Chapter 83

In less than a month after the release of the Blood-Clotting Powder, the Xiao family had captured seventy percent of the healing medicine market in Wutan City. The huge profits brought great joy to the Xiao family, and the previously somewhat sparse household now bustled with activity, as lively as a market.

In contrast to the Xiao family's joy, the Jia family was shrouded in gloom. Due to their previous profiteering, they had incurred the disdain of the majority of mercenaries. Moreover, the Blood-Clotting Powder from the Xiao family was more effective than the Spring-Return Powder, so the Jia family's healing medicine business was severely suppressed by the Xiao family. If not for the limited daily supply of healing medicines from the Xiao family, the Jia family would have been left with nothing but scraps.

Although the healing medicine business had shrunk, the profits were still substantial. However, what troubled the Jia family the most was the large amount of medicinal herbs required for refining. The Miter Auction House, the largest resource hub in the city, had refused to cooperate with them. The Jia family was seething with anger over this blockade of medicinal herbs, but no matter how furious they were, they did not dare to force the Miter Auction House, knowing that the Miter Auction House had a powerful backing that ranked among the top in the entire Jia Ma Empire. A small family like the Jia family in Wutan City did not have the capability to provoke such a powerful force.

With the auction house route blocked, the Jia family had no choice but to purchase medicinal herbs from the city's herb shops at prices several times higher than the market rate. However, this was only a temporary solution, as these herb shops did not have the capacity to supply such a massive demand for a long time.

Moreover, everyone in Wutan City could see the tension and animosity between the Xiao family and the Jia family. Helping the Jia family at this time would undoubtedly offend the rising Xiao family. Therefore, after the first sale of medicinal herbs to the Jia family, many herb shops dared not sell on a large scale again, further exacerbating the Jia family's difficulties.

As a result, the Jia family's sources of medicinal herbs in Wutan City had been cut off by nearly eighty percent. The remaining twenty percent was far from enough to meet the needs of refining healing medicines. In desperation, the Jia family had to resort to high prices to purchase medicinal herbs from other cities, barely alleviating the crisis of insufficient herbs. However, this also significantly reduced their profits. Without the profits from healing medicines, the Jia family would have faced bankruptcy long ago.

In Wutan City, the Xiao family was riding the wave of success from healing medicines, their status rising rapidly, even threatening to overshadow the other two major families.

...

In the bustling market, Xiao Yan walked lazily down the street, followed by seven or eight burly men dressed in the uniforms of the Xiao family guards. Each of these men had four or more gold stars on their chests, indicating that they were all at least four-star fighters.

The street was crowded with people, and many fierce mercenaries, exuding a bloody aura, smiled kindly at the lazy young man with his hands behind his head. Some who were more familiar would even laugh and tease, "Young Master, are you out looking for trouble again?"

Each time he heard this, Xiao Yan would pull a helpless face and let out a low sigh. Half a month ago, Xiao Zhan suddenly assigned him to manage this market, calling it "training." The Xiao family had a heated debate over this decision, as managing a market at such a young age was unprecedented in the family. However, in the end, considering Xiao Yan's new status, some people agreed, and so Xiao Yan, who had been resting at home, was sent here.

Although the market was large, managing it was not too labor-intensive. Xiao Yan delegated the more tedious tasks, such as street zoning and price negotiations for prime locations, to the old steward his father had assigned to him. Occasionally, he would take a group of men to patrol the market and ensure its safety, leading a rather stable and carefree life.

Xiao Yan appeared calm and indifferent, but he enjoyed talking with mercenaries about the thrilling adventures of their missions, strange magical beasts, and the ancient techniques left in some remote caves. These stories stirred the adventurous spirit within him, making him eager to explore those uninhabited mountains and find those mysterious and powerful techniques and combat skills.

Xiao Yan was young, and his handsome face made it hard for people to dislike him. Additionally, he would often pull out limited healing medicines from his pocket to give away when the conversation got exciting, which earned him the goodwill of the straightforward mercenaries. Over time, the return rate of regular customers in Xiao Yan's market became the highest among all the markets managed by the Xiao family.

Reflecting on the past half month, Xiao Yan smiled wistfully. Such days were few and far between. In a little over a month, he would have to leave with Master Yao for training, and he might not return for one or two years.

Shaking off his melancholy, Xiao Yan lifted his head and saw a somewhat sleazy, thin figure quickly weaving through the crowd.

Stopping in his tracks, Xiao Yan looked at the thin, ordinary-looking man and frowned, saying coolly, "Kelu, why aren't you busy with your big business? What are you doing here?"

The sleazy man, known as a "golden finger" in the market—essentially a thief—smiled flatteringly at Xiao Yan and said, "Hehe, Young Master." The thin man named Kelu grinned, "I came to report something. Just now, I received a message from one of my subordinates that Miss Xun'er and a few others were verbally harassed by an unknown man at the outskirts of the market. I came here as soon as I heard."

"Oh, right, Jia Lei from the Jia family was also there. It seems he knows the man in black. They have quite a few people with them."

Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed, and his calm expression slowly turned cold. He turned his head slightly and said softly, "Xiao Li, gather everyone. Bring all the living ones here!"

"Yes!" A burly man responded respectfully and quickly ran into the market.

"Lead the way." Xiao Yan turned to Kelu and nodded his chin slightly, speaking coolly.

Seeing Xiao Yan's suddenly cold expression, Kelu hurriedly nodded, not daring to say another word, and quickly led the way.

"That bastard, how dare he come to our Xiao family's territory and harass me... If I let you walk out of this market unscathed today, I won't be the market master!" Licking his lips, Xiao Yan's cold whisper made Kelu's body tremble, and he sped up even more.

(Rolling on the ground, begging for recommendations...^_^)