"Liu Yiyi? Nice name, like weeping willows!" Xiaoyao nodded as he spoke.
"Sir, I think you misunderstood. This 'yi' is not that 'yi'. It's 'yi' as in one, two, three, four, five—the number one!" Liu Yiyi said.
"...One is good, but two ones make..." Xiaoyao unconsciously said, then realized he seemed to have said something wrong and didn't continue.
"..." Liu Yiyi fell silent, going crazy inside. Many people had said her name was nice, unique, and simple. She never expected someone to say to her face that one plus one equals...
Liu Yiyi stared at Xiaoyao with eyes that seemed ready to bite.
Xiaoyao immediately turned to look at the Huang family young master: "Ahem, Young Master, you want me to name something else now. Then I'll name something you've all heard of—Azure Dragon Inner Core!"
"Pfft..."
Everyone nearly choked. This thing Xiaoyao mentioned was indeed something everyone in the world knew, but it was also something everyone knew was absolutely not easy to obtain—almost impossible to reach.
Azure Dragon Inner Core was the inner core of the Azure Dragon monster beast. Just the inner core alone could transform an ordinary person into a King-level expert. If combined with medicinal materials for pill refining, with good results, an Emperor-level expert could easily emerge.
This was just talking about ordinary people. If someone had better talent, they might achieve even better results.
However, how could an Azure Dragon Inner Core be easily obtained? The Azure Dragon monster beast was inherently a powerful existence. Even a group of Emperor-level experts going to hunt it would be easily slaughtered.
According to continental standards, Azure Dragon monster beasts belonged to the God-level realm. In the entire continent, there were only a few Saint-level experts, and God-level ones hadn't appeared for hundreds of years.
Monster beasts at certain levels possessed intelligence—high intelligence no weaker than humans. Azure Dragons were definitely among them. Therefore, traps and schemes used against lower-level monster beasts wouldn't work.
Thus, Azure Dragon Inner Cores were just legends. Even knowing their heaven-defying effects, no one prepared to hunt Azure Dragons—unless they wanted to commit suicide.
The few Azure Dragon Inner Cores that had appeared before were all due to fortunate coincidences—happening upon Azure Dragons in weakened states, or encountering ones killed by other God-level monster beasts.
"Are... are you toying with me?" The Huang family young master pointed at Xiaoyao and asked angrily.
"You said it yourself. As long as I could name it, did you restrict what I couldn't say? Accept your loss gracefully—give me the shop sign. I want to smash it," Xiaoyao waved his hand.
"You... someone, throw this detestable little fatty out.”
"Oh my, don't tell me you don't keep your word? How pathetic. Such a big medicine shop, yet you're the type who goes back on your word. I really wonder if you sell customers one type of medicinal material to their faces but give them another type behind their backs," Xiaoyao looked at the young master. His words were vicious—extremely vicious.
At this moment, after hearing Xiaoyao's words, many people would subconsciously wonder: if the other party really did this, wouldn't they be cheated terribly.
Some people even began verifying their purchases right there in the Huang family medicine shop. This was a crisis of trust. If not handled well, the Huang family medicine shop's business would plummet.
"What do you mean by this? Would our Huang family medicine shop really cheat you? How absurd!" The young master was furious. Obviously, he hadn't realized the current situation was very unfavorable for their medicine shop.
Liu Yiyi shook her head, seeming to understand the situation, but she couldn't possibly help the Huang family medicine shop. After all, they were competitors, and she quite disliked them. Only the Huang family daughter who was the Liu family daughter-in-law would help the Huang family.
Under the young master's oblivious words, the trust crisis became more serious. At the same time, some people began feeling resentful—this had a feeling of arrogant bullying.
In Lingyue County, there were medicine shops everywhere. Why choose this Huang family shop?
Such thoughts appeared in some customers' minds. The Huang family medicine shop lost quite a few customers in that instant, but the young master didn't seem to notice. Even if he did, he wouldn't think there was any problem. At this moment, he was at the height of anger and had long forgotten his father's instructions.
His father was different. Xiaoyao could see that the head of this Huang family medicine shop was quite good. His initial impression of this shop was very positive, or one could say his current feeling about the shop was still good—the problem was just this young master.
What kind of father one has doesn't necessarily determine what kind of son one will have.
"I really pity your father," Liu Yiyi shook her head.
"Alright, Miss Yiyi, I'll go with you to get the Ice Condensation Grass. Put this bill on Young Master Huang's account." Xiaoyao waved his hand.
"Okay!" Liu Yiyi nodded.
