Two days before the Crimson Blood Pill Pavilion opened, Bi Changsheng spent money hiring people to hand out flyers and advertise the pavilion.
Moreover, Bi Changsheng planned to take this opportunity to clear out the pills he had plundered from the three major forces in Lin'an City, keeping only the pills useful to Liu Zhengqing for his cultivation.
Thus, the flyers also mentioned that pills suitable for low-level martial artists were being sold at a thirty-percent discount.
On the first day of business, thanks to the previous publicity and the discounts on pills suitable for low-level martial artists, the entire Crimson Blood Pill Pavilion was packed. Unfortunately, everyone who came was a low-level martial artist short on cash, and not a single Qi and Blood Realm or True Qi Realm pill was sold.
Bi Changsheng did not mind. In any case, it was good enough to clear out the pills he had no use for. Since his prices were indeed very favorable, all the low-level pills sold out. They brought in a total of one hundred and sixty thousand taels of silver, replenishing Bi Changsheng's funds and bringing his wealth back up to seven hundred and twenty thousand taels.
Furthermore, after this sale, the Crimson Blood Pill Pavilion gained some renown in Ningyun City.
However, because Bi Changsheng only sold Qi and Blood Realm and True Qi Realm pills afterward, the Crimson Blood Pill Pavilion became deserted. It had only a few customers each day, and most merely looked around before leaving. Few actually made purchases, and not a single Crimson Blood Pill—the pill Bi Changsheng was promoting most heavily—was sold.
Bi Changsheng was not anxious about this situation. People would naturally have reservations about a new type of pill they had never tried before. He had the patience to wait for the first person willing to eat the crab.
After handing the shop over to Uncle Fu and putting him in charge of receiving and entertaining customers, Bi Changsheng became a hands-off shopkeeper. Every day, he practiced swordsmanship and read books to broaden his knowledge.
Since the Crimson Blood Pill Pavilion was not selling much yet, Bi Changsheng only needed to spare a little time occasionally to refine pills and restock the pavilion.
"Hmm! What tremendous nerve."
That day, a middle-aged man suddenly stopped as he walked along Gold-Sprinkled Street in Ningyun City and spoke with some surprise.
He looked toward a shop in the corner called the Crimson Blood Pill Pavilion. A sign hung outside the shop, stating that it only sold Qi and Blood Realm pills and pills above that realm.
The middle-aged man had been drawn in by the words on the sign, which was why he had made that astonished remark.
Most pill shops in Ningyun City mainly sold pills for low-level martial artists. A shop like the Crimson Blood Pill Pavilion, which intended to deal exclusively in pills for Qi and Blood Realm and higher-level martial artists, must have something distinctive about it. Otherwise, it would be impossible to survive.
"I'll go see what makes it so distinctive."
Thinking this, the middle-aged man said to himself before entering the Crimson Blood Pill Pavilion.
"Welcome, honored guest. What can I get for you? Our shop has every commonly used pill for Qi and Blood Realm and True Qi Realm martial artists."
Seeing someone enter, Uncle Fu greeted him warmly.
"Does your shop have any signature pills?"
The middle-aged man asked directly.
When Uncle Fu heard this, he did not beat around the bush. He took out a Crimson Blood Pill and began introducing it to the middle-aged man.
"Honored guest, take a look. This is our Crimson Blood Pill Pavilion's exclusive pill, the Crimson Blood Pill. Its effects are similar to those of the Qi and Blood Pill, and it assists Qi and Blood Realm cultivation."
"However, the Crimson Blood Pills from our pavilion are twice as effective as Qi and Blood Pills, while costing only one thousand five hundred taels. They're an excellent bargain."
The medicinal ingredients required to refine a Crimson Blood Pill cost roughly three hundred taels, about the same as those for a Qi and Blood Pill. Qi and Blood Pills sold for one thousand taels each on the market, so Bi Changsheng priced Crimson Blood Pills at one thousand five hundred taels apiece.
"A pill that assists Qi and Blood Realm cultivation!"
Upon hearing the Crimson Blood Pill's effects, the middle-aged man immediately became interested, because he was an Early Qi and Blood Realm martial artist.
