The Peafowl Gathering was now concluded, and the participating clans were about to depart. However, the Coiling Dragon clan lord and Jiang Chen were given a new command - to stay. No one else had this honor, not even young master Ji San. All of the clan lords were bewildered by this turn of events. Since when had this Pill King Zhen become more important than them? Especially someone whoâd popped up out of nowhere. That the Coiling Dragon clan lord was able to stay was at least somewhat understandable. He was the lord of the foremost clan, after all. This Pill King Zhen, on the other handâeven if he had obtained the emperorâs grace, surely that wouldnât correspond with a rise in his position?
What was up with this sudden promotion? Did he now outrank them in importance? Though they didnât understand, they didnât dare defy His Majestyâs orders nor resent him. Their time with Emperor Peafowl had taught them well of his tendencies. His Majestyâs decisions always had a good motive behind them. There had to be a reason as to why His Majesty had sent them away while allowing Pill King Zhen to stay. They were also somewhat curious about the message in the glyph. Why had it caused Emperor Peafowlâs face to darken ? The people departed with a bellyful of questions, no different from the two who remained behind.
Emperor Peafowl looked meaningfully at Jiang Chen, his lips curving into a faint smile, "Pill King Zhen, more trouble has come to us."
Trouble? Jiang Chen did a double take. Is there really a need to tell me that?Am I supposed to solve all of Sacred Peafowl Mountainâs problems for you? The Coiling Dragon clan lord was also very curious, but refrained from immediately voicing his questions given Emperor Peafowlâs stance. Despite their uncertainty, the four monarchs present similarly stayed silent, choosing instead to cast strange glances at Jiang Chen. Evidently, they too wanted to know what was so unique about this Pill King Zhen. Why did His Majesty value the young man so much? What did that glyph have to do with him?
"Forgive my slowness, Your Majesty." Jiang Chen smiled wryly.
"Itâs news related to the Longevity Pill you presented. Thereâs a rumor circulating in Pillfire City that the Longevity Pill actually belongs to them. They say that those of us from Veluriyam Capital have stolen their concept. The rumor has spread like wildfire within their private circles, and though it hasnât been publicly declared yet, that day is not far off."
Pillfire City? Jiang Chen was no stranger to the name. It was where Mu Gaoqi and Elder Yun Nie had been sold to by slavers. Heâd found out about the faction back when heâd interrogated the Myriad Puppets Pavilionâs Shopkeeper Li about Mu Gaoqiâs whereabouts.
If there was any faction in the Upper Eight Regions that Veluriyam Capital had scruples about, it would be Pillfire City. In terms of absolute martial strength, it was unlikely that Pillfire City surpassed Veluriyam. However, with respect to pills, Pillfire City undoubtedly held the upper hand.
Within the Upper Eight Regions and even within the entire human domain, Pillfire City amassed over seventy percent of the profits in the pill industry. As a leading force in the business, countless pill factions rallied beneath Pillfire Cityâs banner. They had branch stores and regional headquarters in various cities and territories. Anywhere a pill faction existed, one could also find Pillfire City.
Yet, Veluriyam Capital was an exception to that rule. The capitalâs pill business was held entirely in its own hands, as was that of its surrounding territories. Besides Veluriyam Capital and its neighbors, the remaining lands had their respective pill industries essentially monopolized by Pillfire City and its associated factions. Insignificant locales and minor factions aside, of course, as Pillfire City had no interest in them. As for everywhere they did have interest in, it was virtually impossible to shake off their shadowy influence. In terms of pill-related influence, Pillfire City could exert far more of it than Veluriyam Capital.
In the human domain, Veluriyam Capital could at most claim ten or twenty percent of the market share and power. Pillfire City, on the other hand, could claim more than three times that on its worst day. The difference between them was quite marked. Although Veluriyam Capital had undertaken numerous efforts over the years, having trained many pill kings and genius pill masters, they had not been able to close the gap in face of Pillfire Cityâs strong foundation. Thus, the faces of the Coiling Dragon clan lord and the four monarchs instantly darkened at the rival cityâs name.
âPillfire City?â Cloudsoar Monarch furrowed his brow. âCan they not bear to see even the slightest sign of growth from us? Is suppressing any and all of our attempts their agenda?ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âYour Majesty, donât you think theyâre going too far? We canât let them bully us like this.â Chronobalance Monarchâs fiery temper had been roused.
Wildfox Monarchâs eyes glittered with insight as he focused his gaze on Jiang Chen. âPill King Zhen, you were the one to submit the Longevity Pill recipe. Did your teacher tell you how many factions in the world knew how to refine it?â
The others looked at Jiang Chen with curiosity as well. He was completely calm about the whole matter, his tone sanguine, ââThe Longevity Pill is an exclusive recipe, and no one else in the human domain can possibly know how to refine it.â These words came directly from my masterâs mouth.â
âIs your master that sure?â
âI donât know exactly how sure he was, but I know my teacher well. I donât think any pill expert in the human domain could even compete with him. Thus, I have complete faith in his wisdom.â Jiang Chen couldnât say that the Longevity Pill was a product of the heavenly planes, or that it was impossible for anyone from the Divine Abyss Continent to know how to refine it. But it didnât even require his toes for him to guess that the Eternal Celestial Capital had to be responsible for Pillfire Cityâs sudden intervention. They knew that they could not beat Veluriyam Capital when the latter announced their copyright over the Longevity Pill. Having understood this, theyâd changed tactics, turning instead to cooperation with Pillfire City.
