C17 As Long as You Don't Charge Me for It!

Ning Qingqing watched as Qin Xiao, the charlatan, prepared to leave. Without evidence to stop him, her irritation simmered beneath the surface. His words, however, set her off like a cat with its fur standing on end. Harm her life? Their herb shop was the epitome of purity—how dare he cast aspersions!

Her eyes, fierce as a feline's, blazed with fury. "My master, He Gui, is a renowned healer in Oldgarde, having saved countless lives from epidemics. His character towers over yours, you fraud. How could he ever intentionally harm anyone? If you don't stop defaming us, I'll have you thrown in prison!" Her voice was firm, her pale cheeks flushed with righteous anger.

The more she revered her master, the more she loathed Qin Xiao. How could such a morally bankrupt person exist?

Qin Xiao, fully aware of the reason behind Ning Qingqing's rage, remained unfazed. With a nonchalant "Oh," he inquired, "So who has your store managed to upset? They must be bold to target you like this."

Her anger momentarily vanished from her face as she furrowed her brow, grasping Qin Xiao's implication. "Are you suggesting there's something wrong with the herbs?"

Qin Xiao remained silent.

He surveyed the neatly organized medicine chest, his gaze settling intently on one item. Ning Qingqing followed his eyes to a ginseng root, its distinctive herbal aroma signaling its age and potency—making it a prized asset of the shop.

Upon seeing the ginseng, Ning Qingqing's anxiety dissolved. This ginseng had been a lifesaver; it couldn't possibly be defective.

Was Qin Xiao just playing mind games with her, a common trickster's ploy?

She had been foolish to give him any credence.

"Is deceiving me amusing to you? Is that the best you con artists can do?" she challenged.

"If you refuse to believe me, there's nothing I can do," Qin Xiao replied coolly. "But there is indeed an issue with this ginseng." He hadn't intended to stir up trouble, yet a fleeting glance, combined with the activation of his Spiritual Rhino skill, revealed that the ginseng was indeed in an "abnormal" condition.

Medicinal herbs are meant to heal, not to harm. If something's amiss, it could endanger lives, right?

As a morally responsible young man, Qin Xiao felt it was his duty to offer a warning.

"Fine! If there's an issue with the ginseng, I'll chalk it up to bad luck! But if you're deceiving me, just you wait!"

A cold glint passed through Ning Qingqing's eyes.

Rather than engage in a fruitless debate, she decided to let the facts do the talking.

Before Qin Xiao could grasp her intent, Ning Qingqing swiftly sliced a piece of ginseng and tasted it. The distinctive bitter-sweet aroma of ginseng spread through her mouth.

The flavor was spot on. This guy was definitely a fraud!

Anger blazed in Ning Qingqing's beautiful eyes as she fixed Qin Xiao with a furious stare. But before she could unleash her wrath, the initially warm and aromatic ginseng suddenly unleashed a chilling cold within her.

It was like the slimy secretion of a frog's skin, inducing a wave of nausea!

Worse still, her inner vitality felt locked away, leaving her as immobile as if trapped in an icy cellar, shrouded in a bone-chilling cold.

Qin Xiao inwardly cursed, 'This is bad.' He hadn't expected the girl to be so impetuous, to test the danger on herself.

He swiftly moved behind Ning Qingqing, his hand shaped like a blade, and struck her back. A precise shockwave forced Ning Qingqing to spit out the ginseng.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Tears welled up in Ning Qingqing's eyes as she coughed violently. The sensation was far from pleasant, akin to suffocating underwater. Now, suddenly free from the ordeal, she was filled with a mix of shock, fear, and relief for having narrowly escaped death.

The ginseng was just as Qin Xiao had warned – dangerously flawed. If given to a patient, it would be a death sentence, not a cure.

Who could be so cruel as to concoct such a malicious scheme to set up her master?

She vowed to make the perpetrator pay once they were uncovered.

"Why would you taste it so rashly? Remember, a wise person avoids danger. Your actions were far too reckless."

Qin Xiao couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated. This woman was incredibly intense. If he hadn't been there, might she not have lost her life today?

Yet, Ning Qingqing seemed utterly oblivious to the danger she had been in, her eyes sparkling with curiosity as she gazed at Qin Xiao. "How did you spot the issue with the medicinal herb? Are you a doctor too?"

Ning Qingqing, a prized disciple of He Gui, had dedicated over a decade to the study of medicine, spending every day with that very ginseng, and yet she had failed to detect its flaw.

But Qin Xiao had noticed something was off with just a single glance.

Could it be that Qin Xiao possessed a medical talent even greater than hers?

Her eyes brightened at the thought, and she felt a stirring of excitement at the prospect of finding a junior disciple for her master.

Qin Xiao was somewhat at a loss for words with Ning Qingqing.

She had nearly met her demise, and yet she acted as if it were just another day. Didn't the ordeal leave any emotional scars on her?

She was incredibly bold!

In response to Ning Qingqing's probing, Qin Xiao drawled, "Perhaps it's just a genius's intuition."

He couldn't possibly reveal his System Skills; that was something he could never admit to. So he resorted to feigning a sort of mystical insight to muddle through.

"You're just brushing me off!" Ning Qingqing pouted. She could tell it was a cop-out, but she understood that everyone had secrets and wasn't one to pry. "You identified the tainted ingredient and saved my life. I may be a woman, but I believe in repaying my debts. I'll let your fake Profound Butterfly Pill slide this time."

"It's genuine," Qin Xiao insisted. Was the truth so hard to believe these days?

"My master can't even produce such a pill, so how could you?" Ning Qingqing scoffed. Just because Qin Xiao had saved her didn't mean she'd take his word as gospel. After all, even a true genius couldn't concoct a pill formula without some experience.

Every pill on the market had been thoroughly tested and approved by consumers. Ning Qingqing had absolutely no faith in Qin Xiao's unverified products.

"If you won't believe me, so be it."

Qin Xiao didn't feel like getting into a debate with her. He pressed, "You mentioned repaying your debt. Surely you mean more than just overlooking my Profound Butterfly Pill, right?"

"Of course not. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help."

"Anything at all?" Qin Xiao's eyes swept over the medicine store before settling on Ning Qingqing with a meaningful look.

Ning Qingqing blushed under his gaze. "If you're expecting me to offer myself in return, I might need some time to think about that!"

What on earth was this young lady thinking?

Without another word, Qin Xiao activated his Spiritual Rhino Skill and cleared out all the choice medicinal herbs in one go.

"You don't need to offer yourself. Just covering the cost will do!"

Qin Xiao surveyed the bags of herbs with immense satisfaction. Sometimes, a man's joy is found in the simplest of things!

Ning Qingqing pouted. I'm as lovely as a flower, yet Qin Xiao is blind to beauty, only wanting herbs!

With her around, he'd never run out of medicinal herbs again!

Such a fool, missing the forest for the trees!

"By the way, could I have that orchid?" Qin Xiao pointed to an orchid on the windowsill.

The orchid appeared quite ordinary, something Ning Qingqing had tended to out of boredom, not really part of the store's inventory.

"If you like it, it's yours," Ning Qingqing replied nonchalantly.

"Thanks!" Qin Xiao beamed with delight. This orchid was far from ordinary. Though not useful to him, it could fetch a good price.

The thought of all the Profound Crystals he needed for his martial pursuits made Qin Xiao feel like a beggar.

As Qin Xiao was about to pocket the orchid, a familiar, magnetic voice called out, "Young man, could I persuade you to part with that orchid?"

Qin Xiao turned around, a smile breaking across his face. There stood the distinguished guest Fann Sheng had treated with such reverence at the Orchid Hall!