Chapter 199: Medicinal Pill Intermediary
The path to the Immortal Villa is through the vast forest, then turning onto the mountain path on the right, and walking a few dozen steps. This location is very open, with no obstructions around.
Therefore, the scene of the Dan Sect's daughter dressing up and going to Ji You's courtyard early in the morning was clearly visible from a bird's-eye view to all the Disciples in the five great Sacred Halls, as well as those planning to comprehend the Dao in the Purple Bamboo Zen Forest.
Knocking on the door, conversing, and then entering the courtyard—her words, actions, expressions, and demeanor during the entire process were all clear at a glance.
They all knew that Ji You's courtyard had been hosting a woman for half a month now.
They also knew that Yuan Caiwei, the Dan Sect's daughter, was truly smitten with Ji You and had rushed to his courtyard immediately upon arriving at Tianshu Academy.
They kept feeling that such a lively scene should lead to something, like someone rushing out, or a fight and shouting. Some even thought they might see Ji You kneeling on the mountain path, admitting his mistake to Yuan Caiwei, and promising to send the mortal woman away immediately to show his determination to marry into the Dan Sect.
However, from last night to this morning, none of the anticipated events occurred. Only the continuous rise of cooking smoke shattered all speculations amidst the everyday hustle and bustle, as if Yuan Caiwei's arrival was perfectly timed.
Many of them were actually waiting for an opportunity to invite the Yuan family siblings at this time to purchase the Medicinal Pills they needed.
After all, the Tiandao Conference was about to begin, and at this critical juncture, there were countless people eager to consolidate their Realm or quickly break through to a higher Realm.
In normal times, they could achieve this by spending more time in closed-door cultivation, but in the current situation, taking Medicinal Pills became the best option.
However, it seemed that besides Ji You, no one else could easily meet these siblings now.
“In this situation, I really don’t know if I should go.”
“It can’t hurt to ask, right?”
“But matters between men and women are too complicated, and matters between men, women, and women are even more so. Outsiders shouldn’t interfere casually. I think we should send a letter to inquire about the situation. What does Zhengxin Fairy think?”
“Immortal Venerable Ban Yangshu’s consideration is very apt. Then shall we try sending a letter first?”
It was no secret that the Dan Sect always prepared spare Medicinal Pills when delivering them, so Ban Yangshu and Wen Zhengxin also had a desire to obtain Medicinal Pills.
However, considering the unclear situation in Ji You’s backyard, both of them were hesitant and dared not act rashly.
So after much deliberation, they wrote a letter, subtly expressing their desire for Medicinal Pills, and then handed it to a Master-in-charge Disciple to deliver.
This way, if it succeeded, it would naturally be excellent; if not, there would be no regrets.
At this moment, the morning meal in the small courtyard had just finished, and Yuan Caiwei and Yan Shu were drinking tea in the main hall.
The former didn’t explicitly say she wanted to snatch a man, and the latter, being stubborn, wasn’t willing to say she wanted to marry. So, their interaction remained like sisters who didn't know each other's thoughts, full of a superficial feel.
Yuan Chen, on the other hand, was responsible for washing dishes and roasting sweet potatoes for his two older sisters, a proper tool-like Junior Brother.
Ji You was much more leisurely, sitting on a folding stool, unfolding and reading the letter handed to him by Ban Yangshu.
The Tiandao Conference is held every five years, and the competition rules are a Ring Match between cultivators of the same Realm, so those who have entered a higher Realm have the highest chance of winning.
Therefore, cultivators planning to participate in the Tiandao Conference currently have a much more fervent demand for Medicinal Pills than at any other time.
Ji You took out a stack of silver notes from his bosom, counted them for a while, then turned to look at Yuan Caiwei and Yuan Chen. Not long after, Ban Yangshu and Wen Zhengxin each received a fist-sized red Medicinal Pill box.
After disassembling the spiritual seal on the Medicinal Pill box, a dark Spirit Pill was placed inside. The Medicinal Pill's patterns moved like living things, and as Mystic Light flowed, faint immortal sounds seemed to emanate, causing the surrounding aura to circulate and the air to shimmer.
