Qi-Blood Pill?

Although there had long been signs that Yang Ling would stir up today's disgraceful mess,

to the Yang Family, this was a colossal loss of face.

After today, word would inevitably spread, becoming the laughingstock of all Yuan Guang County for the next year.

Therefore, once Zhuang Sixuan suggested that Yang Ling had most likely been poisoned and that was why he had acted this way, every member of the Yang Family agreed without a second thought.

Unfortunately, even Yuan Guang County's finest coroner had no way of determining exactly what poison Yang Ling had taken.

After all, once Zou Feng stopped cultivating, the transfer effect would temporarily vanish, leaving behind only a body already damaged by poison.

No matter what, though, this matter plunged the Yang Family into chaos.

Especially when Third Young Master Yang Yanpeng still had not returned by the following morning, Family Head Yang Wu truly began to panic.

Under normal circumstances, no one would care if Yang Yanpeng failed to return for three days and nights.

But this was an extraordinary time, with the Blood-Handed Butcher waiting for a chance to retaliate. By all rights, Yang Yanpeng should never have stayed away from the estate for so long without even sending word.

As one of Yuan Guang County's wealthy households, the authorities naturally took this matter very seriously. They immediately dispatched men to work with the Yang Family in searching for Yang Yanpeng.

Zou Feng was not worried.

Still, he happened to want to see just how capable this world's authorities were at investigating cases.

After all, Yang Yanpeng and Xu Haoran had been tossed into the wilderness.

By now, the wild beasts had probably eaten them clean, leaving nothing but bones.

If they could still find them—and even confirm that the remains belonged to Yang Yanpeng—that would be downright unbelievable...

The following afternoon.

There had originally been mutton on today's menu as well, since some remained from the sheep slaughtered yesterday.

But the steward had come to the kitchen early that morning to specifically give them instructions.

He said they had best avoid eating mutton for at least the next few months.

Yet the leftover mutton from yesterday could not be stored for long, so it became an extra benefit for everyone in the kitchen...

Though Zou Feng had felt somewhat disgusted by it last night, he alone knew that Yang Ling had not defiled the other sheep.

Thus, driven by his ever-increasing appetite, Zou Feng ate the most.

After entering the rank, he had clearly felt his appetite grow.

He was almost constantly hungry.

Even medicinal meals could not keep it at bay for long.

Watching Zou Feng go for another bowl of rice, Luo Yong did not know that Zou Feng had entered the rank, but his instincts told him that Zou Feng's cultivation technique had likely improved again, causing his appetite to increase...

"Feng'er, do you know what Yang Qianqian eats every day?"

Zou Feng looked puzzled. "Uh, doesn't she eat with the Family Head and the others? We make it too, though she gets more medicinal meals."

Luo Yong shook his head. "How could that be? Yang Qianqian is a mid-to-upper-grade ranked martial artist with enormous potential. Why would the Family Head let her eat such ordinary fare?"

"Medicinal meals and the like are really only somewhat effective for martial artists before they enter the rank, or those of the lower grade after entering it."

"Those with money definitely take pills."

"Like Yang Qianqian—though even your master does not know the specifics—I can say for certain that she takes at least one impurity-free Qi-Blood Pill every day."

Luo Yong deliberately emphasized the words "impurity-free."

Because the price gap between pills with impurities and pills without them was astonishing.

Zou Feng had truly never looked into such things before. As a servant in the Yang Estate, his access to information had been severely limited.

"Then... how much does an impurity-free Qi-Blood Pill cost?"

Luo Yong raised one finger.

"One tael of silver?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Zou Feng realized he had probably guessed too low.

Sure enough, Luo Yong's gesture was not finished.

His other finger quickly crossed the middle of the first. "Ten taels!"

Despite having prepared himself mentally, Zou Feng was still greatly shocked.

Ten taels of silver, at Yuan Guang County's prices, could feed an ordinary family of three for a year.

Take ten taels to a cheap pleasure house like Jade-Cross Tower, and one could at least be their supreme VIP for an entire night.

And that was merely the price of a single pill Yang Qianqian ate every day.

She might even take more than one each day...

"It's fine. You needn't worry too much. Once you enter the rank, there will be plenty of opportunities to earn money!"

"Wait here..."

With that, Luo Yong turned and headed toward the room where he lived.

Before long, Luo Yong returned, now carrying a porcelain bottle.

"Take it!"

Walking up to Zou Feng, Luo Yong directly stuffed the porcelain bottle into his hand.

Zou Feng looked down at it in surprise. "Master, don't tell me this bottle contains the Qi-Blood Pills you mentioned?"

"That's right, but they can't compare to the kind Yang Qianqian takes. These are impurity pills. They aren't worth much," Luo Yong said casually.

Zou Feng had already opened the bottle and roughly counted its contents. There were around ten pills inside.

"Even if they're impurity pills, each one should cost at least one or two taels of silver. How can your disciple simply accept them..." Zou Feng was deeply moved.

Because he knew perfectly well that Luo Yong was not a martial artist and could not possibly have kept Qi-Blood Pills on hand.

He must have specifically bought them to keep ready only after seeing that Zou Feng had achieved something in martial arts.

And it had likely drained nearly all his savings.

Then again, investing in a martial artist with a strong chance of entering the rank—especially one known to repay kindness and who was so "pure-hearted"—was not really much of a gamble.

"Don't say such sentimental nonsense. If I tell you to take them, then take them!"

"But remember this: when taking pills, you must not be greedy. After taking one, you need at least ten-odd days to slowly absorb its medicinal power."

"You must understand, these are impurity pills. They are impure and have severe side effects. You must wait until those adverse reactions have faded before taking another." Luo Yong's expression was solemn.

When he had gone to buy these Qi-Blood Pills, he had naturally looked into them thoroughly.

As for why he had not simply bought one pure Qi-Blood Pill...

Luo Yong did not know that Zou Feng had entered the rank. How could someone who had not entered the rank withstand the medicinal power of a pure Qi-Blood Pill?

Even eating too many tonics could cause trouble, let alone pills.

But the moment Zou Feng heard the words "adverse reactions," his spirits rose.

Though taking pills was not cultivation, so he probably could not transfer their side effects.

But what if he began cultivating immediately after taking a pill?

He definitely had to try it. If it worked, the sheer pleasure would blow the top off his skull.

If it truly worked, then in the future he would not need to spend a fortune on pure pills at all. He could simply take the cheap impurity pills.

Come to think of it, taking the drug-popping path while cultivating sinister arts was perfectly normal to begin with.

The difference was that the price of frantically swallowing pills might not have to be borne by him...

Just as he was daydreaming about all this, cries of alarm sounded from nearby.

"Something happened, something happened—"

"Third Young Master... Third Young Master's remains have been found..."

At those words, Zou Feng's heart jolted.

What the hell? They found him, and this quickly!?