The East City Huang Family estate.
In the inner hall, Huang Jingren, the head of the Huang Family, sat in the seat of honor.
He was past fifty, with a lean face, and wore a robe patterned in dark gold. He held a string of agarwood beads, slowly rolling them beneath his fingertips.
Below him, Huang Jue stood with his hands at his sides.
Several Huang Family Attendants and accounting stewards sat nearby.
Huang Jingren spoke slowly. "How many men did we lose?"
One steward answered quietly, "Family head, of the three Attendants at full mastery of the Blood-Moving Realm sent to ambush Qiao Yuan, one died and one was gravely wounded."
"At the Yam Herb Shop, we killed two alchemists. Ge Ye survived."
Huang Jingren's fingers stopped moving the beads.
"Ge Ye survived?"
Huang Jue frowned. "Father, as long as Ge Ye lives, Wang Firm's pill business still has a breath left in it."
Huang Jingren glanced at him, then asked the steward, "Is Qiao Yuan dead or not?"
The hall immediately fell silent.
The name Qiao Yuan weighed heavily on the Huang Family.
Over the years, Wang's Ginseng Shop had established a firm foothold in Scarlet Cloud County not merely because Wang Shouyi knew how to do business and Ge Ye could refine pills, but, most importantly, because Qiao Yuan guarded it.
A battle-hardened warrior at full mastery of the Blood-Moving Realm possessed astonishing combat strength.
In this battle, Qiao Yuan had fought three opponents alone. Not only had he held his ground, he had killed one and wounded another.
As long as he lived, the Huang Family could neither eat nor sleep in peace.
Huang Jue said gravely, "Father, why don't we send someone to probe them again tonight?"
"If Qiao Yuan is dead, we'll seize Wang