Ban Yangshu held the Medicinal Pill box, stunned for a long time, suddenly feeling as if he were in a dream.
“This Dry Yuan Pill has always been priceless on the market. Getting it so easily makes me feel a bit uneasy.”
“Indeed, I had prepared a hundred taels, but Junior Brother Ji didn’t mention money to us. This makes me feel unsettled.”
The two exchanged glances, feeling utterly perplexed, and then took the Medicinal Pill to Cao Jinsong’s courtyard.
Cao Jinsong looked at the Medicinal Pill boxes in their hands for a long time: “He didn’t ask for money?”
Wen Zhengxin nodded: “Cao Instructor, don’t you also find it very strange?”
Cao Jinsong scratched his head, thought for a long time, and then said, “He’s been dirt poor since he entered the Inner Courtyard; he couldn’t even afford food, let alone Medicinal Pills.”
“Then shouldn’t he be even more inclined to ask us for money?”
“No, what I mean is he’s never bought Medicinal Pills, so he probably doesn’t know how much this Medicinal Pill is actually worth—”
Case closed. Wen Zhengxin instantly held his breath, thinking, so that's how it is.
Ban Yangshu looked at the Medicinal Pill in his hand: “But even if Junior Brother Ji doesn’t know, Yuan Caiwei certainly wouldn’t not know.”
Cao Jinsong hissed: “That’s true.”
Bai Rulong couldn't help but interject, “After Brother Ji read your letter and said he wanted it, Miss Yuan must have just given it to him. How could she ask her beloved for money for something he wants? I think it’s normal that Brother Ji doesn’t know the price, and it’s normal that Cao Instructor, having never had a Dao Companion, doesn’t understand.”
Cao Jinsong was stunned, thinking, how the hell does this relate to me not having a Dao Companion?
Ban Yangshu couldn't help but purse his lips: “No matter what, I think this money still needs to be given, more rather than less.”
Wen Zhengxin looked at Ban Yangshu: “Why?”
“Junior Brother Ji will know how much this Medicinal Pill costs someday, and I’m afraid of being robbed then—”
“Well said.”
Bai Rulong touched his mouth, thinking, why is it so troublesome?
If Brother Ji wanted to rob you, would he still give you Medicinal Pills? Impossible!
If his occupational disease flared up, your left foot entering the door first would be reason enough.
But what puzzled him most now was that even though there was another woman in Brother Ji's courtyard, why was it so harmonious?
Regarding this matter, he was willing to risk being robbed to learn thoroughly.
Ban Yangshu and Wen Zhengxin did not linger further and then returned to the Inner Courtyard to refine the Dry Yuan Pill they had obtained.
And the news of them each obtaining a Dry Yuan Pill also began to spread within the Inner Courtyard through the Master-in-charge Disciple who had gone to deliver the letter.
“The Yuan family siblings went to Ji You’s place for breakfast early this morning and couldn’t be invited to the banquet.”
“Also, the spare Dry Yuan Pills should be gone, because just today, Ji You gave one to Wen Zhengxin and one to Ban Yangshu.”
Wei Han, a Master-in-charge Disciple, hurried down the mountain and arrived at Hongding Restaurant, delivering the invitation that couldn't be sent earlier that morning, untouched, to Zhao Yunyue.
Before the Princess could speak, Liu Junchi, who was beside her, already had a drastic change in expression. He then silently walked to the front of the covered corridor, leaning his hand on the backrest, his gaze gloomy.
【He orchestrated rumors of marrying into the Dan Sect himself】
【My fellow cultivators want to get on good terms with Ji You for Medicinal Pills, but I just smile and say nothing】
His words from yesterday now thundered incessantly in his ears.
“The Dan Sect’s Medicinal Pill transport routes are divided into two, north and south, so Yuan Caiwei should have at least three spare Medicinal Pills of each category.”
