"Who I am is not important, and how I know is not important either.
What is important is that your condition is growing increasingly severe.
Now, it's no longer just on the new moon and full moon of each month, but at midnight and noon of every single day that signs of your affliction appear.
I can tell you plainly, if things continue like this, not only will you fail to retain your cultivation level, but your life will not last much longer.
However, I can save you.
Moreover, I can make you smoothly break through to the Late Stage Earth Realm."
Ye Yunfei suddenly took a step forward, fast as a ghost, leaning his body close and whispering these words right by the shop owner's ear.
Since they were extremely close, wisps of a captivating, subtle fragrance wafted directly into his nostrils.
The shop owner's exquisitely jade-like ear even gave Ye Yunfei the impulse to give it a bite.
Ye Yunfei spoke in a very low voice, audible only to the shop owner.
"How dare you! You dare to take liberties with Madam Shop Owner! Men, seize this trash immediately!"
Upon witnessing Ye Yunfei's audacious action, Pharmacist Lu Danshi paled with shock. He knew exactly how lofty the status of the shop owner before him was within Lingzhen Pavilion.
If anything were to happen to her, every employee of this Yuanyue City branch of Lingzhen Pavilion, including him, Pharmacist Lu, would likely have to face the consequences!
Immediately, all the guards in the main hall surged forward angrily, surrounding Ye Yunfei and preparing to act.
"All of you, stop!"
the shop owner suddenly commanded sharply.
"You... can really save me?"
Evidently, she believed Ye Yunfei's words.
She had no choice but to believe.
Her condition had appeared two years ago.
Over these two years, she had sought out countless renowned physicians.
But there had been no effect whatsoever.
On the contrary, it had grown increasingly severe.
Having lost all hope, she had hidden herself away in Yuanyue City, this relatively remote city.
Who could have imagined that now, an unfamiliar young man she had never met before had seen right through it in a single sentence?
Moreover, what shocked her was that every single word Ye Yunfei had spoken was precisely and undeniably accurate.
Not even her parents knew it this clearly!
"Of course it's true.
However, there's no reason for me to be so kind-hearted and save someone without cause or benefit,"
Ye Yunfei took a step back, clasped his hands behind his back, and spoke indifferently, his tone rather aloof.
The shop owner stared at Ye Yunfei with a complex gaze for a moment.
"Fine!
I believe you.
State your conditions, whatever you want,"
the shop owner said after taking a deep breath, her chest heaving, as she made her decision.
"Madam Shop Owner, you must not be deceived by this trash!
He is a fraud!"
Hearing this, Pharmacist Lu's expression drastically changed, and he hurriedly voiced his objection.
He felt that the shop owner might have been tricked by Ye Yunfei's lies.
"Silence!
I know what I am doing!"
the shop owner snapped at Pharmacist Lu.
Although Pharmacist Lu was bursting with things to say, he dared not speak up again.
He understood his position well—before this shop owner, he was merely a lowly subordinate!
"However, I hope you are clear about the consequences of deceiving me.
It is not something a mere Ye Family of Yuanyue City can bear,"
the shop owner said, her sharp gaze fixed on Ye Yunfei, enunciating each word clearly.
"In the future, you will surely be very grateful to yourself for making such a correct decision today.
My condition is this: I will provide an alchemical formula, and we will cooperate with your Lingzhen Pavilion to develop it. The profits from sales will be split fifty-fifty."
Originally, Ye Yunfei had only planned to sell a formula to Lingzhen Pavilion.
However, now the situation had changed. With the qualification to set conditions, of course he had to maximize his benefits.
"Fine, I agree."
The shop owner nodded in acceptance.
Right now, what she cared about most was her own illness. As long as there was hope of curing her condition, whether cooperating with Ye Yunfei resulted in profit or loss no longer mattered to her.
"Madam Shop Owner, no!"
Pharmacist Lu's face drastically changed again, and he couldn't help but voice his objection once more.
A trash young master from a minor family wanting to cooperate with Lingzhen Pavilion was simply a fantasy.
