AGAINST NINE REALMS

”In that case… This servant will go and complete his task as soon as possible. ” against Duan Yus insistence, Ji Duan could only quietly nod and excuse himself. Before leaving, he made his way into the room being cleaned and took the pill chest along with the accounts book.

Ji Duan was a little restless but couldn say anything to retort his young masters direct order. Furthermore, theres no merit nor point in persuading Duan Yu to change his mind. In that case, he might as well try and get them done quickly.

Meanwhile, Duan Yu casually stretched himself on the leaning chair carved out of marble stone. He doesn look like one from the outside, but he has been working hard over the night to refine the Verdant Calming Grass.

Although he merely refined twenty boxes so far, it was better than nothing because hes currently three thousand Mind Clearing Verdant Pills richer. With enough time, he could have fifteen thousand pills, which is about triple what their Eastern Duan City had in hand.

”Ah… How can I not realize the comfort of this chair until now? ” Duan Yu expressed his feeling as the marbles coolness penetrated his clothing and struck his muscle and tendons. The soothing tranquility is like a medicinal paste to his inflamed joints.

”Young master! Your breakfast is ready. ” said one of the servants as he prepared the dishes on the marble table. Another servant soon came over and informed Duan Yu about the condition of his private chamber.

”The furniture has been changed and cleaned. Do you have anything else in mind, Young master? ” the servant asked while Duan Yus hand reached out to a fried fritter.

”Theres nothing else. Those without a task may excuse themselves. By the way, I want no disturbance until Ji Duan comes back. Make sure you inform the others. ” Duan Yu said and continued with his breakfast.

In between his breakfast, Duan Yu did not forget to send a servant over to see if his father was available for a conversation in the morning. Usually, Duan Shunde would always be at the familys grand hall to discuss their day-to-day arrangement related to Eastern Duan City.

But that meeting was not one in which Duan Yu could simply interfere and join. This means if he wanted to speak to his father, he would have to wait until Duan Shunde returned to his own patriarchs courtyard.

After waiting for two hours, it was finally his turn to speak with his father. But someone will be tagging along in this conversation.

”Impossible! I can ignore the matter about collecting the Mind Clearing Verdant Pill yesterday, but touching our reserve on the Verdant Calming Grass is forbidden. There will be no discussion on this matter related to the business with traders from Huanyi Realm. ” Duan Shunde immediately rejected Duan Yus request to use the reserve stock of Verdant Calming Grasses.

”Father, Yu-Er can assure you that what I am doing is more profitable than merely trading the goods with Huanyi Realm traders. What are you so worried about since they only pay us with the rate of twenty basic pills a box? ” Duan Yu immediately argued with his father.

His heart ached each time it reminded him of the price of twenty basic pills for a box of Verdant Calming Grasses. They
e literally selling the goods at a loss and still smiling at the buyer for their ”fake ” kindness.

”No means no. Don forget that we
e relying heavily on the Huanyi Realm traders to obtain cultivation resources outside our realm. Without them as the middleman, well be cut off from all access to the outside. ”

”If that happened, our Eastern Duan City would collapse ten times faster, even without the other three sabotaging us. Can you bear the responsibility when that happened? ” Duan Shunde asked. His question made the listener seated on his right side nod in approval.

Duan Shundes statement tells Duan Yu that he wasn a fool either. It was no secret that a hundred basic pills could be refined from the Verdant Calming Grasses they were selling. But sometimes, one is given no other choice but to endure because they
e on the weaker side.

Of course, Duan Shunde might be coughing out a few mouthfuls of blood if he knew that it wasn a hundred pill refinable from a batch but a hundred and fifty.

”I will take the Verdant Calming Grasses from the warehouse no matter what. State your price if you don want me to take things even further. ” Duan Yu stared intensely at his father and expressed himself.

”Take fifty (Basic) Mind Clearing Verdant Pills out for each box you took, then Ill consider. ” Duan Shunde said. He knew his son wouldn have so many pills in his hand based on how high profile he was daily.

”You
e ruthless, father… ” Duan Yu stares angrily at his father while gritting his teeth.

