My Junior Brother is a Hidden Boss

Chapter 9: Honest and Fair

On the tranquil mountain peak, the two stood facing each other.

Ning Yuxin gazed at Lu Changsheng with utter sincerity, yet her eyes brimmed with profound skepticism.

“What do you mean, ‘am I up to it’? Young miss, have you ever heard of the Sword Heart Clarity Pill?”

“I have never heard of such a thing!”

Ning Yuxin shook her head decisively.

As the beloved daughter of Cangzhou’s wealthiest patriarch, she could obtain any rare treasure under the heavens with a mere wave of her hand. Yet, she had truly never heard of the item Lu Changsheng just named.

Lu Changsheng nodded sagely. “It is only natural that you haven’t!”

“What do you mean?”

“That is our Master’s most closely guarded secret inheritance. He bypassed both of my Senior Brothers and transmitted it solely to me. Swallow just one pill, and I personally guarantee you will comprehend the Sword Dao within three days, successfully crossing the threshold into the first layer of Sword Intent!”

“Truly?”

“Genuine goods, honest and fair, premium quality guaranteed. A sheer bargain at a mere ten thousand Spirit Stones per pill!”

“I shall purchase one!”

Ning Yuxin agreed without a second thought. A small cloth pouch instantly materialized in her palm-a spatial Spiritual artifact capable of storing a vast array of items.

This casual display of wealth utterly stunned Lu Changsheng. ‘I had a whole pitch deck prepared for a grueling negotiation, and she just bought the premium package without even asking for a trial run?!’

“You’re buying it just like that? You don’t wish to reconsider?”

Ning Yuxin shook her head. “Although your reputation is rather foul, and your moral character appears deeply flawed, and everyone constantly warns me to keep my distance… I truly believe your core nature is not wicked!”

Lu Changsheng was rendered speechless. ‘Was that a five-star review or a character assassination?’

Ning Yuxin continued earnestly, “Besides, it is only ten thousand Spirit Stones for a pill!”

‘What do you mean, “only”?!’

A wave of profound regret washed over Lu Changsheng. He had severely underestimated the purchasing power of his target demographic.

He sighed internally. ‘The joys and sorrows of the filthy rich are truly alienated from us working-class mortals.’

Masking his grief, Lu Changsheng smoothly confiscated the pouch of Spirit Stones.

Ning Yuxin asked anxiously, “When will you deliver it?”

“Delivery is scheduled for tomorrow morning!”

“It is a deal!”

A brilliant smile bloomed on Ning Yuxin’s face. She had traveled thousands of miles across treacherous lands solely for Zhou Qingyu.

He was the peerless idol of her heart; no matter the cost, she had to try and match his footsteps.

As Ning Yuxin hurried away, Lu Changsheng weighed the heavy pouch in his hand. Whistling a cheerful tune, he strolled toward the alchemy room to manufacture his ‘product.’

However, the moment he stepped through the doors, he was greeted by the sight of Ye Tianyi sitting in a catatonic daze amidst the smoking ruins of two exploded pill furnaces.

“Second Senior Brother, are you refining… Explosive Heavenly Thunder?”

“What Explosive Heavenly Thunder? I am attempting to refine a Clarity Mind Pill for Eldest Senior Brother to aid his Sword Dao cultivation!”

“Then why did the furnace detonate like a landmine?”

Ye Tianyi rubbed his soot-stained forehead. “I cannot determine if my refinement sequence was flawed, or if the medicinal ingredients were defective!”

He fell deep into thought, agonizingly replaying the entire alchemical process in his mind.

Lu Changsheng cast a single, lazy glance at the wreckage. “Both are flawed. The Clarity Mind Herb is the core catalyst. It must be introduced at the exact microsecond of pill condensation. Otherwise, its latent energy violently clashes with the pill flame, naturally resulting in a catastrophic blowout. Furthermore, your thermal output was clearly running way too hot!”

