Wang Family Pharmacy (Revised)

Seeing Wang Dahei collapse, Zhang He let out a breath of relief. By utilizing the Pulse-Severing Technique, he had forcibly disrupted the flow of true qi within Wang Dahei's body. It was akin to suffering a cultivation deviation mid-meditation; naturally, the consequences were far from pleasant.

However, given time, Wang Dahei would recover on his own.

The other three men rushed forward, but upon seeing Wang Dahei taken down, they could not help but feel a sense of trepidation toward Zhang He.

Zhang He knew he had to strike immediately to finish off the remaining three; otherwise, once they regained their composure, he would be in trouble.

Zhang He moved, charging directly to meet them. These three burly men were strong and sturdy, but none had cultivated true qi. Their physical prowess was roughly equal to Zhang He's before he had cultivated his own, so they were naturally no match for him now. Within two or three strikes, Zhang He had dealt with them.

It was only then that A'can arrived on the scene. Seeing Zhang He dispose of the four men so cleanly, a hint of surprise flickered across his jujube-red face.

Zhang He sensed someone rushing toward him at high speed. He turned his head, his expression shifting slightly—another expert, and one even more formidable than Wang Dahei!

"Little brother, I am here to help you," A'can said immediately upon seeing Zhang He's reaction.

"Benefactor." A voice drifted from not far away. Zhang He retreated a few steps, alert, and saw a middle-aged man waving at him from a carriage.

Hm? This was the servant who had been driving the carriage down the mountain that day. Zhang He recalled the man's identity and immediately understood that this red-faced man had been sent by the carriage's owner.

A commotion suddenly erupted behind him.

Zhang He spun around sharply to see Shopkeeper Liu sneaking toward the interior of Biyuan Pavilion. A flash of anger crossed Zhang He's eyes.

"Shopkeeper Liu!" A chilling voice rang out, and Shopkeeper Liu felt a hand clamp firmly onto his shoulder. His body shuddered, his face turned deathly pale, and he collapsed directly to his knees.

The way Zhang He had handled the four men in an instant had left Shopkeeper Liu terrified to his core. He knew that his own actions had been truly despicable; even if the other party killed him, it would be no more than he deserved.

Yet, he feared death.

"I was wrong, little brother, I was truly wrong! Spare my life! I have an elderly mother above and young children below!" Shopkeeper Liu pleaded, his face a mask of desperation. Zhang He frowned, catching a pungent, foul odor. He looked down and realized the man's crotch was wet.

Shopkeeper Liu had been so frightened that he had lost control of his bowels on the spot.

The onlookers began to point and whisper.

"Business is business, but one should still act with integrity. You first coveted my Five Poison Beads and maliciously drove down the price, and now you've even sent men to rob me by force!" Zhang He said, his voice filled with baleful qi. "And you actually expect me to spare you?"

"My heart was blinded by greed for a moment. I know I was wrong, I'll kowtow to you!" Shopkeeper Liu began to bang his head against the ground.

The onlookers, seeing this scene, had already guessed roughly what had happened and began to discuss it heatedly.

"Is this how you treat your customers at Biyuan Pavilion, bullying the market and dominating trade?" The young man from the carriage reached Zhang He, shouting sternly at Shopkeeper Liu. After finishing, he turned to Zhang He, bowed, and said respectfully, "Wang Pengyu thanks my benefactor for saving my life the other day."

"It was just a small favor, no need for thanks," Zhang He said indifferently. He could already tell that the young man before him had a significant background.

"Benefactor, I have been searching for you these past few days to properly repay you. Today, you must give me this chance," Wang Pengyu said solemnly.

"Isn't that the young master of Wang Family Pharmacy?"

"This guy actually saved the young master of Wang Family Pharmacy? The Wang Family Pharmacy has always had ties with the Pharmacist Association. In terms of growth potential, they are the biggest in Mengyin City. With the Wang family's backing, this kid is bound to soar."

"Look at him, he's full of vigor, not like he's sick. Could it be that he was also bitten by a poisonous insect and was cured?"

The crowd buzzed with speculation. Connecting the dots, they looked at Zhang He with fervent eyes. Could this young man really cure the poison of venomous insects?

Shopkeeper Liu, seeing that Zhang He was actually Wang Pengyu's savior, felt his expression turn even uglier.

Wang Pengyu sneered at Shopkeeper Liu, "Your Biyuan Pavilion truly has eyes but fails to see. If your boss has any complaints about today's events, tell him to come find me at the pharmacy!"

With that, Wang Pengyu gestured for Zhang He to follow, saying eagerly, "Benefactor, please come with me. Our Wang Family Pharmacy is not far from here. Please, let us go there and rest for a moment."

Zhang He felt a slight stir of interest and smiled. He saw through Wang Pengyu's intentions but did not refuse, boarding the carriage to head toward Wang Family Pharmacy.

Behind them, Shopkeeper Liu watched them depart, his face ashen. He knew that Biyuan Pavilion had lost a massive deal. Because of his own petty greed, he had caused the pavilion to suffer a tremendous loss. If his boss found out, he would certainly not be let off lightly!

At Wang Family Pharmacy, after learning the general details of what had transpired, Wang Pengyu said with excitement, "Benefactor wants to sell medicine? Is it the same medicine you used to save me the other day?"

"It's called the Five Poison Beads. That's right, I intend to sell this medicine this time," Zhang He nodded.

"Benefactor, if you think highly of our Wang Family Pharmacy, why not partner with us? We won't take a single cent of profit from this medicine; all proceeds will go to you," Wang Pengyu offered directly.

Zhang He was taken aback. "This..."

