<strong><u>Chapter 169: Exchange</u></strong>


    Ao Tuo beckoned Xiao Yan toward him, eh took two steps forward and pushed open the door to the house. However, before he entered, a vicious force sent ck colored powder spewing out from all directions from within the house.


    The sudden unforeseen event caused Xiao Yan to be slightly shocked. He cautiously took a few steps back with his right hand quickly holding on to the Heavy Xuan Ruler as he arched his body.


    Before the ck colored powder could spew out from within the room, Ao Tuo rubbed his lips together and waved his sleeve fiercely. An even more vicious force appeared and lifted all the ck powder, returning it all back from where it came from.


    As the ck powder gradually scattered, it revealed a dirty and messy room behind it. Ao Tuo patted his hand, tilted his head and said cautiously to Xiao Yan, “This old man likes to do things like this to trick people. The ck colored powder just now may not poison people, but if one’s skin were to evene into the slightest contact with it, they would get a terrible itch.”


    Gradually releasing his palm from the Ruler’s hilt, Xiao Yan bitterly smiled and shook his head. This old man was indeed abnormal.


    “Let’s go. Follow me. Don’t touch anything.” With a smile, Ao Tuo lead the way into the room with Xiao Yan closely following after a brief hesitation.


    After they entered the dark room, the door automatically mmed shut. The clear sound caused Xiao Yan to once again shake his head helplessly. His gaze swept across the room which was like a garbage dump as he followed Ao Tuo and climbed a few rotten wooden stairs that shook in a manner that suggested they were about to copse. Finally, they arrived at the highest story after experiencing another few weird attacks.


    When theypleted the climb, Xiao Yan let out a light breath. He raised his head and looked a wooden door at the end of the corridor. Tilting his head to Ao Tuo, he asked, “It should be here, shouldn’t it?”


    Ao Tuo nodded his head. He then lowered it to observe his clothes. A few small holes had been formed from the corrosive liquid from the staircase. Twitching the corner of his mouth, he clenched his teeth together and said, “This old bastard. Instead of learning to refine proper medicine, he just likes to y with these things that are not fit to be seen by others...”


    Hearing theint, the corner of Xiao Yan’s mouth parted andughed stuffily in his heart.


    “What nonsense about refining proper medicine, in what way are these things of mine not proper? You old rascal, don’t think that just because you are the vice-chairman of the Alchemist Association, I will not dare to chase you out!” While Xiao Yan wasughing stuffily, an old voice suddenly scolded from within the room at the end of the corridor.


    “You are the old rascal.” Rolling his eyes, Ao Tuo resentfully waved his sleeves and led Xiao Yan into the corridor. Finally, they reached a spot outside the room. He then violently kicked the room’s door which seemed to be made of wood.


    “ng!”


    When the kick made contact with the room’s door, a clear metal sound suddenly sounded from the door. Xiao Yan’s eyes twitched when he heard this and quickly turned his head to watch Ao Tuo’s distorted old face. Tactfully, he quickly took a few steps back.


    “Ha ha, old man. After thest time you kicked down one of my doors, I reced it with a steel one. Haha. Is it fun?” From within the room, an old explodingughter once again sounded in a gloating manner.


    “Old bastard...” Ao Tuo’s face was distorted as he inhaled a mouthful of cold air. The expression on his face slowly turned livid. From his body, an extremely fierce Dou Qi began to slowly rise and began to wrap around Ao Tuo like he was a person made of mes.


    “What a strong Dou Qi... his strength is at least at the Dou Ling level.” Seeing the writhing dark yellow Dou Qi on Ao Tuo’s body, Xiao Yan hurriedly took two steps back as he sighed in his heart.


    With his body covered with Dou Qi, Ao Tuo once again violently kicked at the steel door.


    “Bang!” Following a deep muffled noise that sounded in the corridor, the door was sent flying into the room.


    “Ah! Old bastard, you really did it!” Once the door flew into the room, a strange yell immediately came from the interior.


    “Hmph.” Snorting with a vivid expression, Ao Tuo walked into the room with his legscking some coordination. His gaze swept the room, finallynding on an old man dressed in drab. He coldly smiled. “Gu Te, do you believe that I will put all the names of the things you hide here onto slips of paper and announce all of them to the outside world.”


    “Hehe, don’t don’t... I was just joking.” Hearing the threat, the old man in the gray drabs hurriedly waved his hand and smiled apologetically.


    “Hmph.” Waving his sleeves, Ao Tuo turned around and faced outside the door. “Come in, Xiao Yan.”


    “Huh, you brought someone along? What are you nning to do?” Seeing Ao Tuo’s manner, Gu Te’s eyes widened as he said with a face filled with caution.


    Rubbing his lips, Ao Tuo was toozy to bother about this crazy person.


    Slowly walking into the room, Xiao Yan’s gaze habitually swept across the interior. When his sight nced across a crystal counter in the room, an expression of amazement swiftly surfaced on his face.


    “Fire Heart Seven Leaf Flower? Blood Crystal Grass? Blue Heart Rock?...”


    Seeing that all of these seldom seen, rare and precious things were actually all aggregated here, Xiao Yan’s mouth could not help but slowly widen. The collection here was a little too rich, wasn’t it?


