As Tang Yan's price was announced, a brief silence fell over the shop.

Everyone turned their gaze toward Tang Yan. The young man had been acting incredibly flippant, and no one knew exactly which heir of a wealthy family had come to stir trouble at Miaodanfang. However, with Miaodanfang's esteemed reputation and power, this brash young man was clearly in for a tough time.

Three thousand taels... When the price left Tang Yan’s mouth, Ge Ming almost couldn’t believe his ears.

He was struck by a feeling of being outsmarted, as if a cat had been toyed with by a mouse. Ge Ming’s anger flared, and he slammed his hand on the table, shouting, “Boy, do you think Miaodanfang is some kind of lowly shop? How dare you behave like this!”

“Master Ge, what do you mean by that?” Tang Yan asked, feigning fear. “Don’t scare me. If your price is too high, I’ll just leave. How is that causing trouble?”

“Second-grade pills, and you think you can buy them for three thousand taels? This price is an insult to the quality of Miaodanfang’s goods. If you don’t give me a reasonable explanation, you won’t be leaving here so easily!” Ge Ming’s voice turned cold.

Hearing Ge Ming’s threat, Tang Yan chuckled. “Master Ge, this pill was probably made from a single cauldron, right?”

“I’ve already told you, it’s just been freshly made,” Ge Ming responded, trying to stay calm.

“My point is, this cauldron only produced these three usable pills,” Tang Yan said, his tone casual.

Ge Ming froze. How did this young man know all of this? The only interaction they had was a few words and a sniff from Tang Yan when he examined the bottle.

Could it really be that Tang Yan had figured out the entire process just by the scent of the bottle?

Suppressing the absurdity of the thought, Ge Ming forced himself to remain composed. “It’s normal for a cauldron to produce only three second-grade medium-tier pills. Do you think second-grade pills are as easy to make as candy?”

Tang Yan shook his head with a knowing smile. “The fragrance of the pills is too strong, with a faint burnt scent. Clearly, during the final stages of pill creation, the heat wasn’t controlled properly. At that point, there are two options: one is to continue the process, but with a ninety-nine percent chance of failure. The other is to abandon some of the materials and protect the pills, resulting in fewer pills with compromised efficacy. It seems Master Ge chose the second option.”

Ge Ming's heart skipped a beat. How did this boy know about the issue with the heat control? Could it really be true?

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

He hesitated but forced himself to answer, “As a second-grade high-tier alchemist, I would never fail to control the heat properly.”

“Normally, Master Ge would have no trouble making medium-tier pills. The failure likely stems from two causes: first, your physical condition wasn’t optimal, hindering your focus; or second, the issue lies with the cauldron,” Tang Yan continued.

“Given that you’re in good health, I would guess that it’s the cauldron. You must have recently switched to a new one, right?” Tang Yan asked, his expression calm yet sharp.

Ge Ming was stunned. How did Tang Yan know about the new cauldron? This was something only he knew—no one else even suspected it. The only explanation was that Tang Yan had somehow figured it out from the faint burnt smell.

Tang Yan’s insight made Ge Ming realize how meticulous this young man was. His mind raced, and a thought struck him: could Tang Yan be after a pill to restore his damaged dantian?

Based on his experience, a pill to repair a destroyed dantian would need to be at least a sixth-grade pill, and such pills were rare and difficult to make. Their value could rival that of seventh-grade pills.

Miaodanfang likely didn’t even have a sixth-grade alchemist.

Tang Yan’s wish, it seemed, would remain unfulfilled.

It all made sense now—he hadn't detected any fluctuations in Tang Yan’s true energy. The boy must have had his dantian destroyed.

“Young friend, your insight is impressive. I’ll give you these three pills as a gift, free of charge, as a gesture of goodwill,” Ge Ming sighed, handing over the porcelain bottle with a resigned expression.

The onlookers were stunned. This young man had only spoken a few words and was now receiving three second-grade medium-tier pills for free?

“Thank you, Master Ge,” Tang Yan said, bowing and accepting the bottle without hesitation. His demeanor was gracious, but there was no sign of reluctance.

“Since you’ve come this far, I suspect you’re looking for a pill to restore your dantian, but I’m afraid that’s a request I can’t fulfill,” Ge Ming said with a wry smile.

Tang Yan paused, then smiled back. “Master Ge, I’m not here for that. I’ve come with a business proposition.”

Ge Ming raised an eyebrow, curious. “Oh? What business do you have in mind? Given your background, I doubt it’s something trivial.”

Without missing a beat, Tang Yan responded, “I’d like to borrow your cauldron for two hours.”

“Borrow my cauldron?” Ge Ming’s curiosity deepened. “How would that work?”

“I need two hours to use the cauldron here in Miaodanfang. There’s no need to move it; I simply need to refine a batch of pills. I’d appreciate it if you could accommodate me,” Tang Yan explained.

After a moment of consideration, Ge Ming finally said, “Refining pills requires soul power, perception, and true energy. With your dantian destroyed, the cauldron alone won’t help.”

“That won’t be an issue,” Tang Yan replied confidently. “The pills I plan to refine are low-grade and won’t require such stringent conditions.”

Ge Ming paused, considering the request. “Two hours... Alright, I’ll allow it, but since this is a business transaction, what will Miaodanfang gain from this arrangement?”

Tang Yan quickly weighed his options. He planned to refine a first-grade medium-tier Initial Spirit Pill, which had milder effects than the Qi-Boosting Pill and was easier for Origin warriors to absorb. There was no better pill for his level.

But what could he offer in return? Perhaps the Initial Spirit Pill itself? If he shared this recipe, would Miaodanfang covet it?

As he thought, he noticed a faint glint in Ge Ming’s eyes. Tang Yan frowned slightly—he was all too familiar with that gleam.

Suddenly, an idea struck him.

“After I’ve finished refining, I’ll give you the pills. If you’re not satisfied with my compensation, you can keep all the pills I produce.”