Setting the tree branch aside, Meng Hao took out the blue undergarment from Zhao Wugang's holding bag, tore it open, and spread it out. Finding it too small, he pulled out another robe to piece them together. After measuring the size, he was finally satisfied.
Using his finger as a brush, Meng Hao dipped it into the juice of the crushed leaves and pondered what to write. A moment later, his eyes lit up. Without any hesitation, he wrote a line of characters on the cloth in a flourish of dragons and phoenixes.
The more he looked at it, the more pleased he became. Filled with anticipation, he closed his eyes and sat cross-legged to practice his breathing exercises.
The night passed without incident. The next morning, Meng Hao grabbed the tree branch and hurried out of his cave, heading straight for the low-level public zone at the foot of Mount Xifeng.
Before long, he arrived at the foot of Mount Pingding. A few disciples were fighting here, their clashes clearly brutal. Meng Hao bypassed the stone stele and headed straight to the back of Mount Pingding. Ignoring the cultivators slaughtering each other, he scanned the area and spotted a large, protruding boulder on the side of the mountain.
He immediately walked over and sat cross-legged on the boulder, looking exactly like a harmless scholar. Occasionally, a few people cast malicious glances his way, but Meng Hao simply released his cultivation aura to deter them, then quietly waited for more people to gather.
As time passed, more and more fellow disciples gathered in the low-level public zone, quickly exceeding twenty people. Some of them had intended to make a move on Meng Hao, who didn't look fierce at all and resembled a scholar in every way. However, when Meng Hao released his cultivation base, they were all startled and backed away.
Seeing that a sizable crowd had gathered, Meng Hao slapped his holding bag, took out the cloth tied to the tree branch, and planted it into the rocky ground. The mountain wind blew against the cloth, causing it to flutter like a banner. This caught the attention of many people, who spotted the characters written on it.
— Pill Distribution Pavilion Branch.
These bright green characters instantly caused the expressions of the Reliance Sect disciples to shift. Some were astonished, some stood dazed, others sneered, and quite a few frowned.
— Pill Distribution Pavilion? Branch? What on earth is that?
— Could that guy be a pill apprentice sent by the sect's Pill Distribution Pavilion?
— He looks really familiar...
On Mount Pingding, Meng Hao's banner sparked a flurry of hushed discussions. However, before long, the scenes of slaughter and robbery resumed. Blood splattered everywhere, and miserable shrieks echoed through the air.
Meng Hao's eyes brightened as he stared at the crowd in the public zone. Not far away, two cultivators at the second level of Qi Condensation were locked in a frenzied, bloodshot battle. One of them had his shoulder pierced by his opponent, blood pouring out as he fell into a perilous situation.
— Brother, over here!
Meng Hao's eyes gleamed as he quickly called out.
— Brother, as the sages say, risking your life while injured is unwise! Look at how much blood you're losing from your shoulder; that's highly disadvantageous in a fight. I have the finest Blood-Stopping Pill from the Pill Distribution Pavilion right here. It can heal any wound caused by blades and swords, guaranteed to stop the bleeding in three seconds!
Meng Hao urged quickly. The two men heard him, but they were locked in a life-or-death struggle and had no time to pay him any mind. The injured cultivator's eyes were bloodshot, but the wound on his right shoulder was too severe. As the blood flowed, his opponent's flying sword slashed another gash across his chest.
"Look there, brother, you've been slashed again! Quick, buy a Blood-Congealing Pill. If you do, you might just win this fight. It only costs one spirit stone to buy a Blood-Congealing Pill—an absolute bargain!"
Meng Hao earnestly advised the first customer he had chosen.
"Shut up! The Pill Cultivation Workshop at the foot of the mountain is already a rip-off—one spirit stone gets you five Blood-Congealing Pills—but you're even more black-hearted!"
The wounded cultivator retreated a few steps, roaring without even turning his head.
"Oh, don't think it's expensive! Compared to spirit stones, your life is the most precious thing. If you die, your spirit stones will just belong to someone else. Buying one of my pills increases your chances of seizing your opponent's holding bag. And this chance only costs a single spirit stone—is that expensive? Brother, you aren't buying a pill, you're buying your own life!"
