Zhang Xiaohua asked curiously: “Something equivalent in value to gold?”

Then he immediately seemed to understand, putting on a look of disbelief as he softly said: “Could it be that Boss Chen is referring to…?”

Zhang Xiaohua shaped his mouth into the word “pill”.

Chen Fengxiao burst into laughter and said: “Little brother is truly clever—worthy of being selected by Spring Rebirth Valley to enter the Incense Spreading Sect. You grasp things the moment they’re hinted at.”

Nonsense—Zhang Xiaohua had done plenty of this sort of thing before. When refining pills in Spring Rebirth Valley, wasn’t it always like this? However, back then, he was the only one refining, and others didn’t know about it. Moreover, Spring Rebirth Valley had agreed to it—taking some was making some, nothing inappropriate about it. But here in the Tuodan Hall of the Incense Spreading Sect, there were hundreds of people refining pills together. Even walls have ears—any trick you played could be seen by others.

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua still somewhat puzzled, Chen Fengxiao lowered his voice and said: “The pills our Tuodan Hall refines are all for outer sect disciples. The inner sect disciples’ pills are refined by their own people—it has nothing to do with us. The quality of outer sect pills is average, and the sect doesn’t pay special attention to them. Besides, in this day and age, who doesn’t want a little extra income? As the saying goes, ‘A clean magistrate of three years earns a hundred thousand taels of silver’. We people of Tuodan Hall surely understand the principle of ‘being close to the water, one gets the moon first’, right?”

“Moreover, there hasn’t been any conflict for hundreds of years, so pill consumption is low, yet we refine quite a lot. Who among the higher-ups in the sect still knows the exact numbers? Ah, what a pity—our Herb Division brothers only know how to grow herbs and don’t understand pill refining. They can only hand over the herbs for others to refine. Those rascals—who among them isn’t stuffing plenty into their own pockets?”

Zhang Xiaohua instantly understood. If everyone was lining their own pockets, then no one would expose anyone else—as long as the Hall Master and the others felt the quantities were acceptable, it was fine. Moreover, judging from what Yang Yao had implied, Tianmu Peak was already difficult to manage. As long as no trouble arose, who would seriously come to check how many pills they refined?

However, Zhang Xiaohua didn’t think much of the pills from Spring Rebirth Valley. Although the pills of the Incense Spreading Sect might be better, just looking at these pill-refining disciples of Tianmu Peak—how many of them had truly achieved anything in internal cultivation? How could they possibly refine pills that Zhang Xiaohua would value? If there were pills he truly needed within the Incense Spreading Sect, they would definitely be those refined by the inner sect, and would never appear at Tianmu Peak.

So, this condition was something Zhang Xiaohua would definitely not agree to.

Zhang Xiaohua shook his head and said with a smile: “Boss Chen, to be honest, I’m not very interested in what you mentioned.”

“Eh??” Chen Fengxiao was stunned upon hearing this, but he quickly seemed to understand something. Patting Zhang Xiaohua on the shoulder, he said: “I noticed just now that you have some pills in your bundle—they must be ones you brought from Spring Rebirth Valley. But you should trust me—our Tuodan Hall’s Pill Division disciples may not produce pills of inferior quality compared to Spring Rebirth Valley. Moreover, our Tuodan Hall has a heritage of ten thousand years, with countless pill formulas. There are many kinds of pills you wouldn’t even be able to imagine.”

Zhang Xiaohua was speechless: Even if you gave me pills of every quality, they’d be useless to me. They’re all for martial cultivation—what I refine myself is better than yours. Why would I trade gold leaves for your useless pills?

Zhang Xiaohua pretended to think for a moment, then still shook his head and said: “Just as Boss Chen said earlier, since we’ve come to the Incense Spreading Sect, where would there be any more fighting? I won’t get injured, so what would I need those pills for? And even if there were pills I wanted—say, ones that could increase cultivation—Tianmu Peak probably wouldn’t have them, right?”

Hearing this, Chen Fengxiao grew somewhat anxious. At Tianmu Peak, pills were hard currency—he had never seen anyone who didn’t like them. Earlier, when they gambled and fought, pills were always used as the stakes. Moreover, he had been thinking all along: Little brother, even if you don’t want the pills, the brothers of our Herb Division are all waiting to be fed!

So Chen Fengxiao asked: “Then little brother, what do you think the Pill Division should use as the stakes?”

“Yes… What do I actually need?” Zhang Xiaohua hesitated.

What he needed most was information about the Piaomiao Sect. But that couldn’t be said openly, and such information could be inquired about privately anyway—why waste the quota of gold leaves? Better to save where one could.

Suddenly, Zhang Xiaohua’s eyes lit up, and he smiled, saying: “Boss Chen, this little brother will take the liberty to ask something.”

Hearing him call himself “little brother”, Chen Fengxiao was pleased and said, “Go ahead—once you’re at Tianmu Peak, you’re one of my brothers.”

Zhang Xiaohua lowered his voice and said: “When our Herb Division brothers used to gamble and fight with the Pill Division, what did they use as the stakes?”

“What else could it be?” Chen Fengxiao said somewhat resentfully. “Just their Pill Division’s pills. It’s nothing more than what we previously won from them—if we lose, we just return it to them.”

“Then… what about at the very beginning? When there were no pills, or barely any at all?” Zhang Xiaohua pressed further, leading him on.