“So that means there should still be one spare Dry Yuan Pill?”
“There should still be one—”
“Why don’t we also try sending a letter to Ji You? I heard he loves money the most, so stuffing some silver notes in it should be effective.”
With his mind in turmoil, Liu Junchi heard the discussion behind him and couldn't help but feel a slight stir.
Indeed, Ni Mountain Tianshu Academy is the last stop on the northern route, so there should logically be one more.
Liu Junchi now looked at Zhao Yunyue: “Junior Sister, can you help me find someone to write a letter and take it to Ji You?”
Zhao Yunyue was still in a daze at this moment. Hearing his voice, she looked up: “Senior Brother, what did you say?”
“I mean, can you help me find someone to take a letter requesting Medicinal Pills to Ji You?”
“This—”
Before Zhao Yunyue could speak, another piece of news that disappointed Liu Junchi came through.
Yuan Caiwei indeed had a third Dry Yuan Pill, but just now, that Medicinal Pill was bought from Ji You by an external operative of the Chen Clan.
Opportunities are like this; they are always reserved for those who are proactive enough.
And those who heard this result let out exclamations of regret, wondering why they hadn't acted sooner.
Even more astonishing was Yuan Caiwei's attitude towards Ji You. The Dan Sect's daughter, a fifth-Rank alchemist, actually gave all her spare Medicinal Pills to Ji You, as if she was eagerly trying to marry him.
This was completely contrary to what everyone had previously thought, which was that Ji You was desperately trying to curry favor with the Dan Sect.
Even more terrifying, if one were to think carefully, the Dan Sect's daughter's intentions were so undisguised, yet the two were still not married. Could it be that Ji You refused?
In the time that followed, the purchase of the last Dry Yuan Pill did not reduce the number of letters sent to Ji You’s courtyard; instead, they continued to increase.
Because besides the Dry Yuan Pill, there were many other Spirit Pills worth purchasing.
Moreover, it had now been proven that money was indeed effective with Ji You.
Thus, throughout the entire afternoon, news of cultivators purchasing spare Medicinal Pills from Ji You continued to spread.
Changbai Pill, Dragon Elephant Pill, Tianhe Pill, Azure Spirit Pill—
Inside and outside Tianshu Academy, Shengjing City instantly became lively.
Even those who temporarily had no need for Medicinal Pills couldn't help but send letters, planning to try their luck.
There would be no loss if they couldn't buy it, but it would be a huge gain if they could.
Even the second Master-in-charge of Qionghua Pavilion couldn't resist writing a letter, wanting to be a middleman's middleman.
At this moment, Ji You sat in the courtyard, watching the Master's Courtyard Disciple constantly bustling back and forth in his courtyard, his fingers moving lightly, then sending out Medicinal Pills one by one.
The silver notes sent into the courtyard were also continuously increasing, piling up on the table. The Tianshu Academy Inner Courtyard Disciples, who were originally a bit reserved, gradually started to lose their composure as more and more people obtained Medicinal Pills through his connections, and at prices far lower than expected.
Some Elders, upon hearing of this, were also somewhat moved.
Because Immortal Sect Elders are also divided by Rank, some Elders found it difficult to obtain Spirit Pills beyond their Rank, while other Elders, who didn't personally need Medicinal Pills, had close nephews or nieces in their Sect who did. So, they also entrusted their trusted Disciples to write letters.
It proved that Ji You had many Spirit Pills in his possession.
Countless Disciples obtained Medicinal Pills through Ji You, and at this moment, they were both surprised and delighted.
But despite their surprise and delight, it didn't stop them from looking down on Ji You.
In their view, Ji You's actions were no different from living off a woman, merely taking advantage of a woman, and there was nothing to be proud of.
Liu Junchi couldn't get a Dry Yuan Pill, so he settled for a second-best option and had someone buy a Prajna Pill. Although it couldn't compare to the mysterious and potent Dry Yuan Pill, it was still better than cultivating in seclusion himself.
