"I don’t want your spirit herbs," Nan Gong Huan’s mouth twitched as she pulled her leg back and took two steps away.

  The two disciples immediately felt a wave of despair, but then Nan Gong Huan spoke again. "I’ll help you expel the worms directly, but you’ll have to testify against Shen Ye Rong later."

  "Absolutely! We’ll definitely testify! We’ll even testify against Nan Gong Qian’er!" The two disciples eagerly surged forward. Everyone knew Shen Ye Rong was Nan Gong Qian’er’s mother, so she must be involved too!

  "We’ll testify as well!" The Ye family disciples chimed in.

  As the two mentioned Nan Gong Qian’er, Nan Gong Huan realized that she had already slipped away.

  Oh well, she couldn’t have gone far.

  Nan Gong Huan had Xiao Jiu expel the Gu worms from the two disciples’ bodies, and they immediately stomped the worms to death.

  "Miss Huan, thank you so much!" The two disciples expressed their gratitude. If it weren’t for Nan Gong Huan, they would have likely fallen under Nan Gong Qian’er’s control.

  Nan Gong Huan nodded. "If you encounter any other disciples who drank the potion, tell them not to panic. The certification association will help resolve the issue later."

  "Got it! We’ll remember that!" The two disciples agreed, and the three Ye family disciples also took note.

  Once they were safe, the small teams went their separate ways.

  "Hey, where’s Nan Gong Qian’er? Did she escape? Should we chase her?" Ye Wan Jun belatedly realized and felt a bit annoyed.

  "No need," Nan Gong Huan suddenly spoke up. "Even a cornered dog will jump over a wall. Give her some breathing room, and she won’t resort to killing and looting."

  In truth, Nan Gong Huan had her own agenda. Only half a day had passed in the trial, and many people likely hadn’t drunk the potion or been infected with the Gu worms. Her money-making plan would be difficult to execute later.

  As for having the two Chi family disciples reassure everyone, it was also to give them a glimmer of hope and prevent them from clashing head-on with Nan Gong Qian’er, which could cost them their lives. If they died, she wouldn’t be able to profit from them.

  She wasn’t a saint. Without a certain price, why should she save their lives?

  Looking around the entire Jianglou City, only her Xiao Jiu could expel the Gu worms!

  "Let’s go. We’ll look for the Thornberries first, and then collect some flags. Maybe we can even make a big deal," Nan Gong Huan smiled smugly and strode into the forest.

  ......

  Over the next two days, the forest was filled with the sound of:

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  "Flags for sale! Flags for sale! Don’t miss out! Yellow flags, blue flags, red flags! You won’t regret it! We’ve got all the flags you want! Once you leave, you won’t find this deal again!"

  Ye Wan Jun’s loud voice echoed as he sat under a tree, setting up a small stall with a pile of flags laid out on the ground, tempting passersby.

  Meanwhile, Nan Gong Huan lounged on a tree branch, leisurely chewing on a blade of grass. Beside her, two tearful disciples hung from the tree, stripped down to their underwear, filled with regret.

  Just then, a duo passed by, and the female disciple glanced over curiously. "Are you the ones selling flags? How much for one?"

  If they could solve the problem with money, it was much better than fighting spirit beasts! Over the past two days, news of someone selling flags had spread throughout the trial grounds.

  "Fifty thousand spirit herbs for a yellow flag, five hundred thousand for a blue flag, and five million for a red flag!" Ye Wan Jun held up the three-colored flags, beaming.

  "That’s so expensive," the male disciple frowned. Their pocket money wasn’t much. Fifty thousand was manageable, but anything above five hundred thousand was difficult, and five million was unthinkable!

  Ye Wan Jun waved his hand sympathetically. "Well, since we’re fellow trial participants, I’ll give you a discount. Two flags for 90% off, five for 70% off, and ten for half price. Buy a blue flag, and I’ll throw in two yellow flags for free! How’s that? A great deal, right?"

  They even gave discounts? The two disciples calculated the savings on their fingers. It did seem like a good deal.

  Seeing their hesitation, Ye Wan Jun added, "Think about it. One potion for combat costs five hundred thousand spirit herbs. Isn’t it better to spend it here? Easier, simpler, and more straightforward, right? Besides, we’re about to close up shop. If you buy more, I’ll knock off another twenty thousand spirit herbs!"

  That made sense! The two nodded. After two days of fighting, they had collected quite a few flags and had a chance to make it into the top ten. The rewards for the top ten were substantial, so spending a bit on spirit herbs wasn’t a big deal.

  "How many spirit herbs do you have?" the female disciple asked the male disciple.

  The male disciple checked his pocket. "Uh, about three hundred thousand."

  "I have over two hundred thousand. Let’s buy a blue flag," the female disciple suggested.

  "Deal!" the male disciple agreed. They pooled four hundred and eighty thousand spirit herbs and exchanged it for a blue flag, with Ye Wan Jun throwing in two extra yellow flags.

  Another successful transaction completed, Ye Wan Jun’s heart was soaring.

  Just as the two were about to leave, the two hanging from the tree twisted around like they had seen their saviors.

  "Brother Tian! Save us!"

  The cries for help made the two look up, only to discover the people in the tree.

  "Oh, you know them?" Ye Wan Jun’s gaze shifted between the two groups, and a sly smile spread across his face.

  "Uh, that’s my brother. Could you let them down?" the male disciple asked, his face darkening. What trouble had these two gotten into?

  Ye Wan Jun shook his index finger, pretending to be troubled. "I’m afraid not. These two thought I was an easy target and tried to rob me of my flags. If I don’t teach them a lesson, how can I keep doing business?"

  These two were the unlucky ones who had tried to rob Ye Wan Jun of his flags when they saw him alone!

  "What do you want?" the female disciple asked nervously. With Nan Gong Huan still up there threatening them, they couldn’t just take the two by force.

  "Ahem—" Nan Gong Huan coughed lightly from the tree, and Ye Wan Jun immediately understood.

  He held up three fingers. "How about this? Since you just bought a blue flag, if you spend another thirty thousand on a yellow flag, we’ll let these two go."

  The two exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and agreed. "Deal!"

  They handed over thirty thousand spirit herbs for a yellow flag, and Nan Gong Huan released the two.

  "Brother Tian! You’re my real brother!" The two in their underwear clung to the male disciple’s legs, crying dramatically, creating quite a scene.

  Embarrassed, the two quickly dragged their companions away.

  Ye Wan Jun happily counted the spirit herbs, excitedly calling out to Nan Gong Huan, "Wow, we’ve made over ten million!"

  In just these two days, Nan Gong Huan had collected all five red flags. Among the buyers, one particularly wealthy disciple had directly bought a red flag, accounting for half of their earnings!