After Fang Ruyun left, Su Muxian, who had been silent, became displeased, feeling she was being treated differently.
"I thought Mr. Ye was naturally aloof, but it turns out you're only nice to others and not to me."
Ye Tiancheng could only explain to Su Muxian that the differential treatment was because Fang Ruyun appeared to be a major client. In truth, Ye Tiancheng didn't want to sell his medicine to her. Fang Ruyun was an ordinary person and couldn't prove how effective his elixirs were for cultivators.
"It's as if I'm not your buyer. You're always so hard to figure out. I don't remember having any grudges against you, but I feel like you've been avoiding me."
Su Muxian's words left Ye Tiancheng momentarily speechless. Ye Tiancheng had once eloped with Su Muxian, betraying a girl's sincere heart, which was why he couldn't face her now.
"There are some things you don't need to know. Anyway, don't come looking for me when you have nothing to do. I'm afraid you'll get too invested over time, and that won't be good for you."
Ye Tiancheng's words were as good as saying nothing, leaving Su Muxian even more confused. She looked troubled.
"You seem particularly resistant to me. I used to think you were just slow to warm up, but that's not right. We've known each other for a long time. If I hadn't offended you, you wouldn't be so consistently repulsed by me."
"Please stop investigating. And don't hinder my business. I'm very busy right now and may not have time to entertain you."
Su Muxian dared not speak further and sat dejectedly to the side, watching Ye Tiancheng sell his elixirs.
"Young man, how much is one of your elixirs?"
"One hundred yuan."
"That's too expensive. I'll give you twenty yuan at most."
This customer was truly audacious. Ye Tiancheng's elixirs used materials from the back mountain, costing him nothing directly. However, each elixir required him to meticulously oversee it for over eight hours. It was a considerable effort. Ye Tiancheng wasn't charging exorbitant prices, merely asking for compensation for his labor.
"Sir, are you kidding me? Are you here to buy something or to rob me? You have no sincerity at all, it's truly disappointing."
Ye Tiancheng merely voiced a slight complaint, but the old man, for some unknown reason, directly retorted.
"You're overthinking it. If I had more money, I wouldn't be buying. Your stuff is shabby and unheard of. Who knows if you'll die after taking it."
The old man was clearly being ungracious. Ye Tiancheng had no choice but to comply.
"Alright, twenty yuan it is. I haven't made a single sale today. At least let me get started."
Ye Tiancheng's thinking was rather shrewd. He was essentially using cultivators as guinea pigs. Initially, he didn't want to pick older people, fearing their resistance might be low, and any adverse reaction to the medicine could be fatal. But now, he had no choice. This old man was quite stubborn.
"Fine, I feel like I've even given you too much at twenty yuan."
The old man consumed the elixir right in front of Ye Tiancheng. His primary concern was potential adverse effects. By taking it now, if something went wrong, he could hold Ye Tiancheng accountable, as Ye Tiancheng was still present.
Within seconds of finishing the elixir, the old man suddenly felt dizzy and disoriented, immediately exhibiting abnormalities. He pointed at Ye Tiancheng, his hand trembling.
"Good, I knew I shouldn't have eaten it casually. Now that something's happened, it's all your fault. No, I'm calling the police to arrest you immediately."
"Even if there are some side effects, it's not a major problem. Don't worry, old man. Please digest it a bit first. It's fine. Even if there are side effects, they won't be too severe. Everything will return to normal soon."
"No, I'm calling the police right now."
The old man insisted stubbornly on calling the police. Ye Tiancheng realized that if he were taken to the police station, things would become complicated. He had only intended to test the waters and hadn't expected such a significant commotion.
"Su Muxian, let's go quickly."
Ye Tiancheng decided to flee, not even bothering to pack up his stall. He had to escape quickly, otherwise, if caught, it could trigger a series of conflicts.
Ye Tiancheng seemed accustomed to this, naturally pulling Su Muxian along as he ran, instantly forgetting his intention to keep his distance from her.
The two ran without looking back. The old man shouted loudly, attracting many people, some of whom helped the old man chase Ye Tiancheng.
Ye Tiancheng had no time to get into his car and could only pull Su Muxian along as they ran. They reached a field not far from the small market they had just been at.
There were people working in the field. Seeing Ye Tiancheng and Su Muxian suddenly run into the field, they immediately harbored mischievous thoughts.
"Looking at their attire, they must be city folk. City people really know how to have fun. They don't want to go to fancy hotels and prefer coming to these fields. It seems they're looking for some romance."
Ye Tiancheng overheard their discussion and quickly led Su Muxian away from them. He then said somewhat sheepishly,
"I shouldn't have brought you along. This is dragging you down. It's my fault; I was a bit too impulsive."
"It's okay. I think it's quite fun. Running with you just now seemed to awaken some memories. Did we run like this together before, facing difficulties together?"
