Oops, the princess is surrounded by the male protagonists

Chapter 588 Three Ascension Pills will have a transformative effect.

Meanwhile, at the foot of Zixiao Temple, a bonfire crackled and sparks flew up with the night wind, illuminating the faces around them.

The excitement surrounding the upcoming martial arts tournament had not yet subsided. Many martial artists, feeling resentful or unable to sleep, gathered in small groups around the fire, their whispered conversations filled with resentment and jealousy towards "Bai Dazhuang".

"Bah! What the hell!"

A burly man with a fierce face took a big gulp of cheap liquor, the liquid dripping from the corner of his mouth. He spat it on the ground and cursed angrily.

"He's just a pretty boy who relies on his looks and the protection of his elders! What makes him worthy of living in a superior room at Zixiao Temple?"

"that is!"

A lean man next to him immediately chimed in, his eyes practically overflowing with jealousy.

"Look at his delicate skin, he could be blown away by a gust of wind. What real skills could he possibly have? I think he's just all show and no substance! Once he's in the ring, I'll knock him down with one punch and show him what the real dangers of the martial world are!"

"Hmph, he's all cocky now, but wait until he loses and is crying for his parents, then let's see how arrogant he'll be!"

Another person chimed in, their tone full of schadenfreude.

"Alright, alright, what's the point of us cursing like this?"

A slightly more sober, tall and thin man sighed, interrupting the crowd's complaints. He looked towards the mountainside of Zixiao Temple with a complicated expression.

"They're living comfortably in the best rooms at the temple now, with good tea and good food served to them. Look at us, we can only pitch tents at the foot of this mountain, drink cheap liquor and eat dry rations, living on air and dust! It's infuriating to compare ourselves to others!"

These words seemed to strike a nerve with everyone, and an eerie silence instantly fell around the campfire.

A hint of sadness crossed everyone's face, a mixture of dissatisfaction with the status quo, jealousy of "Bai Dazhuang," and longing for the title of martial arts alliance leader.

In this martial arts world where martial arts reign supreme, who doesn't yearn to become a peerless master who stands out from the crowd and is revered by all, instead of being left at the foot of the mountain complaining about fate like they are now?

Just then, a soft footstep approached from afar, its sound breaking the silence of the night as it tread on the soft earth.

"Who?!"

"who?!"

The martial artists gathered together instantly became alert, grabbing their weapons and staring intently into the darkness from the source of the sound, their muscles tensing as they prepared for battle.

A blurry black figure slowly emerged from the shadows of the woods.

He wore a loose black robe and a mask with a strange smile painted on his face. The smile was so wide that it looked particularly eerie in the flickering campfire.

The pale mask gleamed with a cold light, like a soul-reaping messenger from hell.

"Stop! Take another step closer, or we'll get rough!"

A man wielding a large knife shouted sharply, the blade pointed directly at the approaching figure, his tone full of vigilance.

The shadowy figure wearing a smiling mask seemed oblivious, continuing its journey until it stopped a few steps away. It slightly raised its head and spoke in a strange, androgynous voice.

"Fellow heroes, are you lamenting your own low martial arts skills and bleak future, leaving you only to complain and blame others?"

Everyone was taken aback, not expecting that the other person's words had hit their sore spot, and their expressions turned somewhat unpleasant.

The shadowy figure paused, then continued.

"If there were an opportunity now that would allow you to leap into the ranks of unparalleled masters, escape your current predicament, roam the martial world freely, and be revered by all, you..."

"You scoundrel! Where did this fiend come from, daring to spout nonsense here!"

An impatient young man was about to draw his knife and rush forward, but was stopped by a slightly older, shrewd-looking middle-aged man beside him.

The middle-aged man stared warily at the masked man and asked in a deep voice.

"Who are you? To claim you can turn someone into a peerless master is far too frivolous! Tell me, what method do you have?"

The masked man let out a few low, hoarse laughs, the sound coming through the mask like rusty iron scraping together, making it even more eerie. "As for methods, of course there are."

He slowly raised his hand, revealing a pill wrapped in rough oiled paper in his palm, which swayed in the campfire.

"I have a medicine here called 'Ascension Pill'. Taking one pill will increase your internal strength by a year's worth of arduous training; taking two pills will be equivalent to five years' worth of training; if you take three pills..."

He deliberately dragged out his words, whetting everyone's appetite.

"...It will have a transformative effect, causing your internal energy to surge and opening up all the barriers in your body, enough to allow you to join the ranks of top-tier masters in a short period of time!"

"what?!"

"Can two years' worth of effort be equivalent to five years' worth?"

"How is this possible! There really is such a miraculous medicine in the world?"

Upon hearing this, everyone gasped for breath, then exclaimed in surprise, their faces mostly showing doubt and shock.

Such a miraculous medicine is simply unheard of; it's no exaggeration to call it a fantasy!

The older, middle-aged man frowned, clearly disbelieving, and went straight to asking the most crucial question.

"Such a 'miracle drug' must be quite expensive, right? Why don't you tell me how much silver it costs per pill?"

"As for the price... one pill costs one tael of silver."

The masked man's voice remained calm, but he uttered a price that left everyone speechless.

"Buy two, one hundred coins."

"Buy three... for only one coin."

"what?!"

"This...this price is reversed?"

"Are you crazy?! How can you get a discount if you buy more? And at this low price?"

This pricing method, which completely defied common sense, left everyone in the martial arts world dumbfounded. They looked at each other in disbelief.

A miracle drug that can transform a person for just one penny? That's even more outrageous than giving it away for free!

The masked man seemed quite pleased with the crowd's astonished reaction, and spoke in his unchanging, strange tone.

"The price is what it is, honest and fair. Buy if you believe it, don't if you don't. If no one wants it, I'll take my leave now."

Having said that, he made a gesture as if to turn around and disappear into the darkness behind him.

"and many more!"

Finally, someone in the crowd couldn't hold back any longer.

Despite deep doubts and a sense of unease, the allure of a "peerless master" was simply too great, and the absurdly low price seemed to be an invisible urging. Not buying would be a loss!

A man dressed in coarse cloth gritted his teeth, pulled a rusty copper coin from his pocket, and held it high. "I...I'll buy three! It's only one coin anyway, even if they're fake, I won't lose much!"

"I'll buy three too!"

Once the first person tries something new, a second person will immediately follow suit.

"If it's true, we'll be rich!"

"Give me three too! I want to try them!"

"Me too! I want some too!"

The hesitation and observation were instantly shattered. More and more people were blinded by the dream of "three coins for one penny" and "a peerless master." They pulled out their copper coins and rushed towards the black figure wearing a smiling mask, afraid that they would miss out if they were too late.

Almost without exception, everyone who bought them chose to buy three pills, and some even bought six or nine pills.

The masked man stood in the center of the crowd, methodically collecting money and handing out "Ascension Pills" wrapped in rough oiled paper.

His movements were practiced, and the light from the campfire danced on the other man's mask, making his stiff smile seem to come alive, carrying a hint of cold mockery and calculation.