Translator: AnubisTL
In the grand hall of the Jade Maiden Sect!
Seated at the head of the hall, Chu Youhuan's eyes burned with intensity as she watched Gu Feng being trained below. Her nails dug into the armrests of her chair, and her pearly white teeth occasionally gritted with a sharp sound.
Ever since she had signed that agreement regarding the cultivation chamber in the restroom, she had felt increasingly aggrieved, her mood hitting rock bottom. Yet, she had to force a smile in front of her disciples.
Because she didn't dare tell Qi Tingting and the others the truth—it was just too embarrassing. She had to bear it alone.
"Sect Leader, Gu Feng is quite skilled in marketing!" Qi Tingting's bright smile only made Chu Youhuan's forced smile look even more pained. She clenched her teeth and said, "That's. Just. Great."
Not long after, a female disciple eagerly handed her a flyer, joyfully saying, "Gu Feng is really generous. You get one Spirit Stone just for handing out a flyer!"
Hearing this, Chu Youhuan's expression softened a bit. Although Gu Feng was indeed a bit of a scammer, after signing the agreement, he had kept every promise, showing a strong sense of contractual integrity.
At this moment, she felt some regret. If only she had signed an agreement with Gu Feng before building the restroom cultivation chamber, she wouldn't be feeling so aggrieved now.
"In the future, it's not impossible to cooperate with him, but we must sign an agreement!" Chu Youhuan thought silently to herself. She glanced down at the flyer, and her expression suddenly changed. She shouted, "Gu Feng, what is the meaning of this!"
On the flyer, in the most prominent position, was a portrait of Chu Youhuan. In the portrait, she was holding a bottle of Bone Cleansing Pill in her left hand, her right thumb raised high. Below it was a caption: "Highly recommended by Chu Youhuan, ranked fifth on the Inner Sect Heavenly Ranking! A must-have pill for Body Tempering Realm cultivators!"
"Senior Sister Chu, is there a problem?" Gu Feng ran over, smiling as he asked.
"Aren't you using my name to deceive people?" Chu Youhuan trembled with anger.
"Deceive people? Where?" Gu Feng tilted his head, looking confused.
"You're selling 'Modified Bone Cleansing Pill,' so why does the label on the pill bottle say 'Bone Cleansing Pill'?" Chu Youhuan pointed at the flyer, demanding loudly.
"Please, open your eyes and look carefully. Is that the character for 'Bone Cleansing'?"
"What do you...?" Chu Youhuan's words trailed off as she froze. She finally noticed that Gu Feng had used a visual trick on the flyer. He had made a small hole between the two dots of the character 'Modified Bone Cleansing,' making it look like the character for 'Bone Cleansing.' Even if someone noticed something off, they would just think the flyer was damaged.
At this point, Chu Youhuan had nothing more to say. Gu Feng's methods of scamming people were truly endless, even resorting to the same trick on the pill bottle.
"Are you still planning to sell it for 20,000 Spirit Stones per bottle?" Qi Tingting asked leisurely.
"Of course!"
"Aren't you afraid of being punished by the sect?" Chu Youhuan narrowed her eyes.
"Look here!" Gu Feng pulled out a wooden board from his bag, on which was written: "Any side effects, triple compensation! Fair and honest!"
"Wouldn't it be better to just sell it for 5,000 Spirit Stones per bottle? Since the pill isn't fake, why impersonate the Bone Cleansing Pill?" Yu Ying asked, puzzled.
"Senior Sister Yu, if you didn't know the effects of 'Modified Bone Cleansing Pill,' would you be willing to buy such an unfamiliar pill?"
Faced with Gu Feng's counter-question, Yu Ying honestly shook her head.
"I believe that those Body Tempering Realm cultivators, even if they know they might get diarrhea after taking it, will still grit their teeth and take it. After all, the efficacy of the pill isn't fake. In fact, the combined effect of four bottles of 'Modified Bone Cleansing Pill' is about 20% higher than one bottle of Bone Cleansing Pill. They're not losing out!"
