CHAPTER 831: CHAPTER 831: IT WILL BECOME HER INNER DEMON

"Please wait a moment, young master." Che Xiang knew the rules of the chamber of commerce and swiftly left with the silver note.

Not long after, Che Xiang returned with his subordinates, carrying over a dozen longswords and dozens of brocade boxes.

The longswords were not a big deal, as long as they weren’t of poor quality. Mu Hanyan was more concerned about the elixirs. Opening the brocade boxes one by one, the elixirs inside the jade bottles appeared before her eyes, glistening and translucent. Upon opening a bottle, a refreshing fragrance filled the air.

"Good pill." Mu Hanyan took a deep breath and said joyfully.

Among these dozens of elixirs, there were five Taiyi Sword Origin Pills alone, and the rest were rare top-grade elixirs that even if one had money, it would be hard to buy them in a small place like Heishi City.

Che Xiang had used just over half an hour and managed to gather so many; no wonder the Capital had such rich cultivation resources. Of course, the prerequisite was that you needed to have money.

"The pills are good, but they are not cheap. I spent all of the two million you gave me, and there’s still a little short. I just covered it with the chamber’s funds." Che Xiang knew that Mu Hanyan was good at making money—or more accurately, at fleecing money—and was generous with spending, so he didn’t save any money for her, spending the entire two million.

"It’s fine, if it’s a bit more expensive, so be it. In other places, even if you had money, you might not be able to buy them." Mu Hanyan didn’t care about such trivial matters, as she knew Che Xiang was prudent in his affairs.

"Speaking of which, there’s a bit of trouble with the alchemy workshop you acquired from the Mo Family." Che Xiang said.

"What trouble? Do the Mo Family dare cause a scene again?" Mu Hanyan said indifferently.

"If they really dared to cause trouble, that’d be better. Everyone knows my young master is now famously fragile like a porcelain doll and lovely as a jade baby in the Capital; if they dared cause trouble, they’d pay dearly." Che Xiang was quite familiar with Mu Hanyan, and couldn’t resist making a small joke.

"Ahem, ahem, let’s get serious." Mu Hanyan blushed slightly, coughed twice, and said.

"The Mo Family hasn’t dared to cause overt trouble, but they’ve clandestinely convinced some notable alchemists to leave the alchemy workshop. So even though we have the workshop, not a single notable alchemist remains. Otherwise, spending two million for these elixirs wouldn’t have been necessary; one million would’ve sufficed.

Now the alchemy workshop can barely produce some low-level Spirit Pills to cope for a while, but as time goes by, I’m afraid we won’t be able to keep up and will have to switch to other businesses." Che Xiang said somewhat helplessly.

"Are elixirs that profitable?" Mu Hanyan asked.

"The higher the grade of the elixir, the harder it is to refine, and the more profit it brings. Ordinary elixirs generally have over fifty percent profit, and higher grades can even have eighty to ninety percent, though few alchemists can achieve that level." Che Xiang replied.

"I see..." Mu Hanyan pondered for a moment.

Even though she’s lived two lives, her understanding of the elixir field was limited, so she didn’t know elixirs were so profitable.

"Young master, you’re not thinking of learning alchemy again, are you?" Huayue and the others’ scalps tingled upon seeing Mu Hanyan’s serious expression.

After having spent days clanging away forging and working the bellows, barely managing to grasp the basics, if the young master whimsically decided to study alchemy, their days would be much harder.

"Of course not, I’m just thinking about where to find a few alchemists." Mu Hanyan immediately dismissed their guesses. She knew all too well that learning alchemy required first learning medicine, mastering diagnosis and techniques, and even with great talent, it would take a decade or two to get started. Even if she got started, without a master’s guidance and without numerous fortuitous encounters, progress in alchemy would be impossible. More importantly, alchemy requires a certain mindset; right now, her mind is too cluttered, with too many things she wants to do. The main reason is Fen Qianji... until she unravels the mystery of their past conflict, it will always be her mental block.

Hearing Mu Hanyan’s words, Huayue and the others breathed a sigh of relief.

"Alchemists aren’t that easy to find." Che Xiang shook his head and said, "Though many on the Holy Court Continent study the art of alchemy, like Star Divination Masters and Alchemists, there are plenty of charlatans and few with true skill."

"I see." Hearing him mention Star Divination Masters, Alchemists, and then charlatans, Mu Hanyan’s eyes suddenly lit up: How could I forget about that guy?

Mu Hanyan was thinking of Ling Baobao; wasn’t he considered a charlatan in others’ eyes? He knew everything from alchemy to star divination, and even could treat infertility, though he always bungled things, ending up being pursued like a stray dog. Yet, Mu Hanyan knew he actually had some skills. It was just that he didn’t use them properly, leading to misunderstandings.

Mu Hanyan had witnessed Ling Baobao’s alchemical skills firsthand; if used correctly, he could absolutely be called a master, even a grandmaster. But how are his alchemy skills? Should I bring him to the Capital to give it a try?

After careful consideration, Mu Hanyan dismissed the thought. The Meteorite Gold Mine still needed Ling Baobao for the time being. Even if his alchemy skills were as excellent as his alchemy skills, bringing him over would be like picking up sesame seeds while losing a watermelon—not worth it.

"For now, let’s just make do with the alchemy workshop. Keep an eye out for suitable alchemists, and if there are any, it’s okay to spend more money to hire them." Mu Hanyan said.

Mu Nan wasn’t in the Capital, so these matters fell to Mu Hanyan to decide. Of course, she could leave it all to Che Xiang to handle, but that would be too irresponsible as the major shareholder of the chamber.

"Yes, young master. Also, regarding your previous request to find the Han family descendants, there’s been some progress." Che Xiang nodded and continued.

"What progress?" Mu Hanyan immediately asked.

Having promised Han Jinglun to help find his descendants, Mu Hanyan had always kept it in mind. She didn’t expect news so quickly.

"According to our information, Tributor Han’s wife and child indeed came to the Capital, but that was decades ago. Back then, the mother and son fled to the Capital and kept a low profile, so not many knew them, and even fewer who remain alive today, making it difficult to know their whereabouts.

However, based on our speculation, they should still be alive within the Capital. I’ve already hired people for a detailed investigation." Che Xiang answered.

Han Jinglun had agreed to stay with Nanyan Commerce. Though he had suffered great losses in strength, his insight and broad knowledge were recognized by Mu Nan, resulting in him being employed as a tributor, holding a high position in the chamber. Thus, Che Xiang paid extra attention to his matters.

"That’s good. Has this news been sent back?" Hearing this good news, Mu Hanyan’s mood lightened up a bit, having felt oppressed by matters concerning Zirong.

"Yes, it has been sent. Tributor Han also replied, asking me to thank you on his behalf. If it weren’t for the consecutive opening of several branch offices causing him to travel between them, he would have personally come to the Capital to thank you." Che Xiang answered.