When Tang Yan quoted his price, a brief silence fell over the shop.

Everyone turned their gaze to Tang Yan. The boy had been acting incredibly flippant, and no one knew which spoiled heir from a wealthy family was here causing a ruckus. But Miaodanfang, with its esteemed reputation, was not one to be trifled with—this young man was bound to hit a wall.

Three thousand taels... When the number left Tang Yan's mouth, Ge Ming thought he might be hearing things.

A feeling of being duped, like a cat being played with by a mouse, crept over him. Ge Ming nearly exploded with anger. He slammed his hand on the table and shouted, “Boy, do you think Miaodanfang is just some lowly shop? How dare you cause trouble here!”

“Master Ge, what’s this all about?” Tang Yan asked, feigning fear. “Don’t scare me. If your price is too high, I’ll just walk out. How is that ‘causing trouble’?”

“Second-grade pills, and you think you can buy them for three thousand taels? Such a low 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 grew dangerously cold.

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

“I’ve already told you, it’s just been recently made,” Ge Ming responded, his patience thinning.

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

Ge Ming’s expression froze. He couldn’t believe it. This young man had somehow figured out the details of the pill production process, despite having so little to go on. The only interactions they had were brief exchanges of words and a single sniff from Tang Yan when he examined the bottle.

Could it be... that he could determine that the entire batch had failed except for these three pills just by sniffing the bottle?

Suppressing the absurdity of the thought, Ge Ming forced himself to remain calm. “It’s perfectly 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 and smiled knowingly. “The fragrance of the pills is too strong, with a slight burnt smell. It’s clear that during the final stage of pill creation, the heat wasn’t properly controlled. 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 that Master Ge chose the second option.”

Ge Ming’s heart skipped a beat. How did this boy know all of this? Was it truly possible to detect this from just the scent of the pill?

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He hesitated but forced himself to respond, “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 was not optimal, which hindered your focus; or second, the issue lies with the cauldron,” Tang Yan continued, maintaining his composed demeanor.

“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 tone light, but with a sharpness that left no room for doubt.

Ge Ming’s face turned pale. How could this young man know about the new cauldron? This was something only he knew—no one else even suspected it. The only possible 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 this young man 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 these were extremely 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 will 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.”