Chapter 20: Abyss

Early the next day, Liu Qingcang sat in the City Lord's Mansion with a pained expression again. Yesterday, he had come to see Xu Bingkun, hoping the City Lord could lend a hand with the current situation. After all, Shen Tang had simply introduced a very simple new rule, and then a Shen family business that had nothing before was able to gain a foothold in Xia State. With his solid foundation, if the City Lord could also lend support, wouldn't it be a walk in the park to beat ten Shen family businesses?

However, the proposal for the new rule was made by Shen Tang, not Xu Bingkun. When it came to business strategies, Xu Bingkun might not have any good ones himself. He could only comfort Liu Qingcang, saying that he would have Chen Jin'er, the head of the Alchemy Department, issue a notice declaring that the spirit energy pills were not poisonous.

The notice was delivered to Chen Jin'er, who also smiled and said he would obey the City Lord's order. But no one knew exactly when the notice would be issued. Chen Jin'er was the foremost alchemist in Xia State, a dignified sixth-grade alchemist. In this remote place, he could be called a treasure that could guard the city. Xu Bingkun couldn't push him too hard; otherwise, what would he do if something happened later and he needed him to treat him?

One night passed, and the situation for the Danxia Gang did not improve in the slightest; instead, it intensified. People flocked to various pharmacies to return goods, and pharmacies also stopped purchasing from the Danxia Gang on the grounds that their "pills had major flaws." Some with connections even came to demand compensation from Liu Qingcang.

The Danxia Gang's own pharmacy was packed with people mountain people sea early in the morning. They weren't there to buy medicine; they were all there to return goods. They weren't just returning the spirit energy pills; they were also returning the low-grade return energy pills and the like.

All the low-grade pills were refined by the apprentices brought in by Lu Xingzhou. They strictly followed Lu Xingzhou's pill formulas. Although their refining skill was average, they definitely wouldn't have the kind of heavy pill poison that the spirit energy pills did. It was a pity that the reputation of the spirit energy pills had been tarnished. Most people were not knowledgeable. They even felt that perhaps these low-grade pills were more poisonous than those from other families, so they didn't want any of them. No matter how the Danxia Gang people explained, it was useless.

If this continued, the Danxia Gang's pill business would be completely unsalvageable, returning to the time when they were medicine peddlers overnight.

"City Lord, we can't wait any longer!" Liu Qingcang beat his chest and stomped his feet in front of Xu Bingkun. "Chen Jin'er has been bought by Lu Xingzhou now. He won't have good intentions to help us dispel the rumors. Even if he was willing, who knows how many days he'll drag it out? By then, the yellow flowers will have already turned cold."

Xu Bingkun's expression was grim. His dead soldiers had been completely wiped out, and he didn't even know the situation. He was just worried. How could he be in the mood to care about this kind of trivial matter? He secretly thought to himself, if your own pill business has problems, why are you making it seem like it's my responsibility? The new rule affects the entire city. Why are other families fine, but you're the one with problems?

However, right now, he did need Liu Qingcang to publicly confront Shen Tang. He endured his anger and said, "Then what are you waiting for?"

"Chen Jin'er is unwilling to testify for the spirit energy pills, but we can let him speak for other pills," Liu Qingcang quickly said. "Our other pills are indeed fine. The pill poison is even lighter than those from other families! Even if Chen Jin'er is unreliable, we can let other people from the Alchemy Department speak."

Xu Bingkun said, "Since they are all refined by you, why are the spirit energy pills so poisonous, while the other pills are light?"

Even Xu Bingkun didn't believe this... Liu Qingcang's old face was red. How could he have the nerve to say that the other pills were Lu Xingzhou's legacy, but he had driven him away and replaced him with a frivolous person?

Xu Bingkun paced back and forth a few steps, and finally said, "According to what you say, your pharmacy is now being blocked by people... With this kind of momentum, a single sentence from the Alchemy Department with nothing to back it up won't have much effect. If you are indeed certain, the best strategy is to have a public inspection. That way, you can instantly clear up the doubts and take advantage of the situation to promote. But if you are deceiving this official, and flaws are found during the inspection, that would be a heaven-shattering situation. You need to think carefully!"

