006 Wang Family Pharmacy-Revised Version

006 Wang Family Pharmacy—Revised Version

Zhang He saw Wang Dahei fall and breathed a sigh of relief. Using the Pulse-Severing Technique, he had forcibly cut off the true energy inside Wang Dahei's body. It was like suddenly going berserk while cultivating; naturally, he wouldn't be getting up anytime soon.

Still, if given enough time, Wang Dahei would recover on his own.

The other three men charged over. When they saw Wang Dahei had been taken down, wariness toward Zhang He immediately rose in their hearts.

Zhang He knew he had to act at once and deal with the remaining three. Otherwise, once they recovered their wits, he'd be in trouble.

Zhang He moved and went straight to meet them. The three burly men were strong and muscular, but none had cultivated true energy. Their physical abilities had been about the same as Zhang He's before he cultivated true energy, so they were no match for him now. In just two or three moves, Zhang He had taken them down.

Only then did A'can arrive. Seeing Zhang He dispatch all four men so cleanly, surprise flickered across his ruddy face.

Zhang He sensed someone rushing toward him at high speed. He turned around, his expression shifting. Another expert—and one even stronger than Wang Dahei!

"Young brother, I'm here to help you." Seeing Zhang He's reaction, A'can immediately explained.

"Benefactor." A voice came from not far away. Zhang He warily took a few steps back, then saw a middle-aged man on a carriage waving at him.

Huh? This was the servant who had driven the carriage at the foot of the mountain that day. Zhang He remembered who he was and immediately realized that the red-faced man had been sent by the carriage's owner.

Suddenly, there was movement behind him.

Zhang He spun around. Shopkeeper Liu was sneaking toward Biyuan Pavilion. A flash of anger crossed Zhang He's eyes.

"Shopkeeper Liu!" A sinister voice rang out. Shopkeeper Liu felt a hand clamp down hard on his shoulder. His body shuddered, his face instantly went deathly pale, and he dropped straight to his knees.

Watching Zhang He take down four men in the blink of an eye had left Shopkeeper Liu terrified. He knew, too, that what he'd done was despicable. The other man would have been entirely justified in killing him.

But he was afraid to die.

"I was wrong, young brother, I really was! Spare me! I have an elderly mother at home and young children to feed!" Shopkeeper Liu begged. Zhang He frowned as a sour stench reached his nose. Looking down, he saw that Shopkeeper Liu's trousers were wet.

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

The people nearby began pointing and whispering.

"Even when a deal falls through, you should still part on good terms. First you coveted my Five Poison Beads and deliberately drove down the price. Now you've even sent men to rob me by force!" Zhang He said, his face wreathed in killing intent. "And you still expect me to spare you?"

"I let greed cloud my mind. I know I was wrong. I'll kowtow to you!" Shopkeeper Liu knocked his head against the ground again and again.

The onlookers had already guessed what had happened and immediately began discussing it among themselves.

"Biyuan Pavilion, you bully people and dominate the market—is this how you treat your customers?" The young man from the carriage stepped up beside Zhang He and loudly berated Shopkeeper Liu. Then he turned to Zhang He, bowed respectfully, and said, "Wang Pengyu thanks you for saving my life the other day, Benefactor."

"It was just a small favor. There's no need to thank me," Zhang He replied calmly. He could already tell that the young man in front of him came from an influential family.

"Benefactor, I've been looking for you these past few days, hoping to repay you. Please, give me the chance today," Wang Pengyu said earnestly.

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

"This man actually saved the young master of Wang Family Pharmacy? Wang Family Pharmacy has always been connected to the Pharmacist Association. It has the greatest potential for growth in Mengyin City. With the Wang family looking after him, this kid's sure to rise to great heights."

"He looks hale and hearty, not sick at all. Could he have been bitten by a poisonous insect too, and been cured?"

The people nearby chattered among themselves. Putting the pieces together, they turned to Zhang He with eager expressions. Could this young fellow really cure poison from poisonous insects?

When Shopkeeper Liu saw that Zhang He was Wang Pengyu's benefactor, his face grew even more grim.

Wang Pengyu sneered at Shopkeeper Liu. "You people at Biyuan Pavilion really are blind to who you're dealing with. If your owner has a problem with what happened today, tell him to come find me at the pharmacy!"

Then Wang Pengyu gestured for Zhang He to come with him and said eagerly, "Benefactor, please come with me. Wang Family Pharmacy is not far from here. Come and rest for a while."

Zhang He's thoughts stirred. Smiling, he saw through Wang Pengyu's intentions, but didn't refuse. He climbed into the carriage with him, and they set off for Wang Family Pharmacy.

Watching them leave with Wang Pengyu, Shopkeeper Liu went ashen. He knew Biyuan Pavilion had just lost a major deal. His own greed for a small advantage had caused the pharmacy a huge loss, and if the owner found out, he would never let him off lightly!

At Wang Family Pharmacy, after hearing a general account of what had just happened, Wang Pengyu said excitedly, "Benefactor, you're here to sell medicine? Is it the medicine you used to save me the other day?"

"It's called the Five Poison Beads. That's right. I'm planning to sell them this time," Zhang He replied with a nod.