“If there were no pills, then there was no silver to give them either—we just used the medicinal herbs we grew!” Chen Fengxiao said. “But those bastards are really too black-hearted. They say our herbs are only semi-finished goods, not worth much, while pills are finished products with high added value. A whole pile of herbs only counts for half a pill. Tell me, is that fair? Our Herb Division brothers toil so hard growing herbs, yet they’re worth nothing. Only after they pass through their pill furnaces do they come out worth several times more. There’s no justice in this!”

Zhang Xiaohua curled his lips inwardly: Of course—without any core techniques, you can only trade resources for finished products. Even so, it still depends on whether the Pill Division is willing.

“Mm, I understand now, Boss Chen. So that means the disciples of our Herb Division also have some… hmm… private stock of their own?”

“Of course,” Chen Fengxiao said without the slightest hesitation. “Those who live by the mountains eat from the mountains; those who live by the water eat from the water. If our Herb Division brothers don’t rely on medicinal herbs, what else can we rely on?”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “If… If I were to use the pills I win to exchange with the Herb Division brothers for medicinal herbs, they would surely be quite willing, right?”

“Exchange for herbs?” Chen Fengxiao was taken aback, then burst into laughter. “Little brother, medicinal herbs cover all of Tianmu Peak—what’s there to exchange for? You’re one of our Herb Division brothers; who would stop you from picking them? If anyone dares to, just tell me…”

Zhang Xiaohua waved his hand and said, “Many thanks for Boss Chen’s kindness, but that’s not what I mean. I’m not talking about ordinary herbs, but rather those that are relatively rare or those with long years of growth. Given that the Incense Spreading Sect has a heritage of ten thousand years, there must be quite a few good things that haven’t been discovered—or that have been discovered by our Herb Division specialists, right?”

Hearing this, Chen Fengxiao laughed even louder, patting Zhang Xiaohua on the shoulder. “Little brother, that’s a fine plan you’ve got—I never even thought of it. Though even if I had, I wouldn’t be able to refine pills myself, and I’d just waste those things. Eh? Little brother, from the way you’re speaking… You know how to refine pills?”

His face lit up even more with delight. “I almost forgot—you came from Spring Rebirth Valley, and you’re not that young anymore, so presumably…”

Zhang Xiaohua waved his hand and said: “Boss Chen, we can talk about that later. Let’s first discuss the matter of the gambling matches.”

Chen Fengxiao forcibly suppressed his excitement and said: “The matter of the gambling matches can also be discussed later. What you stirred up today is quite a big affair—it’s better to first deal with that Wu Dalang.”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “I have one more question, Boss Chen. These ten matches won’t all be arranged in a single day, will they? Even if this group is weak, going through ten matches in one day would still leave me exhausted. That wouldn’t be good for maintaining one’s health!”

Chen Fengxiao looked at Zhang Xiaohua with a face full of disbelief, as if he didn’t recognize him. Well, it was indeed their first time meeting. He said: “Little brother, it seems I should be calling you big brother instead. What you’re saying is just too outrageous—you want to take on the Pill Division’s Ten Great Vajras all by yourself?”

“The Ten Great Vajras?” Zhang Xiaohua was taken aback.

But Chen Fengxiao ignored his surprise and continued: “Although I don’t know how strong your martial arts are, I can pat my chest and tell you this—you absolutely cannot defeat the Ten Great Vajras. If you could beat them all, how could our Herb Division brothers let you bear everything alone? Hehe, with your support this time, no matter what, our Herb Division has to win back a bit of face.”

Then he blinked at Zhang Xiaohua with a knowing look and said in a low voice, “You can’t eat all the meat yourself and leave the other brothers only the soup, right? That wouldn’t be good for the unity of our Herb Division here at Tianmu Peak.”

Zhang Xiaohua immediately understood. He cupped his hands and said: “Boss Chen is indeed generous—truly worthy of being the one in charge. I won’t interfere in this matter. You arrange everything, and I’ll follow your lead.”

Chen Fengxiao patted Zhang Xiaohua on the shoulder and said: “Good brother, just wait and see—I definitely won’t let your effort go unrewarded.”

Zhang Xiaohua curled his lips inwardly: It’s not your gold leaves anyway, of course you don’t care. I’m not willing to lose money. Heh, but judging from your attitude, these so-called Ten Great Vajras aren’t all that impressive. You want me to bleed? Not a chance. I’ll see what benefits I can squeeze out of Tianmu Peak. Dragon-Scale Fruit, oh Dragon-Scale Fruit—perhaps there are even better things than you!

Afterward, Zhang Xiaohua said to Chen Fengxiao: “Boss Chen, I’ve already eaten and drunk my fill. After walking all day, I’m quite tired. About that…”

Chen Fengxiao slapped his forehead and said: “Look at me—upon meeting such a talented little brother, I got so happy that I completely forgot about this matter.”

He raised his head and beckoned: “Bai Huan, come here. Take this little brother to his lodging. Find him the most comfortable and luxurious room we have.”

Then he turned back and said: “Little brother, don’t mind it—it’s already late today. Tomorrow I’ll have them tidy things up properly.”

Seeing this, Zhang Xiaohua waved his hand and said: “That won’t be necessary. Any room will do, as long as it’s quiet and free from disturbance.”

“Oh?” Chen Fengxiao nodded, glanced at the large bundle beside him, and said: “I understand what you mean. Just so happens, there’s a small courtyard on the side of Tianmu Peak—very quiet, and no one lives there. How about you stay there for now?”