My father is the main character, but the female leads want to kill me.

After pouring tea for Lin Ran and Wen Qianyi, Xin Zhiqing sat down opposite them, crossed her legs elegantly, leaned slightly to one side, and said with a smile, "I wonder what kind of conditions Mr. Mengde can offer?"

……

13. The whereabouts of the Tree Heart Fragment and the Ghostly Face Flower (4K)

Lin Ran didn't rush to speak. Instead, she picked up her teacup and sipped her tea. "Bartering with someone who makes you state your conditions first? That's not a good idea."

Wen Qianyi, holding Lin Ran's hand, transmitted her thoughts through her soul: "According to my estimate, that batch of medicinal herbs should be worth two sixth-order Nirvana Pills plus one fifth-order Spirit Gathering Pill. Anything more than that is considered overpriced."

Although these medicinal herbs are hard to find, they are not the rarest kind. Moreover, the most crucial main ingredient is missing, so they are only worth this price.

Moreover, don't underestimate the two sixth-tier pills and one fifth-tier pill. Wen Qianyi is overestimating them. If these three pills were taken to an auction and resold, they could fetch a high price in no time. Not only would they make back their investment, but they would also make a profit.

Hearing Wen Qianyi say this, Lin Ran felt more confident. He sat up a bit more arrogantly and said with a faint smile, "Two fifth-grade Spirit Gathering Pills plus two or three fourth-grade pills."

When Xin Zhiqing heard Lin Ran's offer, her expression changed slightly. It wasn't that she found it hard to accept; the fact that the other party could produce two fifth-grade Spirit Gathering Pills indicated that they were quite powerful. Spirit Gathering Pills were considered extremely difficult to refine among fifth-grade pills, and even she, a fifth-grade alchemist, dared not guarantee success.

The other party took out two coins at once. If she managed it properly and auctioned them off, she might be able to make a fortune.

Selling Spirit Gathering Pills elsewhere would never be as profitable as selling them in the Danger Triangle.

Because Spirit Gathering Pills are extremely sought after in the Danger Triangle, with their 100% effectiveness in condensing spirit pills, they can be considered a Spirit Pill Realm creator. As long as you have one, you are guaranteed to produce a Spirit Pill Realm cultivator. This has made many people, especially large forces that want to expand their territory, extremely eager to obtain Spirit Gathering Pills.

However, Xin Zhiqing wouldn't agree so easily. As a businesswoman and an alchemist, she felt that the woman sitting next to Cao Mengde was probably a higher-ranking alchemist than her. Why not try something higher?

Xin Zhiqin pondered for a moment, then chuckled softly and continued, "Mr. Mengde is putting me in a difficult position. I sent people out to find and collect these medicinal herbs, and it came at a great cost..."

"It's just a matter of raising the price!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Ran couldn't help but inwardly despise him. He then said bluntly, "Boss Xin, I know your subordinates have it tough. Collecting medicinal herbs is very difficult. I'll add one more sixth-order Nirvana Pill."

One sixth-tier Nirvana Pill plus two fifth-tier Spirit Gathering Pills—that far exceeds the price of your medicinal herbs. If even that's not enough, I can only regret our excellent cooperation.

Lin Ran's bid was like a heavy blow to Xin Zhiqin's heart. She was incredibly grateful that her trusted confidante, Xiao Xi, had intercepted Mr. Meng De, and also extremely thankful that she hadn't put that batch of medicinal herbs up for auction beforehand. Otherwise, those beasts from the Medicine King Sect would have used despicable means to force a sale.

A sixth-order Nirvana Pill can enhance the strength of the Nirvana Realm, with a chance to break through to the two-star level. You can also take two pills. If this were sold at an auction, she would guarantee that it would be an astronomical figure.

Xin Zhiqing no longer wanted to test the waters; for her, this batch of medicinal herbs had already made her a fortune.

Xin Zhiqing extended her hand to Lin Ran with a bright smile on her face and said, "Mr. Mengde, I will have Xiaoxi prepare the medicinal herbs later and deliver them to you intact. I will not let our cooperation end with such regrets."

