“Young man, stop immediately!” he shouted at Ling Han.
Peng, peng, peng, peng. Ling Han looked like he had not heard anything at all. He simply concentrated on giving Fan Dong Ping a harsh beating. Actually daring to try to cheat him… how outrageously brave of him.
Fury appeared on Ma Tian Sheng’s face. This young man actually ignored his words, and even dared to use violence in Spirit Treasures Pavilion. He was really too brave. He snorted and called out, “Guards, apprehend this brat!”
Liu Yu Tong immediately took a step forward. Hu Niu’s ferocious nature also surfaced as she bared her teeth at Ma Tian Sheng.
Ling Han retrieved a jade bottle from Fan Dong Ping’s clothes. He was of course very familiar with his own possession. He did not even take another look, and simply threw it over to Ma Tian Sheng as he said, “This is what I wanted to auction!”
Ma Tian Sheng smiled coldly, and said, “You actually dared to make a move at Spirit Treasures Pavilion, and still want to pretend nothing had happened?”
“You’re wrong. I only caught a thief myself, retrieved my stolen possession, and gave the thief a well-deserved thrashing,” Ling Han said calmly and directed a dignified stare at Ma Tian Sheng.
Ma Tian Sheng’s heart trembled. The eyes of this young man seemed to be able to see into the inner depths of his soul, causing his whole body to tremble. Involuntarily, he uncorked the jade bottle. It was only a single instant, and an expression of utter shock appeared on his face.
As an appraiser, he was naturally not familiar with the ways of alchemy. However, he was very familiar with the various types of alchemical pills, because this was part of his job.
“Foundation, Foundation Building Pill!” Ma Tian Sheng immediately gasped out in shock, indescribable astonishment on his face.
In that one moment, he had already believed that Ling Han was telling the truth and that Fan Dong Ping had definitely played a trick on them both and swapped the pill bottles. Otherwise, how could a mere Yellow Grade middle level alchemist like Fan Dong Ping be able to possess Foundation Building Pills?
“So you do have good judgement.” Ling Han nodded. Foundation Building Pills definitely had never appeared in Rain Country but this man could recognize that they were Foundation Building Pills with a single look, so it seemed like he did have some knowledge and experience.
Ma Tian Sheng could not bother with Ling Han at that moment. He drew out a Foundation Building Pill and scrutinized it to ascertain the quality of it.
Ling Han smiled calmly. Since that was the case, then he’d deal with his own issue as well. His foot pressed down on Fan Dong Ping’s face and he smiled as he said, “You are very brave to actually dare to scam even my things!”
“Brat, you’re dead!” Fan Dong Ping said grimly, “I am an alchemist, and you actually dare to injure me. That is a crime punished by death! Moreover, you even stole my alchemical pills. This will only make your crime worse!”
“You still dare not to repent for your crimes!” Ling Han shook his head, and asked Liu Yu Tong, “According to the laws of Rain Country, how much money should a person like him steal to be able to be sentenced to death?”
A crime of theft could either be heavy or light. It depended on the amount stolen, as well as the identity of the victim. If ten silver coins was stolen from a poor commoner, that would be considered a heavy crime. But for a rich man, a theft of ten silver coins would only cause him to be looked down by others for a while.
If a Yellow Grade middle level alchemist like Fan Dong Ping were to be sentenced to death for theft, the amount stolen would have to be exorbitantly colossal.
Liu Yu Tong thought for a moment, then said, “At least ten million.”
Ling Han turned and asked Ma Tian Sheng, “Are these Foundation Building Pills worth ten million?”
Ma Tian Sheng immediately glared at Ling Han furiously. What kind of joke was he talking about? These were Foundation Building Pills they were talking about, and the lowest price for one was ten million and above. Do you have any common sense at all? But when he recalled that these Foundation Building Pills were Ling Han’s own, he instantly softened, and said, “There are in total nine Foundation Building Pills here, and if they were to be auctioned off, the lowest price they could be sold at would be a hundred million silver coins!
A hundred million!
