Probing! Cooperation!

Chapter 31: Probing! Cooperation!

Four Seasons Pavilion.

Located in the most prosperous area of Miao Yin City, it has a deep background. Some even say that the Four Seasons Pavilion was opened by the City Lord of Miao Yin City, but no one knows if it's true.

However, this does not prevent the Four Seasons Pavilion from being the most high-end banquet venue in Miao Yin City.

This day.

Kang Zizai, the owner of Linchuan Pharmacy, invited Lu Qingfeng and the owners of the five major shops, including Returning Spring Pharmacy, to attend.

In the evening, Lu Qingfeng arrived as agreed.

"It is truly an honor that Boss Lu could grace us with his presence!" As Lu Qingfeng entered the private room upstairs, he saw a middle-aged man in brocade robes with a large belly rushing to greet him, full of enthusiasm.

"Boss Kang is too kind."

A smiling face is always met with a smile, Lu Qingfeng replied with a smile.

Kang Zizai looked at the owner of 'Black Sand Medicine Shop'—

Calm!

Detached!

Weathered!

According to the intelligence, this young man came from Blackwood Village in Jiuzhai County, under the jurisdiction of the Returning Truth Sect. How could a mere village boy, no older than sixteen, possess such an aura?

Kang Zizai was astonished.

Lu Qingfeng had been cultivating for nearly a year. The once hunched and thin boy had transformed into a handsome young man with chiseled features and a resolute face.

His back was straight, and his demeanor was completely different.

The sense of weathered experience left by the passage of time in Primordial Chaos, and his experiences as a sought-after alchemist in Black Sand Town and the Yuan Yi Guild, had forged a unique aura in Lu Qingfeng.

At first glance, he appeared to be an ordinary young man.

But on second glance, one would find this young man terrifyingly mature. If one were to ignore his face and the information previously known, they might mistake him for a highly experienced individual in their thirties!

The combination of these two contrasting images made people almost overlook the fact that Lu Qingfeng was only sixteen years old.

"Boss Lu, please take a seat."

Kang Zizai, being experienced, swept his seemingly ordinary gaze over Lu Qingfeng and then smiled, inviting him to sit.

In the private room, besides Kang Zizai, there were five other people. Some were tall, some thin, some middle-aged, some elderly. In short, none of them were as young as Lu Qingfeng.

"Boss Lu, this is Boss Zhou Hong of Returning Spring Pharmacy, and this is Boss Liu Ren of Benevolent Heart Pharmacy..."

Kang Zizai introduced the five people present to Lu Qingfeng.

Whether it was Returning Spring Pharmacy, Benevolent Heart Pharmacy, or Kang Zizai's Linchuan Pharmacy, they were all quite famous and influential in Miao Yin City.

Their business scale was far beyond what Black Sand Medicine Shop could compare to.

Their sources of medicinal herbs were through specialized cooperation with herb gatherers from various villages in Guangyuan Prefecture and even Dangyang Prefecture, ensuring stability. Black Sand Medicine Shop, on the other hand, relied more on selling Clear Spirit Powder and Essence Nourishing Pills to obtain medicinal herbs from the many Jianghu figures in Miao Yin City.

The strength of the three major pharmacies was superior to Lu Qingfeng's Black Sand Medicine Shop, yet he didn't know what their intentions were.

Lu Qingfeng valued his time. After taking his seat and exchanging introductions, he directly asked, "May I ask why you bosses have summoned Qingfeng here today? Is there something important?"

Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback by Lu Qingfeng's directness, thinking to themselves that he was indeed still young.

After exchanging glances, Kang Zizai chuckled and said, "Boss Lu is a man of few words, and I will not beat around the bush."

He then said, "A few days ago, people from the Four Seas Hall of the Azure Jade Gate approached me, wanting me to act as an intermediary to purchase ten pill formulas from Boss Lu. As for the price, Boss Lu can name his own. I believe with the strength of the Azure Jade Gate, they will not treat Boss Lu unfairly."

