Joint Public Benefit Petition

At the same time, Pan An continued, "But if any of you are found selling medicinal herbs with quality problems, my Pan Family will make sure you regret it!"

His words made the other mountain farmers who had hoped to fish in troubled waters back off.

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

The Pan Family was also one of the biggest buyers of medicinal herbs.

Some mountain folk who had made verbal agreements with Spring Return Hall, Hundred Herbs Pavilion, and other apothecaries looked tempted and flocked toward Pan An as well.

"Security Hall is trying to wipe us out!"

A middle-aged man in a somewhat worn silk robe, with a slightly plump build, spoke with a grim expression.

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

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

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

Li Wen sighed. "Lin Qing, you've seen it for yourself. The Pan Family is using its wealth and influence in the Inner City to monopolize the Outer City's supply of medicinal herbs, drive up our purchasing costs, and force little shops like ours to close!"

Lin Qing's gaze remained calm as he watched Pan An's overbearing figure. "Uncle Li, Security Hall is keeping its prices low. We can't compete with them."

"But raising their purchase prices is a double-edged sword, too."

"There's a considerable volume of herbs at the Yam Market. No matter how wealthy the Pan Family is, they can't buy it all in one go. Some will always slip through their fingers."

"Still, if this goes on, we really won't be able to keep our businesses afloat."

Lin Qing paused, then lowered his voice further. "Uncle Li, are we Outer City apothecaries really supposed to just sit here and wait for the Pan Family to swallow us one by one?"

A glint flashed in Li Wen's eyes as he looked at Lin Qing. "Nephew, what do you have in mind?"

"Security Hall was originally an Inner City shop with high prices. Now that it's come to the Outer City, it has no deep roots here and relies entirely on undercutting us."

"Our shops have been operating in the Outer City for years. We each have a reputation and a steady clientele. If we join forces and share resources..."

Lin Qing quietly laid out his plan to Li Wen in full.

As Li Wen listened, his eyes grew brighter, and the gloom on his face gradually gave way to excitement.

He slapped his thigh. "Excellent! This Joint Public Benefit Petition, with shared medicines and mutual quality guarantees, is a brilliant plan!"

"That way, we won't have to compete with them on price. Instead, we can compete on the quality of our herbs and the efficacy of our medicines—that's where our strength lies."

"Nephew, you truly take after your father, and you've even surpassed him!"

Li Wen didn't hesitate any longer. "I'll head back to town now and contact Fatty Zhang of Hundred Herbs Pavilion, Mr. Zhao of Benevolent Heart Hall, and Miser Sun of Harmony Preservation Hall."

"I'd like to see whether the Pan Family can really swallow all five of our shops in one bite!"

That afternoon, in the rear courtyard room of Spring Return Hall.

The doors and windows were shut tight, and the atmosphere was tense.

Aside from Lin Qing and Li Wen, the other three apothecary managers were all there. Manager Zhang of Hundred Herbs Pavilion was fat and shrewd-looking.

Mr. Zhao of Benevolent Heart Hall had a goatee and a lean, refined face.

Manager Sun of Harmony Preservation Hall was short and skinny, with caution in his eyes.

As the one who had proposed the meeting, Li Wen carefully explained Lin Qing's Joint Public Benefit Petition plan.

"Gentlemen, the Pan Family's Security Hall has made its wolfish ambitions perfectly clear. Today, they're driving up market prices to monopolize medicinal herbs. Tomorrow, they could dump their stock at low prices and crush us."

"If we don't unite, they'll pick us off one by one sooner or later, and the foundations built by our ancestors will be destroyed!" Li Wen spoke passionately.

The fat on Manager Zhang's cheeks jiggled as he spoke in a booming voice. "Shopkeeper Li is right! The Pan Family's Inner City shops are raking in money, yet they still want to reach their claws into the Outer City and cut off our livelihood. What a rotten thing to do. I'm in favor of joining forces!"

Mr. Zhao stroked his beard and mused, "Joining forces is all well and good, but sharing our medicinal formulas..."

"Every shop has secret recipes that are the foundation of its livelihood. How can we show them to others so easily?"

"Without genuinely effective medicines, a petition with all our names on it won't earn the people's trust."

Manager Sun nodded repeatedly. "Exactly. Secret recipes are the foundation of our shops. How can we hand them over lightly?"

The room fell into a deadlock.

The walls of self-interest were not easily broken down.

Just then, Lin Qing stood up.

He was the youngest and least experienced there, yet all eyes turned to him.

"Uncles, I know how precious secret recipes are."

"But when the nest is overturned, how can any egg remain whole?"

"If our shops are gone, what use is it to guard our secret recipes?"

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

Lin Qing kept his tone as calm as he could.

He understood that he couldn't stand against Security Hall alone. If Security Hall monopolized business in the Outer City, the other apothecaries would have no way to survive either.

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

"This is the complete method and technique for preparing Benevolent World Hall's secret Benevolent World Pill."

"This pill works wonders for internal injuries and stagnant blood and qi. I'm willing to share it with all of you and add it to the medicines listed in the Joint Public Benefit Petition."

His words astonished everyone in the room.

The Benevolent World Pill was Benevolent World Hall's signature medicine.

It wasn't some miraculous cure that could bring the dead back to life.

But it had an excellent reputation for treating old internal injuries and regulating qi and blood. It was the culmination of generations of the Lin Family's efforts.

And Lin Qing was just handing it over?

Li Wen looked at Lin Qing, shock and admiration in his eyes. He took a deep breath and stood as well. "Excellent! With Nephew Lin's courage, how could I, Li Wen, lag behind?"

"I'll reveal Spring Return Hall's secret recipe for Fetal Calming Powder today, too!"

With that, Li Wen took out a notebook, tore out a page, and laid it on the table.

Manager Zhang, Mr. Zhao, and Manager Sun exchanged glances, their expressions shifting.

Though the formulas were family heirlooms, business at their shops had been dismal since Security Hall opened.

If they didn't find a way to save themselves, they were on the verge of closing.

If they backed down now, they'd not only look petty—they might also miss this one chance to save their businesses.

"Fine, fine."

Manager Zhang slapped the table. Resolve showed on his plump face. "I'll contribute Hundred Herbs Pavilion's Blood Nourishing Powder, too!"

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

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

One by one, the other three managers agreed, revealing the secret recipes they had kept hidden away and recording them all together.

They agreed that all five shops would share the recipes for this joint campaign.

As Lin Qing looked through the recipes, his gaze lingered on the Blood Nourishing Powder Manager Zhang had brought out.

Thanks to his advanced knowledge of pharmacology, he had already keenly noticed the ingenious combination of the main ingredients and the highly suitable use of the supporting herbs.

Its cost was far lower than that of the tonic formula provided by Hong Family Martial Hall, yet its expected effects seemed gentler and longer-lasting, making it more suitable for martial artists who wanted to build a strong foundation through long-term use.

Fatty Zhang really does have something good up his sleeve...

Lin Qing kept the discovery in mind.