Jiang Chen hadnât seen the exact proceedings, but he was almost certain that this was the truth of the matter. The raw sensibility of his logic was almost as good as seeing things first hand. There was little need to suspect that something else was at play.
The gathered crowd had mixed reactions at Jiang Chenâs confidence. Neither Emperor Peafowl nor the Coiling Dragon clan lord questioned Jiang Chenâs veracity. Cloudsoar Monarch wasnât particularly suspicious either. The other three monarchs, on the other hand, had varying degrees of doubt. Perhaps this Pill King Zhen was over-exaggerating a little. Maybe the Longevity Pill wasnât exclusive after all, and Pillfire City had seen the recipe for it from somewhere.
The skepticism in the monarchsâ eyes did not go unnoticed, and Jiang Chen wasnât exactly pleased to see it. âThe Longevity Pillâs exclusivity is unambiguous,â he began softly. âBut if you seniors donât have the courage to compete with Pillfire City and are fine with giving it up, then I wonât comment on the decision.â Jiang Chen took a breath, his tone hardening. âHowever, what belongs to me cannot be taken away by force. Even if they can do so now, I will make them pay up one day with interest.â
It wasnât an idle boast; he was entirely serious. He was sick and tired of the Longevity Pill being abused by others. The Eternal Celestial Capital, the Majestic Clan, and now Pillfire City... they all treated the Longevity Pill as a mere tool to stir up chaos in order to gain an advantage. How could he not be upset?
The three unsure monarchs were astonished by Jiang Chenâs rigidity. There was even a hint of anger on their faces. No matter how much His Majesty appreciates you, shouldnât you still respect your seniors?
However, Jiang Chen had no intention of retracting his statement. He raised a cupped fist salute to Emperor Peafowl. âYour Majesty, the Longevity Pill was first taught by my master to the head of Regal Pill Palace in the Myriad Domain. When the sect fell, the recipe was snatched away by the Eternal Celestial Capital. The Longevity Pill that Pillfire City currently possesses is merely their unjust offering, created after Sacred Peafowl Mountainâs announcement. There was no way the Eternal Celestial Capital had a chance against Veluriyam Capital, so they turned to Pillfire City for support instead. In the pill world, Pillfire City is accustomed to great gravitas. Their authority has remained unchallenged for a long time. It would be strange if they were not worried about Veluriyam Capitalâs claim to the Longevity Pill!â
His speech removed the anger from the monarchsâ faces, replacing it with the shock of realization. They hadnât thought about that aspect. They were only concerned with their own misgivings about Pill King Zhen and hadnât considered Pillfire Cityâs potential malice. Sacred Peafowl Mountainâs acquisition of the Longevity Pill recipe was an opportunity for rapid growth and the realization of great ambition. As the current tyrant of the pill world, how could Pillfire City simply let a potential competitor rise unchecked? How could they allow their dominion to face such a severe threat?
Emperor Peafowl nodded admiringly. He had understood the rationale behind Jiang Chenâs words all along, but he hadnât thought the youth would have a vision that greatly exceeded his station. Jiang Chen had pierced through the smoke and mirrors of the situation and reached the core of the issue. The emperor had already previously found Jiang Chenâs talent commendable, but this display of broad contextual awareness served to further elevate the youth in his mind. Smiling faintly, Emperor Peafowl probed further, âThen, Pill King Zhen, do you have any stratagems to counter this?â
Jiang Chen knew this question was a test and took some time to consider his answer. âWell, I have three stratagems â best, better, worse.â
âOh?â The emperor laughed in spite of himself. âI havenât even fleshed out one, but you have three already?â
âThe worse stratagem is to fight it out with Pillfire City on a military level, using the logic of might makes right. In terms of strength, Pillfire City cannot edge out Veluriyam Capital so easily. However, in terms of influence in the pill world, they have the advantage, which might cause future complications. Therefore, this is the worst of the stratagems.
âThe better stratagem is to ignore them entirely. They can produce their pills, and we can produce ours. Let us speak purely in terms of production volume - as long as we do not lose to them in terms of quality, they can complain all they like. In these matters, each side has their own version of the events that transpired , and it is difficult for observers to discern the truth. If Pillfire City really did own the Longevity Pill, where was it prior to now? Considering this, their claims donât really hold much factual basis.â
Everyone nodded at Jiang Chenâs analysis, including the three monarchs who had doubted him. The words he had spoken thus far were quite reasonable.
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