Fan Dong Ping instantly felt like he was going to pass out as an incomparably cold shiver travelled all over his body. How could Ling Han be any ordinary person if he were able to take out an auction item that was worth a hundred million? But, when he thought about the reality that he would really be arrested for theft, it was not only something shameful for him—the colossal amount of a hundred million was more than enough to sentence him to death.
Beside him, the gaudily dressed woman had already begun to shiver and silently moved away from him, obviously trying to draw a clear dividing line between herself and Fan Dong Ping.
“No, these alchemical pills are mine! Mine!” the only thing Fan Dong Ping could do now was to insist stubbornly that he was telling the truth. If not, he would really be finished.
“Are you an idiot?” Ling Han gave him a kick, “How could a stupid pig like you be able to concoct alchemical pills that are close to Earth Grade? You yourself are an idiot, so you think others are idiots too?”
Fan Dong Ping’s face became ashen. He knew that he had poked a hornet’s nest now… Alchemical pills close to Earth Grade… perhaps not even the two big bosses of alchemy of Rain Country would be able to concoct such high-grade pills, this young man must definitely have a terrifying background!
“Master Ma!” three guards approached quickly and looked at Ma Tian Sheng in question. They had come because they saw that there was a big commotion going on here.
“Apprehend this man!” Ma Tian Sheng commanded coldly, “Then make a report to the imperial guards! Tell them we have encountered a crime of theft here!”
“Yes, Master Ma!” Fan Dong Ping, who was currently looking like a dead dog, was immediately dragged out by the three guards.
Chapter 161
Translator: _Dark_Angel_ Editor: Kurisu
“How may I address you, Mister?” Ma Tian Sheng was currently all smiles. The previous horrible impression that Ling Han had given him was completely swept aside, of course. This was a grand customer that was able to produce alchemical pills close to Earth Grade. What other person could do such a thing in the whole of Rain Country?
Absolutely none!
“Ling Han. You may address me as Young Master Han,” Ling Han replied.
Ma Tian Sheng involuntarily wiped off sweat from his forehead. He did not want to address a young man as “Young Master” even one bit, but Ling Han was indeed a very important customer. If he offended Ling Han and Ling Han decided not to commission the Spirit Treasures Pavilion to auction off the alchemical pills on his behalf… then he’d really be in deep, deep trouble.
“Young Master Han!” he could only do as Ling Han had said and address him as young master. Then, he said, “Please follow me. I shall help Young Master Han take care of the procedures for registration.”
“All right,” Ling Han agreed with a nod.
The news that nine alchemical pills close to Earth Grade had appeared at Spirit Treasures Pavilion very quickly reached the ears of the higher-ups. Very soon, an old man dressed in embroidered robes appeared and received Ling Han respectfully. Then, he introduced himself, “I am the Third Elder of this Pavilion. My surname is Jia, and my name is Jia Ba Yun.”
“Senior Jia,” Ling Han greeted him, raising his clasped hands in respect. This old man was a Spiritual Pedestal Tier elite, and more than deserved his respectful greeting.
“Young Friend, are you intending to auction these Foundation Building Pills here, or directly sell them off to our Pavilion?” Jia Ba Yun asked.
Ling Han smiled faintly, and answered, “Auction.” Such alchemical pills were used to assist one to break through
to the next level, so it was of course best to auction them off in order to maximize their price.
Jia Ba Yun looked a little disappointed at this. If the Foundation Building Pills were directly sold to the Spirit Treasures Pavilion, they’d be able to auction a single pill every few years. Firstly, this would help to increase the reputation of the Spirit Treasures Pavilion, and secondly, rare items were always the most expensive. This would allow the Spirit Treasures Pavilion to obtain the highest amount of profit from these Foundation Building Pill.
Unfortunately, this brat was not that foolish.
However, nine Foundation Pills would definitely be auctioned off for an astronomical figure. The Spirit Treasures Pavilion would be earning more than enough from the commission alone.
“Young Friend, if a customer commissions the Spirit Treasures Pavilion to auction items, we usually charge a commission fee of fifteen percent. However, because the Foundation Building Pills are much too valuable, I can make the decision to lower the commission fee to fourteen percent. How does that sound?” Jia Ba Yun asked, smiling.
