Joint Public Benefit Petition

At the same time, Pan An continued, "But if I find that any of your medicinal herbs are of poor quality, the Pan Family will ensure you suffer the consequences!"

This remark caused other mountain farmers who had hoped to fish in troubled waters to shrink back.

After all, the number of prominent families in Qingping County could be counted on one hand.

The Pan Family was, in particular, a major buyer of medicinal herbs on a daily basis.

Some mountain folk who had verbal agreements with shops like Spring Return Hall and Hundred Herbs Pavilion began to look tempted, and they too flocked toward Pan An.

"Security Hall is trying to drive us to extinction!"

A middle-aged man wearing a slightly worn silk shirt and a stout build spoke with a grim expression.

He was Li Wen, the manager of Spring Return Hall. He stood beside Lin Qing, watching the commotion near Pan An with a livid face and clenched fists.

He was a close friend of Lin Qing's father and had often looked after Benevolent World Hall in the past.

"Uncle Li," Lin Qing greeted in a low voice.

Li Wen sighed, "Lin Qing, you see it too. The Pan Family is relying on their wealth and influence from the inner city to monopolize the herb supply in the outer city. They are driving up our procurement costs just to force us small shops to our deaths!"

Lin Qing's gaze remained calm as he watched Pan An's arrogant figure. He said softly, "Uncle Li, Security Hall's prices are too low; we cannot compete with them."

"But their decision to raise acquisition prices is a double-edged sword."

"The volume of herbs at the Yam Market is significant. No matter how rich the Pan Family is, they cannot swallow it all at once. There will always be fish that slip through the net."

"It is just that in the long run, we will indeed find it hard to sustain ourselves."

Lin Qing paused, lowering his voice further, "Uncle Li, are we, the shops of the outer city, really just going to sit here and wait to be devoured by the Pan Family one by one?"

Upon hearing this, a glint of light flashed in Li Wen's eyes as he looked at Lin Qing, "Nephew, what do you mean?"

"Security Hall is originally an inner-city shop with high prices. Now that they have come to the outer city, their roots are shallow, and they rely entirely on price suppression."

"We have operated in the outer city for many years, each with our own reputation and loyal clientele. If we could unite and share our resources..."

Lin Qing laid out his plan to Li Wen in a low voice.

As Li Wen listened, his eyes grew brighter, and the gloom on his face was gradually replaced by excitement.

He slapped his thigh hard, "Good! A Joint Public Benefit Petition, sharing medicinal formulas, and mutual quality assurance—this is a brilliant strategy!"

"In this way, we don't have to compete with them on price, but rather on the quality of our herbs and the efficacy of our medicine, which is our true strength."

"Nephew, you truly have your father's spirit, and you even show signs of surpassing him!"

Li Wen did not hesitate, "I will return to the city immediately to contact Fatty Zhang of Hundred Herbs Pavilion, Mr. Zhao of Benevolent Heart Hall, and Miser Sun of Harmony Preservation Hall."

"I want to see if the Pan Family can really swallow all five of us in one bite!"

That afternoon, in the back courtyard of Spring Return Hall.

The doors and windows were tightly shut, and the atmosphere was heavy.

In addition to Lin Qing and Li Wen, the other three shop managers were all present: Manager Zhang of Hundred Herbs Pavilion, who was stout and looked shrewd; Mr. Zhao of Benevolent Heart Hall, who wore a goatee and had a refined, thin face; and Manager Sun of Harmony Preservation Hall, who was gaunt and short, his eyes filled with caution.

As the initiator, Li Wen explained the Joint Public Benefit Petition plan proposed by Lin Qing in detail.

"Gentlemen, the wolfish ambition of the Pan Family's Security Hall is clear for all to see. Today they can raise market prices to monopolize herbs, and tomorrow they can lower prices to dump their stock and crush us."

"If we do not unite now, we will sooner or later be picked off one by one, and the foundations laid by our ancestors will be destroyed in an instant!" Li Wen's tone was impassioned.