"To quickly break into the market, we must resort to deceptive tactics at the beginning.
Once they're forced to take four bottles and experience the benefits, they'll surely recognize the value of 'Modified Bone Cleansing Pill' and keep buying it.
By then, I can openly sell 'Modified Bone Cleansing Pill' at 6,000 Spirit Stones per bottle, or four bottles for 20,000 Spirit Stones.
In a world where strength reigns supreme, diarrhea is nothing. If you don't get it, you'll fall behind. Since everyone's getting it, there's no shame in it. 'Modified Bone Cleansing Pill' might even spark a new cultivation craze.
Of course, the sect will definitely step in to stop it. Having the entire Outer Sect suffering from diarrhea, stinking up the place, would be a huge embarrassment to the Sunset Glow Sect.
But that's not your problem. After all, the restroom cultivation chambers have already been rented out, and the money's in your pockets. The sect won't force a refund, since even without diarrhea, people can still cultivate inside."
"Heh, it's just a crude marketing tactic, nothing to be proud of!" Seeing everyone's stunned expressions, Gu Feng smugly added.
"Master scammer!" Chu Youhuan and the others finally managed to mutter in unison after a long pause.
...
With all the preparations complete, Gu Feng rented three adjacent stalls in the Trading Hall and wrapped them up to form a small store. He then meticulously decorated it to resemble the pill shops of the Myriad Harmony Guild.
On the day of the official sale, fearing a poor turnout, Gu Feng hired a group of Body Tempering Realm disciples to act as customers.
"Dang—" With the sound of a loud bell, Gu Feng opened the shop doors.
The dozen or so hired Jade Maiden Sect cultivators burst into song and dance, instantly electrifying the atmosphere!
"Here it comes! A one-time sale of fifty bottles! I've never heard of an Outer Sect Alchemy Hall master capable of mass-producing Bone Cleansing Pills!"
"Could it be fake? The Outer Sect forbids the sale of fake pills. Surely no one would dare do something so bold?"
"Chu Youhuan's enthusiastic recommendation—it can't be fake. Most likely, this batch of Bone Cleansing Pills has an unclear origin."
"Who cares? Let's check it out first. We don't have to buy it!"
"Jade Maiden Workshop? Is it related to the Jade Maiden Sect? Are they the ones selling the pills?"
"Very likely. Otherwise, the name of this pill shop is just too strange."
"Daring to offer triple compensation—the pills must be legitimate!"
"..."
Looking down at the bustling crowd and hearing all the rumors, Gu Feng remained calm and composed. This was all within his expectations.
"This step was the right move. By leveraging Chu Youhuan's reputation and the Bone Cleansing Pill's fame, we'll open up the market today!"
Gu Feng smiled inwardly, then began his sales pitch.
To avoid trouble, he never mentioned the words "Bone Cleansing Pill" during the sales process. Whenever a cultivator asked about it, he would ramble on and on, confusing them. If they pressed too hard, he'd simply tell them to get lost. Selling high-end goods like the Bone Cleansing Pill required a certain level of sophistication.
As the top pill for the Body Tempering Realm in the Outer Sect, the Bone Cleansing Pill was indeed highly sought after. However, the price of 20,000 Spirit Stones was truly shocking. Many people came to look, but few actually bought it.
The main reason wasn't that these cultivators lacked money, but that they weren't sure if the pills were genuine. They all wanted to see someone else try it first.
After Gu Feng used two plants to kick off the sales, a few people gradually stepped forward to buy the pills.
Once one person bought, others followed. The number of customers grew quickly, and soon, all fifty bottles were sold out.
"Everyone, the pills are sold out for today. Please come back tomorrow!
We're now accepting pre-orders. Pay a 1,000 Spirit Stone deposit, and you'll be guaranteed to get the pills!"
