Chapter 257: Five Millionaire

The receptionist immediately felt weak; his face turned pale, and his breathing became erratic.

"Are you kidding? That really wasn't my killing intent. Would I go that far?" Xu Xiaoshou thought. "Don't you see, it's 400,000 spirit crystals! 400,000..." *Uh, it seems I actually would go that far...*

"I'll get you another receptionist right away!"

Convinced by his own reasoning, the receptionist couldn't sit still. He sprang to his feet, ready to make a quick escape. Xu Xiaoshou placed a hand on his shoulder, but the receptionist was determined not to stay. He twisted his body low, trying to slip away. The young man pulled, and the hand that hadn't been dislodged immediately pulled him back.

The receptionist: ???*What's going on? Isn't this guy only at the early stage of the Origin Court realm? How could he restrain my "Dragon's Phantom Steps"? Are you kidding me!*

"Suspected, Passive Points +1."

"No need to change," Xu Xiaoshou said with a smile. "As I said, I like spirited young men like you who put up a fight."

*Impossible,* Xu Xiaoshou thought. *After finally getting such a bargaining chip, how could I let him go?*

"Let's go! We're heading to the pill section to exchange for some things."

Mu Zixi happily skipped along, following behind. The receptionist, however, was utterly dejected, trudging along with a long face. The little cat in the distance hesitated for a long time before finally succumbing to its inner desire. Drooling, it stealthily followed them through the air.

Different sections were separated by spirit formations. Unlike the large miscellaneous goods area directly at the staircase, the pill section was much more elaborately furnished. It featured uniformly noble purple display stands, with various pill bottles placed neatly, spaced apart. Upon entering, the strong medicinal fragrance immediately invigorated them.

The area was noticeably crowded with people carrying knives, wearing swords, and some even had blood-stained clothes. Clearly, this pill section was very popular. Seeing this, Xu Xiaoshou felt relieved.

He browsed for a while, roughly glancing at the various pills and finding that most were Grade 10 or Grade 9. Among those of the Innate rank, there was only one type: an Eighth-Grade Innate Pill. His "Perception" also showed that there wasn't even half a pill in the golden bottle; it was, at most, just for display.

*To prevent accidents? That's true. For the outside world, an Eighth-Grade Innate Pill is already extremely rare and valuable.*

Thinking this, Xu Xiaoshou looked at the receptionist. "Are Origin Court Pills on the top two floors?"

"Yes."

As expected, he received an affirmative answer, but Xu Xiaoshou didn't want to go up further. He had a general idea of the prices of Spirit Refining Pills and Crimson Gold Pills, and could roughly deduce the prices of Innate Pills and Origin Court Pills. He then asked, "If I want to sell you pills, what's your purchasing policy?"

"Sell?" The receptionist was surprised. *Is this plague god also an alchemist?* Quickly regaining his composure, he explained, "Naturally, we purchase at a fair price. Please rest assured, sir. Our Golden Merchant Guild has many years of reputable business, so you can certainly..."

"I know, I know," Xu Xiaoshou said with a smile, cutting him off. He then directly asked, "How much does one Origin Court Pill cost?"

The receptionist's eyes showed some disbelief. *Selling Origin Court Pills too? If you said Spirit Refining Pills, that might be barely believable. But a Seventh-Grade Origin Court Pill? This is the cream of the crop! These types of cultivation pills are already in short supply. Spirit Refining Pills are like this, and Origin Court Pills even more so. It's only because their Golden Merchant Guild is powerful that they can provide some for sale every day, but in reality, their reserves are quite strained. This kid isn't buying; he's selling instead?*

"Five thousand spirit crystals," he replied casually, having already lost interest.

"Five thousand?" Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow. This was a bit different from his expectations! The price for Spirit Refining Pills here was around 100 spirit crystals, and Crimson Gold Pills were more expensive, but only 200 to 300. However, these were all Acquired-grade pills. As for Innate-grade pills... Just the Eighth-Grade Innate Pill displayed in the golden bottle was priced at 10,000 spirit crystals. How could an Origin Court Pill, a Seventh-Grade pill, be so cheap?

"If you buy for 5,000," Xu Xiaoshou asked, "how much do you sell one Origin Court Pill for?"

"Ten thousand."

This blunt answer made Xu Xiaoshou's eyes bulge. A two-fold profit? *So much of a rip-off?*

The receptionist explained, "Pills are not just about their grade; their quality is even more crucial. If you buy them randomly outside and take the wrong ones, it could be fatal at a critical moment. Our Golden Merchant Guild has its own alchemists, and the quality of our pills is absolutely guaranteed. What we sell is not just pills, but our reputation!"

Xu Xiaoshou was tempted. "If I become one of your alchemists, would you still purchase them at 5,000?"

"Of course not!" The receptionist already knew what Xu Xiaoshou was thinking, but he didn't show the ridicule he felt. Instead, he patiently explained: "If we can establish a long-term cooperative relationship, we will not only purchase your pills at market price, but with this identity, you can also enjoy at least a 20% discount on every item at any branch of our Golden Merchant Guild!"

Mu Zixi was astonished. Even with her less-than-sharp mind, she could tell the Golden Merchant Guild's high regard for alchemists of that caliber.

"Twenty percent off?"

The receptionist looked at her, smiling and nodding. "You misheard. It's a minimum of 20% off."

Mu Zixi gasped. The young girl took a sharp breath and asked, "Does your 'minimum' mean closer to full price, or closer to a ninety percent discount?"

There was no trace of impatience in the receptionist's eyes. From Xu Xiaoshou's previous actions, he had already guessed that the two might not be simple. Even if these two couldn't yet establish a relationship with their guild, laying a good foundation for cooperation was something every businessman should attempt.

"A minimum of 20% off, up to completely free, depending on your rank."

"Enough!" Xu Xiaoshou suddenly raised a hand, even he couldn't stand it anymore. "The conditions!"

The receptionist said meaningfully, "Firstly, you must possess an alchemist badge of the corresponding rank, acknowledged by the Alchemist Association..."

"Let's go!" Xu Xiaoshou pulled Mu Zixi and turned to leave.

The receptionist: ??? *What's happening? He asked so many questions... and now it's over? Don't you think something is missing from that conversation?*

"Suspected, Passive Points +1."

"Is the guest leaving, this way please?" Although he felt disdain inwardly, his noble professional conduct allowed him to maintain a full smile.

Xu Xiaoshou reached the staircase and suddenly stopped. He looked at Mu Zixi, estimating her height, then said, "Get me a thousand pieces of clothing of a similar height!"

The receptionist: ??? He was stunned.

"You have the time it takes for an incense stick to burn," Xu Xiaoshou urged. "I'm in a hurry; ordinary clothes will do!" Xu Xiaoshou was a bit anxious. The clothes he was buying for A'Jie naturally didn't need to be too good; after all, that guy wouldn't protect his clothes during combat like a normal person. He just needed a large quantity, quality didn't matter!

The receptionist quickly agreed and scurried off.

Mu Zixi was a bit confused. She tilted her head and asked, "Buying clothes, for me?"

"For Baby!"

"That 'Baby' again. Where is it, anyway?"

"Don't interrupt!"

Xu Xiaoshou waved his hand. After the receptionist left, he began to count on his fingers, his eyes red with excitement. Origin Court Pills, market price 10,000. If he could quickly obtain the badge, he had 36 from Old Sang in his ring, plus nearly a hundred from Yuan Tou, and another four to five hundred from Zhang Xinxiong...

At least 5,000,000 spirit crystals!

A five-millionaire???

With a thud, Xu Xiaoshou was so shocked that he fell backward onto his butt.