"This isn't finished. Do you think you can just leave like this?" the young master said.
"It's already finished. You can't produce the item, I've already smashed the sign, and I don't want to waste time with you, so of course I'm leaving like this." Xiaoyao replied.
"What do you mean, 'already smashed the sign'? Our shop sign is hanging there perfectly fine," The young master didn't argue about not being able to produce the Azure Dragon Inner Core because he couldn't understand how Xiaoyao claimed to have already smashed the sign.
"Alas, pitiful, lamentable, pathetic..." Liu Yiyi shook her head and left with Xiaoyao, who completely ignored the young master.
What was all this about? Has this Liu family girl's brain broken? And what was that little fatty? Just leaving like that? I haven't settled accounts with him yet.
At this moment, the young master was full of confusion and still couldn't figure it out.
"Bastard! How did I get such a stupid son? Not only did you agree to such ridiculous conditions, you don't even know when someone smashed your sign. The one hanging above is a sign, but the credibility in customers' hearts is also a sign—do you understand? You don't need to go to the medicine shop anymore. Stay home and study properly. When your brain finally works, then we'll talk.”
The head of the Huang family, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, furiously scolded his son and gave up the idea of having his son continue learning experience at the medicine shop. He simply wasn't cut out for it.
At the same time, the Huang family head gave an order—
"Go investigate that little fatty's background.”
This wasn't because the head wanted anything, but because he wanted to know whether Xiaoyao's appearance was coincidental or deliberately arranged by someone.
If it was a coincidental appearance, he naturally wouldn't pursue it. But if someone had deliberately arranged it, he would investigate to the end. He wouldn't be so polite with opponents—otherwise he wouldn't have his current position.
It must be said that this Huang family head possessed the qualities of a great figure and was someone who could stand on his own. The Liu family also acknowledged this. However, the Huang family only had this one capable person. If the next generation couldn't inherit this ability, the Huang family's glory would only be a flash in the pan.
On the continent, throughout history, many families had once shone brilliantly and been at their zenith, but they all successively declined. The reason was simply these four words—no successors.
...
"Servant sir, may I ask what you're called?" Liu Yiyi asked with a smile.
"Just call me Little Servant. What we small servants are called isn't very important." Xiaoyao replied with a smile. At this moment, with his fatty appearance, he looked quite endearing.
"Hehe, alright then, Little Servant!" Liu Yiyi smiled. She knew Xiaoyao wasn't telling her his real identity. Since that was the case, she wouldn't force it. Many people who came to Lingyue County had their own secrets, especially alchemists.
"Aren't you afraid the Huang family won't pay?" Xiaoyao looked at the Ice Condensation Grass in his hand.
"That idiot young master might not, but his father definitely will. His father is a capable person. The Huang family's current position is all due to his father's efforts." Liu Yiyi replied. When speaking of the Huang family head, her tone unconsciously revealed a kind of respect.
"Oh, then thank you, Miss Yiyi!" Xiaoyao said politely.
"No need to be polite—it was just a small favor. Also, just call me Yiyi from now on. I like people calling me Yiyi." Liu Yiyi said with a smile.
"Oh, Miss Yiyi... Yiyi, I heard your Liu family provides special alchemy rooms and can provide materials as long as you provide equivalent pills in return." Xiaoyao asked.
"Yes, why? Are you interested?" Liu Yiyi looked at Xiaoyao, with some expectation in her eyes, because she only guessed that Xiaoyao had decent pharmaceutical or alchemy abilities but couldn't be certain.
If Xiaoyao said he wanted to do alchemy now, she could directly see his abilities. At the same time, she could now confirm that Xiaoyao knew alchemy. Previously she only knew he was very knowledgeable about medicinal materials, but that could cover many areas.
"Yes, I want to rent your alchemy room and need some of your medicinal materials. I'll write you a list right now!" At this moment, they happened to be passing through the front hall where writing materials were available. Xiaoyao conveniently wrote several pages.
From the moment Xiaoyao started writing, Liu Yiyi was continuously amazed. Her first feeling wasn't about the medicinal materials Xiaoyao wrote, but his calligraphy. The characters were magnificent and extraordinarily grand—not at all like a servant's writing.
Moreover, these characters surpassed even some calligraphy masters. Just this handwriting alone could make this little fatty famous. Why did he still say he was a servant?
But Liu Yiyi didn't stay amazed by this for long. Soon she was surprised by the medicinal materials Xiaoyao listed next. Among these materials were quite a few advanced ones, and even some top-tier materials. What was this for? Did he want to make top-tier pills?
(End of Chapter)