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

10 billion.

The number came out of Ye An's mouth so casually, as if he were talking about a hundred yuan.

The previously noisy crowd was now so quiet that they could hear each other's heartbeats.

The middle-aged man from the event organizer, dressed in a Tang suit, lost his grip on his teacup, and it fell to the ground with a clatter, shattering into pieces.

But he seemed not to hear, just staring blankly at Ye An with his mouth agape.

Old Master Wang and Pharmacist Li, who were initially flushed with excitement upon seeing the miraculous medicine, have now lost all their blush, leaving only deathly pale faces.

They looked at Ye An with eyes full of terror.

This isn't selling medicine, this is killing people.

Master Guan stood behind Ye An, feeling his knees go weak.

He had traveled all over the country and seen many storms in his life, but today, following Master Ye, he realized that what he had seen before was at most a small puddle.

10 billion!

What does that mean?

Even if you drained all the cash from all the wealthy people in Dongjiang Province, you still might not be able to come up with that amount.

Master Ye asked for nearly half of the Jiang family's assets in Shanghai as soon as he opened his mouth.

Jiang Yuer finally recovered from the shock of the words, "Isn't your level a bit too low?"

Her face flushed red and then turned pale. The playfulness and arrogance that had been in her beautiful eyes were gone, replaced by anger at being utterly humiliated.

"Ten billion? Have you lost your mind?!"

Her sharp voice shattered the silence of the courtyard.

The Jiang family is very wealthy, with assets reportedly in the hundreds of billions, but that's the total market value of stocks, real estate, and company shares combined.

The family's available cash flow totals only about 20 billion.

This is all done without affecting the company's normal operations.

Ye An's single sentence was enough to cut off half of the Jiang family's life.

"Of course I know how much 10 billion is."

Ye An looked at her, his tone still calm.

"But this elixir is unique in the world, and this is the price. If you don't want to buy it, you can leave now."

There was absolutely no room for negotiation in his words.

Buy it or not, it's up to you. If you don't want to buy it, then get lost.

Jiang Yu'er's chest heaved violently as she glared at Ye An, too angry to utter a single word.

This was the first time in her life that someone had dared to speak to her like that.

Master Guan watched from the sidelines, feeling both delighted and deeply impressed.

This is the true demeanor of a master!

The Jiang family of Shanghai seems to be nothing special in front of Master Ye.

The other wealthy merchants in the courtyard also looked at Ye An with the same kind of awe they had for a god.

They're only just realizing it now.

Yes, a miraculous medicine that can extend life by ten years—can money measure that?

For people like them who are not short of money, life is the most precious thing.

Ten billion sounds terrifying.

But if I could live for another ten years, ten years of being lively and energetic, then this price... doesn't seem so unacceptable.

Just as everyone was lost in their own thoughts, Jiang Yu'er suddenly took a deep breath, and the anger on her face slowly subsided.

She shook her head.

"Master Ye, we cannot accept this price."

"Ten billion is outrageous. Even the world's top hospitals wouldn't sell it for that price, let alone just a bottle of pills."

"Not outrageous," Ye An said calmly.

"Can the world's top hospitals guarantee that Grandpa Jiang will live for another ten years? Not ten years lying in a hospital bed, but ten years of being lively and energetic?"

"Time is money, and even heroes cannot escape the passage of time... but I can."

Ye An paused for a moment, his gaze falling on Jiang Yu'er's face.

"Of course, I can give you half a day to let your Jiang family raise the money. You can take this bottle of Qi-Nourishing Pills and use it first."

He picked up the porcelain bottle on the table and flicked it lightly with his finger.

The small white porcelain bottle traced an arc in the air and landed perfectly in Jiang Yu'er's hand.

"But don't drag it out too long, I don't have much patience. If I don't see the money by six o'clock tomorrow morning, I'll come to your door in person."

Jiang Yu'er instinctively caught the porcelain bottle, and the icy touch made her shiver.

She looked at the pill in her hand, then at Ye An, her eyes flickering uncertainly.

