Although Hun Yuanzi was usually unreliable, this time, the facts proved him right. At the very least, the pills produced by the Love Elixir Sect were indeed the world’s best aphrodisiacs.
The next morning, Yang Hao was woken by loud knocking at the door. When he opened it, he found the old man from the day before bursting in, looking radiant and full of energy. It had only been a single night, but the old man had completely transformed. Although his age remained the same, his entire demeanor had changed. His wrinkled skin now had a bright sheen, his beady eyes sparkled with vitality, and he no longer needed his cane, walking quickly and steadily.
“Looks like you’ve reversed aging,” Yang Hao yawned, letting the old man into the shop.
The old man stood in the middle of the shop, beaming. “My name is Zhuge Jian.”
“Zhuge Jian?” Yang Hao found the name familiar.
“That’s right, right! My ancestor was the wise Zhuge Kongming from the ancient Three Kingdoms era. Ever heard of him?” The old man waved a goose-feather fan in his hand, though the few sparse feathers did little to enhance his image as a wise sage.
“Oh, I’ve played some Three Kingdoms games,” Yang Hao patted his head, trying to wake himself up. The latest version of the Three Kingdoms game had even evolved into a space age, where the character of Zhuge Liang was actually a sentient computer AI.
“They say I have Zhuge Liang’s wisdom and talent,” the old man said with a lecherous grin, boasting shamelessly.
“Haha, another narcissist just like you,” Yang Hao whispered to Hun Yuanzi, who was still asleep and only responded with heavy snoring.
“Little brother,” Zhuge Jian whispered conspiratorially, “the pill you gave me yesterday was a bit smelly, but it was actually effective.”
“Effective?” Yang Hao suddenly felt like he had been struck by lightning, instantly wide awake. “What kind of effect?”
Zhuge Jian said, “I’m over seventy years old. My body is okay, but my performance in bed has been getting worse. I used to be happy with just one round, but after taking your pill yesterday, I had four rounds in one night, leaving the young girl who spent the night with me in a state of ecstasy and agony. This kind of vigor was rare even when I was young.”
Yang Hao blinked furiously, hardly able to believe his ears. He had been refining and taking the Dragon and Tiger Rejuvenation Pill himself, but perhaps, as Hun Yuanzi had said, since he was already a disciple of the Love Elixir Sect, the pill was no different from fruit or vegetables to him—only slightly nourishing, with no significant effect. Yet, when taken by an ordinary person, the pill had shown its true power as an unparalleled aphrodisiac.
“I’ve been taking aphrodisiacs for decades, but most of them were mediocre. Recently, I started taking chemical aphrodisiacs from the shop next door, which had some effect, but nothing compared to the pill you gave me. It worked immediately, and not just once—it was incredibly effective.”
As Zhuge Jian praised the pill, Yang Hao’s expression shifted from shock to a gradually widening grin, his mouth stretching wider and wider until it seemed he couldn’t contain it anymore: “If that’s the case, then buy some more.”
“Of course, of course!” Zhuge Jian eagerly replied.
“Each pill is fifty imperial coins. How many do you want? Buy a hundred and I’ll give you a 20% discount.” Yang Hao took out a bag, ready to pack the pills.
But the moment money was mentioned, Zhuge Jian’s expression changed dramatically. He looked around nervously and started making excuses: “Little brother, your shop seems to be doing quite poorly.”
“I can’t help it if there’s no business,” Yang Hao muttered bitterly.
“Hmm, although your pills are effective, they also have countless drawbacks,” Zhuge Jian said, as if he had found a breakthrough, grinning slyly.
“What drawbacks?” Yang Hao asked. Although he didn’t really enjoy being a love potion shop owner, he needed to earn five million imperial coins as soon as possible, so he swallowed his pride and asked for advice to improve the formula.
“The biggest problem is definitely the smell,” Zhuge Jian said, wrinkling his nose. “Sex between men and women is one of life’s greatest pleasures, but with your smelly pill, all the mood is ruined. No matter how effective it is, what’s the point?”
Yang Hao sighed: “I know. I’ll try to improve it.”
Zhuge Jian was clever. Seeing Yang Hao’s expression, he realized the smell problem wasn’t easy to solve, so he quickly changed the subject: “As for effectiveness, although this pill can quickly arouse desire, it only solves the issue of frequency, not duration.”
“What do you mean by duration?” Yang Hao was confused.
“You’re still so young,” Zhuge Jian said with a lecherous gaze, speaking as if imparting wisdom. “For a man, it’s enough to feel pleasure himself, but sex is a mutual experience. Conquering a woman and making her feel ecstasy under you—that’s the ultimate enjoyment for a man. Having multiple rounds in one night is great, but if each round lasts only a few minutes, you might feel satisfied, but your partner will be left frustrated and unsatisfied. In the long run, where is the man’s dignity and prowess?”
Finally, Yang Hao understood. The old man had been speaking in riddles for so long, but in essence, he was just complaining that the Dragon and Tiger Rejuvenation Pill could treat erectile dysfunction but was ineffective against premature ejaculation. Yang Hao looked carefully at the old man. This guy had a lecherous expression and plenty of problems of his own.
“I get it. Next time, I’ll create a new pill to solve your urgent issue, Uncle.”
Zhuge Jian’s eyes widened: “It’s not my problem! I’m thinking for you, little brother!!!” He patted Yang Hao’s shoulder enthusiastically, as if they were old friends.
Yang Hao was startled by the old man’s behavior: “Uncle, why are you thinking for me?”
“This is such an amazing pill, practically a top-tier aphrodisiac, yet it’s hidden in your shop, unknown to the public. Don’t you think that’s a crime?” The old man shouted, his voice so loud it was worrying he might have a heart attack.
“Calm down, calm down,” Yang Hao said, handing the “Zhuge Jian” a chair. “I also want to make a fortune and let everyone know about my love potion, but as you can see, the smell is so bad that people won’t even come inside.”
“This isn’t the pill’s problem, absolutely not!” Zhuge Jian clenched his fist and waved it energetically in the air.
“Indeed, a true expert!” Hun Yuanzi suddenly shouted, waking up at just the right moment. “I told you all along it’s not my pill’s fault!”
“So you’re saying why no one is buying my love potion?” Yang Hao turned the question to Zhuge Jian.
Zhuge Jian had clearly prepared for this. It seemed he had planned everything out and only came knocking after careful consideration: “Little brother, you’re good at making pills, but you don’t know how to run a business. What your pills lack is promotion and publicity.”
“Promotion?” Yang Hao was genuinely unfamiliar with such things. “How do I promote it? I don’t have money for advertisements.”
“Real promotion doesn’t cost money,” the old man said, his eyes narrowing into slits as he shook his head, pretending to be a wise sage. “As long as you have the right people giving you ideas, you don’t need to spend a penny.”
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