"The Four Saints Techniqueā¦ I practiced it in the dorm before, and you guys said I was square dancing," Zhao Yuan replied.
He had always wanted to teach the Four Saints Technique to his three brothers from dorm 301.
On one hand, it was to repay a debt of gratitude. When he was poor, his three dorm mates had helped him out a lot, and he never forgot their kindness. On the other hand, he hoped to have a few helpers on his own path of Cultivation.
The old saying puts it well: "A hero needs three friends to help him, just as a fence needs three posts to support it." Besides, in the world of Cultivation, there's the concept of "Wealth, Companions, Methods, and Land." The "Companions" part doesn't refer to lovers, but to friends and comrades who support each other on the path of Cultivation.
Just as the *Notes* say: "To study alone and without friends is to be ignorant and ill-informed." With Fellow Daoists, everyone could cultivate together, grow together, and face hardships together. That was much better than fighting a lonely battle!
Zhao Yuan wasn't worried that teaching the Four Saints Technique to his three dorm mates would have any negative consequences for him. It wasn't just because they were trustworthy people of good character; it was also because he had confidence in himself!
'Are you kidding me? My current Cultivation is about to break through to the Marrow Cleansing Realm, and I have the ultimate cheatāthe legacy of Wu Peng! Even if I misjudged them and one of them turned out to be a traitor, I'm completely confident I could handle it perfectly!'
After weighing the pros and cons, teaching the Four Saints Technique to his three brothers in dorm 301 was definitely a good idea, with far more benefits than drawbacks.
"What? That square dance has this kind of effect? Third Brother, you've got to be kidding me, right?" Wu Yan said, his face a mask of disbelief.
Zhao Yuan couldn't help but laugh. "Why would I lie to you? If you don't believe me, I'll teach you the first form of the Four Saints Technique tonight and let you see the effects for yourself."
"Wellā¦ alright!" Wu Yan considered it for a moment, then nodded in agreement. Although the idea of 'square dancing' felt a bit awkward, if this 'square dance' really worked and could give him a physique as strong as Zhao Yuan's, he was willing to give it a try.
"In that case, you should eat a lot more later. Otherwise, you'll be starving after you're done practicing," Zhao Yuan kindly reminded him.
But Wu Yan didn't take it seriously. "It's not like I haven't seen you practice before. It's just a few simple moves. How tiring could it be? So tired I'll be starving? No way!"
Zhao Yuan just smiled and didn't press the issue. 'Some things you just have to learn the hard way!'
After parting ways with Wu Yan, Zhao Yuan walked onto campus. Instead of heading back to the dorm, he found a quiet, deserted corner and took out his phone to call Fang Yi.
The call connected quickly, and Fang Yi's voice came through. "Brother Zhao Yuan, what can I do for you?"
"Brother Fang, I need a batch of medicinal herbsā¦"
Before Zhao Yuan could even finish his sentence, Fang Yi eagerly cut in, "No problem! Is it the same herbs you bought from me before? Just tell me how much you need, and I'll have someone deliver it to you right away!"
He thought Zhao Yuan had simply run out of ingredients for the Soul-Stabilizing Incense.
"No, this time I need a new batch of herbs," Zhao Yuan corrected him.
He hadn't used up the ingredients for the Soul-Stabilizing Incense, Bone Refining Pills, or Blood Circulation Soup, so there was no rush to restock. This time, he was buying herbs to make the Marrow Cleansing Pill.
"New herbs?" On the other end of the line, Fang Yi suddenly grew excited. "Are you expanding to new products? Great! I was actually planning to ask you in the next day or two if you had anything else with amazing effects besides the Soul-Stabilizing Incense. The incense sells really well, but having only one product is a bit of a weak spot."
Zhao Yuan paused for a moment. Fang Yi's words were a wake-up call. 'I'm going to need more and more money in the future. Cultivation, Elixirs, Magical Artifacts, even Talismansā¦ every single one of them costs a fortune. Relying on just the Soul-Stabilizing Incense won't be enough. I really do need to develop some new products.'
'But which new product should I choose?'
'The Bone Refining Pills? The Blood Circulation Soup? Or the Marrow Cleansing Pill? Or maybe all three at once?'
Zhao Yuan was hesitant, but before that, there was something else to resolve. "We definitely need to expand our product line, but Brother Fang, can you get a pharmaceutical manufacturing license?"
Fang Yi thought for a moment and replied, "A pharmaceutical manufacturing license isn't easy to get. A health supplement manufacturing license is relatively easier."
Zhao Yuan considered it. 'Selling them as health supplements should be fine.' He agreed, "Okay, let's get a health supplement license for now then! Also, help me look into renting a factory, something cheap. It doesn't need to be too big."
"You want to rent a factory? Are you planning to scale up production?" Fang Yi asked hurriedly.
"That's right."
Lately, although Zhao Yuan made a batch of Soul-Stabilizing Incense every day, it was still not enough to meet demand. By now, many people in Rongcheng City had heard of the Soul-Stabilizing Incense and its miraculous effects. Even though it was expensive at ten thousand yuan for a box of just ten sticks, many people were still desperate to buy it. Unfortunately, the production volume was so low that they couldn't get their hands on it even if they were waving cash around.
Zhao Yuan was aware of this problem. Since he had decided to expand his product line, he might as well rent a factory and start mass production. As for the formula, he wasn't worried about it leaking at all.
Once the herbs were delivered and ground into powder, he would personally mix the powders before letting the workers handle the next steps. That way, even if others knew the ingredients, they could never know the exact ratios.
Whether it was the Soul-Stabilizing Incense, the Bone Refining Pills, the Blood Circulation Soup, or the Marrow Cleansing Pill, knowing only the ingredients without the specific quantities made success impossible!
Fang Yi said excitedly, "You don't need to look for a factory! I have one, fully equipped with pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment. You can use it right away."
"That's great," Zhao Yuan said, overjoyed. "I'll also have to trouble you to help me hire a group of pharmaceutical workers. They need to be honest and reliable."
"I understand. Leave it to me, don't you worry," Fang Yi enthusiastically accepted. He was desperate for Zhao Yuan to scale up production; the constant short supply was driving him crazy.
"For this new factory, I'll give you a ten-percent stake. Your sales commission will remain the same," Zhao Yuan said. He knew that hogging all the profits was the surest way to make enemies, so he never hesitated to share. He was also confident that giving Fang Yi a ten-percent share in the factory would be a huge motivator.
Just as he expected, Fang Yi was incredibly excited to hear this. Over the phone, he repeatedly thumped his chest, promising Zhao Yuan he would get all the preliminary work for the factory done as quickly as possible.
Zhao Yuan then listed out the herbs he needed to make the Marrow Cleansing Pill, asking Fang Yi to gather them and send them over as soon as possible.
The herbs for the Marrow Cleansing Pill weren't particularly rare. Things like Ginseng, Drynaria, and Eucommia were all common ingredients. However, the requirements for their age were quite strict, so Fang Yi would need some time to find and purchase them. Still, he promised Zhao Yuan he would deliver them immediately once he had everything.
After ending the call with Fang Yi, Zhao Yuan scrolled through his contacts and found another numberā¦