I'm invincible once I descend the mountain; the beautiful CEO is forcing me to get our marriage

When Ye An returned to Dongyang Town, the sky was already beginning to lighten.

He wasn't stained with any blood; he had simply changed into clean clothes, as if he had just gone for a night run the previous night.

He has already taken care of the Ji family's affairs in Shanghai.

He didn't care how much trouble it would cause later.

He wasn't worried about Su Wanqing and Qin Ruoxue either.

The wealthy businessmen and bigwigs in Jiangnan Province said they would absolutely not dare to do anything wrong.

Once the news of the complete annihilation of the Ji family spreads, those who were originally restless will become more docile than anyone else.

In the face of absolute power, any conspiracy or trickery is a joke.

Ye An had a very leisurely few days.

Su Wanqing and Qin Ruoxue threw themselves into the affairs of Su Family Pharmaceuticals, keeping themselves extremely busy.

Now, the simplified version of the formula for the Minor Qi-Nourishing Pill given by Ye An has been officially named "Ning Yuan San" and preparations for large-scale production have begun.

Ye Anle was relieved to have some peace and quiet, which gave him a good opportunity to plan what to do next.

In the room, he looked at the last Qi-Nourishing Pill in his hand and fell into thought.

Although this alchemy attempt was successful, it also exposed a problem.

His alchemy skills are still too rudimentary.

Moreover, the spiritual energy on Earth is scarce, which greatly reduces the age and medicinal properties of medicinal herbs, making some spiritual herbs even harder to find.

"To improve your alchemy skills, you still need to practice diligently. Practice requires a large amount of medicinal herbs, the older the better."

Ye An thought of a place that Fang Hongda had mentioned before.

Dongjiang Province, Yunzhou.

That area has been a capital of medicinal herbs since ancient times. In the deep mountains and forests, you might be able to find some old medicinal herbs that have been around for many years.

"Medicine King Valley..."

The name popped into Ye An's mind again.

It is said that Medicine King Valley not only has top-notch martial arts heritage, but its alchemy skills are also unparalleled in the world.

"When we return from Yunzhou, we can visit this Medicine King Valley."

Having made up his mind, Ye An no longer delayed.

He made a phone call to Master Guan.

……

A black Mercedes-Benz G-Class was driving smoothly on the highway to Yunzhou.

The driver was none other than Master Guan.

He stood ramrod straight, his hands firmly gripping the steering wheel, his eyes focused intently on the road ahead, not daring to even glance out of the corner of his eye.

Ye An sat in the back row.

As soon as he got on the bus, he took out the Qi-Nourishing Pill from his pocket, swallowed it, closed his eyes, and began to cultivate.

The car stereo was playing some refreshing music.

When Master Guan saw Ye An's actions in the rearview mirror, his heart skipped a beat, and he immediately turned off the music.

The entire carriage fell silent instantly, with only the faint sound of tires rubbing against the ground remaining.

"We mustn't disturb Master Ye's cultivation."

Master Guan muttered to himself, even softening his breathing.

He is currently at the mid-stage of the Acquired Realm, which is considered a master in the eyes of ordinary people.

But he knew in his heart that with his current level of cultivation, he was no different from an ant in front of Master Ye.

His family's martial arts technique has a limit; once you reach the mid-stage of the Acquired Realm, there's no further path.

In the past, he might have worried about this.

But now, he's not flustered at all.

He knew perfectly well how long those three guys, Zhao Wuji and Zhao Wuji, had been following Master Ye.

Now everyone is a Grandmaster of Internal Energy!

I do have some sense of things.

As long as you serve Master Ye well, doing his bidding and serving him without complaint, you'll surely reap the rewards.

Moreover, Dongjiang Yunzhou is his old territory!

Thinking of this, Master Guan felt a surge of excitement.

What bottlenecks in family-inherited skills, what barriers to acquired skills—none of these matter in front of Master Ye.

What he needs to do now is to be a good driver, an attendant, and Master Ye's most loyal and reliable clerk.

Wherever Master Ye wanted to go, he would drive there.

Whatever Master Ye wanted to do, he would do it.

Even if Master Ye wanted to go to heaven, he would have to find a way to get an airplane.

Thinking of his triumph, Master Guan's lips unconsciously curled into a smile, his expression as respectful and obsequious as could be.

In the back row, Ye An had just taken the Qi-Nourishing Pill, and its medicinal effects had already spread through his meridians.

