Reversal of Cost, Becoming the Strongest Starting as a Test Subject! (Please Follow)

Every time Gu Qingfeng felt that flutter in his heart, he gained something.

The Chivalrous Spirit Incense Burner, the Golden Core Yi-Wood Nourishment Formula, the Precious Moon Garment, and the Crimson Corruption Godscale had all been obtained that way.

Only this time, though he felt the flutter, it was relatively faint.

That proved this medicine was a "treasure," but not an especially great "treasure"?

Thinking about it, that made sense. Where could there be so many supreme treasures in this world?

For him to have acquired several such wondrous items along the way was truly due to special circumstances, coupled with his own string of lucky breaks.

Otherwise, when he first obtained the Chivalrous Spirit Incense Burner, he would probably have gone mad.

Clearly, these "little treasures" were the norm in the mortal world.

Little treasures were treasures too!

Other than that pair of erotic golden anklets, he was practically penniless now, and eating "treasures" here earned money.

Gu Qingfeng could not help moving closer.

The terms offered by Ghosthand's Eighteenth Apothecary were highly tempting, but although the crowd was excited, they remained somewhat cautious.

A man at the very front said, "I'm not testing medicine. I'd rather sell blood."

"Same here. Selling blood is safer. At worst, I'll catch a bit of syphilis."

They would rather sell blood than test medicine. That showed the apothecary's drug testing had quite a "reputation."

The medicine boy shouting for customers could not help revealing a helpless expression.

They had assisted Lord Ghosthand with drug testing here for years. After famous incidents such as test subjects going mad and charging at sows, spraying blood endlessly from their asses in the street until they died, and groups of test subjects gnawing on one another, they had become "universally acclaimed."

Once that reputation spread, anyone even slightly afraid of death no longer dared come.

They could only rely on attracting "newcomers" to test the medicine.

Though Red Tears City had many people, there were relatively few newcomers visiting for the first time.

Besides, not every newcomer was a reckless fool. The cautious ones would not come at all.

Thus, although they offered sufficiently high prices, it was still difficult to attract enough test subjects.

"Quite a few people have tested the medicine in this white bottle, and they're all fine. Lord Ghosthand is simply too rigorous, which is why he's expanding the sample size. Thirty taels of silver per session, plus temporary residency for half a month—calling this Lord Ghosthand bestowing blessings would not be an exaggeration!"

The medicine boy continued sweet-talking them. "The medicine in this green bottle is a pill left behind by a Heavenly Venerable surnamed Han, replicated through Lord Ghosthand's miraculous hands. There aren't many of them.

"This little green pill has a fifty-percent chance of drastically increasing your true qi cultivation. Even those who have not cultivated true qi may break through in one stroke and obtain true qi. The other fifty percent merely gives you diarrhea. Even our own people take it."

"A Heavenly Venerable surnamed Han? Which Heavenly Venerable Han?"

"It can really drastically boost cultivation, and the only price is diarrhea?"

"She said their own people take it."

At once, the crowd visibly grew excited.

It was clear that these people deeply craved a sudden surge in cultivation.

At last, four people were willing to test the medicine.

More people, however, merely smiled and shook their heads.

If it were truly such good medicine, the people in this apothecary would have eaten it all themselves. Would they still let you test it?

Not to mention the reputation of Ghost Hand Apothecary...

Gu Qingfeng, meanwhile, had been staring at the purple bottle.

Because it was the only medicine that made his heart flutter.

Seeing that four more people were testing medicine, the medicine boy's mood brightened. She picked up the purple medicine bottle and continued, "This is a new medicine. Not many people have tested it here before, but the pay is doubled.

"Also, the gray rat that tested it had its qi force surge enormously. In one night, it did twelve female rats in a row, then even forced itself on a female cat. It never tired."

Someone questioned, "What happened to the rat afterward?"

"The rat's fine. It's still lively and kicking."

Afraid that the crowd would not believe her, the medicine boy even went inside and brought out a bamboo cage.

Inside the cage, the rat was actually standing upright like a person, radiating an extremely formidable air.

A rat that had even done a cat—how could it not be formidable?

Everyone clicked their tongues in wonder.

They did not question the medicine boy's words too much.