The other party... just gave me something worth 10 billion like that?

Isn't he afraid of defaulting on his debt?

Suddenly, a bright smile appeared on Jiang Yu'er's face.

"Very well, since Mr. Ye is so agreeable, the Jiang family will accept."

"A deal worth 10 billion! I'll raise the money as soon as I get back; you won't have to wait too long."

She gave Ye An a slight bow, then turned around and winked at her assistant and bodyguard.

The group quickly left the courtyard.

Ye An waved his hand, as if shooing away a few flies, and then turned his gaze to the piece of Soul-Nourishing Wood that was still on the table.

The middle-aged man from the organizer was startled and quickly jogged over to respectfully carry the piece of wood over.

"Master Ye, please keep this safe."

He doesn't even dare to breathe loudly now.

As Master Guan watched Jiang Yu'er's departing figure, he felt that something was amiss.

That woman agreed too readily.

Moreover, her last smile seemed to have a calculating edge to it no matter how you looked at it.

However, with so many people around, he couldn't very well ask Ye An, so he could only keep his doubts to himself.

……

After leaving Mangshan Manor, we boarded a car back to the city.

The old butler who had always been by the Jiang family's side finally couldn't help but speak up.

"Miss, are we really going to give them 10 billion?"

"This is absolutely a devastating blow to our Jiang family. Should we... discuss it with the eldest master and the patriarch first?"

The assistant driving the car also looked at Jiang Yu'er in the rearview mirror, his face full of worry.

Jiang Yu'er held the small porcelain bottle, tossed it lightly in her hand, and a cold smile curled at the corner of her lips.

"Give it? Of course not, I never even considered giving it."

"A pharmacist who popped out of some remote mountain village dares to ask me for 10 billion? Does he even know what 10 billion means? It's laughable!"

She glanced back at the direction of the manor, her eyes filled with disdain.

"Did I sign a contract with that kid surnamed Ye? Was it stamped? Was there a lawyer present to notarize it?"

"There's nothing there, just a few words exchanged verbally. There's no recording, no video, no evidence whatsoever. This kind of verbal agreement has absolutely no legal effect."

"If he wants to sue, my Jiang family can spend 100 million to hire a top-notch legal team and fight the case with him slowly, even if it takes ten or twenty years."

The old butler was still somewhat uneasy: "But Miss, what if he finds out he's been deceived and comes looking for revenge?"

"revenge?"

Jiang Yu'er felt as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world.

"What can he possibly use to retaliate? He's just a pharmacist, powerless as a chicken. Does he really dare to come to the Jiang family in Shanghai and put a knife to my throat?"

"Besides, even if he dares to come to my door, he'll have to be able to beat me first."

Jiang Yuer's confidence comes not only from the powerful family behind her.

She herself is a master of ancient martial arts.

This is also the source of her confidence to roam freely in Yunzhou.

Hearing this, the old butler and the bodyguards felt much less worried.

Yes, how much skill can an alchemist possibly have?

Even if they know a little bit of kung fu, how could they compare to a master of ancient martial arts like Miss, who has been fed all sorts of rare and precious herbs since childhood?

When the time came, the elixir was given to the old man, which extended his lifespan by ten years and further improved his cultivation.

Even if that guy surnamed Ye comes knocking, he'll only be humiliating himself.

Thinking of this, the old butler smiled.

"Miss is wise."

Just then, the old butler's cell phone vibrated in his pocket.

He took it out and glanced at it, and his expression suddenly changed.

"Miss, the master has sent word that we need to return to Shanghai as soon as possible. He says... something big has happened in Shanghai."

"Something serious?" Jiang Yu'er frowned. "What could be so serious that Father is so worried?"

Shanghai is the Jiang family's territory, so what could possibly make them so anxious?

The old butler swallowed hard, his voice low.

"It was the Ji family... the entire Ji family was wiped out."

"What?"

Jiang Yuer sat up abruptly, her relaxed and disdainful expression vanishing instantly.

"Explain yourself clearly, what do you mean by 'exterminating an entire family'?"

