Nine Yang Alchemy Emperor

The man's name is Qian Youfu, commonly known as Fat Fu. He runs an Elixir Shop called Fu's Elixir Store.

"Reporting to the owner, I've been tracking that middle-aged man, who went to the western slums of the city. He bought a Detoxification Pill to use for a group of tomb robbers. From their curses, it seems that they were bitten by a corpse refining last night while robbing a grave outside the city. They've all been poisoned with Corpse Poison."

"It's unclear how these people found out that the Detoxification Pills from Longevity Hall can cure Corpse Poison."

The guard reported the information he had gathered, truthfully.

All the Elixir Shop owners' complexions changed, each with a strange expression.

"Turns out it's not a plant, but a real customer!"

Manager Pang, who had firmly believed the middle-aged man was a plant, now found the situation amusing. His majestic and wealthy face became somewhat more flushed. The calm smile on his face also changed, becoming stiff.

It looked like he was smiling with great difficulty.

"Didn't expect it to be a real customer! Must be a blind cat running into a dead rat! This person, clueless as he is, was bamboozled by Longevity Hall's pervasive advertising campaign and their internet army!"

"Even if this person is genuine, of the other customers, nine out of ten are plants!"

Manager Pang is indeed the chief Shopkeeper of Pang Ancestor Alchemy Pavilion.

His adaptability is remarkably sophisticated.

Just then, the business at Longevity Hall across from them cooled down. No one was coming into the store anymore.

And so, Manager Pang was even more confident.

"The plants they've hired, even if they can deceive one or two unsuspecting customers into entering. They can only fleece them once. Those deceived customers, having been scammed once, definitely won't come again!"

"Just look, no one's entering Longevity Hall now!"

"Engaging in these crooked and deviant tactics is just a futile effort. Guaranteeing Elixir quality and building a millennia-old reputation, now that's the proper way!"

After excusing his lapse in judgment, Manager Pang began to give orders, speaking at length.

As if only his Pang Ancestor Alchemy Pavilion was the orthodox choice, and Chu Feng's Longevity Hall was deviously fraudulent, about to go under shortly.

"How about we have a look after lunch? Then, I, Pang, will invite all the fellow Elixir Shop owners here for afternoon tea at the tea house next door!" Manager Pang also had business dealings with these Elixir Shop owners.

Because the Pang Ancestor Alchemy Pavilion is powerful, with many Pill Masters.

Other Elixir Shops, when encountering an Elixir they cannot produce themselves but don't want to lose the business, must secretly turn to Pang Ancestor Alchemy Pavilion for help.

It can be said that this is a win-win situation.

Those weaker Elixir Shops show off their strength, making customers think they can produce any Elixir. However, they certainly have to hand over part of the earnings to Pang Ancestor Alchemy Pavilion.

Because almost all Elixir Shops, whether large or small, have various business dealings with Pang Ancestor Alchemy Pavilion. They are interconnected by mutual interests.

Thus, when Longevity Hall, this new shop, rapidly rose to prominence, they joined forces to discuss ways to deal with Longevity Hall.

...

Soon it was afternoon. The owners of these Elixir Shops had all finished dealing with important matters in their stores early, eaten lunch, and gathered at the tea house opposite Longevity Hall.

They convened to discuss strategies for dealing with Longevity Hall.

Some small shops had no power to contend with Chu Feng's Longevity Hall, because on the day Longevity Hall opened, it was a Fourth-rank Capital Official who unveiled the signboard. Their strength among officials was evident.

Which ordinary Elixir Store dares to provoke them?

After all, Longevity Hall had only been open for three days. Even if they are selling Immortal Elixirs and miraculous cures, there are still very few buyers. The advertising reach is also not very broad.

However, its reputation was rapidly spreading.

At the moment, just after mealtime, Longevity Hall had hardly any customers.

The Elixir Shop owners who were entering the teahouse one after another looked at Longevity Hall, desolate with its door wide open, and felt overjoyed. They greeted each other with laughter and smiles and took seats by the windows to drink tea.

Manager Pang, the 'busy man', naturally arrived last.

"Sorry to have kept everyone waiting! What did I tell you? Look at Longevity Hall, desolate as can be. The bustling scene from this morning is long gone."

With a faint smile on his face, Manager Pang took his place amongst the flattering compliments, unreservedly seating himself in the due east position.

Generally speaking, this position is the seat of honor.

"Bring the tea, the best Pre-Qingming Maofeng! And some signature snacks!" Clearly a regular here, Manager Pang was hosting afternoon tea today and naturally couldn't appear stingy.

He directly called for the finest green tea.

This was a professional teahouse with a particular way of brewing tea. They used high-quality purple clay pots and small cups. The water for brewing tea was spring water brought in from outside the city early in the morning.

The warming of utensils, placing of tea, brewing… every step was meticulous.

After the boiling water was poured, the tea needed to steep for a while. Even so, a faint aroma of tea wafted out from the spout of the purple clay pot.

"Please!"

Manager Pang held his cup to carefully smell and slowly savor it, quite comfortably and elegantly.

The dignity of wealth was not cultivated in a day. Every detail—from gestures to eating and drinking—was infused with sophistication to exude the aura of nobility.

"Tsk tsk, this tea is indeed exquisite! One would think this tea belongs only in the heavens, how often could mortals enjoy such a drink!"

Manager Pang shook his head, throwing out a sour version of the modified poem.

"The texture is as tender as a young girl's skin, fragrant like the elegant orchid, truly leaving a timeless aftertaste, the mouth fragrant with its scent!"

Just as Manager Pang was in high spirits, flaunting his sense of superiority and taste here.

Across the street at Longevity Hall, customers gradually began to enter again.

This time, there were even more customers than in the morning. But unlike the morning rush, they came in an endless stream but very evenly, not crowding at the same time.

This made it easier for Longevity Hall to cope.

Because Longevity Hall only had two clerks, plus the Beixie National Master as the shopkeeper, and Li Shishi managing the counter.

In total, just four people.

As for the Northern Domain Three Evils, they acted as the shop's guards to prevent disturbances and maintain order.

However many customers there were, they didn't have the authority to enter behind the counter to sell Elixirs.

"Manager Pang… Please take a look, why is Longevity Hall getting more customers again? And from the look of it, they don't appear to be hired stooges. I've noticed that many customers are bringing sick people with them."

Manager He, whose shop was just next door to Chu Feng's, was already in a state of extreme panic.

In less than two hours, he meticulously counted that Longevity Hall had made thirty-two sales. With his experience, he could assert that most of those customers were genuine.

Because some customers who brought sick people took the Elixirs on the spot, and two of the patients who experienced great results knelt down to thank them immediately.

"Uh… The business at Longevity Hall is a bit peculiar!" Manager Pang was once again slapped in the face by his own words.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, he used the steam rising from his teacup to cover his face.