"That father and daughter have no vision! My godmother applies it every single day!"
Ye Lingtian inspected her for a moment. In truth, it was already having an effect. The dead nerve endings and such were being revitalized. However, such changes were not necessarily observable by advanced instruments, let alone the naked eye.
The next day, Ye Lingtian brought two Qi Replenishing Pills, which he had refined himself on Paradise Island. They were capable of replenishing qi, improving blood circulation, and dispelling hidden bodily ailments. They were perfectly suited for the weak constitutions of Li Huicai and his wife. Many wealthy people would struggle to acquire even a single Qi Replenishing Pill, even if they were willing to spend tens or even hundreds of millions.
Qi Shanhai and Third Master, who were currently acting as Ye Lingtian’s servants, had long been waiting to escort him to the Li residence.
"Uncle, Auntie, I didn’t bring anything yesterday. That was my fault!" Ye Lingtian produced the two Qi Replenishing Pills.
Chapter 38: Deceptive Garbage!
"These are two Qi Replenishing Pills. They will be of great use to your health, especially in clearing up all of Uncle’s minor ailments!"
"Huh?" Li Huicai and his wife were stunned. They had never seen such a thing in their lives. However, a refreshing fragrance wafted toward them, soothing their spirits.
"Hurry and take them," Ye Lingtian urged.
Just as the two were about to take them, Li Yijia came out and hurriedly stopped them. "Dad, Mom, what are you doing? What is this stuff?"
Li’s mother explained, "Lingtian gave us these Qi Replenishing Pills. They’re good for our health!"
"You’ve got to be kidding me! You believe this? I’m studying medicine, and I’ve never heard of any 'Qi Replenishing Pill.' What is this stinking thing? What if it ruins your health?" Li Yijia threw the two pills onto the ground. "Are you serious? You actually brought this kind of deceptive garbage to show your gratitude? Get out of my house right now!" she roared.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Just then, someone began pounding frantically on the door outside. "Li Yijia! Open the door right now! If you don’t open it, I’m going to smash it down!"
At the sound of the voice, Li Yijia’s face turned paper-white, and she broke out into a cold sweat.
*Boom!*
Because the door was old and worn, it was smashed open by brute force. Seven or eight men rushed in, filling the small room to capacity. The bald man in the lead had a fierce expression, carried a leather bag, and looked at everyone with a fake, predatory smile.
"Brother Long!" Seeing the man, Li Yijia looked as if she were about to cry.
"Li Yijia, I’ve come to collect your house! This old neighborhood might be slated for redevelopment in the future; it should barely be enough to cover the debt!" the bald Brother Long sneered.
*Boom!*
Li Huicai and his wife’s expressions shifted dramatically as they looked at their daughter. "What is going on?"
"Heh, your daughter borrowed a million from me! She couldn’t pay it back, so she used your house as collateral! I’m here to collect. This place belongs to me now!"
After hearing this, Li Huicai and his wife nearly fainted. No wonder Li Yijia had been searching for the household register and the property deed yesterday. It turned out she had mortgaged the house.
"No, I only borrowed two hundred thousand! It wasn’t a million!" Li Yijia sobbed.
The bald man sneered, "Heh, who doesn’t know that my money is high-interest loan shark money? Oh, by the way, with today’s interest, it’s 1.2 million. Your house isn’t enough to cover it! You’ll have to sleep with me for a few nights! Otherwise... hmph, hmph..."
The men behind Brother Long all took a step forward in unison. Li Huicai and his wife were terrified to the point of fainting.
"You two old fogies, get out of here! This room is mine! But you’re staying behind to sleep with me!" Brother Long shouted.
"Brother Long, after you’re done, let us brothers have a turn... eh?" The bald man’s henchmen were also rubbing their hands together, casting greedy looks at Li Yijia.
"Sure!"
Li Yijia and her parents were completely paralyzed with fear.
"Gentlemen, you can take the house, but please, I beg you, spare my daughter!" Li Huicai and his wife knelt on the ground.
Brother Long sneered, "That won't work! Unless you come up with another five hundred thousand!"
