Chapter 241: Scarcity Creates Value
Hu Shishi was fine; as Cheng Yuan’s fiancée, she’d dare to take even a Four Patterns Elixir, to say nothing of a Three Patterns Qi Enhancement Pill!
Niu Fu’s expression changed drastically. He quickly offered the Three Patterns Qi Enhancement Pill back to Cheng Yuan. "Young Master Cheng, this Elixir is too precious! I can’t accept it!"
Cheng Yuan waved his hand nonchalantly. "I can refine that stuff whenever I want. As long as I have enough ingredients, I can make as many as I like. I never take back something I’ve given away! If you don’t want it, just throw it in the trash."
’He can make as many as he wants?’
’Throw it in the trash?’
Niu Fu and Elder Qi were utterly flabbergasted.
’Mr. Cheng is such a show-off!’
But they had no way to refute him!
After all, Mr. Cheng had looked completely relaxed during the alchemy process just a moment ago.
The two exchanged a look, then bowed in unison to Cheng Yuan with hands clasped.
"We will never forget your immense kindness, and we will surely repay you in the future!" they vowed.
Cheng Yuan checked the time. There were still two hours until the start of the herb trade conference. If he hurried, he could refine a few more batches.
’That was my first time performing Alchemy,’ he thought. ’I lacked experience and only managed to refine seven Elixirs. That’s a bit low.’
If other Alchemists could hear Cheng Yuan’s thoughts, they would’ve spat in his face.
Seven is a low number??
How is that low??
They risked their lives refining a single batch and would produce three or four Elixirs at most. And even then, they were likely to be ordinary Elixirs without any patterns.
But Cheng Yuan had refined Three Patterns Elixirs, and seven of them in one go!
The comparison was infuriating!
Cheng Yuan grabbed another handful of medicinal herbs and tossed them all into the Alchemy Furnace, making Elder Qi’s brow twitch.
Unlike before, Elder Qi no longer dared to doubt Cheng Yuan. He watched the alchemy process with great anticipation.
Hu Shishi and Niu Fu did the same, watching Cheng Yuan perform his alchemy with almost religious reverence.
In truth, none of the three understood what they were seeing.
But that didn’t stop them from thinking Cheng Yuan was incredible.
This time, the process was even faster. The temperature inside the Alchemy Furnace was already beyond the melting point, so the herbs began to liquefy the moment they were added, saving him the time it would take to heat the furnace.
In less than ten minutes, all the medicinal herbs had been liquefied.
Two minutes later, the most critical moment arrived: the Elixir embryos were about to be refined!
BOOM!!
Refined Pills!
The pressure inside the Alchemy Furnace more than doubled!
This time, Cheng Yuan didn’t dare to be careless. He poured out his True Essence with all his might, fighting against the extreme pressure inside the Alchemy Furnace!
RATTLE! RATTLE!
The lid of the Alchemy Furnace vibrated nonstop! Like a train’s whistle, it constantly vented jets of hot steam!
He’d barely managed to prevent the furnace from exploding.
’I understand now,’ Cheng Yuan realized. ’This is my current limit! Unless my strength increases, I won’t be able to refine Four Patterns Elixirs!’
’The pressure generated by a Four Patterns Elixir would surely far exceed that of a Three Patterns one. With my current power, the furnace would definitely explode.’
’I’d better wait until my power has increased before I think about it!’
Gradually, the pressure inside the Alchemy Furnace subsided.
With a CLANG, Cheng Yuan threw open the furnace lid. Ten plump, round Elixirs shot into the air.
Cheng Yuan’s hand shot up like lightning, accurately snatching the Elixirs from the air. Once again, he grimaced and hissed as the heat burned his palm.
Seeing this, Elder Qi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
"Mr. Cheng, you can use a Jade Bottle to collect the Elixirs. There’s no need to catch them with your hands..."
Cheng Yuan scratched his head, a little embarrassed. ’Oh right, I could use a Jade Bottle. That way I wouldn’t get burned. I’m such an idiot.’
