NOVEL WEB Chapter 34 - A New Profession
Seeing that Wang Shan hadn't walked away, the vendor believed he might successfully deceive someone else today. He quickly said, “Young man, these sixty pills were all crafted by Qin Weiqiang. Who knows, there might even be High Grade Pills among them. I'm offering the lot for 500,000 yuan, so you can take your time and pick through them.”
?Such tactics were not only commonplace in the black market but had also been spotted in regular markets. When merchants noticed a buyer's lack of savvy, they would arbitrarily hike up the prices, hyping up worthless items as if they were treasures.
Wang Shan, a decent young man from the 21st century, was not about to fall for such petty schemes. “I'll give you 10,000 yuan, and I'll take them all,” he offered decisively.
?The vendor was taken aback by the counteroffer. He had anticipated a hefty profit today, yet here was this 15-year-old, proving to be a shrewd negotiator. Such a natural at haggling was a rare find. Without a solid nerve, who would have the audacity to slash the price from 500,000 to just 10,000 yuan?
?After much deliberation, the vendor concluded that selling the sixty useless pills for 10,000 yuan would barely cover his costs, without a penny of profit. But then again, he hadn't set out to make money; offloading the useless pills was a win in itself.
With a look of feigned distress, the vendor said to Wang Shan, “You're quite sharp. If it weren't for my wife insisting I come home early tonight, I wouldn't let them go for such a low price.”
Wang Shan produced his cash card, and with a swift gesture using a special device, the vendor completed the transaction.
“Master Wang, are these useless pills really worth ten thousand? I've heard they're completely ineffective, and anyone who buys them is just throwing money away,” Jiaxia expressed her concern for Wang Shan.
Wang Shan replied with a smile, “I have a use for them. Why don't you and the other girls have a look around? If you find anything you like, go ahead and buy it. I've got another matter to attend to, but I'll rejoin you shortly.”
With that, Wang Shan excused himself and parted ways with them.
“Just as I suspected,” he mused to himself, “these useless pills can trigger a response from the system.”
After a period of trial and error, Wang Shan had deduced a set of principles.
Any particularly worthless item could be traded for something valuable through the system!
At that moment, an exchange notification appeared on the system.
[60 useless pills can be exchanged for the Pill King Pill Refining Secret Manual. Upon exchanging, you will instantly advance to the Pill King Realm. Would you like to exchange?]
“Exchange!”
No sooner had Wang Shan spoken than a flood of alchemical knowledge filled his mind. It was as though a veil had been lifted, and he innately understood the art of pill refining.
Pill Refining Masters and cultivators were distinct professions, yet they shared the same hierarchical structure, divided into nine major realms.
However, the demands on a Pill Refining Master's soul and spirit were exceedingly high. Without innate talent in this area, one might never master the art of alchemy in their lifetime.
Moreover, the complexity of pill refining was notoriously brutal, with an incredibly high rate of failure!
As a result, many Pill Refining Masters achieved little to nothing throughout their careers.
Due to the profession's steep challenge, even a Two-star Pill Refining Master was revered as a Pill King.
Wang Shan had now achieved the rank of Two-star Pill Refining Master; he was the Pill King!
The system had saved him an immense amount of time. He was aware that to reach the status of Pill King, aside from exceptional alchemical talent and mentorship from a master, he would need to practice for thirty years.
But now, thanks to the Pill King and 60 useless pills, the system had elevated him to the rank of Pill King.
“I feel fantastic. Indeed, with the system, I can do as I please. Now that I am a Pill King, wealth will come flocking to me!”
Wang Shan could scarcely contain his elation.