Are Foundations All Great Philanthropists? Who Are You Kidding?!

"Senior, what's wrong?"

"You call this... a Rejuvenation Pill?"

"That's right!"

"Like hell it is!"

Zhou Ping's eyelids twitched wildly. "Do you think This Seat doesn't know his merchandise? This is clearly a defective product!"

Rejuvenation Pills were the most common healing pills on the market, mainly used for problems such as chaotic mana and damaged vital essence.

Leaving aside the fact that their grade was not high.

The key was that it did not suit his current symptoms at all.

Most, most, most importantly, even among the Rejuvenation Pills on the market, this one was of abysmal quality.

It was the kind of goods that could not be sold at all!

Of its full medicinal efficacy, more than forty percent was pill toxin.

Taking it would not only do little good for his injuries—it would make his condition even worse.

"Don't you have Jade Void Pills? This Seat wants that!" Zhou Ping said, panting heavily as he felt his injuries worsening by the moment.

The Penglai Yunhai disciple smiled. "Jade Void Pills? That's a different price!"

Zhou Ping raised an eyebrow. "Aren't your foundations all about free rescue?"

The Penglai Yunhai disciple said, "Free only gets you Rejuvenation Pills! If you want something better, you have to pay extra! You know how expensive Jade Void Pills are. How could we possibly give them away for free?"

Zhou Ping's mouth twitched.

He knew it.

What Charity Foundation? It sounded nice, but they were really just a pack of corrupt merchants.

Still, he had not expected much to begin with, so he could not exactly call it a crushing disappointment. He hurriedly said, "This Seat naturally will not take your pills for nothing. I'll buy them with Spirit Stones!"

At those words, the smile on the Penglai Yunhai disciple's face grew more and more radiant. "One Jade Void Pill sells for ten thousand Spirit Stones!"

Zhou Ping's eyes flew wide open, his face caught between shock and fury. "What nonsense are you spouting? What Jade Void Pill costs ten thousand Spirit Stones?"

Jade Void Pills were indeed expensive.

But not to such an outrageous extent.

"Ah, the situation is special right now. There are so many people in the disaster area who need treatment, and the healing pills we brought are nowhere near enough to go around. Naturally, the price has gone up!"

"Besides, wealth is merely something outside the body. Nothing is more important than healing your injuries, wouldn't you say, Senior?"

Looking at the half-smiling expression on the Penglai Yunhai disciple's face.

A nameless fury surged in Zhou Ping's heart.

Well, well.

They were openly looting a burning house.

They knew he was in bad shape and could not refuse, so they were squeezing him for every last drop!

But helplessly.

They had him by the throat.

His injuries were growing more and more severe, and he was nearly unable to suppress them.

Without healing pills, he truly might perish, body and soul extinguished.

Under such circumstances, even if they demanded one hundred thousand Spirit Stones, he would have to agree through gritted curses.

"Fine! Ten thousand it is!"

Zhou Ping nodded heavily and said between gasps, "But This Seat's storage Magic Artifact was damaged, and I have no Spirit Stones on me for the moment. Give me the pill first. Once This Seat recovers, I naturally won't short you on the payment!"

At that, the smile vanished from the Penglai Yunhai disciple's eyes, replaced by coldness. "No money?"

Zhou Ping hurriedly said, "This Seat is an Inner Sect elder of the Sea-Breaking Sect. I would never deceive you. Once I recover, a mere ten thousand Spirit Stones can be repaid with ease!"

The disciples looked at each other and said, "That's not impossible, but Senior must sign a heart demon contract! If you violate it, your body and soul will be extinguished, and you will never enter reincarnation!"

"You!"

Zhou Ping's pupils widened in fury.

It was not that he intended to default on the debt.

But he was a dignified Nascent Soul Realm expert. Signing a heart demon contract over a mere ten thousand Spirit Stones would leave him utterly humiliated if word got out!

But circumstances were beyond his control.

