The Mittel Auction House belongs to the wealthiest Family in the Jia Ma Empire: the Mittel Family.
The Mittel Family is also a massive clan known as one of the three giants of the Jia Ma Empire, alongside the Nalan Family and the Intel Family. (This Intel Family was written this way at the beginning of Chapter 21 in the original work; the author, Silkworm Potato, simply retconned it later.)
Chen Yang walked with light steps and soon arrived at the entrance of the Mittel Auction House, following the directions given by passersby.
Even during the day, several fully armed guards stood at the entrance of the Mittel Auction House.
Stepping into the establishment, a wave of cool air immediately washed over him. (Reading it again, I realized this kid Potato included quite a bit of personal flair; there's even a clubhouse!)
Chen Yang looked at the magnificent hall, scanned the area, and then walked into an appraisal room.
In the appraisal room, a middle-aged man sitting somewhat bored in a chair did not look down on Chen Yang because of his clothes. He rose with a professional smile and stepped forward. "Young Brother, are you planning to have an item appraised?"
Chen Yang shook his head. "Your Auction House should have an Alchemist, right?"
The middle-aged man froze for a moment, then nodded. "That's correct. Great Master Gu Ni of the Mittel Auction House is a Second-Grade Alchemist. Everyone in Wutan City knows this. Does Young Brother wish to ask Great Master Gu Ni for help with Alchemy?"
An appraiser trained by the Mittel Family would not let any business opportunity slip by.
Chen Yang reached out to lean on the table and said softly, "You could say that. Could I trouble you to introduce me to Great Master Gu Ni?"
The middle-aged man looked at Chen Yang's youthful face. Experience told him that this young man likely didn't have the means to request a Second-Grade Alchemist's services. However, when his eyes swept over Chen Yang's left hand resting on the table, his pupils suddenly constricted.
He saw at a glance that the ring on Chen Yang's hand was a storage ring. For a young man to possess a storage ring, his financial strength must be extraordinary.
"Sir, please follow me. I will take you to see Great Master Gu Ni right now." The professional smile on the middle-aged man's face vanished, and his form of address changed from Young Brother to Sir.
Chen Yang nodded and followed the middle-aged man out the door, up the stairs, and around a corner, soon arriving in front of a door.
Seeing no guards outside, the middle-aged man stepped forward and knocked.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
"Who is it?"
"Great Master Gu Ni, a gentleman wishes to ask you to refine some Medicinal Pills." The middle-aged man stood respectfully at the door and spoke.
He was just an ordinary Six-Star Dou Practitioner, while Gu Ni inside was not only a Second-Grade Alchemist but also a Three-Star Great Dou Shi expert.
"Oh."
Having received a response, the middle-aged man continued to wait. An Alchemist's room was not a place just anyone could enter freely.
"Creak!"
A few seconds later, the door opened, and an old man in green robes with slightly graying hair walked out.
"Master, this is the gentleman who wishes to ask you for Alchemy." The middle-aged man said, bowing slightly to Gu Ni.
"Mhm." Gu Ni's face carried the haughty expression common to all Alchemists. He turned to glance lightly at Chen Yang, but suddenly his brow furrowed. The youth before him was actually an Alchemist as well.
"You may leave." Gu Ni's haughty expression softened slightly as he turned to the middle-aged man.
"Yes!"
As the middle-aged man departed, Gu Ni welcomed Chen Yang into the room.
Upon entering, Chen Yang smelled a thick medicinal fragrance. He glanced at a Medicine Cauldron in the corner, then looked at Gu Ni and said with a smile, "Mr. Gu Ni, were you just attempting to refine a third-grade qi recovery pill?" (In the original battle through the heavens, qi recovery pills were both second and third grade. Let's assume they exist from second to ninth grade, primarily to restore different levels of Fighting Qi.)
"Hmm???" Gu Ni looked at Chen Yang in surprise. To be able to identify the pill he was refining just by the scent—could this youth be a Third-Grade Alchemist?
"That's right. How did the young sir see through it?" Gu Ni deliberately probed, wanting to see if the youth before him was truly a Third-Grade Alchemist or if he had this judgment for some other reason.
"I advanced to Third-Grade Alchemist a while ago. I've refined several batches of these qi recovery pills, so I'm naturally familiar with them." As Chen Yang spoke, he walked over to Gu Ni's Medicine Cauldron and lightly dusted it off with his hand.
This was a Rank Two Medicine Cauldron. It could be used to refine third-grade pills, but the success rate would be lower.
Furthermore, Gu Ni was only a Second-Grade Alchemist on the surface; this third-grade qi recovery pill was merely an attempt for him.
"Since Your Excellency is a Third-Grade Alchemist, why have you come to find me for Alchemy?" Gu Ni asked in confusion.
"If I hadn't said that, how would the appraiser have brought me to see Mr. Gu Ni?" Chen Yang turned back and asked Gu Ni in response.
"That's true..." Gu Ni nodded slightly, then asked again, "I wonder what Your Excellency specifically needs from me?"
A Third-Grade Alchemist wasn't enough to make Gu Ni so respectful, but such a young Third-Grade Alchemist was a different story.
As far as he knew, the little princess of the Imperial Family and the top disciple of Pill King Gu He were probably around this level.