Chapter 4838 — The Chief Alchemist
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 3
"Hey, I called you Master Qing Xuanzi out of respect for you as the academy's chief alchemist, but aren't you being a little too shameless here?" Chai Laoshi could hold back no longer and spoke out in righteous indignation. "You call this stepping back? Even if a Great Restoration Pill is somewhat easier to refine than a Lightning Mystic Pill, it is still a seventh-grade pill, and you want ten of them within a single day—the difficulty has only gone up, not down! If you mean to make things impossible for us, just say so outright!"
The rest of the crowd chimed in with murmurs and pointed fingers as well. Ten seventh-grade Great Restoration Pills within a day—how lightly he said it. Never mind that the entire auction today had produced only two Great Restoration Pills in total, and one of those had come from the Hong Clan Chamber of Commerce.
"Hmph, spare me the useless talk. So long as you can produce them, I give you my word as the Morning Star Academy's chief alchemist that the Hong Clan Chamber of Commerce will be the sole supplier!" Qing Xuanzi sneered.
As he said this, his eyes could not help darting a furtive glance at Ling Yuanqing. He had been driven into a corner before saying such a thing; otherwise, no matter how bold he was, he would never have dared to be so presumptuous to Ling Yuanqing's face. The status of chief alchemist was lofty, to be sure, but not so lofty that one could treat everyone else as beneath notice.
Fortunately, Ling Yuanqing made no response at all. Instead, he settled back into his seat at his leisure and watched the proceedings unfold with a cold eye. Qing Xuanzi let out a breath of relief at once—this was tacit approval!
Of course. He was, after all, the alchemist the academy relied upon most. As the academy's director, Ling Yuanqing could not, by any measure of reason or sentiment, side with the Hong Clan Chamber of Commerce over one of his own. Today the Hong Clan Chamber of Commerce had to be trampled into the dirt!
"Oh? Are you sure you have the authority to make that call?" Wei Zhao glanced at Ling Yuanqing as well.
"Naturally. And I can tell you this besides: if you can manage it, then from now on the pills I refine will also be supplied exclusively to the Hong Clan Chamber of Commerce for sale!" Qing Xuanzi said, his words startling everyone.
"Is that true?" Chai Laoshi's eyes lit up at once. Though a moment ago he had been furious at this man, there was no denying one fact—this was a genuine seventh-grade alchemist. If all the pills this man refined were to be supplied solely to the Hong Clan Chamber of Commerce, then in the future they would have gained a major source of high-grade pills. This was a stroke of fortune beyond all asking.
Granted, thanks to Wei Zhao, they had just produced a pile of seventh-grade pills this time, but one thing Chai Laoshi understood very clearly: Wei Zhao would not stay here forever. What would they do once he was gone?
What Chai Laoshi could see, Wei Zhao naturally could see as well. If this Qing Xuanzi could truly be made to turn and cooperate with the Hong Clan Chamber of Commerce, then they would have nothing to worry about in the future. This was a fine thing delivered right to their door.
"Hmph, do you think a man of my standing would speak empty words before so many people?" Qing Xuanzi frowned, then suddenly turned and exchanged a glance with Steward Hao. In a low, measured voice he said, "But let me make the ugly terms clear upfront: if you cannot produce them within a day, that will prove your supply chain is unstable. Even though the Hong Clan Chamber of Commerce won in the auction just now, you will still have to yield the position of sole supplier—yield it to the Great Clans' Guild."
Only then did the crowd finally understand. After all that circling about, this was Qing Xuanzi's real aim.