Chapter 4013 — The Elixir Trade Fair

Wei Zhao was the sort to look and let it go at that; quite apart from the fact that his disposition made him indifferent to such pleasures, even if he had been so inclined, he would never have dared spend his money in a place where he knew no one—that was simply asking to be fleeced.

Beyond the entertainments native to the Far North Island itself, Wei Zhao also came across no small number of merchants displaying their treasures in the various pavilions and terraces.

Just as that Steward Song had said, this was the Four-Island Auction Exposition; the final auction was set for three days hence, and those three days were left to the various trading houses for showing their goods.

Gather momentum early, draw in as many potential buyers as possible, and thereby drive the bidding as high as it will go at the auction three days later—such was the purpose of the displays.

The auction had not yet begun, and already the smoke of battle hung thick in the air. But for the Hong Trading House, which had known nothing of any of this beforehand, those precious three days were bound to be wasted; even if Hong Zhong managed to take remedial measures in time, shipping goods over from the headquarters on Mid-Island would take at least two or three days—far too late.

None of this, of course, had anything to do with Wei Zhao for the moment. Even had he wished to help Hong Zhong, there was essentially nothing he could do; the only thing left to him now was to hunt for the lots he himself was after.

Of the seven materials on the list Old Ragpicker had given him, he had already bought the mysterious water droplet from the Hong Trading House; the remaining six he would have to find some way to gather at this very auction.

Had this been an ordinary North Island auction as in years past, some might still have slipped through the cracks, but with the affair mounted on so grand a scale this time, so long as one made the effort to look, the odds of assembling the full set were still very good.

Sure enough, after a single circuit Wei Zhao had already found four of the materials—and that on the strength of a display that had only just opened, with many merchants not yet having brought out all their lots. Barring mishap, the remaining two should turn up over the next two days.

The night passed without event. The next morning Wei Zhao went to see Hong Zhong, and found that this elder, ordinarily so steady and composed, wore an unexpectedly grim expression, a faint trace of bloodshot red in his eyes; plainly he had not slept all night and had been wearing himself out with worry.

"Manager Hong, the situation doesn't look good?" Wei Zhao asked. He had come along with Hong Zhong and counted himself in the same boat; added to their friendship of old, if help were needed he would not shrink from it.

"Young Master Lin, good morning." Hong Zhong forced a thin smile onto his face and, making no attempt to hide it from Wei Zhao, admitted, "You are right. I received a reply this very morning—this time the Hong Trading House has been dug into a pit and buried by a joint effort."

"How can that be?" Wei Zhao was taken aback. "The Hong Trading House is a great enterprise with vast resources. Even if others wished to join forces against it, that could hardly be so easy a thing, surely?"

Hong Zhong shook his head and sighed. "So one would think. But we have become the target of every arrow, and our opponents have been scheming for a long time. Not only did they deliberately keep the news of the auction from us, they even drained and bought up our stockpiles ahead of time. Across the Mid-Island headquarters and the other three branches alike, goods of auction grade have fallen into severe shortage all at once—bought out in batches over the past few days. It was utterly unforeseen."

Wei Zhao was left staring, dumbstruck. Even a complete outsider like him knew that a commercial titan such as the Hong Trading House must set the utmost store by its stockpiles.

Even if a shortage arose at short notice, there were surely channels through which it could be swiftly replenished. To bring about a severe shortage across the Mid-Island headquarters and all four branches, and to pin it precisely to this critical moment—the difficulty of such a feat beggared the imagination.

"In that case, they have truly been scheming with the deepest calculation. But to go to such lengths, their aim surely cannot be merely this Four-Island Auction Exposition; I fear there are more formidable moves to come," Wei Zhao said in warning.

"Indeed. They have come on with great force this time, and the auction is only the beginning. If we show ourselves too weak and let them seize a hold over us, it may well be that the Hong Trading House faces an unprecedented crisis," Hong Zhong said anxiously.

Their opponents were many factions joined together; at the outset perhaps many were merely watching and waiting. But if the Hong Trading House showed itself too soft, and they judged there was profit to be had, and came swarming in from all sides—then ruin would truly be near.

Conversely, if at this Four-Island Auction Exposition the Hong Trading House could find a way to weather the crisis safely and display its deep reserves, then these watching factions would withdraw of their own accord, and the killing intent would dissolve.

"Manager Hong, if enough lots could be assembled at short notice, would that answer this crisis?" Wei Zhao asked suddenly, as if something had occurred to him.

Hong Zhong nodded. "It would. But at an auction of this caliber, goods of an ordinary grade simply will not do; shipping them over would only make us a laughingstock. And goods of the right grade cannot be replenished at short notice. It leaves a man utterly helpless."

"Then what about elixirs of the caliber of a top-grade Foundation Establishment Barrier-Breaking Pill—would those be of the right grade?" Wei Zhao asked again.

"Of course. Foundation Establishment cultivators are the foundation and the backbone of every faction. To them a top-grade Foundation Establishment Barrier-Breaking Pill is a treasure one may encounter but cannot seek out—more coveted even than some divine weapons. To any faction it counts as a strategic-grade elixir, a thing priced beyond the market!" Hong Zhong nodded again and again in affirmation.

At that, the corners of Wei Zhao's mouth curved faintly upward. "If that is so, then I should be able to lend a small hand. Since they are all putting on a Four-Island Auction Exposition, why don't we hold a Top-Grade Elixir Trade Fair?"

"A Top-Grade Elixir Trade Fair?" Hong Zhong's eyes lit up, and he said hastily, "Do you mean to say, Young Master Lin, that you have many top-grade elixirs on hand?"

"No," Wei Zhao said, shaking his head flatly. The two top-grade Foundation Establishment Golden Pills had gone to Shangguan Lan'er, and the thirteen top-grade Foundation Establishment Barrier-Breaking Pills had all been sold to Hong Zhong; he had not a single elixir left.

"Then… this Top-Grade Elixir Trade Fair—where would it come from?" Hong Zhong could not help but feel disappointed.

Wei Zhao smiled. "Manager Hong, you already know I am an alchemist. I may not have any on hand at the moment, but so long as there are sufficient spirit-herb materials, I can naturally refine them."