The book rankings are fierce, please cast your votes. －－－－－－－－－ A burly man, clad in a dark, tight-fitting suit and wearing a bamboo hat, with a massive iron broadsword strapped to his back, strolled through the streets of the northwest district of Zhuqi County, occasionally glancing at the martial artists passing by, as if searching for someone specific. Mysterious martial artists concealing their faces with bamboo hats were not uncommon in Zhuqi County.

Many in the jianghu preferred such concealment to evade pursuers and hide their tracks. This imposing figure was none other than Ye Qin. Ye Qin wore a common dark, tight-fitting suit and had intentionally strapped a great broadsword to his back, hoping to mislead others into thinking he was a visiting swordsman.

Moreover, he wore several layers of thick coats underneath, wrapped tightly with coarse cloth to make his frame appear broad and robust, presenting as a man in his late twenties or early thirties. He had applied a dark herbal paste that stained his face and hands as black as charcoal, and he held a walnut in his mouth to deepen and roughen his voice. Camouflage was a mandatory skill taught to disciples of the Medicine Gathering Hall for their excursions into the wilderness; he was supremely proficient in it.

Ye Qin spent the better part of the day wandering through the northwest district’s markets, post stations, inns, and taverns, all in pursuit of a buyer for the Heart Calming Pills. Following the incident at the Chunyu shop, he had become far more cautious, refraining from randomly approaching people to sell his wares, instead seeking the most suitable purchaser. Such a buyer needed to meet several criteria.

Firstly, they must be exceptionally wealthy martial artists to afford the supreme-grade Heart Calming Pills he possessed. Secondly, they needed to have strong guild affiliations so that the Medicine Gathering Hall would hesitate to conduct thorough investigations that might lead back to him. Thirdly, they had to be outsiders unfamiliar with the local martial figures and planning to depart Zhuqi County soon.

Once the buyer left the county, Ye Qin would be permanently safe, free from the fear of his identity being exposed. Recently, the number of visiting martial artists in Zhuqi County had swelled, making it not too difficult to locate affluent and influential figures. Yet, Ye Qin remained extremely vigilant, meticulously vetting potential targets.

To minimize the chance of exposure, he intended to conduct a single, discreet transaction, avoiding contact with too many martial artists. He observed several groups of martial elites from Wan'an City, the capital of Pingzhou, at the most luxurious taverns and inns in Zhuqi County. These individuals were almost all disciples of the top ten major guilds within Pingzhou.

Even the Medicine King Guild would not easily provoke them for fear of inciting inter-guild conflict. Therefore, selling the medicine privately to them should make it difficult for the Medicine King Guild to trace back to him. That day at noon, just as Ye Qin was resting and sipping cold tea at an open-air teahouse by the roadside, a magnificent, gold-leaf-inlaid, four-horse carriage, drawn by three white-maned steeds, entered the city under the escort of several dozen lean, crisply uniformed men on horseback.

The procession halted slowly near the post station in the west of the city. These uniformed guards stood tall and proud, their sharp gazes contained, each one clearly an elite martial master difficult to cross. The scores of men positioned themselves around the post station, effectively sealing off any potential attack routes against the luxurious carriage—undeniably highly disciplined.

A gold-threaded banner bearing the large characters “Precious Treasures” fluttered at the front of the carriage. A rosy-cheeked elder in yellow robes was the first to step out, followed by a slender, white-robed young disciple with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and a gracefully slender young woman adorned in rouge. Surrounded by the dozens of armed guards, they entered a nearby luxurious inn.

Inside the open-air teahouse, several ordinary martial men gasped softly upon seeing the carriage and its occupants. “The Precious Treasure Guild, the ninth largest guild in Pingzhou! That elder, the insignia embroidered on his shoulder—it looks like a figure of Elder rank.” “Why would such an important figure arrive in Zhuqi County so early?

Isn't the Medicine King Guild's Medicine Grand Gathering still two or three months away?” “Brother, you are uninformed. The Precious Treasure Guild specializes in hosting various auction conventions. The Medicine King Guild must have invited them to preside over this Medicine Trade Convention.

