Xiao Nuo had miscalculated—he waited from dawn till dusk, but Black Tiger never came to demand his return.
Eight of his skilled men were captured, yet Black Tiger did nothing. Was it because he had many skilled men under his command and didn't care about these eight, or did he know the situation was dire and dare not act rashly? Xiao Nuo racked his brains but could not come up with a satisfactory explanation.
When Feng Chenxi woke up and returned to her room, she saw Xiao Nuo deep in thought with his head in his hands.
She glanced at him briefly and knew what was going on. She stepped forward and said, "There's not a sound at all?"
Xiao Nuo nodded and said, "Black Tiger is more composed than you and I imagined. If he is just a small pawn, then his mastermind must be an even more formidable figure."
He didn't deliberately lower his voice, so Feng Chenxi quickly shushed him, saying, "Keep your voice down..."
Xiao Nuo interrupted, "The people keeping watch were removed two hours ago."
"Really?" Feng Chenxi exclaimed in surprise.
Xiao Nuo slowly raised her eyes to look at her and said, "It's true. Although I can't see, I can hear: first the one outside the door, then the two people on the opposite roof, they all left after a whistle. Also, there were about three other people in the alley downstairs, they left around the same time."
Feng Chenxi frowned and said, "What is this Black Tiger thinking? Does he not even care about his subordinates?"
"Who knows?" Xiao Nuo's face fell. "There's nothing we can do but wait a few more days."
This wait lasted for three days.
Waiting is always painful; many even consider it the most painful thing in the world, and Xiao Nuo and Feng Chenxi were no exception. Although they were much more patient than most people, and although they spent lavishly at the Spring Night Pavilion every day and touted the wonders of the elixir, seemingly happier and more joyful than most, their hearts were growing more anxious each day—when would Black Tiger finally appear?
On the fourth day, the eight people who had been drugged woke up one by one, only to be immediately knocked back down by Feng Chenxi. Xiao Nuo stared blankly as she released the drug, and as the eight people collapsed to the ground again, before actually asking, "They haven't eaten for three days. Won't they starve to death?"
Feng Chenxi said with a straight face, "I don't know if they will starve to death, but I know that if Black Tiger doesn't show up soon, we will die—we'll die of anxiety."
“Yes,” Xiao Nuo sighed, “it’s been three days already…”
Feng Chenxi nodded: "It seems that Black Tiger is determined not to confront us."
Xiao Nuo forced a smile, but it looked as bitter as could be.
It's quite a ridiculous story. In this town of Baili, countless people fear Black Tiger's reputation. They're just grateful if Black Tiger doesn't come knocking on their door, yet they're so disappointed and distressed about it.
After a moment of silence, Xiao Nuo suddenly stood up, walked out the door, and arrogantly called out, "Waiter! Waiter!"
A waiter rushed over and asked, "What can I do for you, sir?"
Xiao Nuo loudly proclaimed, "I came to Baili Town intending to join forces with your town's Master Black Tiger to build a great enterprise. However, before we even met, eight of his disciples secretly defected to me. We businessmen value sincerity above all else, and I absolutely cannot accept these eight men. Quickly return them to Master Black Tiger's residence and tell him—consider these eight men my welcoming gift to him. If he is interested in cooperating, he should come to Chunxiao Pavilion. If he has no intention of cooperating with me, then I have fulfilled my duty of courtesy. In three days, once everything is ready, I will begin selling my Zhang family's uniquely formulated elixirs in this town." He then handed over a piece of silver and asked the waiter, "Do you understand?"
The waiter nodded, accepted the money, and called his companion to go inside and carry out the eight Black Tiger Sect members who had been drugged again. Xiao Nuo, however, went straight out of the Hundred Mile Inn with Feng Chenxi.
Feng Chenxi had been holding back until they reached a secluded spot before finally speaking: "Xiao Nuo! You're far too audacious!"
"Is that so?" Xiao Nuo asked with a nonchalant smile.
"Of course!" Feng Chenxi said angrily. "Don't you think about it? If this works, that's fine, but what if Black Tiger still ignores us? Then we'll really be in a bind. Not to mention that we've almost run out of money these past few days and don't have enough funds to do business or sell spirit pills, even if we did, how would we find a shop within three days, how would we have enough time to manage everything... Xiao Nuo, you've really spoken too confidently this time."
