Unexpected Fortune

"Are you sure you want these medicinal ingredients?"

Chang Wu stared at Ye Tong, dumbfounded. As more and more names came out of Ye Tong's mouth, his heart rate quickened, and his eyes began to gleam. Especially when he heard Ye Tong say, "Three portions of each," he almost burst out laughing with joy.

Fourteen types of medicinal ingredients and two precious spiritual fruits. Six of the medicinal ingredients and one spiritual fruit were extremely expensive, costing at least a hundred taels of Blue Silver each.

This was…

A deal worth thousands of taels of Blue Silver!

Chang Wu looked at Ye Tong as if he were a golden god of wealth. After enthusiastically welcoming the group into the pharmacy, he called for his assistants to retrieve the ingredients while grabbing a calculator to tally the total price of all the items.

A moment later.

Chang Wu smiled at Zhang Pinsou and said politely, "The total price is three thousand six hundred and forty-eight taels of Blue Silver. As this is the first time for our esteemed guests, I've taken the liberty of waiving the odd change. You only need to pay three thousand six hundred taels of Blue Silver. We hope you'll visit Warm Medicine Pavilion often in the future."

"Mm!"

Zhang Pinsou responded casually with a hint of arrogance.

Chang Wu was overjoyed. The more arrogant Zhang Pinsou appeared, the more he believed the man was either wealthy or noble, a truly important figure. Thus, his humble attitude became even more pronounced.

With the medicinal ingredients for the Hundred Solutions Liquid all gathered and handed over to Zhang Zhongying, Chang Wu beamed and asked, "May I ask, will you be paying with Blue Silver or bank notes?"

Zhang Zhongying produced a stack of bank notes, handed a few to Chang Wu, and then took out a hundred-tael note, offering it to Ye Tong with an air of haughtiness.

"Heh heh…"

Ye Tong accepted it without a second thought.

Having lived two lives, he knew the importance of money. Especially in this more exciting, yet also more brutal world, money was what would allow him to live longer. As for saving face… when his life was hanging by a thread, why bother with whether someone was arrogant or not?

Of course.

He loved money.

But he had his principles. For instance, to repay Mu Qianlan for saving him from the fire, the cost of preparing the medicine would be waived. That was not something that could be settled with a mere hundred taels of Blue Silver.

Ye Tong tucked the bank note into his robes and then looked at the smiling Chang Wu, saying calmly, "Steward Chang, the guests have already given the reward money. Is Warm Medicine斋 unwilling to follow the rules? Three thousand six hundred taels of Blue Silver, half of which is one hundred and eighty taels. I believe you, Steward Chang, are a well-respected figure in Cold Mountain City. Surely you won't break the rules and ruin Warm Medicine斋's reputation for such a small sum?"

"You..."

Chang Wu was stunned. He looked at Ye Tong as if he were a monster.

He understood the rules, and he knew about the half-commission. But that money was usually paid secretly to the intermediary after the customer left. Who would openly demand it in front of the customer?

"You're not going to give it to me?"

Ye Tong raised an eyebrow.

Chang Wu swallowed and glanced at Zhang Pinsou and the others. Seeing that their expressions were normal and they showed no signs of anger, he seemed to realize something. He quickly pulled out a few bank notes and stuffed them into Ye Tong's hand, saying with a broad smile, "How could I not? Little Brother Ye, you are the god of wealth for our Warm Medicine Hall. I, Chang Wu, owe anyone anything, but I wouldn't dare owe you! I hope Little Brother Ye will bring your esteemed guests to patronize us often in the future."

"No problem."

Ye Tong didn't feel much contempt for Chang Wu, who was "judging people by their appearance and serving whoever has the power." Everyone had their own principles for living in this world. Chang Wu was simply a snob.

At the door.

A young man in a gray jacket, wearing a round hat, with a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks, happily stepped through the threshold. He ignored Chang Wu's company, pulled out a wooden box from his embrace, and said, "Fifth Master, I brought the Iron Ring Grass you asked me to buy. It's the amount you specified."

Chang Wu nodded in satisfaction, casually took out some loose silver from his embrace, tossed it to the young man, and waved him away. "This is for you. Be on your way."

"Thank you, Fifth Master."

The young man with the pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks chuckled slyly, took the loose silver, and left contentedly. Pharmacies naturally bought and sold medicine, and profits were made in the process.

Iron Ring Grass?

Ye Tong's eyes lit up, and his heart pounded.

Iron Ring Grass was a precious medicinal ingredient with a strong cold nature and toxicity, making it a rare slow-acting poison. For ordinary people, Iron Ring Grass was worthless, but for those in desperate need, it was extremely valuable.

Just like Ye Tong, he needed Iron Ring Grass. If he could obtain it, he could refine the Cold Poison Pill, which would allow him to live for a few more months.

"Steward Chang."

Ye Tong asked calmly, "Iron Ring Grass isn't exactly a good medicinal ingredient. Many wicked individuals use it to harm others after obtaining it."

Chang Wu's smile froze. He suddenly remembered that Ye Tong had been searching for and buying toxic medicinal ingredients for the past year. A strange look appeared in his eyes as he said, "Iron Ring Grass is indeed not a good thing for those who don't need it, but it's very precious for those who do. For example, Little Brother Ye, you?"

Ye Tong, his intentions seen through, felt no embarrassment and said calmly, "How much is this Iron Ring Grass?"

A shrewd glint flashed in Chang Wu's eyes, and he said directly, "Eight hundred taels of Blue Silver. Non-negotiable."

Eight hundred taels?

Upon hearing this, Ye Tong turned and left.

