You're done shitting already?
Is that something a human being would say?
Zhao Yong's face turned green. CRACKLE, POP! A powerful True Qi surged from him unconsciously.
He glared at Zhao Ci. "You poisoned me?"
"Brother Huang, you must be joking. How could I possibly have such an ability?"
Zhao Ci smiled and waved his hand dismissively, but a faint chill ran down his spine.
Setting aside Zhao Yong's character, his cultivation level alone made him an absolute powerhouse among his peers.
His Imperial Extreme True Qi was dense and pure. Although he hadn't reached the Realm of Harmony, his foundation was incredibly solid.
Just from emotional fluctuations, he could produce a clear, zither-like ringing from his tendons. This was clearly the mark of having mastered the Muscle Strengthening Stage, his entire network of meridians and sinews tempered to the highest grade.
The combination of Zhao Clan blood and an imperial education truly produced a terrifying genius.
'Looking at myself, I've only just met the conditions for my first Body Refining. I feel like the adopted one.'
He felt more and more that he had made the right choice.
'In the early stages, I have to rely on business to grow. Otherwise, if a real conflict breaks out, I'll be the one to suffer.'
'Yongzi, you're still young. Please don't walk down the path of crime!'
Zhao Ci was already clutching an Illusion Step Talisman in his palm. At the slightest sign of trouble, he would immediately dash to Gu Xiangzhu and have her give Zhao Yong a slap.
"I'll admit you've won this round!" But he never expected that Zhao Yong would just snort coldly, retract all his True Qi, and look at Zhao Ci with a mocking gaze. "You did well. You've won yourself an opportunity to drag yourself down. I've never seen someone so eager to rush to their own death."
Zhao Ci put away the Illusion Step Talisman, looking at Zhao Yong with a newfound respect. 'To be able to control his emotions after being humiliated so badly by my dirty trick... he probably guessed that Gu Xiangzhu was nearby, huh?'
He smiled and asked, "Oh? And why would you say that, Brother Huang?"
Zhao Yong shot him a pitiful glance. "You don't really think that getting these Pill Furnaces means all your problems are solved, do you? Three hundred and fifty thousand taels for the furnaces, a huge batch of third-rate Alchemists, plus the cost of medicinal herbs—the Imperial Clan Court will deduct all these external resources from your merit.
"All the costs added together will be at least seven hundred thousand taels.
"A typical Pill Workshop has an annual profit margin of thirty percent. Over three years, that's ninety percent. This means you'll have to sell one million, three hundred and thirty thousand taels worth of products within three years just to be considered average.
"Only the amount exceeding that one million, three hundred and thirty thousand taels will count toward your merit.
"With those rotten fish and stinking shrimp you've hired, even with these Hundred Refinements Furnaces, how much could the quality of your elixirs possibly improve?
"Under the blockade from the Feng, Zhu, and Yang families, you won't be able to sell anything to the public. Your only hope is to win orders from the Court at the Gongdan Conference.
"But to get orders at the Gongdan Conference, you have to perform Alchemy on the spot, competing for orders based on the quantity and quality of elixirs produced that day.
"How many do you think you can win?
"After three years, your merit will still be negative!
"Today, you racked your brains and sullied my name, only to snatch up a mountain that will crush you to death.
"If I call you stupid, you somehow came up with such a despicable scheme.
"But if I call you smart, you go and do something like this.
"'A leaping clown needs no heavenly execution; he destroys himself.'
"That's you, isn't it? Heh..."
Zhao Ci: "..."
'To be fair, Yongzi's analysis is spot-on.'
'A Pill Workshop is a significant enterprise even for a great clan, and the costs are truly frighteningly high.'
'Selling one million, three hundred and thirty thousand taels in three years just to barely get positive merit... That's honestly terrifying. Anyone else would go bankrupt.'
'If I didn't have high-concentration alcohol on hand, my confidence would have probably shattered after hearing all that.'
'Yongzi's tongue is truly unforgiving.'
'But for him to be able to say so much while being so furious...'
'That's my Brother Yong for you: ruthless and runs his mouth.'
[Zhao Yong's Current Wish]: Crush Zhao Ci's spirit and make him give up the elixir business, and while he's at it, sell the Hundred Refinements Furnaces to me at a low price. Wish Fulfillment Reward: Insight +100, Pawnshop Token.
Zhao Ci: "..."
'I can try acting like my spirit is crushed. Maybe the system will count it as real.'
'But selling them to you on the cheap? Forget it!'
'Too bad about that Pawnshop Token. I wonder what it does.'
Seeing him silent, Zhao Yong's expression grew even more mocking. "What? Weren't you quite arrogant just now? Scared, are we? Actually, you haven't reached a dead end yet. Why don't you listen to me and sell both the Xiang's Pill Workshop and the Hundred Refinements Furnaces to me.
"I am your elder brother, after all. Even though the Pill Workshop and furnaces are second-hand, I'm willing to pay eighty percent of the price and take this pressure off your hands."
Zhao Ci seemed to be moved, hesitating for a moment before asking, "Brother Huang, I have a question."
A flicker of joy appeared in Zhao Yong's heart. "Ask!"
With a serious expression, Zhao Ci asked, "If my merit is still negative after three years, what are the consequences?"
Zhao Yong sneered. "You'll be driven to a remote fiefdom, and you won't be able to take anything from Lingge with you."
"And what if I don't get into the elixir business and my establishment merit ends up being just average?"
"Then you'll just be sent to a remote fiefdom, and you won't be able to take anything from Lingge with... huh?"
Zhao Yong trailed off, unable to continue. He felt that something was strange.