The disciples who had hesitated earlier and missed out on the pills began lining up to pay the deposit, happily leaving with their receipts.
They no longer had any doubts about the pills. With such a grand setup, if the pills were fake, the Outer Sect Alchemy Hall would be the first to come after him. Even if he was Gu Feng, who had a good relationship with Elder Liu of the Outer Sect, it wouldn't save him!
The next day!
Gu Feng was prepared for disciples to come and argue, and he had pills ready for compensation. To his surprise, not a single person showed up.
So, he leisurely began selling pills in large quantities, managing to sell off 150 bottles in one go!
Beside him, Yan Xixi's face was flushed with excitement. She was even happier than Gu Feng himself about the massive profits he was making.
When it was time to close the shop, an unexpected visitor arrived.
"Xixi, you've been at the Sunset Glow Sect for so long, and you've only visited me once. Do you even remember you have a sister?" The visitor was none other than Yan Xixi's sister—Yan Yexue.
Scolded by her sister, Yan Xixi's face fell, showing a hint of defiance.
This only made Yan Yexue even angrier. She glared fiercely at Gu Feng, who innocently rubbed his nose.
"Did you refine these pills?" It was unclear who she was asking, but as soon as she finished speaking, she tossed a bag of Spirit Stones to Gu Feng. She opened a pill bottle, took out a pill, sniffed it, frowned, and then swallowed it directly.
Yan Xixi's body stiffened. She wanted to stop her sister but was too late. She looked at Yan Yexue with worry, her eyes pleading for help as she glanced at Gu Feng, who was equally speechless.
Yan Yexue's Spiritual Power surged as she quickly refined the pill. The next moment, her eyebrows shot up, and she shouted, "What garbage pills! You're wasting your time hanging out with these no-good people, neglecting your alchemy. Come back to the Inner Sect with me!"
The commotion attracted a crowd of onlookers, who pointed at Gu Feng, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
Scholars despise each other, and merchants are no different. Seeing you make money is even more painful than losing money themselves.
"I'm an Outer Sect disciple. I should stay in the Outer Sect. I'm not going to the Inner Sect!" Yan Xixi argued firmly.
"You have no choice. Today, you must—"
As she spoke, Yan Yexue suddenly froze. Her eyes twitched violently, as if she had encountered something unbearable. Her fair cheeks turned increasingly red, and her breathing became irregular.
"Sister, are you okay?" Yan Xixi stepped forward, worried, wanting to check on her sister.
"Don't touch me!" Yan Yexue held her breath, as if trying to suppress something.
She cautiously exhaled, glared at Yan Xixi, and then leapt into the air, swiftly heading towards the Inner Sect.
She left behind a crowd of bewildered onlookers, a stifled laugh from Gu Feng, and a worried Yan Xixi.
The news of Yan Yexue cursing Gu Feng's pills as garbage and storming off spread like wildfire that very night.
Just as the Jade Maiden Sect members were worrying about Gu Feng's pills and their restroom cultivation chambers, Gu Feng launched a counter-marketing campaign!
"Ranked tenth on the Inner Sect Heavenly Ranking, the unparalleled alchemist Yan Yexue, ate and cursed as garbage! Don't miss out!"
A large banner was hung high, and several signs vividly recreated Yan Yexue's expression at the time.
"I'll take one bottle!"
"Hahaha, Yan Yexue is my goddess. I want to try the pill she cursed as garbage and see what it tastes like!"
"Do you have any more? I'll take two bottles!"
"..."
This wave of marketing directly opened up the market. On the third day, Gu Feng sold 300 bottles in a frenzy, leaving him overjoyed.
On the fourth day, the expected troublemakers finally arrived.
Hundreds of disciples, shouting "Compensate us!" charged towards Gu Feng's pill shop!
Even the Alchemy Hall Elder came along!
(End of the Chapter)
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