No matter how unwilling he was, he could only agree first.

"Fine... I'll sign!"

"..."

Watching Zhou Ping grit his teeth and sign the heart demon contract before them.

The corners of Zhang Yang's mouth could not help but curl up.

Their young master-in-law truly was a genius blessed by heaven.

First, under the name of disaster relief, he had cleared out the unsellable pills that had been piled up in the warehouse for years.

Then, he seized upon these Cultivators' desperate desire to survive and sold life-saving pills to them at several times the price.

This way.

They earned both a good reputation and money—killing two birds with one stone!

At the same time, Zhang Yang calculated inwardly that ten thousand Spirit Stones for a Jade Void Pill was still too cheap.

Given the plight of these disaster-stricken Cultivators, even if the price doubled again, they would still have no choice but to buy it!

"Have you all seen clearly?"

As the group gradually walked away, Zhang Yang said to those beside him, "Follow the method I just used and negotiate with them one by one. Only target Cultivators with especially severe injuries, the ones who'll die without treatment! Mark up the price however many times you can!"

"Understood!" The Charity Foundation stewards pursed their lips.

Their gazes were somewhat unfocused.

Selling a Jade Void Pill for ten thousand Spirit Stones was far too ruthless!

"Captain Zhang, I heard that the Langya Foundation supplies all its pills free of charge. Can we really sell much if we do this...?" a young steward asked in confusion.

"Free?" Zhang Yang sneered. "Who told you that?"

"Wasn't that how they handled the Changlan Island disaster last time? They didn't charge a single coin from beginning to end!"

"How can those two situations be the same? What kind of place is Changlan Island? Even Foundation Establishment Cultivators can throw their weight around there... How much could the pills used by those Low-Level Cultivators possibly be worth? Of course they could afford to give them away...

But the Starry Archipelago has the largest trading Market in ten thousand miles of sea! There are at least enough Nascent Soul experts to count on both hands! Golden Core Cultivators are everywhere!

The pills they use are worth more than ten times those used by Low-Level Cultivators. Do you really think those people from the Langya Merchant Association are living bodhisattvas? That they can afford to give those away too?"

Zhang Yang's analysis was sound and well-reasoned, leaving everyone convinced.

Thus.

They scattered one by one, heading off to recommend pills to those Cultivators on the brink of death.

"Those damned foundations!"

Zhou Ping sat meditating on the spot, refining the medicinal power of the Jade Void Pill.

He could not help cursing under his breath.

That pack of corrupt merchants—the Jade Void Pill he had bought for ten thousand Spirit Stones only had mediocre efficacy. Its quality was simply unacceptable.

What Charity Foundation?

What aid for those in peril and rescue for those in distress?

Pui!

What a load of crap I was for believing you!

"Oh? Isn't this Elder Zhou?" Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded beside his ear.

When he opened his eyes, he saw a gaunt old man with a goatee standing not far away, watching him with a half-smile.

"Ouyang Chu?" Zhou Ping's pupils contracted slightly.

The other man had once been an Inner Sect elder of the Everflow Sect. The Everflow Sect and Sea-Breaking Sect had competed against each other for years, with grudges and favors between them. They could be considered old acquaintances.

Zhou Ping suddenly grew tense.

If the other party made a move now, he would not have even the slightest ability to fight back.

"Don't be nervous!"

Ouyang Chu saw through his thoughts. He smiled, his eyes tinged with wistfulness. "The Everflow Sect and Sea-Breaking Sect no longer exist. You and I have no life-and-death enmity, so why would this old man kick someone when they're down?"

Hearing that, Zhou Ping felt somewhat relieved.

Suddenly.

He remembered something and asked in astonishment, "That's not right. I remember you were besieged by four Nascent Soul Realm Demonic Beasts. Your injuries were even worse than mine. How did you recover so quickly?"

Ouyang Chu smiled. "That is all thanks to those great philanthropists from the foundation!"

Zhou Ping: "???"