Chapter 4066 — All Out of Stock
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 3
Silently he crawled out of the Hong Clan Merchant Guild, but Si Haitao did not give up. He turned and crawled toward the neighboring guild, for his most urgent priority was to buy a healing elixir and cure this injury at once. Even if it could not be cured in a short while, at the very least he had to stabilize the wound and stop it from worsening.
Not far from the Hong Clan Merchant Guild stood the Haomen Metropolis. Its foundations were somewhat weaker than the Hong Clan Merchant Guild's, but only by a limited degree.
Thick-skinned, Si Haitao crawled all the way into the Haomen Metropolis. Paying no heed to the strange stares of the onlookers, he cried out impatiently, "Someone come! Quickly prepare a Fifth-Grade Great Meridian-Opening Pill for me!"
His entire body's meridians had been shattered by a blast of true qi. To treat such an injury, only a Fifth-Grade Great Meridian-Opening Pill offered any chance of healing.
The clerks of the Haomen Metropolis were taken aback. After whispering among themselves, they dared not decide on their own, and promptly summoned their manager, Steward Hao.
"Well, well, if it isn't the newly arrived Steward Si from next door—what a rare guest! To what do we owe the honor of your visit to our humble shop today?" Steward Hao's face wore a hearty welcome, but the mockery hidden in his eyes was plain for anyone to see—and from first to last, he made no move to help Si Haitao to his feet.
Si Haitao held back his rage and said, "I require a Fifth-Grade Great Meridian-Opening Pill. Have one prepared for me."
"A Fifth-Grade Great Meridian-Opening Pill? Ha, that is a rare and substantial piece of business!" Steward Hao raised an eyebrow, but then said with a look of great regret, "It is only a pity that such a rare healing elixir as the Fifth-Grade Great Meridian-Opening Pill is temporarily out of stock in our humble shop."
"What? Out of stock?" Si Haitao nearly spat blood at these words. Whether he could heal his injury and find a chance to turn things around depended entirely on this Fifth-Grade Great Meridian-Opening Pill. How could a guild as large as the Haomen Metropolis not have it!
Little did he know that the Haomen Metropolis was not truly out of stock—Steward Hao simply did not wish to sell to him.
After their great triumph at the Far North Island auction, the Hong Clan Merchant Guild was now at the very height of its power. Even a rival like the Haomen Metropolis had to yield to it somewhat. To offend the Hong Clan Merchant Guild for the sake of a stupid useless wretch like Si Haitao was entirely unnecessary—and not worth the trouble besides.
"No Fifth-Grade Great Meridian-Opening Pill, then... surely you have a Fourth-Grade Great Restoration Pill?" Si Haitao said, refusing to give up. The Fourth-Grade Great Restoration Pill was not as effective as the Fifth-Grade Great Meridian-Opening Pill, but at least it could stabilize his injury and ease the immediate crisis.
Unexpectedly, Steward Hao shook his head again: "Truly sorry, we don't have that either. Some time ago, someone bought up the entire stock."
"None of that either?" Si Haitao was struck dumb. Anything inferior to the Fourth-Grade Great Restoration Pill would have no effect at all on his present injury.
With no other choice, Si Haitao had to huff and puff his way out of the Haomen Metropolis and turn to another guild, his purpose all too obvious—still seeking to buy the Fifth-Grade Great Meridian-Opening Pill and the Fourth-Grade Great Restoration Pill.
Yet at guild after guild, the answer he received was invariably the same: all out of stock!
Now, however dull Si Haitao's mind, he finally realized something was wrong. These guilds were clearly watching the Hong Clan Merchant Guild's face—they simply did not dare sell him medicine.