Yang Xin

When the night fell a barely visible figure crawled out of the window of the Holy Orchid Institute's boys' dormitory. It blended in shadows and even someone who was looking in his direction could not notice its presence.

It was Nie Li in his new stealth suit. He had made it from the hide of a demon chameleon. It didn't grant him full invisibility, but the ability to blend in with the environment. It also helped to hide his aura. During the nighttime it was perfect. Until he integrates with the Shadow Devil spirit, it should be enough.

Nie left the school territory and traveled through the rooftops towards the Sacred Family's district. He wanted to scout out the Star Restaurant, Dark Guild's local base.

It was at the border of the Sacred family's territory and was still open. Nie Li perched on the roof of the opposite building could see customers entering and leaving the restaurant. There were two guards at the entrance.

Nie Li took out another invention of his, a scanner. It looked like a radar pistolet. Nie Li made it using a crystallized eye of a legend rank Giant three-eyed Thunder Eagle. They had a very sensitive third eye that crystallized after their death. How it appeared in the Ancient Orchid City's treasure Nie Li didn't know, but the eye and high-grade soul crystal had enough sensitivity to create a very precise scanner.

Nie Li activated it pointing towards the restaurant. It sent the information directly into Nie Li's mind and Nie Li could see many glowing blobs appearing in his eyesight superimposed on the view of the restaurant. This illusion inscription patterns were great. He could see the results of the scan as if in augmented reality. This technology was still in development in Robert's world!

He should incorporate it into the control interfaces of his cell phones because a glowing holographic interface would be too conspicuous.

The scanner detected the spirit force in all forms. Barriers looked like thin films, humans like blobs, and techniques some kind of physical phenomena. It could detect artifacts as well. He could see small vortexes around some people, which must be an indication of their interspatial rings.

And blobs around people were of different sizes and colors. Some of them were big and bright, and some of them were small and dim. This must be because of different levels of cultivation. The scanner also didn't care about the walls and could scan the inside of the buildings, because the spirit force was all-encompassing and existed in another plane.

Nie Li played around with the 3D image of people moving inside the restaurant and determined possible locations where management resided. He wasn't planning to enter the place today, but maybe in the future, it may be useful.

He also detected an underground passage leading to a house some distance away because some blobs were moving through it. It must be their secret entrance and exit point. After watching the restaurant for an hour and not noticing anything else he decided to leave.

He put hidden cameras in front of the main entrance, back entrance, and hidden exit house. The cameras had a night vision mode so they could record day and night. Then they send the recorded information through the cell phone network to the memory crystal he set up in his room.

Now he must hire someone trustworthy to watch it round the clock. In the future, he will set up more surveillance systems in other locations as well. He didn't have time for watching all of that. Good thing he set up some motion sensors. When there is a movement the camera will shoot a 'photo' and send it attached to the video. He can check those images and if there is anything interesting then watch the video.

The reason he was setting this surveillance was that he wanted to know more about what the Dark Guild was doing. Most of the events that happened in his previous life and in the novel were still a mystery. So if he wants to stay proactive he must be well informed about the actions of his enemies. His job done Nie Li returned to his room.

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Next day. Alchemy Association.

The director of the Alchemy Association Yang Xin was looking through the letters. Alchemy Association received many letters daily. Some of them were from alchemists who shared their experiences with refining elixirs, others were from cultivators and other citizens who wanted to personally ask something from the director. There were even some letters with love confessions. She simply threw them away.

At last, she stopped at a package.

"Did you check it?" she asked her attendants. Sometimes people send dangerous things in the mail. So they checked them before bringing them to her.

"Yes, there is a box with Purple Haze Grass and a letter."

"Purple Haze Grass?" she was intrigued. About two weeks ago the Alchemy Association along with some other organizations got a letter explaining previously unknown methods to use that grass. That led to a commotion after those methods were confirmed true.

Subsequent events were even more bizarre. All of those who were scrambling to buy the grass that they previously burned to repel insects were surprised to find that someone had already bought out most of it. The cost of the grass grew as the people looked everywhere for that grass. Even the small amounts of grass, different households had was bought at high prices.

Luckily or unluckily the Alchemy Association was spared from all that troubles. Because most of the uses described in the letter didn't have much with alchemy. Some low-level healing salves, specific poisons. People could brew them themselves without help from an alchemist. So the Association mostly stayed out of that storm.

Now there is another letter. So she was interested. But the further she read the higher her surprise become. Adding a little Purple Haze grass can increase the effect of the Soul Assembling Pill and Spiritual Enhancing Pill by 30 percent? A herbal bath with Purple Haze grass and some other herbs can nourish the soul force and has beautifying effects? And there were many other such valuable uses. If these methods prove true as well, the price of the Purple Haze Grass is going to reach the sky. And the previous storm will look like a child's play compared to a new one.

