Chapter 25: The Black Market and a Face of Peerless Beauty

In this way, despite the skepticism of others, Luo Qianfan began her long journey of alchemy. Although she had returned in defeat every time before, everyone still offered their silent encouragement, fearing that she might overthink things.

Later, everyone had essentially given up hope on the Beauty-Preserving Pill, but now... the pill lay in her hand like a child!

Watching these miracles unfold beside her, Luo Yi felt more and more certain that their Young Mistress was destined for greatness. Small places like the Six Kingdoms could never contain her; the Continent of Nine Provinces was her true destination, and perhaps even further beyond.

"So, Young Mistress, do you intend to keep this Beauty-Preserving Pill or sell it?" Luo Yi gazed at Luo Qianfan, her eyes sparkling. This was the first high-grade pill to appear in the Six Kingdoms; she was certain that if it were released to the world, it would cause a massive sensation.

At that moment, Luo Qianfan was far too preoccupied to heed Luo Yi’s words. Her large eyes were fixed squarely on the pill, her gaze so greedy she looked as if she might swallow the rare treasure whole, completely lacking the composure one would expect from its creator. After a while, a flash of inspiration crossed her mind, and she spoke slowly:

"Need you ask? Money-making is the priority, of course! We'll keep one for the old man, and as for the other, we'll wait for the right moment to auction it off under the name of the Medical Underworld Valley!"

Observing her Young Mistress’s preoccupation with earning a living, Luo Yi couldn't help but ask: Young Mistress, does the Medical Underworld Valley really lack money that much? As things stood, their annual income was already enough to support an ordinary person for several lifetimes. Even if one were to add another Fengyue Kingdom to their assets, it wouldn't amount to much more. Looking at her Young Mistress's avaricious little expression, Luo Yi decided to let it slide—less trouble was better than more, and saving more money never hurt!

In the end, the two pills went their separate ways. One was sent back to the Medical Underworld Valley by express courier to be delivered to the Valley Master. The other was entrusted to the Black Market under the name of the Medical Underworld Valley, with plans to auction it as the grand finale during the Six Kingdoms Chamber of Commerce event. As for why she chose the Black Market, it was due to their formidable background.

The Black Market, as the name suggests, specialized in underground trade. It possessed a powerful intelligence network, mysterious and intricate connections, and unfathomable strength. The leaders of the Black Market were particularly awe-inspiring, and even their left and right guardians were rarely seen. The Black Market covered all nine provinces and six kingdoms. While a small place like the Fengyue Kingdom didn't hold much promise, it still had a few branches there.

It could be said that throughout the nine provinces and six kingdoms, the Black Market was the most prominent entity outside of the Divine Realm. As for the Divine Realm, it was a top-tier organization, highly disciplined, and loyal only to a single master whose true face no one had ever seen. The Divine Realm was always mysterious; it was rumored that their leader hailed from a higher status and wielded immense influence. It had only begun expanding its power into the Six Kingdoms a year ago, acting with swift, decisive force. With its own independent intelligence network, it had essentially mastered information on all the important figures in the Six Kingdoms—a formidable presence indeed.

Luo Qianfan chose the Black Market over the Divine Realm largely because the latter was far too dangerous and inscrutable. To this day, the Medical Underworld Valley had been unable to dig up any useful information on them, and the agents they had planted there had yielded no results. Thus, Luo Qianfan chose the Black Market, as it was at least somewhat predictable.

Moreover, the Black Market held gossip and news from all walks of life, as well as all sorts of precious medicinal herbs, weapons, pills, and various levels of alchemists, apothecaries, mercenaries, and combat arenas—it had everything one could desire. The only condition for entry was "money." Here, everyone only recognized coin; sentimentality was useless. Everyone lived a life of licking blood off the edge of a blade, their lives "borrowed," so they only cared about immediate gains and sold their services for profit. Precisely because of this, it was reliable; after all, no one turns their back on money, and all matters under heaven are ultimately governed by "profit."

...

The Medical Underworld Valley moved with extreme speed, and the item arrived in no time.

"Hurry, hurry, stop training! I heard the Young Mistress sent something good back!"

"What! A Beauty-Preserving Pill?"

"Did I hear that right? Is it really..."

...

At this moment, the Medical Underworld Valley was in chaos. Familiar faces and strangers alike were scrambling to force their way into the house at the very center of the valley—Tianju.

Tianju was the residence of Old Master Zhuang. Since stepping down from his position, he had renamed his dwelling and spent his days "idling away," "wandering the mountains and waters," and "turning a deaf ear to the world outside." If not for the overwhelming temptation of the Beauty-Preserving Pill, he wouldn't have bothered to get involved in this mess.

When Old Master Zhuang received the delivery from Luo Qianfan, he couldn't wait to open the specially crafted Medical Underworld Valley packaging to catch a glimpse of the pill's glory. His movements were faster than ever; the hand speed he had honed over the years finally came in handy, and he finished unwrapping it in no time. If it had been anyone else, the pill would likely have been destroyed.