    “Hey, hey... boy, what are you looking at? Are you having any thoughts on my treasures?” Seeing Xiao Yan’s expression, Gu Te hurriedly jumped over and stared at Xiao Yan angrily with a fierce expression.


    “Uh...” Giving an embarrassed smile, Xiao Yan withdrew his gaze and his eyes stared at the old man in drab. It was difficult for him to imagine in his heart that this thin and weak looking old man would actually be the elder brother of Jia Ma Empire’s well known Pill-King Gu He.


    “*Cough*, sorry. Grandmaster Gu Te, I have never seen so many strange and precious things in all my life. Looking at thisvish collection, I think that there is no one in the Jia Ma Empire that can bepared to you.” Xiao Yan said with a smile.


    “...Boy, you do know how to talk. However, what you said is quite true.” Hearing these faintly sucking up words of Xiao Yan, the fierce expression on Gu Te’s old face became a little gentler. He nodded his head and bluntly acknowledged those words.


    “What are you here for. Hurry up and say, I’m very busy.” Turning around and sitting at a table that was piled up with broken things, Gu Te raised his legs as he asked.


    “This kid hase here to find you for something.” Ao Tuo rolled his eyes and nced at the chair by the side which was filled with dust. He could only helplessly shake his head and remain standing as he spoke.


    “Oh? It’s not like I know him. Why is he looking for me? Don’t tell me that he has some strange treasure that he wishes to sell to me. Hehe, good good. As long as you can satisfy me, I will give you a satisfactory price!” A glint appeared in Gu Te’s eyes as he said with a smile while staring intently at the storage ring on Xiao Yan’s finger.


    “*Cough*... no, Grandmaster Gu Te, I’m not here to sell my treasure, I’m here to inquire about...” Xiao Yan shook his head as his eyes locked onto Gu Te’s face. He softly asked, “I want to inquire if you are keeping some ‘Ice Spirit Cold Fountain’ in your hands?”


    Hearing this, Gu Te was momentarily stilled. Next, he shook his head like a windmill. “I don’t have it, don’t have it. You have found the wrong person. I don’t have that thing.”


    Seeing that Gu Te was acting childishly, Xiao Yan could only smile bitterly and shook his head. When he mentioned the ‘Ice Spirit Cold Fountain’ earlier, he had clearly noticed a surprised look sh across Gu Te’s face. Perhaps, Gu Te was surprised about how Xiao Yan obtained the news that he had the ‘Ice Spirit Cold Fountain’.


    “Old man, stop lying. Didn’t you tell me about it thest time? You managed to get for a small bottle of ‘Ice Spirit Cold Fountain’ from someone else. I still remember it clearly.” Ao Tuo said with a smile.


    “Get lost. You old bastard. You better note and find me here in the future.” Having his lie exposed, Gu Te was instantly angry from being humiliated as he scolded.


    Ao Tuo waved his hand and said to Xiao Yan, “I have already brought you to see him. How you get him to hand you the ‘Ice Spirit Cold Fountain’ is entirely up to you. I’ll be waiting for you outside.” Once he said those words, Ao Tuo headed out of the room. As he was about to exit, he lightly tapped his palm on a part of the wall. Immediately, a wooden door gradually rose from the doorway and covered the interior of the room after he walked out.


    Seeing that Ao Tuo had left, Xiao Yan helplessly nodded. He waved his hand and blew away the dust on the chair before sitting opposite Gu Te.


    Gu Te’s old eyes nced at the tightly shut door before taking a look at Xiao Yan. He snorted: “Boy, forget it. I will never hand the ‘Ice Spirit Cold Fountain’ to you.”


    “Grandmaster Gu Te, I believe there isn’t any transaction in this world that cannot bepleted. If a transaction is unsessful, it simply means that one has not taken out something that the other party is interested in exchanging something for.” Xiao Yan said with a smile.


    “Oh? Since you know this, then why are you still here? Don’t tell me that you need the ‘Ice Spirit Cold Fountain’ to save lives or whatever. I don’t possess those pointless feelings of sympathy.” Raising his dark ck eyebrows, Gu Te nced at Xiao Yan. His smile had a teasing feel. It appeared that he did not think that Xiao Yan could take out something that he would be interested in.


    Xiao Yan’s palm slowly rubbed his chin as his mouth was closed tightly; he looked like he was considering what kind of thing could move Gu Te in front of him.


    “Hehe, boy do you really possess something? But I will say this upfront. Don’t take out Qi Methods or Dou Techniques. Although they are very precious, I’m not interested in them. What I like the most... are rare ingredients.” Seeing Xiao Yan’s manner, Gu Te was also a little interested. His finger pointed at the many rare ingredients in the roomughing as he spoke.


    Xiao Yan’s finger lightly tapped on the table. He was silent for a long while before his finger gently rubbed the storage ring. After flicking his finger, a small jade bottle appeared in his palm.


    Seeing the emerald jade bottle in Xiao Yan’s hand, Gu Te raised his eyebrows. A faint curiosity surfaced in his eyes.


    Xiao Yan rubbed the small bottle, unwilling to part with it. He then slowly opened the cap of the bottle and gently ced it on the table. Immediately, a purple vapor rose from within. At that moment, the temperature of the small room also seemed to rise significantly.


    Gu Te’s eyes slightly shrank as he felt the surrounding air bing hotter and stared at the threads of purple me vapor in the room.