Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

"Since Sect Leader Shen claims it's an 'Ancient Elixir,' it must have something special about it. How about this," a sly glint in the triangular-eyed man's eyes flashed, and he continued,

"Let's examine the pill right here and now! If it's truly a fine pill, my Pill Cauldron Pavilion will buy it at market price on the spot and apologize to you!"

"If it's a substandard pill or even a poisonous pill, humph! Then don't blame us for following the rules of the market, smashing your stall, and expelling you from the market!"

The atmosphere immediately tensed up upon hearing this! This was a public slap in the face, forcing Shen Mo to reveal his trump card!

If Shen Mo dares not test the pill, it means he has a guilty conscience; if he finds out there is a real problem, he will be utterly disgraced!

The onlookers held their breath, watching Shen Mo. The people from the Pill Cauldron Pavilion had clearly come prepared; how would the Qingyun Sect leader deal with them?

If Su Xiao were here, she would definitely be so nervous that her palms would sweat. But Shen Mo's mind was perfectly clear.

He was waiting for the other party to take the initiative to "test the pill"! Because only through close contact would he have a chance to use the system!

"System," Shen Mo silently ordered, "Target locked: the bottle of pills with the strongest aura on the triangular-eyed man. Conduct an in-depth analysis of its ingredients, manufacturing flaws, and potential hazards! What will the cost be?"

[Command received. Target locked: Pill Gathering Pavilion standard 'Qi Gathering Pill' (suitable for mid-stage Qi Refining). Deep search requires 1 low-grade spirit stone. Confirm?]

"Confirmed!" Shen Mo answered without hesitation. One spirit stone for a chance to retaliate—worth it!

[Searching... Analysis complete. Target pill: The main ingredients, 'Three-Leaf Flower' and 'Dew-Gathering Grass,' are not old enough, and there are slight deviations in the control of the heat, resulting in a 15% loss of the medicinal properties of the 'Heart-Clearing Grass' component, and the presence of trace amounts of 'black burnt gas.' Long-term use may easily lead to restlessness of spiritual power, and the risk of the emergence of inner demons increases by 3% when breaking through the bottleneck.]

It was discovered that a trace amount of 'Corroding Vein' pollen had been mixed in during the refining process (unintentional, due to improper storage of raw materials). Although harmless, it would slightly repel the 'Green Wood Root' component, affecting the absorption efficiency of the elixir by approximately 5%.

Information flooded his mind instantly! A glint flashed in Shen Mo's eyes! Enough!

These flaws are extremely minor and difficult for ordinary cultivators to detect, but for the Dan Ding Pavilion, which prides itself on "quality," they are a fatal weakness!

At this moment, seeing Shen Mo's silence (actually through the communication system), the triangular-eyed figure assumed he was afraid and became even more smug: "What? Sect Leader Shen doesn't dare? Could it be that this pill really has something shameful to hide..."

"Test the pill?" Shen Mo suddenly spoke, interrupting him, a half-smile on his face. "Sure."

His quick agreement surprised the man with the triangular eyes.

Shen Mo calmly picked up the last "Ancient Qi Gathering Pill" from the wooden box, but instead of handing it to the man with the triangular eyes, he changed the subject:

"However, the way to verify pills is to be fair. Since you represent the Pill Cauldron Pavilion and wish to determine the authenticity of my pills, shouldn't I also be allowed to taste your pavilion's 'premium' pills? That way, you fellow Daoists can see what the industry standard is."

As he spoke, his sharp gaze fell on the bulging storage bag at the waist of the man with the triangular eyes, which was filled with the strongest medicinal fragrance.

The man with the triangular eyes' expression changed slightly, but he forced himself to remain calm and retorted, "Hmph! The pills from my Pill Cauldron Pavilion are renowned throughout the market. How could your pills of dubious origin compare?"

"Oh? Is that so?" Shen Mo chuckled softly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears. "But just now, I observed your aura, fellow Daoist. Although your spiritual power is strong, there is a hint of restlessness, as if it is caused by long-term use of some kind of... well, pills that are too intense and lack sufficient calming effect."

"Furthermore, have you often felt a dull tingling pain in your meridians or occasional stagnation in the flow of spiritual energy during your recent cultivation? Especially when you are practicing the 'Hand Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian'?"

