I am the Snake Taoist

The two arrived at the God of Wealth Commerce Guild, which indeed lived up to its name. It was every bit as extravagant as one would expect.

Everywhere was resplendent with gold, a dazzling display of wealth.

Jade was hidden within the gold, and white jade adorned the silver.

It was as if they couldn't wait to write 'We're very rich!' across their faces.

Inside, only Li Shancai and Wan Shi were sitting cross-legged on mats.

"Our top scorer has arrived! Please, take a seat!"

Li Shancai laughed heartily as he invited the two to sit, his playful expression evident.

"Top scorer?"

Gongshu Yuan asked with some curiosity.

"Just now, the Medicine Valley released the rankings for the first round, and you and Qin Qiu are ranked first and second."

"You could say you've become famous throughout the cultivation world!"

Wan Shi also replied with a smile.

Gongshu Yuan scratched his head a little embarrassedly, chuckling all the while.

Qin Qiu accepted the ranking list from Wan Shi, noting that he and Gongshu Yuan were listed as the top two.

After that, the names, grades, and effects of the medicinal herbs they obtained were also written out.

His and Gongshu Yuan's black-grade herbs stood out like cranes among chickens among the pile of red and blue-grade herbs, uniquely distinct.

"This Medicine Valley... is trying to create some trouble for us..."

Wan Shi and Li Shancai exchanged a look: "Medicine Valley's virtue is like this, it's something everyone knows."

"You and Gongshu Yuan broke Medicine Valley's rules, so you'll definitely be tripped up by them."

Li Shancai also chimed in: "But don't worry, Wan Shi and I will be here until the end, no one will dare to openly touch you!"

This was directed at Qin Qiu, after all, Gongshu Yuan was the heir to the Craftsman Hall, Medicine Valley didn't have the guts to do anything to him.

Moreover, Gongshu Chou had stepped into the demigod realm, which for Medicine Valley, which didn't have any demigod-level experts, meant he was someone they couldn't afford to offend.

At least, not too badly.

"What do you mean by Medicine Valley's rules?"

Qin Qiu asked, puzzled.

"Each time Medicine Valley holds a medicine ceremony, they invite major forces to endorse it."

"The benefits for each major force are settled uniformly at the end of the ceremony, all they need to do is put on a show during the ceremony."

"Although the situation has changed this time, the rules remain the same, so we're all just messing around in the first round. We definitely don't have our eyes on those red and blue-grade herbs."

"So everyone is just cooperating and putting on a show. Of course, if there's something you like, you can take it out, it's considered a small gift from Medicine Valley."

"Anyway, these things aren't worth much."

"The final reward will definitely be black-grade herbs, that's what will catch the eyes of forces like us, and they have to have specific effects."

After listening to Wan Shi's explanation, Qin Qiu's expression turned somewhat cold.

This so-called medicine ceremony was just a scheme by Medicine Valley targeting the lower-level cultivators and those small forces.

Qin Qiu was the one who broke the rules.

Exposing these black-grade and higher herbs to the eyes of lower-level cultivators, letting them know that high-level herbs are plentiful and not that precious.

Then the prices of these high-level herbs would depreciate!

Things are valued for their scarcity!

High-level and rare herbs that are hard to find in the outside world for years are planted in the valley like vegetable gardens, everywhere. This would cause an uproar among the lower-level cultivators, and Medicine Valley would lose popular support.

Li Shancai continued from Wan Shi: "As a monopoly organization for medicinal herbs, our God of Wealth Commerce Guild relies on their supply."

"They also rely on our God of Wealth Commerce Guild's sales channels to sell the herbs, so it's a win-win situation."

"The prices of herbs outside have always been controlled by them, they can't allow anyone to know the specific quantity, that's an absolute secret."

Li Shancai and Wan Shi both looked at Qin Qiu and Gongshu Yuan.

Everyone present was the next generation of pillar figures from major forces, it was impossible that they couldn't connect the dots.

Based on Medicine Valley's attitude towards the two of them, Qin Qiu and Gongshu Yuan must have discovered Medicine Valley's warehouse or something similar, and obtained the Heart-Piercing Grass from it.

Qin Qiu drank a glass of wine.

He raised his eyes to look at Wan Shi and Li Shancai, and the two also happened to meet Qin Qiu's gaze.

In this scene, everyone didn't need to say much.

Qin Qiu knew that Li Shancai and Wan Shi had invited him so high-profile today to show the outside world, or rather, to show Medicine Valley.

Qin Qiu and Gongshu Yuan were backed not only by the Craftsman Hall, but also by the God of Wealth Commerce Guild and the Fufeng Sect, so if they wanted to move against them, they should weigh the consequences.

From that look, the two knew that Qin Qiu understood, there was no need to say more.

Qin Qiu accepted this favor...

Only Gongshu Yuan was still eating and staring blankly at the three of them looking back and forth at each other.

The next day, the golden crow hung high in the sky.

Qin Qiu and Gongshu Yuan stood on the arena, and from the distant high platform, the leaders of the major forces could be seen sitting above and watching.

One jade token after another flew into everyone's hands, each token with a number written on it.

Qin Qiu drew a black one.

"Ahem, everyone, young talents, you must have received your jade tokens, this is your proof of participation in the arena battle."

"Each jade token has a black and white number on it, the black and white sides with the same number will fight!"

"This second round is intended to see if you young talents can protect my good daughter! Please, everyone, don't hurt each other's harmony, stop when you've made your point!"

"Now, please, the numbers displayed on the light curtain, come to the corresponding arena!"

After speaking, ten arenas rose from the platform, each arena with a light curtain on it.

The light curtain showed the same numbers as the jade tokens, as well as the opposing sides.

Qin Qiu's opponent was the person who drew the white one.

He raised his head to observe the light curtain for a while, but Qin Qiu couldn't find his corresponding number, so he couldn't help but search for his opponent among the remaining crowd.

The words of Elder Zhang Zui couldn't help but ring in his mind.

"Daoist Qin, Sect Leader Gongshu has a letter for you."

Qin Qiu took the Craftsman Hall's secret letter, curious about its contents.

Who knew that after opening it, it was actually information from his cheap master, Wu Xian.

The letter stated that Medicine Valley had learned about his tricking Medicine Valley, so the previous favor was voided.

But he had re-established a bet with Medicine Valley, as long as Qin Qiu could become the uncrowned king of this competition, the previous favor would still be valid, and he promised to restore Qin Qiu's severed arm.

A helpless smile flashed across Qin Qiu's lips.

His cheap master really was a worry-free character.

Becoming the uncrowned king was easier said than done, and the master's letter repeatedly mentioned not to become the first, and definitely not to become Medicine Valley's son-in-law.

So he had to become the first to be recognized by everyone, but he couldn't really be the first.

Qin Qiu shook his head and sighed.

At this moment, the fighting had already begun on stage.

The person fighting was coincidentally an acquaintance of Qin Qiu's, Yin Lu, who used Yin Spirit Resentment.

As soon as the battle began, Yin Lu revealed the Yin Spirit Resentment on her head, and strands of black hair attacked her opponent.

Yin Lu's opponent was an iron-tower-like strong man, with bronze-colored skin that was incomparably hard.

No matter how Yin Lu's hair stabbed or pierced, it couldn't break through the defense.

The iron tower man even scratched his head, showing Yin Lu a mouthful of white teeth with a visible look of contempt in his eyes.