Is It Reasonable for Me to Start a Sect at 12?

Clearing his throat, Lin Xiao began calling out to the passersby on the street:

"Come and take a look, everyone! Exclusive secret tooth powder that can make your teeth as white as snow! Don't miss out as you pass by! With a set of pearly white teeth, women will be captivated, and men will be awestruck! It will help you reach the pinnacle of life!"

"Exclusive secret tooth powder, limited quantity, first come, first served! We'll apply it right here, and if it doesn't work, we won't charge you a single copper coin! You won't regret this purchase, come and see for yourselves!"

In the noisy marketplace, Lin Xiao's bright and clear voice cut through the chatter like an arrow, drawing the attention of the crowd.

People turned toward the sound and saw a confident young man with clear, bright eyes standing next to a stall. Most striking was his mouth, flashing a set of white teeth that gleamed in the sunlight, catching everyone's attention.

Soon enough, two well-dressed women, who clearly came from well-off households, approached. One of them, with a mouth full of yellow teeth, asked:

"Young man, can this powder really clean teeth?"

His first customer had arrived!

Lin Xiao gave her a confident smile, revealing eight perfectly white teeth that gleamed like pearls in the eyes of the two women.

"Of course! But this tooth powder must be used with my special technique. You can try it out, and both of you can see the results for yourselves. If it doesn't whiten your teeth, I won't charge you a thing."

Hearing this, the chubbier woman immediately said, "Then let me try!"

The slimmer woman, however, asked first, "How much does this tooth powder cost, young man?"

Still smiling, Lin Xiao replied, "Fifty coins per person, non-negotiable."

The slimmer woman gasped, "That's so expensive!"

But the chubbier woman, evidently from a wealthier background, felt that spending fifty coins to have sparkling white teeth was worth it. She promptly sat on the small stool in front of Lin Xiao and said, "Young man, go ahead! Let me try it!"

She then tilted her head back and opened her mouth wide, ensuring Lin Xiao could see all of her yellow teeth.

Lin Xiao politely excused himself to the slimmer woman, then turned around and took out the tooth powder (which was actually just a bit of fine white flour he had brought from home). With a small brush, he began applying the flour to the surface of the chubby woman's teeth. To keep up appearances, he pretended to be deeply focused, using various motions to gently brush her teeth.

After two minutes, feeling that his performance was sufficient, Lin Xiao discreetly cast a Dust Removal Technique on her teeth.

Then, he picked up a bamboo tube he had prepared in advance and said, "Big sister, I'm going to pour some water into your mouth. Don't swallow it—just swish it around and spit it out, okay?"

The chubby woman nodded with her head tilted back and her mouth open.

Lin Xiao carefully poured half a mouthful of water into her mouth. The woman swished the water around before spitting it onto the ground. Then, she turned to her companion and grinned, showing off her teeth.

"Yan'er, look, look! How do they look? Are my teeth white?"

The woman named Yan'er took one glance at her friend's teeth and was stunned.

They had indeed turned white! And not just a little white—remarkably white, as if they were brand new!

Yan'er was astonished. She said to her friend, "Wait! Don't move—I'm going to wipe them to see if something's just been painted on."

Saying this, she rubbed her finger vigorously over the chubby woman's front teeth. But nothing came off—it wasn't just a coating; her teeth were genuinely white!

Seeing her friend's reaction, the chubby woman knew how effective it was. She laughed heartily and took out a small string of copper coins, handing them to Lin Xiao.

"Young man, here are fifty coins. Count them!"

The surrounding crowd, who had gathered to watch, were equally stunned. Could this powder really whiten teeth so effectively?

Seeing this, many of the wealthier onlookers began to stir with interest. The quickest to react was the slimmer woman. After confirming the results, she immediately pulled out fifty coins, slapped them into Lin Xiao's hand, and sat down on the stool, tilting her head back and opening her mouth wide.

"Young man! Do mine next!"

Lin Xiao, thrilled to have earned a hundred coins so quickly, didn't hesitate and gave her the same teeth-cleaning treatment.

Two minutes later, the two women, now with gleaming white teeth, left the market grinning from ear to ear.

By this time, a crowd had formed around Lin Xiao. The wealthier folks queued up for his services, while those who couldn't afford it stood by, eager to watch the spectacle.

It was like a magic show—people were fascinated by the sight of yellowed teeth being transformed after just a bit of powder and brushing. Many even tried to buy the tooth powder directly from Lin Xiao, but he declined, insisting that it needed to be paired with his ancestral technique to be effective.

Despite this, many people chose to wait in line.

As the crowd grew, Lin Xiao quickly enlisted Lin Dayou to help him collect payments, leaving Lin Dahan to watch over their stall, now somewhat pushed to the side by the throng of people.

Lin Dahan, now standing off to the side, was a bit dazed by the bustling crowd. His nephew was so skilled at business! Just a few shouts, and suddenly, a swarm of people was willing to spend money.

Wasn't he supposed to be the demonstration model? Didn't they agree that he'd be the first to try the teeth-cleaning?

It wasn't until just before noon that the crowd around Lin Xiao began to thin out. Most of the wealthier customers had already had their turn, and many of the morning market-goers were preparing to head home. Generally, people from nearby villages would come to the market in the morning, and by the afternoon, only those from farther away or from the town itself would still be around.

Lin Dayou and Lin Dahan usually headed back around midday, and Lin Xiao had no intention of changing that plan.

Thanks to the crowd Lin Xiao had drawn, despite not being skilled at selling, they had managed to sell most of the goods they had brought, with Lin Xiao occasionally helping to pitch in a few words to seal the deals.

Aunt Qin, who had long since finished her shopping, waited with Lin Dahan and watched as Lin Xiao served customer after customer.

Seeing Lin Xiao tell the remaining crowd that he had run out of tooth powder and would return at the next market, the onlookers reluctantly dispersed.

With the market winding down, Aunt Qin and Lin Dahan began packing up their stall, ready to head back to the village.