The Family Head Arrives (Please Keep Reading, Please Keep Reading)

Upon returning to the Ye Family shop, Ye Jingcheng's days once again became an endless cycle of pill refining.

As for that treasure map, Ye Jingcheng casually tossed it aside.

Having been influenced by his elders from a young age, he naturally did not believe it was some genuine treasure map.

Still less did he believe it could have been given to him so cheaply.

This time, Ye Jingcheng refined Qi Recovery Pills.

According to his eldest uncle, Ye Xinghe, he had nearly gathered enough Qi-Blood Pills. Now it was time for Qi Recovery Pills.

The three-eared pill furnace was missing one ear, so Ye Jingcheng had to pay even closer attention to maintaining its balance while refining.

After reviewing and deducing the process, Ye Jingcheng finally began warming the furnace and refining pills.

Yet unlike the smooth refinement of Qi-Blood Pills, his first batch of Qi Recovery Pills failed. It involved more spirit herbs and demanded greater precision in the details.

Ye Jingcheng was not discouraged. Pill refining was inherently a profound art; failure was perfectly normal. Constant success would be what was abnormal.

After reviewing the process and confirming there were no issues, Ye Jingcheng continued refining.

However, the second batch failed as well.

It was not until the third batch that he succeeded.

For the time that followed, Ye Jingcheng continued refining pills.

He rarely even left the attic. Unlike Qi-Blood Pills, which offered no particular benefit to pill refining, both Ye Jingcheng and the Crimson Flame Fox could take Qi Recovery Pills to restore their spiritual energy.

Once their spiritual energy was restored, they could refine pills again.

Previously, he could only start four batches every two days. Now, he could start as many as five.

The further he went, the more proficient he became. His yield rose from two pills, to five, and finally to seven or eight!

Ten days later, the four gathered in the shop once more.

This time, Ye Xinghe was even more composed, his eyes brimming with confidence.

Ye Xingyu, on the other hand, looked even more exhausted around the eyes and brows, making the usually quiet man seem all the more melancholy.

Ye Jingli and Jingyun were the same.

Their refining results were much the same as before, and their eyes were still full of worry.

Ye Jingcheng, however, looked spirited and valiant. Without needing to control the fire, refining pills came more easily to him, and his results kept improving.

As usual, Ye Xinghe had the four report their progress.

The other three had achieved more or less the same results as before.

Then Ye Jingcheng spoke.

"Eldest Uncle, this time I refined one hundred and thirty Qi Recovery Pills!"

The other three, along with Ye Xinghe, found it somewhat hard to believe, because this was a new first-tier mid-grade spirit pill.

The key was that the number of finished pills was simply too high.

"I started a few extra batches. These Qi Recovery Pills can restore spiritual energy for both Little Flame and me!" Ye Jingcheng did not go into detail. The truth was simply that.

If he said too much, it would only seem like he was trying to conceal the truth.

"Good!!" Ye Xinghe was overjoyed as well.

"This order is now foolproof. Jingcheng, from here on, just focus entirely on refining Detoxification Pills!"

"I'll arrange for cultivators to go to the Li Family shop and buy these same spirit pills, to see whether they will sell them. Also, Xinghong, raise the price of these several spirit pills from our Ye Family by two spirit stones each. One of those stones will be the price difference we split off!"

"Right now, the entire market is spreading rumors that our Ye Family has no pill refiners, that we cannot refine spirit pills, and that we may break the contract and face sky-high compensation. Then let it be as they wish!" The corners of Ye Xinghe's mouth lifted slightly.

"If they want to manipulate the market, then we'll cooperate with them to the fullest!"

At those words, everyone else let out a long breath of relief, faint smiles appearing on their faces.

"Big Brother, there's another piece of good news. Those spirit beasts in the inner courtyard that had been in terrible condition for various reasons have all improved greatly lately. Each one is livelier than the last!" Ye Xinghong spoke again.

As soon as she said this, everyone realized it.

Those spirit beasts truly had been in much better condition. When night fell, they would even roar from time to time. That would allow them to sell for more spirit stones.

