Chapter 67: Chapter 67: The Actions of All Parties
That slap was harsh and loud, all but stripping the Li family alliance of its honor.
The entire affair was strange from top to bottom.
In any case, the peace in Cyan Mountain Town had been utterly shattered.
On one side was the alliance formed by the Wang, Li, and Liu families. On the other was the alliance formed by the Ye family and the Alchemist Association.
No one believed it would end here. There was definitely more drama to come.
Only then would it become clear who would truly stand supreme in Cyan Mountain Town.
On the way back to the Ye family residence, the utterly baffled old patriarch and the others relentlessly "interrogated" Ye Xuan.
The day’s events had simply been too unexpected. When the trouble started that morning, the old patriarch himself had rushed to the Alchemist Association’s branch office, only to be denied an audience with Master Liang.
But the moment Ye Xuan went, not only did he get a meeting, but he even managed to bring Master Liang back with him. Didn’t that mean this young lad Ye Xuan had more pull than an old man like him?
But based on Master Liang’s behavior in the square earlier, the old patriarch had to admit that Ye Xuan’s influence did seem to be a tad greater than his own.
Ye Xuan remained silent in the face of the patriarch’s questions. Ye Zhanyun, however, couldn’t hold out under the interrogation and gave a brief account of what had happened at the Alchemist Association.
The old patriarch immediately seized on the key point. "Xuan’Er, are you a Second Grade Alchemist?"
"I was. Now I’m not. But you could say I barely am."
Ye Xuan’s words made the old patriarch’s head spin. ’What kind of nonsense is this?’
Ye Xuan wasn’t lying. In his past, he wouldn’t have given a mere Second Grade Alchemist a second glance. As for now, while his cultivation hadn’t reached that level, if he were to pull out all the stops, refining a Second Grade Pill wasn’t entirely impossible.
"Then what’s the deal with that Guest Minister Token? How could it cause such a drastic change in Master Liang’s attitude?"
"And just how powerful is this Guest Minister Token? Can the Alchemist Association withstand the pressure from the Wang and Zhou families?"
The old patriarch didn’t press the matter of the Second Grade Alchemist badge, instead continuing to focus on the key issues.
He thought more deeply than the others. ’I have to prepare for the worst. If the Alchemist Association buckles under the pressure from those two families and cuts ties with us, the Ye family will be finished.’
Ye Xuan rubbed his nose. "This Guest Minister Token can only be issued by the Chairman of the Alchemist Association. It represents the status of a Guest Minister. Seeing the token is the same as seeing the Chairman himself. In other words, when I took out this token, it was as if that old man Hua Luoxuan was standing right in front of Liang Fang. How could his attitude be anything but perfect?"
What?
The old patriarch and the others were dumbfounded. ’This drab, little token is equivalent to the Chairman of the Alchemist Association paying a personal visit?’
Ye Batian’s expression immediately turned grave. "Xuan’Er, where did you get this token? Is it real or fake? You didn’t steal or forge it, did you? If that’s the case, you must come with me to the Alchemist Association and explain yourself."
He had to be suspicious of the token’s origin. If what Ye Xuan said was true, then its significance was simply too immense.
’Ye Xuan is just a student. No matter how talented, how could he be qualified to possess such a token?’
And if the token was fake, then Ye Xuan would have caused an unimaginable disaster.
What kind of person was the Chairman of the Alchemist Association? He was one of the most powerful figures in Blue Moon City, and rumor had it he was even a court Alchemist for the King.
Offending the Wang family could be written off as a feud between two major families. But offending the Chairman of the Blue Moon City Alchemist Association? For a family like the Ye family, whose business was in medicinal ingredients, a single word from him could mean their ruin.
"Grandfather, rest assured. The Guest Minister Token is real. And the Alchemist Association will definitely stand with us."
Ye Xuan’s eyes flashed, and a chilling smile touched his lips. "Grandfather, what you should be thinking about now isn’t how the Ye family can withstand the Wang and Zhou families’ attacks, but how we can defeat them and become a dominant power in Blue Moon City."
Hearing this, Ye Batian shuddered, his eyes suddenly alight. "Xuan’Er... a dominant power in Blue Moon City... Though it’s just for one city, for our Ye family, which built itself up from nothing, that is an incredibly high peak to scale. What’s more, the Wang family has operated in Blue Moon City for many years. They are deeply entrenched. Can our family truly hope to unseat such a colossal power?"
It wasn’t just the old patriarch; Ye Zhanxiong and the other Ye family members were also filled with doubt.
’Defeat the Wang and Zhou families and become a dominant power in Blue Moon City? Is that even possible?’
"Colossal power?" Ye Xuan said dismissively. "Grandfather, you all think too highly of the Wang family. There’s a saying: ’Are kings and generals destined by birth?’ Besides, the Wang family is hardly royalty. They’re just a minor clan. If I want them gone, they’re gone."
As he spoke, his tone carried an air of absolute, unquestionable authority.
