Becoming a god starts with one certificate becoming eternal.

Qin Niangzi wasn't frightened, but rather struck by the weight of those words.

She remained standing two steps away, tapping lightly on the counter with her fingertips, as if reminding herself... that the initiative could not be taken away.

"A quasi-martial artist?"

She raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile playing on her lips: "How long have you been an inner disciple of the martial arts school? You dare to come and say those four words to me? Are you making fun of me?"

Before Ye Xiao could answer, she slowly added a sentence, as if praising him:

"But in the end, you don't seem like the type to talk nonsense. It seems my judgment is still excellent; I bet right on my first try."

Ye Xiao stood still, his voice calm:

"I've said it before, all other things being equal, I'll choose you first."

Madam Qin laughed: "It seems you're convinced your price is high enough, which is why you've come to register your name here."

She took another step forward, her tone softening, as if laying out a curtain:

"Alright, I won't beat around the bush. I'll charge you the highest fee for a quasi-martial artist: a fixed 100 taels of silver per month. And from now on, you'll get 30% off third-rate medicine and 10% off second-rate medicine."

"The rules are still the same as you wanted: no ropes, no stamps. As long as the business gets into real trouble in the future, you can step in."

After she finished speaking, she looked at Ye Xiao with a faint smile, as if she was certain he would nod.

After all, this price is already capped in the lower city.

But the next moment, Ye Xiao only replied with two words:

"Too little."

The room fell silent for a moment.

The shop assistant's hands stopped on the abacus, and he even breathed softly, as if afraid that if he breathed too heavily, he would blow sparks onto himself.

"few?"

Qin Niangzi's voice remained gentle, yet its coldness was clear: "Ye Xiao, do you know what this price in the lower city means?"

"If I offer this price, ninety percent of the aspiring martial artists in the lower city will rush to agree."

"The business might only ask you to do something once a year. It's like you get paid for almost nothing, and the medicine is sold at cost."

She paused for a moment, then tapped the counter again with her fingertips, as if knocking the last word into his ear:

Even if you are talented, you shouldn't be too greedy.

Ye Xiao raised his eyes, his gaze calm:

"My price is not just that."

Madam Qin raised an eyebrow slightly: "Your price?"

Ye Xiao didn't rush to explain.

He simply activated the stance and the flow of qi and blood gently.

Not outwardly expressive, not arrogant.

A faint golden hue swept across the skin, like a lamplight brushing against a bronze surface, vanishing in an instant.

But that one moment was enough.

The waiter gasped, nearly biting his tongue, and froze on the spot, forgetting to move the abacus beads.

Qin Niangzi's smile completely vanished.

It wasn't a loss of composure.

It was the ledger in her mind that instantly flipped to another level.

She quickly recovered, looked up, and smiled again.

This time, the laughter wasn't a joke.

"It was wrong of me to say you were greedy before." Her tone was still soft, but her words were even firmer: "Your price is indeed more than that."

She looked at Ye Xiao and slowly uttered a sentence, as if showing him the ceiling of the lower city:

"Azure Dragon Martial Arts School... What good luck!"

"We haven't seen a Golden Bone in years. Just a month ago, we had Chen Tao, who won the martial arts exam, and now another one has appeared."

"Your growth rate is even higher than Chen Tao's; your talent is truly astonishing."

Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she smiled faintly.

"But I'm also quite lucky."

"It's my Qin family's good fortune that you've walked into my door."

Ye Xiao ignored her praise and instead pushed the conversation forward:

"What's your offer now?"

Qin Niangzi let out a soft breath, as if suppressing her excitement.

"it is good."

She was decisive and efficient, changing the price directly:

"The silver will triple, to three hundred taels per month."

"From now on, you'll get a 50% discount on third-rate medicine and a 30% discount on second-rate medicine."

"In addition, Qin's can get their hands on any rare or high-quality goods, as long as you ask and can afford the price, they will give you priority."

As she said this, she turned to the side, gestured with her chin towards the inner room, and her tone suddenly quickened:

"Bring out the blood-striped venison."

The waiter seemed to be struck by lightning, and he nodded repeatedly before turning and running away.

Ye Xiao's brow twitched almost imperceptibly: "Meat of a strange beast?"

