Master Wàn Sān gazed at Lěng Yè, asking, "What kind of medicine is this?"
Lěng Yè quickly produced a bottle of Debridement Cream, squeezed a small amount onto his palm, and explained, "This is Debridement Cream, specifically formulated for cuts, knife wounds, and bruises. Its efficacy is exceptional. Since it's a new product on the market, the price is set at ten thousand yuan per bottle."
Master Wàn Sān scrutinized the black, viscous substance in Lěng Yè's palm, his brow furrowing slightly as he asked skeptically, "You call this medicine? Are you sure you're not trying to scam me?"
Upon seeing this, the apprentice rushed to Lěng Yè's side and pulled him back, hissing, "Are you out of your mind? Have you never heard of Master Wàn Sān? How dare you try to sell this kind of stuff to him at such a ridiculous price—do you have a death wish?!"
Interrupted mid-pitch by the sudden yank, Lěng Yè apologized to Master Wàn Sān, saying, "Master Wàn, my apprentice here was startled by your formidable reputation. While my medicine is unconventional, it is undeniably effective."
Master Wàn Sān let out a cold huff and waved his hand for the apprentice to step back. Fixing his gaze on Lěng Yè, he said, "Since you have the guts to sell medicine to me, I'll give you a chance. I'll have one of my brothers test the effects. If it works, I'll consider buying in bulk. If it doesn't, or if my brother's condition worsens because of your concoction, I'll make sure you experience the 'taste' of this medicine firsthand."
Lěng Yè accepted the challenge without a moment's hesitation.
He walked straight over to one of the injured men, inspected the gruesome gash on the fellow's thigh, and expertly applied the Debridement Ointment. Suddenly, a sizzling sound came from the wound, accompanied by wisps of white smoke, and the injured man let out a miserable shriek.
Master Wàn Sān's face darkened at the sight, and he barked, "Are you playing games with me?"
The apprentice shook his head and sighed, "This guy is digging his own grave."
However, just as everyone thought the situation was beyond saving, Lěng Yè slowly lifted his hand away from the man's thigh, revealing a completely healed wound with nothing left behind except a faint red scar.
Gasps of astonishment erupted from the crowd, and even Master Wàn Sān's eyes widened in disbelief.
Lěng Yè smiled and said, "That is the power of my medicine. Given enough time, even this scar will vanish completely. At ten thousand yuan a bottle, surely that isn't too expensive?"
Master Wàn Sān's attitude underwent an instantaneous transformation. He chuckled awkwardly at Lěng Yè and said, "Brother, I misjudged you just now. Since the medicine works so brilliantly, please hurry up and use it on my other men."
Lěng Yè nodded with satisfaction and set to work applying the Debridement Cream to the rest of the injured men. By the time they finished dressing everyone's wounds, nearly a whole bottle had been used up.
Looking over at Master Wàn Sān, Lěng Yè said with a smile, "Master Wàn, they used up one bottle in total, so that's ten thousand yuan. But since you folks are always getting into fights and killings, injuries are bound to happen. I suggest you buy a few extra bottles to keep on hand for emergencies."
Master Wàn Sān nodded, pondering how many to purchase. He figured that although he had plenty of enemies and brawls were inevitable, this was the 21st century, and gangs were gradually fading into history, so buying too many might mean they'd just sit around collecting dust. Accordingly, he said, "Give me three more bottles besides the one we just used."
Seeing that Master Wàn Sān only wanted three, Lěng Yè naturally felt it wasn't enough. He eagerly pushed the sale: "Master Wàn, this is a rare and precious medicine—you won't find a shop like this anywhere else in the village. You should buy a lot while you still can, or they'll all be gone." As he spoke, he closely watched Master Wàn Sān's expression.
Just as Master Wàn Sān was about to refuse, Lěng Yè added, "Besides treating external injuries, my medicine can also be taken internally. Just a tiny bit will let you carouse all night long and truly showcase your manly vigor!"
This remark instantly piqued Master Wàn Sān's interest. He eagerly seized Lěng Yè's hand and said earnestly, "Brother, I believe you! I've got a lot of men under me, and with all their daily brawling and killing, injuries are unavoidable. This Debridement Ointment is a must-have for them—I'll take the lot!"
Inwardly, Lěng Yè was ecstatic; he never expected Master Wàn Sān, for all his rough exterior, to be so easy to deal with. Quickly turning his hand over without revealing his true thoughts, he smiled and said, "Including the bottle I used earlier, there are twelve bottles in total. Since you want them, Master Wàn, I'll let you have the whole lot." He intentionally held back one bottle, planning to keep it for himself.
Just then, the veteran traditional Chinese medicine doctor walked over, coughed twice, and looked at Master Wàn Sān. "Master Wàn," he said, "this is the only miraculous medicine I've ever seen in my entire life. Would you be willing to let me have two bottles?"
