Chapter 65: Chapter 65: The Old Master Erupts
"By the way, where is Steward Xuu? Tell him to get his ass over here and see me this instant."
After his tirade, Master Liang turned to Ye Xuan with a placating smile. "Young Hero Ye, you heard it yourself. I knew nothing about this. Otherwise, I would never have let my subordinate act so recklessly."
He assumed the President was involved in the cooperation with the Ye family, so he offered a torrent of explanations and pounded his chest in assurance. "Rest assured, I will personally see to it that we resume our partnership with the Ye family immediately. What do you say, Young Hero Ye?"
Ye Xuan said coolly, "Not immediately. Now. I believe it’s imperative that you make a trip to the public square."
"The public square?" Master Liang was taken aback.
Steward He quietly reminded him from the side, "Master Liang, Steward Xuu is at the Cyan Mountain Town public square right now. He’s with the Wang family, jointly announcing the partnership between our two organizations, and they’re preparing to crush the Ye family and completely seize the entire medicinal herb market in town."
"What?" Upon hearing this, Master Liang shot to his feet, his face contorted in rage. He roared, "The sheer audacity! Who gave him the authority to do such a thing!"
This time, Master Liang was truly furious. His previous anger had just been an act to placate Ye Xuan, but now, he was genuinely enraged.
Steward Xuu choosing to partner with any family was, in principle, a matter of the Alchemist Association’s own freedom. Outsiders had no right to comment. If Ye Xuan hadn’t appeared with a Guest Minister token, Master Liang wouldn’t have thought Steward Xuu had done anything wrong.
But a partnership was one thing; for Steward Xuu to announce it so publicly and with such fanfare, in broad daylight, was another matter entirely. To certain powerful observers, this wouldn’t just signify a business deal; it would be seen as a declaration of political allegiance.
The Wang family and the Alchemist Association were the two largest forces in Blue Moon City’s potion trade. A move like this would inevitably lead other powers in the city to speculate whether the Wang family and the Association were planning to monopolize the entire market.
As a result, even the main branch of the Alchemist Association in Blue Moon City could face repercussions.
If the President ever found out about this, it would be considered a grave error on his part—a major dereliction of duty.
"Young Hero Ye, let’s head to the public square right now. I’d like to see for myself just what tricks this Steward Xuu is playing."
Cyan Mountain Town was the largest supplier of medicinal herbs for Blue Moon City and its surrounding areas. For Liang Fang to be appointed head of the Alchemist Association here, he must have had powerful backing within the organization. The post came with a high salary and a pleasant climate. More importantly, it was a vital hub for the Association, guaranteeing an unrestricted supply of medicinal herbs. He had lived a very comfortable life here for the past few years.
But other Alchemists in the Association had always coveted such a prime posting.
If this incident caused him to lose the President’s trust and get transferred elsewhere, he would be filled with a regret so deep he wouldn’t even have tears left to cry.
Without delay, Master Liang gathered his men and, along with Ye Xuan and the others, hurried toward the Cyan Mountain Town public square.
「Meanwhile, at the public square.」
A huge crowd had gathered, a bustling throng of people packing the entire square so tightly that not a drop of water could pass through.
The Cyan Mountain Town public square was the most spacious place in the entire town, which made it a favorite trading ground for merchants and herb farmers. Every day, large numbers of them came to buy and sell medicinal herbs. It was, without a doubt, the very heart of the town’s medicinal herb trade.
"Everyone, as you can all see, starting today, our Li family and the Liu family, in league with the Wang family from Blue Moon City and the Alchemist Association, will be purchasing medicinal herbs in massive quantities! We, the Li family, are making this offer in good faith. To all the herb farmers of Cyan Mountain Town, it doesn’t matter how much or how little you have—we’ll buy it all!"
The center of the square was an exclusive area for the town’s major families. In front of the Li family’s counter, Patriarch Li Haoran was delivering a passionate speech. "As you all know, in Blue Moon City, the Wang family and the Alchemist Association are the largest suppliers in the potion market and the ultimate consumers of medicinal herbs. With these two great powers backing us, I, Li Haoran, can personally guarantee that no matter how many herbs you have, we can take them all!"
"Our Li family will sign an agreement with every single farmer who sells to us. I, Li Haoran, guarantee that as soon as we sell the herbs onward, you will receive your payment immediately. However, let me be blunt. As you’ve probably noticed, our Li family alliance and the Ye family don’t see eye to eye. Starting today, anyone who sells herbs to the Ye family is making an enemy of our alliance. From this day forward, we will refuse to purchase any herbs from you, ever again."
"Remember, our Li family alliance doesn’t just include my family. It includes the Liu family, the Wang family—one of the three great families of Blue Moon City—and even the Alchemist Association! I hope all of you can recognize the current situation for what it is. Don’t make a rash decision you’ll regret for the rest of your lives."
As Li Haoran continued his tirade, his gaze swept coldly over to the largest counter nearby—the one belonging to the Ye family.
