74: Chapter 74 The Monopoly on Elixirs, the Evil of the Chen Family

Leng Yuechan's heart skipped a beat, uncontrollably and violently.

She looked at the man before her, gazing into his deep and confident eyes, and for a moment, she was actually somewhat dazed.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, wanting to tell him just how rare and difficult to find the "ice heart grass" was.

But in the end, she couldn't say anything.

Because, from the man's gaze, she read a sense of... something taken for granted.

It was as if finding this legendary healing holy medicine for her was, to him, merely... a trivial matter that required little effort.

...

A promise, once made, must be fulfilled with all one's might.

After returning from Leng Yuechan's place, Gu Yan immediately took action.

He dispatched all the shrewd and capable stewards and guards in the estate.

Their mission was only one thing—

Spare no cost to find out everything about the "ice heart grass" within Baifeng City!

For a time, the Gu Family's influence, like countless trickling streams, silently merged into the vast ocean that was Baifeng City.

Major medicinal shops, major chambers of commerce, and even the mix of good and bad people in the most well-informed taverns, teahouses, and black markets...

Everywhere, figures of the Gu Family began to appear and move about.

Under heavy rewards, there will surely be brave men.

With vast amounts of money paving the way, all kinds of scattered and indistinguishable information, like snowflakes, continuously gathered in Gu Yan's study.

"...The old shopkeeper of 'Huichuntang' in the west of the city said that fifty years ago, he was fortunate enough to have seen a living stalk of ice heart grass..."

"...The 'Baixiaosheng' of the black market said that three years ago, there were rumors of ice heart grass appearing deep in the 'Luoxia Mountain Range' outside the city, but it was later confirmed to be just a false rumor..."

"..."

For three consecutive days, Gu Yan stayed in his study, personally screening and verifying this complex information.

Finally, on the evening of the fourth day.

A piece of the most critical and reliable intelligence was delivered to his desk.

This intelligence came from a small intelligence organization within Baifeng City that specialized in selling information—the "Tingfeng Pavilion".

The content of the intelligence was simple.

Yet it made Gu Yan's brows furrow deeply.

The good news was that Baifeng City did indeed have a stable production channel for "ice heart grass".

Three hundred miles north of the city, there was a "Xuanbing Mountain Range" covered in ice and snow all year round, and its core area was one of the habitats for "ice heart grass".

And the bad news was...

This Xuanbing Mountain Range, along with the mining rights for all the Heaven And Earth Treasure within it, had long since been...

Firmly monopolized by the Chen Family, one of the three major families of Baifeng City!

The Chen Family!

Gu Yan's fingers tapped lightly on the two names highlighted in vermilion ink.

On the way to Baifeng City, he had already used various channels to gain a detailed understanding of the power structure of this cultivation city.

The nominal Dominator of Baifeng City was the City Lord's Mansion.

But the ones who truly controlled the lifeblood of this city were the three major cultivation families—

The Li Family, the Wang Family, and... the Chen Family!

The three major families had entrenched themselves in Baifeng City for hundreds of years, with deep roots and immense influence.

Among them, the Chen Family was the most overbearing, and also the most... wealthy!

Because the Chen Family had started out with Alchemy and the medicinal herb business!

According to the records of the "Tingfeng Pavilion", over seventy percent of the entire Baifeng City's market share, from high-end Foundation Establishment Medicinal Pill to low-end healing powders, was firmly controlled by "Wanbao Tower", which was opened by the Chen Family!

And "ice heart grass", this rare High Grade Spirit Medicine, was regarded by the Chen Family as an absolute "strategic" resource!

It was only provided for the use of their core clan members and the Guest Elder they retained.

It was never sold to outsiders!

"...There was once a Loose Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage from out of town who was willing to pay a sky-high price to purchase a stalk of ice heart grass, but was rejected on the spot by the Chen Family."

"...Ten years ago, a small cultivation Family in the south of the city, the 'Liu Family', because their disciple luckily found a wild hundred-year-old ice heart grass in the Luoxia Mountain Range and was unwilling to hand it over."

"Three days later, the entire Liu Family, seventy-three people in total, were slaughtered overnight in a miserable state."

"Afterward, although the City Lord's Mansion intervened to investigate, in the end, it... came to nothing."

"It is rumored that the perpetrator was none other than the Chen Family's notorious, wicked young master... Chen Xuanfeng."

Gu Yan looked at the bloody past recorded in shocking ink on the intelligence report, his eyes slowly becoming deep and inscrutable.

He knew that wanting to peacefully trade for ice heart grass from the hands of the Chen Family, such an overbearing "local snake" that would eat people without spitting out the bones, was... absolutely impossible!

The only way was...

To let strength do the talking!

However, the Chen Family was, after all, a behemoth that had entrenched itself here for hundreds of years.

Within their Family, not only was there an Old Ancestor at the Foundation Establishment Stage, but Cultivators at the Late Stage of Qi Refining were as numerous as hair on an ox!

With the Gu Family's current foundation, clashing head-on with them was no different from... throwing an egg against a rock.

Must... plan carefully.

Gu Yan's fingers tapped rhythmically and lightly on the desk.

His brain was spinning rapidly.

Since he could not win by force, then... win by wit!

The timing to go head-to-head with the Chen Family was not yet mature.

Before that, he needed to find a suitable... entry point.

He also needed to find an... ally capable of contending with the Chen Family.

Gu Yan's gaze fell back onto the intelligence report.

His gaze slowly swept over the list of the "three major families".

Finally, it rested on the name of another power that had been highlighted.

Tianyi Chamber of Commerce.

The largest, most mysteriously backed, and only neutral commercial organization in Baifeng City that could stand on equal footing with the three major families.

It was rumored that the branches of this chamber of commerce were spread throughout the entire Dongtu Continent, and the power behind it was unfathomable.

And the greatest competitor of the Chen Family's "Wanbao Tower" was this... Tianyi Chamber of Commerce!

The corners of Gu Yan's lips slowly curled into a meaningful arc.

He knew where he should...

Start.