While Old Yen was busy following up on the clues of the pirates conspiracy, Kwon Qianhong and Nie Guanting were not idle either, pairing up to increase the wealth of the Wu Family even more.

Now that large money got into his hands, Kwon Qianhong was able to substantially expand his operations, taking on bigger schemes, which surprisingly were mostly above the board.

They just cut into certain interests from which blades Nie Guanting was shielding his friend, because he was making ‘too much money’ on the territory that ‘belonged’ to other people.

At the same time, Wu Long and Yu Huan were starting to buy up certain Alchemy Ingredients, in view of the fact that at least one reason they came to this city was to stock up on those that they could not get access to on the Soft Meadow Continent.

The Alchemy markets of the city were expansive, stretching across the busy Market District of the city, with a lot of people, noise, and busying around.

Normally, an atmosphere in which Yu Huan wasn’t the best of experts in.

In the past, before meeting Wu Long, once put into such environment she showed her closed off, somewhat rigid and prickly persona, one she created over time to deal with uncomfortable situations, and that she first met Wu Long in.

He, of course, found it adorable, seeing right through that attitude without much hardship. At the time he had a mental image of a small and cute hedgehog raising its quills.

Now, however, with Wu Long by her side, she felt comfortable without raising that shield, though it took some time to get here.

At the same time, they were seen as a young couple enjoying shopping for Alchemy Ingredients together, since they were whispering to each other’s ears and giggling from time to time, and thus did not draw much suspicion. Attention, yes, due to Yu Huan’s exceptional beauty, but not suspicion.

“Haha, Young Lady, this ingredient… is a bit hard to deal with… how about you look at these ones, they are more suitable for hobby Alchemists”, the shopkeeper plastered a business smile onto his face, as Yu Huan picked up a stalk of valuable medicinal grass.

“Hmm, what do you think?”, Yu Huan turned a spoiled look to Wu Long, who smiled at how fast she was learning to play a capricious lover, not very well versed in Alchemy, who wanted her man to buy her things she didn’t know how to properly use.

“Of course, Huan’er. Take what you want”, while Wu Long played the part – though he didn’t really have to use too much acting – of a man so crazy in love he was willing to go along with any whim of his lady.

The shopkeeper inwardly rolled his eyes, sighing that a good alchemy ingredient was going to be wasted, while still smiling, “Of course! Dear customers, your word is my law!”

They bought the ingredient, but as Wu Long was handing over the silver coins, Yu Huan seemed to ‘notice at the last moment’ another one she wanted.

That ingredient was mostly dried up, so the shopkeeper barely kept in the shout of joy as Wu Long simply added in the extra silver coins for that one as well.

‘Hahaha, thank Heavens for those rich idiots…’, the shopkeeper was basically dancing behind their backs as they receded into the crowd to continue shopping.

What he didn’t know, was that Wu Long and Yu Huan were picking out herbs and ingredients which had seeds in them, that were overlooked when preparing the ingredients for sale.

The catch was that those ingredients usually had slightly poorer quality as the medicinal energy was sucked into the seeds.

Normally, purchasing them would not cause suspicion because those seeds were deemed unusable to grow new plants from.

But if one couple continuously went for plants of poorer quality throughout the market, all of which had seeds in them, it could cause at least some doubts to start rising.

Doubts that would be correct in assuming that Wu Long knew ways to ‘salvage’ those seeds and grow crops of ingredients out of them.

So they were using their couple act to divert attention from those purchases, along with the fact they were first buying other ingredients, and then added those they were really after as a cherry on top.

In that way, no one in the market knew that they were hunting for seeds of valuable Alchemy Ingredients, or really even remembered them.

“I thought you didn’t like being looked down on in terms of Alchemy”. he chuckled, looking at her happy face at making another successful purchase.

“Hmm, I think it was because at the time I had a chip on my shoulder. Now, I realize that I only care what those I care about think of me, while all these other people don’t really matter”, she said leaning onto him as they walked. It was an attitude she observed in Wu Long, and gradually learned.

However, it was also an attitude possible because her talents were recognized and cherished by those around her.

She then made a smile with a look that had a hint of mischief in it, “Besides, I never knew it could be so fun to act like a naive and capricious amateur Alchemist”

He chuckled leaning in to give her a kiss.

They spent a few days to course through the whole market, coming around the same time when the market was at its busiest, and thus the merchants didn’t have much attention to give to a stupid couple who were wasting money and ingredients, basically sending them off as quick as possible in order to concentrate with arguing over prices with those who ‘knew what they were buying’.

And when they were satisfied with the results, went straight for the ingredients which they would be needing in preparation of Wu Long’s rapid advancement, dropping the act, and showing expertise to have the merchants deal in fair prices as those ingredients were quite pricey.

As they were visiting a high-end store on that last day in the market, Yu Huan suddenly felt her Earth Flame become agitated.

“I think there’s another Earth Flame user here”, she used sound transmission to notify Wu Long.

While Wu Long taught Yu Huan a very complex method of concealing the breath of her Earth Flame, so other Alchemists could not detect it, even if they also had Earth Flames, not many Alchemists used such methods, as it was a point of bragging for them.

They soon saw several people with the insignia of the Pill Tower on their robes entering the store, among whom was a young man who seemed to possess a high status due to how others treated him.

‘This is unexpected… well he is from the Pill Tower so I guess it’s safe for him…’, Wu Long narrowed his eyes, feeling that this young man was someone definitely prepared for entry into the Secret Realm.

Normally, people like him were not yet visible walking around, but there was no one in their right mind who would target the genius of the Wei Dynasty Pill Tower, which would be essentially picking a fight with the Alchemy Association. Besides there were two bodyguards on the level just slightly below that Corrupt Path cultivator to keep him safe.

“Oh! Young Master Gu! How can this humble manager be of service to you today?”, the manager ran out of the back of the store almost at the same time as they arrived, likely notified by someone watching the people approaching the store.

“I am here for the Fading Sunset Five-Leaf Grass”, the one called Young Master Gu replied without much emotion.

“Ah, yes, of course! Right away!”, the manager spoke and signaled the store clerk to move while remaining in place to keep the Young Master company while his order was prepared.

After some time, Wu Long and Yu Huan who were done with their purchases turned to exit the store.

Meanwhile, the Young Master Gu was seemingly bored, his gaze wandering around as he waited, and turned to look at the two at the last moment, his gaze seemingly just passing through, but froze as he saw the glimpse of Yu Huan’s face passing through the store doors.

“Hahaha! Here you go, Young Master Gu! My apologies for the wait!”, the next moment the manager of the store got into his face with a loud laugh, causing instant irritation to flare up in the young man’s eyes as sparks of a dark green flame flared around him.

“Pay him, and follow me”, he impatiently spoke and turned, going for the door, but at that moment, an Elder of the Sect which was an important trading partner for the Pill Tower in the region came in through the door.

“Oh? Hahaha, if it isn’t Young Master Gu? Or should I call you, Future Pill Tower Master? Or is it still to early? Hahaha!”, the Elder spoke with jovial familiarity to a junior, and Young Master Gu was forced to stop for an exchange of formalities, maintaining the best attitude he could.

By the time he came out of the store, almost half an hour later, with impatient irritated steps, there were understandably no longer any signs of the two people he glimpsed.