Even more unbelievable was that the shop owner had agreed.
"Lu Qing, you silence yourself!"
The shop owner glared at him with her beautiful eyes, reprimanding him sharply.
"Very well, Young Master Ye, please come with me to the VIP room,"
the shop owner made a gesture of invitation, her tone softening considerably.
"How is this possible?! Am I hearing things?!"
"The shop owner of Lingzhen Pavilion... actually agreed to cooperate with Ye Yunfei!"
...
This scene left everyone in the main hall dumbfounded, unable to believe it.
But with the facts laid bare before them, they had no choice but to believe.
"Little bastard, no matter what lies you've used to deceive Miss, I will expose you. Then, your fate will be utterly miserable!"
Pharmacist Lu fixed Ye Yunfei with a sinister gaze, gritting his teeth.
Ye Yunfei's words whispered near the shop owner's ear had been too soft; he hadn't heard them at all.
But in his view, Ye Yunfei must have used some lie to gain the shop owner's trust.
"Wait.
Earlier, you said you wanted to have me seized and have the head of the Ye Family come personally to retrieve me, giving you a satisfactory explanation?"
Ye Yunfei's sharp, imposing gaze suddenly locked onto Pharmacist Lu.
"Trash! I did say that.
What do you want!"
Pharmacist Lu's face changed slightly.
"Immediately have this old dog expelled from Yuanyue City. I do not wish to see him again.
Otherwise, my cooperation with you is cancelled."
Ye Yunfei's tone was domineering.
"Trash!
You dare insult me!
Don't think that just because Madam Shop Owner has believed your lies, you can do as you please!"
Pharmacist Lu roared angrily.
"Young Master Ye, that is rather excessive,"
the shop owner said with a frown.
"Then our cooperation is cancelled."
Ye Yunfei lifted his foot and headed for the exit.
"Wait!"
A flicker of hesitation crossed the shop owner's exquisitely beautiful face before she called out.
"Madam Shop Owner, you can't possibly believe this trash's words!"
Pharmacist Lu's body couldn't help but tremble violently.
"Immediately pack your belongings and leave Yuanyue City.
We have Elder Huang here; that will suffice."
After a brief moment of contemplation, the shop owner spoke.
"Madam Shop Owner..."
Pharmacist Lu took a step back, his eyes reddened, filled with intense unwillingness.
After all, he had worked hard to secure the opportunity to accompany this beautiful shop owner to Yuanyue City as the resident alchemist.
This beautiful shop owner held an extremely high position within Lingzhen Pavilion.
In the future, she might even inherit all the Lingzhen Pavilions across the entire Great Qin Empire!
To become a trusted subordinate by her side was an unimaginably great fortune coveted by countless alchemists throughout Lingzhen Pavilion.
As long as he gained her trust, his future prospects were limitless!
Who could have imagined that now he was being driven out of Yuanyue City?
After this incident, it was likely the shop owner would no longer allow him by her side.
This directly extinguished his dream of advancement within Lingzhen Pavilion!
"Do I need to say it again?"
The shop owner swept a calm glance over Pharmacist Lu.
Pharmacist Lu's body trembled. The gaze he cast towards Ye Yunfei was filled with resentment, unwillingness, and humiliation.
In the end, Pharmacist Lu left dejectedly to pack his belongings and depart from Lingzhen Pavilion.
He knew the shop owner's temperament well—once she had spoken, there was no room for further discussion.
"Well, Madam Shop Owner, now we can discuss the cooperation,"
Ye Yunfei nodded, appearing satisfied.
"Good. Young Master Ye, please."
The shop owner made another gesture of invitation.
She then led Ye Yunfei through the back door of the main hall to a room decorated elegantly and exquisitely.
A shop assistant followed them in, serving tea.
"Young Master Ye, my name is Xiao Chuchu. You may call me by my name directly,"
the shop owner invited Ye Yunfei to take a seat and spoke, her voice as pleasant as an oriole's song. A faint, unique fragrance of a young woman permeated the room.