Madam Qin smiled faintly: "Clever, the meat of the Blood-Striped Deer, a mythical beast."

"Don't think that I brought this out just to show off to you."

"The meat of exotic beasts is not just food, it's a tonic... It nourishes the blood and qi, strengthens the bones and replenishes vital energy, and its effects are even more pronounced for martial artists. If you want to advance faster, you'll need this."

She tapped the counter with her fingertip:

"More importantly, if you want to run into it in the lower city, don't even think about it if you don't have the connections."

"I brought this out to let you know that it was the right decision for you to register your name with Qin's Restaurant."

Ye Xiao looked at her: "You have a lot of this?"

Qin Niangzi raised an eyebrow:

"It's not a lot, but I get a little bit every month."

"I won't make empty promises to you. I'll give you five ounces of blood-striped venison every month, as part of your nominal salary."

"If you want more, buy it at the price. This isn't something you can buy just with money, but as long as I have some, I'll sell it to you."

She paused, her smile deepening slightly:

"I wouldn't take it out for anyone else. You're made of gold, it wouldn't be a waste to eat it."

Soon, a covered bowl was brought out from the inner room.

Lifting the lid of the bowl, the dark red to almost purple slices of meat settled in the broth, with several faint deep red lines on the surface, like blood vessels pressed into the tendons. It wasn't freshly killed; it was air-dried, thoroughly marinated, and then simmered over low heat.

Qin Niangzi pushed the covered bowl forward half an inch.

Still not more than two steps.

"You can try some," she said with a smile. "We can finish our conversation after you've eaten."

Ye Xiao didn't stand on ceremony; he lifted the lid, picked up a piece, and put it in his mouth.

It's not dry at all, and the muscles are firm. With each chew, a deep, warm sensation travels down the throat and into the abdomen, then dissipates and spreads throughout the body, causing a rush of blood and energy.

Most noticeably, the emptiness that had been drained was forcefully pushed back up. The qi and blood were lifted, no longer floating, but instead becoming solid and grounded.

Immediately afterwards, the tearing sensation deep in my chest felt like it was being held down by a hand, no longer bursting outwards. The internal injuries also slowly subsided, like something misplaced being gradually pushed back into its original position.

It won't heal immediately.

Only when there is enough fuel can the restorative power of destiny truly begin to work.

Ye Xiao's expression remained unchanged, but his heart skipped a beat.

This beast meat... is far superior to third-rate medicine, even better than second-rate medicine, as fuel.

Qin Niangzi looked at him, her smile like a bet that had been settled:

"How is it?"

"Are all these conditions combined enough to justify your price?"

Ye Xiao put down his chopsticks, his voice still calm:

"enough."

Madam Qin smiled, as if she had finally waited for these words:

"Then it's agreed."

She raised her hand and directly instructed the waiter:

"Give him the three hundred taels for this month first."

"Take another five ounces of venison and pack it all up."

The man nodded repeatedly, running as if afraid that if he was even a step too slow, he would lose this huge deal.

"Help me exchange the silver for second-rate medicine," Ye Xiao said directly.

The waiter paused, turning to look at Madam Qin.

Madam Qin casually waved her hand and said, "Do as he says."

Not long after, the shop assistant came out carrying a medicine bag and venison, with even the banknotes neatly stacked.

Ye Xiao took the package and the silver notes, then turned and left.

At the door, he suddenly paused, without turning around, and simply uttered a sentence:

"As long as things continue to flow, my name will remain."

His tone was so flat, as if he were talking about a trivial matter, or setting rules.

Madam Qin's smile remained unchanged, and her voice was soft:

"rest assured."

"The Qin family's biggest fear in doing business is losing their credit."

The door hinges remained silent.

Once the door closed, the room became quiet.

The waiter seemed to catch his breath and whispered, "Madam... Golden Bones."

Qin Niangzi didn't look at him; her face still held that composed demeanor of someone doing business, but the glint in her eyes couldn't be suppressed.

She changed the price decisively just now; it's a businessman's instinct.

But behind that instinct was the first time she truly realized that she had bet on someone who wasn't capable...

There is a possibility that Qin Ji could be promoted to a higher level!