Chapter 2068 — The Qi-Gathering Pill Again!
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"Plundered? Wiped out? Not necessarily. Precious as the Qi-Gathering Pill is, if you only have the refining materials, those hidden clans could seize them and still be unable to refine them, no? Pill refiners are rare enough as it is. The pill refiners of the hidden clans are at most first rank. Only the Hidden You Clan has high-tier pill refiners, but to refine a third-rank pill like the Qi-Gathering Pill, one needs at least a fourth-rank pill refiner. As far as I know, only the Mystic Pill Sect has such skilled hands, no?" Wei Zhao asked mildly.
"Leader, it seems you do not yet understand the Mystic Pill Sect. We hidden clans can actually commission the Mystic Pill Sect to refine pills. Each time, one need only provide multiple portions of materials, and no matter how many pills are successfully produced, the Mystic Pill Sect takes half as payment. And if only one pill is produced, then we are simply out of luck—it becomes the Mystic Pill Sect's to keep," Han Xiaohu said.
"Oh? The Mystic Pill Sect has such a rule? Then why don't you have them refine it?" Wei Zhao asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Leader, that rule of the Mystic Pill Sect exists, but it applies only to clans that have ties with them. For clans with no ties, even if you beg them, they may not agree to refine your pills!" Han Xiaohu said with a bitter smile. "And even if we persuaded the Mystic Pill Sect to refine pills for us, with the Hidden Han Clan's current strength, could we protect those pills? We cannot even protect the materials, let alone the finished pills!"
Han Xiaohu's words brought Wei Zhao to a realization. Indeed, it was so. Back then, Leader Yu had gone so far as to enter a trap-laden ancient tomb for the sake of a single Qi-Gathering Pill, which showed just how precious the pill was. If the Hidden Han Clan succeeded in refining Qi-Gathering Pills, they truly might be wiped out!
The materials for the Qi-Gathering Pill were all exceedingly rare, and with the current strength of the hidden clans, it was absolutely impossible to gather them all. The ancient sects could gather them, but because of the drawbacks of the Qi-Gathering Pill, no one would refine it. Yet for commissions from hidden clans like this, the Mystic Pill Sect would presumably not refuse. The payment they collected could, even if sold, be exchanged for countless treasures or wealth!
"Still, I am curious—are you truly willing to present the Qi-Gathering Pill materials to me just like that? Or rather, will your grandfather agree to your proposal?" Wei Zhao asked, looking at Han Xiaohu strangely.
"An innocent man is guilty by the mere possession of jade. This thing, in our Hidden Han Clan's hands, must either be hidden away in darkness forever, or brought out and bring disaster!" Han Xiaohu said. "And judging by our Hidden Han Clan's current momentum, within several generations we cannot possibly produce a late-stage Earth-rank peak expert or a Heaven-rank expert. Without a Heaven-rank expert to hold the fort, we dare not bring out these materials! Unless there were a late-stage Earth-rank peak expert who could consume the finished pill directly after refining—but that too carries a certain risk. So without absolute certainty, it is impossible to take it out and commission someone to refine pills."
"Oh? Still, keeping these Qi-Gathering Pill materials stored away is itself a hope! Even if it cannot be done now, do you not consider your descendants?" Wei Zhao asked with a faint smile. "This Qi-Gathering Pill is the hope of breaking through to Heaven rank!