No one had ever heard of anyone being able to make top-tier pills alone. Generally, top-tier pills required several people to cooperate because the required procedures were too complex and time-consuming. One person simply couldn't guarantee accurate execution of procedures while consuming massive amounts of physical strength.
Of course, it was also possible he was refining some relatively rare pills that contained top-tier materials. Top-tier materials didn't necessarily have to be used for top-tier pills, just like elementary materials might be used in top-tier pills. This was just a matter of formulas and didn't represent anything definitive.
At the same time, some top-tier pills could be refined using lower-grade pills. Xiaoyao had recently been researching a type of top-tier pill that used entirely elementary materials—just more materials, more complex procedures, and higher requirements.
People capable of refining such pills probably didn't exist anywhere else in this world. Even if the formula were given to them, they wouldn't have the ability and technique.
"This is..." Liu Yiyi looked at the list in Xiaoyao's hand for a while, then looked at Xiaoyao: "Just you alone?"
"Yes, just me alone. And no matter what I do, you can't disturb me or spy on me. Also, for secrecy, this matter should only be known by you and me—no one else can know." Xiaoyao smiled mysteriously, as if telling Liu Yiyi that he was a secretive expert who didn't want too much known about him.
"Alright, I'll personally handle this matter and won't let anyone know any information about you. Only you and I will know!" Liu Yiyi nodded. She had met quite a few people who had secrets, especially alchemists who could refine advanced pills. They generally didn't want people to know.
Because such alchemists were in high demand, they would sometimes be coerced, just like Xiaoyao's visit here—they might be kidnapped.
Although some people were quite famous and had many protectors, it was easy to dodge an open attack but hard to guard against hidden arrows. Some people did things in secret—who could know.
This was also why alchemists would keep some martial artists—to protect themselves.
"It would be best if you could prepare everything within three days. I have some matters to attend to—I can stay here at most seven days," Xiaoyao said.
Although he could stay here indefinitely, it would be better to rejoin Guxing and the others if there was nothing else to do. The pills were already more than enough. Besides making some spares, there wasn't much other use for them—at least that's how it was for Xiaoyao.
He just felt these seven days could still be utilized, so he'd stay here seven days. Otherwise, he wouldn't cooperate with Liu Yiyi.
The Liu family's cooperation model was something Xiaoyao had considered before—exchanging pills for medicinal materials. The conditions the Liu family offered were quite fair, and they were the family with the most medicinal materials. Cooperating with them was ideal.
Over the next few days, Liu Yiyi received many pills from Xiaoyao. This was another thing that surprised her—no, it should be said it shocked her.
All the pills Xiaoyao gave were advanced pills, and their quality was quite good. The quantity wasn't small either, much higher in value than the medicinal materials she provided. When Liu Yiyi mentioned this, the answer she got was—
"Meeting each other is fate, and I find you quite comfortable to be around, so I'm giving you a little extra,"
This was a little? This was much more.
Liu Yiyi thought to herself at the time, but she wouldn't refuse, because she guessed that Xiaoyao gave so much because he had made even more.
If this was really the case, then this unremarkable little fatty before her seemed to be an alchemy expert—and an extraordinary one at that.
At the same time, Liu Yiyi also knew that the pills in her hands might have been specially made by Xiaoyao, because these advanced pills came in very few varieties—just two or three types.
She had been dealing with such people for quite some time. Generally, alchemists would give a portion of each type from their refined pills. Giving just one type was very difficult for them to do, because if they specially made them, it would definitely waste a lot of time.
Why would it waste time? Very simple—the things they could produce in one batch might not offset much, but they would definitely have additional costs, and these costs became debt.
Unless someone could produce pills far exceeding cost value, this was generally rare. At the same time, no matter what, this was always increasing costs.
The Liu family welcomed such arrangements, because doing this meant they got more pills. More materials meant naturally more pills.
Therefore, ordinary people wouldn't do this unless they had a purpose—for example, wanting to conceal what they were doing.
Xiaoyao might be such a person, because what he actually did, no one knew. He wanted too many medicinal materials—there could be many combinations. Even the most knowledgeable person in this field couldn't guess.
In the end, Liu Yiyi never figured out what pills Xiaoyao had made, whether there were top-tier pills among them. She knew none of this, and she didn't know if she'd have a chance to find out in this lifetime. She felt that after Xiaoyao left this time, he wouldn't return here.