After speaking, Kang Zizai continued to look at Lu Qingfeng with a smile, closely observing any changes in his expression.

"Purchase pill formulas?"

Lu Qingfeng's expression remained unchanged, and he smiled, "I apologize, but Black Sand Medicine Shop relies entirely on these few formulas to establish itself in Miao Yin City. I cannot sell them."

He and Qingshan, Qingyu relied on Clear Spirit Powder and Essence Nourishing Pills to maintain the resources needed for their cultivation.

In the future, they would also need these to refine puppets.

How could he sell them so easily?

Lu Qingfeng had never seen pills beneficial for cultivation like the Yellow Dragon Pill or the Gold Marrow Pill in Miao Yin City. Lu Qingshan also said that he had never heard of any pills comparable to the Yellow Dragon Pill in the Returning Truth Sect.

It was likely that either Lu Qingshan's status was too low to have access to such information, or there were truly no pills for cultivation in the Returning Truth Sect.

Regardless of which it was, it showed the preciousness of the Yellow Dragon Pill.

If Lu Qingfeng easily sold the formulas for Clear Spirit Powder and Essence Nourishing Pills to the Azure Jade Gate, how could Black Sand Medicine Shop contend with the Azure Jade Gate's strength?

And the Yellow Dragon Pill was precious but difficult to sell, making it hard to sustain.

A one-time deal was simply not worth it.

"Boss Lu is indeed straightforward. I admire that!" Kang Zizai showed no dissatisfaction on his face. He praised him again and said, "The Azure Jade Gate is currently in great need of various medicinal substances. Since the formulas are inconvenient to sell, would Boss Lu be willing to cooperate with the Azure Jade Gate?"

"Cooperate?"

Lu Qingfeng looked at Kang Zizai.

"Not bad."

Seeing Lu Qingfeng seemed interested, Kang Zizai quickly said, "The Azure Jade Gate will provide the medicinal ingredients, and Boss Lu's Black Sand Medicine Shop will have priority in selling ten types of medicines, including Gold Injury Powder, Blood Jade Paste, and Detoxification Pill, to the Azure Jade Gate. The price difference can be converted into silver or other materials."

"What do you think, Boss Lu?"

Kang Zizai's banquet for Lu Qingfeng had a primary goal: to obtain the medicinal formulas in Lu Qingfeng's possession. If refused, he would settle for the next best thing.

"Cooperation is something I would naturally welcome!"

Lu Qingfeng nodded in agreement.

Kang Zizai was overjoyed upon hearing this.

The two sides quickly finalized the details of their cooperation. Lu Qingfeng did not delay and took his leave.

"Boss Kang, we haven't found out anything yet!"

Zhou Hong, whose temples were streaked with white, watched Lu Qingfeng leave directly through the window before turning to Kang Zizai and saying leisurely.

"To be able to escape from the territory governed by the Returning Truth Sect with his younger siblings, how could this Lu Qingfeng be simple? Intelligence indicates his strength is at least at the Seventh Layer of the Fetal Respiration Realm, and he has killed a Steward from the Returning Truth Sect's Punishment Hall. Yet, what I saw today, his aura was so contained that not a trace leaked out. He doesn't look like someone who achieved this through finding an inheritance and cultivating on his own."

Kang Zizai's smile remained undiminished, his tone calm, and a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.

Liu Ren, standing nearby, frowned and said, "Boss Kang means that there must be someone teaching this kid behind him?"

"Most likely, but I dare not confirm," Kang Zizai shook his head and then smiled again, "We didn't get the medicinal formulas this time, nor did we find out who is behind Lu Qingfeng. But at least we've established a long-term cooperation. Sooner or later, we'll know what kind of person is backing this Lu sibling duo!"

"Probing."

Lu Qingfeng walked out of the Four Seasons Pavilion, a smile on his lips.

Although Kang Zizai and the others seemed subtle, as long as one recalled their words, one could deduce that they were merely probing.

It made sense.

Lu Qingfeng appearing suddenly in Miao Yin City with his younger siblings and running a successful pharmacy was bound to attract attention. These probes arrived two months later, and Lu Qingfeng even felt they were a bit slow, overestimating the sensitivity of the people in Miao Yin City.