Lin Ran reached out and grasped the soft hand, smiling gently, "Boss Xin made the most correct choice!"

After gently shaking hands, Lin Ran let go. Xin Zhiqing then asked Lin Ran and Wen Qianyi to sit down first. After getting the list of medicinal herbs from Lin Ran, she went outside to instruct Xiao Xi to go to the storeroom to prepare the herbs.

Fearing that Xiaoxi might encounter some trouble, Xin Zhiqing directly gave Xiaoxi her identity token as well, telling Xiaoxi to go and come back quickly.

After giving all the instructions, Xin Zhiqing breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the study. With a smile on her face, she sat back down at the desk, refilled Lin Ran's half-empty teacup, and said, "I have already asked Xiaoxi to go to the storeroom to get the medicinal herbs. They will be delivered to Mr. Mengde soon."

At this moment, Lin Ran also took out two fine mutton fat jade bottles. Even though they had been sealed, they still emitted a fragrance of elixir, which immediately invigorated Xin Zhiqing and made her eyes seem to brighten.

Lin Ran placed the medicine bottle in front of Xin Zhiqin and said with a smile, "Boss Xin, please take a look!"

"it is good!"

Xin Zhiqing picked up one of the bottles, skillfully unsealed the bottle opening, poured out the round pill inside, and examined it. She even used her soul power to probe the pill. After a while, a shocking fact struck Xin Zhiqing's heart.

This is an absolutely top-quality Nirvana Pill. Not only has it been refined with pill patterns, but its fragrance is also much stronger than that of ordinary Nirvana Pills.

Even when her soul power touched the pill, she could feel a slight burning sensation on its surface, indicating that the flame used in the alchemy was not an ordinary flame.

Most importantly, this is a superior Nirvana Pill, with far stronger medicinal effects than ordinary Nirvana Pills. The probability of breaking through to the second star level after taking it once is much higher. If it were auctioned, such a superior Nirvana Pill could fetch a higher price.

"This is far superior to the sixth-level alchemist of the Medicine King Sect!" Xin Zhiqing thought to herself. She was also increasingly curious about the true identities of the two people in front of her. One was powerful, and the other was an alchemy master. Where did these two come from?

The remaining two Spirit Gathering Pills were also fine; these three pills were a pleasant surprise to Xin Zhiqing.

"It's me, Sister Xin!"

Just then, Xiao Xi's voice came from outside the door. Xiao Xi pushed open the door and respectfully brought over a small tray with a spatial ring lying on it.

Xin Zhiqing said, "Mr. Mengde, you should also check the medicinal herbs inside to confirm!"

Lin Ran gestured to Wen Qianyi, who then took the spatial ring from the tray and probed it with her soul power. She seemed worried that some of the medicinal herbs might not be up to standard, so she took them out and examined them carefully, which took quite a bit of time.

After Wen Qianyi confirmed that there were no problems, Lin Ran breathed a sigh of relief. He stood up and smiled, "We also checked and there were no problems. It was a very good collaboration, Boss Xin!"

"Mr. Mengde, I think so too!"

Xin Zhiqing smiled and replied, then continued, "I have another business deal here that I'd like to discuss with Mr. Mengde privately. Is that alright?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Ran glanced at Wen Qianyi instinctively, then stood up and walked outside, saying, "I'll wait for you outside!"

After Wen Qianyi left the study, only Lin Ran and Xin Zhiqing remained. A man and a woman alone together... it was impossible for them to have any passionate encounter.

Lin Ran didn't believe that this fifth-level alchemist beauty was after his good looks and wanted to stay behind to get to know him better. She was someone who had built such a large business in the dangerous triangle area, and she wasn't someone easy to get along with!

Seeing Xin Zhiqing get up and fiddle with the desk for a while, the entire study became even quieter, and even the sounds from outside could not be heard. It was clear that Xin Zhiqing had activated a soundproofing array.

This made Lin Ran even more curious. Leaning back in her chair, she teased, "What does Boss Xin want to talk to me about? You're being so mysterious, it's making me a little scared!"

Upon hearing Lin Ran's words, Xin Zhiqing couldn't help but chuckle: "Mr. Mengde, you are joking. With your strength, how could I possibly threaten you? Besides, I have already offended you."