“How could you possibly know that?” Ye Tianyi stared in utter astonishment. It was as if Lu Changsheng had meticulously observed the entire failure. He couldn’t help but ask, “Could it be that you are also versed in the Dao of Alchemy?”

“I merely dabble!”

“Then how did you…”

“Oh, I used to take leisurely strolls around Cloud Pill Peak. I just happened to overhear the Peak Master lecturing on the subject!”

“You… took leisurely strolls around Cloud Pill Peak?”

Ye Tianyi was thoroughly stunned.

Cloud Pill Peak possessed absolute monopoly over the Sect’s Pill Dao. If their Peak Master and Elders were not currently in Secluded Cultivation, Ye Tianyi would never have been forced to manually refine pills himself.

In fact, his own alchemical talent had once caught the eye of the Cloud Pill Peak Master, but his current Master had forcibly kidnapped him and dragged him to Qingyun Peak.

Over his years of cultivation, he had honed a genuinely impressive mastery over the alchemical flames.

Lu Changsheng did not elaborate. He simply walked up to the shattered furnace, casually scraped a thick handful of soot and pill ash off the scorch marks, and turned to leave.

Ye Tianyi watched him go, his mind swirling with doubt, yet he still meticulously laid out a fresh batch of ingredients, preparing to test the theory.

Lu Changsheng had already sauntered back to his own quarters.

Using his two soot-stained hands, he vigorously rolled the furnace ash and dirt into a perfectly round, thumb-sized pellet.

“That should meet quality control standards!”

Staring at the literal ball of dirt, he nodded in profound satisfaction.

Then, his fingers blurred into a profound hand seal. A vast, terrifying sea of sword Qi suddenly erupted within the cramped room. Astral winds howled, and a crystalline phantom of a sword flashed through the void.

This was his absolute, original Sword Intent. He ruthlessly extracted a single, hair-thin strand and forcefully sealed it within the mud pellet.

With that final step, the manufacturing process for his ‘Sword Heart Clarity Pill’ was officially complete.

He had hallucinated the name on the spot, purely as a marketing gimmick to liquidate Ning Yuxin’s Spirit Stones.

Of course, it wasn’t a total scam. The Pill genuinely contained a sliver of his supreme Sword Intent. Once digested, it would bypass all bottlenecks, slowly taking root and nourishing her foundation.

Consequently, Ning Yuxin would miraculously comprehend the Sword Dao, effortlessly stepping into the first layer of Sword Intent!

As for her future profit margins on this investment, that would depend entirely on her own innate talent and fortune.

Lu Changsheng had accidentally discovered this exploit a while back. It carried zero side effects for the consumer, but the operating cost was steep-permanently severing his own Sword Intent meant he would have to waste valuable time grinding it back up!

However, to secure vital funding, sacrifices had to be made.

After all, maintaining the Myriad Tribulations Immortal Physique required an astronomical burn rate of Spiritual Qi. Post-Core Formation, the overhead was utterly terrifying. If he didn’t aggressively diversify his revenue streams, he wouldn’t break through until the end of time.

Having concluded his business operations for the day, he lay down on his bed with immense satisfaction.

Now hoarding a grand total of twenty thousand Spirit Stones, he felt an unprecedented level of financial security. Once he cleared his current schedule, he could comfortably resume his secluded cultivation.

Thinking of the grueling grind ahead, he felt a mixture of profound joy and crushing exhaustion.

The next morning, he slept like the dead until noon. The exact second he cracked his door open, he found Ning Yuxin standing rigidly on his porch.

“Junior Sister, what is the meaning of…”

“Did we not agree on a morning delivery?! The sun is past its zenith!”

Ning Yuxin complained bitterly. She had spent the entire night wide awake, vibrating with anticipation. She had eagerly awaited the dawn, only to realize her supplier was sleeping the day away.

“My deepest apologies, an oversight on my part. Overtime at the furnace pushed me past my limits last night!”

Lu Changsheng offered a smooth excuse as he presented the dirt Pill.

