Empress: I Asked You to Detoxify Me, Not to Become the Supreme Immortal Emperor - Chapter 19

Chapter 19

This was already a provocation against him!

Before he could speak, a young man fanning himself approached with a smile.

Seeing him, Qin Chuan narrowed his eyes. This person was none other than the Young Master of the Ouyang family, Ouyang Xiu.

After putting away his fan, Ouyang Xiu looked at Qin Chuan and smiled. “I didn’t know Young Master Qin would honor us with a visit. What brings you here?”

“It seems the Ouyang family has already monopolized all the medicinal herbs in Guiyun City,” Qin Chuan said flatly after taking a deep breath. “I have a list of herbs here. I’d like to purchase them at a high price if your family can provide them.”

As he spoke, he handed over the same list he had previously given Liu Fugui.

He didn’t want to waste time on this matter. He simply wanted to get the herbs as soon as possible.

“Oh, really?” Ouyang Xiu accepted the list and pretended to examine it for a while. Then, feigning regret, he said, “Many of these herbs are reserved for Master Mo. We really can’t provide them to Young Master Qin. I hope you understand.”

He paused for a moment and then suddenly said, “But if Young Master Qin would like to purchase finished pills, our Ouyang family does have some available.”

Hearing this, Qin Chuan narrowed his eyes, instantly understanding that the man was blatantly lying. Still, he held back his anger and asked calmly, “What’s the price for the pills?”

“One Guiyuan Pill costs fifty spirit crystals, a Lingyuan Pill is one hundred and fifty, a Huichun Pill is three hundred…”

As Ouyang Xiu spoke, Liu Fugui’s face turned pale. He nervously glanced at Qin Chuan.

These prices were three times the usual rate, with some even five times higher. It was obvious they weren’t serious about selling.

More importantly, when Qin Chuan picked up a bottle of Guiyuan Pills and smelled it, the fragrance was faint and the color dull—far inferior to the ones he refined himself.

And they had the nerve to sell such pills for fifty spirit crystals?!

Qin Chuan’s face turned cold, and he said in a frosty voice, “Very well. I’ll remember the Ouyang family.”

With that, he turned and left with Liu Fugui.

“Farewell, Young Master Qin!” Ouyang Xiu called out loudly behind them, smiling smugly.

“Young Master, will this cause Young Master Qin to hold a grudge against us?” Master Mo asked anxiously, clasping his hands toward Ouyang Xiu.

“Hold a grudge?” Ouyang Xiu sneered. “The Qin family has already declined. I heard Qin Chuan, that good-for-nothing, was even rejected by a minor family like the Lin family after returning. What a disgrace to us three major families.

Now that I have Master Mo’s support, I’ll take full control of Guiyun City. The Qin family will be the first to be dealt with!”

“Yes!” Hearing Ouyang Xiu’s words, Master Mo stopped worrying. Looking in the direction Qin Chuan had gone, he smirked coldly.

…

After leaving Wanxing Pill Market, Qin Chuan returned to the pill market managed by Liu Fugui.

In a courtyard, Qin Chuan looked at Liu Fugui and asked, “How many pills can the Qin family sell in a day right now?”

“Reporting to the Young Master, if we combine all three pill markets, the total daily output is around three thousand pills,” Liu Fugui said, wiping sweat from his forehead and clasping his hands.

He had been worried that Qin Chuan might blame him for the Ouyang family issue, but now it seemed that wasn’t the case.

“Three thousand? That’s all?” Qin Chuan frowned.

Even though Guiyun City wasn’t a major city in the Qianyang Empire, its population still exceeded tens of thousands. Only producing three thousand pills a day was pitiful.

Liu Fugui sighed, “We can’t help it. Since the Ouyang family has monopolized the pill business—better quality, better prices, more supply—few people are willing to buy from us anymore. Three thousand is already on a good day.”

Hearing this, Qin Chuan’s expression turned colder. Then he asked, “What’s the situation with the Zhao family?”

“The Zhao family had a stockpile of pills, so their situation is a bit better than ours, but I doubt they can last much longer,” Liu Fugui replied honestly.

Qin Chuan’s eyes lit up at that—he already had an idea in mind.

Then he instructed, “Liu Fugui, gather all the herbs from our three pill markets and deliver them to this courtyard. Then spread the word: the Qin family is selling pills of higher quality at lower prices!”

Liu Fugui froze for a moment and stammered, “Y-Young Master, that would completely offend the Ouyang family. If we fail to deliver enough pills, the Qin family’s reputation will be ruined!”

“Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing. Just follow my orders!” Qin Chuan said firmly.

“But…” Liu Fugui wanted to say more, but seeing the firm look in Qin Chuan’s eyes, he dared not speak further.

“Yes! I’ll prepare it right away!”

With that, Liu Fugui turned and left the courtyard.

“Manager Liu, are we really doing what the Young Master said? If we spread the word and fail to deliver the pills tomorrow, the consequences will be disastrous!”

Just as he stepped outside, a guard rushed over and asked.

“Of course I know that!” Liu Fugui scolded. “But the true decision-maker in the Qin family now isn’t the Patriarch—it’s this Young Master! Even if the sky falls, we follow his orders!”

He then kicked the guard hard on the rear. “Get going now!”

“Yes, yes! Right away!” the guard replied and ran off.

…

In the courtyard, Qin Chuan shook his head. He had clearly heard the commotion outside, but as long as someone carried out his orders, that was enough.

He had decided to first resolve the matter with the Qin family’s pill markets.

If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have enough herbs for cultivation, and the Qin family might gradually be swallowed by the Ouyang family.

Two hours later, Liu Fugui led a group of men into the courtyard, bringing all the herbs from the three pill markets and piling them up.

In an instant, the herbs formed a small mountain.

Liu Fugui respectfully reported, “Young Master, this is most of the herbs we could gather. The rest will be delivered later today.”

“Good. You’ve done well. After this is over, the Qin family will reward you.”

Qin Chuan nodded. “Now, all of you leave the courtyard.”

“Yes! Thank you, Young Master!”

Though he expressed gratitude, Liu Fugui still felt uneasy.

He bowed and left the courtyard with his men.

Qin Chuan could more or less guess what Liu Fugui was thinking.

Refining this mountain of herbs in one day would be impossible for anyone else.

But he had the Heaven and Earth Spirit Furnace, which made the task far more manageable.

With its assistance, the pills he refined would be of even better quality. If he used the pill formulas from the Yuan Pill Manual, he could completely crush the Ouyang family.

With a wave of his hand, Qin Chuan stored all the herbs into the Heaven and Earth Spirit Furnace’s space.

Then, with a thought, his entire body entered the furnace’s inner world.

Inside, looking at the mountain of herbs before him, Qin Chuan calmed his mind and took a deep breath.

Some of these herbs were part of the dowry returned by the Lin family.

Without further delay, Qin Chuan sat cross-legged and began refining the herbs.