“Cough, cough, such a drug should exist…” the aide’s old face turned red.
“I’ve heard that in ancient times, there was a Sect that used Acacia as its method of cultivation. Back then, they developed a Dan Medicine called Acacia Powder. However, just as the research was finished, news leaked out. They were completely wiped out by righteous Cultivators, and the formula was burned to cinders.”
“Then what use is all that talk?” Yu Wenhua Ji’s eyes bulged.
“I would not waste your time for nothing, Lord.” The aide smiled mysteriously, peeked around stealthily, then leaned into Yu Wenhua Ji’s ear and whispered, “Recently, someone happened to find the only surviving bottle of Acacia Powder in the world within the ruins of a Hehuan Sect Grandmaster’s dwelling. Right now, that bottle is being auctioned at the Black Market in the Imperial Capital. You can just go and snatch it up, Lord!”
“Oh?” Yu Wenhua Ji was suddenly intrigued.
“However, since it is the only bottle of medicine in the world that can force a Cultivator to lose control, the price… it will certainly be quite high,” the aide said nervously.
“A minor problem!” Yu Wenhua Ji was determined to get it.
After all, no matter how expensive it was, it was not as valuable as the treasures in the National Treasury.
Only by obtaining the Acacia Powder could his plan proceed smoothly and the treasures be recovered. Once the treasures were back, what was the price of a mere bottle of Acacia Powder?
“Let’s go! To the Black Market Auction House!”
Since he was heading to the Black Market, he naturally could not go as himself.
If word got out that the Grand Chancellor was personally visiting the Black Market to buy aphrodisiacs, his reputation would be ruined for 10,000 years.
After putting on a disguise and making preparations, Yu Wenhua Ji led several of his subordinates — also in disguise — toward the Black Market.
Meanwhile, Qiao Xiaoxian changed her appearance and strode toward the Black Market.
The news of the Acacia Powder’s appearance made her restless.
She decided to take action personally. Even if she had to throw in her entire fortune, she had to get that Acacia Powder!
However, the reason she was doing this was not to use it on Jiang Ke’er. Once she got it, she would destroy it immediately.
She was afraid it would fall into the hands of some villain with ill intentions, putting Jiang Ke’er in danger.
She had no choice; she had 100% confidence in Jiang Ke’er’s charm.
‘Sometimes, the little cutie at home being too beautiful is a sin…’ she thought with a bitter smile.
Therefore, she would go all out during the auction, using her accumulated wealth and Prince Hao of Qin’s imperial savings.
She had to win!
The auction began. The organizers did not waste time and put the main attraction on stage right at the start.
They knew the value of the Acacia Powder, so this auction was held specifically for it.
The participants included famous flower-thieves of Shenzhou, second-generation heirs of noble families, nouveau riche who had struck it rich selling Dan Medicine recently, and high-ranking officials from the Kingdom of Dasi with malicious intent.
“Thirty million.”
As soon as Yu Wenhua Ji spoke, his price was high enough to discourage most of the bidders. Sighs echoed from the audience.
“Thirty million once.” The auctioneer’s eyes sparkled. He hadn’t expected such an explosive start.
For a bottle of aphrodisiac to reach such a price was already beyond expectations.
“Fifty million!”
However, before Yu Wenhua Ji could feel smug for long, a voice called out proudly from the front row.
Qiao Xiaoxian was also stunned because she wasn’t the one who had made the bid.
She hadn’t expected the competition for this medicine to be so fierce.
“Wow, it’s actually her!”
The person who shouted the astronomical price of fifty million did not hide her face but stood there openly.
“It’s the owner of Shenzhou’s largest adult products chain!” “Is her name Ilei?” “She came too… I guess that was expected.”
“This medicine is truly insidious and cruel. It violates the basic principle of mutual consent between a man and a woman, so please, everyone, show some mercy,” the woman named Ilei said as she bowed toward the auction seats.
“After winning the bid, I will destroy it immediately.”
“Eighty million,” Yu Wenhua Ji added a new astronomical price without hesitation.
He didn’t care about cruelty or anything else.
He wanted this medicine for his imperial ambitions! He was specifically buying it because it was cruel! Why else would he buy it? No one was going to stop him today!
“100 million,” Qiao Xiaoxian said in a cold tone, continuing the bidding.
The guy who bid eighty million obviously had no good intentions. Furthermore, it would be safer to have the medicine in her own hands.
“150 million!” Ilei gritted her teeth and roared.
“200 million.” Although Yu Wenhua Ji’s heart was bleeding, he firmly believed the investment was worth it, so he raised the price again.
“Damn it!” Ilei stomped her foot fiercely and left the Auction House in a rage. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have played Mahjong last night… sigh, I’m out of money. Never mind, I did my best.”
With Ilei gone, it became a head-to-head showdown between Yu Wenhua Ji and Qiao Xiaoxian.
“300 million!”
“400 million!”
“450 million!”
“500 million!”
Qiao Xiaoxian’s face turned pale. 450 million was her absolute limit, even including Prince Hao of Qin’s imperial savings.
After shouting the 500 million price tag, Yu Wenhua Ji was also breathing heavily, his eyes fixed on Qiao Xiaoxian’s position.
Although the Yu Wen family was wealthy and powerful, and they had scavenged many treasures from the palace after killing Emperor Jing, 500 million was still a number that would wake him up from a dream in a cold sweat! Especially since those 500 million only bought a bottle of aphrodisiac!
“The world is crazy!”
The flower-thieves in the audience stared with eyes full of respect. They suddenly felt that compared to Yu Wenhua Ji, they were just amateurs.
Their narrow-mindedness made them feel unworthy of even sitting in the same room as him!
“500 million once, twice, three times… sold!”
No one expected a mere bottle of aphrodisiac to be sold for more than an eighth-rank Power-Enhancing Artifact.
Yu Wenhua Ji didn’t expect it either; he was so heartbroken he could almost cry.
‘Don’t worry, this is just an investment,’ he consoled himself.
Everything was for the sake of finding the treasures in the National Treasury.
Compared to the value of those treasures, what was a few hundred million? Those treasures were priceless; not even trillions could buy them.
It was the treasury of the number one nation in Shenzhou!
“This matter must be accomplished, and it must be done perfectly!”
Holding the bottle of medicine, Yu Wenhua Ji gritted his teeth and spoke with determination.
At least he had bought a whole bottle. There should be quite a bit inside, right? He could sell the leftovers…
**[Instructions for Use: One bottle per use. Dilute with saline and inject into the neck.]**
“…”
Fine… whatever. One use was enough.
“Call the Dark Guards here,” Yu Wenhua Ji beckoned.
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh — *
In the blink of an eye, several cool-headed Cultivators dressed in black with masked faces knelt before Yu Wenhua Ji.
“Disguise yourselves as assassins and take action tonight! Your target is Nan Xue in the Yong’an Palace. The moment you meet her, inject this medicine into her immediately.”
As Yu Wenhua Ji spoke, his eyes darted around, and he added, “If you are caught, say that you were sent by Qing Yi of the Demon Race. Do you understand?”
“Understood!”