Yan slightly shrugged, ran a hand over his jade bracelet in his chest, a cold expression forming on his lips, and then slowly stepped back.