After all, Ghost Hand Apothecary's medicines were bizarre beyond measure, but it had never been known to lie.

Or perhaps many of those who knew the lies were already gone, with no chance to expose them.

"So powerful? Husband, go try it."

A middle-aged woman said this to a gaunt man with a weary complexion.

Seeing the gaunt man hesitate for a moment, the woman immediately scolded, "I've suffered with you for so long, and now you make it seem like I'm trying to harm you! If I'd known back then, I would've just married some powerful expert with money and influence. Why would I have needed to suffer alongside you?"

Looking at the woman's utterly ordinary face—one that could even be called clownish—Gu Qingfeng could not help mocking inwardly, Damn it, powerful experts aren't idiots.

"I'll test it!"

"Give the silver to my wife first. She hasn't eaten meat in two days."

The gaunt husband spoke with a pained expression.

Under his wife's discipline, he resolutely chose to test the medicine.

Damn, what a turtle!

While mocking inwardly, Gu Qingfeng said, "I'll test it too."

At this moment, a yellow-haired man with disheveled hair pushed out of the crowd and said, "The price is doubled? Then I'm in too!"

Gu Qingfeng took a careful look and found that the man's hair really was yellow, its texture somewhat dry and withered.

"Fairy, can you advance me five taels of silver? I want to go inside and take a puff of Immortal Leaf!"

"Just one puff, just one puff, then I'll come right back!"

The yellow-haired man pleaded bitterly.

The female medicine boy looked displeased, yet she still said, "Fine. I'll put it on your account first. Come back immediately after you smoke."

"Xiao Yu, give Yellow Smoke Dog three qian of Immortal Leaf. Put it on this drug-testing account."

"Got it."

The yellow-haired man hurriedly ran to the smoke den next door.

Gu Qingfeng blinked.

Immortal Leaf?

Could it be that stuff?

Good heavens—collecting blood, selling medicine, testing medicine, selling tobacco. A complete one-stop operation.

With that, even the previously untested medicine in the purple bottle had three test subjects.

In such an atmosphere, people even began volunteering to test the medicine in the white bottle.

The medicine boy's face remained calm, but inwardly she was ecstatic.

What kind of lucky day was this? So many people unafraid of death had actually come to test medicine!

Gu Qingfeng was soon led inside.

The moment he entered the apothecary, countless scents filled the air.

The smell of blood, medicinal herbs, and smoked cured meat all mingled together, as if determined to stuff his sense of smell to bursting.

Fortunately, after they reached the rear courtyard, the place was fairly spacious and well ventilated, and much of the odor had dispersed.

Gu Qingfeng and the gaunt turtle of a man were brought into a room in the rear courtyard.

Before long, as the yellow-haired drug addict arrived looking blissful, the test subjects for the purple bottle were finally all present.

It was clear that the people in this apothecary attached great importance to Gu Qingfeng's group of test subjects.

The one who came to administer the medicine was a petite, pretty woman in a purple dress.

This woman's status in the apothecary was likely not low. Even ordinary medicine boys had to lower their heads and salute when they saw her.

Holding the purple bottle, the purple-dressed woman said, "The medicine boy should have told you the apothecary's rules for testing medicine."

"Come on, open your mouths."

She actually intended to feed them the medicine herself.

Seeing this, the drug addict said, "Madam, I can eat this pill myself. Why must you feed me personally? If your husband sees this later, I'm afraid he'll get jealous."

"Open your mouth. I'm guarding against people like you!"

The drug addict could only obediently open his mouth, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

Those yellow teeth had clearly been caused by smoking too much "Immortal Grass."

With a flick of her finger, the purple-clad woman sent a purple pill flying deep into the drug addict's throat.

Still not reassured, she chopped at his neck with her fair right hand, forcing the pill completely past his throat before finally releasing him.

She was equally vigilant toward the gaunt man and Gu Qingfeng.

When feeding Gu Qingfeng, she even poked a finger into his mouth.

That left Gu Qingfeng rather displeased.

She was questioning his character!

The pill slid down his throat, bringing a wave of icy coolness.

Almost at the same moment, a piece of information surfaced in Gu Qingfeng's sea of consciousness.

He wanted to see just what kind of thing this was that could command double pay!