Liu Qingcang was overjoyed: "The other pills are absolutely fine!"

Xu Bingkun emphasized: "Many people are cultivators; they may not all be ignorant! A public inspection by the Alchemy Department will only tell the truth. It's impossible for them to lie for you!"

Liu Qingcang pounded his chest, making a thudding sound: "If there are any problems, I will bear the consequences myself."

This was exactly what Xu Bingkun wanted to hear. With a stern face, he wrote another note and told Liu Qingcang to go to the Alchemy Department to find people.

Liu Qingcang let out a sigh of relief, took the note, and was about to leave, when he suddenly turned his head: "City Lord, if you feel it's inconvenient to openly deal with Shen Tang, then I suggest we can first break her arm."

Xu Bingkun was startled for a moment: "What do you mean by that?"

"Shen Tang arrived in Xia State and quickly gained a firm foothold. Our attacks were easily resolved, and we ourselves are in chaos... Does the City Lord think this is all Shen Tang's own ability? No, it's because someone is planning for her."

"Lu Xingzhou?"

"Exactly... Take advantage of the fact that these two haven't completely merged yet, and are still just a landlord-tenant relationship. There's still a chance to break them apart. Once they become more intimate, I fear Shen Tang's rise will be unstoppable."

As Liu Qingcang said this, he felt wronged in his heart. Those two originally had no relationship whatsoever. Their relationship actually began because he dug up Bai Chi and drove Lu Xingzhou away.

Who could have imagined that the wind and clouds would intersect like this... He didn't really have the heart to say much more. He left this sentence and quickly went to the Alchemy Department.

This time, even Chen Jin'er agreed to go inspect. He was just unwilling to say things against his heart for the spirit energy pills; it didn't mean he was unwilling to provide proof for normal pills.

A group of people hurried to the Danxia Gang pharmacy. The crowd surrounded the inside three layers and the outside three layers, almost tearing down the house. Liu Qingcang's voice spread throughout the area: "Fathers and elders, don't worry. Our pills are absolutely fine! Head Chen will conduct a public inspection to dispel everyone's doubts... Even if you don't trust me, you should trust Head Chen!"

Chen Jin'er's reputation was indeed very high, which finally silenced the agitated crowd. They craned their necks to see the result.

"Everyone, please don't be impatient. If you don't trust our Alchemy Department, you can also invite experts to come in and check with us." Chen Jin'er cupped his hands to the crowd and led them into the pharmacy.

Inside the pharmacy, there were still several baskets of pills that had just been delivered at midnight. They were causing a commotion and hadn't been put into the cabinet yet... Chen Jin'er reached out and casually picked up a few pieces, distributing them to his subordinates. He also took one himself, broke it open, and sniffed it in the light.

Liu Qingcang looked at Chen Jin'er's expression with anticipation... Then he watched with wide eyes as Chen Jin'er's face became uglier and uglier.

"Nonsense!" Chen Jin'er pinched the broken pill, his hands trembling. "This kind of most ordinary return energy pill has been perfected by countless alchemists for thousands of years, almost considered a basic skill. Even with such basic goods, you can still mix them up into such crooked melons and cracked dates! If you really aren't capable, you can come to the Alchemy Department to buy the public formula!"

Liu Qingcang angrily said, "How is that possible? Who doesn't know that our pills are of the best quality? The Danxia Gang was founded on this basis. Head Chen, you wouldn't be deliberately..."

Before he finished speaking, a civilian cultivator who had volunteered to follow the inspection interrupted with a stern voice: "In front of the crowd, who dares to talk nonsense? This return energy pill of yours clearly has very poor effects. What's with adding a large amount of sweet potato paste inside? Is it for good taste?"

Liu Qingcang: "?"

