This scene caught the attention of the other cultivators on Pingding Mountain, and their expressions shifted. Many of them were completely clueless, obviously not knowing the exact details of what had happened. However, they all made sure to remember Meng Hao as someone who was not to be trifled with.
While outsiders did not understand the situation, Meng Hao's first customer, who was currently trembling all over, had experienced it all firsthand. Filled with anxiety and unease, he did not hesitate to slap his holding bag. Enduring the sting of loss, he pulled out six spirit stones and respectfully handed them to Meng Hao. He secretly regretted hesitating outside the sect's Pill Distribution Pavilion earlier; it was because he had begrudged the spirit stones that he hadn't bought healing pills then. But now, even though he regretted it, he no longer had any spirit stones left to buy them.
Meng Hao quickly accepted them, then took out a Blood-Staunching Pill and a Bone-Easing Pill and handed them over.
"Thank you very much. Please come again next time."
Meng Hao beamed, returning to his previous frail appearance. But in the eyes of that cultivator, it was as if he were looking at a prehistoric beast in sheep's clothing. Trembling all over, the man quickly scurried away.
Once the man was gone, Meng Hao did not return to the large boulder. Instead, holding the banner for his Pill Distribution Pavilion branch, he began to move around the public area. Before long, he walked over to two fellow disciples who were fighting and planted the banner into the ground.
"Brother, look at you, you're already injured and looking so exhausted. This state is really not suitable for fighting."
Meng Hao took a few quick steps forward, getting very close as he spoke to one of the two combatants.
Hearing this, the two were taken aback. Having seen Meng Hao knock down that other cultivator with a single strike earlier, they hesitated and, as if by tacit agreement, backed away from him.
"I have some top-grade Spirit-Raising Pills from the Pill Distribution Pavilion here. Take one, and your spirits will instantly be refreshed. I guarantee you'll win today! It only costs one spirit stone. Today is the grand opening of my little shop, so the price is incredibly cheap."
Meng Hao followed him closely, his face full of sincerity as he continued his persuasion.
"I already have pills!"
The cultivator Meng Hao was pestering spat back, popping a Bone-Easing Pill from his holding bag into his mouth even as he continued to exchange blows.
Seeing this, Meng Hao sighed. When he was looking for his first customer, he had watched for a long time to make sure the person had no pills before approaching. Now, he coughed quickly, dropped the subject, and turned his gaze toward the man's opponent. That disciple let out a cold snort, but also pulled out a pill and swallowed it, causing Meng Hao to let out a long, heavy sigh.
However, he did not get angry. Instead, he returned to the large boulder and sat down to watch the two fight. As time slowly passed, their battle grew increasingly fierce. Their pills were gradually depleted, and they reached a critical juncture where victory or defeat could be decided at any moment.
Meng Hao shouldered his banner once again and approached.
"Brother, you two have reached the critical moment of life and death. Out of pills? No worries, I have the best medicinal pills right here."
"This moment is crucial. Buy one of my Mind-Concentration Pills, and your spirits will be refreshed, and your spiritual energy will recover much faster. Brother, you're not just buying a pill; you're buying spiritual energy! Oh, watch out, brother, you're injured!"
Meng Hao's words distracted the cultivator, allowing his opponent's flying sword to pierce through his arm. Blood sprayed as the man let out a scream and hastily retreated.
Yet Meng Hao retreated even faster than him, catching up in an instant. Still wearing his frail, scholarly look, his mouth ran non-stop.
—Brother, you need to act fast. While you haven't lost too much blood, buy a Blood-Stanching Pill. Otherwise, you're in grave danger today.
—Get the hell away from me!
The opponent of the injured cultivator roared, no longer caring about anything else as he lunged straight at his wounded foe.
—Give me one!
His face pale, the injured cultivator retreated, gritted his teeth, and threw out a spirit stone. At the same instant, a Blood-Stanching Pill flew from Meng Hao's hand, landing precisely on the wound on the cultivator's arm. It immediately slowed the bleeding, and with his spirits revived, the man quickly resumed his battle with his opponent.
