Misty Rain of the Old Times

Wow——!
As the box was opened, a slight commotion arose around them. A crimson light shone from the opening, illuminating a large area in front of it in a bright red glow. At the same time, an astonishing heat swept out, causing the nearby temperature to rise sharply. Some people who were close by were immediately covered in sweat and couldn't help but back away, almost causing a stampede.

Immediately, the scalding air spread rapidly, making it difficult for those nearby to breathe. Their hair and clothes showed signs of being ignited, and they couldn't help but continue to retreat. In an instant, a three-zhang radius around Chen Xuan was cleared, with only a few people still able to stand in this area.

At the same time, when the box was opened to a width of one hand, the air within a meter or so in the direction of the opening became distorted in the night, as if boiling.

With a snap, Old Qin closed the box in a few breaths, the red light disappeared, and the surrounding high temperature quickly dissipated.

"What's in that box? It's terrifying! I felt like I was in a brick kiln about to be burned to ashes."

"Didn't you hear? They were talking about fire copper. That should be what's in the box, right?"

"I thought it was just called Fire Copper, but it really does resemble fire!"

"This is far more terrifying than fire..."

Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, Wang Le smiled at Chen Xuan and said, "What do you think, sir? Can we exchange for the Carefree Pill?"

As a scion of a prominent family, he was naturally not just a pretty face; he also possessed cultivation skills and had mastered superior techniques. Although his cultivation level was not yet at the point of opening up the eight extraordinary meridians, it was still quite good. However, just a moment ago, he was still drenched in sweat, as if he had been pulled out of the water. He took two deep breaths before calming down.

Ning Guiliang, who was reluctant to leave, was in even worse shape. His skin was as red as a boiled shrimp. Luckily, he reacted quickly and stood behind Qin Lao, otherwise he would have suffered extensive burns all over his body.

The box that was opened earlier was facing Chen Xuan, directly in front of the fiery copper inside. He was the one who suffered the most, and the table in front of him made cracking sounds as if it were about to burst into flames.

However, he himself was completely unaffected, looking calm and composed, as if he were not affected at all, which was indeed the case.

Despite his outwardly calm demeanor, Elder Qin couldn't help but look at Chen Xuan with newfound respect. To remain unmoved even when facing the fiery copper at close range, his cultivation level was at least at the mid-stage of the Innate Realm.

As a respected elder of a prominent family, he was exceptional in terms of cultivation, knowledge, and experience. Yet, at this moment, he couldn't fathom Chen Xuan's true strength no matter what he did. It was as if Chen Xuan had no cultivation at all, unlike ordinary people. This made him wonder, just who was this person?
Seven years ago, it made a brief appearance in Mocheng and then disappeared without a trace, but now it's back selling meatballs.

It's not surprising that this person is extraordinary, given that he can concoct something like the Carefree Pill...

In response to Wang Le's question, Chen Xuan smiled and said, "No rush, let me take a look and confirm first, okay?"

“Of course, please,” Wang Le nodded and then gestured for Elder Qin to bring the box containing the fire copper to Chen Xuan.

Although he hadn't seen the Carefree Pill yet, he wasn't afraid that Chen Xuan would steal the Fire Copper. Old Master Qin was no pushover, and besides, if he really did that, unless he was a Grandmaster, very few people could withstand the wrath of the aristocratic families!

As Qin Lao placed the box on the table, Chen Xuan secretly wondered what would happen if he grabbed it and ran away.
That's what he thought, but of course he wouldn't do such a thing; he eats beef.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Chen Xuan did not open the box immediately. Instead, he bent his finger and tapped the box itself. He was immediately speechless. The box was not made of metal, but was made of some kind of special stone. It had the property of being cold, but it was not obvious. The coldness was not strong. Ordinary people would only feel cold when they touched it, but would not feel their hands were frozen.