Li’s mother tremblingly pulled out a bankbook. "Sir, this is our entire life savings. There’s only sixty thousand here! Take it all!"
Brother Long took the bankbook and tucked it away, but laughed, "Only sixty thousand! That just means your daughter will have to keep me company!"
"Dad, Mom... *sob*..." Li Yijia cried uncontrollably. She looked back to see Ye Lingtian sitting there calmly and felt a surge of rage.
"This is all your fault, you deadbeat! If you had money, would our family be like this? You saved your mother, but you won't spend a single cent here?" She glared at him. "What are you looking at? If you’re so capable, why don’t you solve this problem?"
Chapter 39: Don’t Drag Me Into Your Bluffing!
Only then did Brother Long and his men notice someone else was there. "Come on, throw everyone out! If they dare to resist, break their legs!"
Brother Long’s henchmen stepped forward, intending to throw Ye Lingtian and the others out. But just as one of them reached for Ye Lingtian’s arm, there was a sudden *crack*, and his wrist was snapped by sheer force.
"Argh!!!" A shrill scream pierced the air.
"You brat, you’re looking for death! You actually dare to hurt my man? Do you know who I work for?"
"Brother Fei! Brother Fei is Third Master’s top commander! Now that the previous gang leader has been wiped out, Third Master is the king of the Jiangcheng underworld!"
"You’re finished! I’ll make you wish you were dead! And the three of you are all going to pay for this!" Brother Long shouted.
At once, Li Yijia and her parents turned even paler, their faces devoid of any blood. That was Brother Fei! Who wasn’t afraid of him?
"This is all your fault! Are you crazy? Who told you to hit them? Now we’re finished! We’re all dead!"
"Get lost, you deadbeat!" Li Yijia hated Ye Lingtian to the core.
Ye Lingtian spoke into his phone, "Li San, you heard all that, didn't you?" It turned out his phone was on a live call.
"Calling for backup?" The bald man scoffed. "Heh, it doesn't matter who you call! My boss is Brother Fei! My Brother Fei... *bang*... *crack*..."
Before Brother Long could finish his sentence, a figure jumped out from behind him and slammed a knee directly into his back. Brother Long collapsed to the floor, his spinal bones snapping as he let out a soul-piercing wail.
"Brother Long, stop dragging me into your damn bragging!" A voice filled with extreme rage rang out.
When Brother Long’s henchmen looked, their faces turned ghostly white.
"Br... Brother Fei?"
And this was only the beginning.
"This... is this Third Master?" Their eyeballs nearly popped out of their heads.
"And that is... the... the... the King of Buildings, Qi Shanhai!!!"
The men were going insane. What kind of gale had blown these two big shots here?
Brother Long, sprawled on the ground, was scared half to death when he saw these two. However, he watched as the King of Buildings and Third Master walked past them and stood before Ye Lingtian, shouting in unison, "Big Boss!"
"What? Big Boss?" Brother Long and his men were utterly bewildered. Third Master and the King of Buildings called him 'Big Boss'?
Li Yijia and her parents were also staring in disbelief. Even though they didn't recognize the men, the situation was clear enough: the big shots who had terrified Brother Long were calling Ye Lingtian 'Big Boss'!
*Boom!*
Li Yijia’s entire body spasmed; her brain felt as if it were exploding. Had she missed something...?
"Brother Long, whose legs were you going to break? The Big Boss's? Let me see you try!" Third Master’s terrifying gaze settled on Brother Long.
"Third Master, I... I was wrong..."
"Big Boss, I was wrong!" Brother Long shouted immediately. His henchmen all knelt on the ground, begging for mercy.
"Drag them out and break their legs!" At Third Master’s order, Brother Long and his men were immediately dragged out. Shortly after, a series of screams could be heard.
Li Yijia and her parents were shivering.
"Uncle, Auntie, you don’t have to be afraid! With me here, no one can hurt you," Ye Lingtian reassured them. Only then did the couple calm down.
"Hmm? Qi Replenishing Pills? And the top-grade ones at that!"
