In the heart of Yun City stands the City Lord's Mansion, with the four major families spread across the four cardinal directions.

Given Miaodanfang's current standing, they could dominate the center of nearly any city in Tingxiang Kingdom. However, their location, just slightly closer to the center than the other families, reflected their humble and non-confrontational nature. This humility and refusal to compete openly earned them much favor from the City Lord’s Mansion, making them well-regarded in every city, Yun City included.

About fifteen minutes later, Tang Yan arrived at Miaodanfang.

The place occupied a large area, with the front hall dedicated to selling lower-tier elixirs and various herbs.

Upon entering, Tang Yan noticed that the shelves were sparsely stocked.

“How can I assist you, young master?” The shop assistant greeted him with a smile as soon as he walked in.

Tang Yan opened his folding fan and asked casually, “Do you have any elixirs that can increase true energy?”

“Our Miaodanfang specializes in two types of elixirs for increasing true energy: the Foundation Building Pill and the Qi-Boosting Pill,” the assistant immediately replied.

Tang Yan was familiar with these two types of elixirs. Both were first-grade pills. The Foundation Building Pill was a low-grade first-grade pill, suitable for warriors at the Origin rank. The Qi-Boosting Pill was slightly higher in grade, suitable for Yellow rank and below.

Though both types of pills were relatively suitable for him, he wasn’t here to buy pills today. Given his limited funds, he could at most buy half a bottle of Foundation Building Pills.

“Do you have any second-grade pills?” Tang Yan closed his fan and patted his chest. “I have plenty of money!”

The assistant’s smile faltered, and he thought, "Is he asking for trouble?" Second-grade pills were not something Miaodanfang openly sold. He hesitated before responding, “Young master, we do not have any second-grade pills for sale.”

Tang Yan's eyes widened, and with a dramatic swing, he slammed his fan onto the counter. “What? Is Miaodanfang really only selling first-grade pills for increasing true energy? How can you call yourself a major organization with only such basic offerings?”

His loud outburst immediately attracted everyone’s attention. Fortunately, Miaodanfang wasn’t a busy shop, and the few people present had no choice but to watch.

The assistant quickly explained, “Young master, second-grade pills can only be crafted by second-grade alchemists. Their production is limited, and they are only supplied to the major families. They aren’t sold openly at the counter. Seeing your distinguished appearance, I believe you understand our shop's rules.”

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“Since the pills are meant to be sold, and I have the money, why not sell them to me directly?” Tang Yan casually continued, leaning against the counter.

The assistant, growing nervous, realized Tang Yan’s confidence might be backed by his family status. Miaodanfang was powerful, but they weren’t keen on starting conflicts, especially with someone who might be from one of Yun City’s influential families.

After some hesitation, the assistant was about to speak when a deep, authoritative voice interrupted.

“We have our rules in Miaodanfang. Second-grade pills are rarely sold directly. However, since you seem to have the means, I’ll make an exception and sell you a bottle of Qi-Boosting Pills—just produced recently.” An old man in a gray robe with white eyebrows and sharp eyes appeared, walking into the room with an air of authority.

“Master Ge!” The staff and assistants immediately bowed respectfully.

This was Ge Ming, the Grand Elder of Miaodanfang and a second-grade alchemist, ranking above Wu Xuan.

The Qi-Boosting Pill was a second-grade, medium-tier pill known for its mild effects. Even first-tier Origin warriors could take it without risking their meridians. For many families, this was the go-to elixir for nurturing young talents.

But it was a difficult pill to make, and even a second-grade alchemist faced a high failure rate in its production.

Tang Yan frowned as he smelled a faint, burnt scent in the air and turned his gaze to the old man.

Ge Ming glanced at the porcelain bottle in his hand before stepping forward with a smile. “This Qi-Boosting Pill is priced at one hundred thousand taels of silver. I’ll sell it to you for this price, young master. What do you think?”

Tang Yan’s mind raced. “One hundred thousand taels? Don’t think you can overcharge me.” Outwardly, he kept his composure, laughing. “Sounds good, but can I inspect the pill first?”

“Inspect it? Are you doubting the quality of the pill I’ve given you?” Ge Ming’s eyes flashed coldly.

Tang Yan quickly waved his hand. “Miaodanfang has been around for centuries, and its reputation is solid. Of course, you wouldn’t risk tarnishing it over a hundred thousand taels. But I’ve never seen a Qi-Boosting Pill before, so I just want to make sure it’s the real deal before I buy it. You know, just in case I end up with the wrong one and have trouble explaining it later.”

“If you must inspect it, feel free. But if the pill is damaged, you’ll have to pay for it,” Ge Ming said, a sneer creeping into his tone as he handed over the porcelain bottle. He didn’t take Tang Yan seriously, thinking he was just an arrogant young man with no real understanding.

Tang Yan accepted the bottle, gently uncorked it, and sniffed the opening before quickly recapping it.

“Have you finished inspecting it?” Ge Ming asked, his sneer growing more pronounced as he watched Tang Yan handle the bottle casually.

“Done,” Tang Yan replied with a nod.

When it came to identifying elixirs, the first step was to check their shape; a smooth, round shape was preferred. Next, the color had to be uniform, and the final test was to sense the elixir’s spiritual energy. If a person wasn’t skilled enough, they typically used special tools. Of course, there were more detailed methods, but these weren’t important now. Tang Yan was just playing along to amuse himself, pretending to be knowledgeable.

The shop assistant and even Xiao Cui could only look on with amusement. “He’s pretending to know what he’s doing. It’s so obvious…”

Ge Ming, noticing the way Tang Yan was handling the pill, grew more skeptical. “So, do you think this Qi-Boosting Pill is genuine?”

Tang Yan thought for a moment, then tapped his fan against his palm, pretending to ponder the situation. “It seems real. However, the price could be more reasonable.”

“Oh? How much would you say is a fair price, young master?” Ge Ming’s tone remained polite but clearly condescending.

“Three thousand taels. Take it or leave it,” Tang Yan said confidently, offering a much lower price than the asking amount.

Ge Ming was momentarily stunned, then chuckled to himself. “This young fool thinks he can haggle with me?”