Demon, don't come any closer!

Chapter 17 Who Lost?

As evening fell, the sun began to set.

Dou Changsheng raised his head slightly and glanced at the dim yellow sky.

His expression was rather complicated. He had thought he would have two days to catch his breath, but unexpectedly, one thing after another came down, leaving Dou Changsheng breathless.

The old steward just personally came to Dou Changsheng's door and delivered a box, which was Cui Shuyu's apology to the fierce tiger.

Dou Changsheng stared at the box in his hand with complicated emotions. The box was about the size of a palm and was not sealed, so it could be opened easily. Dou Changsheng hesitated for a moment, but could not resist his curiosity and slowly opened the box.

The box was covered with a yellow cloth, on which was a round bead about the size of a walnut, with a faint luster, moving up and down like a swimming dragon, showing its extraordinary nature.

Dou Changsheng stared at the round bead, which slowly lit up and began to blink like an eye, staring intently at him. Strands of light began to emanate from it, and a deep sense of malice began to wash over him.

Dou Changsheng immediately closed the wooden box, and the malice vanished instantly, along with all the discomfort.

The source of the malice just now was probably demonic energy.

Dou Changsheng had made a judgment in his mind and also had some guesses about what was inside the wooden box.

If nothing unexpected happens, it should be a demon core.

Demon cores are no simple matter. Generally, it takes more than a hundred years of cultivation to condense a demon core. In other words, it requires a third-rank martial artist among the human race.

Cui Shuyu wanted to lend a helping hand to the ferocious tiger and enhance its strength.

There are countless legends about demon cores since ancient times. Dou Changsheng couldn't say exactly what their uses were, but they could definitely enhance cultivation. If the ferocious tiger obtained this demon core, its cultivation level might increase to over a hundred years, and it would also be able to condense its own demon core.

Dou Changsheng was also clear about his purpose. Jin Yuwei would not let it go. Only when the fierce tiger became stronger could it continue to kill people and silence witnesses for him.

Life is tough.

Dou Changsheng sighed inwardly. Once caught in such a vortex, there was no way to escape.

Cui Shuyu is cunning and treacherous, a smiling tiger. He pushed him out there simply to find a scapegoat. As for their conversation, Cui Shuyu could easily shrug and say he knew nothing, since Dou Changsheng had no evidence and everything was just Dou Changsheng's side of the story.

That's real skill.

If one possesses the strength of a mid-level rank 3, with some maneuvering now, there's still a chance to escape.

Dou Changsheng pushed open the door, got into his personal chariot, and began heading north of the city. Looking at the mansion in front of him, this was already his fourth visit.

Coming here once a day feels like coming home.

Dou Changsheng took a deep breath and then exhaled heavily, repeating this process about twenty times. After calming his complex emotions, Dou Changsheng forced a smile, took out a bronze mirror to examine himself, and noticed that he was a bit stiff, so he began to adjust his posture.

Finally, feeling it was about time, he placed the bronze mirror on the carriage and instructed the driver to wait nearby. Dou Changsheng then pushed open the gate and loudly proclaimed, "Great joy!"

Dou Changsheng ran and stumbled, calling out loudly. When he saw the tall and imposing figure of the ferocious tiger, he immediately raised the wooden box in his hand high and said with a bright smile, "Big Brother."

"Through my tireless efforts, I finally obtained compensation from the county magistrate."

"Look what this is!"

"If my elder brother consumes a demon core, his cultivation will definitely increase greatly."

Dou Changsheng had no choice but to give the demon core to the ferocious tiger, so naturally he had to take all the credit. Therefore, claiming credit was inevitable. If it weren't for the fact that he had to mention Cui Shuyu, Dou Changsheng would never have said a word more.

The ferocious tiger's eyes rippled with emotion. Its large, heavy hands grabbed the wooden box, and with a flick of its fingers, the box opened instantly, revealing a pale blue demon core inside.

The ferocious tiger, with its vast experience, immediately discerned the quality of the demon core. This pale blue demon core was too light in color, indicating only a hundred years of cultivation, making it a very basic demon core.

But what caught the tiger's eye was that this demon core actually came from the tiger clan, which was a perfect match for the tiger.

Absorbing the demonic power from a demon core naturally results in some loss. How much can be retained in the end depends on the secret technique used to absorb the demon core and whether the attributes are compatible.

The fierce tiger couldn't help but say, "Brother Dou, you're very kind."

Dou Changsheng's heart skipped a beat at those words.

The character "窦" (Dou) has a profound meaning; it can be described as very meaningful.

At this moment, Dou Changsheng's heart jumped, and he suddenly realized that the ferocious tiger in front of him was not so easy to fool. Was that sentence said on purpose, or was it because he liked the demon core so much that he subconsciously let it slip?