A warm current flowed through my limbs and bones, but it was like a clay ox sinking into the sea, failing to create much of a ripple.

He looked inward at his own true essence, which was far more abundant than that of other cultivators of the same level, and understood.

This Qi-Nourishing Pill is known as the "top choice for Innate cultivators," and it does have its unique advantages. For cultivators who have just entered the Innate realm, it is a rare elixir that can help them stabilize their realm.

However, for those with a slightly higher level of skill, or those with a solid foundation like him, the effect is greatly reduced.

Unless it's the first time taking it, it's only slightly better than nothing.

"It seems that ordinary pills are becoming less and less effective for me." Ye An slowly opened his eyes, his gaze calm and unwavering.

"Then I can only rely on quantity. I'll refine another batch. If the number of pills I produce is still only three, it will take at least three more months to break through to the peak of the late-stage Innate Realm..."

Just then, the car slowed down.

Upon arriving in Yunzhou City, as soon as the car window was rolled down, a strong smell of traditional Chinese medicine wafted in.

"Master Ye, what kind of herbs would you like to buy? Ginseng, astragalus, lingzhi, snow lotus... almost everything that can't be bought in Jiangcheng can be found here." Master Guan bowed slightly as he led the way and respectfully introduced the herbs.

"The type doesn't matter, the older the better," Ye An said.

In his view, the medicinal herbs on the market have very little spiritual energy.

Only those that have been stored for a long enough period of time can be used as medicine.

Master Guan was taken aback.

Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes the principle of combining herbs according to their properties, and it is not true that the older the herbs, the better.

Sometimes, using excessive amounts of medicine can actually cause problems.

However, the thought only flashed through my mind.

Master Ye is a man of great stature; there must be a reason why he said that.

As an ordinary mortal, what right do I have to question this?

He thought about it for a moment and quickly came up with an idea.

"If we're talking about aged medicinal herbs, only a few long-established pharmacies have them in stock," Master Guan said thoughtfully. "Master, please follow me."

He traveled all over the country when he was young and was very familiar with Yunzhou.

The car drove through the city and soon stopped in front of a grand pharmacy.

The plaque bears three large characters: Tongrentang.

"Yunzhou is known as the capital of medicine, but the entire Chinese medicine market is actually monopolized by a few large families. Tongrentang is one of them. It has a history of nearly 300 years and is a time-honored brand listed by the Ministry of Health," Master Guan explained.

The three of them went inside. Immediately, a shop assistant in a uniform came to greet them.

Those who can come directly to Tongrentang's main store are either there to see a doctor or to buy expensive medicinal materials; they are not ordinary people.

"Call your head chef here."

Master Guan was extremely respectful to Ye An, but in front of outsiders, he put on that air of a master again.

The shop assistant was taken aback.

"Sir, who are you?"

In a place like Tongrentang, the highest-ranking person is not the manager, but the head chef who sits in the ward.

These veteran traditional Chinese medicine doctors are all the treasures of the shop, and they have a lot of influence in front of the big boss. They are much more important than any manager.

"I am Guan Zhengchu," Master Guan said, stroking his long beard as he calmly introduced himself.

Although the shop assistant didn't recognize him, seeing his demeanor, she didn't dare to be negligent, quickly responded, and turned to go to the backstage.

Ye An and his group were invited to sit down in the reception area, and soon someone served them fragrant tea.

Before long, a series of hurried footsteps came from backstage.

An elderly traditional Chinese medicine doctor in his sixties with gray hair strode out, and his face immediately lit up with a smile when he saw Master Guan.

"Oh my, it's actually Master Guan who has come in person! Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" The old Chinese medicine doctor stepped forward, his attitude very respectful.

The shop assistants nearby stared in disbelief.

Master Guan was secretly pleased, but he kept a straight face and smiled smugly.

He had to be humble and subservient in front of Ye An.

But once he arrived in Dongjiang Province, Guan Zhengchu was a prominent figure, and many high-ranking officials and dignitaries treated him as an honored guest.

But when he turned his head and saw Ye An's ambiguous smile, he was immediately jolted and quickly suppressed his smugness, getting straight to the point.

"Young man, I'd like to buy some aged and valuable medicinal herbs from you. Do you still have any in stock?"

"This..." The old master hesitated for a moment, a troubled look on his face. "To be honest, Master Guan, a young lady recently bought out all the signature medicinal herbs from all the time-honored shops in Yunzhou. Now, I don't even have many fifty-year-old herbs left, let alone those over a hundred years old."