"Being neutralized like this, it's not even as effective as directly chewing the medicinal herbs! This thing is also called a pill? It's simply a disgrace. You still have the nerve to accuse Head Chen!"

Another person sighed and said, "At least it's not poisonous... Otherwise, the sin of harming people like this would be great! Even so, the suspicion of substituting inferior goods for good ones is unavoidable. You actually dared to let us conduct a public inspection. Where did you get the courage..."

The crowd was in an uproar. It should be known that one of the duties of the Alchemy Department was to inspect whether various pharmacies were substituting inferior goods for good ones. Once found, this could directly lead to sealing and processing, and the fines could make people bankrupt!

Liu Qingcang's eyes were wide and his mouth was agape. The return energy pills that the apprentices had refined so proficiently for half a year, how did they suddenly change? Could it be that Lu Xingzhou initially brought out this kind of thing?

Thinking of this, he quickly said: "Head Chen, everyone knows that our return energy pills use Lu Xingzhou's formula, and the people were also taught by him! If the return energy pills have a problem, then it's Lu Xingzhou's problem!"

Chen Jin'er's face was stern and he didn't speak. What he meant was, were we in the Alchemy Department derelict in our duty before? Did we even approve of these sweet potato pills?

He stepped to the counter and pointed at the counter surface: "Old pills, take out a few to see."

The shopkeeper trembled and took out a few pieces to distribute. After Chen Jin'er examined them for a moment, he suddenly became angry: "The old pills have absolutely no problems, and the quality is quite high. This is clearly you privately changing the pill formula and substituting inferior goods for good ones after recent losses, attempting to quickly recover with this, and still wanting to throw mud at someone who once had merit! The Danxia Gang's conduct is despicable, I, this old man, understand!"

Liu Qingcang's mind buzzed. He couldn't understand what was happening. He hadn't thought about it. If you treat apprentices like cattle and horses, the cattle and horses will also kick you. This kick was so heavy, heavy enough to step into the eighteen layers of hell, almost impossible to recover from.

But pills cannot be made by blindly changing and refining. Apprentices privately changing things could only refine entire furnaces of waste slag. This was something only an expert could change! If it was Lu Xingzhou who did it, how could he cut so ruthlessly and accurately this time?

Chen Jin'er announced to the outside with a face full of anger: "The Danxia Gang pharmacy is immediately closed! They will undergo rectification under the supervision of the Alchemy Department. When the rectification is complete, they will open!"

Chen Jin'er flicked his sleeves and led the crowd away. Liu Qingcang looked at the people inside three layers and outside three layers surrounding the house. His head was spinning, his mind blank.

At the street corner, Du Gu Qing Li pushed Lu Xingzhou's wheelchair and watched for a long time, then asked in a complex voice: "How did you dare to be so sure that your apprentices would dare to do this, even thinking about whose hands to put it in?"

"As long as they are people, they all have tempers," Lu Xingzhou said lightly. "These days, Liu Qingcang indulging Bai Chi to bully them has already made people angry but dare not speak. Yesterday, to make up for losses, he made them work double shifts again. This suppressed anger only lacked a fuse to break the dike. As their master who brought them for half a year, my provocation was a sufficient fuse."

"You... aren't you afraid that Liu Qingcang will go back and be unfavorable to them?"

"That's why I originally felt this method was a bit impatient and didn't want to implement it so quickly. But since I decided to do it, then I'll be more thorough," Lu Xingzhou leisurely said. "While they are in chaos here, A Nuo has already gone to pick up the apprentices... A Shen family business receiving such a batch of apprentices can also establish its own alchemy system. I just don't know if Qing Li is brave enough to cope with Liu Qingcang's anger?"

Du Gu Qing Li's face was expressionless. The person making the decisions for the Shen family business is Shen Tang, not me. What's the use of provoking my will?

Speaking of which, you came here to watch the show. Why did you specifically ask me to push the wheelchair? Is it just because I participated in this matter? What does this have to do with me pushing the wheelchair?

The white-haired girl thought with a stern face for a long time, but still couldn't figure out the logic here.