It was impossible to judge, but there was one thing Dou Changsheng was very clear about: the fierce tiger had investigated him. That made sense; the fierce tiger was able to establish itself in the human city not only because of its strength, but also because of its intelligence.

Demon rats, which burrow underground, are certainly troublesome, but if they continue to cause trouble, they will definitely be eliminated. This is human territory, and if the demons cause too much trouble, there will naturally be strong people to deal with them. If they can't even solve this problem, the human race will not be able to stand in the Great Wilderness.

However, this involves a series of personnel issues, concerning political achievements and reputation. In the end, the best approach is to conceal or suppress these issues, since our great human race has its own national conditions.

In a flash, various ideas flashed through Dou Changsheng's mind. He immediately rejected the idea of ​​pretending to be stupid, as it was definitely the worst choice. Although it might seem like he could get away with it, it would create a rift, and if something went wrong next time, it would be even more serious.

Who knows if this is a test from a ferocious tiger?

Dou Changsheng is currently navigating between Cui Shuyu, the Fierce Tiger, and the Golden Jade Guard, like walking a tightrope. A slight misstep could send him plummeting into an abyss, shattering him to pieces and scattering his soul.

"I'm not afraid of hardship because of my older brother."

"But please, elder brother!"

Before Dou Changsheng could finish speaking, the fierce tiger interrupted him, saying, "No need to say more, I understand."

What do you know?

Dou Changsheng swallowed back all his words. The solution he had finally come up with was now useless. The two sides couldn't connect on a brainwave, which made Dou Changsheng very irritable. The fierce tiger's attitude must have something fishy about it, but he couldn't bring himself to ask.

The demon core in the tiger's hand no longer possessed the ferocity that Dou Changsheng had shown when he was watching; it was like an inanimate object, allowing the tiger to play with it at will.

While turning the demon core in his palm, the ferocious tiger said, "I just heard that something happened in Chen Family Village. It was Brother Dou who resolved the matter."

"If such a thing happens again in the future, Brother Dou, you don't need to do it yourself. Just send someone to tell him."

"Your identity is special, so it's really inconvenient."

Dou Changsheng lowered his head slightly, a glint flashing in his eyes. Sure enough, he knew this ferocious tiger had another purpose. The last time it was the Bai Ze plan, but this time its identity was special.

Dou Changsheng didn't believe such words. This fierce tiger and Cui Shuyu were birds of a feather, both wanting to give him some messy identity. This made Dou Changsheng bitter, as if he had become some kind of hot commodity, and everyone wanted to step on him.

Just wait, sooner or later we'll send them all away.

They left the mansion and boarded their private carriage.

This time, the danger was minor, much as expected. The ferocious tiger had its own schemes, and Cui Shuyu had her own plots, but neither of them would harm him. The real danger came from the Golden Jade Guards.

Upon returning to his own residence, Dou Changsheng received news that Manager Li had come to visit.

I was very unhappy. They didn't give me any time to breathe; they were all like death knells.

If you want to quickly increase your strength, then Manager Li's place is an opportunity. Manager Li's Hundred Herbs Pavilion mainly focuses on treating illnesses and selling medicines. Among them, the most important pills are the ninth-grade small yellow pill and the eighth-grade large yellow pill.

Both have similar effects, both increasing cultivation level, and are all of the same type of pill; the only difference is the strength of their effects.

After exchanging pleasantries with Manager Li, Manager Li got straight to the point: "Brother Dou's act of slaying the demon while the wine was still warm has spread throughout Lang County, and it has shocked everyone."

"I have a problem here that I'd like to ask Brother Dou for help with."

"Going to the Great Yellow Forest to pick yellow grass mushrooms has always resulted in deaths due to demons. I would like to ask Brother Dou to go there."

"No matter what the outcome is for Brother Dou this time, this bottle of Xiaohuangdan is a token of my appreciation for your hard work."

"If Brother Dou can resolve this, I will certainly reward you handsomely afterwards."

Manager Li was quite shrewd; he had no intention of getting something for nothing. He took out a jade bottle from his sleeve and slowly placed it on the Eight Immortals table.

Dou Changsheng didn't stand on ceremony. He reached out and picked up the jade bottle, gently shaking it. The sound of the small yellow pills colliding with each other could be clearly heard. There were five small yellow pills in the bottle.

A value of 1,500 incense coins is not a small amount for ordinary people.

Even the commander of the Golden Jade Guard from the capital only offered one Taiyi coin to win him over, equivalent to one thousand incense coins.

Dou Changsheng put away the little yellow pill and said directly, "Brother Li also knows that I have a Yellow Leaf Spirit Spring."