How ruthless, they actually had such a high commission rate.
Liu Yu Tong was pouting at one side. The value of nine Foundation Building Pills was definitely above a hundred million, and this commission fee of fourteen percent would be over a million silver coins, far above the monthly net profit of the Liu Clan. However, Jia Ba Yun was already generous enough to actually cut a hundred thousand out of the commission of the Spirit Treasures Pavilion.
Of course, this was also because the value of the Foundation Building Pill was really too high.
“All right,” Ling Han nodded. Money was not something that he attached a lot of importance to, anyways.
Jia Ba Yun smiled, and continued, “If you want these Foundation Building Pills to be sold for a good price, the best option would be to auction them over a few auctions. If Young Friend is not in a hurry to use money, why not use this small scheme?”
The more the Foundation Building Pills could be sold for, the higher the earnings of the Spirit Treasures Pavilion would be. Thus, Jia Ba Yun would naturally want to use a scheme that could earn the most profit for the Spirit Treasures Pavilion.
Ling Han shook his head, and replied, “I want them all to be auctioned off in a single auction.”
Jia Ba Yun was stunned for a moment, then sighed. The pills belonged to Ling Han after all, so even if he was a powerful warrior of Spiritual Pedestal Tier, he could only make suggestions and offer advice.
To Ling Han, the Foundation Building Pill was something that he could easily concoct, so he would naturally not care if it would be auctioned off for a good price or a better price. In the end, it would definitely be an astronomical price anyways. Worst-case scenario, he’d concoct a few other alchemical pills close to Earth Grade a few days later, and would still be able to earn a lot of money anyways.
“All right. This is your letter of proof. When the pills are sold, Young Friend can bring this along with you to withdraw your funds. You may also endorse someone else to do it for you. However, please take note—if the letter of proof is lost, please make sure to immediately report the loss here. Otherwise, if someone else withdrew the money earned without your approval, there is nothing even I can do,” Jia Ba Yun warned.
This token was split into half, and the Spirit Treasures Pavilion and Ling Han each held one half. The two halves could be joined together seamlessly. Both Jia Ba Yun and Ling Han left a handprint on their own half. This would help prevent any possibility of anyone using false identities.
“Young Friend, if you have other such pills in the future, why not come auction them off at our Spirit Treasures Pavilion again? As for the commission fee… it can still be discussed further,” Jia Ba Yun said.
“All right!” Ling Han agreed decisively.
Ling Han and his companions left the Spirit Treasures Pavilion right after. As for Fan Dong Ping, he naturally would not get a good end. Ling Han did not need to worry himself over it. Even if Fan Dong Ping was a Yellow Grade middle level alchemist, his crime involved an exorbitantly high sum of over a hundred million. It would be very difficult for him to escape the death sentence.
Who asked him to be so greedy?
It was already quite late, so Ling Han headed to the Cherishing Flower Pavilion, bringing Liu Yu Tong and Hu Niu with him.
The three of them slowly strolled through the streets. Hu Niu ran all over the place. Whether it was lollipops or cotton candy or anything else, as long as it was something new, she wanted to give it a try.
Thus, by the time they arrived at the Cherishing Flower Pavilion, the sky was already completely dark.
“Mr Ling, this way please.” Yun Shuang Shuang had already been waiting inside, and when she saw Ling Han’s figure, she immediately stepped out to receive him.
They arrived at a side courtyard. When Yun Shuang Shuang pushed open the door and entered, they saw Lady Yan helping out a youth and coming out to receive them. Lady Yan said, “We are honored by your presence, Mr Ling. Please forgive me for not going out to meet you.”
Ling Han looked at the two, and said, “That’s all right. It is not convenient for Lady Yan as well, so I understand your difficulty. This should be your son, am I right? He has been sleeping for quite a number of years, so his body should still be very weak.”
“Thank you for your understanding, Mr Ling,” Lady Yan said with a smile. She turned and said to the youth by her side, “Tian’er, this is your life-saving benefactor. Aren’t you going to greet your Big Brother Ling?”