”Treat it as a lesson. This will let you know that there are always some people you cannot offend, even as the young overlord of this Eastern Duan City. ” Duan Shunde continued. He felt that this would be a good opportunity to educate his son about the real world they
e living in.

”Patriarch… Why don we let Yu-Er try doing what he wants first? There are still three days to go anyway. I think our workers could work a little longer to increase the output to twenty boxes a day. ” the listener no longer manages to keep quiet and interrupt.

”What about letting Yu-Er try what he wanted first by giving him half of what he needed? ” the elder suggested. This person was the second brother of Duan Shunde and Duan Yus third uncle, Duan Shunfu.

Duan Shunde was the second of his five siblings named after You-De-Fu-Ren-Xin. Except for Duan Shunde, each sibling handles one of the Duan Familys biggest businesses in Eastern Duan City.

(You: Having / De: Virtue / Fu: Approval / Ren: People / Xin: Heart / the entire sentence was an idiom that with virtue, one would receive peoples approval and heart)

Duan Shunde revealed a torn expression after hearing what his third brother said. It appears that he is giving the suggestion a thought.

”Count yourself lucky that your third uncle agreed to go with your usual stunts. If you failed to do what you promised, don blame me for taking my anger out on you. ” Duan Shunde unhappily agreed to Duan Yus request.

”Thank you, father, third uncle. ” Duan Yu cupped his fist and bowed politely to the two.

”Alright. Since theres nothing else, this old bone will get back to the third courtyard. If theres anything, feel free to find me there. ” Duan Shunfu said and prepared to leave.

Yu-Er thanks the third uncle again for speaking out. ” Duan Yu didn forget to express his gratitude before sending Duan Shunfu away.

The atmosphere inside the hall remained intense until a few minutes later.

”Alright. Nobody is around now. Why don you open the lid of your pot and tell me what concoction you
e cooking this time? ” Duan Shunde used his right hand to support his jaw while slightly leaning on his chairs armrest.

It was hard to believe, but this pair of father and son were actually in cahoot as they acted with an unprepared script.

Furthermore, how can he be oblivious that something must be up since his son already missed three dinners and breakfast?

”It would be better if fewer people know about this, but I think Ive solved the matter about Pill Alchemist. ” Duan Yu made his way to his father and whispered lightly beside his father. He did consider telling his father about the relic left in the Ancestral Hall but decided not to before discovering more about its functionality.

”How confident are you with this matter? You should know that I am not joking on the topic with Huanyi Realm traders. Remember that your second sister is still studying for her trading license to trade in Ruyi, Wuyi, Huanyi, and Quanyi Realm. ”

”If your suggestion will affect her future, Ill cut you out immediately. ” Duan Shunde continued. Theres something hidden in between his words. That something is a topic that would bring more power and prosperity to Eastern Duan City in the future.

But for them to grasp this opportunity properly, theyll have to went through plenty of suffering for now, such as selling the Verdant Calming Grasses below the price people would normally ask for.

”Yu-Er is very confident, father. Would you believe my words if I said I could change how we live and cultivate after one month? ” replied Duan Yu. He sounded extremely confident in the choice he was going to make.

”I find it hard to believe. But if your second sister was the one who said this, I would trust her without question asked. ” Duan Shunde said. He sounded a little biased in his sentence.

Of course, theres a reason for his complete trust in his second child.

Unlike the eldest daughter, Duan Lianye, who had neither talent nor looks, the second daughter, Duan Lianzi, was a business genius in the patriarchs family tree. She also suggested what Duan Shunde and Duan Yu should do in secret and how to use the traders for their own advantage.

In that case, bring something out to convince me. If its good enough, Ill think of a way to get you as much Verdant Calming Grass as we can. ” Duan Shunde suggested.

”Youll lose for sure, dear father… ” Duan Yu chuckled and took an exquisite-looking box out from his chest. In case words failed to convince him, this was his secret weapon to persuade his father.

”Humph! What can your tiny little box possibly hold? ” Duan Shunde harumph took the box from Duan Yu. He went on to open it without any mental preparation.

”How did you get so many Unrefined-Category Verdant Pills in hand? ” Duan Shunde asked.