Chapter 80

In the brightly lit hall, the atmosphere was oppressive and heavy.

On the central table, a small green jade bottle was placed, emitting a faint medicinal scent.

Many people were seated in the hall, their attire clearly indicating that they were high-ranking members of the Gale family. Among them was the present Gale Koo.

At the left side of the main seat, a young man in white leaned back lazily in his chair. He was quite handsome, but the occasional flash of silver in his eyes marred his appearance. At that moment, his hand was slowly slipping under the clothes of a beautiful servant girl standing beside him, his actions unrestrained and unashamed of the crowd.

Under the young man's advances, the servant girl's face turned slightly pale, her eyes filled with moisture, and her body trembled slightly, but she dared not make a sound.

"This is the 'Blood Coagulation Powder' that the Xiao family suddenly came up with. The popularity of our market is already plummeting." Gale Bi, seemingly oblivious to the young man's indecent behavior, looked at the small green bottle on the table, his face dark.

"How could the Xiao family have healing medicine? Could they have hired an alchemist?" Gale Ao, who had a significant grudge against Xiao Yan, glanced at the young man in white beside him and frowned.

Gale Bi's old eyes narrowed, his expression rather unpleasant. "Do you remember the mysterious alchemist we met at the auction? From his attitude, it seemed he favored the Xiao family. If this 'Blood Coagulation Powder' was refined by him, we would be in trouble. After all, he might be a third-grade alchemist."

Hearing the title of a third-grade alchemist, the young man in white finally stopped his wandering hand, reluctantly pulling it out. He took a step forward, picked up the small green bottle, sniffed it, and then poured a little out, rubbing it between his fingers. He sneered, "What kind of third-grade alchemist? This Blood Coagulation Powder is indeed a bit better than the Rejuvenation Powder, but from its quality, the alchemist who refined it is clearly inferior to me. The better efficacy is probably due to a special formula."

Hearing this, everyone present secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If the Xiao family really had a third-grade alchemist, the Gale family would have no chance of a comeback.

"Based on my experience, the alchemist the Xiao family hired might just be a beginner, who managed to refine this Blood Coagulation Powder using a formula from somewhere." The young man in white wore a faint look of disdain.

"Hehe, Brother Liu Xi can discern the true nature of the alchemist from a single small pill. Your insight is truly sharp," Gale Ao said with a smile, a hint of flattery in his tone.

"It's just a basic skill for an alchemist," the young man in white, known as Liu Xi, modestly shook his head, but the subtle pride on his face did not escape the old foxes present.

"Although the Rejuvenation Powder is indeed slightly inferior to this Blood Coagulation Powder, the difference is not significant. The sudden drop in market popularity is mainly due to our recent price hikes. Once we adjust the prices, the popularity will gradually return, but it will be difficult to return to the previous level. After all, the Blood Coagulation Powder will attract many customers, and the Xiao family will now be involved in the healing medicine market in U坦城." Gale Bi pondered for a moment and slowly said.

"Adjust the prices?" Liu Xi's eyebrows furrowed, clearly unwilling. He was already used to high prices, and a sudden price drop was hard for him to accept.

Seeing Liu Xi's reaction, Gale Bi inwardly cursed his lack of brains and had to explain with a smile, "Mr. Liu Xi, the market situation is different now. We used to monopolize the healing medicine market in U坦城, but now we can't. Therefore, we must lower the prices to regain popularity."

Shaking his head in frustration, Liu Xi pouted, "Do as you please, but the share I mentioned earlier must still be three times the original price, even if you lower the prices."

Gale Bi's eyes twitched, and a hint of anger rose in his heart. Taking a deep breath, he forced a warm smile, though it looked a bit cold. "Of course, Mr. Liu Xi's share will be paid in full as agreed."

"Good." Nodding in satisfaction, Liu Xi sat back in his chair, even more boldly hugging the beautiful servant girl, his hands roaming freely.

"Mr. Liu Xi, we don't have much Rejuvenation Powder left. I've already sent people to the Mitter Auction House to purchase ingredients. When the time comes, we'll need your help again." Gale Bi smiled and added, "Also, I managed to buy a pair of rare snake women from the Targol Desert yesterday and have already sent them to your room."

Hearing that he would have to refine more medicine, Liu Xi's face showed clear impatience. However, when he heard the word "snake women," his impatience turned to silver lust, his eyes gleaming as he nodded eagerly. "As long as the ingredients are sufficient, there's no need to worry about the quantity of Rejuvenation Powder."

Seeing how easily Liu Xi agreed, a hint of satisfaction and disdain appeared at the corner of Gale Bi's mouth. He inwardly sneered, "A waste of a brain, good for nothing but refining medicine."

Shaking his head with a cold laugh, Gale Bi picked up his teacup and took a sip, then engaged Liu Xi in a conversation about the things he found most interesting—romance and pleasure.

After a while, a family member rushed into the hall and quickly approached Gale Bi, whispering in his ear.

Listening with a smile, Gale Bi's smile gradually froze. The teacup in his hand shattered with a "crack," the fragments mixing with the tea and dripping down his palm.

"The damned Mitter Auction House, playing this game with me!"

Standing up with a fierce expression, Gale Bi roared in anger. A powerful aura burst from his body, creating a small whirlwind that whistled in the air.

Gale Ao, the closest to Gale Bi, felt the oppressive aura and struggled to breathe, quickly stepping back and shouting, "Father!"

Gale Ao's shout brought Gale Bi back to his senses. His face twitched, and he sat down coldly. "The Mitter Auction House is now refusing to sell us ingredients!"

Upon hearing this, the hall erupted in chaos, everyone looking at each other in fear.

"How is that possible? The Mitter Auction House has always maintained neutrality. Why would they target our Gale family?" Gale Koo's face changed, and he trembled, his voice breaking.

"Who would maintain meaningless neutrality in the face of sufficient profit?" Gale Bi snorted, took a deep breath, and glanced at Liu Xi, who looked somewhat disheveled from his aura. "I think this is probably related to the Xiao family."

"They don't have the power to make the Mitter Auction House refuse to sell us ingredients, do they?" Gale Ao muttered.

"Hmph, who knows what conditions they used to persuade the Mitter Auction House." Gale Bi touched his aged face, a sense of unease rising in his heart.

"What do we do now? Without enough ingredients, our Rejuvenation Powder will soon run out, and then it will be our turn to face an empty market." Gale Koo said anxiously.

Clenching his teeth, Gale Bi said coldly, "We still have many herb shops on our side. Send people to gather the ingredients they have, and try to hold on for a while. If that doesn't work, we'll buy ingredients at high prices from other cities. I don't believe the Xiao family can reach into other cities!"

As he spoke, Gale Bi picked up another teacup and noticed that his hand was trembling slightly. Swallowing, Gale Bi had a strange feeling that the Gale family had provoked something they couldn't handle...

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