Chapter 210: Isn't It... I'm Going to Recruit You as My Son-in-Law?
"What's going on? Didn't I just completely expel the branding poison?"
Xiao Yan's face gradually darkened as he looked at the glaring blackness on the tip of his right middle finger. He looked up in disbelief at the figure calmly raising his glass across from him and asked in confusion: "Brother Bai..."
He wasn't doubting Xiao Bai, but was instead extremely shocked and confused.
He had clearly used the strange fire to incinerate the branding poison into nothingness during his training earlier. What was going on with this finger?
Xiao Bai glanced at the waving black finger before him, then retracted his gaze and spoke slowly, "That branding poison is, in a sense, a fire poison. That's why it's so potent and formidable. Although it's only a fifth-tier poison, even Dou Huangs are wary of it!"
"Nalan Jie cultivates a wood-attributed technique. Among the Five Elements, wood can generate fire. The branding poison has long lurked within him, merging with his Dou Qi and mutating. Its toxicity has increased dramatically due to its fire attribute, making it even more potent!"
"Coincidentally, the Azure Lotus Earth Core Fire within you is a Strange Fire. As the King of All Fires, you possess the innate ability to subjugate other lower-level flames, even those with toxic properties!"
"Don't worry! With your Strange Fire, those poisons won't affect you at all. Instead, they'll give you another tool. Release your Dou Qi, and you'll see!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan didn't hesitate. He extended his right hand, and azure Dou Qi suddenly rose from his palm.
A moment later, faint traces of black appeared on the surface of the flaming Dou Qi!
"Oh my god! Dou Qi actually has this thing in it!"
Xiao Yan exclaimed in shock, his eyes wide open, staring intently at the black traces.
With a thought, he sent a surge of cyan Dou Qi, forcing the dark traces into the middle finger of his palm.
Instantly, the entire finger became inky black, emitting a faint, eerie glow.
"See? If you can stick this black finger into someone, even a Dou King wouldn't die, but it wouldn't be easy!"
Hearing this, Xiao Yan studied the black finger, his expression gradually calming.
Then, as if realizing something, he grinned, twitching his fingers slightly, and looking at Xiao Bai with a look of eagerness.
"What? You don't want your hand anymore?"
Xiao Bai paused, glancing at the agitated Xiao Yan, his lips curling slightly in a playful smile.
Hearing this familiar tone, and recalling what happened yesterday at the Mitel Auction House, Xiao Yan shuddered and quickly suppressed the urge within him.
"Hehe, Brother Bai, believe me, I was definitely affected by this branding poison!"
After dispersing the branding poison from his hand, the black color gradually faded. Returning to normal, Xiao Yan gave a wry smile and began to ramble seriously.
Unwilling to pay attention to this increasingly suicidal individual, Xiao Bai glanced at the black ring on his hand and whispered, "Medicine Master, now that we have the herbs, when will we begin refining the Sanqi Soul Liquid?"
"What's your current level of alchemy?" Instead of answering, Yao Lao inquired about Xiao Bai's skill level.
"Sixth level shouldn't be a problem, but seventh level, I haven't tried it yet!" Xiao Bai's eyes flickered with thought. It seemed this Sanqi Soul Liquid was far from simple.
Come to think of it, a Dou Zong-grade elixir would have to be at least sixth level or higher. Any lower, and the elixir would be quite exceptional.
A moment later, a list filled with medicinal herbs floated out of the ring, and Yao Lao's voice echoed. "Sixth-grade herbs are enough. As long as we gather the herbs here, we can begin!"
Xiao Bai took the list and glanced at the more than twenty herbs on it, frowning slightly. "These herbs aren't particularly precious, but there are a few on it. Can the Jia Ma Empire even obtain them?"
"Let's try first. This is my simplified version. If it were the original recipe, it would be even more difficult!"
Yao Lao sighed helplessly. "Wait until we've collected them and see what's missing. Then we'll try again to see if we can find alternatives!"
"Okay!" Xiao Bai nodded, stood up, and said, "I'll go to the auction house and ask how much they have!"
With that, he strode out of the courtyard.
"Brother Bai, wait for me!" Xiao Yan hurriedly stood up and followed him.
"Are you going too?" Xiao Bai paused, looking back at Xiao Yan behind him.
"No, if you go to the auction house, I'll go to the Alchemist Guild and ask how much they have!"
As he spoke, Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Bai with an unprecedented seriousness in his eyes, revealing a stubbornness. He clenched his fists and said in a low voice, "Brother Bai, I know my cultivation is low and I can't be of much help in the battle, but I want to contribute, rather than just sit here and reap the benefits!"
"After all, this happened because of me!"
Looking at the stubborn young man before him, Xiao Bai was silent for a moment, then patted his shoulder, nodded slightly, and said, "Let's go!"
