Chapter 196: Thin Line

Formation Tower City had one city lord family and four prominent families.

The City Lord’s Tan family was the main authority in Formation Tower City and it was in charge of the tower.

As for the other four families, they owned most of the businesses in Formation Tower City but deferred to the Tan family.

Because of this, the city lord’s family was used to being domineering.

At this time, they naturally felt impatient that the alchemist didn’t immediately heal Tan Xiaoqing.

“What’s the name of the little alchemist?” The city lord’s wife suddenly asked.

“I am Yuan Shen and my Taoist partner is Xu Zhen.” Shen Xu said.

“Alchemist Yuan, my son is just worried about his sister and didn’t mean to be aggressive.” The city lord’s wife said, glaring at her son.

“It’s nothing.” Shen Xu said in a polite voice.

However, he didn’t mean to give in.

Getting involved in this matter would undoubtedly cause him trouble.

Until the city lord and his family showed their sincerity, Shen Xu was determined not to lift a finger.

“I understand alchemistYuan’s concerns.” The city lord’s wife said and winked at her eldest son.

A moment later, the son removed a paper from his storage ring and gave it to Shen Xu.

“This is the list of rewards for curing my sister.” He said.

However, neither Shen Xu nor Zhen Yuan took the paper.

Instead, Shen Xu shook his head and looked at the city lord with a solemn expression.

“Rewards are good but being alive is better.” He said and the city lord narrowed his eyes.

Tan Zheng was a level seven formation master and his cultivation was in the mid-stage of the void refining realm.

Although his cultivation wasn’t the highest among the first-tier city lords, no one dared to challenge his authority.

After all, formation masters were capable of crowd attacks.

If Tan Zheng was angered, there was no telling what he would do.

There was precedent of a formation master trapping a city in a killing formation and obliterating millions of cultivators.

Knowing that, few people dared to provoke formation masters, especially Tan Zheng.

It was because of this that Shen Xu was reluctant to casually get involved in this matter.

After all, Tan Xiaoqing was Tan Zheng’s only daughter!

Everyone knew that Tan Zheng doted on her but someone still dared to poison her.

What kind of person would dare to blatantly provoke Tan Zheng and the Formation Tower City?

Considering that, Shen Xu felt that healing Tan Xiaoqing was equivalent to forging an enmity with the other party.

That said, refusing to heal her was forming an enmity with the city lord.

’Brother Yuan and I will have to walk on a very thin line if we want to live through this entanglement.’ He thought, his eyes narrowed into slits.

A moment later, he looked at the city lord with a determined expression.

“City lord Tan, I know how to heal the young miss. However, I don’t have all the materials to refine the required pill.” He said.

Tan Zheng was surprised when he heard this.

He didn’t expect the little alchemist to suddenly give in before the negotiations ended.

However, he soon regained his composure and nodded in understanding.

’He must be worried about being unable to leave the city lord’s residence.’ He thought.

“Alchemist Yuan doesn’t need to worry about materials.” The city lord’s wife said, turning to her second son.

“Alchemist Yuan, I have a pills and herbs shop. You can give me a list of all the materials you need.” Tan Qi said in a confident voice.

“Alright.” Shen Xu nodded and began to make a list.

The list comprised thirty-nine spirit grasses.

Of the thirty-nine, twenty-five were common spirit grasses and fourteen were rare.

From what Shen Xu knew about the Tianqi continent, the Tan family could easily find thirty of the thirty-nine.

As for the remaining nine…

’It will buy us time.’ Shen Xu thought.

“Alchemist Yuan, I have some of these spirit grasses in my shop and can find some others but…” Tan Qi frowned.

“Is something wrong?” The city lord asked.

“I have never heard of some of these spirit grasses.” Tan Qi said and the hall fell silent.

The Tan family obviously thought the alchemist had written nonsense in order to delay time.

However, Shen Xu was prepared for this.

“I can include some drawings of the spirit grasses to aid with the search.” He offered in a polite voice.

