Chapter 309: Lofty Mountains

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven?

Ninth Elder swallowed his saliva.

Is it as he thought?

"May I have a look first?"

"Go ahead."

Leng Yue handed a book to Ninth Elder. The book wasn't thick, only a few dozen pages. Yet when opened, it revealed a hidden world, as if a gateway to a new realm had been opened.

First Grade Pill, Second Grade Pill, Third-Grade Elixir...

The further he turned the pages, the more solemn Ninth Elder's complexion became, and the terror in his eyes grew.

Indeed, it's one, two, three, four, five, six, seven—pill formulas of every grade are present!

Moreover, he could see that each single formula was extremely concise, delivering results with half the effort. The formulas were followed by cautions to prevent later practitioners from hitting pitfalls.

Ninth Elder slammed the book shut, looked at Ye Qingran, and said, "How much? I'll buy it!"

"The original price is ten billion taels of gold; if we cut it down, I'll take just one tael from you," Leng Yue replied.

One tael?

That's a pretty harsh discount!

As a buyer, Ninth Elder even thought this price was a waste of a treasure!

Having obtained the pill formulas, Ninth Elder felt as if he had found a treasure. This scene left the others staring in amazement.

"What's going on? Didn't they say Ye Qingran didn't have any Sixth-Grade pill formulas? Why does Ninth Elder look like he just found a treasure?"

"Could Ye Qingran have lied just now, that she actually has formulas for sale?"

"I don't know, let's go see!"

The crowd swarmed around like a beehive.

A few seconds later...

"My god! It's really a pill formula!"

"And more—there's also... a Seventh-Grade Pill Formula!"

"My dear mother, am I seeing things?"

Exclamations rose and fell, reaching Lin Xueyan's ears.

Seventh-Grade Pill Formula?

How could this be possible?!

Lin Xueyan's complexion was so gloomy it could drip water. She strode toward Ye Qingran, snatched a book and flipped through it, then her face changed.

She herself is a pill master; how could she not see that the formulas were of exceptional quality? Especially the Seventh-Grade Pill Formula, a long-lost ancient relic!

"Ye Qingran, didn't you say you didn't have any formulas on hand?" Lin Xueyan clenched the pill book tightly, her expression growing more twisted.

Ye Qingran warned, "Miss Lin, you must be careful; this book is worth ten billion taels of gold! I'm afraid if you damage it, you can't compensate!"

"Ten billion taels of gold? Not one tael?"

"That price was for Ninth Elder. As for you, coming from the Summit of the Hunt, you should get it at full price; otherwise it would diminish your noble status."

Lin Xueyan trembled with anger. How could she not hear the sarcasm in Ye Qingran's tone?

"Ye Qingran, stop changing the subject. You clearly said you had no formulas in hand just now, why did you deceive me?"

"You just asked me if I had a Sixth-Grade Purification Pill from Western Extremity; I answered no. What's the problem? I never had any Western Extremity formulas!"

Lin Xueyan glared, "Damn Ye Qingran, playing word games with me!"

She must have done it on purpose!

She deliberately sidestepped the heavy issue, aiming to force her to bring out the formulas for sale, then seize the chance to humiliate her.

"Miss Lin, will you buy it? If not, return the pill book to me; many others want to purchase it," Leng Yue said bluntly.

As she spoke, she turned to the sect members previously mentioned and called out, "Friends of the Hundred Herb Pavilion and Nine Profound Gate, are you sure you don't want it? We'll give you a discount too!"

Discount?

Isn't that just one tael of gold?

Only a fool would refuse!

Thus, the sect forces that had queued to pay for Lin Xueyan's formulas suddenly defected.

The accountant summoned by Lin Zhishang just sat down, set out the abacus, but before he could record anything, the bustling scene instantly turned desolate.

A withered yellow leaf drifted down, landing on the ledger, silently narrating desolation.

A crowd surged toward Ye Qingran; the obstructive Lin Xueyan was shoved around, making her so angry she nearly lost control.

The onlookers from Xiliang City watched the scene, unable to describe their feelings.

Today was supposed to be the day Lin Xueyan sold Western Extremity's core pill formulas, yet it turned into Ye Qingran setting up a stall in front of the Lin mansion, with unexpectedly booming business. Meanwhile, Lin Xueyan sold nothing at all—how tragic.

"Why does it feel like Lin Xueyan, who returned from the Western Extremity Sacred Realm, is less popular than Ye Qingran?"

"Ye Qingran seems to be crushing Lin Xueyan completely."

"Could Ye Qingran have also been to Western Extremity?"

Mo Xiaohu and Fu Qianchen joined the commotion, listening to everyone's words, feeling bewildered inside.

"Mother, everyone says your formulas are too cheap; why don't you sell them for more?"

Ye Qingran looked at the two naive children before her and smiled gently.

Perhaps they are smarter than children their age, yet there are many things they cannot comprehend.

"Because some things cannot be measured by money. Mother does not seek to make a profit from these formulas; she hopes that those who buy them will spread them, so more people can benefit," Ye Qingran thought for a moment, then explained gently.

She holds many formulas in her hand. Medicine King Valley annually announces exclusive formulas to the Central Region. It's not to gain anything, but for the world's progress, contributing a modest effort. This is a responsibility each person should bear. The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility.

Although Ye Qingran did not intend to win favor, these words, heard by those around, inevitably earned their respect.

Especially compared to Lin Xueyan's desire to seek excessive profit through medicinal formulas and cultivation methods, Ye Qingran's approach obviously wins more hearts and has a broader scope.

The two children nodded.

"What Mother means is that we should do our utmost to help those who need help, right?"

Ye Qingran smiled and nodded.

She did not want her children to become cold-hearted and unfeeling people; she hoped they would harbor good intentions, at least within their abilities, to do some things beneficial to the world and to the people around them.

"Mother, we understand. We will also try our best to do good deeds in the future!"

The greatest influence on children is precisely their parents. Parents' subtle influence is profound and long-lasting; it is hoped that every parent will actively guide their children.

The conversation between the mother and her two children resonated with everyone.

Many pairs of eyes looking at Ye Qingran couldn't help but feel respect.

They finally understood why Ye Qingran, who clearly possessed such excellent cultivation methods and medicinal formulas, did not hide her talents but openly sold them at low prices. It wasn't that she lacked sense, but that she possessed a character admirable enough to inspire awe.

A truly great person is one who considers the welfare of all under heaven.

Ye Qingran is such a person.