Demon, come and cultivate for me.

Several playful, arrogant young men froze when they heard Xu Yuan call them by their childhood nicknames, and then their faces fell.

Back then, Xu Yuan had the highest cultivation level, standing out from the crowd. Those nicknames were all given to them by Xu Yuan at that time.

Now that I'm in my early twenties and have some status and position, it's really embarrassing to be called such a slightly insulting nickname in public.

If word gets out, how will I ever be able to get along with the young masters of the capital?

Li Erleng and Zhang Caigou simultaneously drew their swords, intending to dismount and teach Xu Yuan a lesson.

The others whom Xu Yuan referred to as "nobody" were all prominent figures in the capital. Feeling slighted by Xu Yuan, they were enraged and, along with Li and Zhang, eager to try their luck.

Seeing this, Zhou Chu stepped forward and stood side by side with Xu Yuan. Chen Xiangzi glanced at the group of spoiled young men and also stepped forward.

Liu Dashan quickly stopped the two men on either side, saying, "Times have changed; we must not be reckless."

Seeing this, Xu Yuan persisted, "Hey Liu Dashan, have you gotten smarter or just chickened out?"

Liu Dashan had a very successful hunt today, and in his excitement, he offended Xu Yuan.

At this moment, I somewhat regretted striking up a conversation with Xu Yuan.

Now things are really messed up; not only can I not argue with him, but I also can't openly fight him.

Logically speaking, times have changed, and Liu Dashan, with his peak cultivation, should not be afraid of Xu Yuan, who is at the second level of cultivation.

The Taoist priest beside Xu Yuan is probably at the peak of cultivation, so he is not a threat, since Liu, Li, and Zhang are all at the peak of cultivation.

The only person he was wary of was the tall guy to Xu Yuan's left. He couldn't tell what level of cultivation the guy had, but his aura was definitely not weak. He might not be able to gain the upper hand in a fight.

There was an even more important reason: three days later, the Crown Prince summoned the sons of various families who had not yet entered officialdom to a martial arts competition to select talents at the camp outside the city.

The top ten strongest will be able to follow the Crown Prince on his northern expedition.

The Crown Prince is known for his kindness and benevolence. Those who follow him to achieve great things will surely have a bright future.

This is much faster than waiting for a family recommendation to take up an official post.

This is undoubtedly a golden opportunity for scions of powerful families who are determined to make a name for themselves through their own abilities.

If they caused trouble beforehand and it affected the competition, it would be a loss. That's why Liu Dashan stopped the other two.

Liu Dashan suppressed his anger and said, "Xu Yuan, you're quick-witted, I can't argue with you. Dare to have a contest with me?"

Xu Yuan drew his sword and said, "Do you think I, Master Xu, am afraid of you?"

Liu Dashan said, "Not now, three days from now, at the camp outside the city. It's my son who won't dare to come."

"Master Xu agrees, now get out of here." Xu Yuan sheathed his sword.

Liu Dashan snorted coldly and turned his horse to leave.

He thought to himself, "Kid, just you wait. Military competitions are no joke. Swords have no eyes. If I don't kill you, I'll cripple you."

The group of playboys swaggered away.

Chen Xiangzi said with a hint of worry, "Brother Xu, you are currently at the middle stage of cultivation, while your opponent is at the peak. This match is likely to end badly."

"Don't worry, I'll break through to the peak realm tonight," Xu Yuan said confidently.

"Oh? How do I break through?" Chen Xiangzi became interested.

Xu Yuan explained, "Do you still remember the Qi-stabilizing pill I mentioned on the way? I've already reached a bottleneck and dare not force a breakthrough, lest I damage my meridians."

I can buy Gu Yuan Dan in the capital. Just two pills will help me break through to the peak realm.

The techniques practiced by those families are all inferior; within the same realm, my Xu family's swordsmanship can absolutely overpower them.

The Qi-Strengthening Pill is a divine medicine for martial arts practitioners. It is not available in ordinary pharmacies and can only be purchased from government-run pill shops.

Xu Yuan had lived in the capital for many years, so he naturally knew where the pill workshop was.

Zhou Chu and Chen Xiangzi also wanted to see for themselves, so they went to the pill shop with Xu Yuan.

The medicine shop was also located on the outskirts of the eastern city, not far from the inn, and it took only a short time to arrive.

"Is this the place that sells elixirs?"

Once inside, Zhou Chu discovered that it wasn't like the traditional Chinese medicine shop he had imagined; it was more like a high-end teahouse.

There were no medicine cabinets, no alchemy furnaces, and not even a counter inside.

Small wooden signs hung on the four walls, with the words "Gathering Qi Pill," "Stabilizing Spirit Pill," "Consolidating Essence Pill," and "Healing Pill" written on them.

In the lobby, only one or two tables of guests were scattered around, and they were speaking very softly.

Xu Yuan led Zhou Chu and the other man to a seat. Soon, someone brought three bowls of tea and placed them on the table, politely saying to the three of them, "Please have a seat, the manager will be here shortly."

A short while later, a middle-aged man with three tufts of beard saw the guests out and then went straight to Zhou Chu's table to sit down.

Seeing that the three were unfamiliar faces, the middle-aged man introduced himself, "My surname is Hu, you can call me Manager Hu. May I ask what kind of pills you need?"

Xu Yuan said, "The Qi-Strengthening Pill."

"No," the middle-aged man said decisively.

"I'll offer three hundred taels for just two pills, quality doesn't matter." Xu Yuan naturally knew the reason behind it; the Gu Yuan Dan was a very popular pill, and there was usually no stock.

Furthermore, most powerful families would place bulk orders here, and as soon as the pills were produced, the pill workshop staff would deliver them directly to their homes.

A very small number of pills of lower quality are picked out by the pill shops and then sold on the black market for profit.

When Manager Hu heard that it was five hundred taels, his squinty eyes widened slightly.

A single Gu Yuan Dan normally sells for around 150 taels of silver, but the low-grade pills he sells on the black market fetch at most 70 or 80 taels.

That kid actually offered three hundred taels! That's a net profit of three hundred taels!

Although Manager Hu was tempted, he still shook his head: "No."

Xu Yuan held up four fingers and said, "Four hundred taels."

"No." Manager Hu's expression remained unchanged, but he was secretly gritting his teeth.

They say that, but in their hearts they're hoping for prices to rise even higher.

Xu Yuan lowered his hand and said, "Five hundred taels."

Manager Hu's heart pounded. He looked around and said, "Come with me."

The three followed Manager Hu upstairs to a private room, where he had the tea served and said, "Please wait a moment, gentlemen."

After saying that, he walked out of the private room and closed the door behind him.

Chen Xiangzi picked up the teacup, sniffed it, and a delicate fragrance filled the air. He took a small sip and exclaimed, "Indeed, this is excellent tea!"

Zhou Chu also took a sip, a satisfied expression on his face. He put down his teacup and asked, "Is it worth it to buy two low-grade pills for five hundred li?"

Xu Yuan said, "Things have come to this point, we have to buy it even if it costs a thousand taels."

These words happened to reach the ears of Manager Hu outside the door.

Shopkeeper Hu hesitated for a moment, then opened the small box in his hand, took out one mid-grade pill from the two pills inside, and put it in his pocket. He left only the low-grade pill in the box, then pushed open the door and went inside.

"Gentlemen, you have been waiting for a long time. I only have one pill here, which I will offer to you for two hundred and fifty taels."

As he spoke, Manager Hu opened the small wooden box and pushed it in front of Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan didn't touch the box, only glanced at it and said, "I said, I want two!"