Rebirth Of The Betrayed Emperor

The Shopkeeper

The shopkeeper narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at Kael for a few seconds as if trying to see through him.

Then he chuckled.

“Young master Kael, you’re quite confident, huh?” he said slowly, still trying to observe Kael as if he wanted to pull out the secrets he was hiding.

“But I like that,” he grinned.

Without hesitation, he rolled up his sleeve, revealing a slightly tanned arm.

“Let’s see what trick you’ve brought today,” he murmured, just loud enough for Kael to hear.

Kael didn’t respond, leaning back in his chair and watching as the shopkeeper made his move. He had full confidence in what he had brought, hence his relaxed state.

The shopkeeper picked up one of the jars again. This time, he was more careful.

He tilted the jar slightly and poured a portion of the liquid onto his arm. The moment the liquid touched his skin, his expression changed.

At first, there was nothing; then suddenly, a faint sizzling sound filled the place as the shopkeeper's skin greedily absorbed the liquid.

“Hmm?” The shopkeeper frowned, watching, wondering what would happen right after.

Not long after, his skin began to heat up slightly—not painful, but enough to raise suspicion.

Then a thin layer of black substance began to ooze out of his pores like it had always been there.

At first, it wasn't naked to the eyes, but within seconds, it became more obvious.

The shopkeeper’s eyes widened, not believing his eyes. What the heck was this?

“This…!”

He froze, standing up quickly, staring at his arm in disbelief.

More impurities continued to seep out, forming a sticky, dark layer on his skin.

The faint medicinal scent in the air grew stronger, filling the entire room.

Seeing this, the shopkeeper instantly grabbed another jar and poured more of the liquid onto his arm.

This time, the reaction was even more intense, and the impurities flowed out faster, covering his arm in a few seconds.

It was as though his body was being cleansed from the inside out as a foul smell suddenly hit the air, clearly from the dark substances on his arms.

“Impossible…” the shopkeeper muttered, staggering backward, not believing his eyes.

After a while, the reaction stopped, and the shopkeeper stood on the spot, staring at his arm, still not quite believing what had happened.

As a cultivator, it was essential to get rid of impurities in the body. That was what the Body Tempering Realm was all about: ejecting all impurities from the body and preparing it to be able to withstand the absorption of Qi.

But even after that, as one realm progressed, the impurities in the body would continue to accumulate, and that could be quite a huge headache.

So many cultivators would burn their money to buy pills to remove the impurities from their bodies. Though it worked pretty well, the shopkeeper had never seen one that worked effectively like this.

His skin looked noticeably clearer. Even the faint scars and roughness had reduced, and the slight stiffness in his joints began to ease.

Taking in a deep breath, he took a cloth and wiped away the dark substances, and then sat back.

“What exactly is this?” he asked, but this time, his voice held a little bit of reverence for Kael.

If this was real, then it was a real game-changer. Those clans would do anything to buy it for their young ones.

Strength was the only thing that mattered; nothing else did. If they didn't have enough of it, how would they survive?

“I already told you,” Kael shrugged, spreading out his arms as a faint smile spread across his face.

“I’m here to do business.”

The shopkeeper stared at him, seemingly wanting to read Kael, but he couldn't get even one piece of information just by staring at the young man.

“Young master Kael, I must admit, I underestimated you,” he admitted, shaking his head, his gaze landing back on the jars on the table.

“This is not an ordinary liquid,” he continued, a hint of seriousness in his voice.

“It's even more potent than those Marrow Cleansing Pills,” the shopkeeper praised, giving a very high evaluation.

He had seen different kinds of pills, and for him to say such meant he really valued the liquid.

Kael smiled lightly and didn't say anything.

Of course, it was no ordinary liquid; it was just a diluted version of what it used to be. Even the one he had soaked in was far more potent than this.

Its original version was something that, even if a Saint soaked in it, would still uncover impurities they never thought existed. This was just something he had to make do with.

