Raking it in

Upon hearing Lei Peng's words, Chen Mo quickly formed a plan in his mind.

Lei Ming's illness... was undoubtedly the Mad Demon Disease.

Just thinking about it was pitiful.

The once-mighty Lei Family Martial Arts School had fallen to such a state because Lei Ming caught the Mad Demon Disease. If not for the Chen Family's vast assets, Chen Mo's own fate likely wouldn't have been much better.

Chen Mo pulled his thoughts back, cradling his teacup in silence, putting on a troubled expression.

He and Lei Peng were neither friends nor relatives, so he wouldn't play the saint. Now was the perfect time to name his price, and Chen Mo naturally had to put on a show.

Sensing the hesitation in Chen Mo's eyes, Lei Peng grew anxious. "Does Young Master Mo have some difficulty?"

Chen Mo sighed. "To be honest, Lei Guan Zhu, I spent a hefty sum to seek out a Wandering Taoist, who gave me some precious medicine capable of curing all poisons. Last time, when I first heard of your son's illness, I couldn't bear it and gave you one pill. Now, my stock is running low."

Lei Peng was no child—how could he not see that Chen Mo was jacking up the price?

But with a favor to ask, he had no choice but to lower his stance. "Young Master Mo, if you have any conditions, just say them outright. As long as I, Lei Peng, can manage it, I won't hesitate."

Chen Mo said, "Lei Guan Zhu is refreshingly straightforward. In that case, I, Chen Mo, won't beat around the bush either. I need Qi and Blood Pills. Also, I'd like to watch Lei Guan Zhu demonstrate the Blazing Palm a few times."

Lei Peng was indeed a straightforward man. "Demonstrating the Blazing Palm is no problem. But the Qi and Blood Pills... they're expensive. I know where to buy them, but unfortunately... my household's reserves are running low."

By the end, Lei Peng looked quite embarrassed.

A martial arts school master, actually short on money... There was a time when he was a honored guest at the Spring Breeze Tower.

Chen Mo suppressed his delight. "I'm not short on silver. Lei Guan Zhu can buy them on my behalf."

Lei Peng breathed a sigh of relief. "How many does Young Master Mo want?"

Chen Mo asked, "What price can Lei Guan Zhu get?"

"One hundred taels per pill."

Chen Mo did some quick mental math:

The Qi and Blood Pill was a precious medicine that could sustain one from the Skin Refining Realm to the Blood Rush Realm, priceless on the open market.

The more, the better.

After all, the Chen Family's greatest asset was its silver.

With a plan in mind, Chen Mo asked, "How much silver can Lei Guan Zhu spare?"

Lei Peng said shamefacedly, "To be honest with Young Master Mo, I can scrape together at most fifteen hundred taels."

Chen Mo replied, "How about this: I'll give you fifteen hundred taels first. Once you buy me thirty Qi and Blood Pills, I'll return the fifteen hundred you fronted. Deal?"

Since this was only their second transaction, they weren't familiar with each other, and there was little foundation of trust. Chen Mo naturally wouldn't hand over three thousand taels to Lei Peng all at once. What if the guy took the money and ran... that wouldn't be good.

Not that Chen Mo couldn't afford the loss, but he didn't like being treated like a fool.

He could take the hit, but there was no need.

Lei Peng hesitated, because that fifteen hundred taels was his entire fortune.

Chen Mo added, "Lei Guan Zhu, I won't hide it from you—the pill that cures all poisons was not easy for me to obtain. Please understand."

Lei Peng gritted his teeth hard. "Fine. Let's do it that way."

Chen Mo was overjoyed inside and said to Qiulan, "Qiulan, go to the estate treasury and bring fifteen hundred taels in Silver Notes. Tell them I need it."

Qiulan nodded in acknowledgment, walked away with quick, light steps, and soon returned with fifteen hundred taels in Silver Notes. Chen Mo took the notes, counted them, then stuffed them into Lei Peng's hands. "Once Lei Guan Zhu buys the thirty Qi and Blood Pills, I'll give you the Detox Pill."

Lei Peng didn't dawdle either; he took the silver and headed out.

As he walked out of the Chen Mansion, Lei Peng couldn't help but look back at the tall, imposing gate and walls, filled with envy.

"The Chen Family really is wealthy..."

After seeing Lei Peng off, Chen Mo savored a few sips of tea, a rare moment of leisure.

He usually didn't have such free time, but today he'd stumbled upon a huge business opportunity:

Outsiders said the Qi and Blood Pill was expensive, costing a hundred taels each.

