Chapter 2199 — Pay the Bill First

"All right." Wei Zhao nodded. "Since you're so eager to make the trade, I'll lay out my bottom line too. Jingjing, give me the list."

"Of course, Brother Wei Zhao." Han Jingyi had long since drawn up the list of pill-refining materials she needed.

Wei Zhao took the slip from Han Jingyi and glanced over it: the raw materials for three kinds of second-grade pills, among them the Minor Qi-Gathering Pill. He jotted a number onto the paper and handed it back to You Panhu. "The materials for three kinds of second-grade pills, five portions of each. Add that pill cauldron you mentioned earlier, and that's my bottom line."

"Uh... five portions of each? Wouldn't that be fifteen portions of second-grade pill materials—the equivalent of fifteen second-grade pills?" You Panhu asked, startled.

"Are you brain-dead, or do you just not know how to do sums? Since when does fifteen portions of second-grade pill materials equal fifteen second-grade pills?" Wei Zhao rolled his eyes. "Can fifteen portions of materials actually produce fifteen pills?"

"That..." You Panhu thought it over, and the man had a point. Even if the old master himself took on the task, fifteen portions of second-grade materials could never yield fifteen second-grade pills. A success rate of one in three would already be impressive—the old master was, after all, only a second-grade alchemist, with a success rate of twenty to thirty percent.

Seen in that light, Wei Zhao's demand had not gone up at all; it had dropped considerably. That left You Panhu somewhat puzzled. "You're sure this is your bottom line?"

"Yes," Wei Zhao said. "And you'd better not try any tricks. If I didn't need some second-grade pill materials for experiments right now, I wouldn't even bother trading with you."

"Fine, fine! I'll contact the family right away and have them send the materials and the cauldron over." Having worked out the true worth of those second-grade materials, You Panhu made the call on the spot—this was something he had the authority to decide.

"Good. Send me a picture of that cauldron first so I can study it," Wei Zhao said.

"No problem." You Panhu agreed readily, sent Wei Zhao a message, and then said, "Now that the deal's settled, how about letting me have a look at that alchemist's notebook first?"

"Do you really think I'd show it to you?" Wei Zhao countered.

"Uh... then let's wait until after we've traded." You Panhu himself reckoned Wei Zhao would never show him. What if he looked it over and then refused to hand over the goods?

"Then what are you still sitting here for? Leader Bai's coming—do you want to get chewed out?" Wei Zhao asked.

"Ha, I'm going!" You Panhu assumed Wei Zhao was afraid—afraid that Leader Bai would find out he'd made a private exchange of information. As You Panhu saw it, if Wei Zhao dared to play him false, he would simply go and report Wei Zhao's doings to Leader Bai.

Once You Panhu had gone, Wei Zhao opened his phone and began studying the ancient top-tier pill cauldron You Panhu had described.

In the picture, the cauldron did indeed look antique and elegant, but the photo also revealed it to be badly damaged. Even though the angle was the best possible one—the photographer having done all he could to present its most intact side—the damage was plain to see.

Even so, the cauldron was still chipped and gap-toothed, covered in dense, unbroken cracks. At a glance, it was an ornamental piece, useless for refining pills.

In anyone else's hands it would be an ornament, of course—but not necessarily in Wei Zhao's. Wei Zhao possessed a fragmentary scroll on the Way of Mending Artifacts, and from it he might be able to find a way to repair this top-tier cauldron...

So if he traded for it and studied it, he might just gain something. Even if it couldn't be restored, those fifteen portions of second-grade pill materials were worth it on their own. Han Jingyi needed second-grade materials for her experiments, and You Panhu had rushed to supply exactly what was needed, thought exactly what was wanted—how very thoughtful of him.

Still, the cauldron gave Wei Zhao a vague sense of familiarity. He seemed to have seen it somewhere before, yet he had no clear impression of it... He thought for a while and could recall nothing more, and then Leader Bai arrived.

The rest of the morning passed uneventfully for Wei Zhao, between cultivation and attending lectures.

At noon, Wei Zhao had promised Sun Jingyan he would go find her. He left the classroom, only to be stopped by You Panhu.

"Wei Zhao, wait..." You Panhu had told his uncle You Zhentian about Wei Zhao's terms that morning, and You Zhentian had agreed almost without a moment's thought. In his eyes, fifteen portions of second-grade pill materials were about equal in value to five second-grade pills—Wei Zhao's demand hardly counted as a demand at all.

Once You Zhentian had prepared the goods, he dispatched You Shi, a core disciple of the You family, to deliver them into You Panhu's hands.

"Oh? Looks like you've got everything I asked for?" Wei Zhao asked mildly, eyeing the bag in You Panhu's hand.

"That's right, I've got it all ready," You Panhu said. "It's all here. So, Wei Zhao, can we trade the materials now?"

"No hurry. I haven't inspected the goods yet," Wei Zhao said unhurriedly. "And it just so happens I haven't eaten lunch. You're treating."

"..." You Panhu was momentarily speechless. But who was it who needed Wei Zhao? So he nodded. "I've no problem treating you—where do you want to eat? But let's settle the trade first, shall we?"

"The Xueshang Business Hotel. Once we're there, I'll do the trade with you," Wei Zhao said.

"Fine..." There was nothing for it. You Panhu followed Wei Zhao to the parking lot and got into Wei Zhao's Grand Cherokee.

Along the way, You Panhu several times opened his mouth only to shut it again. But seeing Wei Zhao's unruffled expression, he knew Wei Zhao probably wouldn't pay him any mind anyway. There was nothing for it; only when they reached the private room at the Xueshang Business Hotel did You Panhu impatiently set the package in his hands on the table.

"Wei Zhao, can we trade now?" His sole reason for coming here was to trade with Wei Zhao. As for sitting down to a meal with him, he had no such leisure.

"Wait, I haven't ordered yet." Wei Zhao waved a hand, called the waiter over, took the menu, and ordered a lavish spread.

"..." You Panhu was speechless again, but he waited patiently until Wei Zhao had finished ordering. "Well? Is this good enough now?"

"Fine. First, go pay the bill for me," Wei Zhao said. (To be continued.)