55: Discovering the problem with the Purple Maple Spirit Tree

After hearing this figure, Tang Xiaotian's breathing couldn't help but pause for a moment.

This number represented the trust and pursuit of their Tang Family's Medicinal Pills by the vast number of Loose Cultivators, but it also meant the massive compensation the Tang Family would have to pay next.

Even more so, it meant that after this incident, the Tang Family's Medicinal Pill business would suffer a massive blow.

Because after being poisoned once, would those Loose Cultivators still be willing to purchase the Tang Family's Medicinal Pills?

And after others heard that the Tang Family's Medicinal Pills were poisonous, would they still come to the Tang Family Pharmacy in the future?

This matter seemed like a compensation issue, but in reality, it was a crisis of credibility for the Tang Family's Medicinal Pill business!

"Compensate! All customers who want a refund will be refunded at the original price. As for those who suffered losses from consuming our Medicinal Pills and demand compensation, we will pay that too!"

"However! We cannot accept unreasonable demands for compensation."

Tang Xiaotian first made a definitive decision, then changed his tone.

"For those customers who were poisoned by our Medicinal Pills, besides the original price refund, we must also compensate them with Detoxification Pills and Healing Pills to ensure they recover."

"That won't work! Clan Chief, our Medicinal Pills just had a problem; they definitely won't feel safe accepting our Medicinal Pills." The Third Elder hurriedly spoke up to stop him.

"If they aren't comfortable with existing Medicinal Pills, then refine them on the spot!"

"Refine new Detoxification Pills and Healing Pills right in front of them! Let them understand that the toxicity of the Medicinal Pills this time was not our problem!"

"At the same time, spread the word outside that the issue with our Tang Family's Medicinal Pills was caused by someone bribing our Medicinal Pill warehouse management to poison them. Shift all the blame away from the Tang Family's head!"

Tang Xiaotian's mind worked rapidly, trying every possible way to minimize the credibility crisis of the Tang Family's Medicinal Pill business.

"But if we refine pills in public, won't our Alchemy techniques be leaked?"

At this moment, the Second Elder, who presided over the Family's Pill Refining Room, spoke with a slight frown.

"What's wrong with leaking Alchemy techniques? Which Family doesn't have their own Alchemy techniques?"

"The reason our Medicinal Pill business is so good is mainly due to the purple maple spirit fluid..."

"Wait! The purple maple spirit fluid!"

As Tang Xiaotian spoke, he suddenly realized something. His expression changed instantly, and he stared blankly with wide eyes.

This poisoning incident clearly couldn't be the fault of the Alchemists.

Because all the Medicinal Pills had issues, it was impossible for every Alchemist in the Family to have been bribed by the enemy.

Therefore, there were only two possibilities: either there was a problem with the Materials of the Medicinal Pills, or there was a problem with the Medicinal Pill warehouse.

The Medicinal Pill warehouse was guarded by over a dozen clansmen, including some of his close associates.

It was impossible for someone to poison all the Medicinal Pills without being discovered by others.

So, it could only be a problem with the Materials of the Medicinal Pills.

However, most of the Tang Family's Spirit Medicine was grown by themselves, with only a portion acquired externally.

If only a portion of the Spirit Medicine was poisoned, it would be impossible for all the Medicinal Pills to be toxic. After all, different Medicinal Pills used different Materials.

Finally, by filtering out the commonality among all the Medicinal Pills, the only thing left was the purple maple spirit fluid, which was added to every Medicinal Pill!

At this point, many Elders also realized this and turned their heads to look at the Grand Elder, their expressions changing.

Because the Grand Elder was the one who usually looked after the purple maple spirit tree, extracted the purple maple spirit fluid, and then distributed it to the Family's Alchemists.

The entire process involved only the Grand Elder. If there really was a problem with the purple maple spirit fluid, it meant the Grand Elder... Noticing the suspicious looks from those around him, the Grand Elder's mind was also racing, trying to figure out where things had gone wrong.

He had been solely responsible for the purple maple spirit tree and the purple maple spirit fluid without anyone else's involvement. How could it suddenly become poisonous?

"Grand Elder, bring out a portion of the purple maple spirit fluid for inspection," Tang Xiaotian ordered in a calm tone.

Although the clues now pointed to the Grand Elder, Tang Xiaotian did not believe the Grand Elder would betray the Family.

After all, the Grand Elder belonged to his lineage and could not possibly betray the Family.

Moreover, the Old Ancestor was still alive. If anyone dared to betray the Family, they would surely end up in a place beyond redemption!

Upon hearing this, the Grand Elder waved his hand, and a large barrel of diluted purple maple spirit fluid appeared in the hall.

"Second Elder, check it," Tang Xiaotian ordered, turning to the Second Elder.

The Second Elder nodded, stood up, walked to the bucket, dipped a finger into the purple maple spirit fluid, and brought it to his nose to sniff.

"It's poisonous!"

The next second, the Second Elder spoke with a grim expression.

"What!?"

"Impossible!"

Hearing this, the others and the Grand Elder cried out in shock.

"Impossible! This purple maple spirit fluid was diluted by my own hands, using spirit water condensed from the Water Gathering Bead. How could it be poisonous!"

The Grand Elder stood up in disbelief, rushed to the bucket, and took a few drops of the purple maple spirit fluid into his mouth.

But the next second, the Grand Elder's expression changed, and he spat out the purple maple spirit fluid.

"How is this possible? How can it be poisonous?"

The Grand Elder looked at his finger in disbelief, then waved his hand and brought out a dozen more barrels of purple maple spirit fluid.

But after checking them one by one, he found that all of them contained poison.

Seeing this, the Grand Elder suddenly thought of something and hurriedly took out a portion of undiluted purple maple spirit fluid to examine it carefully.

"The purple maple spirit fluid... is poisonous!"

After checking it repeatedly several times, the Grand Elder looked up in disbelief toward the distance outside the door, at the purple maple spirit tree that had stood in the Tang Family for hundreds of years.

"The purple maple spirit fluid is poisonous? How could the purple maple spirit fluid be poisonous!?"

Listening to the Grand Elder's words, the people around were filled with doubt.

"Whether it's poisonous or not, we'll know after we go and check!"

Tang Xiaotian looked at the Grand Elder and then stood up.

Before long, Tang Xiaotian led the Elders to the purple maple spirit tree.

Looking at this purple maple spirit tree that had brought prosperity to the Tang Family, Tang Xiaotian couldn't help but feel apprehensive.

"Take some purple maple spirit fluid to check."

After withdrawing his gaze, Tang Xiaotian turned and ordered the Second Elder.

The Second Elder stepped forward to the trunk of the purple maple spirit tree, took out a Magical Artifact for extracting spirit fluid, and drew some purple maple spirit fluid out.

Under everyone's anxious gaze, the Second Elder looked up with a grim face and said, "It's poisonous!"

"What!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the one with the biggest reaction was the Grand Elder, who had always looked after the purple maple spirit tree.

The Grand Elder rushed to the purple maple spirit tree and anxiously checked its condition.

He had long since studied all the information regarding the purple maple spirit tree, and he had never heard of it producing toxins.