Cheng Yuan stubbornly insisted, "Ahem... catching them by hand feels more satisfying."
Hu Shishi leaned in, counted them carefully, and exclaimed, "Xiaoyuan, you’ve improved! You actually refined ten Elixirs in one go!"
Elder Qi was at a loss for words.
’Is Mr. Cheng the reincarnation of the Pill God?’
’He actually produced ten Elixirs in a single batch! And they were Three Patterns Elixirs at that!’
Originally, Elder Qi had thought Cheng Yuan was just riding the Prince’s coattails.
But now, Elder Qi understood. Master Cheng was the real powerhouse!
’When I get back, I have to have a serious talk with the Prince. I must make His Highness realize how important his sworn brother is!’
Cheng Yuan calculated the time and said, "At this rate, I can still refine another five or six batches before the herb trade conference starts!"
With that, Cheng Yuan began selecting more herbs.
Hu Shishi and Niu Fu had no reaction to this; they were already somewhat numb to the shock.
Elder Qi stepped forward with a smile and stopped Cheng Yuan. "Master Cheng, I suggest you stop here. Don’t refine any more Elixirs."
Cheng Yuan was taken aback. "Why?"
Elder Qi didn’t answer the question directly. "Master Cheng, I would like to tell you a true story. Would you be interested?"
"Please, go on."
"Over a decade ago, the Prince was in Gaul and spent one hundred million euros on a pair of sky-blue Ru ware bowls. In the entire world of collectors, they were the only known pair—a unique and incredibly precious treasure. Master Cheng, do you know what the Prince did with them?"
Cheng Yuan answered without hesitation, "He must have treasured them and stored them away. They’re probably in the Prince’s Mansion’s treasury now, right?"
Elder Qi slowly shook his head and said in a tone of deep admiration, "The Prince personally smashed one of them!"
"What? That’s a sacrilegious waste, Prince Duan!"
"How could that be? Why would Prince Duan smash such a priceless treasure?"
Hu Shishi and Niu Fu couldn’t help but cry out in shock.
Cheng Yuan’s pupils contracted. He was beginning to understand Duan Yanming’s intentions.
"Elder Qi, my sworn brother must have made a huge profit from that."
Elder Qi nodded slightly. "Indeed. It seems Master Cheng understands."
"Yes, Elder Qi, I understand. I’m done for today. I won’t refine any more."
Hu Shishi and Niu Fu were both intelligent, and they quickly grasped the key point as well.
"I get it!" Hu Shishi realized. "Scarcity creates value! Prince Duan deliberately smashed one bowl, making the other one unique! Its value must have skyrocketed! If Xiaoyuan makes too many of these Elixirs, they won’t be worth as much."
"Elder Qi, I’m curious—how much did the remaining bowl sell for in the end?"
Elder Qi smiled faintly. "Five hundred million euros."
’Five hundred million euros?’
Cheng Yuan’s pupils contracted. ’My sworn brother is a business genius! He made four hundred million euros just like that!’
’I have to learn more about this from him in the future.’
"Elder Qi, Shishi, Housekeeper Niu, hurry up and take the Qi Enhancement Pills. I’ll stand guard for you."
Hu Shishi swallowed the Qi Enhancement Pill without hesitation and began Cultivating to increase her Power.
Niu Fu and Elder Qi bowed deeply to Cheng Yuan. "Thank you for your patronage!" they said, one addressing him as "Young Master," the other as "Master Cheng."
With that said, the two of them took their Qi Enhancement Pills and focused all their effort on activating the Medicinal Power.
Cheng Yuan noted Niu Fu’s change in address and knew it was a declaration of allegiance. He welcomed this development; he finally had his own man inside the Hu Family.
From now on, every move the Hu Family made would be under his watch.
Cheng Yuan also sat down cross-legged, took out a handful of Essence Pills, and tossed them into his mouth, swallowing them all down as if they were jelly beans.
If anyone else had seen someone eat Essence Pills like that, their scalp would have gone numb with shock!
It was a surefire way to court death!