Chapter 785: This Color Suits Me

"What?" Zu An was both surprised and delighted. Mi Li was often elusive; although she had woken from her slumber, she frequently didn't respond when he tried to speak with her. He never knew if she had fallen back asleep or simply didn't want to engage with him.

Hearing her voice now, Zu An couldn't help but feel an inexplicable joy.

"What is it exactly?" Zu An pressed eagerly.

Mi Li hesitated. "I can't quite put my finger on it, but I sense something familiar. Take a closer look around here first."

Zu An nodded and asked Shen Xuzi, "Are there any other alchemy cauldrons?"

Seeing Zu An remain unimpressed, Shen Xuzi was a little surprised. He could only pull out another cauldron. "This one is called the 'Cauldron of Frugality'!"

Jiang Luofu, standing nearby, wondered, "Are there such things as frugal or non-frugal alchemy cauldrons?"

Zu An couldn't help but laugh. "Since there are distinctions between good and evil cauldrons, it's natural there might also be a concept of frugality."

Shen Xuzi stroked his beard and nodded profusely. "Mr. Zu truly belongs among us; few can match your insight."

Jiang Luofu rolled her beautiful eyes, deeming it beneath her to argue with him.

Shen Xuzi caressed the cauldron in his hands and explained, "After each successful refinement, this cauldron has a twenty-five percent chance of returning the alchemy ingredients. Alchemy relies heavily on various materials, which are often scarce. With this cauldron, over time, a significant amount of material costs can be saved. This is especially beneficial for very precious and rare ingredients; if the return probability is triggered, the gains are even greater."

Zu An couldn't help but exclaim, "That really is a frugal cauldron!"

Shen Xuzi was now thoroughly enjoying himself, eager to show off his collection. He brought out another cauldron. "This one is called the 'Cauldron of Luxury.' Each time you refine a pill, it requires fifty percent more raw materials than other cauldrons, but then there's a ten percent chance of getting double the pills."

Zu An couldn't help but retort, "Only a ten percent chance of double? That cauldron seems far too impractical, doesn't it?"

Shen Xuzi nodded. "Exactly. For refining ordinary pills, this cauldron certainly isn't as good as others. However, for some special pills, it often works wonders. For example, with certain extremely valuable pills where the ingredients are too precious and rare to gather enough for two batches, you can try your luck with this cauldron."

Jiang Luofu, who had been listening quietly, couldn't help but frown slightly. "Isn't this just gambling? As the saying goes, 'nine out of ten gamblers lose.' I don't like this cauldron."

As a Legalist scholar, she naturally recoiled from such characteristics.

Shen Xuzi chuckled. "This cauldron indeed tests one's luck, which is why I sometimes privately call it the 'Gambler's Cauldron.' For most people, using it is a guaranteed loss, but for those with great fortune, it's a guaranteed profit. I believe Mr. Zu is just such a person with great fortune."

"You flatter me, Fourth Senior Brother," Zu An said with a chuckle, secretly thinking to himself that he had once drawn a luck-enhancing pill in a gambling house in Brightmoon City. While it couldn't be used for system draws, it would be absolutely perfect for using this alchemy cauldron.

He was tempted, but remembering the familiar item Mi Li had mentioned, he suppressed his impulse and decided to keep looking.

Seeing that Zu An was still unimpressed, Shen Xuzi was surprised. *This fellow's standards are quite high, aren't they?*

However, his enthusiasm for showing off his collection had taken over, so he said nothing and led Zu An further inside.

Jiang Luofu, on the other hand, was a bit worried. She secretly sent a message to him: "A'Zu, that's enough. If you keep being so picky, you might annoy Fourth Senior Brother, and it could backfire."

Zu An gave a wry smile. It seemed even Jiang Luofu thought he was insatiably greedy. Unfortunately, he couldn't explain the real reasons to her, so he just had to steel himself and continue.

Just then, Shen Xuzi picked up another uniquely shaped cauldron. The patterns on its body subtly formed a smiling face. "This one is called the 'Mischievous Cauldron.'"

Jiang Luofu: "..."

She was already numb from listening to him. *What kind of bizarre oddities does this guy collect?*

Shen Xuzi continued, "The unique feature of this cauldron is that after each successful refinement, it randomly imbues the pill with a special attribute."

Zu An was taken aback. "Wouldn't that make this cauldron the best? It adds an extra attribute to the pill out of thin air after refinement."

