Flames of Ambition

38: More Chaos because of the Antidote

Chapter 38: More Chaos Because of the Antidote

Fan Yaoli had expected chaos to break out within a few hours—after all, the noble class was growing desperate. Desperate people did desperate things, and she knew they would fight just to be the first to obtain the antidote.

She smirked coldly at the thought, an evil gleam in her eyes.

If she couldn’t take advantage of an opportunity like this, she didn’t deserve to call herself the disciple of Dark Blood. She needed to be ruthless—not only for herself but for all the ordinary people who had suffered because of the nobility’s negligence.

Sure enough, within hours, the word of the formidable general’s son being cured spread like wildfire. His name had already been listed among the critical patients in several hospitals, and now that he was fully healed, people were in an uproar.

Desperate nobles and their families rushed toward Fan Yaoli’s shop, clamoring for the antidote.

The streets outside the shop exploded in chaos—shouting, pushing, and panicked screams filled the air. But the guards Zexel had stationed were already in position, calm and prepared for any outbreak of violence.

Fan Yaoli altered her appearance again—her face clean, charming, and business-like—and stepped out of the shop with a bright smile, as if nothing unusual was happening.

“Good day, everyone,” she began sweetly. “I know many of you are here hoping to obtain the antidote. However, we only have 100 bottles available today. Because of that, we will conduct an auction for each bottle. The highest and most generous bidder will receive it immediately. But, of course, there are a few rules you must follow.”

Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she thought about the fortune she was about to make.

“First—if the antidote does not completely heal you, we will refund triple the amount you paid for it. Furthermore, should that happen, we will stop selling the antidote and close the shop immediately.”

At first, several nobles looked at each other and smirked, already planning schemes to fake the effects and extort money from the shop. But the moment they remembered who was behind this store—the ZUGC—they immediately gave up on such suicidal ideas.

Fan Yaoli’s tone turned sharper as she continued.
“Second—you must swallow the antidote on the spot. I, as a certified physician, will confirm whether you are truly healed. This is non-negotiable.”

The imperial physicians lurking among the crowd frowned. Their plan had been to purchase the pill, reverse-engineer it, and mass-produce counterfeits. Now their plan was dead in the water.

“Third—the antidote is only sold here. If you purchase it elsewhere, you do so at your own risk. We have no partners, no branches, and no distributors. Even if what you buy appears identical, we will not bear any responsibility.”

Fan Yaoli smiled coldly as she watched dissatisfaction bloom across the nobles’ faces.

“Lastly—we are not afraid of threats. Especially not from the Palace. Royal interference will not stop this business, nor will it control us.”

A collective gasp echoed across the crowd. Fan Yaoli had just openly provoked the royal family. Whispers and murmurs filled the air, people speculating about what might happen next.

But Fan Yaoli remained unbothered. The auction began swiftly, and desperation soared. Within minutes, bottles of the antidote were being sold at prices reaching 2,000 big gold coins each—some even higher.

Each bottle contained ten pills, and Fan Yaoli made it a strict rule that the first pill must be swallowed on-site, under her supervision. Once confirmed, the rest of the bottle would be handed over.

She knew human nature far too well. Some would undoubtedly try to profit by selling the extra pills.

What they didn’t know was that the pill was keyed to the first person who consumed it.

The other nine pills? Useless, even dangerous if consumed by anyone else. She had warned them in vague terms, but had purposely left out the full explanation—she wanted to see what would happen.

By the end of the auction, she had sold 100 bottles, raking in a staggering 2,453,000 big gold coins in a single day.

Fan Yaoli returned to her private quarters with a grin so wide it could tear her face.

She already knew tomorrow would be even more interesting.

This wasn’t just about profit. It was about retribution. A lesson the nobility would never forget.

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The next day…

Just as Fan Yaoli had predicted, chaos erupted once more.

The nobles who had purchased the antidote started selling the remaining nine pills to desperate buyers—some even tripled the original price.

Roughly three-fourths of those who bought antidotes had sold the extras to others.

The Emperor was informed quickly. Initially, he had planned to seize control of the shop and force the recipe out of them. But after a detailed investigation, he dropped the idea altogether.

The shop had the ZUGC behind it.

And that was a boundary even an Emperor feared to cross.

But then came the backlash.

Those who bought pills not directly from the medicine shop—those who had acquired them through secondhand deals—began to deteriorate rapidly. Their symptoms worsened, and in many cases, new symptoms appeared.

Panic erupted. Angry families stormed toward Fan Yaoli’s shop just as the second day’s auction concluded.

Another 100 bottles had been auctioned off, this time in less than half the time as the previous day.

The furious crowd surrounded the building. One man pushed to the front, his voice ringing with fury.

“We demand a full refund! Our family member got worse after taking your pill!”

He was supported by others shouting in agreement, voices filled with outrage and accusations.

But Fan Yaoli stood behind the counter, arms crossed, an amused smirk on her face.

“You’re all… quite entertaining,” she said, her voice like silk and venom.

Her laughter rang through the air, clear and unshaken, as if the chaos outside was no more troublesome than a passing breeze.

She had warned them. She had stated the rules.

And now, they were learning what it meant to disregard her.

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