Business is Business

"Good, little brother, your massage technique is truly incredible..."

Huang Ying wanted to grab Gao Xian's hand, but her entire body was so limp she couldn't muster a shred of strength, and her tone was unusually soft and languid.

She knew Gao Xian's massage skills were exceptional, but this time, he had massaged her very soul away; she had no idea where she was, feeling only as if she were drifting toward immortality.

Gao Xian handed Huang Ying a cup of warm tea: "Sister Ying, have some water."

The Grandmaster-level Lightning Dragon Hand was too potent; it had left Huang Ying drenched in sweat from head to toe, and she was surely thirsty by now.

He had intended to take this opportunity to talk about Shopkeeper Zhu, but seeing Huang Ying looking as if her soul had taken flight, he realized it wasn't the right time to discuss business.

He chatted with her for a while, and by the time the sweat had dried and the intoxication had mostly faded, Huang Ying had recovered.

Only then did Gao Xian get to the point: "Sister Ying, Shopkeeper Zhu is investigating the Heavenly Gui Pill. I'm afraid he'll track it back to me very soon."

Huang Ying frowned slightly: "Zhu Hong'an is a greedy man. It would be quite troublesome if he found out about our arrangement."

She had actually anticipated this; after all, Flying Horse Market was so small, and as the Heavenly Gui Pills sold in increasing numbers, there was no way a pharmacy owner like Zhu Hong'an could turn a blind eye.

According to the rules, only Longevity Hall was qualified to sell medicinal pills in Flying Horse Market. She was, in fact, overstepping her bounds.

This time, she had relied on Zhu Qiniang's recommendation, assuming the matter was tacitly approved—or at the very least, that Zhu Qiniang could handle it.

Now that Zhu Hong'an was looking to stir up trouble, things were becoming difficult.

Since Gao Xian had been brought in by Zhu Hong'an and they had signed a pill-refining contract, if Zhu Hong'an used that as leverage, she would have even less standing to intervene.

However, the profits involved with the Heavenly Gui Pill were too significant for her to simply let go.

Don't be fooled by the fact that a single Stone-Slicing Sword could sell for one hundred Spirit Stones; they couldn't even sell a few of those swords a month.

Furthermore, the Hundred Weapons Hall was a business of the Lianyun Sect, and her Huang family could only take a fifty percent cut.

By the time it trickled down to her personal share, the profit wasn't much. Even pulling every string she had, she only earned sixty or seventy Spirit Stones a month.

The Heavenly Gui Pill was different; every Spirit Stone earned was hers. She made one Spirit Stone for every ten pills sold.

With the Heavenly Gui Pill selling like hotcakes, she could earn at least one hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones a month—that was one Mid-grade Spirit Stone!

It was more than she earned as a shopkeeper, and far easier.

Selling the Heavenly Gui Pill to others also earned her favors. By controlling the supply, she had become a prominent figure among the female cultivators in Flying Horse Market.

The intangible benefits brought by this were hard to measure in mere Spirit Stones.

Huang Ying pondered for a moment before saying: "Don't worry. If Zhu Hong'an really tries to make things difficult for you, I will certainly stand up for you."

"I'm worried he'll go to my master." Gao Xian wasn't particularly afraid of Shopkeeper Zhu, but he was somewhat afraid of his master.

This fear stemmed primarily from the original owner's deep-seated reverence for Xu Mingyuan.

"Your master is in Lianyun City, miles away. How could he possibly reach out to control you?"

Huang Ying said: "Your pill-refining skills have improved drastically; once your teacher finds out, he will surely protect you. He wouldn't side with an outsider."

"Besides, don't you have Zhou Ye on your side? If things really go south, the two of us will protect you together. We'll be able to keep you safe no matter what!"

Gao Xian felt a slight disappointment. Huang Ying's response wasn't wrong, but it was far too passive and lacked a detailed plan.

He didn't say anything more, chatted with her for a while longer, and then took his leave.

After exiting the Hundred Weapons Hall, Gao Xian went to the Spirit Talisman Hall to see Zhou Ye.

Taking the Deer Antler Powder every day had left the old man glowing with health and full of vigor, making him look a dozen years younger.

Zhou Ye was overjoyed to see Gao Xian; recently, the Deer Antler Powder had been selling so well it was almost out of stock.

The income from the Deer Antler Powder exceeded what he earned from selling spirit talismans.

After all, spirit talismans were expensive. Although they were consumables, ordinary rogue cultivators would only buy two or three for self-defense and wouldn't use them unless absolutely necessary.

The Deer Antler Powder was different; a lustful man would take at least one a day.

Just as Gao Xian had predicted, it was easy to sell a thousand doses of Deer Antler Powder in a month.

Spirit talismans required him to draw them with great focus, while the Deer Antler Powder was merely a matter of reselling; the difference in effort was immense.

Zhou Ye looked at Gao Xian now with more affection than he did his own daughter. He brought Gao Xian into the main room in the back courtyard, preparing tea and snacks to host him warmly.

