CHAPTER 193: CHAPTER 193: THE ANXIOUS LI FAMILY

The Li Family’s shop is situated toward the east side of Taihang Market, adjacent to the Xu family’s three-story commercial building.

The shop is two stories high, occupying about three acres, resembling a guard that flanks the Xu Family’s shop.

At the entrance of the shop are two charming female cultivators, dressed in elegant and formal blue robes.

These female cultivators are known as the Li Family’s Twin Beauties.

Their reputation in Taihang Market is quite high because they not only possess sweet and charming looks, but they also speak gently, answering every cultivator’s question patiently.

Moreover, this service is provided free of charge.

The Li Family has used this as a gimmick to attract many cultivators to enter their shop to purchase Spirit Pills.

However, today both female cultivators are frowning, and a cultivator is pacing back and forth in front of them, continuously entering and leaving the market entrance.

The cultivator is dressed in a dark blue Daoist robe, with a somewhat haggard appearance.

He glances at the interior of the shop, where there are noticeably fewer people than usual, his expression becoming increasingly fierce.

If Ye Jingcheng were here, he would definitely recognize this as Li Xiangfei, who went to participate in the alchemy exchange conference at Taichang Market.

The only difference is, compared to the spirited and vigorous demeanor of the past, Li Xiangfei now appears a far cry from that.

His cultivation has indeed advanced further, reaching the peak of Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer, improving by more than one layer.

"Have you recently neglected any cultivators?" Li Xiangfei pondered for a long time but couldn’t figure it out, so he asked.

"Why do many cultivators say our shop is good, the quality of the Spirit Pills is great, but they just aren’t buying?"

The calm words of Li Xiangfei contained a trace of anger; compared to the peak state of the Li Family half a year ago, today’s Li Family has truly fallen drastically, with the family’s top cultivator reduced to the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment, and Foundation Establishment Cultivators reduced from six to only two.

If it were just this, it would still be alright; after all, the Li Family still has Foundation Establishment, remaining one of the four big families. Their worry is about the recent poor sales of the Li Family’s shop.

The Li Family’s specialty is being an Alchemy Family, with most of their finances invested in alchemy and cultivating Spirit Medicine.

If the Spirit Pills don’t sell, the family’s finances would deteriorate, the strength of family cultivators would not increase, which would form a vicious cycle.

Then the wages could only be paid with Spirit Pills, but consuming too many Spirit Pills also leads to considerable erysipelas.

"It should be Ye Family..." The two female cultivators replied in a somewhat timid voice. Although they are female cultivators, in the eyes of ordinary loose cultivators, they are akin to fairies.

But in the eyes of cultivators who hold power in the Li Family, they are merely branches in the early stage of Qi Cultivation and can become sacrifices for the Li Family to covertly acquire advantageous alliances at any moment.

"Nonsense, the Ye Family simply sends Spirit Nourishing Pills; we also send Fasting Pills!" Li Xiangfei spoke again.

His face showed even more anger, and his eyes did not conceal the hatred toward the Ye Family.

The Ye Family not only secretly harmed their old patriarch but also demanded compensation; now after compensating, they still suppress their alchemy, seizing their benefits.

"Brother Fei, Fifth Uncle called you to come up for a meeting!" A voice arose from within the shop.

Li Xiangfei could only angrily stomp his feet three times in succession, clenched his fist, and went to the second floor.

On the second floor, Li Mutian was already waiting there, his eye sockets appeared somewhat sunken, looking far worse than Li Xiangfei’s condition.

"Has the reason for the decrease in family Spirit Pill sales been found?"

"Most likely the Ye Family, but it seems most loose cultivators are under some Heavenly Dao Oath, they don’t discuss us, but strangely, these loose cultivators still buy from other families as usual, so I’m still looking for the reason!" Li Xiangfei replied with a heavy heart, he asked many loose cultivators but could not find the cause.

He could only watch the family’s business diminish day by day.

And this declining trend transitioned from gradual to intense.

"Fifth Uncle, should we lower the prices? If they act unscrupulously, then we shouldn’t be held to righteousness!"

"Lower prices? Are you trying to ruin our Li Family faster?" Li Mutian shouted angrily, almost causing his mustache to bristle.

"Right next to us is the Xu Family; we’ve now lost the Xu Family’s protection, and the backers within the sect are indifferent to us. It’s obviously using our Li Family as a scapegoat. We’ve already lost our value; now lowering the prices would make Xu Family and Mo Family even more opposed to us. Do you still think our Li Family is the same as before?"

"The Ye Family lowers prices only by sending Spirit Nourishing Pills for Spirit Beasts, which is a field only they are engaging in, so they don’t offend anyone. You haven’t found the reason yet you’re so angry, really disappointing me!" Li Mutian spoke.

His words also left Li Xiangfei feeling anxious.

The Li Family bought two Foundation Establishment Pills, his brother Li Xiangyu already consumed one, Li Yufu promised them only, and Li Mutian’s tone evidently intended to deprive him of his entitlement.

"Fifth Uncle, then I..."

"There’s still a chance to make up for it!"

"You should go to the Chen Family right away, the losses suffered by our Li Family should be compensated by the Chen Family, without missing a single portion. Half of the decreased sales volume of our family needs to be purchased by the Chen Family; if not, they’ll be ready for clearing the accounting with us Li Family together!"

"In addition, we must form an alliance with the Chen Family to increase our family’s influence among loose cultivators!"

"Secondly, you must secretly catch hold of Ye Family’s weaknesses; Ye Jingyu and Ye Jingcheng’s cultivation speed is incredibly fast, so spread the rumor that they possess exotic treasures, don’t let the Ye Family rest easy!"

"Thirdly, be sure to find a cultivator to ask the Chu Family; although Ye Family keeps it well-protected, the Chu Family may not necessarily keep it confidential for Ye Family, find out what they promised secretly, even if it doesn’t work, use Soul Search on a few loose cultivators!!"

"Additionally, reduce all clan members’ wages by twenty percent, practice frugality, stockpile Spirit Talismans and Magical Artifacts. The clan will find use for them, and it can enhance their resentment, stimulating greater potential!" Li Mutian spoke three points in one breath.

Also made Li Xiangfei nod repeatedly.

But he seemed to think of something and then spoke:

"Fifth Uncle, as I mentioned before, at the alchemy trading conference at Taichang Market, there’s a cultivator with an eighty percent probability of being Ye Jingcheng. Now he’s transformed, not only becoming a Foundation Establishment Cultivator but also a Tier Two Alchemist. According to what you said, I’m ninety percent sure that person is him, and last time I also met Taiyi Illusion Peak’s Brother of Ye Jingteng!"

"Moreover, peculiarly, I also met separately with Ye Jingcheng, although I could not speak of specific details, but Fifth Uncle, I reckon Ye Family surely has something dubious!"

"I will have our clan members within the sect continue to investigate this. Since they went there, spread the news secretly that Ye Family purchased Purple Mansion treasures at Taichang Market, and Ye Haicheng has broken through to the Purple Mansion!"

"I just don’t believe Xu Family and Mo Family could continue to remain unmoved; now Chu Family has already formed a climate, and they absolutely cannot tolerate Ye Family in their eyes no more!"

"Also arrange for a few sharp loose cultivators, as the clan’s sent cultivators to the Taihang Mountain Range have died again!" Before leaving, Li Mutian added again.

Li Xiangfei also nodded repeatedly, before finally walking down.

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