Shen Xuzi sighed. "It's not that simple. The attributes it bestows are completely random and not always positive. Sometimes, it might even add a negative attribute, ruining the pill."

Zu An: "..."

"This cauldron is probably the true gambler's cauldron," he thought.

Just then, Mi Li's voice echoed in his mind: "The green cauldron in the cabinet, lower right front. That's it."

Zu An was a little surprised. Following her instruction, he looked and saw a very ordinary cauldron. It was barely even recognizable as an alchemy cauldron; the ones Shen Xuzi had shown earlier all had a faint shimmer on their surfaces.

But this cauldron had nothing on its surface. Well, that's not quite accurate; it did have something on its surface: a layer of verdant green...

*This color is truly inauspicious,* Zu An thought, feeling resistant. "Empress Sister, you couldn't have mistaken it, could you? Maybe let's look again?"

Mi Li's displeased voice came back: "Do you think I'm the type to jump to conclusions?"

Zu An knew she wasn't, so he had no choice but to walk over and pick up the small green cauldron in the corner. "This color feels fated to me. I'll take this one."

He saw that Shen Xuzi had casually tossed it into a corner and didn't seem to value it much, so he figured Shen Xuzi wouldn't be reluctant to part with it. Thus, he spoke directly without any pretense.

"You chose *it*?" Shen Xuzi was somewhat startled.

Jiang Luofu, beside him, also had a strange expression. "You're 'fated' with green?"

Zu An quickly replied, "I like to bring this vibrant color to others; it's not that I personally like it."

*I really need to explain this clearly to her, lest she think I'm a pervert like King Wu.*

Then he looked at Shen Xuzi. "What's wrong? Is this cauldron very valuable?"

"It's not really valuable," Shen Xuzi shook his head. "I acquired this cauldron by chance in a secret realm once. Unfortunately, no matter how much I've studied it over the years, I haven't found anything special about it. However, given the difficulty of that secret realm, it absolutely cannot be useless. Does Mr. Zu perhaps know its purpose?"

Zu An shook his head. "I don't know either; it just seemed appealing to me."

Although he didn't know, Mi Li most likely did. But now wasn't the time to ask her about it.

Jiang Luofu, standing nearby, pursed her lips and smiled. "What, Fourth Senior Brother, are you reluctant to part with it?"

She noticed Shen Xuzi's hesitation and, fearing he might refuse, deliberately provoked him.

Shen Xuzi immediately straightened his face. "Nonsense! I, Shen Xuzi, always keep my word. Fine, since I haven't been able to figure out its function all these years, it proves it wasn't meant for me. I'll give it to Mr. Zu."

Zu An took the small, verdant cauldron, sensing Mi Li's excitement. "Thank you, Fourth Senior Brother."

Shen Xuzi was indeed a magnanimous person. Once the item was given away, he no longer dwelled on it. Instead, he pulled Zu An further inside. "Come, come, tell me more about that steam engine you mentioned earlier..."

The two talked for a long time in the room. Zu An, having just received something from him, felt a little embarrassed and naturally answered every question.

Finally, Shen Xuzi was exceedingly pleased. As he saw them off, he didn't forget to tell Jiang Luofu, "Eighth Junior Sister, you've found a good man this time."

Jiang Luofu's willow-like eyebrows twitched. "I already told you, he's just my younger brother."

"Good, a younger brother is good, a younger brother is good," Shen Xuzi chuckled, offering no further explanation.

After Jiang Luofu and Zu An left, she looked back and saw him still waving goodbye. She couldn't help but say, "A'Zu, don't take Fourth Senior Brother's words to heart. Besides alchemy, that guy is an idiot in all other respects."

Zu An paused. "What did he say? I don't remember."

Jiang Luofu smiled faintly. *This young fellow is quite clever.*

However, thinking of Shen Xuzi's recent words, she worried that being too close to Zu An might lead to misunderstandings. Seeing that she had already helped him find a cauldron, she found an excuse to part ways with him.

Gazing at her long, fair, beautiful legs, Zu An hadn't even had time to sigh with admiration when Mi Li's voice echoed in his ear: "Indeed, a pair of peerless legs."

Zu An: "..."

"When did you become so improper? And what's the deal with this thing, anyway?" He took out the verdant cauldron, finding its color a bit jarring.

"Have you ever heard the legend of the Nine Cauldrons?" Mi Li's voice resonated softly.