"It's just that... the entire Ji family, more than a hundred people, all died overnight."

The old butler's voice trembled as he spoke.

The air inside the carriage suddenly dropped to freezing point.

Ji family.

Although not as powerful as the Jiang family, they are still a prominent family in Shanghai, with influence spanning the business and political circles, and even having considerable businesses at home and abroad.

How could such a family be wiped out without anyone noticing?

How is that possible?

Who did it? What kind of power could accomplish something like this?

Jiang Yu'er's mind was in chaos, and a chill ran from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head.

Their Ji family has an ancestor who is at the Martial Arts Celestial Realm, so how could this be?

"Miss?" The old butler asked in a low voice, noticing her ever-changing expression.

Jiang Yuer took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

"I'm not leaving today; I'll stay in Yunzhou for one night."

She glanced at the porcelain bottle in her hand, her eyes becoming incredibly determined.

"Book the earliest flight for tomorrow, back to Shanghai!"

"I'll send this pill back to Shanghai and have Grandpa take it first."

……

……

Only after Jiang Yuer and her group had walked far away and their figures had completely disappeared outside the courtyard gate did Master Guan finally come to his senses.

He rushed to Ye An, his old face flushed with urgency, and his voice trembled.

"Master Ye, how...how could you let her take the pills away like that?"

"That's 10 billion! If she can't pay it and is determined to renege on the debt, where can we go to seek justice?"

The Jiang family has always been domineering; they're capable of turning their backs on people without hesitation!

Master Guan was so anxious he was jumping up and down. In his opinion, this was no different from throwing money into the water.

Ye An sat in the chair, his expression unchanged. He picked up the cup of tea on the table, which had gone cold, took a sip, and then slowly put it down.

He glanced up at Master Guan, who looked anxious, and spoke in a calm tone as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

"So what if I can afford it?"

"So what if I can't afford it?"

Ye An shifted his gaze from Master Guan to the direction Jiang Yu'er had left, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger.

"Since the Jiang family has agreed to my request, they must give me this 10 billion."

"If I don't see the money tomorrow..."

He paused, turned around, and looked at Master Guan.

"Then pay with your life."

When he said that, for a fleeting moment, a very faint golden light seemed to flash in his eyes, so fast that it was almost an illusion.

But Master Guan saw it.

He shuddered violently, as if struck by an invisible electric current.

He recalled how, in front of everyone, the young man named Ji Ting died silently at the Su family's old house.

This Master Ye in front of us cannot be judged by common sense.

In his eyes, the Jiang family in Shanghai was perhaps no different from an ant that could be crushed at will.

A chill ran from the soles of Master Guan's feet to the top of his head. He shivered, and the words he had just wanted to say were stuck in his throat. He simply lowered his head and stood respectfully to the side.

Ye An ignored him and leaned back in her chair, finding it rather amusing.

The people in this world are very interesting.

There are always some people who think they are clever and like to test the limits of the rules. They even think that by finding loopholes in the rules, they can do whatever they want and take advantage of others.

They would be smug about a small victory, but never considered that the so-called rules were just tools used by the strong to restrain the weak.

Faced with absolute power, authority, money, and even the laws they hold dear are all incredibly fragile.

In the world of cultivation, power is the only rule.

Might makes right.

This principle applies everywhere.

……

After resolving the Jiang family's matter, Ye An didn't plan to stay any longer. He called Master Guan and prepared to leave.

The middle-aged man from the event organizer, dressed in a Tang suit, had cold sweat all over his forehead.

He looked at Ye An, then at the wealthy businessmen around him who hadn't left yet, and for a moment he didn't know what to do.

He hesitated for a long time before finally mustering up the courage to give his subordinate a wink.

The subordinate understood and immediately jogged to the high platform, carefully placed the dark, soul-nourishing wood in a brocade box, and then respectfully presented it to him.

The middle-aged man in a Tang suit held the brocade box in both hands and personally handed it to Ye An, bending his waist deeply, almost at a ninety-degree angle.