At the Ye family’s counter, Ye Batian and the others had already arrived. Staring at their own empty shelves and listening to the Li family’s arrogant pronouncements, their faces turned ashen with fury.
In Cyan Mountain Town, the largest supply of medicinal herbs came from the plantations of the major families, whose output accounted for nearly half of the town’s entire production.
But the independent herb farmers also represented a formidable force. In previous years, more than half of them signed purchasing contracts with the Ye family. This year, however, the situation had suddenly grown grim.
Especially today. For half the day, not a single farmer had come to deliver herbs—something that would have been utterly unthinkable in the past.
If this continued, the Ye family would truly be in peril.
"Everyone, please listen!" Ye Zhanxiong came before his family’s counter and raised his voice. "Our Ye family has operated in Cyan Mountain Town for many years. When have we ever treated you unfairly? Our reputation is plain for all to see! I promise you, the Ye family is still the greatest family in Cyan Mountain Town! All farmers who sell their herbs to us will be generously rewarded!"
"Hahaha."
The words had barely left his mouth when waves of mocking laughter erupted from the Li family’s counter.
"Generous rewards?" Li Haoran sneered. "As far as I know, Patriarch Ye, the herbs from your own plantations are rotting in your warehouses with no buyers. On what grounds could you possibly offer anyone a generous reward?"
"That’s right," someone from the Wang family added. "My Wang family has already blacklisted all of the Ye family’s herbs. And it’s not just us—the Zhou family of Cyan Mountain Town will also be boycotting all of the Ye family’s businesses. You’d all do well to think carefully about that."
"And the Alchemist Association as well." At that moment, Steward Xuu, who had been sitting silently this whole time, finally spoke in a cold voice. "Patriarch Ye, our Alchemist Association has partnered with your Ye family for many years. Recently, however, I’ve found the quality of your herbs to be exceptionally poor, falling far short of our Association’s standards. Therefore, after a unanimous internal decision, we have decided that we will no longer accept any herbs from the Ye family. Consider our prior business relationship terminated, effective immediately."
"From this day forward, the Alchemist Association will only accept herbs from the Li family alliance. We will refuse all herbs from any other source."
As soon as he said this, the entire square erupted as if a bomb had gone off.
Nearly every family in Cyan Mountain Town, big and small, knew that the Ye family’s status as the town’s number one family was inextricably linked to its partnership with the Alchemist Association. For years, the Ye family had been their primary supplier of medicinal herbs.
In fact, the vast majority of herbs the Ye family produced and purchased each year were sold to the Alchemist Association.
For the Alchemist Association to suddenly cancel its partnership, pivot to the Li family, and blacklist all Ye family herbs was a devastating blow—a bolt from the clear blue sky.
The various families and farmers had all witnessed the recent clashes between the town’s major clans. Although the Ye family had lost significant market share under the combined pressure, many farmers still held out hope for them.
All because of their partnership with the Alchemist Association.
But Steward Xuu’s announcement today was like pulling the rug out from under them, completely cutting off their lifeline.
Now, even a fool could see that the Ye family was not far from total ruin.
Steward Xuu’s words threw the crowd into an uproar, and the expression on every member of the Ye family’s face fell.
Ye Zhanxiong asked in a strained voice, "Steward Xuu, must you be so utterly ruthless?"
Steward Xuu replied coolly, "A wise man adapts to the times. If you must blame someone, blame your own Ye family for offending too many people. With the Wang and Zhou families united against you, survival is nearly impossible. Patriarch Ye, for the sake of our many years of cooperation, I’ll offer you a piece of advice: sell off your family’s estates, hand over your disciple Ye Xuan, and pack your bags and leave Cyan Mountain Town. That is your only path to survival. Otherwise, you’re not far from the complete annihilation of your clan."
How could this be called advice? It was a blatant threat.
Ye Batian had already been bottling up a bellyful of rage, and Steward Xuu’s words were the spark that finally ignited it.
He strode to the front of the crowd and burst out laughing. "Good! Excellent! What wonderful ’advice’! Xuu Cheng, you speak with far too much certainty."
"Let me tell you something! I, Ye Batian, came to Cyan Mountain Town with nothing and built this family from scratch! Is there any hardship I haven’t faced? I have never, ever backed down!"
"Sell our estates? Hand over one of our own? Leave with our tails between our legs? In your dreams! I, Ye Batian, am a man of iron and bone! I am incapable of such a spineless, humiliating act!"
"So, Steward Xuu, you’re blacklisting us? The Wang family is blacklisting us? Fine! Go right ahead! I, Ye Batian, refuse to believe that the likes of you can blot out the sky over Blue Moon City!"
"And even if you could, my family can sell its herbs outside Blue Moon City, to all the surrounding cities! Our herbs are the finest for a thousand miles in any direction! I have no doubt that discerning buyers will recognize their quality!"
Ye Batian erupted. His resonant voice, infused with powerful Profound Qi, thundered across the square, causing the faces of all who heard it to pale in shock.
The once-clamorous square fell utterly silent in the wake of his furious roar.