Xiao Nuo shrugged and said, "I just want to take a gamble."
Feng Chenxi asked, "What are we betting on?"
Xiao Nuo said without hesitation, "I'll bet on whether Black Tiger can really keep his composure."
Feng Chenxi glared at him and said, "What if he can really keep his temper in check?"
Xiao Nuo turned his head and looked at her for a long time, then suddenly smiled wickedly and said, "Then, I'm afraid you'll have to lend me a little bit of money, sister."
"What, you're not really planning to open a shop in this town selling cold medicine, are you?" Feng Chenxi rolled her eyes at him.
"It's a miraculous elixir," Xiao Nuo corrected with a grin. "Such miraculous effects are far beyond what Cold-Tasting Powder can compare to."
Feng Chenxi stared at him and said, "So..."
“So Black Tiger will definitely come,” Xiao Nuo answered confidently. “His livelihood depends on the Cold-Resting Powder, which is about to lose its market. I don’t believe he can sit still!”
Although Baili Town was bustling, it was not large. As they spoke, Chunxiao Pavilion came into view. Before Xiao Nuo and Feng Chenxi even reached them, the man in brocade robes came forward and led them to the hall with a beaming smile.
As usual, when the carved and gilded door was pushed open, the hall was full of guests. Each table of guests was accompanied by one or two women in glamorous makeup, who either fanned them or fed them wine. The whole hall was filled with an atmosphere of decadence.
"This Spring Night Pavilion is doing quite well. The guests today are different from the past few days." Feng Chenxi glanced at them and whispered, "Should we still provide all the guests with 'spiritual pills' for free as usual?"
“Of course. The more people who have tried it, the more people who say our elixir is good, the more restless Black Tiger becomes.” Xiao Nuo said as he stepped over the threshold, but suddenly paused, let out a soft “Eh”, and murmured, “I didn’t expect them to come here too.”
He spoke very softly, so only Feng Chenxi, who was beside him, heard him and asked, "Who is it?"
Xiao Nuo pretended to stumble and fell towards her, whispering in her ear, "Brother Zi'ang and Little Wine Immortal. Look, those two people at the second table to your right... Little Chenchen, give them some extra silver later and tell them to take down this threshold for me! It almost made me trip..."
"Yes, young master...you seem quite surprised to see them here?"
"Brother Zi'ang is known as a romantic and talented man, and he often comes to brothels and taverns. But Little Wine Immortal never touches women. I bet he was dragged here by Brother Zi'ang. Look at his silly face... Hey, you there, all the tables here seem to be full?"
The man in the brocade robe walking in front turned around upon hearing the voice and said, "No, that's not true. Last night when I left, I heard you say that you would come again today, so I saved a seat for you early this morning... This way, please, this way."
Xiao Nuo smiled and said, "You're thoughtful..." He then followed him into the room, sat down, and took out a silver ingot from his pocket, tossing it over and saying, "This is a reward for you to buy some wine."
The silver ingot was worth fifty taels, yet he casually tossed it out as a reward to a pimp, quite generous indeed. At that moment, more than half the guests in the hall were watching him.
Xiao Nuo, however, acted as if he didn't know anything, raising his head and saying, "Where are those girls who have been accompanying me these past few days? Hurry up and call them over! Same rules as before, not one can be missing. Even those who are already entertaining guests must come and keep me company... I'll just give them a little more money. Money is the least important thing to me in my life. Understand?"
The man in the brocade robe beamed as he accepted the silver, saying, "Yes, yes, sir, please have a seat. I'll make the arrangements for you right away..."
Not long after, a loud shout came from the next booth: "I don't care about Young Master Zhang or Young Master Li, I want Miss Xiaoyun to drink with me today! Even if you bring a celestial beauty, I won't let her go!"
Then, the man in the brocade robe said a few more words of advice in a low voice. Then, with a loud "bang," the man in the brocade robe was thrown out with great force, and wood chips from the window frame flew around him, making him look quite disheveled.
Several burly men followed closely behind. One of them, a big bearded man, had a woman with a pale face wrapped around his arm. He stood in the center of the hall and said in a rough voice, "Which bastard is trying to steal my woman? If you've got the guts, step forward!"
