Although the mess Yang Ling made today wasn’t entirely unexpected, as there had been signs beforehand, for the Yang Family, it was a complete and utter humiliation.
After today, word would inevitably spread, making them the laughingstock of Yuan Guang County for the next year.
So when Zhuang Sixuan suggested that Yang Ling had likely been poisoned, the entire Yang Family latched onto the idea without a second thought.
Unfortunately, not even the best forensic doctor in Yuan Guang County could determine what kind of poison Yang Ling had been afflicted with.
After all, the moment Zou Feng stopped his Cultivation, the transference effect would temporarily vanish, leaving behind nothing but a body already ravaged by toxins.
Regardless, the incident threw the Yang Family into chaos.
The chaos only deepened when, by the next morning, the third young master, Yang Yanpeng, still hadn’t returned. Patriarch Yang Wu began to grow truly anxious.
On any other occasion, no one would have cared if Yang Yanpeng was gone for three days and three nights.
But with the Blood-handed Butcher lurking and waiting for a chance to retaliate, it was a critical time. Logically, Yang Yanpeng should never have been away from the mansion for so long without a word.
As one of Yuan Guang County’s wealthy households, the Yang Family had the full attention of the Government Office. They immediately dispatched men to coordinate with the family and search for Yang Yanpeng’s whereabouts.
Zou Feng, however, wasn’t worried.
He was actually curious to use this opportunity to see just how capable the Government Office’s investigators in this world really were.
After all, he had dumped Yang Yanpeng and Xu Haoran’s bodies in the middle of nowhere.
By now, wild animals should have picked them clean, leaving nothing but bones.
’If they can find the bodies and still identify the bones as Yang Yanpeng’s, that’d be ridiculously impressive...’
「The next afternoon.」
Mutton was originally on the menu for the day, since there was still some left from the sheep slaughtered yesterday.
But the Steward had come to the kitchen first thing in the morning to give specific instructions.
He said it would be best to avoid serving mutton for the next few months, at least.
But since the leftover mutton couldn’t be stored for long, it became an extra perk for everyone in the kitchen staff...
Although the thought had unsettled him last night, Zou Feng knew better than anyone that Yang Ling hadn’t... *interfered* with the other sheep.
And so, driven by his ever-increasing appetite, Zou Feng ate more than anyone else.
After reaching the Entering Grade, he noticed his appetite had grown significantly.
He felt hungry almost all the time.
Even medicinal meals couldn’t keep him full for long.
Watching Zou Feng get another bowl of rice, Luo Yong didn’t know that he had reached the Entering Grade, but his intuition told him this was likely a sign of another advancement in his Cultivation Skill, which would explain the larger appetite...
"Zou Feng, do you know what Yang Qianqian eats every day?"
Zou Feng looked up, confused. "Uh, doesn’t she eat with the Patriarch and the others? We cook their food, too. She just has more medicinal dishes."
Luo Yong shook his head. "How could that be? Yang Qianqian is a Middle to Upper Level Entering Grade Martial Artist with immense potential. Why would the Patriarch let her eat such common fare!"
"Medicinal meals are really only effective for Martial Artists before they reach the Entering Grade, or perhaps those at the Lower Grade Entry."
"The wealthy ones definitely all take Elixirs."
"Take Yang Qianqian, for example. I don’t know the exact details, but I’m certain she consumes at least one impurity-free Qi Blood Pill every single day."
Luo Yong deliberately stressed the words "impurity-free."
The price difference between an Elixir with impurities and one without was astounding.
Zou Feng had never really learned about these things before. After all, as a servant in the Yang Mansion, his access to information was severely limited.
"Then... how much does an impurity-free Qi Blood Pill cost?"
Luo Yong held up one finger.
"One tael of silver?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Zou Feng realized he had probably guessed too low.
Sure enough, Luo Yong wasn’t finished.
He crossed another finger over the first. "Ten taels!"
Despite being mentally prepared, Zou Feng was still stunned.
Ten taels of silver. At the prices in Yuan Guang County, that was enough to feed an ordinary family of three for a year.
With ten taels of silver, you could be treated like a king for a night at a cheap brothel like Hengyu Building.
And that was just the price of a single Elixir, one that Yang Qianqian consumed daily.
She probably even took more than one a day...
"Don’t worry about it. Once you’ve reached the Entering Grade, there are plenty of opportunities to make money!"
"Wait here..."
With that, Luo Yong turned and walked toward his room.
A moment later, Luo Yong returned with a porcelain vial in his hand.
"Take it!"
He walked up to Zou Feng and pressed the vial into his hand.
Zou Feng looked down at the vial in surprise. "Master, this bottle... these aren’t the Qi Blood Pills you were talking about, are they?"
"That’s right. But they’re nothing compared to the ones Yang Qianqian takes. These are Mixed Pills; they aren’t worth much," Luo Yong said casually.
Zou Feng had already opened the vial and counted roughly ten pills inside.
"Even if they’re Mixed Pills, each one must be worth at least one or two taels of silver. I can’t just take these..." Zou Feng was genuinely touched.
He knew full well that Luo Yong wasn’t a Martial Artist; he couldn’t have just had Qi Blood Pills lying around.
He must have gone out of his way to buy them after seeing Zou Feng’s progress in his training.
And it probably cost him nearly all of his savings.
Then again, investing in a Martial Artist who showed great promise of reaching the Entering Grade—especially one you knew to be "pure-hearted" and certain to repay any kindness—wasn’t much of a gamble.
"None of that sentimental nonsense. I told you to take it, so take it!"
"But remember, don’t get greedy when you take them. After one pill, you need at least ten days to slowly absorb its medicinal power."
"You have to understand, these are Mixed Pills. They’re impure and have significant side effects. You have to wait until all the adverse reactions disappear before you can take another one," Luo Yong said gravely.
He had, of course, researched them thoroughly when he bought them.
As for why he hadn’t just bought a single, pure Qi Blood Pill...
Luo Yong didn’t know Zou Feng had already reached the Entering Grade. How could someone who hadn’t yet reached that level possibly withstand the potency of a pure Qi Blood Pill?
Even over-consuming regular supplements could cause problems, let alone potent Elixirs.
But when Zou Feng heard the words "adverse reactions," his interest was immediately piqued.
’Taking an Elixir isn’t the same as Cultivation, so I probably can’t transfer the side effects.’
’But what if I start my Cultivation immediately after taking one?’
’I have to try it. If it works, the feeling will be absolutely euphoric, enough to blow my mind.’
’If it’s really possible, then I won’t need to spend a fortune on pure Elixirs in the future. I can just use the cheap Mixed Pills.’
After all, for those who cultivated Evil Skills, relying on a constant stream of pills was a perfectly normal path.
The only difference was that he might not have to bear the consequences of binging on them himself...
As he was lost in these fantasies, a cry of alarm came from a short distance away.
"Something’s happened! Something’s happened—"
"The third young master... the third young master’s remains... they’ve been found..."
Hearing this, Zou Feng’s heart skipped a beat.
’What the hell? They actually found him? And this quickly!?’