A few days later, in Nanli City.
Snow fell in profusion, snowflakes dancing in the air.
After a few days of respite, the sky once again began to release a flurry of heavy snow.
Nanli City was filled with peace and tranquility, and the streets were actually more lively and bustling than usual.
This was because in a short while, it would be the annual Auspicious Snow Signals a Bountiful Year, a festival to welcome the new year.
Every household on the streets began to busy themselves with preparing for the new year, and new paper-cut window decorations for the new year were pasted on the windows of the houses lining the streets.
Bright red lanterns hung high, adorning every street and alley.
Stalls and shops selling New Year goods were everywhere on the streets.
Even cultivators living in Nanli City couldn't help but be affected by the festive atmosphere of the mortal world.
The whole of Nanli City was filled with an atmosphere of joyful celebration.
However, within the Jiang Family's mansion, there was only a bleak and oppressive atmosphere.
A few days ago, the Qi Family suddenly began to purchase various Spirit Herbs and Elixirs in the city, and at extremely high prices.
Among the Spirit Herbs and Elixirs they purchased were many that were essentially worthless and served no purpose.
Many cultivators and medicine merchants basically sold all of the herbs in their possession to the Qi Family at high prices.
Jiang Zhen's keen business sense perceived the unusual nature of the Qi Family's massive purchase of Spirit Herbs and Elixirs.
He stayed up all night, seeking out many cultivators who refined pills to study the herbs the Qi Family had purchased, but he couldn't figure out what new pill the Qi Family was trying to develop.
This was no surprise that the Jiang Family couldn't figure it out.
The Refining Immortal Pill recipe that Ning Ye Chen gave to the Qi Family was something he developed himself, and there was no record of it in the world.
And Qi Rongchang of the Qi Family was also very shrewd.
He knew that the Jiang Family would definitely notice something, so he mixed a lot of Spirit Herbs and Elixirs that weren't in the recipe at all into the vast amount of medicinal ingredients he was purchasing.
Even if the Jiang Family researched it for a lifetime, they would never be able to figure it out.
At this moment, inside the Jiang Family mansion, Jiang Zhen sat in the main hall, his brows furrowed, his hand on his forehead, looking exhausted.
With the Treasure Merchants Association as a witness, he didn't dare to refuse to hand over the management rights of the streets in Nanli City to the Qi Family.
After the Qi Family obtained the management rights of the streets, they immediately began to suppress the Jiang Family's business!
Among his subordinates, many of the merchant guilds had already switched their allegiance to the Qi Family!
In order to cope with the Qi Family's suppression, he had been extremely busy these past few days.
Besides a few managers at home, and his younger brother Jiang Ming, no one else was of any use!
Especially his son, Jiang Li, who had been known for his frivolous nature since the beginning, and had absolutely no talent in business!
Now that his lower body was crippled, he only knew how to hide at home, lose his temper, and smash things, without any ambition!
If it weren't for the fact that Jiang Li was Jiang Zhen's only son, he would have wanted to kick him out of the Jiang Family!
The mysterious person who had attacked Jiang Li and killed Jiang Gan had yet to be found…
The Jiang Family didn't know when they had provoked such a person, nor did they know if the other party would strike against the Jiang Family again…
After Chen Rou's death, Jiang Zhen and the rest of the Jiang Family lived in constant fear.
They were afraid that the next Jiang Li or Jiang Gan would be them…
This mental torment further exhausted everyone in the Jiang Family, both physically and mentally.
One matter hadn't been resolved before another was piled on, leaving Jiang Zhen feeling only vexation and a headache.
"Big Brother."
At this moment, Jiang Ming entered the main hall and greeted Jiang Zhen.
During this time, he had been specifically in charge of recruiting alchemists to study the Qi Family's Yujing Spirit Liquid and the purchased Spirit Herbs and Elixirs.
At the same time, he had also been in charge of investigating who had murdered his son, Jiang Gan.