Besides, things might get out of hand too quickly if he didn't dilute it. In the future, when he was stronger, he might not have to dilute it. But for now, it was all a game of cat and mouse.

Not only that, he couldn't trust the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper took a deep breath, staring at the jars containing the liquid.

This wasn’t just a product; this was a gold mine. He had to get his hands on it no matter what.

“How much?” he asked directly, his gaze landing back on Kael.

Kael didn’t answer immediately; instead, he tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his lips curled up into a smile.

“How much do you think it’s worth?” he countered.

He knew well the value of Marrow Cleansing Pills, and his liquid was far more effective.

The shopkeeper squinted his eyes, the smile on his face slowly disappearing. This brat wasn't simple at all!

“Name your price,” he said after a moment of hesitation.

Kael smiled faintly, then slowly took a jar.

“A thousand gold coins for a jar, and there are ten jars,” Kael paused, observing the shopkeeper's expression.

“So that's ten thousand gold coins,” Kael concluded.

“Ten thousand?” the shopkeeper repeated slowly, staring at Kael.

“That’s quite bold,” he added, also picking up a jar.

“How about six hundred for each?” he offered, hoping Kael would reduce it.

“A thousand or no deal,” Kael refused, his voice firm, leaving no room for negotiation.

Though the herbs were fairly cheap and the process of making it also was very direct, that didn't mean he had to sell it cheaply.

Even Marrow Cleansing Pills were capped at eight hundred gold per five pills; he merely added two hundred to it.

To him, that wasn't making money; it was making a loss.

The shopkeeper smiled bitterly, hearing Kael's firm voice. He didn't expect the rumored trash young master to be so formidable.

“Fine,” he agreed after a moment of silence.

“I'll take them all,” he added, feeling rather elated. With this miraculous liquid, the Pill Pavilion would become more popular.

He had been plagued, as their rival seemed to be getting a foothold.

This young master of the Draven Clan was their savior; he had to treat him well.

Kael's expression didn't falter, as though he had long known the shopkeeper would take it all.

“So, young master, do you have any more apart from this?” the shopkeeper asked, rubbing his palms. All he could see was gold, not actual jars.

“Currently I have none, but I'll be sure to inform you when I do have some,” Kael chuckled, his eyes flashing with a glint as he said,

“Also, I hope you can keep this interaction a secret.”

Hearing this, the shopkeeper's expression finally changed, and he nodded heavily.

“Don't worry, young master, your secret is safe with me,” he assured, patting his chest.

Though he didn't know why Kael was asking him to do this, he'd better comply.

If he didn't, then he would lose all chances of ever getting to do business with him again.

“Alright, since that's all, I'll be taking my leave,” Kael announced, standing up and taking the gold pouch the shopkeeper had dropped on the table.

Staring at the disappearing figure, the shopkeeper sighed. It seemed like the Draven Clan was about to rise. Though he didn't know where Kael had gotten the liquid from, whoever he had gotten it from was not someone to be messed with. He'd better form a bond with the clan.

Others would take this chance once they had it. He had to be quick. He had to be on the good side of the Draven Clan.

Thinking like this, the shopkeeper hurried off, packing the jars and stepping out of the room.

Outside.

“Young master,” Riley rushed forward, seeing Kael step out of the Pill Pavilion.

“Here,” Kael threw the gold pouch to Riley, who caught it.

“There are ten thousand gold coins in there. Keep a thousand for yourself, and send four thousand to my sister,” Kael instructed, walking forward while Riley followed.

Hearing Kael's words, Riley nearly stumbled as she wasn't expecting that.

“Young master...”

“No need for any of that. Take it,” Kael shut Riley off. He didn't like owing favors, which was specifically why he had given her a thousand gold coins.

At least, this would clear all the guilt out of his mind. He had been disturbed and was stuck, thinking of how to repay her back, but he had no idea.

“We'll be using the rest to get more herbs, so let's get going,” Kael commanded, increasing his pace while Riley followed hurriedly, still not having fully recovered from the sudden thousand-gold-coin gift.