I wanted to send Mr. Mengde some compensation. Just now, while looking at that list, I saw the "Ghostly Face" flower, and coincidentally, I know where it is!

"You actually know the whereabouts of the Ghostly Resentful Face Flower?" Lin Ran said with some surprise.

"I only found out by chance. My men tried to pick them, but almost all of them died there," Xin Zhiqing said helplessly.

This was clearly not a good thing for her. A large number of teams died because of a single flower, which was a serious blow to Guangmingtang.

"They all died there?"

Lin Ran was taken aback. He remembered that Wen Qianyi had told him before that the Ghostly Resentful Face Flower could only be found in places with heavy yin and evil energy. Judging from the current situation, this place was very strange!

“This Ghostly Resentful Face Flower is located in Liezhou. As for its exact location, I have a map here that I can give to you, Mr. Mengde, but I need some time to find it,” Xin Zhiqing said.

Upon hearing this, Lin Ran was also taken aback. He had clearly not expected that the Ghostly Resentful Face Flower was actually in Liezhou. It seemed that he would have to go back there as well.

"This map... shouldn't be within the scope of the gift, right?" Lin Ran said calmly, turning the jade bracelet on her wrist.

"Mr. Mengde is very clever; the map must have involved other conditions!"

Xin Zhiqing stood up and leaned against the desk, displaying her voluptuous and languid posture. The high slit of her skirt revealed her delicate white skin, which was slightly flattened by the pressure on the desk.

Lin Ran's mind suddenly wandered. He couldn't help but believe that this woman was only after his body and wanted to spend quality time with him, Cao Mengde. Otherwise, why would she be tempting him like that?

Xin Zhiqing had no idea what Lin Ran was thinking. Her eyes were fixed on Lin Ran as she slowly asked, "I wonder if Mr. Mengde will attend the auction held by the Medicine King Sect sometime in the future?"

"I just arrived in Dan City today and received a token from the Medicine King Sect, which says I can directly enter the auction. What? You don't want me to sabotage the auction, do you? I don't have that kind of power!" Lin Ran laughed.

This prompted Xin Zhiqing to give Lin Ran a charmingly reproachful look, and she said coquettishly, "How could I have such thoughts? I just wonder if Mr. Mengde knows about the mysterious auction item that has been circulating about the Forest of Wisdom?"

"I've heard of it. Do you know about it?" Lin Ran asked in return.

Xin Zhiqing nodded and said with a wry smile, "That mysterious item was obtained from us by the Medicine King Sect, so of course I know what it is."

"Judging from your expression, you didn't voluntarily put this item up for auction?"

“It was those beasts who forcibly seized it. There was a traitor in our Guangming Hall who told the Medicine King Sect. They joined forces to put pressure on us and used all sorts of dirty tricks, ultimately forcing me to hand it over.” Xin Zhiqing even disregarded etiquette and swore, saying through gritted teeth.

This surprised Lin Ran somewhat. It seemed that the relationship between Guangmingtang and Yaowangzong wasn't as good as it appeared on the surface. He couldn't help but ask, "What exactly is that mysterious item? Why isn't Yaowangzong using it, but instead auctioning it off?"

"The fragments of the Tree of Wisdom's heart still retain a very abundant and vibrant life force, and it seems to also possess the power of the 'Tao' belonging to the Tree of Wisdom."

With red eyes, Xin Zhiqing said angrily, "The reason those bastards from the Medicine King Sect want to auction this tree heart fragment is because they don't know how to use it. If they use it carelessly, they will ruin this treasure. So they chose to auction it off to exchange for something more useful, using the gimmick of the Tree of Wisdom to maximize the profits of this auction."

"Then what do you want to do?" Lin Ran asked in a deep voice.

A hint of murderous intent flashed in Xin Zhiqing's eyes as she said coldly, "I hope Mr. Mengde can join the battle for the Tree Heart Fragments after the auction and stir up the situation appropriately."

Based on my understanding of the Medicine King Sect, they will definitely want to take back the Tree Heart Fragment. As long as it's not taken by the Medicine King Sect, it's fine. Ideally, they should destroy that treasure, or you could get it yourself, sir.”