"Benefactor, if you trust Wang Family Pharmacy, why not work with us? We won't take a single coin from you for selling this medicine. All the proceeds will go to you," Wang Pengyu said outright.

Zhang He couldn't help but be taken aback. "This..."

Wang Pengyu was being sincere! But wasn't he being a little too generous? What kind of merchant didn't make a profit? Zhang He immediately grew suspicious.

Seeing his doubts, Wang Pengyu smiled. "Benefactor, after you saved my life, it's only right for Wang Family Pharmacy to sell your medicine for free. To be honest, many people in Mengyin City have been bitten by poisonous insects, and their lives are hanging by a thread. Everyone needs an antidote. Once people hear about the Five Poison Beads, they'll be an instant hit. If Wang Family Pharmacy is the only place selling them in Mengyin City, then even without making a profit, we can use them to build our name. Reputation is something no amount of money can buy!"

After laying out his thoughts openly, Wang Pengyu looked at Zhang He eagerly.

Every family had its own problems. Wang Family Pharmacy was large and had many branches in other places, but despite its size, it had never made a name for itself in Mengyin City. In the eyes of ordinary people, it was just a new shop with no track record. On top of that, other pharmacies had joined forces to suppress it, and the Wang family's business had always been rather bleak—even Biyuan Pavilion outdid them.

Wang Family Pharmacy had tried all sorts of ways to break through, but none had worked. Now, however, Wang Pengyu saw an opportunity!

Zhang He understood. He nodded. "I can't let you take a loss, either. How about we work together? We split the money from selling the Five Poison Beads fifty-fifty."

"Benefactor, you're looking down on me!" Wang Pengyu said, displeased. "Just let Wang Family Pharmacy be the only place authorized to sell the Five Poison Beads. That's worth more than any profit! Benefactor, please don't refuse. If you agree, we can get started right away. What do you say?"

It was the first time Zhang He had met a merchant who didn't want to make a profit. Still, he'd begun to feel some goodwill toward Wang Pengyu. At the very least, the man was being frank.

Seeing how firm he was, Zhang He smiled. "All right, then. I'll sell my Five Poison Beads here and nowhere else. If our partnership goes well, I can sell my other pills here too."

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

"I probably have about fifty on me. But I can make more," Zhang He said, taking out a bottle. He hadn't made many Five Poison Beads in his first batch—only about eighty in all. After his mother had taken some and cleared the poison from her body, he'd felt that was enough.

"At least thirty thousand people have been bitten by poisonous insects, and that number may still be rising. So there's a huge demand for the Five Poison Beads," Wang Pengyu said with a nod. "Let's leave these fifty here for now. I'll use them to build the Five Poison Beads' reputation in a short time. By the way, Benefactor, besides detoxifying people, what other effects do the Five Poison Beads have?"

Thirty thousand people had been bitten? Zhang He was startled.

"The Five Poison Beads' greatest effect is detoxification. Unless the poison is so potent that it can kill someone in a short time, they'll generally work. They can also help expel impurities from the body. So they should improve one's constitution and even enhance one's beauty."

"Enhance one's beauty and expel toxins... Benefactor, the name Five Poison Beads doesn't sound very appealing. Could we give them another name?" Wang Pengyu asked after a moment's thought.

"Do you have a name in mind?"

"How about calling them Detoxification and Marrow Cleansing Pills? That way, we can appeal to an even wider range of customers," Wang Pengyu suggested tentatively.

"Detoxification and Marrow Cleansing Pills... All right, that's not a bad name," Zhang He said with a smile. It was only a name, and it was for the sake of the business. He didn't mind.

"Then let's draw up a written agreement." Wang Pengyu immediately perked up. He hadn't expected his benefactor to be so agreeable. He quickly fetched paper and brush, wrote up the terms, and let Zhang He read them over. Once Zhang He confirmed everything was in order, they both signed their names.

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

When Zhang He opened it, golden coins gleamed inside. There were a full fifty gold coins! It was a fortune. His mouth instantly went dry.

"This is the deposit for this batch of Five Poison Beads," Wang Pengyu said, a little embarrassed. "For now, I've calculated it at the market price of the Rejuvenation Pill. Once we start selling them, the price of the Five Poison Beads will definitely rise, and they'll fetch even more."

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

He suddenly remembered something. "By the way, many of the people who were bitten this time are commoners. They probably can't afford such expensive medicine. I can set aside some of it, and I hope you can find a suitable way to sell it to them. What do you think?"

Zhang He knew that many ordinary people had been bitten this time. Without the Five Poison Beads, many families would surely be torn apart. Putting himself in their shoes, he'd felt moved to help them. Money could always be earned later, but once people were gone, they were gone for good.

"Ah? Well..." Wang Pengyu scratched his head. "How should we handle that? I'm afraid the big customers will be unhappy if we do this..."

Zhang He smiled faintly. He knew marketing strategies like the back of his hand, and this little problem was easy to solve. He immediately explained his solution.

After hearing Zhang He's plan, Wang Pengyu stared at him in shock. His gaze was suddenly filled with fervent admiration!

"Benefactor, you're a genius!"