BTTH: Auto Cultivation System

A week had passed since Xiao Hua began auctioning the Foundation Harmony Elixir.

Xiao Hua’s days had become a routine of refining and auctioning elixirs, walking with Xiao Xun Er, and mentoring the younger members of the Xiao Clan. However, he soon encountered a problem—his medicinal herbs were running low, and he needed to restock.

Lady Azure appeared, puzzled. “Why are you troubled by this? Can’t you just request more from the auction house?”

Xiao Hua sighed, already aware of the solution. “Even though I reduced its potency by using lower-quality ingredients, one of them is still rare. Do you think they’d have it?”

“Indeed. A Rank 3 Monster Core from a fire-affinity lion species is quite rare,” Lady Azure frowned, resting her chin on her hand, clearly annoyed by the scarcity of the ingredient.

While not impossible to find, a Rank 3 magical beast of the fire-affinity lion species was uncommon near Wu Tan City and this is the core ingredient for Foundation Harmony Elixir.

Xiao Hua considered going to the Magic Beast Mountain Range but quickly dismissed the idea. The mountain range was too far from Wu Tan City, and he doubted he could return before the four-week deadline, let alone find the specific beast.

Furthermore, he knew a certain mercenary group would cause trouble if they discovered his treasure. Their greed and sharp eyes for valuables would easily identify his medium-grade Storage Ring.

What made the situation worse was that these mercenaries weren’t as foolish as people thought. Their ability to track down Xiao Yan and force him deeper into the Inner Region of the Magic Beast Mountain Range was proof of that.

“It seems I’ll have to deal with that ingredient later. It’s not like I need it immediately,” Xiao Hua clicked his tongue in irritation. His eyes turned cold as he muttered, “For now…”

In the meantime, Xiao Hua needed to address the current predicament facing the Xiao Clan. Jia Lie Clan had retaliated swiftly, with their Clan Head calling an urgent meeting upon returning from the auction house to discuss how to handle the potential presence of a high-tier alchemist backing the Xiao Clan.

Their solution was to summon an alchemist from their connections. However, they were cautious not to reveal the possibility of a high-tier alchemist behind the Xiao Clan, fearing it might discourage their ally from coming.

“Fufufu. Even if they did tell, I doubt anyone would believe a high-tier alchemist would reside in Wu Tan City, a place most consider backwater,” Lady Azure chuckled.

Xiao Hua smiled wryly but then frowned feeling slightly annoyed. “Still, Jia Lie Bi has quite the connections to know a Third-Tier Alchemist and convince them to assist him.”

Lady Azure nodded. “I didn’t expect that either. Rejuvenating Powder, wasn’t it? While the creator is only a First-Tier Alchemist, Ya Fei and Gu Ni reported that a Third-Tier Alchemist is accompanying him.”

“Even Old Ling confirmed the same,” Xiao Hua added.

“It’s certainly a headache for your Clan Leader and Elders,” Lady Azure teased with a smile.

Ignoring her teasing, Xiao Hua rubbed his chin. ‘I know about his connection with that First-Tier Alchemist, Liu Xi. He should appear later. But the Third-Tier Alchemist is more surprising. Is it Xuan Wu, Liu Xi’s master?’

Xiao Hua pondered why Xuan Wu had appeared so early. In the original story, Xuan Wu sought revenge on the Xiao Clan after Jia Lie Clan falsely blamed them for his disciple’s death, despite having no proof.

The timing seemed off, and Xiao Hua couldn’t pinpoint the reason.

Seeing his concern, Lady Azure sighed. “Just because they don’t believe a high-tier alchemist is in Wu Tan City doesn’t mean they aren’t interested in the elixir.”

“Damn! The recipe attracted them!” Xiao Hua cursed. “They’re courting death if they think they can take it! That’s Sister Azure’s recipe!”

Lady Azure smiled genuinely at his reaction. For her, the concept of a recipe was fluid—most of her creations were either copied from others or original to her. Yet this child was very protective of her items. She couldn't help but find this cute.

Xiao Hua knew this, but to him, any recipe Lady Azure gave him was hers alone unless she chose to share it.

As he considered how to deal with Xuan Wu and Liu Xi, a thought crossed his mind that he didn’t particularly like. ‘When I stopped Xiao Yan’s perverted behavior, a bear almost attacked Xiao Xun Er later, but I was there to prevent it. However, if I remember correctly, that was the plot within the manhua and not in the novel. That means...'

While this world follows the novel’s plot, when situations deviate, the manhua’s elements take over, which is annoying. Despite that, Xiao Hua cannot do anything and could only be prepared himself.