Master Wàn Sān looked at the old doctor, hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded in agreement.
The transaction complete, Lěng Yè looked at the 120,000 yuan that had just hit his account, a satisfied smile blooming across his face. *It seems selling medicine is a great way to make money,* he thought to himself. *I need to put more effort into this. I can't let money-making get in the way of my cultivation, nor cultivation in the way of my money-making.*
After putting away the Debridement Cream, Master Wàn Sān draped an arm warmly around Lěng Yè's shoulders and said with a smile, "Brother, we're friends now. Let's exchange numbers—if you ever need anything in the future, just give me a call and I'll come straight to help you out!"
Lěng Yè smiled and nodded, exchanging contact information with Master Wàn Sān.
*The more friends you have, the easier the road,* he thought. *Though I possess my bloodline, interpersonal connections and mutual support are still vitally important.* This solidified his determination to pursue the medicine-selling path wholeheartedly, even as he began brainstorming ways to improve his...
Yet he was not foolish enough to think that possessing a bloodline meant he no longer needed friendship. Master Wàn Sān led his crew away, leaving the ancient TCM practitioner sighing to himself.
Lěng Yè had been eagerly pressed about whether he would join their crew and work together. However, having zero interest in that sort of life, he politely declined and stepped out of the traditional medicine shop. Inside, his mind was already turning: given the opportunity, he hoped to open his own medical clinic. It would allow him to make money and help people while simultaneously broadening his channels for acquiring medicinal ingredients to refine even better pills.
Just as he was walking and pondering, a black Mercedes-Benz G-Class slowly pulled up beside him. The window rolled down to reveal Gāo Yán's expressionless face.
His eyes lit up instantly as he recognized Miss Gāo.
"Get in the car!" Gāo Yán's cold voice rang out. Although she looked displeased, Lěng Yè obediently climbed into the passenger seat. *This woman said she wasn't going to contact me anymore,* he mused inwardly, *yet here she is seeking me out on her own initiative. Women sure are hard to figure out.*
Gāo Yán drove them out to a desolate spot. Lěng Yè wondered to himself why she had brought him here: was she hoping he'd continue helping her treat her cold-like syndrome? Or did she have some other business? Or perhaps, ever since that night, she had fallen for him?
Just as he was drowning in his own narcissism, Gāo Yán angrily thrust a photograph toward him and demanded, "Have you ever seen this man?"
Lěng Yè took the photo and looked down, his eyes going wide with shock. The man in the picture was none other than the middle-aged martial artist who had tried to harm him last night. Curious as to how Gāo Yán had come to possess his photo, Lěng Yè nodded and said, "I've seen him before. Do you know him?"
Gāo Yán replied, "His name is Lin Bao. He's a Third Layer of Internal Energy master and one of Long Aotian's subordinates."
Listening to her explanation, Lěng Yè realized the situation was getting complicated. "Your abilities are quite a surprise—not only can you treat illnesses, but you're also a martial artist. But I don't understand why you've gotten yourself entangled with Long Aotian's people."
Shock was plastered all over Lěng Yè's face. He had never imagined that the middle-aged man was connected to Long Aotian. However, the accusatory tone in Gāo Yán's voice annoyed him. Staring at her, he asked, "Why are you so terrified of me bringing trouble upon you?"
Her tone grew even more exasperated. "Why are you so impossible to reason with? You're the one who stirred up a massive mess, yet you're still acting like this!"
Lěng Yè replied indifferently, "He was the one who came looking for trouble with me—my ex-girlfriend hired him to deal with me. But I already beat him."
To his surprise, Gāo Yán dropped a bombshell: "Lin Bao is dead."
Lěng Yè stared at her, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Dead? How is that possible?!"
Gāo Yán continued, "He went back last night with severe internal injuries and passed away shortly after. Upon examination, it was discovered that all his internal organs had been pulverized."
Hearing this, Lěng Yè drew in a sharp breath. He hadn't realized the Heart-Shattering Palm possessed such terrifying might. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Will Long Aotian try to avenge Lin Bao?"
"Lin Bao was just a small-time pawn under Long Aotian," Gāo Yán answered. "Long Aotian might not even bother wasting his energy over him. Powerful though you may be, you are completely insignificant compared to Long Aotian—you're not even worthy of his notice."
Lěng Yè was left speechless, a heavy ache twisting in his chest.
Gāo Yán pressed on, "Lin Bao's older brother, Lín Hǔ, is also one of Long Aotian's men. Lín Hǔ is fiercely protective of his own, and the moment Lin Bao died last night, he vowed to hunt you down and avenge him. If you know what's good for you, you'd better stay out of his way."
Lěng Yè's expression grew even more grave. "How strong is this Lín Hǔ?" he pressed.
"He is a Fifth Layer of Internal Energy master," Gāo Yán said.
At those words, Lěng Yè's heart skipped a beat, and a crushing wave of pressure settled squarely on his shoulders.