Just then, the knowledgeable Qi Shanhai caught sight of the two pills on the floor. "Are these yours?" Qi Shanhai looked at Li Huicai and his wife, his expression agitated. "Sell them to me! For these two pills, I’m willing to pay eighty million! No! A hundred million!"
Chapter 40: Lingtian Brother, You Don’t Have a Girlfriend, Do You?
"Wh... what? A hundred million?" Li Yijia’s pupils dilated rapidly; her eyes felt as if they were popping out of her skull. She never could have imagined that the pills she had casually tossed away like garbage were worth a hundred million!
*Boom!!!*
In that moment, it was like a bolt of lightning from the blue for the three of them. Li Huicai and his wife collapsed onto the floor. Their gazes toward Ye Lingtian had changed completely. They had thought Ye Lingtian’s gesture of gratitude was just for show and hadn't taken it to heart. But who could have imagined that an inconspicuous pill would be worth a sky-high price!
Moreover, they now recognized him—wasn't this the King of Buildings, Qi Shanhai? The man who was constantly on the news and television! Could what he said be fake?
"King of Buildings, that won’t do; finders keepers, share the wealth! We’ll take one each," Third Master chimed in, refusing to back down. He had heard of the Qi Replenishing Pills—taking one was said to be like a complete rebirth for the body! It was a divine life-extending medicine! Even for a top-tier martial artist, it was a priceless treasure.
Regret! Infinite regret! Li Yijia felt as if her intestines were turning green from remorse. What had she done? She had thrown away a hundred million! With that money, couldn't she buy any luxury mansion, sports car, or designer good she wanted?
"Enough, what are you two fighting over? I gave these to Uncle and Auntie to improve their health! They are not for sale!" Ye Lingtian retrieved the two pills.
The two men paused. Of course. It was obviously a gift from the Big Boss.
Li Yijia immediately interjected, "Don't do that! You can sell them! My parents are just commoners; how could they possibly use such precious divine medicine? They aren't worthy of it! Sell them, sell them!"
As soon as she said this, Ye Lingtian’s expression hardened. To be someone's child and say something like that? She was rotten to the core! She was nothing but a parasite!
*Slap!*
He slapped Li Yijia across the face.
"Get lost! I am showing gratitude to Uncle and Auntie; this has nothing to do with you! You cannot live in this house! You cannot spend their money! You are going to learn to stand on your own two feet! I will have people keep an eye on you at all times!"
Ye Lingtian left, leaving Li Yijia kneeling on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
Once outside, the King of Buildings and Third Master were still waiting. "Big Boss, do you have any more Qi Replenishing Pills? We are willing to pay any price!" Qi Shanhai asked cautiously.
Ye Lingtian snorted, "As long as I have the herbs, I can refine as many of these Qi Replenishing Pills as I want!"
"What?" The two were even more frantic. They had thought he had stumbled upon them by accident; they hadn't expected him to be able to refine them himself!
"Since you’ve been doing things for me, go find the herbs yourselves, and I will refine them for you," Ye Lingtian said, writing the required ingredients on a piece of paper. The two were so excited they nearly dropped to their knees to kowtow.
While driving Ye Lingtian back, both Qi Shanhai and Third Master received an invitation from Shang Hongwei of Shang’s Pharmaceuticals.
"What is Shang Hongwei up to? A new product launch tomorrow? Inviting us to attend?" the King of Buildings asked, confused.
Third Master smiled. "Black Ginseng Jade Bone Ointment! It’s being released tomorrow! King of Buildings, the finger I lost was healed by his new product!"
Qi Shanhai was astonished. "It’s only been a few days; that’s too miraculous, isn't it? I hadn't even noticed!"
"If this new product hits the market, it’s bound to have a massive impact on the medical industry in Jiangcheng, and perhaps even the whole Dragon Country. It seems Chen Guiyuan’s position as the 'Medicine King' is about to change hands."
Ye Lingtian, who had been silent, spoke up: "That ancient prescription is mine! He just happened to pick it up."
"What?" The two were stunned.
Returning to the Chen Family home, Ye Lingtian looked at Chen Guiyuan and wanted to offer a warning, but just as he was about to speak, Chen Xiaoran scoffed, "Are you going to talk about that piece of scrap paper again?"
