Arriving at the Decision Hall and finding Fang Xuan, Tang Yan asked with a smile, "What major matters has the faction had lately?"
Fang Xuan reported methodically, "We printed a hundred million copies of the Reach the Summit Pill Dao Academy Handbook and distributed them to all the major alchemy factions in a saturation bombardment.
With two successful cohorts at the Reach the Summit Academy, plus the war between Reach the Summit and Medicine Valley bringing us widespread fame, none of the major factions doubted the handbook's value.
Being a step behind in improving pill quality meant pushing their own customers into others' hands. This also forced all the major alchemy factions to study the handbook's contents.
We expect that in two months, all the major sects will be able to refine standard upper-grade pills.
The pill shops' expansion has been very slow. The major alchemy factions think we're lying low and can't spare the energy to open storefronts, so we pose no threat to them. That's why they're unwilling to cooperate with us.
Old Du and I discussed it and opened Reach the Summit Pill Shops in three cities first, to let the major factions get a good look at Reach the Summit's strength.
Once these three shops have crushed the local factions, we'll see how the others respond. Ideally, they'll be willing to cooperate. If not, we'll beat them into cooperating."
Pausing, Fang Xuan continued, "The herb supplier Hundred Herb Plain has suddenly become rather subtle in its attitude toward us.
They didn't supply the goods as agreed this time. They sent a letter through the teleportation array saying they were short of herbs and would supply them next time.
Hundred Herb Plain has fairly close ties with Medicine Valley. I suspect they're doing this deliberately, and I've