"Master Ye... Master Ye, please keep this... this item safe."

His voice trembled slightly; he didn't even have the courage to mention money.

Just kidding, he just finalized a deal worth tens of billions, how could he dare to risk offending this guy for a seemingly insignificant "firewood stick"?

Isn't that like provoking the wrath of the gods?

Ye An glanced at him indifferently, took the brocade box, and casually asked, "How much?"

"Huh?" The middle-aged man was stunned, clearly not having reacted yet.

He dared to accept money? How could he possibly accept it! Did he really have the nerve to ask Ye An for a hundred million?

"I won't take your money, I... I'll give it to you as a gift!" He gritted his teeth and answered resolutely.

Ye An nodded slightly and said nothing more. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small porcelain bottle.

This porcelain vase is different from the previous one; it is entirely blue and looks more ancient and ordinary.

He casually uncorked the bottle, poured out a dark pill, and tossed it lightly to the middle-aged man like a candy.

"This should be a good deal."

As soon as the pill left the bottle, although it didn't have the astonishing life-giving energy of the Peiyuan Pill, a rich and mellow medicinal fragrance instantly filled the air.

It was a Small Qi-Nourishing Pill that Ye An casually refined!

Standing to the side, Old Wang and Pharmacist Li twitched their noses and their eyes lit up.

"What...what kind of pill is this?" Old Wang exclaimed in disbelief. "Although it can't compare to the divine pill from before, it's still a holy medicine for healing!"

Pharmacist Li rubbed his hands together excitedly: "It's more than just miraculous! The quality of this pill is perfect—full, round, and with a restrained medicinal power. It's definitely a top-grade pill! Let alone fifty million, even a hundred million would be enough to make martial arts families scramble for it!"

The middle-aged man in the Tang suit hurriedly caught the pill, holding it in his palm as if it were hotter than a red-hot iron.

As he listened to the two senior experts, his mind was buzzing, and his gaze toward Ye An had completely turned into awe and fanaticism.

Something you casually toss out is worth a hundred million?

This isn't a young man; he's clearly a walking God of Wealth, no, a God of Medicine!

"Thank you so much, Master Ye, for your generous gift!" The middle-aged man's voice trembled with excitement as he bowed deeply to Ye An.

The wealthy businessmen around them stared in disbelief.

They finally realized that they and this Master Ye were from completely different worlds.

They were talking about a deal worth tens of billions, and the medicine they were using to pay off their debts was a miracle drug that they couldn't buy even with money.

Those who had bid earlier were now feeling incredibly embarrassed.

Giving women or money as gifts is probably no different from children playing house in other people's eyes.

One wealthy businessman reacted the fastest. He stopped mentioning buying medicine and instead squeezed forward to hand Ye An a gold-embossed business card.

"Master Ye, I run a chain of hotels, with a few run-of-the-mill shops in Yunzhou. If you don't have a place to stay in Yunzhou yet, feel free to come to my place anytime. I've reserved the best presidential suite for you, and I guarantee you'll be undisturbed!"

Once he started, the rest of the people realized what was going on.

If I can't buy the medicine, I can at least become a familiar face to people, right?

"Master Ye, I have the best teahouse in Yunzhou!"

"Master, I own a private villa in a tranquil setting. If you prefer peace and quiet, you are welcome to visit!"

In no time, all sorts of business cards were handed out.

Ye An didn't take it, but just glanced at Master Guan.

Master Guan immediately understood, straightened his back, stepped forward, and collected all the business cards one by one, politely saying, "We appreciate the kindness of all the bosses, Master Ye of our family truly appreciates it."

His mannerisms were exactly like those of a powerful figure's most capable steward.

Master Guan was extremely pleased.

Thinking back on his life of traveling all over the country, when has he ever had such glory?

Following Master Ye was definitely the right decision!

Ye An stood up, not intending to waste any more time here.

"I'm leaving," he said to Master Guan.

"Alright, Master, please take care."

Master Guan quickly followed, and the two walked out of the secluded courtyard amidst the awe-inspiring gazes of the crowd.