Goddess Painting

At the foot of Tian Shu Peak.

The usually quiet mountain gate was unusually lively today.

Several managers of alchemy organizations, dressed in brocade robes and with large bellies, appeared here at the same time.

"Hey! Isn't this Manager Li from Miaodanfang?"

"You're here to hike and enjoy the scenery too?"

Manager Zhou of Jishetang greeted him with a smile, but his eyes revealed a shrewdness.

Manager Li chuckled twice:

"Isn't Manager Zhou here too? It seems everyone has a keen sense of smell; they've all caught wind of what's going on."

"To be honest, I have a distant relative who works for the Li family."

"I heard that this price adjustment controversy was to repay a favor to an old man named Li."

Another shopkeeper also came over and lowered his voice:

"I've heard about it too! And that benefactor... seems quite unhappy about our previous collaboration in suppressing Tian Shu Peak!"

Manager Zhou stroked his beard and nodded meaningfully:

"Some truly wise people love to stand up for the weak and oppressed."

"In business, we're all about being observant and attentive to our surroundings. Since the winds have shifted, we have to change course too, right?"

The group exchanged knowing glances, nodded in agreement, and then headed up the mountain one after another.

On the way up the mountain, the group was still whispering among themselves:

"So...it really is that Master Feng who's helping Qin Feng?"

"Not necessarily. Maybe the master simply disapproved of the Lin family's behavior and helped Qin Feng out of the blue."

"Perhaps the master is researching some new prescription that requires Qin Feng's special physique to cooperate with?"

……

In front of the main hall of Tian Shu Peak.

The disciples guarding the gate were practically staring in disbelief as they watched the group of usually aloof managers standing at the entrance, each carrying gifts and beaming with smiles, requesting an audience.

Normally, these people wouldn't even give the people from Tian Shu Peak a second glance!

Why the sudden change of heart today?

"Wait a moment, I'll go and inform the peak master."

……

inside the house.

Qin Feng was taking stock of the pills when he heard his disciple's report, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

"It seems... someone is getting anxious."

"The time is almost right, it's time to close the net."

Qin Feng straightened his robes and slowly walked out.

in front of the main hall.

When Qin Feng came out, the owners of the six pill shops immediately bowed and greeted him with the same respect as if they were seeing their own father.

"Peak Master Qin! I've heard so much about you!"

Qin Feng looked at them with feigned confusion:

"What brings you here, esteemed managers?"

Manager Zhou of Jishetang stepped forward first, his face beaming with a sincere smile:

"Peak Master Qin! I am Zhou from Jishetang!"

"We've long heard of the Peak Master's extraordinary talent, not only achieving eight superior levels of skill but also harboring the grand ambition to reopen the peak! Such ambition truly commands our admiration!"

"I've come today specifically to express a small token of my appreciation from Jishetang!"

"Our Jishetang is willing to supply all the elixirs needed by Tian Shu Peak at 90% of the market price on a long-term basis! And we will give them priority in supply!"

Qin Feng raised an eyebrow, a half-smile playing on his lips:

"Manager Zhou, I have never had any dealings with your shop before, and I was even turned away many times when I went to buy medicine."

"Where does this kindness come from?"

Manager Zhou remained unfazed; his skin was thick enough to withstand a knife.

"Peak Master, have no doubt!"

"That was because our subordinates were ignorant! We are businessmen; our top priority is investing in the future!"

"Peak Master is a hidden dragon in the abyss, destined to become a pillar of the sect! Today we offer our timely assistance, hoping that when Peak Master rises to prominence in the future, he will remember this act of kindness!"

Manager Li quickly chimed in:

"Yes, yes! Peak Master Qin is young and promising; we have long wanted to pay him a visit!"

"This is a small gift from Miaodanfang; please accept it, Peak Master!"

Everyone chimed in, praising Qin Feng to the skies, as if he were the future savior of the Qingyun Sect.

Just then.

Lu Qianlang ran over from the side and whispered a few words in Qin Feng's ear:

"Peak Master, Sun Changhai, the head of the Sun family, is also waiting outside. He said he's here to apologize."

Qin Feng raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Let him in too."

Everyone immediately fell silent.

Sun Changhai walked in carrying several gift boxes, sweating profusely.

Upon seeing his old rivals all around him, Sun Changhai's heart skipped a beat, and he knew something was wrong.