Although he desperately needed Iron Ring Grass, the amount of Blue Silver he possessed, at most, was two hundred and eighty taels. That was several times less than eight hundred taels. The money difference was too great, leaving no room for negotiation. Ye Tong couldn't be bothered to stay any longer.

Zhang Pinsou and Zhang Zhongying were both astute individuals, their eyes showing thoughtful expressions as they followed Ye Tong out. Mu Qianlan, however, frowned in thought before transmitting a message to Chang Wu: "Iron Ring Grass, do not sell it for now. Within three days, I will return to purchase it."

Chang Wu's eyes widened. He was certain that Mu Qianlan's lips hadn't moved, yet the voice had echoed in his mind. This meant that the girl before him, with her devastating beauty, was a cultivator, and her strength was likely considerable.

"A noble patron!"

Chang Wu suppressed his excitement and nodded solemnly in reply.

Returning to the Precious Medicine Workshop, Ye Tong looked at the charred remains of the ruined house and courtyard. He went directly to the side room, surveyed it for a moment, and then called for the medicine slaves to help clear the surrounding items. He found a still intact cauldron and casually kicked the dirty Purple Coffin to the side.

"Huh?"

Zhang Pinsou, who had followed them, suddenly let out a surprised sound.

Ye Tong turned his head and saw him staring at the purple coffin he had kicked aside. He immediately raised an eyebrow and asked with a half-smile, "Like it?"

Zhang Pinsou picked up the purple coffin and examined it for a moment, his expression somewhat solemn. He nodded and said, "Yes, I like it."

"..."

Ye Tong looked at Zhang Pinsou as if he were an idiot. He couldn't understand if people in this other world just had peculiar tastes. Someone actually liked coffins?

Zhang Pinsou held the purple coffin, seemingly unable to put it down. His bright eyes shifted to Ye Tong, and he tentatively asked, "Young man, are you selling this purple coffin?"

Ye Tong pouted and said, "Yes."

Zhang Pinsou quickly asked, "How much?"

Ye Tong narrowed his eyes, like a cunning fox, and retorted, "How much do you think it's worth?"

Zhang Pinsou's heart skipped a beat. He immediately realized that his obvious fondness had been noticed by this young man who clearly didn't know its value. He might even demand an exorbitant price later.

So foolish!

Zhang Pinsou sighed inwardly, extended a finger, and said, "One hundred taels of Blue Silver."

Ye Tong puffed himself up, feigning annoyance. "You know the Poison Demon Huo Lanqiu, right? If he knew you bought the purple coffin he cherished for a mere hundred taels of Blue Silver, he'd be so angry he'd roast lamb legs in your ancestral graveyard. You're a wealthy man from the county city, aren't you? Isn't it embarrassing to be so stingy?"

"Gulp..."

Zhang Pinsou swallowed hard, a look of fear appearing in his eyes. He finally remembered that this was the territory of the old Poison Demon. This seemingly sickly young man was affiliated with him. He could cheat anyone, but he absolutely couldn't cheat him! If the old Poison Demon ever found out, his Zhang family would be in big trouble.

"You..."

Zhang Zhongying's face flushed with anger, but the thought of the infamous Poison Demon Huo Lanqiu immediately dissipated her rage.

Ye Tong waved his hand. Although he had lived for over a hundred years, he was currently in the body of a youth. "Mr. Zhang, I don't have a good eye, so don't try to fool me. If you want to buy this purple coffin, offer a price that you believe won't anger the Poison Demon Huo Lanqiu. If I'm satisfied with the price, we'll exchange money for goods, and I guarantee I won't let that old man cause trouble for your Zhang family later."

Zhang Pinsou was silent for a long moment before slowly saying, "Five hundred taels of Blue Gold."

Five hundred taels?

That's not a small amount!

Ye Tong showed a hint of a smile and was about to agree when his expression suddenly changed. He looked at Zhang Pinsou strangely and asked, "Are you sure it's Blue Gold? Not Blue Silver?"

After all.

The exchange rate between Blue Gold and Blue Silver was ten to one. This meant that the five hundred taels of Blue Gold Zhang Pinsou mentioned was equivalent to five thousand taels of Blue Silver. Even with the wealth left behind by the old Poison Demon, Ye Tong's previous life hadn't reached that amount!

Zhang Pinsou said seriously, "That's right, five hundred taels of Blue Gold. Just as you said, if you're satisfied, we'll exchange money for goods."

Ye Tong suppressed the excitement in his heart, waved his hand, and said, "The purple coffin is already with you. Medicine Slave, collect the money."

Suddenly!

His expression changed slightly, as he vaguely realized that the influence of his two personalities had indeed changed him a lot. If it were before, he would never have gotten excited over something like this. After all, he had seen and possessed much more visually impactful piles of gold bricks. Wealth meant nothing to him in his previous life.

The Medicine Slave's wrinkled face wore a satisfied smile, and his hunched body straightened up a bit. He took the five gold notes handed over by Zhang Zhongying and then nodded at Ye Tong, saying, "The amount is correct."

Ye Tong's lips curved into a smile. He scanned his surroundings, vaguely feeling that there should be many good things hidden within these ruins. Although that old guy was missing, given his status, position, and taste, he wouldn't have kept trash around! With this thought, Ye Tong loudly called out, "Medicine Slave, go invite the bricklayers and carpenters to rebuild this Medicine Pavilion. Also, collect anything from home that isn't broken."

"Alright!"

The Medicine Slave had lived here his whole life and felt a strong sense of belonging. He responded with great excitement and then eagerly walked outside.