Someone gasped. “Hanlin the Sage?!”
The Second Pavilion Master smiled. “That’s right. Each of these five pills came from the refinery cauldron of the elder of my sect: Hanlin the Sage. Ordinary infatuation pills can confound the heart and cause whomever takes one to become obsessed with whomever gave it to them, but the effect lasts for a mere half a year, and the antidote is very easy to produce. However, these five pills…” Her delicate, tender fingertips held the brocade box as she continued solemnly. “These are guaranteed to work for ten years, and they have no antidote.”
“What?”
“My heavens, how is that possible?”
“Hanlin the Sage is frightening…”
The Second Pavilion Master waited until the commotion died down somewhat before she smiled again. “In order to differentiate these from ordinary infatuation pills, Hanlin the Sage has named them ‘Love Pills.’ Purchase only one of these pills, dissolve it in water, and convince your object of desire to drink it. Then, for the duration of ten years, we guarantee they will remain obsessed with you without ever wavering.”
“Is there really no cure after one takes the pill?” a female cultivator called from down below. “If I lose interest in him before the ten years are up, wouldn’t I be stuck with him crawling all over me?”
The crowd chuckled and laughed, and the Second Pavilion Master smiled politely. “My lady has only pointed out a true thing. This is why Xuanyuan Pavilion will take this chance to remind everyone that the Love Pill has no known cure. Until the ten years are up, nothing will be able to break the bond they create. Outside of a case of tormented, unrequited love, we cannot recommend delivering the pill to another party.”
With that conclusion, the bidding began, and the price started to rise. Mo Ran noticed that it was mostly female cultivators screaming to fight for bids, and he couldn’t help but click his tongue. “This is unbelievably scary.”
“Indeed. To earn sentiments thusly would truly be beyond tasteless.”
This response made Mo Ran turn to glance at Chu Wanning. “Shizun, you’ll have to watch out,” he said, smiling. “You’re awfully good-looking. What if there are female cultivators from Sisheng Peak here and they buy one of the pills, then secretly drop it in your water to make you fall in love with them? Better be careful you don’t fall for that, since you’re a married man and all.”
Chu Wanning couldn’t respond. Mo Ran was undoubtedly saying such things to mock him, and his instinct was to be angry. However, never in his life had he ever heard Mo Ran call him good-looking, and he couldn’t find it in himself to be upset. His lips pressed into a cool and distant line and, turning his head away, he refused to acknowledge his disciple.
“If they’re resorting to using pills like these, they must be desperately in love,” Mo Ran mumbled. When he saw how fast those five boxes were purchased, he sighed and shook his head. “How pitiful.”
Chu Wanning stared at that snow-white wall for a moment, then replied calmly, “If they truly loved the object of their affection, how could they have the heart to use a pill like these? You’re still young. There are some things you don’t understand.”
I’m still young? Mo Ran turned his head, dimples deepening with his smile. “I don’t understand, but Shizun does? Is Shizun going to tell me about Shiniang?”
“Begone.”
“Ha ha ha ha ha ha.”
In the midst of their banter, the second item had been presented on the platform.
“Tapir Fragrance Dew,” the Second Pavilion Master announced crisply. “Also from the kiln of Hanlin the Sage. This is the newest medicinal dew refined by Hanlin. The first generation of disciples of Guyueye have tried it, and it works like magic.”
Cultivator A was somewhat learned. “Typing Fragrance Dew?”
Cultivator B was a little hungry. “Tapas Fragrance Dew?”
Cultivator C was perverted. “Tupping Fragrance Dew?”
Chu Wanning gave it a ponder, then raised his gaze to those five porcelain bottles. The thick curtain of his lashes trembled fractionally. “Tapir Fragrance Dew…from the Dream-Consuming Tapir?”
The Second Pavilion Master had no intention of losing the audience’s interest. The instant she realized that the crowd was confused, she explained with a smile: “The reason this is called Tapir Fragrance Dew is because the formula requires blood taken from the quick of Dream-Consuming Tapir claws. A single drop in a cup of tea will guarantee good dreams, every single night, for a week. This might not mean much to ordinary cultivators, but after the influence of certain cultivation methods and spells, some xianjun experience relentless nightmares and have difficulty finding peaceful slumber. If the problem persists, it can lead to qi deviation, in which case this Tapir Fragrance Dew would be the absolute best remedy.”
When Chu Wanning heard this, he was reminded of that realistic dream he’d experienced. Though it hadn’t been a nightmare, it had indeed made him feel rather unsettled…
The Second Pavilion Master pushed this product with all she had. “Besides all that, the Tapir Fragrance Dew also has the ability to regulate spiritual energy and aid in one’s cultivation.”
Chu Wanning was still deep in thought and remained unmoved.
“Moreover, if one has children training at home, the Tapir Fragrance Dew would be extremely beneficial for them. Hanlin the Sage had the foresight to expect that elders and teachers might purchase the dew for their young trainees, so he specially made the five bottles of Tapir Fragrance Dew in five different flavors. The red bottle is lychee, the yellow bottle is orange, the white bottle is milk candy, the purple bottle is grape, and the black bottle is mulberry. Furthermore, with but one sip, the taste will remain on one’s lips and tongue for an entire day—it’s quite lovely.”