He shifted his thoughts to Xuan Wu’s demise. ‘If I remember correctly, Medusa, aka Cai Lin, melted him to death. However, in the manhua, he was burned by Yao Lao’s Chilling Bone Flame. I wonder if things will change if I fail to kill Xuan Wu now…’

Unlike the novel, the manhua didn’t explain everything clearly, and even when it did, much was lost in translation, confusing readers. Worse, it often skipped or altered parts, making it difficult to predict what might happen next.

Seeing Xiao Hua deep in thought, Lady Azure sighed. “If you’re that worried, why not go to the auction house and buy lower-grade ingredients in bulk while asking for a favor? It’s not like it’s your first time requesting ingredients. Besides, I doubt they’ll refuse your request, child.”

"True. Besides that, the Jia Lie Clan must have bought those ingredients from them as well." Xiao Hua rubbed his chin before standing up. He donned the black robe he always wore when visiting the Primer Auction House.

"First, we must cut off their supply of ingredients. Only then will the other side start to panic and make mistakes," Xiao Hua muttered.

"Fufufu. If they had any brains, they would have prepared another method to gather such a large supply of ingredients," Lady Azure giggled.

"But they don’t have one. In fact, they probably never expected the Primer Auction House to side with the Xiao Clan, given its reputation for neutrality," Xiao Hua remarked as he walked toward the door.

With a chilling killing intent rising in his eyes, Xiao Hua decided to purchase a large set of beautiful, elegant coffins—one for the Jia Lie Clan and another for the two most troublesome master-disciple alchemists.

 ---

“Young Master, thank you for always choosing us,” Ya Fei said with a polite smile. “However, we’re still searching for the medicinal kiln made from fire elements that you ordered. If you don’t mind waiting a bit longer…”

Ya Fei was apologizing to Xiao Hua for the delay in procuring the medicinal kiln, which was intended for Xiao Yan’s future use. However, since Xiao Yan wouldn't need it until he turned fifteen, Xiao Hua wasn’t particularly concerned.

“I don’t mind,” Xiao Hua replied calmly. “But that’s not why I’m here today. I need you to find the ingredients listed here.”

He handed a piece of paper to Ya Fei and Gu Ni. Their eyes widened in surprise as they read through the list.

The list detailed the ingredients he was running low on. He decided to try his luck by requesting a Rank 3 magical beast core from a fire-affinity lion species, knowing that the Primer Auction House would have the resources to track it down.

Ya Fei’s smile remained charming. “We can certainly procure the other ingredients, but the Rank 3 Monster Core from the fire-type lion species might require a bit more time, just like the medicinal kiln.”

Xiao Hua nodded, expecting this. “That’s fine. Also, if possible, I’d like you to prepare a Storage Ring for me. Medium-grade would be ideal, but I don’t mind if it’s low-grade.”

'A Storage Ring?!' Ya Fei and Gu Ni exchanged surprised glances. Considering the medicinal kiln and the ingredients he requested, the total value would easily exceed six hundred thousand. While they knew Xiao Hua was wealthy, they were taken aback, especially since he already owned a Storage Ring. They wondered why he needed another one.

'It’s for Xiao Yan,’ Xiao Hua thought to himself. 'By securing Ya Fei as an ally now, Xiao Yan won’t be able to command her full attention later, even after refining Yao Lao's Foundation Elixir. At least we can eliminate the Jia Lie Clan threat to the Xiao Clan early on...'

"Normally, this is where I’d give you the elixirs. But first, Miss Ya Fei, I have a question." Xiao Hua’s voice was flat, almost emotionless, causing both Ya Fei and Gu Ni to tense up.

They couldn’t fathom the reason for the sudden shift in the black-robed boy’s demeanor, but Ya Fei’s heart was gripped with nervousness and fear.

Ya Fei swallowed hard, feeling her throat dry as she forced down the lump in her throat. "Please go ahead, Young Master."

"The Jia Lie Clan recently purchased a significant amount of medicinal ingredients with healing properties, didn’t they? And quite a lot of them." Xiao Hua dropped the question, his words sharp and direct, making the two even more uneasy.

As expected, this is the reason. A cold sweat trickled down Ya Fei’s back, but she decided to speak, though her voice was shaky. "Indeed, they have. They’ve bought nearly 100,000 gold worth of—"

Xiao Hua raised his hand, cutting her off. His tone was indifferent. "I don’t care about the price. I just wanted confirmation, that’s all."

The room fell into silence as he grew quiet, lost in thought. The atmosphere became increasingly oppressive as the tension mounted in Ya Fei.

She had known the moment the Jia Lie Clan hired two alchemists and bought a large stock of ingredients that they were preparing to go against the Xiao Clan. Her master had mentioned how there are two children that had caught his attention and his desire to protect the Xiao Clan.