However, judging by Kang Zizai's courteous demeanor throughout the day, he must have misunderstood that Lu Qingfeng had a powerful figure backing him.

Putting himself in Lu Qingfeng's shoes, if he encountered three siblings emerging from a village in the heartland of the Returning Truth Sect, overcoming all obstacles and traveling through mountains and rivers to settle in Miao Yin City, and then managing a pharmacy with such success, it would be hard not to take them seriously.

"This is good too."

"At least I don't have to worry about medicinal ingredients!"

"I can also take this opportunity to collect materials for refining puppets through the Azure Jade Gate."

Refining a puppet required a massive amount of various materials. Although none were particularly precious and could be found anywhere in the Shangyang Kingdom, they were needed in large quantities. With Lu Qingfeng's connections, procuring them would not be easy.

If the Azure Jade Gate handled it, it would save him a lot of effort!

Of course, Lu Qingfeng also knew that long-term cooperation could easily expose his secrets.

Once Kang Zizai, or rather the Azure Jade Gate behind him, saw through the truth that Lu Qingfeng had no one backing him, Lu Qingfeng could not predict their actions.

"In terms of pills, I have already mastered the Gold Marrow Pill used by those in the late Fetal Respiration Realm, the Harmony Qi Pill which is highly effective for advancing to the True Qi Stage and increasing True Qi, and the Qi Circulation Powder. Next, I will focus my main energy on puppet research."

Lu Qingfeng felt a sense of urgency.

If the Azure Jade Gate was targeting him, who knew if City Lord Miao Yin would also target him?

Relying on Miao Yin City could deter the Azure Jade Gate. As long as he didn't leave the city, even if the Azure Jade Gate wanted to deal with him, they could only act in secret. With the information asymmetry, he was confident he could escape.

But as for Miao Yin City!

After all, the three siblings were in Miao Yin City. If City Lord Miao Yin decided to deal with him, sending a squad of the Black Armor Army would be enough trouble for them!

"Improve my strength!"

Lu Qingfeng clenched his fists and returned to his residence.

"Big Brother!"

In the small courtyard, Lu Qingshan and Lu Qingyu stood anxiously waiting. Seeing Lu Qingfeng push the door open, their worried hearts finally relaxed.

"Just a banquet."

Lu Qingfeng smiled at the two of them.

Lu Qingshan pursed his lips and said nothing, but Lu Qingyu stepped forward and hugged Lu Qingfeng's arm, chattering, "Who knows if it was a Hongmen Banquet! What if those people weren't afraid of City Lord Miao Yin and poisoned the wine or food?!"

Lu Qingyu had heard from Lu Qingshan that her elder brother was going to the Four Seasons Pavilion for a banquet after returning from shopping. Her heart had been in her mouth ever since.

One moment she imagined them signaling with a cup-shattering sound!

The next moment she imagined poison in the food and wine!

She had scared herself half to death.

Now that she saw Lu Qingfeng return safely, although relieved, she couldn't help but complain.

"..."

"Big Brother, be careful next time."

Lu Qingfeng couldn't argue with Qingyu, so he could only nod repeatedly and promise not to take risks again before she let him off.

The three siblings chatted in the courtyard for a while.

It was mainly about safety awareness!

Lu Qingfeng cautioned Lu Qingshan and Lu Qingyu to be especially vigilant during this period, particularly regarding unsolicited contact or frequent appearances by strangers.

The Azure Jade Gate couldn't find anything on him, but they might set their sights on Lu Qingshan and Lu Qingyu.

Afterward.

Lu Qingfeng answered their cultivation questions before logging into Primordial Chaos.

The attributes section was a bit drawn out, my apologies. When I was writing it, it felt like a long time had passed, but I didn't expect it to only take you a few minutes to read. Haha, looking at the attribute list every few minutes is indeed excessive.

This chapter is three thousand characters to make up for it, and I'm also asking for recommendation tickets!