Chapter 21: Second-Rank Alchemist Gu Ni

 Temir Auction House, the largest auction venue in Wutan City, is also affiliated with the wealthiest family in the Gamah Empire: the Temir family. The novel unfolds entirely here.

 In the Gamah Empire, if we're talking about wealth, the Temir family is probably second to none.

 The Temir family has a long history, having developed in the Gamah Empire for hundreds of years, with relationships that are quite complex. According to some rumors, this fabulously rich family seems to have some connections with the imperial family of the Gamah Empire.

 In the empire, the Temir family, together with the Nalan family and the Tel family, is known as the three giants of Gamah. These three families have their hands in various sectors like business and military, wielding significant power.

 Therefore, with such a powerful background as the Temir family backing them, no matter how enticing the profits from the auction house are, no one dares to set their sights on them.

 Looking at the massive venue at the end of the street, Xiao Yan turned into a secluded alley and quickly put on the black cloak he had bought earlier.

 The large robe covered him up, not only hiding Xiao Yan's appearance but also making his somewhat slender figure look bulky. Now, even if Xun Er stood right in front of him, it would probably be hard to recognize him at a glance...

 Once he concealed his figure, Xiao Yan finally let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't that he was being overly cautious; it's just that things like Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid were too attractive to some family powers. After all, if someone could mass-produce this kind of spirit liquid, the strength of their younger generation would grow rapidly, which would undoubtedly be the best catalyst for a family.

 To avoid bringing himself unnecessary trouble, Xiao Yan had no choice but to choose to be sneaky...

 He touched the slightly cool white jade bottle in his arms, and Xiao Yan slowly walked out of the alley, then headed toward the auction venue at the end of the street.

 Under the vigilant eyes of several fully armed guards at the door, Xiao Yan walked straight in without stopping.

 As soon as he entered the club, that intense heat seemed to be stripped away from his body, replaced by a coolness that gave him a strange feeling of being in two different worlds.

 His gaze swept across the splendid and spacious hall, and Xiao Yan walked towards a room to the side, where the door had three large characters shining in gold: "Treasure Appraisal Room."

 He pushed the door open, and the room inside was somewhat empty, with only a middle-aged man sitting bored at the table. Hearing the sound of the door, the middle-aged man looked up and gazed at the figure wrapped in a black robe, his brows furrowing slightly without any noticeable expression. Then, a professional smile quickly spread across his face: "Sir, are you here for a treasure appraisal?"

 "Hmm." From beneath the black robe, a dry, aged voice floated out, surprisingly it was the voice of Yao Lao.

 Xiao Yan took two steps forward and casually pulled out a white jade bottle from his pocket, gently placing it on the table.

 "What is this?" The middle-aged man blinked his eyes in confusion, carefully picking up the white jade bottle. He sniffed the opening of the bottle, and after a moment, his expression changed slightly as he looked back at Xiao Yan with a hint of awe: "Are you a pill master, sir?"

 "Mm." An aged voice came out again.

 "May I ask, what is this bottle... what kind of pill is it? What does it do?" Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man asked respectfully again.

 "Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid. It can enhance the cultivation speed of fighting energy, but it can only be used by those below the fighter level to be effective."

 "Oh? It can enhance the cultivation speed of fighting energy?" The middle-aged man was somewhat moved upon hearing this. Cultivating fighting energy can only be done in a conventional manner, which has almost become common knowledge for everyone. Moreover, the meridians of cultivators at this stage are extremely fragile, and if the medicinal effect is too strong, it could lead to a tragic end of broken meridians and death...

 "My spirit liquid has no side effects, and its potency is very mild, so it won't lead to that kind of outcome. You can rest assured." The old voice slowly explained, seemingly aware of what the middle-aged man was thinking.

 The middle-aged man's expression changed again, and he cautiously placed the white jade bottle back on the table, respectfully saying, "Sir, could you please wait a moment? I need to go fetch Master Guni from our auction house to authenticate the spirit liquid!"

 "Yeah, make it quick." With a wave of his hand, Xiao Yan was not polite and sat down in a nearby chair, then closed his eyes to rest.

