Market Crisis

Half a month later.

The Xiao Clan's new market had been open for over ten days. After organizing a series of promotions, it had successfully drawn away many customers from the Jia Lie Family's markets.

Throughout Wutan City, many people saw that the Jia Lie Clan had made no move and began speaking ill of them. They believed that after losing the arena match, the Jia Lie Clan had bowed its head to the Xiao Clan.

At that moment.

The Jia Lie Family.

A figure hurried into the hall and went straight to Jia Lie Bi, who was seated in the head seat, drinking tea.

"Clan Leader!" Jia Lie Nu had only just spoken when he saw the clan leader raise a hand. He swallowed the words that had been on the tip of his tongue.

Jia Lie Bi calmly drained his tea, slowly set down the cup, and said, "It's about time. Notify all the family's markets to put out the medicine refined by Master Liu for sale!"

Jia Lie Nu, who had looked anxious moments ago, immediately brightened with relief. He hurriedly asked, "Clan Leader, you're not joking?"

Jia Lie Bi glanced at him and said, "Earlier, I forbade everyone from letting word of Master Liu get out. First, I wanted to give Master Liu enough time to refine medicine and build up our stock.

"Second, I wanted to use this opportunity to build anticipation. Understand?"

He paused slightly, his gaze passing over Jia Lie Nu to look outside, then continued, "I've always known about the rumors going around Wutan City lately. The more fiercely they spread, the bigger the reaction will be when we bring out medicine refined by an alchemist!"

After hearing this, Jia Lie Nu thought for a moment, then exclaimed excitedly, "Clan Leader, what a brilliant move! The Xiao Clan is probably still congratulating themselves right now."

Jia Lie Bi nodded faintly, his expression calm. "All right, hurry and pass on the order."

"Yes, Clan Leader!"

Jia Lie Nu left the Jia Lie Family even faster than he had arrived.

Elsewhere.

The Xiao Clan.

The three elders, the clan leader, and several other members of the Xiao Clan had gathered together.

At that moment, they were tallying the income generated by their newly acquired market during this period.

The market was in an excellent location, close to the city gates.

Mercenaries returning from outside the city or from the Magical Beast Mountain Range usually chose to stock up at a market.

And this market was the first one they would see after entering the city.

"Clan Leader, Elders, the tally is complete. Market No. 7 made a net profit of nearly thirty thousand gold coins in ten days,"

one of the Xiao Clan members announced loudly.

He could barely conceal his smile.

Market No. 7 was still running various promotional offers, and even under those circumstances, it had brought in fifty thousand gold coins.

Once the promotions ended, it would only make more.

Many people in the hall were visibly moved.

Even the three elders couldn't help drawing in a quiet breath.

The Third Elder said, "Jia Lie Bi has given our Xiao Clan a generous gift!"

"More than just one gift. If we manage Market No. 7 well, we might even have a chance to gradually swallow up the Jia Lie Clan's remaining markets," the Second Elder immediately chimed in.

The Third Elder said, "We have the Great Elder to thank for insisting back then. If it weren't for the arena match, our Xiao Clan would never have taken this market so easily."

The two elders sang the same tune as the other Xiao Clan members secretly stole glances at their clan leader.

Back then, Xiao Zhan had been the one person in the entire Xiao Clan who had strongly opposed challenging the Jia Lie Family to an arena match.

After all, the rules Jia Lie Bi had proposed had been unreasonable at every turn.

At that moment, the Great Elder said, "As for who deserves credit, we must thank Young Master Xiao Yu. Without him stepping into the arena, the market wouldn't have gone to our Xiao Clan."

Xiao Zhan, who had been keeping his face stern all along, now wore a faint smile.

"Since even the Great Elder says Yu'er deserves credit, how about giving him half the profits from Market No. 7 from now on? Yu'er has come of age," Xiao Zhan said with a chuckle.

At these words, the Second Elder and Third Elder's expressions stiffened slightly.

Giving him half meant that their own share would shrink considerably too.

The Great Elder frowned. "Clan Leader, isn't half too much?"

Xiao Zhan asked, "What does the Great Elder think would be appropriate?"

The Great Elder lightly tapped the armrest with his fingers, thought for a second, then said, "Thirty percent?"

"Fine, then thirty percent it is," Xiao Zhan said at once, the moment he finished speaking.

Damn, I asked for too much!

The Great Elder felt a pang of regret.

The others present watched as, in just a few words, Xiao Yu suddenly gained a thirty-percent share of a market's profits. Envy practically spilled from their eyes.

It would amount to at least tens of thousands of gold coins a year. If they had that kind of money, they might be able to buy some Dou Techniques or pills.

Having secured benefits for his son, Xiao Zhan didn't want to keep sitting there. He mentioned that security at the market needed to be strengthened, then prepared to end the meeting.

Just then, a figure rushed in from outside, looking flustered and panting.

The Third Elder stood up. Recognizing one of the members who managed the clan's businesses, he sternly rebuked him, "What kind of behavior is this, rushing in in such a panic? Have you forgotten everything we taught you?"

The member hurriedly said, "Something terrible has happened! I don't know where the Jia Lie Clan found an alchemist, but now they're selling medicine refined by an alchemist at their markets. More than half the customers have left our market!"

The hall erupted.

"What?! Say that again, slowly, and make it clear!" the Third Elder demanded urgently.

The Xiao Clan, behind the mountain.

A figure sat cross-legged before a medicine cauldron, forming hand seals and pointing them toward it.

The next moment.

A rich medicinal fragrance spread through the air, invigorating everyone who smelled it.

"It's done!"

Smelling the fragrance, Xiao Yan beamed with excitement. He lifted the lid of the medicine cauldron, revealing several smooth, round pills resting quietly inside.

"Teacher, Teacher, does this mean I'm a first-tier alchemist now?" Xiao Yan asked, holding one of the pills between his fingers.

Yao Chen looked dazed. Several seconds passed before he came to his senses and nodded. "Not bad. You've made it through the basics."

At those words, Xiao Yan leapt three feet into the air, then excitedly pounced on the figure lying on the grass nearby.

"Ah!"

Xiao Yu let out a cry of pain and opened his eyes to see his third brother looking thrilled.

Holding up a pill, Xiao Yan said, "Xiao Yu, I'm an alchemist now! I'm really an alchemist!"

"Brother, with your talent, is there any need to make such a fuss?" Xiao Yu said calmly, even yawning.

Xiao Yan froze.

Am I really that impressive? Xiao Yu is actually so confident in me, as if he's certain I'd become an alchemist.

The truth was,

apart from cultivating every night, Xiao Yan had spent most of his time refining medicine lately.

With Yao Chen guiding him, Xiao Yan had successfully refined a pill.

Xiao Yu wasn't surprised in the slightest.

After all, in the future, Xiao Yan would not only become an Emperor of Fighting; he would also reach an extremely high level as an alchemist.

He would even refine an exceptionally powerful pill at the Medicine Canon of the Yao Clan.

Nearby,

Yao Chen's gaze shifted between the two of them, and he looked a little dazed.

Had I really found a treasure?

Back then, he had kept trying to persuade Xiao Yu to become his disciple.

Xiao Yu had refused again and again. Several times, when Yao Chen had pestered him too much, he had said he would introduce him to a good disciple.

How could Yao Chen possibly have believed those words from a child barely ten years old?

Even when Xiao Yan became his disciple, Yao Chen had only taken him in reluctantly, after negotiating terms with Xiao Yu.

But looking at Xiao Yan now, his talent for refining medicine was in no way inferior to his talent for Dou Qi. He might even be better than that ungrateful former disciple of his.