53: Chapter 54 Qixia Danzhu

The night was like ink, and the candle in the study stretched Jiang Feng's figure long and slanted.

"Second Master."

Young Master Jiang Chen's voice sounded from behind, steady in tone but carrying the chill of a drawn blade.

He held up a thin bamboo slip with both hands. "It has been investigated."

Jiang Feng turned and took the bamboo slip, but did not open it immediately. He looked at Young Master Jiang Chen with interest. "Tell me."

"Ding Baiyi, a Loose Cultivator, with no Sect or Family, at the Late Stage of Qi Gathering."

Young Master Jiang Chen's report was all substance.

"This person is very cautious, a loner, an outlier in the West City. His strength is not top-tier, but his mind is very deep, and his observation is keen."

"He has been in Huoyang Commandery for three years, relying on tasks hunting Yao Beasts to make a living. He has long been full of anger toward the Qin Family and those families who forcibly collect protection fees, but being alone and weak, he could only endure."

"Endure..."

Jiang Feng chewed on these two words, his fingertips tapping lightly on the bamboo slip.

"A good 'could only endure'."

Reckless men only know how to shout about fighting and killing, but smart people are waiting for an opportunity that allows them to strike a fatal blow.

Ding Baiyi is such a person.

And he, Jiang Feng, is currently lacking such a useful blade.

"Go and approach him."

Jiang Feng placed the bamboo slip on the table, his voice flat.

"Make him completely trust you. Cultivation Technique and Medicinal Pill, give them to him if necessary."

A glimmer of understanding flashed in Young Master Jiang Chen's eyes.

"Second Master intends to... subdue him?"

"Not just subdue."

Jiang Feng's gaze drifted out the window. The night was deep, as if he could see that chaotic yet vibrant West City.

"I want him to be my mouthpiece among the Loose Cultivators, to be the catfish that stirs up the stagnant water of Huoyang Commandery."

Jiang Feng's plan went far beyond this.

One Ding Baiyi was not enough; he needed more useful blades. And to forge blades, he needed resources and people.

His thoughts drifted back to Jiangyuan City.

"It is time to transfer more people from the main branch."

Jiang Feng muttered to himself.

Qixia Alchemy Pavilion is about to open. Yao Shifei is the treasure of the shop, a strategic weapon. She cannot be left to refine Qi Gathering Pills every day; that would be the greatest waste of her Supreme Wood Spirit Root.

He needs to cultivate a batch of his own Alchemists from the Jiang Family.

Jiang Qing, that girl, has Gold-Fire Dual Spiritual Roots and is a good seedling, but one person is not enough.

The collateral descendants of the Jiang Family have mixed Spiritual Roots, but one can always sift out some descendants with talent for Alchemy.

Bring them to Huoyang Commandery to learn Alchemy.

The Family must be like this, like a snowball, rolling larger and larger.

...

Three days later.

In the West City of Huoyang Commandery, a street that was originally dilapidated was bustling with activity today, incredibly lively.

A brand new three-story pavilion rose from the ground. The four characters "Qixia Alchemy Pavilion" on the plaque were written with vigorous strokes, with Spiritual Qi hidden within.

On the first day of business, the scene was unexpectedly explosive.

Countless Loose Cultivators blocked the entrance, craning their necks to look inside, yet they dared not act rashly.

The reason was simple: the rules of this Alchemy Pavilion were truly unique.

At the entrance stood four young girls dressed in uniform light cyan long dresses.

They were not Cultivators, but each had a slender figure and a beautiful appearance.

They were responsible for receiving and guiding guests, with sweet voices and amiable smiles, causing those Loose Cultivators who only knew how to fight and kill on weekdays to become gentlemen, even speaking in much lower voices.

"Good heavens, this boss is truly a marvelous person. Selling a Medicinal Pill is handled like a beauty pageant."

"What do you know? This is called style. Look inside, the windows are bright and clean, the fragrance of pills is refreshing, a hundred times better than the He Family's gloomy Medicinal Pill shop."

