But reality was merciless.
The alchemists they recruited never achieved a high yield of high-grade pills when refining advanced pills, falling far short of Lin Fan. Producing even one high-grade pill out of three was considered exceptional.
Meanwhile, the medium- and low-grade pills could not be sold and could only pile up in storage. Eventually, they filled the enormous warehouse.
But those alchemists did not care whether their pills sold. They still required a hefty salary every month.
In the end, soaring salary expenses, dismal sales, and mountains of unsold stock dragged the Ten Thousand Treasures Commerce's finances into ruin.
Even more fatal was this.
Lin Fan's steady supply of top-grade high-grade pills had made the Azure Elixir Hall famous throughout Commandery City's pill market.
As time passed, people began to think that since the Azure Elixir Hall's advanced pills were so good, its lower-tier pills must also be a little better than the Ten Thousand Treasures Hall's.
Now even the Ten Thousand Treasures Hall's only remaining business in lower-end pills was devoured bit by bit by the Azure Elixir Hall's reputation, quality, and credibility.
The Ten Thousand Treasures Hall had no choice but to sell its pills at a discount, but this only lent further weight to the rumors that its pills were inferior to the Azure Elixir Hall's. The discounts also shaved its profits even thinner, eventually turning them into losses.
In just half a year, several of the Ten Thousand Treasures Hall's once-bustling branches in Commandery City closed down one after another.
The few remaining branches were barely clinging to life. Foot traffic outside their doors dwindled, customers deserted them in droves, and their earnings worsened with every passing month.
The Ten Thousand Treasures Hall became the laughingstock of Commandery City, and even buying its discounted pills