"To maximize the effects of the spring water, the natural methods are alchemy, weapon forging, and talisman drawing. I wonder if Brother Li has any ideas?"

Shopkeeper Li became interested and couldn't help but say, "I didn't expect the master to value Brother Dou so much, actually allocating him a Yellow Leaf Spirit Spring."

This matter greatly surprised Manager Li. Most of the nine Yellow Leaf Spirit Springs had been embezzled by Lang County, but even Manager Li did not get a single drop. They were all divided up by Magistrate Cui, Assistant Magistrate Zhang, and County Lieutenant Lin.

Among them, County Magistrate Cui Shuyu received two of them, which was already a precedent and an exclusive benefit for the magistrate of Lang County. After Cui Shuyu left office, there would be no more dividends.

Baicaoge would naturally purchase Huangye Lingquan, but this thing is very precious. Every time the spring water is produced, it is quickly divided up. Baicaoge can only get a small amount each time, and the price remains high.

After thinking for a moment, Manager Li said directly, "If Brother Dou is willing to sell all the Yellow Leaf Spirit Spring water to our Hundred Herbs Pavilion, I am willing to increase the price by 10%."

Dou Changsheng shook his head, and seeing that Manager Li was about to speak, he directly stopped him, saying, "Brother Li, don't be in a hurry. It's not that I don't want to sell, but I don't need money. I want the pills."

"The first choice is the Grade 7 Yellow Dragon Pill, followed by the Grade 8 Great Yellow Pill."

The higher the grade of a medicinal pill, the stronger its efficacy; this is a very basic principle.

Manager Li frowned and said, "It seems like the master has been in office for about a year, but in reality it's only been eleven months. The Yellow Leaf Spirit Spring's annual output is already gone this month, which means it's been ten months."

"I earn about ten Taiyi coins a month, but I earn eleven Taiyi coins, which is ten percent more."

Dou Changsheng interrupted him directly, saying, "One hundred Taiyi coins, and the remaining ten will be considered a discount for paying in one lump sum."

Cui Shuyu knew it wasn't anything good. Huang Ye Lingquan's generous gift was all empty talk. Cui Shuyu couldn't possibly serve as the magistrate of Lang County for even a year, so receiving the money every month was a complete waste.

It's a pity that it can't be sold for ten or eight years.

Manager Li's expression changed. Reducing the cost of ten Taiyi coins was a great thing. Manager Li, who was unaware of Jin Yuwei and Cui Shuyu's shady dealings, was naturally unaware of the risks involved.

He continued, "A Grade 7 Yellow Dragon Pill costs 20 Taiyi coins, but it depends on the quality. The better the quality, the stronger the medicinal effect and the more expensive it will be. So in reality, you can't buy more than five."

Manager Li looked at Dou Changsheng and slowly said, "If Brother Dou intends to cultivate, buying a Grade 7 Yellow Dragon Pill is a complete waste."

"Any medicine will develop resistance, and its efficacy will become weaker and weaker. So usually, people will take small yellow pills until they have no effect, and then they will take large yellow pills. This gradual increase in dosage is the only way to maximize the efficacy of the medicine."

"If Brother Dou were to take the Yellow Dragon Pill directly, the effects of the Small Yellow Pill and the Large Yellow Pill would be greatly reduced, making them unnecessary. He would have to take stronger pills instead."

"That's not cost-effective. A seventh-grade pill like the Yellow Dragon Pill is best used to break through from ninth grade to eighth grade, or from eighth grade to seventh grade. That's when it's most effective."

Manager Li, being a seasoned medicine seller, personally explained the intricacies of the business to Dou Changsheng. Dou Changsheng nodded repeatedly, convinced by Manager Li's words, and lowered his expectations, saying, "Then let's switch to Xiaohuangdan and Dahuangdan."

Shopkeeper Li stroked his beard and chuckled as he said, "Brother Dou, you see, you still don't understand."

"Everyone's drug resistance is different. These 100 Taiyi coins are not a small amount of money. If Brother Dou buys too many Xiaohuangdan pills and they don't work in the end, wouldn't that be a waste?"

"If we sell it again, we'll definitely be forced to lower the price, and we'll end up losing money."

"Why don't you take three or five bottles first? Buy a small amount. If it's not enough, you can get more from me. If the medicine doesn't work, you can just take Dahuangdan."

Taking 100 Taiyi coins in cash at once is really difficult; it would be too much of a chore and could easily lead to accidents.

Why not pay in installments, month by month? That way, it would be ten Taiyi coins per month for Huangye Lingquan.

They couldn't eat it all themselves, but they could sell some at a high price. In addition, Dou Changsheng bought pills, so there was still a lot of profit to be made. They made a fortune from both sides.

You novice who knows nothing about business, come and drink my foot bath water!