It’s not surprising they are here early to make preparations.” Ye Qin absorbed their conversation, a thought sparking in his mind. No one walking the jianghu would be unaware of the Ten Great Guilds of Pingzhou. The Precious Treasure Guild presented a promising potential trading partner.

Information about the Precious Treasure Guild surfaced in his thoughts. The Precious Treasure Guild was the ninth largest guild in Pingzhou, ranked slightly below the Medicine King Guild, but still a renowned major power. Its disciples styled themselves as precious treasure merchants.

Their sole business was collecting all manner of rare and secret treasures, then buying low and selling high through trade and auction. Whatever the treasure—precious blades, swords, armor, high-level secret manuals, rare medicines, or artifacts—they acquired it directly based solely on price, disregarding its origin. Supreme-grade medicines were naturally included in their acquisitions.

Moreover, if what those martial men said was true, this Precious Treasure Guild was likely invited by the Medicine King Guild specifically to officiate the auction at the upcoming medicine convention in Zhuqi County—a much superior backer compared to the Eight Harmony Society, which was behind the Chunyu shop. Ye Qin considered that selling the Heart Calming Pills to the Precious Treasure Guild would likely be the optimal choice. The Precious Treasure Guild operated under a rule: they never questioned the provenance of treasures, which was greatly advantageous for concealing his identity.

To facilitate this, Ye Qin waited outside the inn where the Precious Treasure Guild elder was staying for two full days, seeking an opportunity for a private meeting. During these two days, numerous guild leaders from Zhuqi County came to pay respects to the elder, but Ye Qin never saw any members of the Precious Treasure Guild emerge from the inn. It wasn't until the third day that Ye Qin spotted the Precious Treasure Guild elder leaving the inn alone, strolling through the county town for leisure.

Ye Qin immediately followed him. The elder was a man in his late fifties or early sixties, with a ruddy complexion and an ever-present smile. His temples were full and prominent, indicating exceptionally profound internal cultivation.

Even with Ye Qin’s current cultivation level, he felt a sliver of pressure emanating from the old man; he suspected the elder was not much weaker than himself. The old man was rather intriguing; he seemed to have noticed Ye Qin tailing him but proceeded calmly, browsing the county market, picking at items here and there, and haggling animatedly with a stall owner for half an hour. Finally, the elder stopped at the entrance to a quiet, secluded alley, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, and asked in a deep voice, “Boy, you have nerve.

To dare follow an old man like this. I, Huang Jin Hu (Golden Tiger), have roamed Pingzhou for decades, and it’s been a long time since I encountered such a bold young man. Speak—why are you trailing me?

If you cannot give me a satisfactory reason, be careful you don’t end up with a few broken bones.” Ye Qin stopped about ten paces behind the elder, adjusted his bamboo hat, kept the walnut between his tongue and cheek, and said calmly, “Senior is a master of the jianghu; why would you fear the tracking of an unknown junior? With your experience, you must already have guessed the purpose behind my persistent following.” “The young man is quite articulate,” the old man scoffed. “Those who follow merchants of the Precious Treasure Guild are always of two types.

Either they seek a treasure from me, or they wish to sell a treasure to me. Boy, tell me, are you looking to buy, or are you looking to sell?” “Senior sees through things with remarkable clarity. My master, while practicing his martial arts recently, pushed himself too hard and suffered a Qi deviation; he is currently being forcefully stabilized by a martial uncle of the same generation.

I urgently require one pill of the supreme-grade regulating medicine, the ‘Heart Calming Pill,’ to save his life. I wonder if the Precious Treasure Guild has this rare medicine, and what the price might be? I am willing to pay a high price.” Ye Qin was unaware of the market rate for the Heart Calming Pill and wanted to avoid being swindled, so he concocted this story to elicit the elder’s purchasing price.

Knowing the purchase price, he would naturally understand the approximate selling price.