"Money talks, but it can be so heartless! How about this? I'll give you a Supreme VIP card. Everything you buy at our Wanshan Chamber of Commerce gets a 50% discount! What do you say?"
Jin Wanshan added, "Of course, this only applies if you use it yourself. No reselling."
"Devious merchant!" Qin Yang snorted. "You should just give me everything for free instead of this 50% discount. You..."
"Deal!" Jin Wanshan suddenly grabbed Qin Yang's hand, shook it vigorously, and swung it around. "Let's work together! Our Wanshan Chamber of Commerce will provide all the resources you need, and you'll share all your formulas. It's a win-win!"
Qin Yang's entire arm was twisted into a pretzel shape. "How is this a deal?" he demanded, bewildered. "What kind of 'win-win' is this?"
"Get off!" Qin Yang shook free. "You scoundrel! Do you think a few spirit medicines are worth my formulas?"
"It's not just spirit medicines," Jin Wanshan countered. "Anything our Wanshan Chamber of Commerce has that you need - it's all free!"
"Absolutely not!" Qin Yang refused, his face turning red. "I'd be losing out big time!"
"Magic artifacts aren't cheap, you know!" Jin Wanshan retorted.
"Treasure artifacts aren't consumables. Besides, do I even need them?"
"Techniques and martial arts... um..." Jin Wanshan trailed off, realizing Qin Yang likely had no use for such things either.
Gritting his teeth, Jin Wanshan declared, "From now on, my home is your home!"
"Get lost! I'm the honorable head of the Qin Family. What's with this 'my home' nonsense?" Qin Yang glared fiercely.
By the continent's social hierarchy, the Qin Family of the Eight Divine Clans held higher status than the Gold Family of the Wanshan Chamber of Commerce...
"I mean..." Jin Wanshan, now flustered, resorted to stubborn persistence. "I don't care! The deal's done. You can't go back on your word!"
The middle-aged manager stared blankly at Jin Wanshan, then glanced at the stack of spirit medicine lists in his hand. He clicked his tongue repeatedly - the young master's dealmaking skills were truly remarkable. This transaction guaranteed massive profits with no risks!
Lou Mengyu stood to the side, covering her mouth with a soft chuckle. Watching the two bicker, she discreetly tugged at Qin Yang's sleeve. "If you want to expand the Qin Family's influence," she whispered, "foundational resources are crucial. This deal might seem like a loss, but it's actually a gain. By agreeing to this, Jin Wanshan essentially makes the Gold Family's resources your own..."
Qin Yang felt somewhat tempted, but only somewhat. He wouldn't commit until he figured out whether he was getting a good deal or not.
Jin Wanshan seized the opportunity to add, "Think about it. When you select a site for the Qin Family, build the halls, recruit servants, and set up formations... all of that will require money!"
Qin Yang's eyes lit up. "Are you saying that if I need something, the Wanshan Chamber of Commerce will provide it for free?"
"Of course!" Jin Wanshan nodded.
"Then... alright." Qin Yang nodded in agreement. This seemed like a solution that would take care of everything at once.
Jin Wanshan burst into hearty laughter.
How could he not know about Qin Yang's potential? Right now, it was just third-rank and fourth-rank pill formulas. But what about later? Fifth-rank and sixth-rank pills?
The Qin Family had established themselves in the world with just one Body Tempering Pill. One could imagine how valuable these pill formulas must be!
Qin Yang frowned, watching Jin Wanshan's joyful expression. Damn, I'm still the one losing out here!
"First, get me a high-grade earth-rank magical pill furnace!" Qin Yang demanded.
"Right away!" The middle-aged manager perked up, now sharing in the joy.
A high-grade earth-rank magical pill furnace? That was only a few tens of thousands of spirit stones...
"Bring me the list. I'll convert it into a formula." Qin Yang's face showed clear reluctance, but since he'd made up his mind, he wouldn't regret it.
Soon, the formula was ready, and Jin Wanshan carefully stored it away. Such precious items should be taken back and given to his father, who would arrange for a dan refining master to produce the pills.
Looking at the updated earth-grade qiankun ring on his hand, filled with spirit medicines and an earth-grade pill furnace, Qin Yang finally felt somewhat relieved.
"What was that round thing? And that black... thing?" Jin Wanshan asked curiously.
"Oh, the round thing seems to be the core of some formation. The black thing is..." Qin Yang said mysteriously, "the black elephant tusk of a Heaven-Shattering Mammoth!"
"Heaven-Shattering Mammoth? A mythical beast?" Jin Wanshan shook his head, indicating he'd never heard of it.
