Despite having countless admiring physicians begging for his attention, he has insisted on choosing a zombie who can barely sort medicinal ingredients to be his apprentice.
And though only a mortal, a talking snake with powerful spiritual energy is always wrapped around his shoulders.
Maladies major and minor may all be mitigated with his medicine, but the physician seems unable to cure himself.
Such a person does not go unnoticed in Liyue, for the greater a person’s capabilities, the greater the calamity they could cause should their heart harbor any evil intent.
Yet both public observation and private investigation have not only found no trace of any hidden wickedness, but have seemed to confirm time and time again that his unimpeachable reputation as a benevolent doctor was, in fact, the unvarnished truth.
As for all those inscrutable secrets, Baizhu simply smiles and laughs:
“Good medicine is so bitter, so it shouldn’t be a problem to let a good doctor keep a few secrets, no?”
Baizhu is not only a brilliant physician, but possesses considerable business acumen.
This should not come as a surprise — it would be impossible to operate a such a large pharmacy on the strength of one’s medical skills alone. The prices at Bubu Pharmacy are generally fair, and the pricing strategy for most products is one of high sales with low margins on each transaction. But there is some merchandise priced at a curious premium — such as the “Everlasting Incense,” which was 2,990,000 Mora even after a discount.
Usually, the customers for goods like these aren’t picky about price, and only care about the quality and effectiveness. So why head to the market to haggle and search, when you can get everything you need at Bubu Pharmacy? Even if it’s a bit more expensive, the peace of mind provided by Mr. Bai’s reputation is worth it.
Naturally, price is not Bubu Pharmacy’s only competitive advantage. Many of the customers are businesspeople who have become “partners,” bringing Baizhu rare herbs from across the land and exporting the medicines he develops to every corner of the world. As the pockets of Bubu’s business partners began to bulge, so too did the Pharmacy’s ledgers.
But the objectives of Baizhu’s plans do not seem to revolve solely around Mora itself. If they did, why would Bubu Pharmacy take care of someone with no positive impact on income flow like Qiqi? It makes no sense from a business perspective. When encountering unusual or novel diseases, Baizhu often accepts only a token fee, saying “It is difficult to assess a fee for such a rare ailment.”
As this practice has persisted, clients from far beyond Liyue have come to seek treatment at Bubu Pharmacy. Baizhu never refuses a patient, and is very willing to treat people from all walks of life, regardless of the disease that afflicts them. Thus has the good doctor cultivated a reputation as a selfless and benevolent healer who makes money elsewhere, presumably so that he can continue to perform acts of kindness far into the future.
But only Baizhu himself understands the truth: Bubu Pharmacy never engages in unprofitable transactions. Some goals are impossible to even think about without massive financial backing and a reliable network supplying resources from across the world. Even with sufficient wealth, those goals would have little chance of success without the right opportunities and a bit of luck.
As for the chance to research the secret arts of the adepti and strange diseases… these are opportunities no amount of Mora could ever buy.
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