Xiao Nuo chuckled coldly a few times, took a leisurely sip of tea, and said, "Little Chenchen?"
"Yes, young master." Feng Chenxi bowed slightly, touched the ground with his toes, and gracefully leaped up, arriving in front of the bearded man in an instant.
Seeing her remarkable agility, the bearded man's eyes immediately lit up with wariness. He pushed the woman away from his arms and said, "Young man, you..."
Before he could finish speaking, a "Black Tiger Claws Out the Heart" attack came at him, attempting to catch him off guard. At the same moment, the burly men behind him also attacked simultaneously.
Feng Chenxi leaped up again, dodging the fierce first attack, and sneered, "Are all the Black Tiger disciples such despicable and shameless scoundrels? How can such people achieve great things? Why not let my young master take their place!"
She wasn't mistaken; the martial arts style of these burly men was exactly the same as that of the people who had ambushed them that night—they were undoubtedly disciples of Black Tiger. Good, Black Tiger, so he finally lost his patience and attacked again? Another sneak attack—how despicable!
Feng Chenxi's heart was ablaze, and she no longer held back. The moment her toes touched the ground, she lightly waved her right hand, using her master Feng Qiansu's most potent poison—Happy.
The burly men collapsed to the ground without uttering a sound.
The hall was completely silent; everyone was stunned by Feng Chenxi's terrifying methods.
Xiao Nuo was also stunned for a moment, then got up and walked to Feng Chenxi's side, whispering, "What kind of poison is this?"
“This is happiness,” Feng Chenxi said coldly. “It can make your heart happy, but it can also take your life.”
Xiao Nuo smiled wryly, "They're happy, but we're in trouble—Baili Town belongs to Baili City, and now that someone has died, my elder brother will definitely investigate. At that point, our actions will probably..."
Feng Chenxi snorted coldly, and with a flick of her wrist, a packet of antidote appeared at her fingertips. She stepped forward, kicked the man in the brocade robe, and said, "Are you dead or not? If you're not, get up quickly and give them this antidote to drink with water. If you delay for another half an hour, even a god can't save you. Hmph, it's only because my young master is kind-hearted; otherwise, given how Black Tiger has repeatedly made things difficult for us, I, Chenxi, would never have let these people off easily."
The man in the brocade robe, who had been lying on the ground pretending to be dead, was terrified upon hearing this and realized that someone had actually died on his own turf. He quickly got up and told his servants to carry the burly men to the backyard and give them the antidote one by one.
Xiao Nuo let out a breath and turned to the guests in the hall with a smile, "It's alright, it's alright. I'm really sorry to have startled you all... Xiao Chenchen, take out the elixir and calm your nerves."
"Yes." Feng Chenxi took out the bottles and jars.
While she was preparing it, Xiao Nuo smiled and said, "By the way, I would like to inform you all that I will be selling this elixir publicly in three days. If you find it good after taking it today, please continue to support me in the future."
For several days in a row, Feng Chenxi produced a large number of elixirs for people to taste. Her skills improved considerably. As soon as Xiao Nuo finished speaking, the fragrance wafted out.
The guests, being new to the medicine, showed no reaction yet, but the women couldn't sit still and swarmed around it, their faces filled with undisguised anticipation.
Having tasted the elixir for three consecutive days, they naturally understood the exquisite pleasure of ecstasy better than others. As soon as Feng Chenxi finished preparing it, they couldn't wait to swarm forward... Seeing their reaction, the guests couldn't resist either, and they all stepped forward to take a cup and drink it, even Zi'ang and the Little Wine Immortal were no exception.
The entire hall instantly descended into a frenzy of ecstasy. After a short while, everyone returned to normal, just like those who had sampled the elixir for free a few days ago, praising it one after another: "It's amazing! Not only is it easier to take than the Cold-Tasting Powder, but its effects also seem to be more than a hundred times stronger."
Even Gu Zi'ang, who had grown up with Xiao Nuo and was known as a talented scholar, praised it, shaking his head: "After drinking it, one feels like floating on air, as if the body is traveling through the void and the soul is returning to an illusion. It is truly a rare and wonderful elixir... rare, rare..." As he spoke, he staggered straight to the door.