The Mitel Auction House was still bustling with people coming and going.
Yesterday's events seemed to have had no impact on the auction house.
Xiao Bai stood at the door, observing the scene, nodded slightly to the guards who bowed on both sides of the gate, and walked straight into the hall.
The people passing by looked at the black-robed figure with a look of surprise, not expecting these usually aloof guards to be so respectful.
When Xiao Bai entered the hall, dozens of sharp gazes swept over. When they saw the newcomer, these gazes seemed to be frightened and quickly retracted.
"Master Bai, what are you doing here?"
A woman dressed as a steward and looking slightly familiar trotted over and said respectfully.
"When I bought medicinal herbs in Wutan City, you were the one who helped me, right?"
Xiao Bai's eyes flickered slightly as he looked at the familiar person in front of him. His mind raced as he remembered why she looked so familiar.
Seeing that she was now dressed like a steward, he immediately understood that Ya Fei seemed to have taken over the power of this auction house.
"It is an honor for Xiao Shiliu that Your Excellency remembers me!"
The woman's eyes were excited as she looked at the young man in black robes. She didn't expect that in just a few years, the young man who was still buying first-grade medicinal herbs had reached this point.
Xiao Bai smiled and nodded. He looked around. The hall had returned to normal, and he didn't see that charming figure.
"Where is Ya Fei?"
"My Excellency, follow me!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Shiliu smiled faintly and led the way, leading Xiao Bai directly to the grand entrance of a room upstairs. She knocked and said, "Elder Yafei, Lord Bai is here!"
The room suddenly clattered with the sound of tables and chairs, and then the door opened, revealing a pair of beautiful, peach-shaped eyes gleaming with surprise.
"You're here?" she said, waving to Xiao Shiliu beside her. After she left, Yafei quickly turned aside and said happily, "Come in!"
Entering the room, two massive rows of bookshelves came into view, one neatly stacked with thick volumes, the other with documents.
She led Xiao Bai to a table and chair behind the bookshelves, where they sat down. She gazed at him with a smile and softly asked, "Why did you think of coming to me?"
"I came to ask for your help!" Xiao Bai smiled, stretched out his hand, and a list appeared in his hand, which he handed over. "Please help me see how much I can gather?"
"I knew you wouldn't come here without something else!" The smile on Yafei's pretty face faltered, a hint of disappointment flickering across her face. After a fleeting moment, she took the list and gave him a stern look.
She lowered her head, briefly scanning the names of the herbs. After a moment's hesitation, she looked up and asked, "When do you want these herbs?"
"The sooner the better!"
Seeing she wasn't embarrassed, Xiao Bai's eyes lit up slightly, and he couldn't help but feel hopeful. Could it be that his luck was just that good?
"You really know how to give me a hard time!"
Yafei glanced at him with her beautiful eyes, placed the list on the table, and pointed to a spot on it. "This Phantom Grass. The caravan was just sent out a few days ago. It'll be at least two months before we get any news. For now, I can only try to find out for you. I can't guarantee you'll find it!"
"I don't know what's going on in the Izumo Empire lately. This stuff has rarely been circulating. It used to be okay; caravans would occasionally bring some in, but now..."
Yafei shook her head.
"What does this have to do with the Izumo Empire? Is it only produced there?"
Xiao Bai asked curiously. He had never paid much attention to the origin of medicinal herbs.
"Hehe. My dear Master Xiao, Yafei thought you knew everything."
Seeing the usually calm and composed Xiao Bai suddenly become like a curious baby, Yafei's jade-like face broke into a playful smile and quipped.
"I don't know about other places, but the Phantom Grass that appears in the Jia Ma Empire almost all comes from the Izumo Empire."
"Between Izumo and Mulan, there's a swamp stretching for thousands of miles called the Nether Swamp. It's shrouded in poisonous fog year-round, a paradise for poisonous flowers and insects."
"Just like the Magic Beast Mountains in the Jia Ma Empire are a vital place for obtaining cultivation resources, it's also a precious source of materials for poison masters there!"
"The prevalence of poison masters in the Izumo Empire is closely related to the Nether Swamp. And this Phantom Grass, while not a poisonous weed, also comes from there!"
Yafei looked at him quietly, her cheek resting on her hand, her beautiful eyes smiling, and softly explained the reason.
"So, this Phantom Grass is out of reach for the time being?"
Xiao Bai frowned slightly. The Izumo Empire wasn't close, and because of the Jia Ma Empire's hatred of poison masters, few people from there came over. Obtaining this item in a short period of time wouldn't be easy.
Upon hearing this, Ya Fei smiled wryly and shook her head: "I'll try to find out for you, but don't get your hopes up!"
Nodding, Xiao Bai pointed to the list and said, "Besides that, what about the others? Do you have them all?"
