Chapter 4122 — Refining a Fifth-Rank Pill

"Huh?" Wei Zhao was taken aback. "Isn't it said that every merchant selling pills in the Central Island market must submit unconditionally to the oversight of the Pill Alliance?"

"In theory, yes—but our Five Elements Merchant Guild is an exception. You see, Young Hero Lin, when our guild was first founded, this confounded Pill Alliance did not yet exist! It was only because our guild rose like the sun at noon that the other pill merchants were forced to band together under that name for warmth, to isolate us, and to spread rumors that the Five Elements Merchant Guild's pills were of inferior quality, hoping thereby to contend with us." Cai Zhongxuan's mouth twisted in scorn.

"And then?" Wei Zhao and the others asked.

"And then my honored master said only one thing: 'Show me your evidence, and I'll gladly hand the title of Pill God over to your Pill Alliance—only, is there a single one among you who could bear it?'" Cai Zhongxuan mimicked Zhang Lifeng's tone, then gave a contemptuous little laugh. "After that, we did not have to lift a finger. The customers began spontaneously to boycott the Pill Alliance, and in the end the guild masters had no choice but to come knocking in a body to beg my honored master's pardon. Only then did the storm gradually subside."

"Heh, a pack of clowns indeed," Wei Zhao said with a laugh, marveling inwardly. His cut-rate master's influence and pull on Cloud Terrace Island were truly extraordinary—a single sentence could decide the direction of the market. That was not something mere status and strength could accomplish.

"So although our Five Elements Merchant Guild stands outside the Pill Alliance, if we so much as open our mouths, they would not dare let out a fart. I'll send word to them—I doubt they'll trouble your Heaven Pill Pavilion again!" Cai Zhongxuan promised with a smile.

"Good. Then I'll trouble you, Elder Cai," Wei Zhao said with a nod. With the double umbrella of Di Xingdao and Cai Zhongxuan over him, any sensible person should think twice before coming to make trouble.

"By the way, I see that most of what you have here are top-grade pills, but the highest rank is only fourth. I would suggest adding some high-grade pills of the fifth rank and above. Third- and fourth-rank pills will of course still sell, but you have only just opened. If you remain stuck at this level, you will lack competitiveness against the other great pill merchants—unfavorable for long-term growth," Cai Zhongxuan said after some thought.

"I've actually considered that carefully myself, but I have no fifth-rank or higher pills on hand, nor have I ever refined any. I can only take it slowly," Wei Zhao said with a helpless shake of his head.

"As vice steward of the guild, Brother Cai cannot well step forward himself to help. Otherwise, I could find some excuse to bring a batch over from the Pill Hall. So long as the quantity isn't too large, it shouldn't be a problem," Hou Guanqi put in.

"My thanks for the kind intentions, both seniors, but there's no need just yet. We've only just opened—these top-grade fourth-rank pills can hold us for a while," Wei Zhao said, hastily waving his hand in refusal.

Having Hou Guanqi fetch pills directly from the Pill Hall to support him would be simple enough, but even a fair trade in spirit jades would easily give others a handle against him. If Zheng Dongjue ever got wind of it and slapped him with the label of a traitor biting the hand that fed him, then even though Hou Guanqi was Zhang Lifeng's nominal disciple, he would likely find himself in dire straits. Wei Zhao did not want to put him at such risk on his account.

Seeing this, Hou Guanqi and Cai Zhongxuan exchanged a glance and said no more. Just as Wei Zhao feared, the risk was indeed considerable.

At that moment, Di Xingdao, who had been standing by, suddenly spoke up. "You people are too close to the trees to see the forest. Isn't this simple enough? Brother Wei Zhao is a pill refiner himself. Xiao Hou, Xiao Cai, just bring him some fifth-rank pill formulas and materials and let him refine them himself. Surely no one can wag a tongue at that?"

At these words, Hou Guanqi and Cai Zhongxuan's eyes lit up at once, and they clapped their hands in praise. Because Wei Zhao was so young, they had instinctively overlooked the fact that this fellow was a freak capable of refining top-grade pills in bulk!

Even if Wei Zhao had never refined a fifth-rank pill before, if he could refine top-grade fourth-rank pills, then fifth-rank should be no trouble at all.

Hou Guanqi promptly drew three pill formulas from his bosom and handed them to Wei Zhao. "Young friend Wei Zhao, these three are all fifth-rank formulas. I'll have the materials sent over later. Find the time to experiment and try your hand—if you succeed, so much the better."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony. Thank you, Senior Hou!" Wei Zhao did not decline. This was exactly what he needed, and besides, the man was, after all, his soon-to-be senior brother—no need to be overly formal. He need only find a way to repay him later.

Hou Guanqi and Cai Zhongxuan then took turns telling Wei Zhao much of what they knew about refining fifth-rank pills, and it was not until darkness had fallen and they had finished dinner that they finally left together with Di Xingdao.

As for Wei Zhao, Tianchan, and Xueli, now that they had the Heaven Pill Pavilion as a domain of their own, there was naturally no need to go back to the Five Elements Merchant Guild with Cai Zhongxuan.

After a busy day, Wei Zhao sent the two women to their rooms to rest, while he himself began refining fifth-rank pills that very night. Though he had never tried it before, with the Divine Farmer Cauldron—that automatic pill-refining artifact—he felt it should not be much trouble.

Wei Zhao took out one of the fifth-rank formulas and entered it into the tablet. The Divine Farmer Cauldron at once began automatically analyzing the refinement curve. The wait was somewhat longer than when he had refined Foundation Establishment Golden Pills and the like, but the results showed everything normal, with no mishaps whatsoever.

Thereupon Wei Zhao, following the prompts of the refinement curve, began trying his hand at a fifth-rank pill with practiced ease. The process went on for a full two hours before coming to an abrupt halt—and the final result was failure.

Staring at the heap of pitch-black dregs in the cauldron, Wei Zhao was stunned for a long while. Ever since Han Jingyi had refashioned the Divine Farmer Cauldron for him, he had never once failed—especially not since coming to Cloud Terrace Island. This was the first time.

Still, it was his first attempt at a fifth-rank pill after all, and Wei Zhao had been mentally prepared for failure. The one stroke of luck in the misfortune was that this failure had not affected the Divine Farmer Cauldron itself. Otherwise, if it had caused some cauldron explosion and ruined the artifact, he would truly have been left weeping without tears.

Adjusting his state of mind, Wei Zhao was not discouraged in the least. Without a word he immediately started over from the beginning. He could sense that there had been no fundamental problem with the attempt just now—it was simply that, refining a fifth-rank pill for the first time, the cauldron's analysis of the refinement curve might not have been especially precise. After this failure, it should be able to self-correct going forward.