Meng Hao stood up from the boulder. Perhaps swayed by his words, the wounded cultivator retreated with difficulty, suddenly hesitating.
"Damn it! You're still here causing trouble? Just wait until I kill this guy, I definitely won't let you off!"
The cultivator fighting the wounded man shouted at Meng Hao as he swung his flying sword, aiming for his opponent.
"I'll buy it!"
Hearing this, the wounded man gritted his teeth and slapped his holding bag. A spirit stone instantly flew straight toward Meng Hao. Meng Hao caught it swiftly and tossed back a Blood-Congealing Pill. The pill didn't land in the cultivator's hand, but rather hit his shoulder, dissolving instantly. The bleeding stopped immediately.
A cool sensation spread through the cultivator's body, causing his spirits to lift and his energy to surge. Whether it was the effect of the pill or sheer adrenaline, he managed to force his opponent back repeatedly, even slashing a wound across the other man's chest, causing fresh blood to spill.
"My friend, yes, you! Your opponent bought a pill from me, and look how fierce he is now. If you don't buy one, you're in serious danger today."
"I still have Blood-Congealing Pills, and even a Bone-Relaxing Pill to soothe your fatigue. You can have both for just two spirit stones! I guarantee you'll feel completely refreshed, your bleeding will stop, and you'll definitely win this fight."
Meng Hao quickly switched targets, eagerly pitching to the other man.
"You... you..."
The man who had just bought the pill was utterly speechless. He felt a mixture of grief and indignation, wondering if this pill apprentice from the Pill Cultivation Workshop was here to help him or ruin him. He was already in a miserable state, and just as he had been shown a glimmer of hope, this guy pulled a stunt like this. In his fury, he unleashed an even fiercer barrage of attacks, making it look to his opponent as though he was trying to prevent him from buying any pills.
"As long as you win, it's basically like using someone else's spirit stones to buy the pills. This transaction is a total steal!"
Meng Hao held the pills in his hand, beaming as he continued his pitch.
"I want them!"
The man who had bought the pill earlier shouted out decisively.
"Damn it, let me have them!"
The cultivator who had originally held the upper hand but was now losing ground hated Meng Hao to the core. Yet, hearing his opponent's shout, he was forced to grit his teeth and speak up.
"I'll pay three spirit stones!"
"Look at that, brother! He's offering three. If you don't bid higher than him, the pills are his. You'd better watch out!"
"I'll pay four!"
"Look at that, brother! He's offering four. Four spirit stones!"
"Five!"
"Six!"
"To hell with this, I'm not fighting anymore! I'm going to kill you!"
The cultivator who had held the upper hand before his opponent bought the pill was now seething with rage. What should have been an easy battle had taken a turn for the worse the moment Meng Hao interfered. Spinning around, his hatred for Meng Hao eclipsed his desire to finish off his opponent. Brimming with intense killing intent, he charged straight at Meng Hao.
As the man closed in, Meng Hao—who had looked like a harmless, almost mundane scholar—suddenly transformed, his demeanor turning dark and ruthless. Just as the cultivator reached him, Meng Hao took a step forward, raised his right hand, and delivered a sweeping slap. A surge of spiritual energy rumbled forth with the blow.
With a loud crash, the cultivator shrieked. The sheer force of Meng Hao's third-level Qi Condensation spiritual energy pressed down on his legs, knocking him out cold.
Meng Hao snatched the man's storage bag. The dark, ruthless expression on his face vanished in a flash, replaced once more by his frail, scholarly demeanor. He turned to look at the remaining cultivator, who was staring at him in utter horror.
"My dear brother, you offered six spirit stones just now."
Meng Hao looked a little embarrassed, as if he found it awkward to bring up.
The remaining cultivator was now pale as death, his entire body trembling as he stared at Meng Hao with a mixture of shock and terror. He had never expected such a sudden turn of events. The stark contrast between Meng Hao's ruthless strike and his current fragile appearance was so jarring that it made him feel as though the scene he had just witnessed was nothing but an illusion.