Zi Linling, having obtained the answers she sought, purchased the remaining medicinal ingredients from Shuiyue Merchant House as agreed.
The shopkeeper was also straightforward. When calculating the bill, he stated the total was fifty-two taels of silver, then waived the odd change for Zi Linling and gave her a Xuan-grade VIP card.
However, this meant that Xueying's hard-earned savings from several months were gone in an instant, and they had even used up three of Zi Linling's versatile antidote pills.
Zi Linling didn't mind. In her opinion, nothing was more important than refining the Muscle-Restoring Pill and Marrow-Cleansing Pill.
Xueying, on the other hand, felt a pang of heartache. Those twenty taels of silver were her and her mistress's food money!
Moreover, the few silvery pills her mistress had produced at the end were clearly valuable, otherwise the shopkeeper wouldn't have had such a gleam in his eyes.
Unfortunately, her mistress had exchanged such good items for a large pile of medicinal ingredients. Such a quantity of ingredients would be impossible to consume.
Xueying had no idea that Zi Linling intended to refine pills, let alone the long-lost Muscle-Restoring Pill and the highly difficult Marrow-Cleansing Pill.
Zi Linling exited Shuiyue Merchant House and walked westward, following the direction pointed out by the shopkeeper.
Xueying hurried to catch up, asking with a troubled expression, "Mistress, are we going to Fengyun Merchant House?"
She had overheard the conversation between the shopkeeper and Zi Linling earlier.
Zi Linling nodded, acknowledging her.
Xueying tugged at Zi Linling's sleeve and said, "Mistress! Look, we've already bought so many medicinal ingredients, enough to last for almost a year. Why are we still going to Fengyun Merchant House?"
Zi Linling stopped, supported her forehead, and looked at Xueying speechlessly, "Eat? Do you think this is for eating?"
She really wanted to pry open Xueying's head and see what was inside.
Xueying was utterly bewildered and asked, "Mistress isn't buying medicinal ingredients to eat?"
Zi Linling smiled helplessly and said testily, "Of course not! Medicine has its own potency; who eats medicinal ingredients like food?"
This made Xueying even more confused. She scratched the back of her head and asked, "Then what do you need so many medicinal ingredients for, Mistress?"
Zi Linling flicked her forehead and said, "To refine pills, of course!"
"Refine pills? Refining pills, that makes sense, I knew it, so many medicinal ingredients..."
Before Xueying could finish her sentence, she belatedly realized the problem with her own words.
She looked at Zi Linling in disbelief and said, "Mistress, did I hear correctly? Did you just say you're going to use these medicinal ingredients to refine... refine pills?"
Zi Linling had a look of "as it should be," saying, "You heard correctly, your mistress is indeed going to refine pills."
Xueying pinched herself to prove she wasn't hallucinating, then asked with surprise, "Mistress, when did you learn to refine pills?"
Her voice was a little loud due to her extreme surprise, and people around them turned to look at them.
Their expressions were as if they had heard some earth-shattering astonishing news.
It was no wonder. Forget the Tianqi Kingdom; even on the entire Tianyuan Continent, the rarity of alchemists was no less than that of Saint King realm powerhouses. They were truly rare indeed!
"Hmph! Refining pills? Dreaming!"
Someone said something, and everyone around them started whispering.
Seeing the pointing fingers of the crowd, Zi Linling was again speechless.
She wished she could stuff something into Xueying's mouth. Was refining pills something to be shouted about on the street? What if someone with ill intentions kidnapped them, mistress and servant?
"Your... mistress... does... not... refine... pills!"
Zi Linling said each word slowly, her voice carrying a subtle warning.
Xueying knew she had caused trouble and stamped her foot in annoyance, her eyes tearing up, "Mistress, I didn't do it on purpose; I was just too surprised."
What else could Zi Linling say?
She took two steps forward, wiped away the tears that had just welled up in Xueying's eyes, and sighed, "Alright, stop crying! There, there!"
Xueying was startled, hastily wiped her eyes, and trotted to catch up with Zi Linling.
Soon, the pointing crowd was left behind them.
"Mistress, you really can't refine pills?"
Xueying was very curious. Mistress had clearly said she bought these medicinal ingredients to refine pills, yet she also said she couldn't refine them.
"No!"
Zi Linling blurted out the answer without thinking.
She wasn't lying.
In her previous life, although she had accidentally obtained a pill scripture and memorized its contents thoroughly, she hadn't had the chance to practice it before coming here.
"Then why are we still going to Fengyun Merchant House?"
"To buy medicinal ingredients!"
"But Mistress can't refine pills, can she?"
"Can't one learn if they can't refine pills?"
"But learning to refine pills is very expensive. Mistress, we're out of money!"
Xueying's words reminded Zi Linling.
All their meager savings had been spent at Shuiyue Merchant House, and she had even used three versatile antidote pills to offset the bill!
This was ridiculous! In her previous life, she had never worried about money!
Just as she was contemplating whether to use Ye Lingyuan's token to collect consultation fees from the Underworld King's mansion, the two of them had already arrived at the entrance of Fengyun Merchant House.
Fengyun Merchant House, as expected of a major merchant house from the Azure Dragon Empire.
As Zi Linling was considering whether to go in, a female attendant in a specially made uniform walked out.
She had an elegant smile on her face, her left hand behind her back, her right hand extended naturally, and she bowed slightly, saying, "Miss, welcome to Fengyun Merchant House. May I help you with something?"
Zi Linling was stunned. The attendant's demeanor reminded her of the greeters in her previous life, and she felt a sense of familiarity.
"I need..."
Just as she was about to say she needed some medicinal ingredients, she felt Xueying tugging at her clothes.
Xueying pulled Zi Linling to the side and whispered, "Mistress, let's forget it, we have no money!"
Zi Linling patted Xueying's hand that was holding her, signaling Xueying to relax. Then she walked up to the attendant and said, "Excuse me, can I trade items for goods in the merchant house?"
The attendant nodded and smiled, "Of course, but the value must be equivalent."
Zi Linling nodded, "Okay! That's good then, I need some medicinal ingredients."
"Please, Miss, follow me!"
The attendant invited Zi Linling inside, saying, "Our merchant house has a very complete range of medicinal ingredients. Miss can rest assured..."
"Make way, make way!"
Before the attendant could finish speaking, an arrogant voice rang out.
At the same time, a woman in a goose-yellow long dress bumped into Xueying and rushed into the entrance ahead of them.
"Hiss~"
Xueying stumbled from the impact, clutching her arm and gasping in pain. She had hit the doorframe due to her unstable footing.
Zi Linling quickly helped Xueying up and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"
Xueying shook her head. Zi Linling, not reassured, examined her carefully before heaving a sigh of relief, "Fortunately, no bones were broken."
The woman who had bumped into her seemed completely unaware of her actions and walked straight into the merchant house.
"Stop!"