Manager Zhang's fat cheeks wobbled as he spoke in a muffled voice, "Manager Li is right! The Pan Family's inner-city shop is already making a fortune, yet they still want to stretch their claws into the outer city to cut off our livelihood. It's utterly unscrupulous. I agree to this alliance!"

Mr. Zhao stroked his beard and pondered, "An alliance is certainly good, but this matter of sharing medicinal formulas..."

"Every shop has its own secret recipes that are the foundation of our survival. How can we reveal them so easily?"

"Without genuine quality, a mere joint petition will not be enough to win the public's trust."

Manager Sun nodded repeatedly, "Indeed, secret recipes are the lifeblood of a shop. How can they be lightly shared?"

The situation reached a stalemate.

The barriers of interest were not easily broken.

Just then, Lin Qing stood up.

He was the youngest and had the least seniority, yet he commanded everyone's attention.

"Uncles, this junior understands the importance of secret recipes."

"However, when the nest is overturned, are there any intact eggs left?"

"If the shops are gone, what use is there in guarding these recipes?"

"Today, Benevolent World Hall is willing to cast a brick to attract jade."

Lin Qing tried to keep his tone as calm as possible.

He understood that relying on himself alone was not enough to contend with Security Hall; if Security Hall were allowed to monopolize business in the Outer City, the other pharmacies would have no way to survive.

He took a yellowed sheet of paper from his robes and placed it on the table.

"This is the complete preparation method and technique for the secret Benevolent World Pill of my Lin family's Benevolent World Hall."

"This pill has miraculous effects on internal injuries, blood stasis, and obstructed qi and blood. I am willing to share it with you all and include it in the Joint Public Benefit Petition's list of medicines."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire room was stunned!

The Benevolent World Pill was the signature medicine of Benevolent World Hall.

Although it was not a divine medicine capable of bringing the dead back to life.

It had an excellent reputation for treating chronic internal injuries and regulating qi and blood, serving as the crystallization of the hard work of several generations of the Lin family.

Was Lin Qing actually just giving it away like this?

Li Wen looked at Lin Qing, his eyes filled with shock and admiration. He took a deep breath and stood up as well: "Good! With such spirit from you, Nephew Lin, how could I, Li Wen, fall behind?"

"I will also make the secret recipe for Spring Return Hall's Fetal Calming Powder public today!"

Having said that, Li Wen took out a notebook, tore off a page, and placed it on the table.

Manager Zhang, Mr. Zhao, and Manager Sun looked at each other, their expressions shifting.

Although the prescriptions were ancestral, their pharmacy businesses had been extremely dismal since Security Hall opened.

If they did not find a way to save themselves, they would be on the verge of bankruptcy soon.

To shrink back now would not only make them look small-minded, but it might also cause them to miss this only chance at salvation.

"Fine, fine."

Manager Zhang slammed his hand on the table, a look of determination appearing on his fat face, "I will bring out the Blood Nourishing Powder of my Hundred Herbs Pavilion as well!"

"My Benevolent Heart Hall's Lung Clearing Dew..."

"My Harmony Preservation Hall's Bone Mending Paste..."

In an instant, the other three managers all declared their positions, bringing out the secret, bottom-of-the-chest recipes of their shops to be made public and recorded together.

They agreed that the five shops would share them for use in this joint operation.

While flipping through these secret recipes, Lin Qing's gaze lingered for a long time on the Blood Nourishing Powder brought out by Manager Zhang.

Relying on his proficient pharmacological knowledge, he had keenly sensed that the combination of the main ingredients in this Blood Nourishing Powder was ingenious, and the use of auxiliary ingredients was extremely reasonable.

Its cost was far lower than the nourishing prescription provided by Hong Family Martial Hall, yet the estimated efficacy seemed more gentle and lasting, making it more suitable for martial artists forging their foundations to take long-term.

This Fatty Zhang really does have some good things in his hands...

Lin Qing thought to himself, keeping this discovery in mind.