It wasn't just him; no one else had heard of it either.
"What a lack of knowledge!" Qin Yang clicked his tongue, then turned to Lou Mengyu with a smile. "Take whatever you want. Don't be modest!"
"Help yourselves!" Jin Wanshan said cheerfully.
On the side, Qu Qingge watched enviously. Being so close to the Gold Family's young master was enough to make anyone green with envy.
With the Gold Family as his solid backing, Qin Yang was no longer a lone Qin Family heir.
"What are you waiting for? Pick one too! From now on, for magical artifacts, talismans, pills, and all sorts of miscellaneous items, just go to the Wanshan Chamber of Commerce," Qin Yang said to Qu Qingge.
"Ah? I... can I really?" Qu Qingge's face flushed red with embarrassment.
"Of course! My formulas aren't worth this price!" Qin Yang replied.
Jin Wanshan threw an arm around Qu Qingge's neck and interjected, "Didn't I say we're friends? Friends are priceless! Don't be so polite with me!"
Qin Yang's face was covered in black lines. This guy, stealing credit again!
With the pills and magical artifacts, Qin Yang naturally began preparing to refine pills.
For Qin Yang, pill refining was as easy as popping popcorn. He immediately produced a third-rank Face-Preserving Pill and handed it to Lou Mengyu.
"Keep the pills for later when you're bored on the road. As for Body Tempering Pills... I'll refine them when it's time to temper your body. Best to consume them with the accompanying phenomena for maximum effect," Qin Yang explained.
Lou Mengyu gazed at the third-rank supreme-grade Face-Preserving Pill swirling with cloud-like qi before swallowing it whole. Her entire being seemed to radiate an ethereal, immortal aura.
Compared to Qin Yang and his companions, the others suddenly felt like mere mortals.
"Premium-grade quality, refined with a casual flick of the wrist..." The middle-aged manager's jaw dropped in awe, his admiration for his young master's discernment growing by the moment.
"This Face-Preserving Pill is truly miraculous! I must have one too!" Qin Yang swallowed hard, then immediately refined another pill and consumed it on the spot.
A warm, soothing current flowed through his body, leaving him feeling refreshed and revitalized. His already handsome features now glowed with renewed vitality, his spirit radiating with vigor.
Qin Yang demanded a mirror, gazing at his reflection with repeated exclamations of admiration. "This Face-Preserving Pill is incredible! Don't you think I look even more handsome now?"
Standing beside Lou Mengyu now, they resembled an immortal couple from legend. Though his skin had become somewhat fairer, he now looked more like a scholar than Qu Qingge.
"Want some?" Qin Yang waved the pill at his companions.
Jin Wanshan and Qu Qingge exchanged glances, shaking their heads vigorously.
"Why not?" Qin Yang pressed, puzzled.
"We're men!" Jin Wanshan blurted out.
"What's wrong with men taking it? My Face-Preserving Pill not only nourishes yin and whitens skin, but it also strengthens yang and replenishes kidney essence for men!" Qin Yang turned to Lou Mengyu. "Am I more handsome now or before?"
Lou Mengyu's cheeks flushed crimson as she murmured, "Now."
"Of course girls like this, but we're grown men!" Jin Wanshan whispered. "You've been eating too many of those Face-Preserving Pills. People will think you're some pretty boy..."
Qu Qingge nodded vigorously.
"Outdated! You deserve to look rough!" Qin Yang snorted, clenching his fist. The explosive force seemed to crush the air around him. "Have you ever seen such a powerful pretty boy? I see you're just jealous! You know even with Face-Preserving Pills, you'll never be as handsome as me!"
"Qin Yang, you're here!" A male classmate suddenly burst through the door, collapsing to his knees before Qin Yang with a sobbing voice.
"What are you doing? Get up!" Qin Yang pulled him upright.
"You must help me! Lin Wan'er is missing!" The classmate's face twisted with helplessness.
"Lin Wan'er is missing?" Qin Yang and Lou Mengyu exchanged glances.
Lin Wan'er was their classmate. Qin Yang remembered her vaguely - like a neighborhood girl. Her family was poor, and her cultivation technique was poor too, but she worked hard. Her cultivation level wasn't much weaker than others.
Instead of fixing her technique, Qin Yang had given her a completely new one.
"It's normal for girls to go shopping. You're the one who lost her, aren't you?" Qin Yang asked.
"No, no! She went to try on a magical veil. I waited for so long, but she didn't come out. I went to look for her, but... she's gone!"
The classmate's voice cracked as he began sobbing again.