 The middle-aged man quickly nodded and hurriedly left the room.

 Sitting in the chair, Xiao Yan remained silent and did not initiate a conversation with the Medicine Elder. This was someone else's territory, so it was better to be cautious; who could guarantee there were no peeping or eavesdropping devices here?

 After staying in the room for a while, the middle-aged man returned, but this time he brought with him an elderly man in green robes with somewhat graying hair.

 His gaze swept over the old man, finally landing on his chest, where there was no golden star, but rather something resembling a medicine furnace, and on the surface of the furnace, two silver ripples shimmered with a noble brilliance.

 "Sir, this is Master Guni from our auction house; he is a three-star Dou Master! Also, he is a second-grade alchemist!" The middle-aged man introduced respectfully.

 Hearing this identity behind the old man, Xiao Yan's eyebrows instinctively raised under his cloak; this was the first time he had encountered an alchemist other than Yao Lao, so he couldn't help but scrutinize the other closely.

 The old man had a radiant face, and although his green robe seemed ordinary, there was a faint glow flowing through it, clearly indicating that the garment had been enhanced with some kind of magic crystal protection. On the ordinary old face, there was an unmistakable hint of pride, something every alchemist must possess.

 As Xiao Yan was sizing up the other party, Gu Ni was also discreetly scanning him, after all, alchemists aren't fighters; just a single one of them would be fiercely coveted by any power, so while Gu Ni was observing, he was secretly speculating about Xiao Yan's identity.

 The middle-aged man carefully picked up the jade bottle from the table and then handed it to Gu Ni…

 Taking the white jade bottle, Gu Ni lightly sniffed the fragrant aroma, his old eyes squinted slightly, his pupils flickering a bit, the bottle's opening tilted, and a small drop of green liquid slowly rolled out, then hovered in the palm of Gu Ni's hand.

 Fixing his gaze tightly on the green liquid, Gu Ni pinched with two fingers, and a silver fine needle appeared between them, the needle slightly shimmering with a wave of fighting energy, quietly dipping into the green liquid, then gently stirring...

 As the fine needle stirred, Guni's expression gradually shifted from calm to serious. After a moment, he collected the azure liquid into a jade bottle. When his gaze swept back to Xiao Yan, there was an added respect on his proud face, and he turned to the middle-aged man and said solemnly, "The spirit liquid has reached the level of a second-grade pill; what this esteemed sir mentioned earlier is no lie!"

 Hearing this, the middle-aged man let out a sigh of relief and said to Xiao Yan with enthusiasm, "Esteemed sir, are you planning to auction this spirit liquid?"

 "Hmm, can you arrange the fastest auction time for me?"

 "Hehe, that's no problem at all. Esteemed sir, take this to Auction Room No. 1; there's an auction happening there right now, and your spirit liquid will be sold shortly!" The middle-aged man smiled and handed over a pitch-black iron plate.

 "Hmm." Casually taking the iron plate, Xiao Yan didn」t linger and walked out of the room under their watchful eyes.

 "Master Guni, is he an alchemist?" The middle-aged man asked in a low voice after Xiao Yan disappeared.

 "Yeah, he」s definitely an alchemist. That sharp soul perception, there's no mistaking it..." Guni nodded, then frowned and muttered to himself, puzzled, "But which faction does he belong to? I haven't heard of any alchemist in Wutan City who can refine second-grade pills before?"

 "Should we investigate his background?" the middle-aged man suggested softly.

 Guni squinted his old eyes, thought for a moment, and shook his head slightly: "Not for now. Alchemists tend to have strange tempers. If our investigation catches his attention, it might give him a bad impression of the auction house. Offending a mysterious alchemist of unknown rank isn't a wise move at all."

 Turning his head and glancing at the middle-aged man, Guni said lightly: "You should know how to make him like us, right?"

 "Hehe, got it."

 "Remember, even if you can't get along, you absolutely mustn't offend anyone, or else..." With a faintly cold remark, Guni floated away.