“Alchemist Yuan is very considerate.” Tan Qi said, returning the list to Shen Xu.

After Shen Xu drew the spirit grasses, he returned the list and turned to Tan Xiaoqing with a worried expression.

“It’s unknown when the second young master will be able to find the spirit grasses. I can refine a heart freezing pill in the meantime.” He offered.

“Heart freezing pill?” The city lord’s wife asked in a confused voice.

She had heard of the body freezing pill but never about the heart freezing pill.

“I have heard of the heart freezing pill.” Tan Qi said, looking at Shen Xu with a solemn expression.

“Can alchemist Yuan refine the heart freezing pill?” He asked.

“Not only can I refine it but I also have the ice snake flower. It’s our fate that my Taoist partner and I happened to come to Formation Tower City at this time.” The double smiled.

“Second brother, what is the heart freezing pill and ice snake flower?” Tan Xiaoqing asked.

“A body freezing pill is a rare pill that can freeze the body. This pill is used to stop poison from spreading or preserve the life of someone that is about to die. However, the frozen person is in a suspended death state and can’t be said to be living.”

“The heart freezing pill is a rarer type of the body freezing pill. It only freezes the heart but achieves almost the same results as the body freezing pill.”

“If Xiaoqing takes the heart freezing pill, the love fragrance poison will be sealed for at least ten years. We can use these ten years to search for the required materials.”

“Alchemist Yuan is very thoughtful.” Tan Zheng said and a trace of murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

“It’s what I should do.” Shen Xu said.

After that, the two sides negotiated.

Shen Xu promised to first refine the heart freezing pill and then the cure when the Tan family found the spirit grasses.

Similarly, the Tan family gave some resources including two void refining realm attack jades.

Soon after, Tan Qi accompanied Shen Xu and Zhen Yuan to the Shenzhen pills and formations shop and only returned after Shen Xu gave him eight heart freezing pills.

With these pills, Tan Xiaoqing could live eighty years without experiencing a poison attack.

When Tan Qi returned to the city lord’s residence, the family was waiting.

“Second child, did you get the pills?” The city lord’s wife asked.

“I got them.” Tan Qi said, removing a bottle from his space ring.

“Father, please check them.”

“Mmh.”

A moment later, the city lord checked the pills and nodded.

“Eight high grade heart freezing pills. There is nothing wrong with them.” Tan Zheng said and several people sighed in relief.

“Father, I think there is something wrong with Yuan Shen and Xu Zhen.” The fourth suddenly said.

Tan Zheng had eight sons and one daughter.

Of the nine children, Tan Xiaoqing and the fourth child were the most talented in formations.

Because of this, Tan Zheng loved them the most.

“Fourth child, why do you think there is something wrong with those two?” The city lord asked but the fourth child didn’t answer right away.

Instead, he looked at Tan Qi.

“Second brother, what do you think of that list of materials?” He asked.

Hearing the question, Tan Qi smiled with a meaningful expression.

“The list has thirty-nine spirit grasses. However, I can guarantee that all that thirty-nine can’t be used in one prescription.”

“Did Yuan Shen lie to us?” Tan Xiaoqing asked in angry voice but Tan Qi shook his head.

“It’s not uncommon for alchemists to add and remove spirit grasses when making lists. On one hand, they want to take advantage to get some rare spirit grasses and on the other, they want to make sure that other alchemists can’t deduce their pill recipe.”

“Is that so?” Tan Xiaoqing couldn’t help but frown.

“This is nothing to worry about. All alchemists do it.” Tan Qi didn’t care about this and carelessly dismissed the issue.

“Second brother, how rare is the heart freezing pill?” The fourth brother continued to question.

“Very rare.” Tan Qi frowned.

In fact, he only knew it because he often went to the alchemy association for business.

“Don’t you think it’s a strange coincidence?” The fourth brother said and quickly continued.

“Our sister was just poisoned and an alchemist who just happens to know how to deal with the situation came to the Formation Tower City.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep