Ling Xiao had no interest in meddling in other people’s family affairs, but right now, he still felt a bit pleased inside.
Back when he was still a beggar, Ling Yu bullied him simply because he had no money or influence.
Later, after joining the Ling family, Ling Yu abandoned him, again because he had no money and couldn’t afford to buy heaps of pills to boost his strength.
But today, he held a fortune in his hands and could come to the medicine hall to buy whatever he wanted. He wondered how Ling Yu would feel if she heard about this.
“Uncle Master, please give me one Heart-Protecting Pill, one Vein-Protecting Pill, one Breakthrough Pill, and ten Qi-Gathering Pills!”
Most of the people in the medicine hall were elderly, and the one standing behind the counter now was, by seniority, Ling Xiao’s Uncle Master.
“Well, well, isn’t this Ling Xiao? I’ve already prepared today’s medicine scraps for you.”
This old man wasn’t mocking Ling Xiao at all; he genuinely cared about him.
Before Ling Xiao got to know this Uncle Master, he’d come almost every day to collect medicine scraps and was constantly insulted and harassed.
But things changed after he met this Uncle Master. The old man would always have the scraps ready, just waiting for him to pick them up.
“Uncle Master, I don’t want scraps today. I want a Breakthrough Pill, a Heart-Protecting Pill, a Vein-Protecting Pill, and Qi-Gathering Pills. That’s what I’m here for.”
At first, some of the Ling family disciples nearby, who were either buying pills or seeking treatment, thought they’d misheard Ling Xiao and paid no attention.
But when he repeated himself, they heard it loud and clear.
They all looked at Ling Xiao with strange expressions.
“Heh heh heh, Brother Feng, that penniless fool actually said he’s buying pills. That’s hilarious!”
Ling Yu couldn’t hold back her laughter. To her, Ling Xiao must have lost his mind.
Those pills were so expensive even she couldn’t afford them, let alone Ling Xiao.
“The stuff he’s asking for adds up to about eight thousand taels of silver. He’s got some nerve boasting like that!”
Ling Feng sneered disdainfully.
Eight thousand taels of silver— even for him, that was about a month’s allowance at most, and that was only because he had a well-off father.
What was Ling Xiao?
Just an outsider disciple with a frail, dying old beggar for family—how could he possibly have that kind of money?
“Little guy, struck it rich, have you?”
The old man behind the counter asked with a smile.
“Uncle Master, I went into the Fulong Mountains these past few days. Got lucky collecting some herbs and killed a few demonic beasts. I’ve got plenty of silver on me now.”
As he spoke, Ling Xiao took out the materials for the Vein-Protecting Pill, Heart-Protecting Pill, and Breakthrough Pill and handed them over. “Uncle Master, these three pills I’ll trade for with materials. As for the Qi-Gathering Pills, I’ll pay cash.”
Under the stunned gazes of everyone around, Ling Xiao spent five thousand three hundred taels of silver and three sets of pill-making materials to get what he wanted.
Ling Yu’s laughter stopped dead.
Ling Feng’s scorn turned to shock.
“With his strength, how could he possibly go into the Fulong Mountains and even hunt demonic beasts?”
Ling Yu and Ling Feng were utterly dumbfounded.
It wasn’t just that Ling Xiao had money now—it was that he’d managed to come back from the Fulong Mountains in one piece.
The family didn’t strictly forbid it, but generally, they advised against anyone below the Fourth Stage of Martial Veins entering the Fulong Mountains.
If someone insisted on going, they needed a group of at least ten, led by a peak Third Stage Martial Vein cultivator.
And even then, they could only stick to the outskirts.
Up until today, neither Ling Feng nor Ling Yu had ever been to the Fulong Mountains.
They had money they could ask their families for—they didn’t need to risk their lives.
At that moment, they felt like Ling Xiao had suddenly outdone them, their faces showing extreme awkwardness.
“Good lad, you’ve really made some coin! Nice progress! Alright, Uncle Master will get your medicine!”
