FRGNM -Chapter 273 The Charlatan

With his head drooped, the man standing there chuckled lightly. He extended his hand, swiping his card against the lady’s card—1,500 billion was transferred again. He placed both hands behind his head and laughed, “Consider this payment for your second Sacred Realm Pill. Until next time. Remember to give me more pills then; the taste was excellent. If you give me more, I’ll be fully satisfied.”

The words almost caused everyone nearby to faint. Was this even humanly possible?

Completely insane!

Such a precious pill—eaten casually by a kid like candy—and he had paid twice over! Where did this nouveau-riche come from? So much money… completely unimaginable!

“This kid… who is he?” Ling Ruoxi asked, raising an eyebrow as she dragged one hand along her chin.

Soon after, the old doctor who had entered the room handed a gold card to Ling Ruoxi, chuckling. “Miss, this is the payment for the Sacred Realm Pill. We’ve taken our commission. But, Miss, if you refine more pills, please sell them directly to us—we’ll take everything.”

“So outrageous?” Ling Ruoxi was stunned. She had only planned to exchange a little money to buy things here. If a Sacred Realm Pill could fetch this much, what about other pills? People would practically fight to the death!

She nodded. The old doctor quickly said, “Not exaggerated. Anything you refine, we’ll buy at twenty times the market price and transfer all the money to your account—guaranteed, not a cent missing. And since you’re our gold-card practitioner, all purchases here are half-price; we’ll cover the rest. Are you satisfied?”

When other alchemists tested her pill, the results were astonishing—it was unparalleled, a pill only a top-tier, divine-level alchemist could refine! Naturally, he wanted to secure someone of such talent.

Ling Ruoxi didn’t even know it—her pills were far higher quality than the market standard. With her exceptional mental strength, refining pills was like drinking water. She rarely made breakthrough-level pills, focusing mostly on healing types.

Now, she swallowed hard, imagining countless coins flying toward her. She didn’t need money, but who would ever complain about having too much?

“Alright, no problem. I hope our cooperation will be pleasant,” she said, shaking the old doctor’s hand with a soft smile. Subconsciously, she asked, “By the way, old doctor… who was the person who just bought the Sacred Realm Pill?”

“Who? Uh… I don’t know. He just appeared suddenly. Today was his first time here. Maybe, like you, he’s just here for fun.” The old doctor was stunned. This kind of wealthy patron was a first for him, and amusingly reckless: one pill he crushed underfoot, another eaten like candy. If he ever saw that kid again, he’d want to beat him to death.

Ling Ruoxi frowned. Suddenly appeared? She left the trading hall, seeing the old doctor at the door, flashing a row of perfect white teeth and smiling at her. For some reason, she felt a chill run down her spine.

“By the way… where’s Xiao Bai? Where did he go?” Since entering the hall, Ling Ruoxi hadn’t seen the silver wolf. That kid was supposed to lead them to his friend, the one who knew the heavens and the earth.

Shaking his head, the man in green dragged his chin. “Haven’t seen him either. Don’t know where that kid wandered off to. Let’s first find an inn to stay at, and then…”

Before he could finish, a black shadow suddenly flew out ahead, nearly hitting him. A dozen burly men stormed out of the inn, fists clenched, shouting angrily, “Get out, brat! No money, and you dare come here?”

Pfft! Ling Ruoxi nearly choked on her own spit. As the kid looked up, her eyes nearly popped out—wasn’t this the same man from the trading hall who had just paid 1,500 billion… no, 3,000 billion? How could he now not even have money for the inn?!

The man in green’s jaw dropped. Could it be that he had spent all his money and couldn’t even pay for lodging?

Sniffling, the kid on the ground pushed himself up, brushing off dust. He glanced at the three behind him and raised an eyebrow. “What, staring at me? Never seen me before?”

“…” Completely different from before, yet… his face looked so familiar.

“Zhiyuan!” A familiar voice rang out. A silver-white figure darted like lightning, scooping the kid into his arms.

