Chapter 160 - Chapter 155: Direct Breakthrough 1 (2/2)

But that needed to be put in quotation marks.

Because they could only bully ordinary people; facing those in the Acquired Realm, they would be out of their depth in minutes.

“May I ask how much the cost is?”

Qin Niu licked his lips.

If a Beast Core could directly help him break through to the Acquired Realm, that would be too tempting.

“For refining a Beast Core of this level, the fee is 180 taels of silver. Alchemy involves risks, and whether the refinement is successful or not, the fee is non- refundable. If you bring more Beast Cores for refinement in the future, I can give you a VIP card from Miaodan Pavilion, allowing you an eight percent discount on both alchemy and purchasing elixirs.”

Upon hearing the price quoted by the other party, Qin Niu instinctively clutched his purse tighter.

He thought that after selling a Green Giant Hornet and accepting a business commission of a hundred taels of silver, he was wealthy.

But he hadn’t expected it was only enough to cover the cost of refining a single Beast Core.

That’s expensive.

“Could the price be a little more favorable? It really is a bit too expensive.”

Qin Niu inquired.

Even with a twenty percent discount, it would still be 144 taels of silver.

That amount could buy dozens of Tempering Elixirs.

“Expensive? Do you know how much a successfully refined elixir can sell for?”

Master Zi Zhou was so irritated he blew on his beard.

He kept grabbing at his own hair.

Perhaps, someone like him who was engrossed in alchemy was not good at haggling with people.

“I don’t know.”

Qin Niu shook his head honestly.

“At the very least, it would be worth over two thousand taels of silver. Right now, if you were to sell the Beast Core, at most you could get around eight hundred taels of silver. Successful refinement could double its value.”

Qin Niu was astonished to learn that the Beast Core could sell for as much as eight hundred taels of silver.

Making money in the big mountains was too easy.

But he didn’t consider that without the Ink Blade, he probably wouldn’t have been able to breach the King Pig’s defenses.

Ordinary people, even if the entire population of Shuangfeng Village’s able- bodied men were mobilized to besiege the King Pig, would not be able to harm it in the slightest.

To an ordinary person, eight hundred taels of silver were a huge sum of money.

But for someone capable of slaying the King Pig, it was just a standard income.

“Still, you make a killing with your technique! Just tossing it into the furnace for refinement, and you charge such a hefty fee. Can it be discounted further, please?”

Qin Niu thought at most fifty taels of silver would be the limit.

“You, how should I explain this to you! Refining elixirs is not as simple as you think. The value of the auxiliary materials alone exceeds one hundred taels of silver, and we also invest a great deal of manpower and resources. Giving you an eight percent discount, the actual profit from refining this Beast Core for you wouldn’t exceed twenty taels of silver. Do you know how much it costs to train an apprentice to my level? It requires refining four to five thousand batches of elixirs.

In the early stages, due to imprecise control over the amount of auxiliary materials, the heat, and the timing of collecting the elixir, being able to successfully refine one batch out of ten was considered extremely fortunate.

Moreover, to refine your Beast Core, a Purple Gold alchemy furnace is necessary, and each use incurs significant wear and tear.

The fuel is also not a small expense. To temper such a large Beast Core, the furnace heat must reach white-hot levels, which requires the use of high- quality charcoal and beast fat to ensure the temperature can reach that intensity. Additionally, regular additions of beast fat are needed to stabilize the flames, or else the furnace could explode…”

Master Zi Zhou detailed every aspect of the costs to him.

To train an apprentice to his level would probably cost more than a mountain of silver.

Auxiliary materials, fuel for alchemy, and wear and tear on the furnace were all additional costs Qin Niu hadn’t considered.

At such extreme temperatures, a regular furnace would not be able to withstand it and would simply explode.

The specially made Purple Gold furnace was incredibly expensive.

That sum of silver stored in a bank to accumulate interest would be quite considerable, too.

“Alright, alright, 180 taels with a twenty percent discount makes it 144 taels. I agree. Please take special care, Master Zi Zhou. If our initial collaboration goes well, I’ll definitely seek you out in the future.”

Qin Niu sighed inwardly as his silver from selling the hornet had barely warmed up before it was to be spent again.

“Rest assured, alchemy is my entire life. Such a high-grade Beast Core, I might only encounter once every two or three years, so I will value it even more. I’ll have someone come over right away to handle the paperwork for you. I currently have five batches of elixirs that need to be refined, so it will probably be half a month before I can start on yours. Leave your address and I will send someone to find you then. Let’s be clear upfront, once the deposit is paid, you can’t easily back out.

If during this period your elixir is lost, sold to someone else, or refined by another alchemist, it all constitutes a breach of contract.

The deposit is non-refundable, and Miaodan Pavilion will no longer accept your orders in the future.”

Master Zi Zhou clarified some details regarding the agreement.

Integrity is the foundation of a person.

As the Chief Alchemist of Miaodan Pavilion, accepting this order meant that he had to postpone other clients’ orders.

He might even have to actively forego some orders.

If Qin Niu were to go back on his word, it would cause significant losses for Miaodan Pavilion.

After Master Zi Zhou hurriedly left, Miaodan Pavilion’s staff quickly arrived to assist him with the relevant procedures.

In essence, it was about signing a commission agreement.

Qin Niu needed to pay in advance the alchemy fee, considered a deposit.

It was also a gesture of his sincerity.

Once everything was handled, Qin Niu left Miaodan Pavilion with Xiao Qing.

Since it was their first transaction, he did not dare to leave the Beast Core there.

Money moves the heart, and no one could guarantee that Miaodan Pavilion wouldn’t be tempted.

About half a month later, someone would come to Shuangfeng Village to find him. Then, it would be enough to hand over the Beast Core.

As the owner of the Beast Core, he had the right to supervise Master Zi Zhou’s refinement process. During this period, Miaodan Pavilion would cover his board and lodging.

The ability to conduct business on such a large scale spoke volumes about their service.”