Rarity makes things precious

"Swallow it?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Mmm."

Luo Xi stared at the Marrow-Cleansing Pill in her hand before finally popping it into her mouth. She reached for her water glass, only to find the pill had already dissolved—disappearing before she could even swallow it.

She froze for a few seconds, instinctively touching her cheek.

Did the pill just… melt?

"Chuan, is that it? Do I need to take it regularly?" Luo Xi asked curiously. She didn’t expect the "Beauty Pill" to work instantly, but she didn’t mind being Ye Chuan’s test subject either way. After all, she trusted him completely.

The next moment, an odd sensation surged through her body. Startled, she immediately stood up. "I need to use the bathroom!"

The exhaust fan whirred to life, followed soon after by the sound of the shower. Ye Chuan sat calmly in his chair, unsurprised. He’d been through this himself—the Marrow-Cleansing Pill’s effects always involved expelling bodily impurities.

A long while later, the bathroom door cracked open, and Luo Xi’s voice drifted out. "Chuan, why is my skin so oily?"

Ye Chuan chuckled. "That’s normal. Just keep washing. I’ll grab you a fresh set of clothes."

"Just bring underwear."

"Got it."

……

Over half an hour later, Luo Xi stepped out of the bathroom, freshly showered, her radiant complexion glowing as she towel-dried her hair.

"My skin really does look better," she murmured, studying her reflection in the full-length mirror. There was an indescribable aura about her now—something almost surreal.

Was this Beauty Pill really that effective?

Would beauty clinics even stand a chance against it?

"Chuan, this pill is amazing. You could make a fortune selling it to salons," Luo Xi remarked, inadvertently sparking an idea in Ye Chuan’s mind.

Selling Marrow-Cleansing Pills as beauty supplements?

"Not a bad idea," he mused.

He had plenty of pills on hand. Aside from the toxic ones, even the ordinary-grade elixirs—like Deer Blood Pills or Tiger Strength Pills—were treasures to regular people.

"Drugs really are the fastest way to get rich."

Still, Ye Chuan needed a proper distribution channel. The Wang family was an obvious choice, but if he priced the pills too high, they might not be able to absorb the entire stock.

Maybe he could let the Wangs act as middlemen, handling sales for him?

Ye Chuan began sketching out the plan in his head, though it was still just a rough blueprint. Plenty of details needed ironing out.

Luo Xi plopped down beside him, blinking her big eyes as she studied his thoughtful expression.

"Chuan, look at my skin," she said, extending her arm. It didn’t seem much fairer, but there was an undeniable suppleness to it now.

"Nice. The results are great," Ye Chuan said with a smile. "Very smooth."

Remembering earlier, Luo Xi pouted and pinched his waist like a crab claw before standing up. "Let’s go! You wasted so much time—we’re gonna be late."

"What’s the rush? We’re taking a car, aren’t we?" Ye Chuan remained unfazed.

"Oh. Right." Luo Xi hadn’t considered that. They could just drive to school and save time.

"But we still need to leave now."

"Mm."

Once outside, they found Wang Yanran waiting, phone in hand. She lowered it and greeted them with a smile. "Morning."

"Wang, do you drive us to school every day? Doesn’t that tire you out?" Luo Xi asked, noticing Wang Yanran had been waiting for a while.

She could’ve at least come inside to rest.

"It’s no trouble. It’s on my way anyway," Wang Yanran replied, though her gaze lingered on Luo Xi’s face. Something seemed… different.

"Luo, your skin…"

She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but Luo Xi looked noticeably more radiant.

"Oh, I just took a shower," Luo Xi said cheerfully, sidestepping the real reason. Since Ye Chuan hadn’t brought it up, she wasn’t about to spill the secret.

For Ye Chuan’s part, since he planned to collaborate with the Wang family, the Marrow-Cleansing Pill wasn’t something he needed to hide. He explained briefly,

"It’s a Beauty Pill. It removes bodily impurities and also boosts cultivation efficiency."

"Such a treasure exists?" Wang Yanran’s eyes lit up—especially at the word "beauty."

After all, she was still a young woman with a natural interest in looking her best.

"Yeah. Chuan gave me one, and the results are fantastic," Luo Xi chimed in, pointing at her cheeks and tilting her head side to side as if modeling for an ad.

Anyone watching might’ve mistaken them for a professional scam duo.

"This…" Wang Yanran’s eyes practically sparkled as she glanced at Ye Chuan, hesitating.

She really wanted that pill.

"I have a batch of Beauty Pills I’d like to entrust to the Wang family for distribution—or you can buy them all outright," Ye Chuan said.

"Oh?" Wang Yanran caught his meaning. More pills?

Absolutely!

The Wang family would take every last one!

Both the Deer Blood Pills and the Revitalization Pills had worked like miracles. The Wangs had actually wished they’d bought more. If Ye Chuan could supply them steadily, they’d be more than happy to invest.

"Ye Chuan, how much are you pricing these Beauty Pills at?" Wang Yanran asked.

"Two million per pill."

The number left Luo Xi momentarily speechless.

She’d just… swallowed two million?

Wang Yanran also needed a second to process it before her mind kicked into gear.

For her, a pill with beauty benefits was easily worth two million. But the rest of the family might not share her enthusiasm—especially the older generation.

If it were purely cosmetic, her grandfather probably wouldn’t care.

Just as she was weighing the pros and cons, Ye Chuan added, "Its effects aren’t limited to that. Like I said earlier."

There was more?

Wang Yanran had been so fixated on the "beauty" aspect that she’d nearly overlooked the rest. Now it came back to her—

Boosts cultivation speed?

Her heartbeat quickened as realization dawned. "By how much?"

Ye Chuan simply smiled.

"Deal! The Wang family will take all twenty at two million each!" Wang Yanran declared. "How many can you supply?"

Ye Chuan did a quick mental tally of his materials. About twenty pills.

Scarcity drove value—he couldn’t flood the market with hundreds or thousands. Maintaining the price was key.

"Twenty."

"Done!"