If it had been Zhou Yuling, Gao Xian could have spent the whole day doting on her without getting bored. But with an old man, Gao Xian preferred to get straight to the point and told him about the situation with Shopkeeper Zhu.

"Zhu Hong'an? Nothing to be afraid of. If he dares to act out of line, I will certainly stand up for you. I'm an old acquaintance of the Foundation Establishment elder in his family."

Since it concerned the profits of the Deer Antler Powder, Zhou Ye immediately patted his chest and promised to stand up for Gao Xian.

Zhou Ye's attitude was the same as Huang Ying's; neither was willing to take the initiative to resolve the matter.

Gao Xian roughly understood their stance. There must be a clear division of labor within the Lianyun Sect, and since they were technically in the wrong for meddling in the pill trade, they didn't dare to exert too much pressure on Zhu Hong'an.

Furthermore, he feared that neither Huang Ying nor Zhou Ye could actually suppress Zhu Hong'an.

Longevity Hall was the largest shop in Flying Horse Market; the Hundred Weapons Hall was a tier below, and the Spirit Talisman Hall was even further behind.

It was already decent that Zhou Ye was willing to help him; Gao Xian couldn't force the issue.

Leaving the Spirit Talisman Hall, Gao Xian sighed to himself. It seemed he would have to rely on himself to handle this.

The most urgent priority was to arm himself as much as possible.

Gao Xian went straight to Cloud Clothing Workshop, a ready-to-wear store selling clothes, shoes, hats, and other accessories.

The name Cloud Clothing Workshop sounded pleasant, but the storefront was actually quite small, with various Taoist robes, inner garments, footwear, Shifang shoes, and boots displayed in the front.

These items were not expensive; generally, one Spirit Stone could buy three or four sets. Individual purchases were also possible, with the shopkeeper providing change in Talisman Coins.

One Spirit Stone could be exchanged for ten Talisman Coins.

Talisman Coins were coins cast from gold, the same size as copper coins, with the characters "Lianyun" stamped on the front and a Lianyun Talisman on the back.

The unique talismanic aura on the Talisman Coins could only be produced by the Lianyun Sect, effectively preventing cultivators from forging them.

Because Talisman Coins were minted by the Lianyun Sect, they could only be used within the sphere of influence of the Lianyun Sect.

Most cultivators preferred to use Spirit Stones for transactions whenever possible and rarely used Talisman Coins.

Especially in a place like Flying Horse Market, cultivators felt that Spirit Stones were more reliable.

The owner of Cloud Clothing Workshop was very business-savvy; the prices of the clothes were all written on paper, saving the trouble of asking for quotes.

Gao Xian was wealthy now and had no interest in ordinary clothing. He walked in and said to the clerk, "I want to buy something good."

The smile on the clerk's face immediately became a bit more enthusiastic, "Please, come inside, Daoist."

In the back room, there were seven or eight Dharma robes, several styles of shoes, belts, and so on. However, these items all had long chains attached to prevent theft.

A middle-aged man with a kind, plump face greeted Gao Xian, "What would you like to see, Fellow Daoist? I can help you with some recommendations."

The middle-aged man was clearly a cultivator, and at the late stage of Qi Refining; although he was plump, his eyes were bright and sharp, with his spirit contained within.

Gao Xian nodded, "Boss, I want a good pair of shoes."

"Haha, you've come at the right time, Fellow Daoist. I just received a pair of Water-Fire Lotus Silk Boots."

The boss took out a pair of black straight-tube boots with a simple style and a delicate, glossy texture.

"Look at this upper; it's woven from the silk of Purple Leaf Lotus Root from Tailian Lake. It is impervious to water and fire, impenetrable by venomous insects, and both flexible and breathable. The soles are tanned from the hide of a Two-Headed Demon Crocodile, making them puncture-resistant and non-slip. They have a Wind Control Art inscribed inside, which can be activated three times a day."

The boss said with a chuckle, "For such a mid-grade Tier 1 pair of Water-Fire Lotus Silk Boots, eighty Spirit Stones isn't too much, is it?"

Gao Xian was quite satisfied with the boots, so he asked, "I don't know if the size will fit."

"I can help you adjust the size; I guarantee they will fit perfectly."

"Can I try them on?"

"That won't do. You can touch them and see the material and the craftsmanship for yourself—you won't find another pair like this in the entire Flying Horse Market!"

The boss was truly a master of trade, describing the boots in such glowing terms.

Gao Xian was tempted, but he was no longer the same person he had been two months ago, when he was inexperienced, timid, and insecure.

Having interacted frequently with Huang Ying, Zhou Ye, and their ilk, Gao Xian discovered that these late-stage Qi Refining cultivators were nothing special; at the very least, their intelligence, ability, and character were not much better than ordinary people.

He summoned the aura of someone haggling at a roadside stall from his past life and said, "Twenty Spirit Stones, and I'll take them."

The smile on the boss's face vanished instantly, and he stared coldly at Gao Xian, "Fellow Daoist, I don't like jokes!"