Chapter 191 Can't Afford

The place where Qiao Laohei ran to was none other than Xianlaifang.

  Shopkeeper Niu had already spread the rumor about the Breakthrough Pill a long time ago, but the Breakthrough Pill was a brand new kind of pill that had never appeared before, and the efficacy might contain false ingredients.

  Therefore, many monks are still on the sidelines and not many believe in it.

  But, Qiao Laohei believed it!

  He ran an ironware shop and didn't make much money, but he had a small savings, which was not enough for him to buy those life-extending items that were sold at sky-high prices on the market.

  The same goes for things that help with breakthroughs, such as the Foundation Establishment Pill, the Golden Transformation Pill, the Infant Formation Pill, etc., each one is more expensive than the other.

  But this Breakthrough Pill is different. It is a new product and its efficacy is unknown, so Qiao Laohei thinks its price may not be too high and perhaps he can afford it.

  After trying other avenues to no avail, Qiao Laohei felt that this breakthrough pill was his last chance.

  "Manager Niu, has the breakthrough pill arrived?" he asked as soon as he entered.

  When Shopkeeper Niu saw him, he smiled helplessly, "You're here again. Not yet, but you will be here in three days."

  This was not the first time he had met Qiao Laohei. Ever since he spread the word, Qiao Laohei would come over and ask questions every one or two days.

  "Really? That's great!" Qiao Laohei was delighted. "Then I'll come again, and you must leave one for me."

  Shopkeeper Niu was not very happy when he heard this. Instead, he looked at him with some hidden worry.

  Of course he knew about the situation of Qiao Laohei's father and knew that their family urgently needed Breakthrough Pills to "save lives".

  Of course there is no problem with the stuff. Since Chen Lan and Liu Feng said that the pill is authentic, it will become famous as long as it survives the first few days. By then, their Xianlaifang will also be crowded with customers. Shopkeeper Niu will definitely believe it.

  The problem... is the price!

  Qiao Laohei paused with a smile, "Manager Niu, what's the problem?"

  "You have to be mentally prepared. The price of this pill... is not cheaper than the Golden Pill." Shopkeeper Niu finally revealed a little bit of the truth.

  The pricing of the Breakthrough Pill has not been made public yet, and he didn't tell anyone when they asked about it.

  Only this old black man Qiao, because he saw the other party's filial piety, he couldn't bear to run back and forth like this all the time.

  Tell him early on so that he can either find a way to raise the money or give up as soon as possible to avoid wasting his efforts. This can be considered a bit of kindness from Manager Niu.

  More than that, he was powerless.

  When Qiao Laohei heard this, his face turned pale and his heart sank.

  The price of the Foundation Establishment Pill is two thousand crystal stones, which is more expensive than many magical instruments of the same level. Ordinary cultivators without some wealth cannot afford it at all.

  When it comes to the Golden Pill, it is even more expensive, requiring 80,000 crystal stones, and the most important thing is that there is no demand for it.

  There were no valuable items in Qiao Laohei's iron shop. Even if he sold all the ironware and the shop, he could not get more than 20,000 crystal stones. Together with the savings of the father and son, he had less than 50,000.

  This is because his business is almost all custom-made. The customers provide the materials themselves and he only takes care of the refining. Therefore, he does not have any precious materials on hand and cannot convert them into crystals.

  The 80,000 yuan of the Golden Pill was already prohibitive for him, not to mention the more expensive Breakthrough Pill!

  "How could this be... It's just an unknown pill, why is it more expensive than the Golden Pill?" He murmured in confusion.

  Could it be that this new elixir is more effective than the old and famous Huajindan? ?

  "Because below the Jindan stage, the success rate of breakthrough is as high as 90%, from Jindan to Yuanying stage it is 50%, and above it is 20%." Shopkeeper Niu explained, "and it can also dispel inner demons, leaving no hidden dangers."  

  Qiao Laohei's eyes widened, "Ninety percent? Really?"

  "That's right." Shopkeeper Niu nodded affirmatively.

  Below the Jindan stage, that is, from Qi training to foundation building, and from foundation building to Jindan!

  How could this be 80%? ?

  Qiao Laohei was shocked.

  You know, even the Foundation Building Pill and the Golden Transformation Pill only have a success rate of 70% to 80%!

  This Breakthrough Pill not only has an extra 10%, but most importantly, it can also eliminate the inner demons. This effect alone is worth the expensive crystal!

  Qiao Laohei's heart was beating very fast at this time. He was very excited, but at the same time, he was cold all over because of pessimism——

  Coincidentally, the reason why his father's life was coming to an end was because he had inner demons!

  The inner demon is related to his mother's death. His mother was pregnant with a younger sister after him, but due to an accident, two lives were lost. His father could not get over it and always blamed himself.

  Because of the existence of the inner demon, Dad had a very dangerous time when he broke through to the foundation building stage. Fortunately, he managed to hold on in the end.

  But now that he was about to ascend to the Golden Core stage, he was always nervous and somewhat afraid to face the breakthrough.

  If they were not so tight on money, they would definitely buy another pill that could eliminate their inner demons. However, money should be spent wisely. They could still succeed in eliminating the inner demons, but a breakthrough was imminent.

  If this breakthrough pill can not only help Dad break through to the Golden Core stage, but also get rid of his inner demons, then it would be the most ideal pill!

  But here's the sad part – they can't afford it.

  "Can't it be cheaper?" His lips trembled and his eyes stared straight at Shopkeeper Niu, pleading.

  Shopkeeper Niu was powerless to help, as he was just a shopkeeper. Although he could give some discounts to old customers to a certain extent, it was only a few dozen or a few hundred crystals.

  But the money that Qiao Laohei lacks is not just this.

  So he sighed and shook his head.

  "I can exchange the missing part with magic tools." Qiao Laohei said hurriedly, "Your shop also sells magic tools, right? You provide the materials, and I can help you refine them, and the price can be cheaper."

  Shopkeeper Niu shook his head again, "We have a weapon maker in our shop."

  Meng Ling is a weapon refiner. Perhaps because of her better qualifications, her progress in weapon refining is even more exaggerated than Du Yue's.

  Laohei Qiao is just of average level, so why should Manager Niu go to such a long way?

  Sympathy is sympathy, business is business, these are two different things. If he helps everyone in need, his wages will not be enough to fill the hole!

  Besides, this shop is not his own!

  Qiao Laohei gritted his teeth, his eyes gradually dimmed.

  He forced a smile to say thank you, then walked out of the shop like a madman, moving slowly forward.

  He is not actually his father's son.

  Qiao Laohei had known this for a long time, having overheard it from his parents' conversation. He was an orphan who was picked up by his parents and then raised as their own son.

  Over the years, his parents took care of his food and drink, taught him how to be a good person, and helped him with his cultivation. Even his own cooking skills were learned from his father, and his father never kept anything from him.

  (End of this chapter)