Chapter 3829 — It Is Impolite Not to Return a Courtesy
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 3
But it is impolite not to return a courtesy, and Wei Zhao was not the sort who liked to take advantage of others for nothing. To accept so much of Hong Zhong's kindness and never think of giving anything back was not his style at all.
As Hong Zhong took back the bag of spirit-herb materials, he assumed Wei Zhao would now take his leave. To his surprise, Wei Zhao seemed to recall something, and then drew a small wooden box from his sleeve and handed it over.
"And this is?" Hong Zhong's eyes lit up at once. He had indeed intended to cultivate a connection with this Lin Er, but at bottom he was a merchant through and through. If he could never get any return from the other man, then no matter how extraordinary he might be, his professional principles would not allow him to keep giving one-sidedly forever.
And as the steward of the Hong Merchant Guild's North Island branch, there was not much profit Hong Zhong could gain from the man—except that last time, those two top-grade Foundation Establishment Barrier-Breaking Pills had truly benefited him greatly.
After all, though Foundation Establishment Barrier-Breaking Pills were common enough, top-grade ones of the quality he had seen last time were exceedingly rare even on Central Island, where the finest alchemists gathered—scarcely seen once in a blue moon. Since being assigned to North Island decades ago, the number of top-grade Foundation Establishment Barrier-Breaking Pills that had passed through Hong Zhong's hands could be counted on one hand.
And every single top-grade Foundation Establishment Barrier-Breaking Pill was a grand feast for raising the influence of the Hong Merchant Guild's North Island branch. So those two top-grade pills Wei Zhao had given him last time were, in the truest sense, a great gift.
This time, seeing that the man had come only to purchase spirit-herb materials, Hong Zhong had never expected such good fortune again; and from Wei Zhao's behavior at the outset, he had indeed seemed to have no intention of selling any pills. Yet now, for some reason, the man had suddenly changed his mind.
Honor me a foot, and I honor you a fathom—was this Lin Er that sort of fellow?
Old age brings wisdom, and Hong Zhong quickly grasped Wei Zhao's reason for doing so. A knowing smile crept to the corner of his mouth. Only mutual benefit endures—this young man who called himself Lin Er was in truth a born merchant talent.
He had assumed it would be top-grade Foundation Establishment Barrier-Breaking Pills again, as last time. But when he lifted the lid of the wooden box, Hong Zhong could not help but start. Inside lay three pills, yet they were not Barrier-Breaking Pills but Foundation Establishment Pills—and not the sort of Foundation-Tempering Pill that the mortal world called a "Foundation Establishment Pill."
Though both bore the words "Foundation Establishment," the value of a Foundation Establishment Pill could obviously not compare with that of a Barrier-Breaking Pill. A Foundation Establishment Pill was only for those below the Foundation Establishment stage, while a Barrier-Breaking Pill was for Foundation Establishment experts—their tiers were entirely different.
And as for the selling price, an ordinary Foundation Establishment Barrier-Breaking Pill could be marked at four hundred spirit jades, but a Foundation Establishment Pill could command at most two hundred and fifty.
And even that was only because the Pill Hall insisted upon it. After all, the Pill Hall charged two hundred spirit jades for even a single refining; if the market price fell below two hundred spirit jades, no one would hire the Pill Hall to refine pills at all.