In the backyard of a large pharmaceutical workshop south of Silver River City.
A heroic-looking middle-aged man, dressed in a silver-white brocade robe embroidered with intricate, magnificent golden auspicious clouds that clearly signaled his high status and power, looked at the detailed drug report in his hand and spoke.
"I gave you so many samples, yet you can only achieve this level? It's not even a quarter of the original product's efficacy!"
Hearing the middle-aged man's words, a group of similarly well-dressed middle-aged and elderly men below him broke into a cold sweat. They dared not make a sound, and their already slightly hunched waists bent even lower. Only a man in dark blue official robes at the head of the group leaned forward to reply.
"Your Highness, the formula, production process, and procedures for this Soul Gathering Pill are extremely complex; they simply cannot be deduced in a short time. The one in your hand is already the result of our entire city's pharmaceutical families sparing no cost, racking our brains to deduce the pharmacology, and even testing the medicine on ourselves just to barely replicate it successfully."
With only about a quarter of the efficacy, calling it a "replication" was already gilding the lily. Setting aside the efficacy, the minimum cost of over a thousand Gold Soul Coins for every counterfeit pill they produced was already much more expensive than what the Breaking Clan sold them for. How on earth were they supposed to play this game?
Listening to his subordinate's reply, the man addressed as "Your Highness"—a prince of the current Star Luo Empire and cousin to the Star Luo Emperor, Dai Bingjun—raised his eyes, stared at the official, and smiled on his face.
"City Lord Luo, I truly apologize. The task I gave you was too heavy, and the time was too short!"
Silver River City Lord Luo Shide, addressed as such by the prince, dared not accept such words. He immediately knelt halfway on the ground and pleaded guilty.
"Your subordinate has no such intention. I beg Your Highness to see the truth."
Seeing their leader kneeling, the other heads of the pharmaceutical world below dared not remain standing either; they also knelt to plead for mercy.
"We are incompetent. We beg Your Highness to forgive our sins."
Watching this group of subordinates, and their subordinates' subordinates, kneeling before him, Dai Bingjun cursed them as useless trash in his heart. Looking at the situation, it seemed that completing his targets would depend entirely on the outcome of the negotiations with the Breaking Clan.
Dai Bingjun said calmly.
"Very well, I believe you all. Get up."
"What you said also makes sense. Since it cannot be replicated in a short time, just prepare the medicines in your respective fields of expertise!"
With the pressure from above lifted, Luo Shide immediately led his group of subordinates to rise and offer thanks.
"Many thanks for your understanding, Your Highness."
Dai Bingjun waved his hand, but before he could reply, he saw someone running quickly from outside the main hall to report to him.
"Your Highness, Clan Leader Yang Wutian of the Breaking Clan has arrived!"
Dai Bingjun, Luo Shide, and the others wore expressions of shock: "!!!"
They had only just started blocking the medicine a few days ago, and Yang Wutian, who was in the Heaven Dou Empire, was already here?! This speed was a bit fast, giving them quite a start.
Dai Bingjun hurriedly asked.
"How many people did they bring?"
The messenger replied.
"Including the Clan Leader, there are eleven people in total."
Dai Bingjun continued to press.
"Has that Break Limit Your Excellency, or that new Number One Under Heaven of the Breaking Clan arrived?"
The messenger shook his head.
"I did not spot anyone matching those two. Apart from Clan Leader Yang, everyone who came is middle-aged."
Hearing that so few people had come, and so quickly at that, Dai Bingjun's mind raced. Did the other side's behavior indicate that their tactics had truly struck a nerve with the Breaking Clan? Otherwise, they wouldn't have come so quickly, and with such weak forces. Did that mean he could raise his conditions when the time came?
As for whether the Breaking Clan would be pushed into a corner and resort to force, he never considered it. First, he would maintain the proper degree of pressure. Second, the class hierarchy on the Douluo Continent was very distinct. Because of the real existence of gods, the logic of "divine right of kings" was as solid as a rock; otherwise, with the strength of the Xue Family, they wouldn't have been able to hold onto the Heaven Dou Empire throne for so many years.
Aside from the Qian Family, who were the spokespeople for the gods, other families, no matter how strong, generally would not openly conflict with the imperial family. Bound by these unwritten shackles, Dai Bingjun was very confident.
He was not the only one with this thought; Luo Shide felt the same. He offered his congratulations.
"Your Highness is brilliant and unfailing; you saw through the weakness of this Breaking Clan at a glance."
At his subordinate's flattery, Dai Bingjun laughed out loud.
"Hahahaha—"
"Let's go. Follow me to meet this newly promoted top-tier clan."
With that, he took the lead and walked toward the door. Luo Shide and the other heads who had dealings with the Breaking Clan and were involved in this incident followed along.
On the other side, in the reception room, Yang Wutian and the Yang family party waited slowly for the other protagonist of today's drama to arrive, served by a waiter.
Before long, even before the person arrived, the sound of greetings reached the reception room.
