Price Reduction

Zhang He explained his purpose.

"Selling medicine?" The young clerk paused, looked Zhang He over with a hint of suspicion, but still said, "Follow me."

With that, the young clerk led Zhang He to a black counter and called out, "Shopkeeper Liu, someone is here to sell medicine."

A middle-aged man with thinning hair and a slightly portly build popped his head up from behind the counter.

"Who's selling medicine?"

The young clerk pointed at Zhang He.

"You're here to sell medicine?" Shopkeeper Liu glanced at Zhang He's tattered clothes, frowned slightly, and said with a cold attitude, "What kind of medicine?"

"Five Poison Beads," Zhang He said calmly.

"Five Poison Beads? Never heard of them. What kind of medicine is that?" Shopkeeper Liu's expression soured. "We don't buy just any medicine here. If it's rat poison, take a left out the door and go sell it at the farmers' market."

Having worked here for so many years, he was familiar with every pill of even slight renown. The name "Five Poison Beads" was completely foreign to him.

The young clerk also glared at Zhang He. He was the one who had brought the man in; if he really were selling rat poison, the shopkeeper would surely scold him for having no eye for character.

Zhang He smiled faintly. "This medicine of mine can cure toxins, including the venom from a Corpse Poison Beetle."

"What!" Shopkeeper Liu's face changed, and he immediately sneered. "If you dare to spout nonsense here and play me for a fool, I'll have someone break your legs!" The most skilled physician in the city had already declared that the toxin of the Corpse Poison Beetle was fundamentally impossible to eradicate.

"If you don't believe me, I can perform a test. Find someone who has been bitten by a venomous insect, and I will show you the results." Zhang He frowned slightly, but his face was full of confidence.

"Is it really effective?" Seeing Zhang He's confidence, Shopkeeper Liu felt a stir. He stopped looking down on him and quickly said, "Old Sun, who watches the gate in the back, was just bitten by a Corpse Poison Beetle. Come with me."

Shopkeeper Liu led Zhang He toward the backyard.

In the backyard, there was a back door next to a low-slung building, its doors and windows currently shut tight.

The young clerk rushed ahead to open the door, and Shopkeeper Liu led Zhang He inside.

In the crude room, a sturdy middle-aged man was groaning. His flushed face was tinged with a faint blackness, the symptoms identical to those of a Corpse Poison Beetle bite.

Zhang He immediately took out a Five Poison Bead and had the young clerk feed it to the man.

"Wait for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, and he will wake up," Zhang He said coolly.

Shopkeeper Liu stood by, staring at the groaning Old Sun, waiting. Before even half a cup of tea had passed, the flush on Old Sun's face faded rapidly. A look of astonishment appeared on Shopkeeper Liu's face. Seeing this, he knew the Five Poison Beads were truly effective.

After a cup of tea, the groaning Old Sun actually woke up slowly.

"Old Sun, how do you feel?" Shopkeeper Liu asked hurriedly.

"I feel great... ah, I need the latrine!" Old Sun's expression suddenly shifted. He clutched his stomach as a series of rumbles echoed from within, then he scrambled up and bolted outside.

Shopkeeper Liu's expression became fascinating. Seeing Old Sun move with such agility, just like a normal person, only further proved the efficacy of Zhang He's Five Poison Beads.

"The Five Poison Beads allow him to purge the toxins from his body," Zhang He said, feeling a sense of relief. Thankfully, the beads hadn't let him down. The function of the Five Poison Beads was to detoxify the body. Old Sun was as strong as an ox; once the toxins were purged, he would immediately be full of vigor. His own mother, however, was physically frail from years of hard labor, so even after the toxins were cleared, she would still need time to recover.

"Shopkeeper Liu, you've seen the effect of the medicine. What do you think?" Zhang He looked at him.

Shopkeeper Liu seemed to snap out of a trance. He pulled himself together, the shock and joy on his face vanishing in a flash. His expression returned to calm as he said slowly, "Not bad. This medicine is indeed effective at suppressing the Corpse Poison Beetle's toxin. Come, let's go to the front and talk."

Zhang He nodded slightly.

In the front room, Shopkeeper Liu sipped his tea and said, "Let's get straight to the point. I think this medicine is good, but whether it has any other side effects still needs to be verified."

"This medicine is an ancestral secret recipe. Aside from making you purge the toxins through diarrhea, it has no other side effects."

Zhang He licked his lips. He knew Shopkeeper Liu was about to negotiate the price.

An ancestral secret recipe? Could he be a hunter from the mountains? Shopkeeper Liu felt a stir, then said in a measured tone, "Talk is cheap. We can't just take your word for it that there are no other side effects. If someone gets sick, we're the ones who have to take responsibility, right?"

"Heh." Seeing this tactic, Zhang He knew the other party intended to use it to drive down the price. "Shopkeeper Liu, let's not beat around the bush. Just give me your highest offer. If I'm satisfied, we'll cooperate."

Shopkeeper Liu's expression shifted slightly. His eyes swept over Zhang He's tattered clothes, and connecting it to what he had just said, he made his judgment.

Shopkeeper Liu held up five fingers, looking pained, as if he were taking a massive loss. "For one Five Poison Bead, I can offer at most fifty silver coins! Since you seem like a straightforward person, I won't haggle with you!" He thought to himself: Dressed in rags and claiming it's an ancestral recipe—he must be a commoner who hasn't seen much of the world. Fifty silver coins is enough for an average family to toil for half a month. This kid will surely accept it with joy!

The young clerk nearby, who was pouring tea, widened his eyes in shock. "Shopkeeper, that's such a high price! If the boss finds out, he'll definitely scold you."