The little wine fairy was stunned for a moment, then quickly got up and chased after him.
After a while of laughter, someone asked Xiao Nuo directly, "Young master, your elixir is so miraculous, will you really sell it openly in Baili Town?"
Xiao Nuo calmly replied, "I plan to rent three prime shops on the busiest street in town, specifically for purchasing medicinal herbs, preparing elixirs, and selling finished products."
"That means we can buy it right here in our neighborhood whenever we want to eat it! Great, fantastic!"
"But, young master, if you do this, I'm afraid some people will make things difficult for you..."
"You're referring to Black Tiger, aren't you?" Xiao Nuo laughed. "As the saying goes, everyone should make money. Does that mean in this Hundred Mile Town, he's allowed to sell cold-weather powder, but I'm not allowed to sell elixirs?"
"Young master, you may not know this, but Black Tiger is the most notorious bully in this town. Even a mighty dragon can't suppress a local snake."
“Young Master Zhang is both rich and powerful. Not only is the elixir a hundred times stronger than the Cold-Tasting Powder, but even this servant of yours is no match for Black Tiger. What are you afraid of?” a woman interjected. “If you ask me, the only thing we who want to take the elixir need to care about is the price. Young Master Zhang, how much does such a miraculous elixir cost?”
Xiao Nuo said, "This elixir is a unique formula of my Zhang family, and all the medicinal materials used are rare treasures. Since the elixir is so rare, the price is naturally not cheap either. Although it is not really worth a thousand gold pieces, it is close to that."
Upon hearing this, everyone sighed in disappointment, some even shaking their heads and retreating. The prostitutes, in particular, felt as if they had fallen into an abyss. They knew that while they earned a considerable amount from their sex trade, the elixir was incredibly expensive, and once consumed, there was no going back. The idea of buying it continuously in the long term was simply unrealistic.
Xiao Nuo glanced at everyone's expressions out of the corner of his eye and said, "However, if there are enough customers, I can consider lowering the price. After all, small profits lead to large sales."
"Excellent, excellent! With Young Master Zhang thinking this way, his business is sure to grow big!" the crowd exclaimed. "If the price is reasonable and the elixir has such miraculous effects, how could we not buy it?"
Xiao Nuo smiled without saying a word, his gaze meeting Feng Chenxi's from afar, all revealing expressions of impending victory—Black Tiger, Black Tiger, let's see how you can remain calm this time!
tit for tat
Sure enough, not long after, the man in the brocade robe led a group of people over in a hurry, with Black Tiger leading the way.
At this moment, Xiao Nuo was surrounded by women, joking around with them. When Hei Hu and the others walked up to him, the other guests all changed color and fell silent, but he didn't even glance at them.
What goes around comes around, and this time it's Black Tiger's turn to beg us.
The man in the brocade robe bowed and said, "Young Master Zhang... um... Master Black Tiger..."
Xiao Nuo picked up a candied fruit and held it to the lips of a prostitute: "Beauty, you often eat these candied lotus seeds, do you know how they are made?"
The prostitute looked at Black Tiger and then at him, her expression terrified. She forced a smile and said, "N-no, I don't know."
Xiao Nuo said, "First, you have to select lotus seeds from Hunan. After removing the outer membrane and removing the core, rinse them with clean water and dry them in the sun. Then soak them in warm water for three hours until they are fully swollen. After that, put them in a steamer and steam them thoroughly. Then take them out and spread them out on a bamboo sieve to cool. The next two steps, sugar boiling and baking, are the most important..."
He'd said a whole bunch of things, but Black Tiger's men were already getting impatient. One of them yelled, "Hey kid, are you blind? Can't you see our boss standing right here?"
Xiao Nuo's expression remained unchanged as she continued, "The sugar must be cooked over a low flame, with vigorous stirring. It should be cooked for about an hour, and only when it forms threads when pulled together can it be removed from the heat..."
The subordinate immediately swung his sword, but Xiao Nuo didn't move, and neither did I. Black Tiger, however, moved, slapping him across the face and cursing, "You ungrateful wretch, do you even have the right to speak up here?"
With a clang, the longsword fell to the ground, and the subordinate covered his face and quickly retreated.