A Dog Should Know Its Place
The Clan Head the Wang Family feigned ignorance, repeatedly saying, "Lord Wu, I don't understand what you're talking about?"
"The Commercial Market in Wangbei City follows the current market rules; we are simply adapting to the market environment and raising prices accordingly."
"Supply and demand are the essence of the market. You are still young and may not understand this, which is understandable."
The Clan Head spoke eloquently, "Wangbei City once suffered from severe banditry. If outside supplies want to come in, we need to spend more on security. With costs remaining high, the price of supplies will naturally not be low."
"Those Stronghold have indeed been wiped out, but many Mountain Bandits are still hiding in various places. They may not dare to harass the city, but they dare to target our supply convoys."
"It's reasonable for the City Guard to control the flow of supplies into the city in order to make it easier to suppress bandits. We are just following the law."
"The price increase of supplies is not what we want, but it is forced by the situation."
"Please rest assured, Your Excellency. Once the City Guard finish their bandit suppression operation and allow supplies to enter Wangbei City normally, we will immediately lower our prices. We will absolutely not engage in unethical business practices."
Watt suppressed his anger.
The Clan Head's words clearly made them look like fools!
Back then, the Spirit Hall not only wiped out all the nearby Stronghold, but also swept through the area at the foot of the mountain for many days afterward.
Even if some Mountain Bandits escaped, there were no more than ten of them.
This small number of people was enough to put the City Guard of Wangbei City on high alert. Just how weak must these city guards be in terms of fighting spirit and combat effectiveness?
It seems that the bandit suppression is a pretense; their real intention is to use the opportunity to inflate commodity prices.
Wu Qi's face was expressionless, and he asked in return, "Are you finished?"
The Clan Head was taken aback by his words. After a pause, he replied, "Sir, was there something I didn't explain clearly? Would you like me to repeat it?"
This guy is determined not to repent.
If that's the case, then they have no value whatsoever. The Wang Family can disappear!
Wu Qi said indifferently, "Two choices, one of them. I don't have the patience. Please make your choice!"
The Clan Head was immediately displeased. Had he just wasted his breath?
He had hoped to use this opportunity to outwit Wu Qi, but unexpectedly, he ended up becoming the laughingstock!
The Clan Head's face was extremely gloomy. If he weren't weak, he would have torn Wu Qi apart with his bare hands!
He said in a deep voice, "Our Wang Family is an affiliated family of the Black Tiger Sect. I'm making this clear today: anyone who dares to lay a hand on the Wang Family family is making an enemy of the Black Tiger Sect!"
The Black Tiger Sect is nothing but a dog of the Spirit Hall. It's quite amusing that a lackey of a lackey dares to bare its teeth at its master.
Wu Qi calmly said, "It seems the Wang Family has made their choice. Then please return. I hope you can maintain this confidence."
Before leaving, the Clan Head spat at the door to express his dissatisfaction.
Meanwhile, two Clan Head who were close to him also left in anger, expressing their stance.
Of the remaining two, the Li Family member was already showing signs of kneeling down. Wu Qi didn't intend to question them for the time being, but instead looked at the Chen Family Clan Head.
What's your choice?
The Clan Head did not want to offend the sect behind him, nor did he want to offend the Spirit Hall.
He asked, "Sir, your conditions are too harsh. My Chen Family cannot explain this to the Elephant Armor Sect behind us."
"If you can relax your conditions, we have no problem. For example, we can buy grain from farmers outside the city and sell it centrally within the city. We can offer a 30% discount on the price, how about that?"
Wu Qi shook his head.
Currently, the city dwellers still have the motivation to survive because they can go out of the city to buy grain from farmers.
But if the farmers' grain is also controlled by a few powerful families, people both inside and outside the city will have no way to survive.
Wu Qi believed that once these families had the opportunity to buy up the grain from the farmers, they would coerce and entice the farmers to sell all their grain, and then exploit the land they held.
Doing so only hastened the "fall" of Wangbei City.
"I feel it's necessary to remind you that you only have the right to choose; there's no room for negotiation."
If you don't accept the first option, then you can only accept the second option.
"If you are dissatisfied, you may go and find the people of the Elephant Armor Sect. It would be best to bring Huyan Zhen along as well."
The Clan Head hesitated slightly.
He was hoping to please both sides, but Wu Qi deliberately didn't give him that opportunity.
Offending the Elephant Armor Sect means the entire family will have no way to survive. Offending Wu Qi, however, Xu Family a chance to live.
Thus, the Clan Head knew how to choose.
He stood up and sighed, "I'm sorry, the Chen Family cannot accept your proposal."
After saying that, he left the private room.
At this moment, only Li Wenzhong and his son, along with Wu Qi, remained in the private room.
Seeing that the troublesome person had left, Li Jinglong quickly bowed and said, "Mr. Wu, my Li Family is willing to accept your command."
"As I said before, faced with the pressure from the Elephant Armor Sect, we have no choice but to compromise. If Mr. Wu can resolve this trouble for us, the Li Family is willing to pledge our loyalty to you."
Wangbei City is just an obscure little city.
The five major families were doing well in their businesses until recently when powerful figures from the Black Tiger Sect and Elephant Armor Sect arrived, forcing them to join their respective factions in order to reap huge profits.
Merchants are inherently profit-driven, and the three families, led by the Wang Family, were easily incorporated and willingly served as pawns for the Lower Four Sects.
The Li Family He Chen had tried to resist, but their strength was too weak, so they had no choice but to live a precarious existence.
Li Wenzhong and his son told Wu Qi a lot about the situation in the city, Wu Qi understood everything.
The City Lord Mansion was indeed not involved.
However, they themselves did not take charge, so the soldiers of the City Guard were bought off with large sums of money by several powerful families and became their henchmen.
It is said that the soldiers receive a large red envelope every month, containing five to ten Gold Soul Coin, which is far more than their salary.
Wu Qi chuckled and took out the Papal Order from his Soul Tool. "Huyan Zhen is nothing but a dog of my Spirit Hall. Does a dog dare to bite its Master?"
Li Wenzhong and his son were terrified.
If Wu Qi had produced the Papal Order immediately, the Wang Family family and other clans would have immediately knelt before him, and would never have been so defiant.
Li Wenzhong roughly understood what was going on.
Wangbei City is too small to withstand the chaos caused by the five major families. Only by eliminating the other four and leaving only one can the city develop safely.
Li Wenzhong was extremely fortunate; if Li Jinglong hadn't encountered the other party earlier and made the Li Family's stance clear, things would have been different.
It seems highly likely that this good fortune will fall into the Chen Family's lap.
"Our Li Family is willing to follow Elder's lead. Effective immediately, all goods sold in our Li Family shops will be priced according to market rates!"
Wu Qi nodded in satisfaction, then asked, "Do you have the capability to take over the market share of the other four companies?"
Li Wenzhong and his son thought to themselves, "As expected," and quickly replied, "With the Elder's support, we will definitely be fine."
"However, the Elephant Armor Sect has placed guards within the clan to control us. Should we eliminate one of them?"