Becoming a god starts with one certificate becoming eternal.

Chapter 20 Medicine Debt

After staring at Ye Xiao for a few moments, the old man slightly flared his nostrils as if sniffing something, then a half-smile appeared on his face, and his cloudy eyes slowly narrowed.

"To dare use such high-quality medicine, you must have reached the Muscle and Muscle Realm. But... you don't smell of medicine at all, that's quite rare."

As someone who has dealt with medicine for many years, his sensitivity to medicine is even higher than that of a true martial artist.

Ye Xiao remained silent, waiting for the other party to reveal their ultimate goal.

"Those who come from the Silent Alley either die young or are incredibly resilient."

The old man continued to stare at Ye Xiao, as if making a casual remark, or perhaps weighing goods: "The value of someone like you isn't in your pocket, it's in yourself."

Ye Xiao was not surprised and said calmly, "I want the medicine. Just state your conditions."

The old man paused for a moment, then laughed: "It seems you had expected this all along. I didn't expect you to be so clever."

He stopped talking nonsense, pulled a yellowed contract from under the counter, and slammed it on the table.

The paper was thin, yet it had a faint medicinal and musty smell.

"This is the rule of my shop."

The old man said slowly, "Last time I told you it was five times the price, that was the price for a cash transaction. But I have another rule: I can let you pay on credit. As long as you can pay it off within a month, then it will only be three times the original price."

"If it's still not cleared?" Ye Xiao immediately saw the key point.

"If you can't pay it back within a month..." The old man's cloudy eyes flashed with a sharp light as he said, "You'll owe me one thing."

After he finished speaking, the room seemed to fall silent.

It wasn't a shouting threat, but rather placing a knife on the table.

Ye Xiao didn't answer immediately, but looked up at him and asked, "What is it?"

"You won't get a clear answer even if you ask now."

The old man's smile deepened, and his tone remained steady:

"Don't worry too much. I won't take your life, nor will I ask you to sell yourself. As long as you accomplish one thing, this debt will be settled. As for that thing... you'll find out in time."

Ye Xiao didn't nod immediately. He simply pushed the contract back half an inch and asked in a deep voice, "Is it only for me?"

The old man paused for a moment, then laughed out loud: "You're quite cautious."

Ye Xiao stared at him.

"Don't worry, there's no need to be so wary."

The old man waved his hand: "I recognize your name and your person. Other people or forces have nothing to do with me. This contract is only for you."

In the dim light, two shadows faced each other across the counter.

Ye Xiao had already mentally calculated the costs and benefits.

Three times the price.

If he can get enough fuel to replenish the energy in his body, he can advance to the Bone Forging Realm. At that time, he will have more ways to make money, and it will not be impossible for him to pay off this medical debt.

The real problem wasn't the money, but that one thing.

Ye Xiao raised his eyes, but did not nod immediately. Instead, he calmly asked, "If I pay it off in advance, will this contract be void?"

A strange light flashed in the old man's eyes: "Of course."

"That's good." Ye Xiao nodded. "This deal is acceptable."

The old man raised an eyebrow: "Third-rate medicine sells for three times the price, that's fifteen taels. How much medicine do you need?"

Compared to the vendors in the Silent Alley and the border area, most shops in the inner city use silver for transactions, with one tael of silver equaling one string of cash.

"As much as you can, preferably all of them are different kinds of medicine," Ye Xiao said directly.

The old man narrowed his eyes: "Are you trying to raise money to open a pharmacy?"

"It's none of your business," Ye Xiao said calmly.

Even though he had vaguely sensed that the key to the medicine for him was not its effects, but the difference in its potency and grade, he still had to confirm this step himself.

"Quite an appetite."

The old man didn't move immediately. His gaze lingered on Ye Xiao's face for a moment before slowly falling on Ye Xiao's fingers, which were resting on the edge of the counter. His knuckles were steady, without a trace of urgency.

That doesn't seem like someone who's been forced into a corner and lost their composure.

After hesitating for a long while, the old man clicked his tongue softly, as if he had finally made up his mind: "Alright, let's gamble!"

After saying that, he turned around and took out ten small porcelain bottles from the cabinet. The bottles were wrapped in old cloth, and the knots were tied very tightly.

Snapped.

The ten porcelain vases landed one after another on the counter, the sound not loud, but the weight was substantial.

"Here are five different kinds of third-rate medicines, two portions of each." The old man stared intently at Ye Xiao. "One hundred and fifty taels within a month. If you can't pay it back, you can forget about avoiding that matter."

"I know," Ye Xiao said.

The old man tapped the deed with his chin: "Sign it, and the medicine is yours."

The oil lamp crackled, and the flame flickered.

Ye Xiao did not hesitate; if he delayed any longer, the cultivation of the Crimson Blood Stake would be difficult to advance further.

If you choose another path... endure a few years, slowly save money, and first practice other stance training and boxing techniques. Perhaps you can also step into the Bone Forging stage.

But that road was too slow.

