Goddess Painting

The atmosphere inside the Elders' Hall was gloomy.

Wang Tianyi sat upright in the armchair, his fingers tapping idly on the armrest. His usually well-maintained old face was now so gloomy that it seemed as if it could drip water.

Before him knelt a disciple dressed in black.

The eighth level of the new realm!

This is Zhao Erhu, Wang Tianyi's most capable henchman.

"You mean...?"

Wang Tianyi's voice was low and hoarse, carrying a hint of suppressed anger:

"That idiot Chen Xiangdong was scapegoated and kicked out of the Pill Pavilion. Not only did he lose his job, but his family property was also confiscated? And... the price of medicinal herbs throughout the entire sect has skyrocketed?"

"Yes, Elder."

Zhao Erhu's voice was clear:

"The Li and Shen families joined forces to raise prices, which led to Dan Ge's inventory running low and even a temporary supply disruption."

"but……"

Zhao Erhu paused, his tone becoming somewhat strange:

"My disciples sent people to investigate and discovered that although medicine prices have skyrocketed in the market, the owners of those pharmacies, when dealing with disciples holding Tian Shu Peak jade tokens... all restored the original prices, and some even offered a 10% discount!"

"But if our people go to buy it, they won't accept even a penny less!"

"Snapped!"

The teacup in Wang Tianyi's hand instantly turned into dust.

"Something unusual must be going on!"

"That little bastard Qin Feng has absolutely no ability! There must be someone backing him up!"

A fierce glint flashed in Wang Tianyi's cloudy old eyes.

Zhao Erhu hesitated for a moment, then whispered:

"I also followed the clues and investigated further."

"A few days ago, Li Wanqing, the eldest daughter of the Li family, recovered from a serious illness. It is said that she was saved by a miracle doctor who used the pseudonym 'Master Feng'."

"And according to rumors, it was Master Feng who stood up for Qin Feng, which is why the Li family took such action."

"Master Wind?"

Wang Tianyi sneered:

"Erhu, don't just listen to rumors. Go and do it yourself! Ask each of the owners of those pill shops!"

"Ask them! Why are they giving such preferential treatment to Tian Shu Peak alone! Did that so-called Master Feng promise them some benefits?!"

"yes!"

Zhao Erhu accepted the order and left, his figure as swift as lightning, instantly disappearing from the entrance of the main hall.

……

Qingyun Zongfang Market, Baicaotang.

As the shopkeeper Wu Wenchang was seeing off a disciple from Tian Shu Peak with a beaming smile, he turned around and saw Zhao Erhu with a menacing look on his face.

"Hey! Isn't this Senior Brother Zhao?"

Wu Wenchang's heart skipped a beat, but his smile widened even more as he quickly went to greet him:

"What brings you here? Please come in! Please come in!"

Zhao Erhu didn't waste any words with him, and stood there with a cold face:

"Manager Wu, don't give me that platitude."

"Elder Wang heard that there have been some unusual things happening in the market recently, so he specifically ordered me to come and find out the truth."

He stared into Wu Wenchang's eyes, his voice icy:

"Why is your Baicaotang so willing to offer such concessions only to the disciples of Tian Shu Peak? Not only have you resumed supplies, but you're also offering a 10% discount?"

"Could it be... that the Heavenly Peak promised you some benefits that you can't find anywhere else?"

"Oh dear! Senior Brother Zhao! What makes you say that!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Wenchang immediately waved his hands and protested his innocence:

"What good is there in it? We were forced into this situation!"

"It's simply a matter of necessity due to market conditions!"

Zhao Erhu raised an eyebrow: "The market rate?"

"yes!"

With a bitter face, Wu Wenchang began to pour out his grievances:

"As you know, Senior Brother Zhao, the price of medicinal herbs skyrocketed before, and our small businesses almost couldn't survive!"

"Although the disciples from Tian Shu Peak didn't buy many that day, their sales were consistently high! I thought, rather than letting the shelves sit empty and wait to die, it's better to make small profits but increase sales to secure some customers first!"

"This discount... it's purely a promotional tactic the shop has to keep operating! It's for all regular customers! It just so happens that the disciples from Tian Shu Peak come more often!"

Although these words sound reasonable, Zhao Erhu is not stupid.

