Hermit in the Mountains

The fact that Gu Changsheng could so casually produce so many pills had an even greater impact on Zhang Yuanfu's mind than when he learned about the effects of the Peiyuan Xiaoling Pill.

The sheer number of pills before him proved that Gu Changsheng had not succeeded in refining them by accident, but had mastered the art of alchemy, a legendary secret technique that only cultivators could master.

He pointed to the dozens of wooden shells on the tea tray with his aged, trembling right hand, his voice filled with disbelief, "These... these are all Qi-Nourishing Minor Elixirs?"

Zhang Dafu, who had been standing to the side, emerged from his shock. His eyes gleamed as he looked at the dozen or so Qi-Nourishing Small Spirit Pills. He rubbed his hands together, wanting to go up and examine them.

"Eight of these are Qi-Nourishing Minor Elixirs..." Gu Changsheng paused for a moment, then reached out his right hand, grabbed a sealed wooden shell, and handed it to Zhang Dafu, who was eagerly waiting beside him. "This is a Grade One Yang-Boosting Minor Elixir. Brother Zhang, would you like to try its effects?"

Overwhelmed with surprise, Zhang Dafu blurted out, "Really?"

"Dafu..."

A sharp reprimand rang out.

It turned out that Zhang Yuanfu had discovered his son's infatuation and scolded him. He hurriedly tried to excuse his son, saying, "Senior, my son has been rude. I apologize to you."

He glared angrily at his good-for-nothing son, gritting his teeth, "Apologize to your senior! How can you just casually try out such a precious elixir?"

"I...I'm sorry, Master Gu, I was talking nonsense just now." Standing at attention and accepting the beating, Zhang Dafu bowed his head and apologized sincerely.

Gu Changsheng waved his hand gently, indicating that there was no need for such formalities. "Elder Zhang, it's not necessary... it's not necessary. Ultimately, we need to test the pills to be confident and to better help me sell them."

"Brother Zhang, eat up, it's alright."

"This is a minor remedy for replenishing Yang. Its main function is relatively simple: to nourish Yin and Yang, tonify the kidneys, and strengthen essence and Qi."

"It won't cause the detoxification phenomenon seen with the Peiyuan Xiaolingdan, but your heart fire will be strong for a while."

"Thank you, Senior. Thank you, Senior. I am willing to try the pill." Hearing Gu Changsheng's words, Zhang Dafu was overjoyed and hurriedly replied.

He had personally experienced the benefits of the Nourishing Essence Pill. This was not a trial pill; it was a gift from his senior, a spiritual pill that could regulate bodily functions, detoxify and beautify the skin, and enhance the body's immunity.

His hands trembled slightly as he took the wooden shell from Gu Changsheng, gently broke it open, and couldn't help but swallow hard as he looked at the plump pill inside, letting out a 'gulp' sound.

He couldn't wait to grab the elixir, pop it into his mouth, and swallow it whole with a quick movement of his throat.

A hint of envy flashed in Zhang Yuanfu's eyes. He also wanted to try the taste of the elixir, but his son had taken all the benefits.

He glanced at the pills in the tea tray out of the corner of his eye, and began to think about how to ask Gu Changsheng to spare a few elixirs for him.

"Senior, you're saying all these elixirs are for sale?"

"Old Zhang, Fushoutang has been in the Chinese medicine business for over a century and has a stable customer base. We need your help to sell our products." Gu Changsheng affirmed the other party's capabilities and then offered his referral fee. "Let these elixirs go to those who need them, and Fushoutang will keep 20% of the profits as commission."

"As for pricing, Elder Zhang understands the value and market price of elixirs better than I do, so you can set the price."

"I don't ask about the process, I only look at the result."

Gu Changsheng's idea was simple: instead of selling directly to Fushoutang, he chose to cooperate and leverage their century-old reputation to sell the pills.

Driven by profit, the more expensive the products the father and son sold, the higher their earnings.

The little elixir was useless to him, but he didn't want to sell it cheaply, otherwise he would feel guilty for all his hard work.

Zhang Yuanfu instantly understood the reason and gave a clear answer, "Senior, rest assured, this elixir is priceless and its price will not be low."

"Senior, may we at Fushoutang purchase a few elixirs for our own use?" After asking the question, his eyes were full of anticipation, and his face showed a nervous expression.

"How many do you want, Elder Zhang?" Gu Changsheng asked casually.

"Two of each..." Zhang Yuanfu had only said two words when he suddenly blurted out, "One each of the Nourishing Essence Pill and the Yang-Boosting Pill will do. This old man also wants to try the effects of the pills."

Thinking that his son had already taken two pills, he added, "I will pay for the two pills that Dafu took with the final price of the pills."

Gu Changsheng precisely grabbed two sealed wooden pills from the tea tray with his right hand and handed them to Zhang Yuanfu opposite him. "These two are Qi-Nourishing Minor Spirit Pills."

He then grabbed two more sealed wooden shells and handed them to Zhang Yuanfu, saying, "These two are Minor Elixirs for Replenishing Yang."

"Brother Zhang, just eat it. I said it would be free, and I'm all in this together. How can you go back on your word?"

"One each of the Nourishing Essence Pill and the Yang-Boosting Pill will be given to Elder Zhang free of charge; the remaining two can be paid for at the original price."

Zhang Yuanfu did not refuse. If he refused, he would be disrespecting Gu Changsheng. It would be better to accept the offer and do a good job in return.

He quickly stood up, cupped his hands in thanks, and said, "Thank you so much for the miraculous elixir, senior! I am deeply grateful!"

Zhang Dafu, standing to the side, also bowed and expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you, senior, for bestowing this elixir."

Gu Changsheng nodded in acknowledgment, accepting the gifts from the father and son. With his right hand, he moved the twelve sealed wooden tablets in the tea tray to both sides, six on each side. "The one on the left is a Grade One Qi Cultivation Pill, and the one on the right is a Grade One Yang Tonifying Pill."

"When introducing the product to the seller, be sure to correctly state the name and grade of the pill."

He concluded by saying, "Finally, my identity must be kept strictly confidential. Just say that you developed this new pill yourselves."

"Yes, we will remember your instructions and will not reveal any information about you." Zhang Yuanfu and his son replied firmly.

They both knew that once the elixir was sold, buyers who experienced its effects would inevitably call or even come to inquire about it.

They could keep it a secret for a while, but not forever.

All they could do was prolong the time it took for Gu Changsheng to be discovered. Therefore, Zhang Yuanfu had a general idea of ​​who he could sell the first batch of elixirs to, and he recommended them to his close old friends who kept quiet.

Selling to a familiar old friend is safer than selling to a stranger.

Among his friends are people from all walks of life, but business people and doctors are excluded first, as the former are mostly driven by profit and the latter by fame.

The best candidate is someone who is indifferent to fame and fortune and enjoys health preservation.

Based on the number of pills, he initially selected six old friends who were suitable for the task.

Later, we can call and invite them to come and taste the pills together, to hold a small, private pill-tasting event, so as not to lower the prestige of the elixir.

Zhang Yuanfu knew that Gu Changsheng's information would eventually be leaked, but he didn't say it to his face. After all, the matter hadn't happened yet, and it would be safer to tell him when someone found out.

Gu Changsheng was unaware that Zhang Yuanfu had already devised a plan for the sale of the elixirs. He stood up to leave, saying, "I have to go now. I'll leave the sale of the elixirs to Elder Zhang."

"Don't worry, senior, I will sell the elixir for its due value," Zhang Yuanfu assured him.