Neither the cruelty of the Silent Alley itself nor the crisis brought about by Zhang Tu's death allowed him to take his time.

One hundred and fifty taels—an enormous sum he had never imagined—had now become a huge debt.

Ye Xiao picked up the contract.

The paper contained only a few lines of text: a medicine loan agreement.

Ye Xiao, the borrower, owes 150 taels of silver.

The debt must be paid off within thirty days.

If the debt remains unpaid, you should do something for the pharmacy to offset it.

No going back on your word.

It has no extra constraints, yet it is heavier than chains.

The words were few, yet they seemed to have been prepared in advance, waiting for someone to sign them.

Ye Xiao bit his fingertip and pressed his fingerprint onto the contract paper with his blood.

There was no wind, but the lamplight still flickered.

Under the oil lamp, the old man took away the contract paper.

The aged finger paused for a moment on the bloodstain, as if confirming something, or perhaps just pressing it out of habit.

"Remember, one month."

The old man said calmly, "When the time comes, if you don't come to repay your debt, I will come looking for you no matter where you are."

Ye Xiao did not respond, but simply reached out and put the ten small porcelain bottles into his pocket one by one.

The porcelain bottle was pressed against my chest; it was very cold.

It was as cold as a pebble just pulled out of the water.

Ye Xiao said, "Give me some more common medicines for cough and asthma, and a dose of fever reducer that can be stored for a long time."

The old man glanced at him, his gaze lingering on his face for a moment. He didn't ask who it was for, but simply snorted and turned to rummage through the cabinet for medicine.

"Cough and asthma medicine, five packets, to be taken morning and evening, a ten-day supply, two strings of pills."

"Fever reducer, 500 coins."

Ye Xiao paid for the medicine, put it away, and left without saying another word.

The door hinges creaked again, the light from the oil lamp was cut off by the door panel, and the pharmacy was plunged back into shadow, as if no one had ever entered.

……

The road back to the Silent Alley was quieter than the way there.

The night fog rolled along the ground, and there was no wind in the alley; only the moisture slowly seeped into your bones.

Ye Xiao walked slowly.

He could feel the porcelain bottle in his arms gently tapping, and each touch reminded him... this was not something that came for free.

The door panel in the Silent Alley was still crooked.

When he pushed the door open, the room was dark.

There are no lights.

Only a small ember, not completely extinguished, glowed a dark red beneath the ashes in the stove.

"Xiao'er?"

My mother's voice came from inside, very softly.

Ye Xiao replied, "I'm back."

He closed the door, keeping the night fog out, but the room remained cold.

Xiaoxue had already fallen asleep, curled up on the inside of the bed, holding the faded rag doll in her arms, her breathing fine and even.

The mother sat on the edge of the bed, draped in an old coat, clearly still awake.

Her gaze lingered on Ye Xiao for a moment before quickly shifting away, as if she dared not look at him for too long.

Where did you go?

Ye Xiao walked to the stove, took out the medicine packet from his arms, and gently placed it on the stove.

I went to the pharmacy.

The mother stopped moving.

She stared at the packets of medicine, her eyes narrowing, and instinctively shook her head: "Didn't I tell you not to buy medicine? Those things... are too expensive."

"It's not worth much."

Ye Xiao interrupted her and pushed the medicine packet toward her: "It's for your cough and asthma, a ten-day supply. Remember to take it on time."

The mother was stunned.

She looked down at the medicine, and after a long while, she whispered, "How could this kind of medicine not be valuable..."

"It's really worthless." Ye Xiao said calmly, "You eat first, don't delay."

The mother did not reach out immediately.

She clenched her fist on the hem of her clothes, her voice low: "Xiao'er, don't always spend money on me... You're practicing martial arts now, that's what's really important."

Even though she knew nothing about martial arts, everyone knew that martial arts training was extremely expensive, so she thought of saving her money for medicine.

Ye Xiao did not explain.

He simply shoved the medicine packet into her hand, his movements gentle but firm: "If you get sick, this family will fall apart."

The mother's hand trembled slightly.

Those words, spoken calmly, were like a nail driven into her heart.

She finally lowered her head, clutched the medicine tightly, and her eyes gradually reddened: "Okay."

She did not refuse again.

The room fell silent.

The stove fire crackled softly, like the only thing still moving in the night.

Ye Xiao took out another packet from his pocket, placed it on the corner of the table, and said, "This is a commonly used antipyretic. If Xiaoxue's illness recurs, just give it to her."

The mother looked up and suddenly asked softly, "And you?"

Ye Xiao looked puzzled: "Me?"

"Are you... going to do something dangerous again?"

Ye Xiao raised his head and looked at her.

In the dim firelight, her face looked more haggard than usual, but her eyes were clearer than ever.

"I borrowed something," Ye Xiao said after a moment's hesitation. "I have to return it."

He didn't lie, but he didn't explain it clearly either.

The mother's heart sank.

She opened her mouth, but asked nothing, only whispering, "Whatever you do, you must live."

Ye Xiao nodded.

……

late at night.