The boy scowled, slapping the silver wolf on the head. “You’re back so late! Did the outside world amuse you so much that you forgot your brother?”

“Of course not! I came back to see you. Oh, Zhiyuan… eh, Ruoxi, how are you here? I was just looking for you!” The silver wolf froze, eyes widening at the three familiar faces before him.

Yuwen Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow, pointing behind him. “You know them?”

“Of course. We came back together. Let me introduce: this is my contracted master, Ling Ruoxi; this is her husband, Luo Mingyu; and this lantern here is the man in green.” The silver wolf nodded.

The man in green clenched his fists silently. “Lantern? What do you mean ‘lantern’? You’re a lantern too!”

“Hmph. Zhiyuan, why are you here? Come on, let’s go inside.” The silver wolf laughed, grabbing Yuwen Zhiyuan and heading toward the inn.

But the burly men blocking the door raised their hands to stop them. The fat innkeeper glared at Yuwen Zhiyuan. “You may enter, gentlemen. But that brat? He stays outside!”

“Hey, fatso, look closely! I’m coming in with my friends. Are you afraid I can’t pay?” Yuwen Zhiyuan shouted, eyebrows raised.

The innkeeper weighed the situation, chuckled. “Oh? Then pay the few thousand taels you owe. You come here often, freeloading. Pay a little interest, huh?”

“What do you mean? Zhiyuan freeload? He’s the know-it-all of Sword Pavilion—knows everything!” The silver wolf fumed, attempting to push the men aside.

But the crowd erupted in laughter. The innkeeper held his belly, eyes flashing with anger. “Know-it-all? He’s a fraud! Can’t predict a thing!”

“You’re lying! When I left, he was a famous figure in the Sword Pavilion, admired by many!” The silver wolf roared. How could he let this fat man insult his brother’s honor?

The fat man smirked. “Alright, then let him tell me: my future, how things will go, how many wives, how many kids… don’t tell me there’s none!”

Everyone knew Yuwen Zhiyuan responded this way. His reputation as a fraud was well-known.

Zhiyuan pouted. “I’m too lazy to tell. Let’s go to another inn.”

“Hmph! Get lost!” the fat man shouted.

The silver wolf’s face darkened again. He grabbed Zhiyuan’s shoulder, shouting, “What’s going on? Why are they treating you like this? You’re not like that…”

“Why not? I am like this. But since you’re back, I’ll take care of you. Come on, I’ll cook for you. How’s that?” Zhiyuan laughed, scanning the three in front of him. “Since you’re the silver wolf’s friends, come along.”

Seeing the small straw hut, the carved children’s houses nearby, and the filthy yard, Zhiyuan didn’t say a word. He grabbed a broom and cleaned the courtyard. Opening the locked hut, the inside was spotless, a stark contrast to the outside.

“What happened to your grand mansion? Why are you living here?” The silver wolf shivered, struggling to comprehend how this person had fallen so far.

Remembering the once-bustling pavilion doors, now deserted and mocked—he couldn’t believe it. His most respected brother, recognized at a glance as a companion against monsters… how could he be mistaken?

Zhiyuan smiled faintly. He moved quickly, cooking wild vegetables, radishes, and hunted chicken into a fragrant meal.

“Eat. I rarely cook, so don’t waste my effort, okay?” He handed a drumstick to the silver wolf. “I remember you always liked meat. Eat up, don’t say I’m spoiling you.”

“I can’t eat.” He couldn’t. Hands tightly gripping chopsticks, chest constricted as if something blocked him. He exhaled sharply, forcing down the negative emotions.

He looked… exactly like him. Ling Ruoxi frowned, studying Yuwen Zhiyuan. “Brother Yuwen, do you have siblings?”

“No. Zhiyuan and I are both alone—no relatives. That’s why we stuck together.” The silver wolf pursed his lips. Their brotherhood was unchanging, and he couldn’t bear seeing him fall into this state.