Regarding this question, Liu Yiyi had asked Xiaoyao—not whether he would come back here, but—
"Little Servant sir, do you think we'll meet again?"
At that time, Xiaoyao casually replied: "If there's fate, we'll naturally meet!"
"Then do we have fate?" Liu Yiyi looked at Xiaoyao curiously, very expectant.
Xiaoyao frowned, seeming to think for a while—who knows what about—then said after a moment: "You and I can be considered to have some fate!"
"Then that means we'll meet again..." Liu Yiyi said with a smile.
"If fate permits, we'll meet again!" Xiaoyao still replied casually.
"..."
Damn, saying this was the same as saying nothing! Liu Yiyi wanted to curse, but fortunately she could still maintain her composure.
Finally, Xiaoyao left. Besides Liu Yiyi and those from the Huang family, no one knew he had ever been here. However, everyone currently and even in future days wouldn't know Xiaoyao's true identity. In their impressions and memories, this was a little fatty—an unremarkable-looking little fatty.
If Xiaoyao had brought Chi Chi along, there might have been characteristics for people to recognize him. But this time he was clearly concealing his identity, so naturally he couldn't possibly leave any clues for others. Such an obvious clue as Chi Chi had long been kicked aside by him.
Even if Liu Yiyi could meet him again by fate, she basically couldn't possibly recognize Xiaoyao unless some very, very coincidental event happened to expose this matter—but this was basically impossible.
The fact that Xiaoyao had been here was only known to the Fourth Prince and his subordinates, and they would absolutely never tell anyone about it. Therefore, no one would know. Soon after, in a struggle for succession among the princes of the Heavenly Wind Kingdom, the Fourth Prince undoubtedly suffered a crushing defeat.
If he hadn't provoked Xiaoyao, he should have had several points of hope. But because he wanted to improve his chances and gain more certainty, he captured Xiaoyao. The result was losing his wife and his army—even his original hope disappeared.
At that time, he deeply resented Xiaoyao. However, this fact could no longer be changed. Although he ultimately preserved his life, he lived under others' control. If he peacefully maintained that situation, he could live out his life safely.
All of this had nothing to do with Xiaoyao—at least not now. Xiaoyao was currently just riding a thin horse on the road.
This thin horse wasn't new—it was the same one Xiaoyao had before.
Originally, Xiaoyao thought this thin horse was gone, because those people hadn't actually brought it along for him. They ignored Xiaoyao's request and just left it in that canyon. Pitifully, no one wanted this thin horse, so it became free.
The thin horse's appearance here wasn't because it had spiritual intelligence and had been secretly following Xiaoyao.
It was following Xiaoyao, but not because it wanted to come itself—it was driven here by Chi Chi. Chi Chi somehow made this horse obedient and brought Chi Chi along to follow.
Chi Chi wanted this thin horse to carry it simply because it didn't want to chase so laboriously by itself. From that canyon to the Great Tang Empire, to Lingyue County, was truly a long journey. Without transportation, it would be very tiring.
Chi Chi was a glutton—how could it do such tiring work? So it used its little brain and thought of this method. It even showed off to Xiaoyao about this, and Xiaoyao gave it an affectionate knock on the head.
But this was good—this thin horse was a fine horse. Losing it would be quite a pity. Moreover, at this time, the thin horse was showing its value—traveling a thousand li per day, definitely a thousand-li horse, and also a horse with potential.
White clothes and thin horse, sword-carrying wanderer...
To project a certain aura, Xiaoyao decided to dress in white clothes, like an elegant young man—oh wait, a young hero.
The sword he had put away was taken out again. That feeling really had something to it.
Naturally, after galloping a thousand li, Xiaoyao returned to his original appearance, no longer a little fatty. Maintaining that form also required some physical strength—who would waste energy for no reason.
Therefore, now he definitely wasn't a little fatty young hero, but truly a handsome, dashing, jade-tree-like young swordsman.
"Young hero, please come in!"
"Young hero, please take the seat of honor..."
"Young hero, buying anything?"
"Young hero, our girls are quite nice..."
"..."
Along the way, Xiaoyao discovered that playing a young hero had quite a few benefits, but also attracted too much attention. So he gave up this decision and changed clothes again.
(End of Chapter)