'Is there any difference between the two?'
'In other words, the outcome for being mediocre is the same as for messing around and failing?'
Zhao Ci pursed his lips. "You've been threatening me all this time, and it turns out you were threatening me with nothing! Brother Huang, see you around!"
With that, he stretched lazily and headed for the back door.
Zhao Yong: "..."
His barrage of mockery and intimidation had nearly dispelled the frustration pent up in his chest. But he never thought that Zhao Ci, who had been "barefoot" for over a decade, wouldn't be afraid of "losing his shoes."
'It's back!'
'All that pent-up frustration came flooding back!'
He felt a tightness in his chest and a shortness of breath, but he quickly realized something was wrong.
'If Zhao Ci was really content with being 'barefoot,' then why would he even bother establishing his own household?'
'He's just putting up a brave front!'
He suddenly smiled and quickly followed.
He wanted to expose Zhao Ci's pathetic disguise to his face, to make him understand that a forced display of strength is even more pitiful than a complete breakdown.
But he didn't expect that just as he stepped outside, he would see Kan Luotang getting into Zhao Ci's carriage.
Zhao Yong: "???"
'It took so much for my heart to be moved just once.'
'And you make me lose so completely!'
At that moment, Zhu Yan finally realized something was wrong and rushed out of the auction house, his voice hoarse from shouting, "Your Highness! You absolutely must not lay a hand on the Tenth Prince! Huh? Your Highness, why are your eyes red..."
Zhao Yong quickly averted his gaze and pulled Zhu Yan back before he had even left the courtyard.
He forced himself to calm down. "What did the Zhu Family say?"
Zhu Yan's expression was grave. "The Zhu Family is willing to support Your Highness with all their might! As long as you still have confidence, the Zhu Family can help you recover the loss of these seven Hundred Refinements Furnaces!"
...
「Imperial Palace.」
「Imperial Study.」
On Zhao Huan's desk lay several slips of paper. They contained intelligence from his information network at the auction house.
He couldn't help but chuckle. "To think those three gambits actually worked!"
Eunuch Li was filled with admiration. "Using just seven Pill Furnaces to force the Zhu Clan into this position... Your Majesty, this Three Immortals Offer Tripod Array of yours is truly magnificent!"
The Imperial Family had long coveted the Zhu Clan's Alchemist resources.
But the seven great Merit Clans held a special legal status. Especially in the past, when the pressure from border wars was immense, the Imperial Family couldn't and didn't dare to poach their talent.
Although the borders had become increasingly stable since the war eighteen years ago, gradually creating opportunities to poach, the time had been too short and the Zhu Family's guard was too high, so no progress had been made.
It wasn't until the last few years, when the secret struggle between the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince intensified.
Only then did the Zhu Family think of starting with Zhao Yong to add chips to the Crown Prince's side.
In just a few short months, Zhao Yong had already obtained several formulas and Alchemy techniques from the Zhu Family's Alchemists.
But this alone was far from enough.
These seven Hundred Refinements Furnaces were specially commissioned by Zhao Huan, who wrote to Zhuge Hong to have them forged.
The goal was to drive up the cost, increasing the pressure on them to earn merit and thus forcing them to pour more resources into Zhao Yong.
And Princess Consort Jing, who had just entered the game, was the guarantee to raise Zhao Yong's costs to the absolute maximum.
But who would have thought that Princess Consort Jing would snatch the Pill Furnaces for herself. Her Ladyship was counting on this batch of furnaces to secure a foothold in the Elixir Realm, and she was willing to lose money for a few years to do it.
It seemed the cost wasn't added to Zhao Yong's burden.
But it didn't matter. This would only put even more pressure on the Zhu Family.
Especially with that marriage alliance, and now with Zhao Ci slandering and defaming Zhao Yong like this.
At this Gongdan Conference, they'd probably be at each other's throats.
The more viciously they fought, the more the Imperial Family stood to gain.
As for how much merit Zhao Ci earned for his establishment, whether it ended up positive or negative, nobody cared at all.
"Your Majesty, this servant is unclear about one thing..."
Eunuch Li hesitated.
Zhao Huan smiled faintly. "Da Ban, just speak your mind."
Eunuch Li asked, puzzled, "It's true that Lady Jing won beautifully this time, but by putting Xiang's Pill Workshop under the Tenth Prince's name, isn't she dragging him down a bit?"
From a business perspective, losing money in the initial stages is acceptable.
But when it comes to establishment merit, let alone losing money, even achieving average profitability is a thankless task.
If merit could truly be obtained so easily with external help, then the Imperial Clan Court might as well not exist.
Zhao Huan was lost in thought. Now that Zhao Ci had established his household, given Gu Xiangzhu's current position, she would certainly want him to do better and better. She would never intentionally drag him down.
'Could it be that she doesn't think it will drag Zhao Ci down?'
'Perhaps this "mother and son" pair has mastered an Alchemy technique sufficient to turn the tables?'
'The possibility isn't high. If they really had such a technique, why wait until now?'
'Perhaps it's simply because Zhao Ci was the most suitable candidate for snatching the Pill Furnaces.'
'However, this "comeback technique" could be useful.'
"Never mind that!"
Zhao Huan smiled faintly. "Da Ban! Pass some information to the Zhu and Feng Families. Just say that Princess Consort Jing has mastered an Alchemy technique that can turn the rotten into the miraculous. People don't perform well without pressure."
"Yes!"
Eunuch Li accepted the order and quickly left the Imperial Study.
Zhao Huan, however, was lost in thought. 'If such a technique truly exists, should it really be left in Gu Xiangzhu's hands?'