But it was able to seal in the heat of the fire copper, which made the box itself extraordinary. Chen Xuan could only say that it was indeed a noble family, and any item they took out was a treasure that ordinary people could hardly access.

Of course, even the best things need to be in the right hands. For the poor, nothing is as practical as a bowl of noodles.

Suddenly, Chen Xuan's heart skipped a beat. He quickly examined the box. The texture and the faint snowflake-like stone patterns—could it be the Netherfrost Stone?
After examining it again, Chen Xuan was already 80% certain that this was the Netherfrost Stone!
This thing is extremely rare, even more precious than fire copper itself. It is so rare that it is hard to come by. It only exists in secluded valleys and cold pools, and has been eroded by the cold for countless years. Its main characteristic is that it conducts almost no heat. Its material is not much stronger than stone and is very fragile, but its ability to withstand high temperatures is top-notch among natural items.

It's no exaggeration to say that if a perfectly fitting suit of armor were made from this stone, anyone wearing it could swim freely in volcanic lava without getting hurt. Even that doesn't fully describe the limits of its high-temperature resistance.

Chen Xuan was able to recognize the Netherfrost Stone because the information left to him by Lao Liu contained a detailed description. Lao Liu was an expert in both alchemy and weapon crafting, and he knew all kinds of rare materials like the back of his hand. If you don't even recognize the materials, how can you make pills or weapons?

'It's true that when luck comes, you can't stop it. I just wanted to get some array flag materials, and someone actually delivered such a treasure as the Netherfrost Stone to my door.' Overjoyed, Chen Xuan would never let this thing go. If he had no other choice, he would even adjust his flexible moral bottom line to snatch it!
In his long-term goal, he will delve into the study of alchemy and weapon crafting. The Netherfrost Stone is one of the essential materials that cannot be bypassed. Whether it is forging alchemy furnaces or smelting furnaces, this material is required. Just because he doesn't need it now doesn't mean he won't need it in the future. It also saves him the trouble of searching for it later.

Chen Xuan glanced at Wang Le and the others out of the corner of his eye and thought to himself that even aristocratic families sometimes fail to appreciate the value of things. Using the Nether Cold Stone to hold the Fire Copper was indeed effective, but it was a real waste of resources. To put it in an inappropriate analogy, it was like holding a golden bowl and begging for food.

With business at hand, Chen Xuan carefully opened the box after a moment's hesitation. He wasn't worried about the fire copper inside, but rather about damaging the box itself. The Netherfrost Stone in this box would be more than enough for forging alchemy furnaces and smelting tools in the future. After all, it wasn't meant to be used entirely as a material; it was just an essential component. By selecting materials, embedding them in specific locations, and inscribing array patterns, the true properties of the Netherfrost Stone could be brought out in the forging process. As he opened the box, flames and intense heat surged out again, illuminating his figure in a fiery red glow, but he remained unaffected, as if bathed in a gentle breeze.

As a result, the innate master who had previously tried to forcibly buy the Xiaoyao Pill was terrified. He bowed to Chen Xuan and apologized, then quietly slunk away. He was overjoyed that he hadn't had a chance to cause trouble before.

The box was opened, revealing an irregularly shaped, flat piece of metal about the size of a bowl. It was entirely reddish-brown with a hint of white, resembling red-hot steel, constantly radiating astonishing heat. Chen Xuan sensed that its surface temperature was over a thousand degrees!

If this item is not stored properly, it can easily cause a fire.

It is a solid piece of metal, and the surrounding air is distorted under high temperature, so much so that it appears as if it is flowing.

Although it was his first time handling the actual product, Chen Xuan compared it with the detailed information in his mind and was absolutely certain that this was fire copper, and it was refined fire copper with almost no impurities, which could be used directly and was one of the materials he needed.