"I know this condition is unreasonable, but I will not only present you with the map of the haunted face, but I can also grant you any request you make. If you don't believe me, I can give you a deposit first!"

After saying that, Xin Zhiqing took out a jade box from her spatial ring. Inside lay a strangely shaped plant, which resembled the bones of a dragon, winding and coiling, and shimmering with the luster of jade.

“I remember that on Mr. Mengde’s prescription, there was a Jade Dragon Bone Grass for the Dragon-Breaking Pill. This is my personal treasure. I would like to ask you to make a purchase for me as a deposit. I wonder if that would be alright?” Xin Zhiqing said nervously.

This was a huge gamble for her. Originally, she hadn't thought of it this way, but after seeing Lin Ran's strength and Wen Qianyi's mysterious alchemy skills, she decided to take the risk. She didn't believe that Mr. Mengde wouldn't be tempted by the fragment of the Tree of Wisdom's heart.

You must know that was a fragment of the heartwood of the Tree of Wisdom!

If she could find the heart of the Tree of Wisdom through this fragment, it would be an incredible stroke of luck. She had learned from ancient texts that consuming the heart of the Tree of Wisdom could not only greatly enhance one's wisdom and strengthen one's soul, but also allow one to condense a second heart within the body, which could replace the human heart.

That means you essentially have two lives. Even if one heart is gone, the other heart can still provide the energy. Moreover, the second heart is said to continuously supply life force to strengthen the body. How could anyone not go crazy?

Xin Zhiqing is going to have to spend a lot of money this time in order to take revenge on the Medicine King Sect. She doesn't know if Senior Mengde in front of her will agree.

……

14. Head to Falling Maple Pavilion

Wen Qianyi was getting a little impatient waiting outside the door. She crossed her arms and tapped her arm lightly with her index finger. She was wondering what she wanted to say. Was it something that could only be said between the two of them alone?

Of course, she would only think these things to herself and wouldn't rush over to open the door and interrupt Lin Ran and the others' conversation.

A moment later, the door opened, and Lin Ran and Xin Zhiqing came out one after the other.

Wen Qianyi paid special attention to Xin Zhiqing's condition. She noticed that Xin Zhiqing's watery eyes were slightly red, and there were still some tear stains at the corners of her eyes, as if she had just cried inside. However, she had a warm smile on her face, which seemed genuine. She even waved goodbye to Lin Ran.

"Goodbye, Mr. Mengde!" Xin Zhiqing stood at the door of the study, waving and smiling.

Lin Ran responded with a smile, and then went downstairs with Wen Qianyi.

As she went downstairs, Wen Qianyi became increasingly puzzled. Thinking of that perverted and lewd senior, Wen Qianyi felt more and more that something unspeakable might have happened between the two of them inside.

Once they were outside Guangming Hall, Wen Qianyi hurriedly dragged Lin Ran into a small alley. When they reached a secluded corner, she shoved Lin Ran against the wall.

Lin Ran leaned against the wall, looking at Wen Qianyi with a blank expression. Before he could ask "why", he saw Wen Qianyi suddenly slap the wall next to his head.

With a "thud," some dust fell from the wall. Looking at the dented hand, Lin Ran couldn't help but swallow.

Wen Qianyi said coldly, "Perverted senior, tell me quickly, what exactly did you talk about in there, otherwise... otherwise I... I won't help you refine the pills!"

Look, Qianyi is still gentle. If it were Shangguan Mengqing, she would probably hold a sword to his neck, knee him in the groin, and then calmly threaten him, exuding maximum pressure.

"Miss Wen, let me tell you the story slowly!"

Lin Ran raised her hands in surrender and then recounted the details of her deal with Xin Zhiqing.

Upon hearing Lin Ran's words, Wen Qianyi was taken aback and asked, "Not only did she know the exact location of the Ghostly Resentful Face Flower, but she also gave us the Jade Dragon Bone Grass as a deposit in advance, all to prevent the Medicine King Sect from taking back the Tree Heart Fragment. Why did she go to such great lengths?"