A Loose Cultivator who had just come out was clutching a jade bottle tightly, his face full of the excitement of having found a treasure.

"I snatched it! I snatched a bottle of High Grade Qi Gathering Pills."

"Heavens, you didn't see it. That Medicinal Pill is full and round, rich in Spiritual Qi. Most importantly, ten pills per bottle for only eight Low-Grade Spirit Stones, cheaper than the He Family's Medium Grade pills."

"What? High Grade pills for only eight Spirit Stones?"

The crowd instantly exploded.

The Medicinal Pill market in Huoyang Commandery had always been monopolized by the He Family.

The He Family's Qi Gathering Pills cost ten Spirit Stones for Medium Grade and were often out of stock.

Once this Qixia Alchemy Pavilion made a move, it was High Grade pills, and the price was twenty percent cheaper.

This was not selling Medicinal Pills; this was smashing the market.

Soon, everyone understood.

Qixia Alchemy Pavilion was not seeking profit, only to make a name for itself.

In the second-floor private room, Jiang Feng looked through the window at those fanatical and excited faces downstairs, and lifted his teacup with satisfaction.

"Husband's move is truly brilliant."

Yao Shifei sat opposite him, personally refilling his tea.

She had changed into a simple and elegant palace dress today, her peerless face lightly adorned with makeup, adding to her breathtaking beauty. After a few days of nourishment, the coldness between her brows had melted away, replaced by the gentleness and charm of a married woman.

"This is just the beginning."

Jiang Feng chuckled, reaching out to hold her soft, boneless hand.

"Wait until our child is born, and my cultivation level rises, all the Medicinal Pills in Huoyang Commandery will have to bear the surname Jiang."

Yao Shifei's pretty face flushed, and she glared at him, but she did not pull her hand back, feeling sweet inside.

She liked this look of him strategizing.

This man, although sometimes full of lewd talk and very bad, the dominance of having everything firmly under control made her feel incomparably at ease.

The business on the first day ended in this explosive atmosphere.

Qixia Alchemy Pavilion not only made a name for itself but also tore a bloody wound in the He Family's territory with impeccable Medicinal Pill quality and a highly impactful price.

...

The next day.

As soon as Qixia Alchemy Pavilion opened, the noisy and lively atmosphere had not yet risen before it was interrupted by a cold aura.

Seven or eight Cultivators dressed in brown tight suits with fierce auras walked in swaggeringly.

Leading them was a middle-aged man with a goat beard, his eyes sinister, and his cultivation was surprisingly at the Late Stage of Qi Gathering.

The people behind him were also experts of the Late Stage of Qi Gathering.

In the corner, a young man in black who was wiping the counter paused, then continued his work as if nothing had happened, only the temperature in his eyes dropped to freezing point instantly.

It was Young Master Jiang Chen.

As soon as the people entered, they dispersed, blocking the entrance and the stairs leading to the second floor.

The Evil Qi emanating from them made those Loose Cultivators who were preparing to line up to buy Medicinal Pills change their expressions one after another, subconsciously retreating.

"Let your manager come out."

The middle-aged man with the goat beard did not look at those Loose Cultivators; his sharp gaze swept across the shop and finally landed on the few young girls in cyan clothes responsible for reception, speaking in a hoarse voice.

On the lapel of his chest, an ancient character "He" was embroidered.

People from the He Family.

They had come after all.

The entire Alchemy Pavilion hall was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard; everyone's breathing became light.

Although the girls were afraid, they still summoned their courage. One of them stepped forward and bowed:

"This Senior, may I ask what business you have? Our manager..."

"Slap."

A crisp slap sound.

The middle-aged man with the goat beard slapped the girl to the ground directly, a cruel arc pulled from the corner of his mouth.

"What kind of thing are you, to be worthy of talking to me?"

He stepped on the back of the girl's hand, grinding slowly, his cold gaze sweeping the whole room, saying word by word.

"I will say it one more time."

"Let the person who can make decisions in your Qixia Alchemy Pavilion come out and see me."

"Otherwise, today, this shop of yours will not be able to open."