Ya Fei shook her head, her brows furrowed slightly, and whispered, "There's also the Earth Dragon Amber Flower. This medicinal herb is very rare. It only appeared once at the Mitel Auction House two years ago!"
"Apart from that, we do have the rest!"
"Okay, prepare them for me, and I'll pick them up when I need them!" With that, Xiao Bai stood up and prepared to leave.
Yafei was taken aback. She hadn't expected him to come and go so abruptly. After finishing his business, he was ready to leave without a moment's delay. Pursing her red lips, she said with a slightly disappointed tone, "Are you leaving now?"
"Yeah! Going to have a look around and see if I can find the remaining two herbs!" Xiao Bai lazily walked towards the door.
"Then go! Yafei won't see you off!" her voice rang out, a hint of anger.
"I know you're busy, no need to see you off!" With a casual wave, Xiao Bai opened the door and left.
Gazing at the closed door, Yafei gritted her teeth, her delicate hand resting on the list, squeezing it into a ball, and sneered. "Haha. Busy, busy, busy? Am I busy?"
After a moment, she carefully unfolded the list in her hand, biting her red lip, a flicker of confusion in her eyes.
She couldn't quite put her finger on how she felt about Xiao Bai.
Gratitude? She had been able to complete the family's trial almost entirely thanks to the elixirs he had given her in Wutan City, and for that, she was truly grateful.
Did she like it? There was a little, and she couldn't lie to herself about it.
Initially, it was just a slight liking. During their time together in Wutan City, Xiao Bai's eyes had always been clear, never filled with disgust.
But yesterday, when he'd defended Zi Yan, that domineering moment had truly stirred her heart, though she'd never felt that way before. Otherwise, she wouldn't have acted so impulsively.
Admiration? It seemed so. He was unlike any other man she'd ever met.
Compared to him, the so-called prodigies of the Jia Ma Empire paled in comparison.
Faced with the half-lot auction offered by Hai Lao, he'd rejected it without a blink.
No one else in the Jia Ma Empire would have done that.
Thinking of this, Ya Fei shook her head bitterly. Aside from the exceptionally gifted women of the family like Nalan Yanran, who could choose their own destinies, the rest were fortunate to find someone they loved, and whose family didn't object.
Initially, Xiao Bai had approached her, filled with joy, but he was so unsympathetic, he wouldn't even stay a moment longer!
After a moment of daze, a faint sigh echoed from the room.
Evening.
Xiao Bai returned to the courtyard with nothing to show for it.
As he entered, a dark figure darted in front of him.
"Hey, Brother Bai, I've been waiting for you for ages!"
"What for?" Xiao Bai was speechless, looking at the mysterious Xiao Yan before him.
"Didn't you find the Earth Dragon Amber Flower?" Xiao Yan asked smugly, a sly smile on his face.
"Indeed!" Xiao Bai nodded, puzzled, wondering how this guy knew.
"Look, what's this?" Xiao Yan stretched out his hand, and a jade box appeared in his hand.
The jade box was sealed with impeccable care, evidently showing the care taken by the person who had preserved it.
Xiao Bai scanned it with his soul and instantly knew it was the herb he was looking for. His eyes narrowed slightly, and as he looked at Xiao Yan, who seemed to be asking for credit, he smiled and said, "Tell me! What's going on?"
An incense stick of time passed.
"So, you're going to attend the Alchemist Conference?"
After listening to Xiao Yan's story, Xiao Bai immediately understood what was going on.
It turned out that the Earth Dragon Amber Flower that Ya Fei had mentioned, which had appeared two years prior, had been bought by someone Xiao Yan knew.
"I can't help it. That old man made a bet with me, saying that if I could find a second Earth Dragon Amber Flower, all other bets would be void, and the herbs would be given to me. And the bet required me to participate in the Alchemist Conference!" Xiao Yan said helplessly.
"How much does the president of the Alchemist Guild in Black Rock City think of you that he would make such a bet that has no benefit for him at all? Is he trying to recruit you as his son-in-law?" Xiao Bai looked him up and down with a playful look.
"Bah, son-in-law!" Xiao Yan raised his head with a coquettish expression: "That's because I'm handsome and everyone loves me, there's nothing I can do about it!"
"Take care of it yourself, just don't expose yourself!" Xiao Bai shook his head in amusement and didn't interfere. Xiao Yan was not stupid.
"Don't worry! I just agreed to participate, I didn't say I will definitely get a place!" Xiao Yan smiled obscenely.
".!" Xiao Bai.
So this is what this kid was thinking!
Suddenly, Xiao Bai was stunned.
Alchemist Conference. Izumo Empire Phantom Grass!
As the vice president of the Izumo Empire Alchemist Guild, that guy might actually have it on him.
Thinking of this, Xiao Bai's eyes gradually lit up.
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(End of Chapter)