In addition, his Junior Brothers, Yao Chenglin and Peng Peng, also bought the Medicinal Pills they needed from Ji You.
However, what puzzled them was that Ji You's Medicinal Pills were genuinely not expensive; some were at the Dan Sect's market price, while others were far below the market price.
The problem was that although Dan Sect's Medicinal Pills always had a fixed market price, due to their rarity, no one had ever truly been able to buy them at only the market price.
Even with connections, it would cost two to three times the price to acquire them.
"Is he relying on Yuan Caiwei's admiration to get the Medicinal Pills at a reduced price?"
Liu Junchi sneered, "Perhaps he didn't even pay money, but directly asked Yuan Caiwei for them for free."
Peng Peng and Yao Chenglin were stunned: "For free? Impossible—"
Liu Junchi turned to look at them: "Didn't that Master's Courtyard Disciple say earlier that he gave Dry Yuan Pills for free to two people with whom he had a very good relationship? Yet, everyone in Qingyun World knows Ji You is very tight with money. He wouldn't have bought them himself to give away."
"This... this is too shameless!"
"Presumably, Miss Yuan couldn't refuse him because she was infatuated with him, but he never considered how Miss Yuan would explain herself after returning to the mountain. If it were me—"
If it were me—this wasn't just Liu Junchi's thought, but also the inner thought of many who had bought Medicinal Pills.
If I were the one Yuan Caiwei was infatuated with, I would naturally seek Medicinal Pills for myself based on my status, but I would never use this to amass wealth and cheapen a woman's true feelings.
He Lingxiu was currently standing outside the main hall of Zizai Hall. Inside the hall were her uncle and several Elders, sitting opposite two Dan Sect Pill-Protecting Elders who had accompanied them, drinking tea.
Because Ji You was selling Spirit Pills in Tianshu Academy today, the expressions of the two Dan Sect Elders were a bit unpleasant.
He Lingxiu looked in the direction of that small courtyard and couldn't help but murmur to herself, "Acting like this, it really seems a bit self-aggrandizing..."
Zuoqiuyang walked out of Zizai Hall and looked at his niece: "Are you talking about Ji You?"
"Yes."
"Why do you think that?"
He Lingxiu raised her eyes: "He hasn't even established a clear relationship with the Dan Sect's daughter, yet he's openly selling Medicinal Pills based on that connection. Although there's nothing inherently inappropriate, it will inevitably make people look down on him."
Zuoqiuyang rolled his sleeves behind him: "You thought the same thing when he went on an envoy mission to the Snow Region last time."
He Lingxiu paused slightly, and a frown suddenly creased her brow.
At this moment, the night was very thick, and the hazy moonlight gradually enveloped the area.
Yuan Caiwei had given Ji You his second medical consultation and was now leaving his courtyard, heading towards Zizai Hall with her Younger Brother, Yuan Chen. He Lingxiu saw the Yuan family siblings approaching from the mountain and, without further thought on her uncle's words, stepped forward to greet them.
"Miss Yuan, Young Master Yuan, long time no see."
"Fairy He, you've been well."
He Lingxiu smiled: "The two Dan Sect Elders are drinking tea in the hall. You two should come in with me."
"Today has been too busy, I'm a bit tired, so I won't have tea. I hope Fairy He will understand."
Yuan Caiwei took out a thick stack of silver notes from her embrace, "Please, Fairy He, hand these to my two clan uncles."
He Lingxiu took the silver notes: "What is this?"
"The money Ji You paid our Dan Sect for Medicinal Pills."
"?"
He Lingxiu took the silver notes, and after checking them for a long time, her brows furrowed, and she fell into thought.
She didn't even know when the Yuan family siblings had left, only that the total amount of these silver notes already exceeded the total market price of the Medicinal Pills sold.
Among them were several large-denomination silver notes, whose imprints came from the Tianshu Academy's specialized money house.
These large-denomination silver notes were not common, and when the Master's Courtyard dispatched Ji You to the Snow Region, they gave him this type of silver note.