Seeing Jiang Ming enter, Jiang Zhen's face showed anticipation, and he quickly asked:
"You're here, how is it going?"
"Can you decipher the Qi Family's pill formula?"
Jiang Ming slowly shook his head, saying with great regret: "I can't..."
"The Spirit Herbs and Elixirs that the Qi Family purchased are of many types and too strange."
"I've already found more than a dozen alchemists to study it together, but still can't figure out the pill formula in the Qi Family's hands..."
Jiang Zhen, hearing this, leaned back in his chair in disappointment and reached out to rub his eyebrows.
"Since there's no result, then why are you here?"
"The Qi Family is sending people again..."
"They say they want to buy the Spirit Herbs and Elixirs held by the Jiang Family, offering ten times the market price."
Jiang Ming stepped forward and took out a list of medicinal herbs compiled by the Qi Family from his pocket, handing it to Jiang Zhen.
Without even looking at it, Jiang Zhen snatched the list, tore it to shreds, and roared in anger:
"Tell the Qi Family people to get out!"
"Or I'll chop off their heads and send them back to the Qi Family!"
"The Jiang Family would rather let the herbs rot in the warehouse than sell them to the Qi Family!"
Jiang Ming stood to the side, pondered for a moment, and then stepped forward to advise:
"Big brother, why don't we raise the price a bit more and sell those medicinal herbs to the Qi Family?"
"You want me to sell those medicinal herbs to the Qi Family?"
Jiang Zhen glared at Jiang Ming and questioned him.
Jiang Ming nodded, his expression serious as he said:
"Big brother, as you know, we are already in debt…"
The Jiang Family's main business relied on the high price sales of Fire Lotus Liquid.
Now that the Qi Family Chamber of Commerce controlled the lifeline of Nanli City's Chamber of Commerce, the Jiang Family couldn't suppress the prices of the materials needed for Fire Lotus Liquid like before.
The cost of refining Fire Lotus Liquid had greatly increased, and they had also lost many of their sales channels.
A few days ago, they had also ordered a large amount of materials for Fire Lotus Liquid from other places, paying in installments each month.
Each month, they also had to contribute a huge amount of spirit stones to the Holy Lotus Sect...
The Jiang Family seemed very wealthy, but the flow of funds was enormous, and they didn't have much capital left on hand.
Suppressed by the Qi Family Merchant Association, next month's funds were already insufficient to repay the debts left over from before…
If a merchant association couldn't pay its debts on time, its reputation would be affected.
Once their reputation was affected, it would be difficult to cooperate with other merchant associations in the future!
Jiang Zhen also understood this, which made him even more worried.
He had originally thought the Jiang Family would win the merchant association competition, which was why he had purchased and ordered a large amount of Fire Lotus Liquid materials, even going so far as to pay in installments.
If they won the merchant association competition, the Jiang Family would control all the merchant associations and shops in Nanli City, and the financial shortfall they owed could be quickly made up.
They never expected to lose…
This was the reason why the Jiang Family was in such a difficult situation now.
"Sigh, tell me your plan."
"Since you asked me to sell those medicinal ingredients, you must have a plan, right?"
Jiang Zhen sighed softly and looked at Jiang Ming, asking.
This younger brother of his was quite astute.
It was also because of them, the two brothers, that the Jiang Family had come this far.
It's just that their two sons were too useless...
Jiang Ming smiled slightly and voiced his thoughts:
"Elder Brother, I have a plan!"
"The herbs the Qi Family is purchasing are very likely for refining the Yujing Spirit Liquid."
"The Yujing Spirit Liquid doesn't belong to the body tempering liquids, and it basically won't affect the Jiang Family's business."
"We can take the opportunity to raise the price and sell the herbs to the Qi Family, and then step up the mass production of Fire Lotus Liquid!"
"By then, selling this batch of Fire Lotus Liquid at a high price will be enough to make up for the Jiang Family's financial shortfall!"
"At that time, Nanli City will still be the Jiang Family's domain!"
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)