Upon hearing this, the man with the triangular eyes instantly changed his expression, as if he had seen a ghost!

He had indeed been experiencing these symptoms recently, and thought it was a mistake in his cultivation. How could Shen Mo have seen through it at a glance?!

"You... what nonsense are you talking about!"

Shen Mo ignored him and turned to the crowd, saying loudly, "In the art of elixirs, a slight error can lead to a huge mistake."

"A superior elixir requires not only the strength of its medicinal properties, but also careful consideration of the principal, assistant, and adjuvant herbs, the balance of yin and yang, and the removal of impurities to avoid harming one's foundation in the Dao."

"Some elixirs, seemingly potent, actually harbor hidden dangers; they're like drinking poison to quench thirst!"

As he spoke, he casually picked up the ordinary mulberry paper used to wrap medicinal herbs on the stall, dipped his finger in some water, and outlined a few simple herb shapes on it. These were the outlines of three-leaf flowers, heart-clearing grass, and vein-eroding vine (system information learned on the spot). His movements were fluid and graceful, with an indescribable charm.

"Let's take the most common 'Qi Gathering Pill' as an example," Shen Mo said eloquently, his voice carrying a convincing magnetism.

"If the 'Three-Leaf Flower' is harvested too early and is not old enough, its medicinal properties will be unstable; if the 'Heart-Clearing Herb' is processed with too much heat, its effect of purifying the mind and calming the thoughts will be greatly reduced, and it will easily aggravate the heart fire."

"Even worse, if the raw materials are not stored properly and some unsuitable substances are mixed in, such as the pollen of the shade-loving 'Corroding Vein', even a trace amount will produce a slight repulsion when it encounters the main ingredient 'Green Wood Root'. It's like a grain of sand falling into porridge. It seems harmless, but in fact it affects the perfect absorption of the elixir. Over time, it will damage the path of cultivation in subtle ways..."

With each word he spoke, the man with the triangular eyes paled a little more, and cold sweat even broke out on his forehead!

The characteristics that Shen Mo mentioned actually matched the "welfare pills" that he took daily and that were supplied to the staff of Dan Ding Pavilion!

Could it be... that the pills the pavilion gave them really had these problems? Impossible! He dared not think any further!

Shen Mo took in his expression and knew the time was right. He immediately stopped talking, gently put down the mulberry paper with the herbs drawn on it, and turned his gaze back to the triangular-eyed man, his tone becoming meaningful:

"Fellow Daoist, tell me, which is more reassuring: my ancient elixir, with its gentle medicinal properties and focus on nourishment, or that... 'fine product' with hidden flaws and potential dangers?"

He didn't directly accuse the pills from Dan Ding Ge of being problematic. Instead, he pointed out the symptoms of the triangular-eyed person and, combined with the seemingly universal principles of pills, guided everyone to imagine for themselves!

This kind of subtle criticism is more ruthless than direct insults!

"You...you're spouting nonsense!" The man with the triangular eyes immediately became furious, but his voice was clearly weak and even became shrill.

The surrounding rogue cultivators weren't fools. Looking at the panicked look on the triangular-eyed man's face, and then recalling Shen Mo's insightful explanation, they were immediately in an uproar!

"Hmm... What Sect Leader Shen said seems to make some sense!"

"No wonder I felt my spiritual energy was a bit restless after taking the pills from Dan Ding Pavilion last time!"

"Could there really be a problem with the pills from the Pill Pavilion?"

"I think so! Look how pale that guy's face is!"

Public opinion reversed instantly!

This was exactly the effect Shen Mo wanted! He ignored the ashen-faced man with triangular eyes, instead cupping his hands in a respectful gesture to the crowd and speaking loudly:

"I am selling this pill to build good relationships, not for profit. There is only one pill. Those who believe will come, and those who doubt will leave. Although Qingyun Sect is small, we would not dare to do anything that would damage someone's foundation."

These words are even more like a veiled barb!

After saying that, he sat down leisurely, closed his eyes to rest again, as if nothing had ever happened.

Under the pointing fingers and suspicious gazes of the crowd, the triangular-eyed waiter could no longer stand it. His face turned pale and then red. He glared fiercely at Shen Mo, then, with his two henchmen, slunk away through the crowd without uttering a single harsh word.