Small Foundation Pill

Wu Yuqing's help had been indispensable in successfully completing the transaction with Thousand Gold Pavilion this time.

Since he had promised to help treat Wu Yuqing's father, he could only trouble Li Ruxue.

As a member of the Li Family and the master of Thousand Gold Pavilion, with her status and her knowledge of Nanli City, Li Ruxue would surely be able to buy pills even more precious than the Snow Ginseng Jade Toad Pill.

Treating Wu Yuqing's father's illness should not be difficult.

That was why Lin Fei had dared to make Wu Yuqing that promise.

Li Ruxue admired her beauty in the mirror for a while before returning to the table and sitting down.

After all, she was a young lady born into a prominent aristocratic family. She had seen the world and possessed discernment.

Though this mirror was something she had never seen before, it was not enough to make her lose her composure for long.

"You're injured again? But from your complexion, you don't seem to be carrying any injuries."

"I have a friend who suffered severe internal injuries many years ago. Yesterday, his old wounds suddenly flared up, and his life is in danger. I wanted to seek medicine for him."

"Internal injuries?"

Li Ruxue shook her head and replied, "This Snow Ginseng Jade Toad Pill is mainly used to treat external injuries. It works best on wounds to the flesh, skin, tendons, and bones."

"Internal injuries mostly damage the organs and meridians. The Snow Ginseng Jade Toad Pill's effects are not very noticeable in that regard."

Lin Fei frowned slightly and asked again, "Miss Ruxue, then do you know what kind of pill is effective for internal injuries?"

Li Ruxue smiled and looked toward the little maid who was still studying herself in the mirror.

"You should ask Xunmei about that. I lacked the aptitude for cultivation from childhood, so I never embarked upon the path of cultivation. Thus, I never gained a deep understanding of pills and such things."

"My little maid Xunmei, on the other hand, has some talent. She has practiced qi refinement since childhood and often researches pills. She understands far more than I do."

Lin Fei looked at Xunmei in surprise. He had assumed that this maid was an ordinary person, never expecting that she was actually a Cultivator.

Before Lin Fei could speak, Xunmei said without turning her head, "I have cultivated for many years, yet I am only at Qi Refining Level Five. My talent is quite ordinary, nothing worth mentioning."

"Those truly gifted seedlings in the Lineage are personally taught by the Cultivators of the Lineage, or they enter Immortal Cultivation Sects."

Though Xunmei described herself as ordinary, Lin Fei knew very well that compared to ordinary people, Xunmei was already an expert.

"Enough digressing. You asked about pills for treating internal injuries, right? As far as I know, the most effective pill for treating internal injuries is called the Small Foundation Pill."

"This Small Foundation Pill can strengthen one's foundation, restore one's essence, unblock meridians, and nourish the organs. Though the Small Foundation Pill and the Snow Ginseng Jade Toad Pill are both mortal-grade pills, their values differ greatly."

"One Snow Ginseng Jade Toad Pill can be bought for just one hundred gold coins. A Small Foundation Pill, however, costs one thousand gold coins, ten times as much. But you have money now, so you can afford a Small Foundation Pill."

One thousand gold coins for a single Small Foundation Pill.

Lin Fei felt as though his heart was bleeding.

One gold coin could sell for twenty thousand. One thousand gold coins meant a full twenty million!

A person had to keep his word, or how would he be any different from Ma Weiwei's family?

They had accepted the betrothal gifts, then raised their price on the spot, only to break off the engagement in the end. Shameless beyond measure.

Still, it was also thanks to Ma Weiwei breaking off the engagement and returning the family heirloom bracelet that he had encountered such an opportunity.

"Miss Ruxue, does your Thousand Gold Pavilion have any Small Foundation Pills? I would like to buy one for my friend."

Li Ruxue shook her head.

Her Thousand Gold Pavilion only traded in women's goods such as jewelry, jade, silks, satins, rouge, and cosmetics. It did not deal in cultivation items such as pills and magical treasures.

"If you wish to buy a Small Foundation Pill, you can go to Duobao Pavilion."

"Our Lineage does have Small Foundation Pills as well, refined by the alchemists within our Lineage. But only members of the Lineage may purchase them. They are a little cheaper than those at Duobao Pavilion, though their effects are not much worse."

