Secret Exchange
Before she had a chance to ask who the person was standing in front of her, Robert calmly pulled away the dark cloth draped over his shoulders and revealed his face.
"I am Robert Osborn," he said evenly.
The words landed like thunder.
Elder Lie's eyes widened as if he'd seen a ghost. For a brief moment, the chamber was enveloped in silence.
Robert Osborn—the discarded heir of the once-proud Osborn Clan.
The boy everyone mocked. The one labeled a waste, incapable of cultivating.
And yet… the man standing before him radiated strength.
His aura was steady. His posture is confident. No hint of weakness lingered in his gaze.
Elder Lie finally composed himself, masking his surprise with a calm expression. He gave a slow nod.
"Robert… Osborn. Please, have a seat."
Robert sat without a word, his expression calm, unshaken.
Elder Lie looked at the pill once again, his brows knitting slightly.
Such purity... and from someone the world thought incapable of cultivation.
There must be someone powerful behind him.
An alchemist? A hidden master?
As thoughts churned in his mind, the woman beside him offered a soft smile and stepped forward.
"I am Sarah Lie," she said, her voice smooth yet layered with depth.
The pill quality of this grade will certainly command a high price.
Only 5% of the proceeds from the sale of the three pills will be deducted by Grey-Shadow Hall as an auction fee.
Robert gave a brief nod of acknowledgment.
"Fair," he replied.
Elder Lie gave one last glance toward the pill before turning to leave.
"I'll take care of the auction arrangements myself," he declared, his voice sharpening with confidence. "With this kind of quality, we're definitely going to see a bidding war."
Once the elder exited the room, Sarah motioned toward an attendant nearby. "Bring tea for our guest."
The attendant bowed and quietly left the chamber.
Robert leaned in slightly as the room quieted down again. His voice dropped to a low, serious tone as he said, "I have a request to make."
I want to keep my participation a secret. No one should find out that I'm the one who sent in these pills.
Sarah studied him for a moment.
Her eyes lingered—not with suspicion, but curiosity. After a heartbeat, she nodded.
"As you wish."
She turned toward a shelf and withdrew a small item from a carved box.
It was a token—polished obsidian with a silver serpent coiled around a blade engraved at its center.
She handed it to him.
Here is your auction token—feel free to use it for any upcoming transactions. You get a 20 percent discount on all your purchases at Grey-Shadow Hall.
Robert didn't think twice before accepting it.
The tea arrived shortly after, filling the room with its calming scent.
For now, he sipped quietly—hidden in the shadows, but his influence was just starting to grow.
And in the grand halls of the Grey-Shadow, whispers of a mysterious cultivator with god-tier pills had already begun to ripple.
Roughly an hour later, Elder Lie returned with a composed expression and a sealed jade slip in hand.
He handed it directly to Robert.
"The auction wrapped up quickly," he explained. "Each of the three pills was sold to different buyers, with each fetching a cool 1,000 gold coins."
Robert listened silently, his expression calm.
Elder Lie continued, "That's a total of 3,000 gold. As agreed, Grey-Shadow Hall's commission is 5 percent—150 gold."
"You'll receive 2,850 gold coins in full.
Once he finished listening, Robert looked up and said, "Can I order a set of Body Tempering herbs? Please order me five of those."
Elder Lie nodded, but before he could speak, Sarah gently cut in. "Each set costs 300 gold coins. For five, that's 1,500 gold."
She gave a small smile. "With the Grey-Shadow token, you get a 20% discount. That brings your total down to 1,200 gold coins."
Robert nodded just a bit, showing his approval. "I'll take them."
"I also need low-level spirit stones. What's the price?"
Sarah replied smoothly, "The standard rate here is 200 gold coins per stone."
Robert didn't hesitate. "I need ten."
She smiled faintly and did a quick calculation. "That totals 2,000 gold coins, but you will get 20% off."
Final amount: 1,600 gold coins," she said, taking a moment to pause.
Robert gave a quiet nod.
Sarah looked up with a faint smile. "The total comes to 2,800 gold coins, after all discounts."
Robert nodded. "Have the items brought in."
The attendant bowed and quickly left the room. Within ten minutes, she returned carrying a storage ring.
She stepped forward respectfully and handed it to Robert.
Robert took the ring, inspecting it briefly.
He glanced at Sarah.
"This," she said, her voice soft, "is a token of friendship from the Grey-Shadow Hall."
Robert nodded gently. "I understand."
He tucked the ring into his pocket, pulled the dark cloth back over his face, and made his way toward the exit.
"Goodbye," he said, and without another word, he stepped out of the Grey-Shadow Hall.
After Robert left, Elder Lie turned toward Sarah with a curious gaze.
"Miss Sarah, why did you give him the storage ring and the Grey-Shadow token?"
Sarah's lips curled into a knowing smile.
"Did you see the pills he brought? A five-line refinement on body cultivation pills… There must be a powerful alchemist behind him.
If we treat him with courtesy now, we may be able to request that elder's help in refining pills for the Grey-Shadow Hall later."
Elder Lie stroked his beard thoughtfully, then nodded. "Wise thinking."
Meanwhile, outside the bustling hall, Robert walked until the Grey-Shadow's towering structure disappeared behind the alleys.
He reached a quiet, secluded street, far from the morning crowds.
There, he finally stopped and pulled down the black cloth covering his face.
His expression relaxed.
He took a deep breath, then turned his steps toward a familiar direction.
The Osborn Clan.
Once home, Robert headed straight to the clan's ancient library.
There, surrounded by towering shelves filled with dusty books, he began studying everything he could find about pill refinement, determined to unlock the secrets that could elevate his cultivation—and restore his family's honor.