In other words, Ji You purchased the Medicinal Pills from Yuan Caiwei at market price and sold them at a low price.
To put it another way, he took a loss to gain a reputation, subsidizing many unrelated cultivators.
He Lingxiu was somewhat confused as to why Ji You would do this.
Zuoqiuyang now looked at He Lingxiu: "First, he obtained the transport route for the snowy region demon stone from the Worldly Family in Feng Province, and now he's so grandly announcing that he can directly purchase Dan Sect Spirit Pills. He's doing this for the cultivators of Feng Province to see."
"Feng Province?"
"Ji You has arranged some joint reclamation and joint harvesting, wanting to use the power of external Immortal Villas to extensively reclaim the land in Feng Province when spring arrives. But those Immortal Villas may not be willing to listen to him."
"Especially the Masters of some Immortal Villas, they look down on those tax offerings and will certainly not cooperate in this way. And Ji You needs cultivators to participate, which puts him in a passive position; he will have to bow to the Immortal Villas then."
"But now that he has obtained snowy region Spirit Stones and Dan Sect Spirit Medicine, everything is different. You think he's doing it for money,"
But in reality, he has always been adding weight to the Spring Ploughing for the people of Feng Province."
Zuoqiuyang rolled his sleeves behind him: "Those Immortal Villas in Feng Province will soon know that Ji You can obtain top-grade Dan Sect Spirit Pills."
He Lingxiu raised her eyes: "Just for farming?"
"No, it's so that the children in every household can grow up, so that those who leave home can return, no matter how late. I used to wonder how he could achieve this, but now it doesn't seem like an empty promise."
"He will use the snowy region demon stone and Dan Sect Spirit Medicine as a price, which will cause the external Immortal Villas in Feng Province to grow stronger. Even if they are well-behaved, it's only temporary. Isn't Ji You afraid of raising a tiger to suffer from it later by doing this?"
Zuoqiuyang looked at the small courtyard on the southwest side under the night sky: "He naturally considers this kind of risk, and he may also feel uneasy, but he still chooses to take it one step at a time."
Under the winter night, in the small courtyard, Ji You was breathing in the cold wind.
Today's treatment involved using Medicinal Qi to correct his Meridians, which were twisted due to Qi, so it was a bit painful. Breathing in the cold wind now could alleviate some of it.
Yan Shuyi stood outside the door, looking at Ji You: "At the cost of snowy region demon stone and Dan Sect Spirit Medicine, aren't you afraid of raising a tiger to suffer from it later?"
Ji You turned to look at her: "Back then, Chu River and Lu Qingqiu, including the current Fang Jincheng, Lu Hanyan, and Puyang Xing, all consumed countless Medicinal Pills."
"?"
"My point is, no matter how fast they cultivate by consuming Medicinal Pills and Spirit Stones, it's only as fast as Chu River and the others, and Chu River is far from as fast as I am."
"Those Immortal Villa Disciples in Feng Province are all peripheral figures of Worldly Sect and haven't seen anything good. They'll think, since they can get Medicinal Pills they usually can't even see, what's the harm in temporarily helping Ji You with some things?"
"Once I grow strong, let alone Ji You, the entire Feng Province will be mine. Then, the spring ploughing will begin smoothly. They will work desperately for the snowy region demon stone and Dan Sect Spirit Medicine, engaging in joint reclamation and joint cultivation."
"The plows of Feng Province will turn over new soil, and there will be no more elderly care homes, no more 'exchanging children for food,' no more widespread starvation."
"In this process, the external Immortal Villas will gradually grow stronger, and when they turn around, they'll realize, 'How did Ji You become even stronger?'"
"Then they will suddenly realize, 'So I was the tiger all along.'"
Ji You couldn't help but raise the corner of his mouth, but the bite wound on his lip began to throb, making him turn to stare at Yan Shuyi.
The little Master Jian was looking at him intently. After a long while, she realized his gaze was a bit mischievous, and a trace of vigilance flashed in her eyes as Sword Qi began to rise silently.