Lin Fei had heard of Duobao Pavilion before.

Nanli City had Three Great Families and five major powers.

The Three Great Families were the Li Family, the Zhao Family, and the Zhou Family.

Not only did the Three Great Families have members serving as officials in the Capital City, but they also had Cultivators guarding their Lineages. They were Nanli City's true local emperors.

The five major powers were Duobao Pavilion, Ten Thousand Flowers Pavilion, Black Abyss Society, Iron Sword Gang, and Blood Wolf Gang.

Duobao Pavilion was the most unusual of these powers. An immortal cultivation sect stood behind it, and no one dared provoke it.

Duobao Pavilion sold spiritual pills, wondrous medicines, heavenly materials, earthly treasures, magical treasures, cultivation techniques, and other items needed by Cultivators.

Mortal-grade pills were the lowest grade among pills. Above them were human-grade, earth-grade, heaven-grade, and immortal-grade pills.

Mortal-grade pills were not difficult to refine. Though some of the ingredients were precious medicinal herbs, they were not rare spirit herbs or immortal medicines, so they could be purchased with gold and silver.

Though Lin Fei had heard of Duobao Pavilion, he had never been there.

Nanli City had a population of several million and was divided into four districts: East, West, South, and North.

If one went sightseeing on foot, even ten days to half a month would not be enough to see it all.

Thousand Gold Pavilion was in East City, while Duobao Pavilion was in North City.

Though the Blood Wolf Gang was also one of the five major powers, it could only be considered the lowest-ranking among them.

The Iron Sword Gang was roughly equal in strength to the Blood Wolf Gang. The two gangs had always openly and secretly battled each other for territory.

The common people in the city actually feared forces like the Iron Sword Gang and Blood Wolf Gang more, because they spent their days bullying the good and weak while lording their strength over others.

The Three Great Families stood high above all others. Though they regarded human lives as no more than ants, they rarely did such things as oppressing commoners.

Following his family's principle of saving wherever he could, Lin Fei planned to buy the Small Foundation Pill through the Li Family.

"Miss Ruxue, I am unfamiliar with Duobao Pavilion. Could I trouble you to help me purchase it from the Li Family?"

Li Ruxue did not evade the matter and readily agreed.

"No problem. It is rather late today, and I should return to rest."

"Tomorrow, I will arrange for Xunmei to deliver it. As for the gold coins from this shipment, once we inventory and tally the goods tomorrow, they will be handed over to you as well."

Li Ruxue rose to leave. When she passed the mirror, she stopped again and gazed into it for a while.

Lin Fei also left Thousand Gold Pavilion and headed for his guest room at Tongfu Restaurant.

After resting for the night, Lin Fei arrived outside Thousand Gold Pavilion early in the morning to wait.

It was nearly noon before Li Ruxue's carriage arrived at Thousand Gold Pavilion.

Li Ruxue had not come this time. She had only sent her little maid Xunmei.

"Our young miss slept too late last night and is still resting at home. Here is the Small Foundation Pill you asked for."

Xunmei took out a white porcelain bottle and handed it to Lin Fei.

"We inventoried last night's goods. Based on the quantity we agreed upon before, the price is ten gold coins apiece."

"We estimated that batch of goods to be worth at least fifteen thousand gold coins. These are gold notes issued by the Dragon Abyss Dynasty. You can exchange them at any shop."

Xunmei took out a stack of gold notes. The largest denomination was ten thousand gold coins, while the rest consisted of five notes worth one thousand gold coins each.

Lin Fei looked at the gold notes, but there was little joy on his face.

After all, a few banknotes could not compare to a heap of glittering gold coins laid out before his eyes. The visual impact was far greater.

More importantly, these gold notes could be used in the Dragon Abyss Dynasty, but not on Earth.

"Um... could you exchange three thousand gold coins for me? I have another use for them."

"No problem. I'll have the accountant bring them to you right away, but how will you take them away?"

"Hehe, I'll borrow your young miss's carriage."

Though three thousand gold coins were not much, they were not light either.

If he carried so many gold coins down the street alone, he would likely be robbed clean, so using the Li Family's carriage to transport them back to Tongfu Restaurant was the safest option.