And after two weeks of enthusiastic purchasing, there is most likely no Purple Haze grass left in the City. And most of it is surely already used up. Probably this was the plan of the original buyer from the start. But she must check those methods first. The author kindly sent enough Purple Haze Grass to test out all the described methods.

"Bring this letter to the president. I will be in the pill refining chamber," she ordered and left the room taking the box with the Purple Haze Grass. She may need other alchemists' help to test out all these methods quickly. Most of them were alchemical uses anyway.

Not long after she was joined by the president Gu Yan and other senior alchemists. The effects were even better than expected. The success rate of some pills was greatly increased. She then left others testing other methods and decided to personally test the herbal bath method.

She returned to her room. And according to the letter, she mixed several herbs and poured hot water into a wooden barrel. She slowly removed her dress, revealing her smooth beautiful body. She had a perfect figure with an enchanting aura around her. Her movements were sensual seductive quality to them even when she was alone. She leisurely stepped into the wooden barrel and laid down to soak.

The essences of the herbs were slowly released and were being absorbed into Yang Xin's body. Her skin flushed slightly, becoming more smooth and delicate. She felt refreshed and her soul force was also enriched. The effects were clear. She has never had such a good bath before. Her heart ached for the all Purple Haze Grass that was burned up or used for other simple reasons.

After soaking in a bath for around an hour until the herb's effects were fully absorbed, she stood up and left the barrel. After drying herself and making herself presentable she returned to the Pill Refining chamber.

All the while catching the eyes of everyone she encountered. When she entered the chamber her colleagues who were arguing over something turned towards her and stopped in their tracks.

"So all of the uses are confirmed?" President Gu Yan asked after some awkward pause.

"Yes, except for some completely non-alchemic usages, everything is confirmed," stated another elder alchemist.

"Then it's good news. The improved effects of the pills and higher rate of success will bring great benefits to the Alchemy Association," Gu Yan concluded.

"Disaster, That's what it is. There's almost no Purple Haze Grass left in the market now. And we have only a couple of hundred kilograms in stock. That won't be enough for us even for a day. If the president had ordered to buy more Purple Haze Grass, we wouldn't have been in this situation," said hotly Hu Shuo who was the political opponent of Gu Yan for the position of the president. Some of the elders nodded their heads as if agreeing with him.

"How can you say that? Weren't you who said we shouldn't waste resources on some useless grass in the last meeting?" said one of Gu Yan's supporters.

"Why you? I didn't…"

"Masters," Yan Xin interrupted them, "Let's not argue. If the owner of the Purple Haze Grass didn't want to sell it he wouldn't have sent these letters."

"Yes, I think that they would wait for the prices to rise, then begin selling their stock"

"What if he waits another two weeks and sends another letter?" Hu Shuo sarcastically asked.

"Well if they do that I will only applaud them." Guy Yan said calmly. "If they offer even more valuable methods than these, that knowledge alone would be priceless. This is," he showed the letter, "the single most important discovery in the field of alchemy in the last hundred years. So I will only thank them for further knowledge."

Everyone considered that. The Alchemy Association was in stagnation for many years and this may be a bit of fresh air in their stale environment.

"Okay, start buying out the Purple Haze Grass wherever you can find them. And look for a large amount of it appearing in the market. If you find them don't be forceful. We don't know who they are or who is behind them." Gu Yan gave his orders.

Everyone went about their business leaving Gu Yan and Yang Xin alone.

"President, What do you think? Is this one of the noble families?" Yang Xin asked.

"No, I don't think that they are from a strong force. Or they wouldn't have bothered to hide their involvement."

Yang Xin thought the same. The sender of the letter deliberately waited two weeks so the chaotic trade of the Purple Haze Grass erased his traces. And almost all of the remaining Purple Haze Grass was used up so the deficit would be even higher.

"Then where they could have gotten the information?" she asked. Association collected all kinds of knowledge on alchemy since the creation of Glory City and now someone surpassed them in their own field.

"That's the right question. All of those idiots want to find them for Purple Haze Grass forgetting about where that knowledge comes from. Ask yourself a question 'If they know so much about the Purple Haze Grass, what else do they know?'"

Yang Xin's eyes widened.

"Yes," continued Gu Yan, "Purple Haze Grass is secondary. We must get access to his knowledge. Send out feelers. If they find anything, tell them not to make contact. You or I will personally approach that person or a group."

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