“Oh, Uncle Master, also get me a hundred pieces of Golden Wound Medicine and ten bottles of Healing Pills…”
Ling Xiao suddenly realised that if he kept going to the Fulong Mountains, he’d likely get injured often. Golden Wound Medicine would treat external injuries, Healing Pills would handle internal ones, and these things weren’t too pricey.
Of course, that was only for martial artists.
For ordinary people, these were still outrageously expensive.
A piece of Golden Wound Medicine cost one tael of silver, so a hundred pieces were a hundred taels. A bottle of Healing Pills, about a hundred pills, cost a hundred taels, so ten bottles were a thousand taels.
Back in the day, Ling Xiao wouldn’t have dared to dream of this, but now he could buy it all with ease.
That’s the difference.
“Alright, no problem!”
After the transaction, as Ling Xiao left, he nodded slightly at Ling Feng and Ling Yu with a smile.
Seeing their liver-coloured faces, he felt incredibly satisfied inside.
But he didn’t mock them on the spot.
Right now, the most important thing was to improve his strength.
He knew his current power still couldn’t match people like Ling Feng or Li Xingyun.
Strength was everything!
With strength came dignity—and more money too!
Ling Feng ignored Ling Xiao.
Ling Yu looked at him awkwardly, her eyes showing a flicker of something different, even a hint of regret.
“Fine, it’s more fun if your strength improves. At the annual competition, I’ll make sure you lose convincingly!”
Only when Ling Xiao was nearly out the medicine hall door did Ling Feng turn his head, forcing a smile and saying something.
But that smile of his was honestly uglier than crying.
Ling Xiao smiled back, saying nothing. The annual competition was coming up soon anyway—what was the point of talking now?
After leaving the medicine hall, he headed straight home.
His grandfather’s health seemed to have improved a lot.
“You little rascal, going out without even a word.”
Grandpa seemed a bit upset.
“Grandpa, don’t be mad. Here’s a hundred taels of silver. From now on, buy whatever you want to eat. We’ve got money now—no more living like beggars. Oh, and I’m planning to renovate this house too. It’s unbearable when it rains.”
“Where’d you get all this money?”
“Grandpa, don’t worry, it’s not stolen or robbed. Your grandson’s making quick progress now. By the time the annual competition rolls around, breaking through to the Third Stage of Martial Veins won’t be an issue.”
Ling Xiao didn’t explain much. He tossed the packet of a hundred taels onto the table and went back to his room to prepare for his breakthrough.
These past days in the Fulong Mountains, he’d been training and fighting nonstop. His strength could’ve broken through long ago.
The reason he hadn’t wasn’t because he couldn’t—it was because he’d deliberately held back.
Breaking through without a Heart-Protecting Pill or Vein-Protecting Pill was incredibly risky, and he didn’t want any mishaps.
Poor folks only get one life.
Unlike the rich, who could be saved by their families even if they were down to half a breath.
But not him—if he got seriously injured, death wouldn’t be far off.
He took the Breakthrough Pill, Heart-Protecting Pill, and Vein-Protecting Pill one by one, then sat cross-legged and began circulating the “Red Sun Technique” to break through his third martial vein.
And wow, the Breakthrough Pill’s power was fierce. One pill down, and a terrifying force immediately surged in his dantian, wrapping around the true qi in his body and charging fiercely toward his third martial vein.
“No wonder you need the Heart-Protecting and Vein-Protecting Pills. Without them, this crazy force might’ve shattered my heart vein!”
The Breakthrough Pill’s potency surprised Ling Xiao, and the effects of the Heart-Protecting and Vein-Protecting Pills were even greater than he’d imagined.
As his true qi increased, his veins would naturally expand. Without those two pills, they might’ve ruptured.
But now, he didn’t have to worry. The wild force wouldn’t destroy him—it would widen his veins, preparing his body for stronger gang qi and laying the groundwork for advancing to the Fourth Stage of Martial Veins.
