Zhu Qing was clearly thrilled because Zhang Yang had just delivered some wonderful news to him—or more precisely, wonderful news for his wife.

Zhang Yang had just informed him that the small, fragrant gift he presented yesterday was called the Youth-Retaining Pill (Zhu Yan Dan), an elixir capable of preserving a woman's current appearance to an extraordinary degree until the age of forty, making her look as youthful as twenty when she reached that milestone.

Zhu Qing was not a woman, but he deeply understood the profound allure of such a thing to one.

A short while later, Zhu Qing burst into the room where Liu Chang was removing her makeup, accompanied by a few close friends. She still appeared somewhat exhausted.

She had also been poisoned yesterday, but fortunately, she had been rather reserved and eaten very little, resulting in a mild case of poisoning. After taking Zhang Yang's antidote pill, she was essentially fine.

"Liu Chang!"

Zhu Qing practically shouldered the door open, calling out excitedly.

"What's wrong with you?"

Liu Chang was slightly startled and quickly turned around. Their wedding had just concluded, and many guests were still present; Zhu Qing's family was currently seeing to them.

"Quick, quick, the gift Zhang Yang gave yesterday, bring it out!"

Zhu Qing paused to catch his breath before shouting the request. He had sensed that yesterday's gift was highly unusual, and he was captivated by its fragrance, but he hadn't expected this kind of effect.

Zhu Qing harbored no doubts about what Zhang Yang had told him. Yesterday's pill had indeed been different, and besides, Zhang Yang had already proven himself, demonstrating his medical prowess.

He still had some of the antidote pills from yesterday. The four of them had ended up with three left; Xiao He’s portion had been confiscated by the hospital, which was intensely interested in studying and analyzing such pills.

A single pill could suppress such severe toxicity so effectively, surpassing any medication their hospital possessed. To them, it was a miracle, something almost impossible.

It must be remembered that all the poisoned individuals from yesterday had experienced acute symptoms. Acute poisoning differs from chronic toxins; even the hospital would have needed stomach pumping and heavy medication. Yet, this small pill performed better than their efforts. It was no wonder they were so interested.

The remaining two pills were kept by Zhu Qing himself. Zhu Qing was an astute man; he understood these antidote pills were extraordinary and might prove useful in the future.

Zhu Qing had inherited his father's sharpness and was indeed a promising young man.

"What gift? What are you talking about?"

Liu Chang asked, astonished. She was quite muddled at the moment; today was the most important day of her life, and only now, with a slight sense of ease, did she have the mental space to think about anything else.

"The small, fragrant pill Zhang Yang gave yesterday!"

Zhu Qing gestured urgently. The box Zhang Yang had given yesterday was small, not large, making his description simple.

"The gift whose name you didn't mention? I remember bringing it back to the room. Wait a moment, I'll find it!"

Liu Chang’s eyes widened, and she quickly understood what Zhu Qing meant. It wasn't just his gesturing; the distinctive fragrant scent he mentioned jogged her memory. She remembered that delicate fragrance vividly from yesterday and had planned to savor it again when they returned. But the mass poisoning incident had immediately overshadowed everything.

"Quick, get it!"

Zhu Qing called out again, and then went straight to rummaging through the box himself. Seeing Zhu Qing so agitated, Liu Chang set aside her makeup removal and joined the search with him.

Their room was large, but they didn't have many things. Zhu Qing soon located the box, and Liu Chang's two friends curiously walked over to look on.

"Found it, this is it!"

Zhu Qing held the box excitedly, carefully opening it. That familiar fragrance drifted out once more, and Zhu Qing couldn't resist sniffing, taking a deep breath.

Liu Chang also inhaled twice, looking slightly captivated. Her two friends, smelling the unusual scent, also displayed expressions of surprise. The fragrance was truly exceptional, yet the contents of the box were quite unremarkable: a dull, grayish little pill, utterly indistinct.

"Right, what exactly is this? He was so mysterious about it yesterday!"

Holding the box, Liu Chang looked at it with confusion. She had just realized that Zhang Yang hadn't told her what the gift was yesterday, which had piqued her curiosity until the subsequent events made her forget.

"This is a good thing, a true treasure!"

Zhu Qing gazed at the pill inside the box, his eyes gleaming slightly, and he glanced at Liu Chang as he spoke. His eyes held a measure of envy, as he too wished to preserve his youth and vitality. However, men generally cared less about this than women; ensuring his wife remained as she was now was enough to satisfy him. The thought of always having a young wife made him very happy.

"What treasure is it? You know, so tell me quickly, you're killing me with suspense!"

Liu Chang urged, looking at Zhu Qing suspiciously. His unusual demeanor today was utterly confusing to her.

Taking the box from Liu Chang, Zhu Qing pointed at the pill inside, cleared his throat, and began slowly, "Listen carefully, pay close attention, don't let your mind wander..."

Unfortunately, before he could finish, Liu Chang interrupted him: "Hurry up and say it, stop playing games!"