The middle-aged man was named Duan Zhengqing, and he was a member of the Duan Family of Ningyun City. Because the Duan Family had a True Qi Realm grandmaster presiding over it, it was also a considerable force in Ningyun City.
Duan Zhengqing was the fourth son of the Duan Family's patriarch—the True Qi Realm expert of the Duan Family. The Duan Family's patriarch was usually extremely strict with his four sons, testing their cultivation progress once every six months.
During the previous assessment, Duan Zhengqing had performed poorly and lost to the Duan Family's third son, who was about the same age. As a result, the Duan Family's patriarch had given him a severe dressing-down.
There were only half a month left until the next six-month assessment, and Duan Zhengqing had been worrying over it. Now that he had heard about the Crimson Blood Pill's effects, he naturally took notice.
After all, the results of the Duan Family's patriarch's six-monthly assessments not only affected their standing in his eyes, but also determined how their cultivation resources would be allocated for the next six months.
"Does this Crimson Blood Pill really have twice the effect of a Qi and Blood Pill?"
Since it was a new pill he had never seen before, Duan Zhengqing asked with some skepticism.
"Rest assured, honored guest. If this Crimson Blood Pill doesn't have twice the effect of a Qi and Blood Pill, we'll compensate you twofold."
In truth, given the Crimson Blood Pill's actual efficacy, claiming that it was twice as effective as a Qi and Blood Pill was already a very conservative statement. Thus, Uncle Fu was not nervous in the slightest. Seeing that Duan Zhengqing was tempted, he began persuading him even more enthusiastically.
"Fine. Give me two Crimson Blood Pills to try first."
In the end, Duan Zhengqing was won over. With the six-month assessment approaching, he decided to give them a try. Three thousand taels of silver was not much to him anyway.
In the end, Duan Zhengqing became the first customer to purchase a Crimson Blood Pill. He left the Crimson Blood Pill Pavilion with two pills.
After returning home, Duan Zhengqing eagerly began testing the Crimson Blood Pill's effects. Once he sat down cross-legged, he poured one Crimson Blood Pill from the bottle into his mouth and began circulating his qi and blood.
The moment the Crimson Blood Pill entered his mouth, Duan Zhengqing felt a tremendous medicinal power spread through his body. This medicinal power was far greater than what he usually experienced when cultivating with a Qi and Blood Pill. Without time to think, he hurriedly circulated his qi and blood, absorbing the medicinal power to strengthen his qi and blood.
Half an hour later, Duan Zhengqing finally completed his cultivation and withdrew his power.
"This Crimson Blood Pill is actually nearly three times as effective as a Qi and Blood Pill."
After ending his cultivation, Duan Zhengqing felt the growth of the qi and blood within his body and spoke in shock.
In fact, Duan Zhengqing had originally thought that as long as the Crimson Blood Pill was fifty percent more effective than a Qi and Blood Pill, it would be worth the price. After all, there were countless examples of merchants exaggerating their products to promote them.
He had not expected the Crimson Blood Pill Pavilion not only to refrain from exaggerating the pill's effects, but to describe them conservatively instead.
"This time, I have hope of defeating the third brother in the six-month assessment. I might even win Father's attention."
After personally experiencing the Crimson Blood Pill's effects, Duan Zhengqing secretly rejoiced. As long as he used Crimson Blood Pills to cultivate continuously over the next half month, his cultivation would surely advance rapidly, allowing him to defeat the third son of the Duan Family—the one who had beaten him last time—in the upcoming assessment.
Moreover, Duan Zhengqing's cultivation had remained stuck at the early Qi and Blood Realm for a long time. Perhaps this time, he could even break through to the middle Qi and Blood Realm in one stroke and win his father's attention.
At this thought, Duan Zhengqing could no longer hold himself back. He prepared fifteen thousand taels and returned to the Crimson Blood Pill Pavilion to purchase ten Crimson Blood Pills.
In the days that followed, some people gradually chose to try the Crimson Blood Pills. Like Duan Zhengqing, every customer who tried one became a loyal customer of the Crimson Blood Pill Pavilion.
The Crimson Blood Pill Pavilion slowly got on the right track.
Before you continue