Ye Tiancheng felt embarrassed to speak. He had only wanted to find a cultivator to test his medicine, but it had turned into such a chaotic mess, almost involving the police.
Ye Tiancheng was now the son-in-law of the Hou family. Even if he disregarded his own reputation, he had to consider the Hou family's reputation. If this incident became widely known, that he sold medicine and caused an old man to collapse, the news would likely spread like wildfire.
"Mr. Ye, can I call you Brother Ye? In my memory, I think I've called you that before."
"Whatever you wish, as long as you're happy."
"Brother Ye, since you can't sell your medicine anymore, why don't you accompany me for a walk? I think the scenery here is quite nice. The fields are lush green, and there's a pond over there. The scenery is truly beautiful."
"Alright, we can stroll around for a bit."
Ye Tiancheng also felt a bit dejected. He probably wouldn't be able to operate in that market anymore. If he wanted to sell his medicine again, finding cultivators wouldn't be easy, as they weren't fools and wouldn't randomly consume medicine of unknown origin.
Ye Tiancheng was now certain that this batch of medicine was not good and would have to be discarded and re-refined. This process might take time to optimize the medicine.
The two chatted intermittently as they walked, soon arriving at a farmhouse courtyard. The courtyard looked quite pleasant, with its blue bricks and tiled roofs, exuding a sense of rural life. Inside the courtyard was a large vegetable patch, filled with what looked like very fresh vegetables, a vast expanse of green, giving a feeling of vitality.
"Brother, why don't we go into the house and ask for some water? I've been with you all this time, and I haven't had any water. The weather is a bit hot today."
"Alright, let's go ask for some water."
As soon as Ye Tiancheng finished speaking, he suddenly felt something was amiss. He then looked at the vegetable patch. The vegetables were rapidly wilting. Ye Tiancheng suddenly realized that it was from the time he went to the Su family's ancestral hall and encountered vengeful spirits, which was why he now carried some unlucky resentment.
"Don't drink here, let's go."
Ye Tiancheng waved his hand, dispelling the resentment. The farmland, which had been on the verge of withering, suddenly returned to normal.
"Brother Ye, why are you leaving in such a hurry? Where are you taking me? I'm thirsty."
Su Muxian had many questions. Ye Tiancheng stopped and looked at her seriously.
"I didn't ask you to come; you wanted to come. Since we're here, it's not for sightseeing. I came here to sell medicine, so enduring some hardship is expected."
Su Muxian fell silent, lowering her head with a dejected expression. "I thought I was a likable person, but it turns out I'm so annoying. Why are you always harsh with me?"
Ye Tiancheng was somewhat speechless at Su Muxian's questioning, as she was correct. Ye Tiancheng's actions were indeed lacking in justification and difficult to accept.
"Alright, I apologize. I was a bit impatient just now. So many unexpected events happened today, causing you trouble. Please don't blame me."
"It's okay, Brother Ye. I was just feeling a bit down, which is why I said that. I was being overly sensitive. I'll understand you better in the future. You're not having an easy time right now."
As the person was speaking, several dark clouds suddenly drifted over, and it began to rain. The two could only take temporary shelter under a dilapidated eaves.
"I'm so thirsty. Can I drink this rainwater?"
It seemed Su Muxian was truly parched. He had been neglecting her feelings, which was indeed wrong.
Rainwater shouldn't be drunk directly; it was a bit dirty. Ye Tiancheng used leaves to collect some water, then purified it with his true qi, and handed it to Su Muxian.
"You can drink it now."
As soon as Su Muxian took a sip, her entire body felt different. She felt as if she was filled with vitality. She had never drunk such peculiar water before; it gave her a feeling of lightness.
"Brother Ye, what power did you use just now? It's so magical. The rainwater, which was a bit cloudy, now looks clear and sweet, and it tastes exceptionally good."
Su Muxian had only tried a little earlier, but now she couldn't hold back anymore. She drank the water from the leaves in one gulp and then gave Ye Tiancheng a big smile.
"You don't need to know that. As long as you're not thirsty."
Ye Tiancheng was very cool now, but Su Muxian couldn't bring herself to dislike him. Instead, she found his demeanor quite manly and exceptionally charming.
The rain didn't stop. The two couldn't wait there any longer and had to find a car. By the time they got into the car, they were already quite wet and felt very uncomfortable.
"Let's head back to the city quickly."
The two drove back, but halfway there, the car broke down. Ye Tiancheng tried to fix it with his true qi but found it wasn't so easy.
"The rain is too heavy. Why don't we take shelter in that building? It looks like a motel."
"Alright, then."
He shouldn't be alone with Su Muxian like this; it felt like he was betraying Hou Mingzhu. But the situation was as it was, and Ye Tiancheng couldn't change reality.
The two soon arrived at the motel and checked into a room on the sixth floor.