"Forget it," Ye Lingtian held his tongue. If it didn't involve his godmother, he couldn't be bothered to care.
The next day, Shang Hongwei’s company, Shang’s Pharmaceuticals, held a sudden new product launch. They had spent a massive fortune to bring in all the media and public figures in Jiangcheng. They even invited several major national media outlets. Not only that, but Shang Hongwei had sent invitations to every big shot in Jiangcheng to attend the launch.
Chen Guiyuan had also received an invitation—naturally, he was the last one to get it.
"What’s going on? Shang Hongwei has a new product? How come I didn't know anything about it?" Looking at the invitation on the table, Chen Guiyuan frowned deeply. Shang Hongwei was his biggest competitor, and the two had been keeping a close eye on each other. Any move by the other was supposed to be under his control. Yet, this sudden new product launch had come without any warning. He hadn't heard a single whisper. This was highly abnormal.
"We don’t know either! There wasn't even a hint of this beforehand!" All the company’s senior executives were in the dark. What exactly was Shang Hongwei playing at?
"Go find out! Find out exactly what new product Shang Hongwei is releasing! Why he’s making such a big move!" Chen Guiyuan was already sensing a crisis; he was becoming restless and irritable.
"Chairman Chen! According to some rumors, Shang Hongwei seems to have obtained an ancient prescription!" his assistant, Wang Pengfei, ran in to report.
"What? An ancient prescription?" Chen Guiyuan’s face changed dramatically. He knew the importance of ancient prescriptions better than anyone; he had built his status as the Medicine King on the back of two such formulas. If Shang Hongwei had obtained one, it would be a devastating blow.
Chapter 42: It’s Time for the Medicine King to Step Down!
"Let’s go, get to the venue immediately! I want to see what kind of ancient prescription it is!" Chen Guiyuan’s breathing was shallow; he was on edge.
In front of the Shang’s Pharmaceuticals building, crowds were constant. All the major figures had arrived. Hundreds of media outlets were reporting on the event. In particular, Shang Hongwei had invited thirty medical experts, a move without precedent. The scene was grand and magnificent.
Before long, Chen Guiyuan arrived.
"Looking at this setup, Shang Hongwei must have a big trick up his sleeve," Chen Guiyuan thought, his heart sinking further.
"Haha, if it isn't Chairman Chen! Welcome, welcome!" Seeing him, Shang Hongwei immediately came over to greet him.
Chen Guiyuan smiled, "Chairman Shang! Isn't this a bit too grand? I heard you’ve obtained a rare ancient prescription?"
"Haha, Chairman Chen, I’ve prepared a massive surprise for you!" Shang Hongwei laughed loudly.
Chen Guiyuan’s expression shifted. If that was the case... he was in danger. His position as the Medicine King was likely at risk.
Next, the guests entered, and with everything prepared, the new product launch began.
"This new product is called Black Ginseng Jade Bone Ointment! It is the exclusive ancient prescription of the 'Immortal Healer' Li Changsheng from fifty years ago! I obtained it by chance!"
When Shang Hongwei revealed the product, the entire venue erupted. The hundreds of media outlets went wild. The crowd was boiling with excitement. A man’s reputation is like the shadow of a tree—who hadn't heard of the Immortal Healer? He was a legend in the medical world. His exclusive prescriptions didn't need to be certified! Who would even be qualified to do so?
*Boom!*
For Chen Guiyuan, it felt like being struck by lightning. It was actually the exclusive ancient prescription of the Immortal Healer!
Hmm? No, wait! This name, 'Black Ginseng Jade Bone Ointment,' sounded familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before...
However, this was only the beginning.
Following this, Xiang Haiwen stood up and declared, "On behalf of the Jiangcheng Traditional Chinese Medicine Association, I announce—Shang’s Pharmaceuticals' Black Ginseng Jade Bone Ointment is authentic! It is indeed the Immortal Healer’s ancient prescription! We vouch for it with the reputation of the association! There are no issues whatsoever!"