"Your arrival brings light to our humble dwelling. I apologize for not welcoming you sooner, Clan Leader Yang, please forgive me!"
"Creak—"
The door was pushed open, and Dai Bingjun led a group of people into the reception room.
Seeing that the other protagonist had arrived, Yang Wutian and his party also stood up to greet them.
"Not at all. Our clan came in a hurry and did not send a formal notice, visiting so abruptly. I am very grateful that Your Highness does not blame us for our rudeness, Mr. Yang is very grateful."
Dai Bingjun smiled and responded loudly.
"Clan Leader Yang, what are you saying? Your presence here makes this workshop shine! How could there be any talk of rudeness? You are welcome to come whenever you wish, Clan Leader Yang."
"Isn't that right, City Lord Luo?"
Hearing his superior's question, Luo Shide also replied with a smile.
"Of course. The Breaking Clan has lived in Silver River City for quite some time. As long as the Breaking Clan is willing, this place is your second home. We welcome Clan Leader Yang to return home at any time."
A smile tugged at the corners of Yang Wutian's cold, rigid face as he replied.
"Then I must thank the Prince and City Lord Luo."
Afterward, the group began to engage in small talk and idle chatter.
When it comes to business, one cannot simply cut to the chase and be blunt from the start; otherwise, it would be too cold and lack the art of negotiation.
They reminisced about how great their past cooperation had been, how solid the relationship between them was when the Breaking Clan was present, and took the opportunity to butter them up by discussing the differing levels of importance Heaven Dou and Star Luo placed on the Breaking Clan following the shifts in the continent's situation. While they were busy "amiably" shooting the breeze, Yun Ming had reached his destination.
He originally had no other plans; he intended to wait until Yang Wutian finished his business before setting off to find the key item for the final solution to the Dead Realm. However, the moment he entered the city, he detected the aura of that very item.
Faced with such an unexpected situation, he naturally had to investigate immediately. Thus, while the Breaking Clan went to meet their hosts, he left a specific mark on the group and slipped away, planning to rendezvous with them later.
Guided by his senses, Yun Ming arrived before an antique, opulent residence. Looking at the large characters inscribed on the gate, a flash of light passed through his eyes—it was an acquaintance! Yun Ming then tapped his foot, transforming into a blur and vanishing from sight.
Avoiding the servants within the estate, Yun Ming followed his senses toward the target, eventually arriving before a small courtyard that appeared to be the master's living quarters.
Without hesitation, Yun Ming flashed inside. A magnolia bonsai with lush green leaves filled the room with fragrance, and the gorgeous curtains complemented the exquisite furniture; it was clear the owner had good taste. However, Yun Ming was clearly not concerned with that now; he had already spotted his target. It wasn't hidden at all, just tossed out in the courtyard in such a brazen manner.
Seeing that he had found the clue so easily, Yun Ming couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
"Truly, it is fate."
On the other side, the group chatting and idling had reached a stopping point, and Dai Bingjun steered the conversation from the continent's arms race toward the main topic of the day.
Dai Bingjun said, looking "deeply apologetic."
"Clan Leader Yang, speaking of this, I must apologize to you. The volume of medicine trade in Silver River City has surged recently, and some buyers are even purchasing at prices far exceeding the market rate, causing the city's medicine reserves to plummet and prices to skyrocket."
"Your Majesty specifically sent me to stabilize the medicine market, but I never imagined that even after stabilizing it until now, we would be unable to meet the supply for long-term partners. This is truly my dereliction of duty."
As he spoke, he stood up and bowed to Yang Wutian with cupped hands.
"Regarding this matter, I offer my apologies to the Breaking Clan!"
Faced with Dai Bingjun's performance of retreating to advance, Yang Wutian naturally couldn't pretend not to see it, so he hurriedly stood up to help Dai Bingjun up.
"Prince, you are too kind. Given the situation on the continent, you need not blame yourself."
"I saw many medicine shops still open as I entered the city earlier. Things must have stabilized somewhat by now; I assume this is to your credit."
"The situation in the city is much better now, isn't it?"
Yang Wutian's subtext was: 'Your governing methods are brilliant; now that you've stabilized the medicine market, you should have the medicine our clan needs, right!'
Hearing this, Dai Bingjun was imperceptibly stunned for a moment. Damn it, the Breaking Clan arrived too early—much earlier than his scheduled closing time. He hadn't managed to close the shops yet, revealing a small flaw. But he was a politician, after all; how could he lose face? He responded with lightning speed.
"A minor achievement, nothing more. We have only stabilized the prices of some common medicinal materials; the high-end market is still under strict control."
Dai Bingjun's subtext was equally simple: 'We have the low-end stuff, but the high-end materials your Breaking Clan wants are still unavailable.'
Seeing that the man was so shameless, Yang Wutian didn't mind and spoke again.
"Is that so? Then the Prince has truly been working hard!"
As he spoke, he gestured for Dai Bingjun to sit back down.