"In a battle over healing medicines, a large quantity of low-grade medicinal ingredients is essential. Beyond price and quality, having a sufficient supply is the key factor in the later stages of this conflict," Xiao Hua remarked.

Faced with such a topic, Ya Fei found herself at a loss for words, choosing instead to remain silent.

"In Wu Tan City, only the Primer Auction House has the capability to supply such a large quantity. So, there’s no need for me to spell it out, is there, Miss Ya Fei?"

Ya Fei kept her silence, her expression now unreadable. She understood perfectly what he was implying.

"While I understand that you want me to stop supplying the Jia Lie Clan with medicinal ingredients, our Primer Auction House has a strict rule against involving ourselves in conflicts between clans. So..."

“Instead of money, I’ll give you this,” Xiao Hua said, waving his hand. In an instant, fifty jade bottles appeared before them.

Ya Fei was taken aback by the sheer number of jade bottles that appeared before her. She muttered softly, “Is this all Foundation Harmony Elixir?”

“No, it’s not,” Xiao Hua responded casually, which only deepened Ya Fei and Gu Ni’s confusion. However, what he said next truly shocked them.

“As you know, I can refine Tier 4 Pills. These are what I’ve refined over the past week. They’re called Flowing Qi River Pills. They enable a Dou Master to break through to Dou Grandmaster. If taken while submerged in Foundation Harmony Elixir, they will stabilize the foundation after the breakthrough.”

"..."

When there was no response, Xiao Hua looked up and saw that both Ya Fei and Gu Ni were dumbfounded. Understanding their reaction, but mindful of time, he gently clapped his hands to snap them out of their stupor.

Ya Fei quickly recovered. “My apologies, Young Master. I was just surprised by the potency of the pills.”

“That’s not all they can do,” Xiao Hua said, shaking his head before continuing. “If a Dou Grandmaster takes one, it will increase their rank by one. However, if taken while submerged in Foundation Harmony Elixir, it can increase their rank by five within three days. But this effect only works once.”

“Is that so? I'm amazed that you managed to refine fifty of these Tier 4 Pills in just one week,” Ya Fei said with a smile, though she couldn’t quite hide the slight twitch in her expression.

“This much is good to raise the profits for this auction house, am I right?.” Xiao Hua added, causing both Ya Fei and Gu Ni to flinch in disbelief at his words.

“Of course, there’s one condition.” Xiao Hua raised a finger, placing his index finger in front of his face. “You have to assist me in destroying the Jia Lie Clan.”

"Fuuu..." Ya Fei's large eyes squeezed shut as she drew in a sharp breath of cold air. After a long moment, she opened her eyes abruptly and let out a bitter laugh. "Young Master, you've won. The Primer Auction House will never again provide the Jia Lie Clan with any medical ingredients!"

"You say I’ve won, but we both know who the real winner is in this deal, Miss Ya Fei," Xiao Hua chuckled softly. "You truly are the perfect businesswoman in Primer Clan."

"Thank you for the compliment," Ya Fei replied with a graceful bow, a satisfied smile playing on her lips. Just as he said, she had waited for the right moment to secure the greatest profits, and she was more than pleased with the outcome.

---

After Xiao Hua left the room, Ya Fei finally allowed herself to relax. She curled up on her chair, her posture reminiscent of a fox in repose, exuding a peculiar charm.

"It seems the Young Master saw through your intentions from the very beginning, huh..." Gu Ni sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"Indeed. From the way he spoke and how he immediately handed over a hundred of these Tier 4 pills, he must have a good understanding of how the Primer Clan operates internally," Ya Fei replied in a tired tone. Her eyes, however, gleamed with interest as she gazed at the jade bottles. "As expected from a fourth-tier alchemist. He’s not an easy opponent..."

Gu Ni nodded in agreement, though disbelief lingered in his expression. He knew about the employee assessments within the Primer Clan, where profits were scrutinized and special rewards given to those who outperformed the others.

"However, if I may correct you on one matter," Gu Ni said, looking at Ya Fei, who raised her eyebrows in confusion. He continued, "I don’t believe he’s merely a fourth-tier alchemist."

"What are you saying? Isn’t the proof right here?" Ya Fei lifted one of the jade bottles, showing it to Gu Ni.

"No fourth-tier alchemist could refine fifty Tier 4 pills," Gu Ni stated calmly.

Ya Fei was momentarily confused before the meaning of his words sank in. "Are you suggesting he’s above a fourth-tier alchemist?"

Gu Ni didn’t respond, his gaze fixed on the rows of jade bottles. Ya Fei followed his gaze, staring blankly at the bottles lined up on the table, her thoughts swirling in silence.