Chapter 829 The Third District?
Hou Xiaoyong scratched his head. He had expected the young girl before him to ask that question. He hesitated for a moment, then spoke in a low voice.
“I heard that tomorrow five qualifications to enter the Third District will be publicly released here. But it will go through an auction; only the highest bidders can enter.”
Ye Xuanyue nodded and said softly,
“If mortgaging spirit stones at the auction isn’t enough—using elixirs should be acceptable too, right?”
When she asked, Ye Xuanyue already knew the answer. Here, elixirs were clearly the most precious things. She thought for a moment, then added,
“Didn’t you say the missing materials could be bought here?”
Hou Xiaoyong nodded, glanced at the cool, collected young woman, and said,
“I’ll go look. You should wait here for a little while.”
……
Ye Xuanyue lowered her head quietly. The elixirs she had refined these past few days had nearly used up all the medicinal herbs she carried, and her spiritual power was severely drained. She stood there, eyes half closed.
Leng Moran turned his face to the girl’s quiet profile beside him. He could sense the faint trace of weariness she emanated, and his heart ached a little. He gently let her lean on his shoulder. His voice was very soft.
“Rest properly for a while.”
Ye Xuanyue leaned on his shoulder without a word. Her breathing was light and shallow. Leng Moran held her, standing at an inconspicuous street corner where almost no one noticed them. He smelled the faint, clear fragrance on her and understood her exhaustion. Although she had always been calm, composed, and tireless in appearance, she was truly very, very tired.
Leng Moran watched her profile. Her slightly lowered eyelashes trembled. He simply watched her quietly.
Actually, Ye Xuanyue did not lean for long. Perhaps only a short while passed. Once she had recovered a bit of spirit, Ye Xuanyue opened her eyes. Then Leng Moran heard her speak.
“Let’s go.”
Leng Moran was slightly taken aback.
“Go?”
“Go where?”
Ye Xuanyue’s voice was faint.
“To look for what we should be looking for.”
……
After hearing what Ye Xuanyue intended to search for, Leng Moran asked in a low voice,
“You want to refine a second batch of Demon Mouse Escape Elixir?”
Leng Moran knew what she meant. Back when neither of them had broken through in cultivation strength, Ye Xuanyue had rescued that Pegasus by relying on the Demon Mouse Escape Elixir. That medicine had been very useful. Moreover, Ye Xuanyue was now confident she could refine it—she was an alchemy grandmaster, not inferior to the Gao Shuqin of the past. What Ye Xuanyue wanted to find was the main ingredient for refining the Demon Mouse Escape Elixir.
When she had heard the auctioneer’s introduction for the Demon Mouse Tail Tuber, it had been said that this medicinal herb was almost non-existent in the Imperial Dynasty but grew in large quantities in areas occupied by spirit beasts. She wanted to see if any shops sold Demon Mouse Tail Tuber. She planned to refine more Demon Mouse Escape Elixir to prepare for unexpected needs.
What Leng Moran had said was right; being anxious now was useless. It was better to complete all the necessary preparations, then head to the Dragon Clan. She could not panic.
Ye Xuanyue inquired at several shops along the way. The first two did not have it. In the third shop she finally found what she wanted. This shop actually had quite a stock of the herb. Because Demon Mouse Tail Tuber was not considered extremely rare here, Ye Xuanyue did not pay much; she exchanged one elixir for a considerable amount. A hint of joy appeared in her eyes. As long as she could refine the Demon Mouse Escape Elixir, at least if danger arose they could flee. After Hei Yao consumed the Demon Mouse Escape Elixir, his speed likely would not be inferior to a Martial Emperor–level spirit beast.
After Ye Xuanyue finished buying the Demon Mouse Tail Tuber, Hou Xiaoyong returned. His expression changed the moment he saw Ye Xuanyue; he scratched his head and looked a little off—something had probably not gone smoothly. Ye Xuanyue met his gaze with clear, penetrating eyes. He stammered for a long time. Looking into the girl’s eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through people’s hearts, he chose to tell the truth.
Ye Xuanyue’s voice was cool.
“You mean—the material you guaranteed you’d definitely get isn’t here?”
Hou Xiaoyong actually seemed a bit afraid to meet her eyes directly. His voice was muddled.
“It’s not that it isn’t here at all. In the Wish-Granting Market, if you want it, you can always get your hands on it. You just have to post a task and have someone take it on.”
He hesitated, then added softly, “If possible, lend me one vial of Brocade Weaving Elixir. If I use it to post a task, I can definitely find that herb.” Worried she wouldn’t believe him, Hou Xiaoyong gritted his teeth. Beams of spiritual light appeared in his hands, and then four or five boxes materialized in his grasp. His tone was utterly sincere.
“The other materials are indeed all ready. The only thing missing is a leaf from a Dragon Clan symbiotic flower. That material really isn’t so common.”
Ye Xuanyue frowned slightly, then spoke softly, “Let’s not wait to post a task. Back and forth would take too much time. Let’s go to the Third District and try our luck.”
……
The next day, Ye Xuanyue looked at the person before her; her voice was faint.
“It’s all been checked and counted, right? Twenty vials of elixirs in total.”
The person opposite wore a complicated expression. Among the five passage tokens allowing entry into the Third District this time, three had actually been obtained by this young girl. Such a display revealed immense wealth and resources. Could she come from an alchemy family, or did she have a high-level alchemist among her elders? No one could imagine that this seemingly young girl was an Alchemy Grandmaster.
Ye Xuanyue took the command tokens and, without the slightest hesitation, asked, “Which way do we go?”
……
Ye Xuanyue did not feel too heartbroken about using so many elixirs at once. Many of them were duplicates. Previously, when they had barged into the Herb Garden, they had obtained a large supply of medicinal herbs, which was how she could refine so many basic elixirs. She had also used up a fair amount, but fortunately the Herb Garden had a rather complete array of herbs, allowing her to finish the refinements. Ye Xuanyue was not too distressed. If they ran out, they would simply find more.
She followed the direction given by the person who had handed her the travel permit. Ye Xuanyue walked forward a few steps. The man glanced at the young girl, then added as if offhand,
“After you go in, you’d best be careful. Remember, there are a few places not to go to lightly.”
He mentally transmitted a few locations, then hesitated before speaking again.
“If anything happens, go to the building in the very center with a blue cloth hanging in front. That place is the fairest; the others are hard to say.”
He would not have offered the reminder if he had not felt a twinge of pity at how young she looked. Ye Xuanyue paused slightly, nodded, and thanked him softly. She lifted her foot and walked on.