He gave a cold laugh and pressed on relentlessly:

"A promotion? For all regular customers?"

"Then why are we still paying the original price? Aren't we regular customers?"

Wu Wenchang's face stiffened, then he revealed an even more pathetic smile:

"Senior Brother Zhao...you don't understand our difficulties."

"You, Elder Wang, and the Lin family are all major customers! They have high demand and high quality requirements!"

"Our shop already has high purchase prices, if we give you discounts too... then we won't be able to cover this loss!"

"Giving Tian Shufeng that small discount was already a huge sacrifice! It was just to generate some buzz! If we offered that price to all customers, the shop would have to close down tomorrow!"

That excuse is... absolutely flawless!

Zhao Erhu wanted to ask more, but Wu Wenchang was like an eel, repeating the same few phrases over and over: "losing money," "business is difficult," and "please understand." He was slippery and hard to get.

In the end, Zhao Erhu could only leave Baicaotang with a dark face.

He visited several more medicine shops, and the responses he received were surprisingly consistent!

It's all the same old story!

It's like...they conspired in advance!

……

Meanwhile, in the back room of the Spirit Medicine Workshop.

"Bang!"

Lin Zhengnan kicked open the door and stormed in, his face full of anger.

Qian Fugui, who was doing the accounting, was startled and dropped the abacus beads all over the ground.

"The Lin... Patriarch of the Lin family?!"

Qian Fugui hurriedly ran out from behind the counter, bowing and scraping: "What brings you here? I'm so sorry for not greeting you properly!"

Lin Zhengnan grabbed him by the collar and spat in his face:

"Qian Fugui! Hasn't my Lin family treated you well?!"

"You responded enthusiastically when Tian Shu Peak was sealed off last time! What's wrong with you now? Have you lost your mind?!"

"When my Lin family comes to buy Qingxin Powder, you don't offer a single penny off the original price! But when those good-for-nothings from Tian Shu Peak come, you not only sell to them but also give them a 10% discount?!"

"What? You think the Lin family is easy to bully?!"

Qian Fugui was being strangled so badly he could hardly breathe, inwardly groaning, but he still had to force a smile on his face.

"Master Lin, please calm down! Please calm down!"

"This is a huge misunderstanding! I wouldn't dare look down on the Lin family even if I had a hundred lives!"

"Business is really... tough!"

He then brought out that "small profits but quick turnover" theory that he had long since memorized, and spoke about it with such emotion that he was practically in tears:

"...The Lin family makes large-scale purchases. If we also offer discounts, we really won't be able to cover this deficit! Patriarch Lin, please understand how difficult it is for us to run a small business!"

"That's enough!"

Lin Zhengnan wasn't buying it at all; his brow furrowed, and he exuded a murderous aura.

"Don't give me that nonsense!"

"Tell me the truth! Who ordered you to do this?!"

Qian Fugui's heart tightened, but thinking of the mysterious and unpredictable Master Feng, and the tempting "10% discount on wholesale prices," he steeled his resolve and gritted his teeth, saying:

"Patriarch Lin, what I'm saying is the truth! If you don't believe me... there's nothing I can do!"

"Great! Excellent!"

Lin Zhengnan, enraged, laughed coldly, released his grip, and pointed at Qian Fugui's nose:

"Qian Fugui, you'll regret this!"

After saying that, his face turned ashen, and he turned and left.

Watching Lin Zhengnan's departing figure, Qian Fugui was not afraid at all; instead, he straightened his back.

"Hmph! Others may fear your Lin family's sacred-grade spiritual root, but my Qian family makes our living by refining pills!"

"Offending Master Feng is truly a dead end!"

Just then, Lu Qianlang walked in, holding the jade token from Tian Shu Peak:

"Manager Qian, a bottle of Qi-Gathering Pills, please!"

The waiter immediately put on a warm smile:

"Alright! Senior Brother Tian Shu Peak, right? 10% discount! Nine low-grade spirit stones in total!"

A member of the Lin family who hadn't gone far behind Lin Zhengnan also wanted to buy the same pills. As soon as he approached, the shopkeeper's expression changed, and he coldly quoted the original price.

This scene was like a resounding slap in the face to Lin Zhengnan, who hadn't gone far!

This is a public slap in the face!