Wang Pengyu was certainly sincere! But this sincerity was perhaps a bit too much! A merchant who didn't make a profit—what kind of merchant was that? Doubts immediately arose in Zhang He's mind.

Seeing Zhang He's hesitation, Wang Pengyu smiled. "Benefactor, considering you saved my life, it is only right that our Wang Family Pharmacy sells this for you for free. To be honest, many people in Mengyin City are currently suffering from venomous insect bites and are in critical condition; everyone is in desperate need of an antidote. Once people know of the Five Poison Beads, they will surely be an instant hit. If we are the only ones selling them in Mengyin City, even if we don't make a profit, we can leverage the beads to gain immense prestige. Prestige is something no amount of money can buy!"

After Wang Pengyu laid out his thoughts openly, he looked at Zhang He with anticipation.

Every family had its own troubles. While the Wang Family Pharmacy was large and had many chain stores elsewhere, in Mengyin City, it had never managed to make a name for itself. In the eyes of the common folk, it was seen as a fledgling shop with no pedigree. Combined with the joint suppression from other pharmacies, business had been dismal—even worse than shops like Biyuan Pavilion.

They had tried many methods to break the deadlock, but to no avail. Now, however, Wang Pengyu saw an opportunity!

Zhang He realized the situation and nodded. "I cannot let you suffer a loss. How about this: we cooperate, and we split the proceeds from the Five Poison Beads fifty-fifty."

"Benefactor, you look down on me!" Wang Pengyu said, clearly displeased. "As long as you grant our Wang Family Pharmacy the exclusive right to sell the Five Poison Beads, that is worth more than any profit! Benefactor, please don't refuse. If you agree, we can start immediately, how about it?"

It was the first time Zhang He had encountered a merchant who refused profit. However, he now felt a hint of favor toward Wang Pengyu. At the very least, the man was honest.

Seeing his determination, Zhang He smiled. "Very well. Then my Five Poison Beads will only be sold here. If our cooperation goes well, I have other medicinal pills that I can sell here as well."

Wang Pengyu was ecstatic. He nodded, "Benefactor, then wait for my good news. How many Five Poison Beads do you have right now?"

"I only have about fifty left on me. However, I can still go and refine more," Zhang He said, pulling out a bottle. In truth, he hadn't refined many Five Poison Beads the first time—only about eighty in total. After letting his mother take one to purge the toxins from her body, Zhang He had felt that was enough.

"At least thirty thousand people have been bitten by venomous insects this time, and that number may still be rising. Therefore, the demand for the Five Poison Beads is immense." Wang Pengyu nodded. "Let's leave these fifty Five Poison Beads here for now. I will use them to build a reputation for the Five Poison Beads in a short amount of time. By the way, Benefactor, besides detoxification, does this Five Poison Bead have any other effects?"

Over thirty thousand people were bitten? Zhang He was startled.

"The primary effect of the Five Poison Beads is to help people detoxify. As long as the poison isn't so violent that it causes death in a short period, taking one will generally have a detoxifying effect. At the same time, it can help purge impurities from the body; come to think of it, it should also have the effects of purifying one's constitution and enhancing beauty."

"Enhancing beauty, purging toxins... Benefactor, the name 'Five Poison Beads' doesn't sound very appealing. Could we change it?" Wang Pengyu thought for a moment and asked.

"Do you have any names in mind?"

"How about we call it the Detoxification and Marrow Cleansing Pill? That way, we can further expand the range of customers we target," Wang Pengyu suggested tentatively.

"Detoxification and Marrow Cleansing Pill... Very well, that name isn't bad either." Zhang He smiled. It was just a name, and it was for the sake of business, so he didn't mind.

"Then let's draw up a written agreement." Wang Pengyu was suddenly invigorated. He hadn't expected his benefactor to be so easygoing. He immediately fetched paper and a brush, wrote down the terms, and after Zhang He read them and confirmed there were no issues, both parties signed their names.

"So, Benefactor's surname is Zhang." Looking at the name Zhang He, Wang Pengyu mentally ran through all the pharmacists in Mengyin City, yet he couldn't recall any pharmacist with the surname Zhang. After putting the agreement away, Wang Pengyu immediately took out a money pouch and handed it to Zhang He.

Opening it, he saw a golden shimmer—there were actually fifty gold coins inside! This was a massive sum! Zhang He suddenly felt his throat go dry.

"This is the deposit for this batch of Five Poison Beads." Wang Pengyu looked a bit embarrassed. "For now, we'll calculate it based on the market price of the Rejuvenation Pill. Once we start selling them, the price of the Five Poison Beads will certainly rise, and the price will be even higher then."

Zhang He nodded. Looking at the fifty gold coins, he felt infinitely refreshed. I'm finally rich!

He suddenly remembered something. "Right, among those bitten this time, many are commoners. They likely won't be able to afford such expensive medicine. When the time comes, I can provide a portion; I hope you can find a suitable way to sell them to those commoners. What do you think?"

Zhang He knew that many ordinary people must have been bitten this time. Without the Five Poison Beads, many families would inevitably be ruined. Putting himself in their shoes, Zhang He felt the urge to help them. Money could be earned at any time, but once a life was gone, it was truly gone.

"Ah? This..." Wang Pengyu was stunned and scratched his head. "How should we go about that? I'm afraid that doing so might cause dissatisfaction among the big clients..."

Zhang He smiled slightly. He was well-versed in marketing strategies, and this minor issue was naturally easy to solve. He immediately explained his solution.

After hearing Zhang He's method, Wang Pengyu was shocked, and the look in his eyes as he gazed at Zhang He was suddenly filled with fervor.

"Benefactor, you truly are a genius!"