But compared to the Wei Qi Skin Paste Chen Mo refined, it was like mud versus clouds.

A single Wei Qi Skin Paste could sell for a sky-high price.

This woman was truly a treasure.

Chen Mo followed this line of thought, and the more he considered it, the more he realized the value of the Wei Qi Skin Paste: lately, more and more people in the county were coming down with the Mad Demon Disease, and the Wei Qi Skin Paste seemed to be the only cure besides the Red Lantern Society?

Its preciousness was beyond imagination.

Even if he squeezed all fifteen hundred taels from Lei Peng's hands, Lei Peng probably wouldn't refuse. After all, it concerned his son's life.

It was a business with a thousandfold return.

Qiulan, one of the few in the know, also realized this. "Young Master is truly remarkable. Spending a hundred taels to buy that woman back then—who'd have thought she'd be such a treasure trove."

Chen Mo smiled. "That's right..."

Halfway through his words, Chen Mo suddenly stopped, a chill running down his spine.

Every coin has two sides.

The innocent man suffers for the guilt of the possessor.

If word got out that I had the Wei Qi Skin Paste, it would bring disaster to the Chen Family.

I need to be more cautious from now on.

As for Lei Peng, Chen Mo wasn't worried about him leaking the secret.

After all, his son's Mad Demon Disease was a secret—he wanted no one to know the truth more than anyone else. Naturally, he wouldn't reveal that Chen Mo had the Detox Pill.

But one must always keep a backup plan.

While waiting for Lei Peng, Chen Mo practiced his skills in the room.

In the afternoon, at Shen Shi Chu, Lei Peng hurried back to the East Courtyard carrying a wooden box.

Chen Mo took the box and opened it to find thirty Qi and Blood Pills inside. Their quality was excellent, no less than the ones he'd bought from Granny Li last time.

"Thank you for the trouble, Lei Guan Zhu."

Chen Mo accepted the box with a smile and had Qiulan fetch one thousand five hundred taels of Silver Notes from the family treasury, handing them to Lei Peng.

Lei Peng took the Silver Notes and felt much more at ease.

Then Chen Mo dismissed Qiulan and had Lei Peng demonstrate the Blazing Palm in the living room.

Lei Peng performed it meticulously, starting from the first layer, Inch Force, to the second layer, Subduing Pressure, then the third layer, Palm Heart Fire, and finally the fourth layer, Blazing Sun Toxin.

Chen Mo watched intently, asking for guidance whenever he encountered something unclear. Lei Peng, without any airs, answered patiently.

After a thorough session of learning and discussion, Chen Mo finally gained a comprehensive and deep understanding of the Blazing Palm.

Chen Mo already knew Inch Force. Subduing Pressure built on it, allowing zero-distance force—enough to press a palm print into a thick table. Palm Heart Fire was what Lei Peng had shown before, leaving a charred black palm print on the table, requiring the Five Viscera Realm to use. As for Blazing Sun Toxin, it was even more formidable—it released fire poison on top of the black palm print, causing secondary damage. If it struck a person, the skin would not only burn but also be poisoned. The victim would need to immediately cut away the charred skin and flesh to avoid danger; otherwise, the fire poison would spread through the body, leading to death.

"The Blazing Palm is truly a remarkable skill. Thank you for teaching me, Lei Guan Zhu."

But Lei Peng was thinking about the pills: "And the Detox Pill?"

Chen Mo took out the Detox Pill he'd prepared earlier from a drawer. It was just a small piece kneaded from the paste slurry that The Woman had made in her second batch—almost zero cost.

But Chen Mo said, "Lei Guan Zhu, take good care of this pill. It's extremely precious, and I don't have many in stock. Also, I don't know what rare illness your son has, but this pill is valuable. Please don't speak of it outside, to avoid unnecessary trouble. If that happens, it won't end well for you."

Lei Peng's heart skipped a beat, vaguely feeling that Chen Mo knew something, yet perhaps not...

"Young Master Mo, rest assured, I understand. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." Lei Peng cupped his hands and hurried away.

After seeing Lei Peng off, Chen Mo couldn't help but smile: This trade with Lei Guan Zhu was an absolute steal!

A moment later, Chen Mo had Qiulan buy ten stalks of Cold Night Grass from the Pharmacy Manager. With all the medicinal ingredients ready, Chen Mo planned to go into seclusion for a few days.

Thirty Qi and Blood Pills—this could really accelerate my training...

At the very least, I'll break through to the Iron Bone Realm in one go!