Those old foxes were even faster than me!

"My dear...my dear nephew!"

Sun Changhai forced himself to step forward, his face plastered with a fawning smile:

"I never expected everyone to have such a coincidence..."

The others completely ignored him, simply watching him with amusement.

Qin Feng crossed his arms and looked at his old friend, who had once made an exorbitant demand of him, with a mocking expression.

"Master Sun, what brings you here in such a hurry?"

Sun Changhai pushed the gift box in front of Qin Feng, bending over at a ninety-degree angle:

"Nephew! Please accept these small gifts!"

"This surge in medicinal herb prices... is truly unbearable for my Sun family! I beg you, my nephew, to show mercy and spare our livelihood!"

Qin Feng feigned surprise:

"I don't understand."

"Didn't Patriarch Sun say before... business is business, and loyalty is loyalty?"

"How could a down-on-his-luck peak master like me meddle in such a major event in the medicinal herb market?"

"This matter...I'm afraid I can't help you with it!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Changhai's legs went weak, and he almost knelt down:

"Nephew! I was wrong! I, Sun, was blind and looked down on people!"

"I shouldn't have been ungrateful! I shouldn't have kicked someone when they were down!"

"Please, for your grandfather's sake, help your uncle out!"

Qin Feng smiled coldly and flicked his sleeve:

"Someone! Show them out!"

"Nephew! Nephew, please let me explain..."

Sun Changhai was dragged out by two disciples, his cries were extremely pitiful, and there was no trace of his former arrogance.

The shopkeepers around were terrified, and they all shrank back, not daring to utter a sound.

That's horrible!

This is what happens when you offend Qin Feng!

"Manager Sun, let's go! Don't embarrass yourselves here!"

"Exactly! Even Peak Master Qin doesn't like you, why bother making a fool of yourself?"

"This is what they mean by 'Heaven's sins may be forgiven, but self-inflicted sins are unforgivable!'"

Sun Changhai was thrown out of the mountain gate.

As they watched his figure disappear, the remaining shopkeepers began to feel uneasy.

What if Qin Feng doesn't like them either?

"Master Qin... Master Qin..." Manager Zhou began cautiously.

Qin Feng turned around, the coldness on his face vanishing instantly, replaced by a warm and welcoming smile:

"Please do not panic."

"Patriarch Sun has only himself to blame. As for you all..."

Qin Feng paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd:

"As long as you agree to one condition, everything will be fine."

"Please enlighten us, Peak Master Qin! As long as it can be done, we will have no objections!" the crowd said in unison.

Qin Feng held up one finger:

"First, from now on, all disciples of my Tian Shu Peak who purchase pills from your shop will enjoy a 10% discount! And you may not refuse to sell to them for any reason!"

"As for the others... I'm not going to worry about them."

"Secondly, I don't want a single word of what happened here today to get out."

"Can you...do it?"

Everyone was overjoyed!

That's it?

These conditions aren't difficult!

"Yes! Absolutely!"

"Please rest assured, Peak Master Qin! We will keep our mouths shut! If we divulge even a single word, may we be struck by lightning!"

Soon, after exchanging pleasantries, everyone left behind "gifts" containing one or two hundred mid-grade spirit stones, and then departed satisfied.

……

After seeing off these money-grubbers, Qin Feng weighed the storage bag in his hand, then turned around and summoned all the disciples of Tian Shu Peak.

"Listen up, everyone!"

"Now, take the spirit stones and go to the pharmacy at the foot of the mountain to buy medicinal pills!"

"Just mention you're a disciple of Tian Shu Peak, and you can buy it! Plus, you'll get a 10% discount!"

Go!

The disciples below looked at each other, each one doubtful.

"Really?"

"They wouldn't sell it to us the day before yesterday, and now they're offering a discount?"

"This is too fantastical!"

The crowd was buzzing with discussion, but very few people actually set off, clearly having been scared off by the previous rejections.

Lu Qianlang gritted his teeth and stepped forward:

"You all wait here! I'll go down the mountain and try it out first!"

Half an hour later.

Lu Qianlang returned, panting, carrying a large bag of pills, his face beaming with ecstasy.

"It's true! It's really true!"

"10% off! It really is 10% off!"

"And the shopkeepers were incredibly kind! They even gave me a bottle of rejuvenating pills!"

"Disciples from other peaks pay the full price, but we get a discount!"