Yun Ya chuckled softly, thinking to herself, “Partnering with Qingxu Academy not only strikes at Shenhuang Academy but also brings me plenty of benefits! Those old fogies used to look down on me, a mere girl. If I double or more the pill revenue on Tianlong and Shenhuang Continents, will they still dare to underestimate me? Some old bones should retire from Tianlong Auction House!”
…
Leaving the Tianlong Auction House, Ling Xiao returned to Qingxu Academy. It seemed he’d need to refine pills for a while longer. No matter what, he had to get through this, so seclusion was out of the question.
Upon returning, he noticed the teachers and students looking at him differently. His act of delivering Rejuvenation Spirit Pills to save Qingxu Academy had spread throughout the institution and even reached the imperial city.
This was Qingxu Academy’s publicity strategy. The more people knew about the Rejuvenation Spirit Pills, the easier they’d sell, drawing bigger crowds.
Naturally, Shenhuang Academy caught wind of it too. But the arrogant Master Alchemist Sun Shang scoffed, “As if Qingxu Academy could produce anything worthwhile. It’s just empty bluster.”
His disdain was unsurprising. Over a month had passed, and if Qingxu Academy had a solution, they’d have acted sooner, not waited until their market share was nearly gone. Besides, Shenhuang had been monitoring Qingxu closely and saw no sign of any master entering or leaving. To Sun Shang, the Rejuvenation Spirit Pills were a joke.
Even if he believed they were real, he was helpless. He couldn’t refine perfect-grade Rejuvenation Pills, and improving quality would raise costs, making it unprofitable. Qingxu’s bold publicity exploited Shenhuang’s inability to respond.
Three days later, Ling Xiao delivered a batch of Rejuvenation Spirit Pills to the Tianlong Auction House as promised. Acting as a middleman, he forged an alliance between the auction house and Qingxu Academy, agreeing to split the pill market evenly to counter Shenhuang Academy.
Preparations proceeded swiftly, though most people remained skeptical of Qingxu’s claims.
As the Spring Festival neared, the imperial city grew lively, with warriors returning from missions. Demand for Rejuvenation Pills peaked, and Shenhuang Academy’s business boomed, but shortages and stockouts emerged. In a fatal move, they raised prices, doubling the cost of Rejuvenation Pills.
Warriors grumbled, highly dissatisfied, but with Shenhuang’s monopoly, they had no choice but to buy.
Then, a worse blunder occurred. Fake and inferior Rejuvenation Pills appeared in Shenhuang’s market. When customers complained, Shenhuang didn’t address the issue but claimed the customers were troublemakers sent by Qingxu Academy.
Many saw through this, but with no viable alternative, they stayed silent, wary of offending Shenhuang. This emboldened Shenhuang to grow even more reckless, with poor service, shoddy packaging, and repeated price hikes. Complaints piled up, but the monopoly left their merchants haughty.
“Can’t afford it? Then get lost. We don’t need your business,” they’d say.
Dao Wuming, related to Sun Shang from Tianlong Continent, had secured the right to sell Rejuvenation Pills. Besides cultivating, he sat in his shop, watching “foolish” warriors flock to hand him money, sipping wine and mocking their stupidity.
*Crack! Crack!* Suddenly, loud firecrackers sounded in the distance.
Dao Wuming glanced up, wondering who was setting off firecrackers for no reason.
Then a shout rang out, “Qingxu Academy and Tianlong Auction House are selling Rejuvenation Spirit Pills, high quality and low price! Don’t suffer here!”
Dao Wuming sneered, “The best alchemists on Shenhuang Continent are at Shenhuang Academy. What nonsense Rejuvenation Spirit Pills? Just a similar name, and they think they’re something special? Qingxu Academy’s out of tricks, resorting to such pathetic ploys to fool the masses.”
The shouting continued for a while, but most people didn’t budge. Having queued so long, they feared leaving would cost them their chance to buy Rejuvenation Pills. Some even cursed.
“Damn scoundrels, spreading such unreliable nonsense to trick me out of my spot? No way!”
“Yeah, all this talk about Rejuvenation Spirit Pills, but has anyone actually bought one? It’s a scam!”
“Only idiots would believe it!”
Most dismissed the shouts. Shenhuang’s Rejuvenation Pills were selling like hotcakes, and some tried such cheap tricks to deceive honest folks. They weren’t falling for it.
But the shouts weren’t entirely ineffective. Many stuck at the back of the lines, unable to get in, headed to the Tianlong Auction House’s smaller market nearby, figuring they could check and return if needed.
Dao Wuming watched the crowd rushing off, sneering, “This must be Qingxu Academy’s last trick. Pathetic. No matter what they do, it’s useless. The days of two academies standing side by side are over. The Shenhuang Empire will have only one true academy—Shenhuang Academy!”
Imagining Ling Xiao’s frustration at Qingxu Academy, he felt a thrill. “Heh, maybe I’ll get a letter of introduction and poach Ji Mingkong. Then that girl will be mine to toy with.”
Thinking of Ji Mingkong’s aloof demeanor, shapely figure, and stunning beauty, his heart raced, a surge of heat rising in him, hard to calm.
The minor commotion seemed to pass. Aside from a few who left due to the shouts and firecrackers, most warriors stayed, crowding Shenhuang’s market.
Qingxu Academy’s “little trick” appeared to have no effect.
Yet, before a storm, there’s always a moment of calm.