"It's fine, the boss will surely understand my good intentions," Shopkeeper Liu said with a wave of his hand.

Zhang He watched this scene with a half-smile. "May I ask, Shopkeeper, what is your purchase price for Rejuvenation Pills?"

"That... is our trade secret. How could I reveal that so easily?" Shopkeeper Liu rubbed his hands together. "Well? This price is already a huge concession. If you don't believe me, go out and ask around at other shops. No one else will offer you such a high price."

"Very well, then I shall go ask around at other shops first." Zhang He stood up and, without another word, walked straight toward the door.

Shopkeeper Liu was dumbfounded. What was happening? He had never seen anyone negotiate like this! He had barely made an offer, and the other party was already walking out! He quickly signaled the young clerk, who immediately blocked Zhang He's path.

"Yes?" Zhang He stepped back, looking at Shopkeeper Liu with amusement.

"The price can be discussed further. I'll give you seventy silver coins, how about that?" The fat on Shopkeeper Liu's face trembled as he forced a smile.

"Shopkeeper Liu, do you still take me for a fat sheep to be slaughtered? If you aren't going to show sincerity in our cooperation, then let's not waste each other's time." Zhang He smiled, and as he spoke, he turned to leave again.

"Audacious! You steal our goods and then dare to be this arrogant? Seize him!" Shopkeeper Liu's expression changed. Gritting his teeth, he let out a shout. He had seen the effect of the Five Poison Beads with his own eyes and knew their potential. Seeing Zhang He was destitute and had no backing, he decided to act without hesitation and take him by force.

The young clerk immediately lunged forward, intending to grab Zhang He.

"Trying to frame me?" Zhang He's expression turned incredibly ugly. He whipped his arm out and slapped the young clerk across the face.

Zhang He had cultivated true energy, using it to continuously nourish his body. Originally possessing a strength of two hundred catties, he now unleashed a slight burst of true energy with a single movement. The young shop assistant let out a miserable shriek as he was sent flying, slamming into the wall before losing consciousness.

"A tough nut to crack!" Shopkeeper Liu's face drained of color. Terrified to the point of wetting himself, he dropped to his knees to beg for mercy. "I was wrong! My Lord, please overlook the transgressions of a petty man and just let me go like a fart in the wind."

Shopkeeper Liu kowtowed frantically, pleading for his life.

Seeing this, Zhang He couldn't be bothered to argue further and simply turned to leave.

Just as he stepped out the front door, Shopkeeper Liu's shouting erupted from behind: "Seize him! He dared to injure someone in our shop—catch him and teach him a lesson he won't forget!"

Zhang He spun around to see four burly men in tight-fitting attire, each looking as vigorous as a dragon or a tiger, charging toward him with broadswords in hand.

Zhang He's gaze fell upon the leader, and he cursed inwardly. The man's temples were bulging, a clear sign of an expert possessing true energy. If he tried to pit his own meager reserves of energy against such a man, he would be finished in an instant.

Shopkeeper Liu's figure appeared behind the men. Seeing that wretched fatty, Zhang He was both shocked and furious. This grandson was truly a petty villain; he should have taught him a harsh lesson earlier! Otherwise, things wouldn't have escalated to this point of no return.

Zhang He took a deep breath. He knew that his only path to safety was to take down the leader. His true energy was thin, enough for only a few strikes; he had to use his steel on the blade's edge and ensure his one strike hit home!

Zhang He stood his ground, not moving an inch, watching the four men pounce toward him.

"Has this kid been scared witless? Why isn't he running?"

"Run? Where could he run? The leader, Wang Dahei, has cultivated his true energy to the Godspeed Realm; he runs as fast as a horse. Where does that kid think he can go?"

"Sigh, he should just kneel and beg for mercy to avoid a beating. I truly don't know what kind of guts he ate to dare come here and start a fight."

At the entrance, the onlookers chattered incessantly.

At that moment, a carriage turned the corner of the street. The man driving the carriage heard the commotion ahead and looked over, spotting a somewhat familiar figure standing there.

His expression shifted, and he suddenly became ecstatic, turning to speak to the person inside the carriage.

"Young Master, the person who saved you is right up ahead! But it seems he's in trouble—the people from Biyuan Pavilion are about to attack him."

"What?" The curtain was lifted, revealing the face of a heroic young man. Seeing the situation ahead, he spoke without hesitation: "A'can, go save him!"

"Understood." The red-faced man who had been sitting on the other side nodded dully and leaped from the carriage. His movements were as agile as an ape.

At this moment, in front of Biyuan Pavilion, Zhang He suddenly shouted: "Audacious! Do you know who I am? If you dare lay a hand on me, are you tired of living?"

"Hm?" Wang Dahei paused in his tracks. He saw that Zhang He had remained incredibly calm and poised from start to finish. Hearing these words, his mind began to race with possibilities, and the hand he reached out toward Zhang He actually slowed down. "Who are you?"

"I am a martial student of the Martial Academy." Zhang He widened his eyes, appearing immensely proud.

"You dare toy with me!"

Wang Dahei flew into a rage. He stopped his hand and lashed out without mercy, but the moment he moved, Zhang He's figure suddenly blurred into motion. With a sharp turn, he vanished from before his eyes.

Wang Dahei was startled. He wanted to pivot, but because he had charged forward at high speed and then been stalled by Zhang He's bluff, his body was caught in the momentum of his own angry strike. It was already too late to turn quickly.

Wang Dahei realized something was wrong, then felt a chilling wind against his ribs, followed by a needle-like sting in his left side. His vision went black, a sweetness rose in his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot. Half of his body had completely lost all sensation.

"You—what did you do to me!" Wang Dahei asked, trembling in terror as he crashed to the ground.