Ning Yuxin stared at the lumpy, pitch-black object, her face twisting into intense suspicion.

“Is this Pill… genuinely safe for human consumption?”

“Rest assured! Swallow it down, and I guarantee you will immediately forge your Sword Intent!”

Ning Yuxin gulped nervously, looking visibly distressed. “Senior Brother… exactly what base materials did you use for this?”

Hearing this, Lu Changsheng paused to quickly draft a PR response.

“Only the most outrageously exorbitant, top-tier spiritual herbs on the market! I had to liquidate years of personal savings just to synthesize this single prototype. If it weren’t for our deep, personal friendship, I would never bear to part with it. I am not making a single Spirit Stone in profit off this transaction-in fact, I am taking a massive loss!”

Lu Changsheng clutched his chest, perfectly acting out the agony of a bleeding heart.

Ning Yuxin was genuinely moved. She felt increasingly certain that this Senior Brother was vastly misunderstood by the ignorant masses.

Lu Changsheng watched her closely, his heart brimming with anticipation. ‘Come on, this is the part where you throw in an extra five thousand as a tip for my sheer dedication!’

Instead, Ning Yuxin bowed deeply. “Senior Brother, you have my utmost gratitude! I shall go consume it immediately!”

Without another word, she spun on her heel and sprinted frantically back toward her quarters.

Lu Changsheng was instantly stupefied.

‘I gave an Oscar-worthy performance of financial martyrdom, and she doesn’t even offer a compensatory tip?! She just takes the product and runs?!’

‘Alas, the youth of today are far too shrewd. Earning honest Spirit Stones is becoming a brutal market,’

he mused, feeling a deep, profound sense of helplessness.

There was nothing to be done. He shook his head and sighed. Fortunately, his capital reserves were still robust. It was time to find a quiet location and initiate his cultivation cycle.

Suddenly, an ecstatic shout violently erupted from the alchemy room. Ye Tianyi charged out, his manic eyes instantly locking onto Lu Changsheng.

“A successful refinement?” Lu Changsheng inquired.

“A flawless success!”

A radiant, triumphant smile dominated Ye Tianyi’s soot-stained face.

“Excellent news. Well, I leave you to your esteemed work, Senior Brother!”

Lu Changsheng offered a quick wave and immediately pivoted to escape.

But Ye Tianyi moved like lightning, physically barricading his path.

“Junior Brother, I require an audience with you!”

Lu Changsheng halted. Staring at his hyper-intense, deadly serious Senior Brother, his brows knit together into a deep frown.

“Does Senior Brother require my assistance with something?”

“Based on my observations over these past two days, while your moral character is undoubtedly crippled, your latent talent is absolute! To flawlessly diagnose Eldest Senior Brother’s Sword Dao bottlenecks, and to memorize complex alchemical theorems after merely ‘overhearing’ them once… it proves your aptitude is utterly monstrous!”

Lu Changsheng opened his mouth to vehemently deny this horrifying allegation.

But Ye Tianyi steamrolled right over him. “I deduce that our Master’s prolonged absence, coupled with Eldest Senior Brother’s fanatical obsession with his own training, resulted in a tragic lack of discipline regarding your potential. Therefore, from this day forward, I shall personally mandate and supervise your cultivation regimen! Give it time, and you shall inevitably forge a peerless legend!”

“Senior Brother, I strongly object-“

“Cease your excuses! My verdict is final!” Ye Tianyi’s gaze burned with terrifying, fanatical determination. “The Cangyun Secret Realm is scheduled to open in the near future. When the seal breaks, I am personally dragging you inside!”

“Senior Brother, that is genuinely a colossal waste of corporate resources, I truly believe-“

“Silence your fears! Rest well tonight. Tomorrow at dawn, your mandatory training arc officially commences!”

Having delivered his ruling, Ye Tianyi scooped up his newly refined Pills and sprinted off to find Zhou Qingyu, ruthlessly denying Lu Changsheng any avenue for appeal.

‘So my constitutional rights are just revoked like that?!’