The Ye Family's main business was still spirit beasts.

If the spirit beasts sold better, their annual stipends would increase as well. That was also a joyous matter. They simply had not noticed it before, thinking Ye Xinghong had given them some kind of medicinal pill.

Now, it seemed the beasts had improved on their own.

Ye Xinghe was taken aback as well. He questioned Ye Xinghong further about the details, yet still received no explanation.

However, Ye Jingcheng keenly noticed that Ye Xinghe gave him another look, satisfaction glimmering in his eyes.

It felt as though he had long since seen through everything.

And his earlier question had merely been a cover.

A thought in Ye Jingcheng's heart grew increasingly certain.

After telling Ye Xinghong to keep watching them, Ye Xinghe said no more. He merely encouraged them again and stated that, once the month ended, he would take Ye Jingcheng and the other three to the Mo Family's restaurant for a welcoming feast to wash away their dust, before bringing the matter to a close once more.

They likewise gave the four of them half a day to stroll through the market, relax a little, and at the same time give the three families a sense of urgency.

This time, Ye Jingli was together with Ye Jingcheng. The former asked, seemingly casually, whether the Spirit Pills refined by Ye Jingcheng had caused it.

Ye Jingcheng naturally shook his head again and again, saying that he had spent all these days refining pills.

He had refined more than twenty batches in total.

Only then did Ye Jingli nod, though the curiosity in his eyes remained unchanged as he continued following Ye Jingcheng around.

After making a round, the two of them finally returned to the shop.

This time, Ye Jingcheng also bought some spirit herbs. They were ingredients for that mysterious pill formula as well. Though he already had them, it was better to prepare a few extra sets.

Ye Jingli, meanwhile, bought several refining materials, making for a modest gain as well.

Inside Ye Xinghe's room, an antique incense burner continuously burned sandalwood incense.

Ye Xinghe sat in the secondary seat, while Ye Xingliu sat in the main seat beside him.

"Big Brother, how likely do you think it is that the other three families will make a move?" Ye Xingliu was the first to speak.

"Eighty percent. These are extraordinary times. Taiyi Sect is too busy looking after itself to concern itself with Foundation Establishment families like ours. If they dare sabotage the Ye Family's business in secret, then they have already prepared themselves to fight us to mutual destruction!" Ye Xinghe's eyes shone brightly, killing intent surfacing within them.

"However, their methods this time are not particularly clever. They may have another scheme in mind."

"It almost feels as though they're sending us spirit stones."

"That is why I secretly summoned you here. If they resort to tricks during the transaction, you can catch them off guard as well!" Ye Xinghe said.

Before Ye Jingcheng and the others, he had appeared brimming with confidence. Yet as one who held power over a family, there were simply too many things he needed to consider.

In this world that devoured people without even spitting out their bones, one wrong step meant losing the entire game!

Ye Xingliu nodded as well. The two said no more, instead tacitly taking out spirit tea and drinking it.

After finishing a cup of spirit tea, both leaned back in their grandmaster chairs and gently closed their eyes.

The next moment, Ye Xingliu suddenly formed a hand seal. The incense burner before him released an even stronger fragrance, smoke curling through the room and lingering without dispersing!

It made one's vision hazy with mist.

This was Divine Sense-Suppressing Smoke, capable of suppressing divine sense probing.

"How is Jingcheng?" Ye Xingliu asked softly.

"Good!" Ye Xinghe answered.

"Then once the auction is over, let Jingcheng's test begin!"

"Alright!"

Another ten days passed. Ye Jingcheng took out all the pill bottles and lined them up in a row, letting out a long breath!

There were fully one hundred Detoxification Pills inside.

Although Detoxification Pills were cheaper than Qi Recovery Pills, they were not the slightest bit easier to refine!

"Little Flame, you can rest for quite some time now!" Ye Jingcheng put away the pill bottles and stroked the Crimson Flame Fox's fur.

The Crimson Flame Fox gave two soft cries, then closed its eyes, thoroughly enjoying the treasured book's spiritual radiance flowing from Ye Jingcheng.