That world-scorning gaze suddenly made Ye Batian feel as if he couldn’t see through his grandson at all.
Upon returning to the Ye family residence, they found that, as expected, the shopkeepers from Pharmacist Hall and the other stores that had torn up their contracts and refused the Ye family’s goods that morning were already waiting at the gate, trembling with trepidation as they awaited an audience.
Carriage after carriage had also pulled up to the Ye family’s warehouses to begin loading goods.
Prosperity had returned to the Ye family.
Meanwhile, inside the Li family residence, Wang Tian was venting his fury.
Ever since his family had dispatched him to Cyan Mountain Town, he had allied with the Li and Liu families to seize many of the Ye family’s assets. Things had been going swimmingly for him.
Just as the Ye family was down to half its fortune and he was about to deliver the final blow, he had encountered immense resistance and suffered one public humiliation after another.
And it was all because of the Ye family’s Ye Xuan.
"What the hell is that Liang Fang playing at?" Wang Tian roared inside the Li residence. "A mere First Grade Alchemist, the head of the branch in this tiny Cyan Mountain Town, dares to represent the Alchemist Association and oppose my Wang family? This is utter rebellion!"
The core members of the Li and Liu families all nodded in agreement.
"That Master Liang is simply outrageous! Sure, he’s a noble Alchemist, but can he really compare to one of the three great families like the Wang family?"
"And the Ye family! They don’t know what’s good for them. We have to take them down."
"I just don’t understand why Master Liang is backing the Ye family so hard. It’s completely out of character for him."
The crowd was filled with righteous indignation, but also deep confusion.
Ever since his arrival in Cyan Mountain Town, Master Liang had been focused on his cultivation, rarely involving himself in the branch’s affairs. Most matters were handled entirely by Steward Xuu and Steward He. His behavior today was certainly strange.
"Stop worrying about it," Wang Tian said coldly. "Since Liang Fang dares to oppose our Wang family, I will report it to my elders. The family will step in and pressure the Alchemist Association. What we need to do now is utterly crush the Ye family."
A strange smile suddenly appeared on his face. "I’ve already made it clear to the family. If pressuring the Alchemist Association doesn’t work, they’ll send reinforcements. Since the Ye family won’t bend, we’ll have to break them!"
While the Li and Liu families held their emergency meeting, Master Liang was at the Alchemist Association branch, urgently dealing with his own affairs.
As someone who had never concerned himself with business, the moment he took charge, the entire Alchemist Association branch was thrown into a frantic scramble.
Furthermore, under Master Liang’s iron-fisted approach, everyone in Steward Xuu’s faction was quickly and thoroughly purged.
"Master Liang," Steward He began, "is that Guest Minister Token really so important? We’re up against the Wang family, one of the three great families. Today, you bet everything on the Ye family. If the headquarters in Blue Moon City finds out, will they..."
Standing to the side, Steward He couldn’t help but offer a gentle reminder, seeing how dedicated Master Liang was to the Ye family’s cause.
He didn’t mean to dissuade the master, merely to remind him. They were facing the Wang family, one of the three great powers. Was it truly wise to go to such extremes over a single Guest Minister Token, without knowing the headquarters’ stance on the matter?
"Heh, so you also think I was being reckless today?"
"I wouldn’t dare," Steward He said hastily.
Master Liang smiled faintly. "What do you mean, you wouldn’t dare? I can see it’s exactly what you’re thinking."
Master Liang didn’t sound particularly angry. He asked, "Do you know what our Alchemist Association’s Guest Minister Token truly represents?"
Steward He couldn’t help but reply, "The Guest Minister Token... doesn’t it just signify the status of a Guest Minister of our Alchemist Association? And a Guest Minister is probably something like an honorary elder in a clan, right?"
Master Liang shook his head. "You’re oversimplifying it. An honorary elder is an honorary elder, but a Guest Minister Token is a Guest Minister Token. You have to understand, in our Alchemist Association, seeing that token is the same as seeing the Chairman himself."
"So what?" Seeing that Master Liang wasn’t angry, Steward He grew bolder. "I’ve heard that in the King’s royal palace, there are special golden medallions. Seeing one is like seeing His Majesty in person."
"But that only represents a certain status and position. It doesn’t mean the medallion *is* His Majesty. For example, you absolutely couldn’t use it to mobilize the army, nor could you use it to harm the royal family."
"But your actions today have tied our Alchemist Association completely to the Ye family. As one of the three great families, if the Wang family complains to the Association, Chairman Hua might not care about them, but it will inevitably have an impact on your future, Master."
"Haha." Master Liang gave a faint smile. "You’re not wrong to compare the golden medallion to the Guest Minister Token; there are some similarities. But you are still underestimating its significance."
"Do you know how many Guest Minister Tokens have been issued in the entire history of our Blue Moon City Alchemist Association?"
Before Steward He could answer, Master Liang shook his head and said, "As far as I know, in the twenty or thirty years since Hua Luoxuan became Chairman... this is the only one."