"Oh? Who is it that's making such a big splash?" Master Guan was also somewhat surprised.

Century-old ginseng is sold by the gram. A gram costs tens of thousands, so a whole root is worth millions. Imagine buying all the city's prized ginseng—how much would that cost?

"We heard she's a young lady from a prominent family in Shanghai, but we don't know the specifics," the old craftsman shook his head.

Master Guan had no choice but to look at Ye An with a troubled expression.

Ye An frowned. "In such a large place as Yunzhou, can't we find even a single old medicinal herb?"

"To be honest, it's not entirely impossible." The old master hesitated for a moment, glanced at Master Guan, and lowered his voice, saying, "Master Guan, have you ever heard of auctions for precious Chinese medicinal herbs?"

"You mean, that underground auction?" Master Guan asked softly.

"Yes. That auction is held every few months, and many of the items are directly obtained from herb gatherers in the mountains, and many are over a hundred years old."

"We don't go to the market; we only invite regular customers and wealthy businessmen to bid on-site, and settle accounts on the spot," the old craftsman explained in a low voice.

These auctions are held by private organizations, and many of the items are of questionable origin.

"When will it start?" Ye An didn't care where it came from; he only wanted the medicinal herbs.

"It will be at 7 p.m. tonight, at Mangshan Manor on the outskirts of the city."

"Okay." Ye An stood up immediately.

Upon seeing this, Master Guan quickly stood up and bowed to the old master.

……

Evening, Mangshan Manor.

Ye An and his group's car was stopped at the gate. A row of security guards stood at the entrance of the manor, maintaining tight security.

"Excuse me, this is private property. You cannot enter without an invitation," a security guard said rudely as he stepped forward.

"We don't have an invitation," Master Guan said calmly. "Just inform them that Guan Zhengchu has come to pay a visit."

The security guard hesitated, looking at his otherworldly and dignified appearance. Could he really be some important figure?

Just then, a black Mercedes stopped beside them, and a chubby middle-aged man got out of the car.

The man's eyes lit up when he saw Master Guan, and he quickly walked over.

"Master Guan! What brings you here? Didn't I hear you went to Jiangnan Province?"

"Ahem, so it's Boss Hu." Master Guan's old face flushed slightly.

His plan to make a name for himself in Jiangnan Province failed on the very first day, thanks to Ye An. He was too embarrassed to even mention it.

"You're here for the auction too? Perfect, we can benefit from your presence. Lead us in." Master Guan immediately changed the subject.

"Not at all, it's all thanks to Master Guan! I'll have to ask you for your help later!" Boss Hu said repeatedly.

The items at this auction are hard to distinguish as genuine or fake, and the organizers are not responsible. A feng shui master like Master Guan must have a sharp eye; having him around makes me feel much more at ease.

The security guards, seeing that it was someone they knew, did not stop them.

The group entered the manor and, led by the greeter, made several turns until they entered a secluded courtyard.

The courtyard was already filled with people, all dressed in fine clothes, clearly wealthy individuals or pharmaceutical merchants from various places.

These people are quite different from the Su family. The Su family deals in finished medicines, while they deal in the trade of medicinal herbs themselves.

"Master Guan, you're here too?"

"Hello, Master Guan."

May Master Guan enjoy good health.

As soon as Master Guan entered the courtyard, many people recognized him and greeted him warmly. Those who didn't recognize him quickly whispered that he was a feng shui master who could find dragon veins and burial sites.

Ye An found this scene somewhat amusing. He hadn't expected that Master Guan had such a prestigious reputation in Yunzhou.

As he was thinking, a cold snort suddenly came from the side.

"What kind of Master Guan is he? He's just a charlatan."

Master Guan's face instantly darkened.

He looked in the direction of the voice and saw another group of people walking into the courtyard. The one speaking was a woman at the head of the group.

The woman was tall with deep facial features, exuding a heroic air. Her steady gait suggested she possessed ancient martial arts skills.

Her chin was held high, and her eyes were full of undisguised disdain.

"This is the eldest daughter of the Jiang family in Shanghai," Boss Hu whispered to Master Guan. "Recently, she's been sweeping through the entire traditional Chinese medicine market in Yunzhou. I heard that her grandfather is dying and needs a miracle drug to prolong his life."

"The Jiang family of Shanghai?"

Master Guan's pupils contracted slightly upon hearing those four words.

Shanghai is a den of dragons and tigers; none of the powerful families there are easy to mess with.