The two sat down again, and Dai Bingjun said righteously.
"Not at all. For the sake of the Empire's economy, it is my duty."
"The Prince is truly magnanimous."
Yang Wutian replied, then continued.
"However, Prince, you know our clan's primary business. Although it appears infinitely glorious on the surface, without a supply of medicine, we cannot fulfill our orders and will lose money. We have already paid out quite a bit in damages, and our clan is under immense pressure. So, I must ask you to help us find a way. Our clan will certainly keep such a favor in our hearts."
He had seen the other party's attitude; they wouldn't release the hawk until they saw the rabbit. It was time to get to the point.
Seeing the other party cut to the chase, Dai Bingjun naturally had no objections and said with a solemn expression.
"Clan Leader Yang, what are you saying? This matter is our responsibility to begin with. It is already a great injustice that your clan has suffered such losses; how could we ignore it?"
"How about this: tell me what urgent needs you have, and I will see if we can find a way to procure some from elsewhere."
Yang Wutian didn't react, simply tossing out a piece of paper—the usual purchase list. Both sides knew exactly what was going on; this part was only for the sake of appearances.
Taking the list, Dai Bingjun didn't even look at it, tossing it directly to Luo Shide.
"City Lord Luo, you and the managers calculate this and see what you can do. See if you can get them, how much you can get, and what the price will be."
Luo Shide took the order and retreated with the managers to "find a way."
With them gone, Dai Bingjun and Yang Wutian sat opposite each other, sipping tea and waiting for the result. About ten minutes later, Luo Shide returned with his men.
Dai Bingjun asked, pretending not to know.
"City Lord Luo, how is it?"
Luo Shide reported respectfully.
"Prince, the managers and I have tallied it up. Based on our existing channels, we can only obtain about half of the medicinal materials on the list, but the total price will be twice the usual amount."
Hearing Luo Shide's words, the faces of the Breaking Clan members darkened uncontrollably. To think they wanted to earn four times the money from them just by flapping their lips—it was truly heartless! Although Yang Wutian's expression remained unchanged, he was cursing the other party's greed in his heart. They had to know the quantity they were requesting was not small; even a one-fold increase was not a small number, and now it was directly four times. Did they really take them for fools?
Dai Bingjun's expression also turned gloomy, and he cursed.
"Bastards, how is there such a price difference? Is someone trying to rob us blind?"
"Speak! How did this price come about? If you can't give me a reasonable explanation, I, Wang Mark, will have your heads for disrupting the market later!"
Dai Bingjun 'flew into a rage', and Luo Shide along with the other spokesmen immediately bowed their heads, hurriedly offering explanations one by one.
The reasons they gave were all over the place; one said his supply chain was far away, the road was full of bandits, and the shipping and protection fees were high; another claimed his source was out of stock and he had to buy it back from clients at a premium; yet another said the medicine he sourced was currently extremely scarce and that was just the market price. They scraped together every excuse they could think of, leaving even the well-prepared Dai Bingjun stunned. If he hadn't had subsequent arrangements planned, he would have been completely dazed by their information bombardment.
Dai Bingjun regained his composure, and seeing that their excuses were somewhat logical and evidence-based, he asked again.
"Then is there no way to lower the costs? The Breaking Clan has suffered such heavy losses because of us; I, Wang Mark, feel uneasy in my conscience!"
Yang Wutian saw this smiling tiger shedding crocodile tears and said nothing, simply watching their performance quietly. He actually wanted to see exactly how much the other party wanted.
Seeing that the time was right, Luo Shide threw out his final alternative condition.
"Reporting to your Highness, it is not that there is no way. The Pills of the Breaking Clan are currently soaring in value and have a great market. If the Breaking Clan could trade using Pills, we would certainly be able to drive the medicine prices back down to some extent."
The dagger was revealed from the map; just as Yun Ming and Yang Wutian had anticipated, they wanted both the Pills and the money.
Dai Bingjun finally asked one last time, feigning hesitation.
"Really, there is no other way?"
Luo Shide shook his head.
Dai Bingjun pondered for a moment, then looked at Yang Wutian with hypocritical righteousness.
"Clan Leader Yang, this is all I can do. My apologies!"
Yang Wutian sneered. He knew exactly what they were thinking, and he wanted to stab these bastards to death with his spear right now. But he couldn't! The imperial family could not be moved against lightly!
But just as he refrained, someone else acted. A terrifying pressure of Soul Power descended with a boom, instantly crushing the walls, doors, windows, and furniture of the entire room into pieces, including the wooden chair Dai Bingjun was sitting on.
Dai Bingjun tried to resist, but the pressure was too great; he couldn't move and ended up sitting directly on the floor.
"Clap, clap, clap, clap—"
At this moment, the sound of footsteps came from outside the door. Simultaneously, a young man's voice rang out.
"Oh my! This uncle, this junior's control over Soul Power can only reach this level. My apologies."
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: DaoistReader