This was no exaggeration; the Medical Underworld Valley’s specialized packaging was world-renowned. Take this Beauty-Preserving Pill, for example: it was wrapped in transparent preservative film, placed in a box reinforced with exclusive inscriptions, supported by secret poisons, and locked with colorful silk threads—an incredibly complex setup. Most miraculously, the packaging bore the signature black-and-red heart-piercing sword emblem of the Medical Underworld Valley. If someone tried to tamper with it without knowing the method, it would trigger the internal inscription mechanism, destroying everything within a ten-mile radius. This greatly enhanced the item's security—the valley’s rule was that it would rather be destroyed than fall into the wrong hands. Boxes like these were usually only used for urgent items; the ones circulating daily were much simpler, though they still bore the valley's emblem.

Just as the Old Master was about to inspect it closely, a strange gust of wind struck. Startled, he hurriedly hid the pill, clutching it tightly to his chest before he could even properly examine it. He looked toward the door with a defensive glare, only to relax immediately when he realized the "strange wind" was none other than Bai Yu.

*This child, why is she always in such a rush? Why does she look at me as if I’ve stolen her precious treasure?* Old Master Zhuang huffed, then completely ignored her, shielding the pill in his arms for fear of a mishap. Little did he know, this action only made others covet it even more, to say nothing of Bai Yu.

On the other side, Bai Yu, who had run over at top speed, slowed her pace as she reached the door, her two large eyes gleaming. As soon as she entered, she saw a shining pill standing in the box held by the Old Master. It was teardrop-shaped, pink and tender; it must taste delicious. At that thought, Bai Yu couldn't help but swallow her saliva.

But before she could get close, the Old Master had already "hidden" the item. Bai Yu was immediately displeased, walking over with a long face and glaring at him. The two stared each other down, Bai Yu’s eyes full of unhappiness. She had been practicing at the training grounds that morning when she overheard someone mention that the Young Mistress had sent something back, so she had come without a moment's hesitation. Finding her path blocked and the item hidden away, she grew anxious and rushed over.

"Valley Master, I heard the Young Mistress brought something back. It looks so pink and tender, it seems delicious! Can I take a look?" Bai Yu suppressed her impatience, her face brightening with a smile as she tied her hair into two ponytails. She knew she couldn't use force, so she planned to play it slow and "trick" the item out of him.

Old Master Zhuang was already sensitive to Bai Yu’s covetous little glances, and hearing her say this, he immediately adopted a posture that said, "My things are mine, and no one can be jealous." *Wanting something that girl gave me? Is that possible? Impossible!*

Old Master Zhuang clutched the Beauty-Preserving Pill tightly, his eyes gleaming. *However... it might not be bad to make this girl jealous and anxious!*

He cleared his throat with a pretentious air and said slowly, "This is a pill given to me by Little Fanfan—a Beauty-Preserving Pill."

"You know what a Beauty-Preserving Pill is, right? It can preserve beauty and rejuvenate one's life, instantly turning an eighty-year-old crone into a fresh, budding maiden, even more radiant and beautiful than before. In short, it’s an elixir of youth."

"Once I eat it, I can return to my youthful appearance and crush all of you little runts." Old Master Zhuang boasted incessantly, as if afraid Bai Yu didn't understand.

He looked at Bai Yu, who stood there looking as if she hadn't understood a word, and in the next second, he petrified.

"Forget it, you wouldn't understand even if I told you. Anyway, it’s a good thing!"

...

"Pfft, hahahaha! Valley Master, you should have said so earlier! The Beauty-Preserving Pill is indeed a good thing, and it's perfect for an old man like you to use. I don't need it at all!" Bai Yu cheekily flicked her own flawless, delicate cheek, her expressive eyebrows arching slightly.

Seeing that Bai Yu didn't show the envy he had hoped for, but rather a playful dismissiveness, Old Master Zhuang was so angry he wanted to hit someone. How could such an infuriating person exist in this world?

Bai Yu seemed to hear the Old Master’s inner monologue and strolled out, saying as she went: "I’ll be waiting for you to dazzle a crowd of admirers once you’ve regained your peak beauty. Just thinking about it makes me happy!"

Old Master Zhuang felt his breath hitch in his throat. If he weren't holding the Beauty-Preserving Pill, he would have thrown something at her without hesitation. "Bai Yu! You stay right there!"

The two were at each other's throats over the pill, leaving everyone else to lament: without the Young Mistress, the Medical Underworld Valley was a disaster-stricken asylum.

After refining the pill, Luo Qianfan calculated the time and realized the Luo family should be arriving soon, so she didn't start another batch. Her thinking was simple: since she had succeeded once, a second time would be even easier. She would just refine more when the need arose in the future.

If anyone knew what Luo Qianfan was thinking, they would surely call her arrogant! What was a Beauty-Preserving Pill? It was a divine medicine others wouldn't even dare to dream of, yet she had refined it and spoke of doing it again as if it were picking up sesame seeds. It was truly enviable! However, she did indeed have the capital to be arrogant.

...

Two days later, outside the small, dilapidated house, Luo Yi spotted a sedan chair arriving in a flurry from afar. Including the sedan bearers and the accompanying maids, there were about seven or eight people.

*What a grand display. It seems the trip to the Luo Mansion is unavoidable...* Inside the house, Luo Qianfan listened to Luo Yi's report and offered a wicked, charming smile.