Zhu Qing pouted, shook his head at his interrupting wife, and then continued, "This thing is called the Youth-Retaining Pill (Zhu Yan Dan). Zhang Yang told me its greatest function is preserving youth, keeping you looking virtually unchanged until you're forty, and even after forty, you'll look quite young!"

Zhu Qing spoke softly, and Liu Chang’s mouth slowly widened until it could no longer close.

"You said... this is called the Youth-Retaining Pill, and it can preserve youth?"

After a full two minutes, Liu Chang finally asked in a low voice, her tone trembling slightly. This item held a fatal attraction for women; no woman could resist it, and Liu Chang was no exception. Just hearing the effect made her heart race like a frightened deer, beyond her control.

"Yes, that's what Zhang Yang said. Even if it were someone else, I trust Zhang Yang. Don't forget his medical skills!"

Zhu Qing nodded. Fearing she wouldn't believe him, he added the supplementary statement. In truth, this comment was redundant. Forget the extraordinary medical skills Zhang Yang displayed yesterday; even without them, she wouldn't pass up such an item once she knew of its existence, and she would certainly be willing to try it.

A woman's obsession with her appearance can be almost unimaginable. The classic example: why are there so many plastic surgery clinics in the 'Stick Country' (Korea) in later generations, and why are they so successful? Why are so many 'man-made beauties' heavily criticized, yet people still flock to them?

"Give it to me!"

Liu Chang suddenly reached out and took the Youth-Retaining Pill from Zhu Qing's hand, her hand trembling slightly as she did. She had sensed this little pill was extraordinary, but she never imagined it possessed such a magical function. For this pill to maintain her appearance for twenty years—even just ten years—she would willingly pay any price. This was a gift beyond her wildest dreams; calling it a treasure was no exaggeration. If such an effective item truly existed, she would gladly spend any amount of money to acquire it.

"Are there any restrictions on taking this?"

After holding the Youth-Retaining Pill for a while, Liu Chang softly inquired. She was clearly preparing to consume it. Knowing its miraculous effect, it would be strange if she could hold back.

"None. None at all. You can take it anytime!"

Zhu Qing chuckled and shook his head. Zhang Yang had already told him this and instructed Liu Chang to take it sooner rather than later, warning that leaving it stored away might diminish its efficacy.

After Zhu Qing relayed Zhang Yang's advice, Liu Chang didn't say another word. She took out the pill and popped it into her mouth, swallowing it down without even needing water. If it was left open too long, the medicinal effect might be compromised—it absolutely could not be left sitting around; not a single bit of its potency could be wasted.

"Liu Chang, don't be fooled. How could something possibly have such an effect?"

One of her friends beside her asked curiously, her face showing clear disbelief. Not just her, the other friend felt the same way.

"Better to believe it exists than to believe it doesn't. You don't know, this Zhang Yang is truly miraculous; he is incredibly skilled!"

Liu Chang shook her head, recalling Zhang Yang's performance from the day before.

"It's not about 'better to believe it exists.' I believe this is absolutely real. He doesn't want anything from us; he saved us and didn't even ask for a thank you. How could he trick us with something like this?"

Zhu Qing laughed heartily. He trusted Zhang Yang completely, not just because Zhang Yang had saved him, but there was a fundamental trust rooted deep inside him. This trust was inexplicable, indefinable; whatever Zhang Yang said, he would believe it.

It was only the two friends who remained skeptical. While they were envious of the pill's supposed effect, they were subconsciously unwilling to accept it. This was a common human reaction: when faced with something so beneficial that they themselves did not possess, their minds instinctively suggested the effect couldn't be that good, or perhaps it was a complete deception. It was a classic 'sour grapes' mentality.

While Zhu Qing and Liu Chang were excitedly discussing the Youth-Retaining Pill, Zhang Yang and his group's vehicle had already entered the territory of Jingxiang City.

Jingxiang City was a prefecture-level city, much more famous than Xizhou City. It was an ancient strategic hub, the legend of the Nine Commanderies of Jingxiang (Jing Xiang Jiu Jun) having been renowned long ago.

Entering Jingxiang territory, they would reach the urban area after passing through a few counties. They were moving faster than planned today, mainly because a section of the national highway was under construction, forcing them onto the expressway where travel speeds were naturally much higher.

Arriving sooner was better. Their plan was simply to stay wherever they arrived; they could tour Jingxiang City, and the group planned to buy some local specialties. Their car still had room, and having good food for the road journey would break the monotony. This was an experience they had learned over the past few days; previously, none of them had undertaken such long-distance travel.

The car entered the main part of Jingxiang City a little after three in the afternoon. Long Cheng, as usual, inquired about the best hotel and drove directly to the parking garage. This time, they were lucky; the Presidential Suite at this five-star hotel had not been booked. Long Cheng reserved the Presidential Suite, although it was somewhat small, offering only one master bedroom and one secondary bedroom. Long Cheng then booked an additional Deluxe Suite, intending to stay there himself. (To be continued) RQ