—Oh, brother, it looks like you're out of medicinal pills too. See how powerful my pills are? As soon as your opponent bought one, he became as fierce as a tiger. Now you're the one who's injured. Why not buy a Blood-Stanching Pill?
—Look at you, how did you end up getting slashed like that? Your body must be exhausted. Oh, don't be anxious, don't be angry, brother. I have some top-grade Bone-Relaxing Pills right here.
—One spirit stone per pill, hurry up and buy, you two! As the sages once said, spirit stones have a price, but life is priceless.
Meng Hao circled the two combatants, chiming in from time to time. His words eventually goaded them into running out of their own pills, forcing them to buy quite a few from him to keep up with each other. Yet, the more they fought, the more injuries they sustained, turning what should have been a single battle into what felt like four or five.
What should have been a straightforward death match had become an agonizing ordeal now that a representative from the Yangdan Pill Pavilion branch was present. It was a perilous battle where both sides were wounded, trading blow for blow with no way to stop.
Thud, thud. Exhausted, the two finally collapsed to the ground, unconscious. They had run out of spirit stones, consumed all their pills, and even their magic treasures had lost their spiritual nature from the brutal wear and tear of the life-and-death struggle. They were in a truly pathetic state.
Meng Hao felt as though he had saved their lives; otherwise, one of them would surely have died. Packing up his banner, he continued to wander around Mount Pingding. Before long, he spotted another pair of cultivators locked in a brutal, bloody battle. Judging by their state, they had likely exhausted most of their healing medicine. His eyes lit up, and he rushed over, planting his banner right next to them.
—Brother, I see a dark aura clouding your face—a sure sign of severe internal injuries! Don't worry, I have top-grade pills here. Just one spirit stone each, guaranteed to restore you instantly.
—Why aren't you saying anything, brother? Don't you believe me? Just a moment ago, a fellow cultivator bought my pills, and his opponent ended up dead!
Meng Hao eagerly pitched his wares.
Not long after... the two combatants bought a few pills, only to find themselves locked in a vicious cycle of being forced to buy more just to keep up with the other, until they had completely run out of spirit stones. In the end, the two desperate fighters collapsed in a draw, utterly miserable, with nothing left to their names but empty storage bags.
Meng Hao shook his head in mock helplessness, picked up his banner, and moved on to another spot.
By the time the sun began to sink in the west, Meng Hao had spent the day tirelessly roaming the public area of Mount Pingding to peddle his pills. Eventually, it reached the point where almost every fight would grind to a halt the moment he approached, leaving him with no more customers. Looking out over the now-empty public area, Meng Hao patted his storage bag in deep satisfaction before heading back.
It was already late at night when he returned to his cave dwelling. Excitedly sitting down cross-legged, Meng Hao began to take stock of his harvest for the day, counting his spirit stones.
"One, two... A total of fifty-three spirit stones earned. I'm rich! This is even faster than robbery, and there's no danger or need for fighting and killing."
The more Meng Hao counted, the more excited he became.
"I don't have many medicinal pills left. Hmm, early tomorrow morning I must go to the Pill Distribution Office to get some more so I can keep doing business. At worst, I'll use some spirit stones to buy up all the healing pills available this month. Even if I don't have enough spirit stones, I should at least get one of each type of pill for my bags. That way, as they fight, they'll run out of pills, and then they'll have to buy mine."
Meng Hao opened another storage bag. This one belonged to the cultivator he had knocked unconscious. Inside were a few spirit stones, two Qi Condensation Pills, and two pale pink medicinal pills.
Meng Hao picked up one of the pink pills and examined it closely. He immediately recognized it as a Beauty Preserving Pill from the Pill Distribution Office. This pill was extremely expensive, requiring ten Qi Condensation Pills to exchange for one. It could be considered one of the most expensive miscellaneous pills.
"This pill preserves one's youthful looks, but using it on my skin would be a complete waste."
Meng Hao wondered why the other guy had such a pill. Could it be to win the favor of some female disciple? He pondered for a moment before putting them back into the storage bag.
Looking at the pills and spirit stones before him, Meng Hao was basking in satisfaction when the door to his cave residence suddenly rumbled and swung open. The sudden turn of events caught him completely off guard, leaving him no time to sweep the pills and spirit stones off the ground.