Chapter Fifty-Five: Approaching Ping Yi

A big shot?

Lin Zhaozhao raised an eyebrow. "What big shot?"

"Why, he is none other than Master Yang Wei, the leading figure in our Great Yong's cosmetic powder and rouge industry!" The person speaking was utterly thrilled.

This gave Lin Zhaozhao quite a fright. "Impotent? Huh?"

Are ancient people really this open-minded?

Choosing a name like that... absolutely out of this world!

Still, Lin Zhaozhao didn't know what to say, so she could only suppress the twitch at the corner of her mouth and ask, "This... um, Master Wei—no, Master Yang you speak of! Where is he right now?"

"Go inside and take a left! My good young master, don't say I didn't warn you. Our Master Yang Wei is no ordinary person, and there are countless people coming to buy rouge and powder from him! As for the price, well... if you don't have enough silver, you'd better not go meddling in this excitement!"

As for silver, Lin Zhaozhao had plenty of it. However, her attire today was very ordinary. Although the fabric of her clothes was decent, she wore no gold, silver, or jade accessories on her person. Therefore, to the passerby, she didn't look like some wealthy young master.

"I'll just go take a look!"

Lin Zhaozhao proceeded forward following the directions.

She wasn't going there out of a desire for excitement, but rather with the mindset that knowing both oneself and the enemy ensures victory in every battle.

She wanted to see what kind of items this master was selling that allowed him to rake in thousands of gold daily.

Meanwhile, the area where Master Yang Wei was located had already been surrounded impenetrably.

There were quite a few men and women standing here, mostly women. Aside from a small fraction who were just watching the spectacle, the majority knew his reputation and wanted to buy some whitening products to make themselves more beautiful.

The queue was exceptionally long, and everyone was waiting for Master Yang Wei.

About half a cup of tea's time later, a voice suddenly rang out, "Master Yang has arrived~"

A man in his thirties, projecting an ethereal and otherworldly demeanor, walked over from the distance.

*Good grief!*

The moment Lin Zhaozhao looked up, she was startled. *Even if I had been dead for three days, I wouldn't dare be this pale!*

How should one describe the man's whiteness?

It was unbelievable! It looked just like he had been smeared with three layers of thick wall-plaster!

Yet, the moment the man arrived, the previously quiet yet restless crowd suddenly erupted into cheers and joyful shouts.

"Master Yang Wei! Please take a look at me. Pimples keep breaking out on my face—what is the cause?"

"Sir, help me first! My husband hasn't come home for three days. Is he keeping a wild woman outside?!"

"Sir! Why aren't my eyelashes as long as other people's? And half of my eyebrows are missing! Are you selling your eyelash and eyebrow growth serum today?"

"Master..."

People spoke one after another in a cacophony of voices. Meanwhile, near a luxurious carriage not far away, a number of men in black stood guard. Though they looked ordinary, their imposing aura was fierce, resembling men whose sword tips were stained with blood. Consequently, no one dared to crowd within dozens of meters of the carriage.

Until a little maid beside the carriage spoke up, "My... My Lady, don't be anxious. The master has truly arrived; perhaps he has a way to cure you!"

Following these words, the man standing on the platform also spoke, "Quiet down, everyone! I shall say this once more: this time when I came, I brought only three bottles of whitening powder and ten bottles of eyelash and eyebrow growth serum! Going to the highest bidder—opportunities missed will not come again, my friends!"

"The bidding starts at one hundred taels of silver per bottle for the whitening powder!"

Selling it so expensively, and that was just the starting price! How much silver must this rake in?!

Lin Zhaozhao figured this person was definitely wealthier than her.

Of course, since the man dared to sell at this price, there must be genuine substance to his products. She planned to observe and learn from him, and then set a rough price for her own liquid foundation and whitening pills.

Right at that moment, amidst a flurry of people raising their bids by fifty and a hundred taels, a crisp voice rang out,

"One thousand taels of silver! My young mistress said that no matter what higher price anyone present offers, she will add another hundred taels on top of that!"

Oh ho! This display of financial might instantly made the previously arrogant Master Yang Wei's eyes light up. Casting aside his lofty demeanor, he called out, "Who is it? Which destined person spoke these words? Step forward quickly and let me take a look at her!"

*What destined person! A moneybag person, more like it!*

Lin Zhaozhao clicked her tongue and looked in the direction of the voice. She saw the speaking maid hastily lift the curtain and say to the person inside, "My Lady, come out quickly! Let the master examine you!"

The young girl sitting inside the carriage seemed not to have fully reacted before she was supported out by the maid.

A wave of envious gasps rippled through the crowd.

Yang Wei raised his head and unobtrusively appraised the girl's attire and accessories, confirming that she was someone whose wealth matched her approachable demeanor.

Thus, he softened his tone and said,

"I wonder if this young lady wants just these three bottles of whitening pills, or if you desire the other items as well?"

Seeing that her mistress had yet to respond, the maid beside her hurriedly patted the young lady's hand. Only then did the girl recover her wits and say,

"I can take all the things you are selling, but I have one condition!"

Oh my!

What kind of person was Yang Wei? He certainly wasn't afraid of people making demands. To put it bluntly, as long as there were demands, it was easy to make silver. He immediately invited,

"Please speak, young lady!"

The young girl who was addressed still harbored some hesitation, but under the encouraging gaze of her maid, she finally mustered up her courage and said, "Master, I accidentally suffered an injury when I was young, leaving a rather large scar on my shoulder!

Because of this, I have sought out many imperial... cough, cough, physicians, but they were always entirely at their wits' end. Not only that, but I don't know if it was because the medicine wasn't taken properly, but the color of the scar on my body seems to have darkened even further!

I heard that your whitening pills possess whitening efficacy. I wonder if they might have a miraculous effect on treating scars?"

As she spoke, she gathered her courage and lowered her collar slightly, revealing a sizable, crisscrossing scar on her scapula.

It looked as though she had been hacked directly with a butcher's knife—crooked and twisted like a centipede, the scar marred the young girl's fair skin.

Had it been an ordinary scar, it should have faded to a pale pink over time, but perhaps due to the numerous medications the girl had tried, this scar had turned a dark, brownish-black, looking thoroughly terrifying and repulsive!

This caused many onlookers to gasp and take several steps back, muttering, "That is way too disgusting!"

Lin Zhaozhao noticed that Master Yang Wei also frowned in disgust, but very quickly, he collected himself, rolled his eyes, and began to speak—