After confirming it, he reached out and took it amidst the horrified gazes of most people around him!
His clean, slender, and seemingly ordinary hand easily grasped the fire copper, weighed it in his hand, put it back into the box, closed the lid, and looked up at Wang Le with a smile: "This is indeed the fire copper I need, thirteen and a half pounds. Do you really need to exchange it for the Xiaoyao Pill? Once it's confirmed, we've reached a deal. If we back out, it might make things unpleasant for everyone."

His real purpose was to exchange the Free and Easy Pill for the necessary materials; it was better to make it clear from the outset that he didn't care about other people's reactions.

His words caused a slight commotion among the surrounding people. The Xiaoyao Pill was something countless people dreamed of, but the Fire Copper was clearly no ordinary item. Was a transaction really going to take place? Witnessing this scene would provide them with something to talk about for a long time to come.

When the matter came to a head, Wang Le did not agree directly, but smiled and said, "Sir, please wait. Transactions are naturally about give and take. It's normal to ask for an exorbitant price and then try to bargain. You can't just say whatever you want. So, can we discuss the terms of the exchange?"

"Third Young Master is right," Chen Xuan nodded and smiled, but before the other party could show any joy, he shook his head and said, "But I refuse to bargain. If I say one tael per piece, then it's one tael per piece. A person should keep their word. If Third Young Master cannot accept this, then I can only express my regret."

As he spoke, Chen Xuan pushed the box containing the fire copper toward them.

Seeing this, Wang Le felt helpless. He had been deceived many times, and it was rare to encounter the real deal. Naturally, he was unwilling to give up. This was the only one available. Where else could he find the "Free and Easy Pill" after this opportunity? Moreover, the Fire Copper was not unique to him. What if someone else got there first? It would be better to secure the prize before things got complicated.

The Xiaoyao Pill, which used to cost ten taels of silver, now costs ten thousand taels of fire copper per tael. This is not just a rip-off, it's outrageously expensive. But what can we do? We can only grit our teeth and accept it. We can't play dirty tricks in front of everyone. What about the reputation of our aristocratic family?

Wang Le had no choice but to say, "Then let's do as you request, sir."

Chen Xuan smiled immediately. He had obtained one of the required materials. He nodded and said, "Alright, thirteen and a half catties of fire copper, one tael of each Xiaoyao Pill. I need to pay you two hundred and thirteen pills, right?"

“That’s right,” Wang Le nodded. One jin and sixteen liang, no problem.

Two hundred pills may seem like a lot, but it's actually not much. After all, one person needs to take a hundred or two hundred pills to adjust their body to the point of having iron kidneys. In other words, it's only enough for two people. With just this much, Wang Le knew even with his buttocks that he wouldn't get any.

I just hope that we can get more fire copper and ice silkworm silk to our home later. It would be even better if we could get some white cloud wood.

The deal was done, and Chen Xuan said happily, "It's a pleasure to cooperate. Third Young Master, you're very generous. Your fire copper is of excellent quality, and I'm not stingy, so I'll add a few more pieces as a gift, making it two hundred and twenty more."

"Thank you for your generosity, sir," Wang Le said, both amused and exasperated. A few more pills would just mean a few more moments of pleasure. What he wanted was a full course of treatment, but unfortunately, he didn't have enough fire copper for the time being.

Even so, countless people around were green with envy. Here, we must mention Ning Guiliang, who had nothing to offer in exchange and could only feel envy and jealousy.

Chen Xuan pulled the box containing the fire copper towards him, but instead of putting it away, he turned to the side to open the wooden box containing the Xiaoyao Pills to hand over the goods, saying, "I forgot to mention before, the Xiaoyao Pills weren't packaged. Did you bring any bottles? It's not a big problem, you can just put them in your pocket and take them back."

Everyone: "..."

Are you so stingy with the packaging?

Just then, a sudden voice interrupted, "Wait a minute, sir, you need fire copper, right? I happen to have some here and would like to exchange it for a carefree pill."

Just when it was about to be within his grasp, someone suddenly interfered. Wang Le frowned slightly and looked over... (End of Chapter)