“Big Brother Ling!” the youth immediately called. His face was extremely pale, and he spoke in a weak voice.
“Mr Ling, this is my son. His name is Yan Tian Zhao,” Lady Yan introduced to Ling Han. Then she took a look at Liu Yu Tong, and could not help but smile, “Mr Ling is indeed very fortunate to actually be able to obtain the favor of the princess of the Liu Clan.”
Instantly, Liu Yu Tong’s face reddened, yet her positive impression of Lady Yan improved even further. She liked listening to such words.
“Come, come, come. Come and sit down first.” Lady Yan guided the others into the side courtyard. There was already a delicious feast laid out, and around them, there were eight very beautiful female attendants holding onto lanterns. As the light from these lanterns flickered gently, it was a very uniquely enchanting scene.
They all sat down in their respective seats, according to their status as host and guests. Lady Yan naturally took the main seat, and on her left sat her son. Yun Shuang Shuang was seated next to him. Meanwhile, Ling Han was seated on Lady Yan’s right, with Hu Niu beside him, and lastly, Liu Yu Tong.
“Big Sister Liu, you are really pretty,” Yan Tian Zhao praised. A faint blush rose up on his pale face, as if he was being shy.
If it had been a young man saying such words, Liu Yu Tong would not be very happy. However, firstly, Yan Tian Zhao was only a teen around 15-16 years old, and secondly, she was elated to be praised like this in front of Ling Han. Thus, her good impression of this youth also improved greatly.
Of course, that was the affection that an elder sister had for a younger brother.
Ling Han only smiled at this. His eyes swept over Yan Tian Zhao, and a cold feeling rose up in his heart.
This was not fear, but… loathing, an extreme kind of loathing. It was as if there was an incomparably evil soul hiding within the body of this youth, causing a deep loathing to inexplicably rise up in his heart. He turned to look at Hu Niu and saw that when the little girl’s eyes swept over Yan Tian Zhao, her little face involuntarily stiffened, and she bared her teeth.
Obviously, Hu Niu had also sensed the evil nature in him.
Ling Han could not help but be immersed in deep thought. The Permanent Pill would be able to awaken a person who had been trapped in deep slumber. The important thing now was, why had Yan Tian Zhao fallen asleep in the first place? From the clues that Lady Yan and Yun Shuang Shuang had revealed, Yan Tian Zha
o should have been sleeping for about ten years.
At that time, had he started sleeping because of some kind of illness? Or had he committed some great crime, which caused an unknown elite martial artist to entrap his spirit and force him to sleep for such a very long time?
That was the question.
Chapter 162
Translator: _Dark_Angel_ Editor: Kurisu
Yan Tian Zhao kept up a display of bashfulness and would frequently blush throughout their meal. When Lady Yan saw this, she felt both heartache and fondness. This also increased the positive feelings that Liu Yu Tong and Yun Shuang Shuang felt for him, who both doted on him like he was their little brother.
But precisely because of his display, the coldness in Ling Han’s heart grew even further.
But, with the indulgent love that Lady Yan was showing for him, if Ling Han actually declared something like eliminating him at this moment, then she would definitely become hostile on the spot and suppress him like some kind of terrible monster—Ling Han would never underestimate the insane and extreme lengths that a mother would go to for her child.
Moreover, this was only an intuitive feeling of his.
…Unless he had reached a point where he was invincible. Then, as long as he thought so, he would be able to do as he wished, with no need to care for what others would think of his actions.
The unfortunate thing was, he was only in the seventh layer of Element Gathering Tier now.
“Big Brother Ling, why do you look a bit moody?” Yan Tian Zhao suddenly asked Ling Han, a hint of a smile flickering at the corners of his lips, his gaze deep.
A smile appeared on Ling Han’s face as he asked, “What do I have to be moody about?”
“Mr Ling has Miss Liu to accompany him by his side. How could he possibly be unhappy?” Lady Yan pursed her lips in a tender laugh. She was the lady boss of an entertainment business, so she was naturally rather outspoken in her speech.
Alchemy Emperor of the Divine Dao c1-1294 Page 95