chapter 26 Coercion and inducement ===

The two sides remained deadlocked, and Arboreus Lei had difficulties expressing his grievances. Master Huo asked him to come out and invite Verdantius Liu in to treat his serious illness. If Verdantius Liu were killed here, the blame would surely fall on him. The sale of Spirit Elixirs was booming. In just half a day, they made a fortune, filling the treasury of the Pill Treasure cockloft. For them, before obtaining the alchemy technique, Verdantius Liu was their money tree, and they wouldn't allow any mishaps. Having obtained the alchemy technique, whether Verdantius Liu lived or died, Arboreus Lei cared not. It was not yet time for him to die. "Commander Guo, Mr. Liu is a guest of our Pill Treasure cockloft. If you want the Ninth Sun fruits, place an order today, and they will be delivered in five days." Taking a deep breath and going through intense internal struggles, Arboreus Lei reluctantly spoke these words. Even he couldn't believe that one day he would be led by a waste. With an inviting gesture, Verdantius Liu strode into the back hall, leaving Commander Guo and others behind with eyes spewing fire and terrifying killing intent directed at Verdantius Liu. "Bang!" A fist slammed fiercely on the counter, shattering it into pieces. None of the Pill Treasure cockloft attendants dared to speak, pretending not to have seen anything, as they couldn't afford to offend the Lord's Mansion. "Commander, what should we do? If Miss's injuries are not treated in time, it may leave hidden dangers. The Lord's Mansion has ordered us to find medicines that are extremely strong and positive to the utmost." The guards behind were yelling, sheathing their blades but reluctant to leave. "We'll wait outside. As soon as this kid appears, we'll immediately snatch the Ninth Sun fruits." They had no choice. They dared not invade the Pill Treasure cockloft, so they chose to ambush on the road to kill Verdantius Liu. As the group quickly departed, the Pill Treasure cockloft returned to calmness. The attendants began cleaning the shattered counter, which had been replaced several times in just a few days. Entering the private room, Master Huo had been waiting for a long time. Seeing Verdantius Liu, he stood up to greet him. The three of them took their seats, and many cards were laid out on the table. The sale of Spirit Elixirs far exceeded their expectations. Despite three price adjustments during the short period, the demand still outstripped supply. "Mr. Liu, the sale of five hundred Spirit Elixirs totaled one million gold coins. Here is your share of five hundred thousand, and the cost of materials is provided free of charge by our Pill Treasure cockloft." Earning one million gold coins in the morning was equivalent to several months' income for the Xu's weapons workshop. The profits from alchemy were terrifying. Verdantius Liu didn't hesitate and accepted the five hundred thousand gold coins. Drawing out a silver needle from his pocket, Master Huo stood up excitedly. The signs of the Chan Zhong acupoint had recurred these days. This time, the technique was even faster, taking only a few minutes to complete the treatment. Master Huo exhaled a turbid breath, and a powerful force sprayed from his chest, making him feel much more comfortable. "Mr. Liu, can the supply of Spirit Elixirs be advanced by a few days? The initial batch had a strong reaction, and we should take advantage of the momentum to mass-produce and capture more market share." Arboreus Lei spoke, responsible for the sale of alchemical products. The better the sales performance, the higher his status in the overall Pill Treasure cockloft structure. Without directly stating it, they made Verdantius Liu write out the alchemy technique, and his facial expressions betrayed him. The alchemy technique was Verdantius Liu's leverage against the Pill Treasure cockloft. Once surrendered, even if the Pill Treasure cockloft didn't turn hostile immediately, it was likely they would eventually sideline him. "Eight days. I will provide one thousand pills at once!" Verdantius Liu pondered for a moment. Advancing by two days, he needed to refine the Prolonging Elixirs next. It would take a few more days to repair the meridians, striving to break through to the Innate Realm as soon as possible. He didn't want to waste too much time on refining Spirit Elixirs. Cultivation cannot be done without the principles of financial cultivation. While wealth is undoubtedly important, only with a substantial amount of resources can one acquire what is needed. Focusing solely on accumulating wealth while neglecting cultivation results in a reversal of priorities. "Mr. Liu, as long as you hand over the alchemy technique to our Pill Treasure cockloft in advance, I will handle the matters with the Lord's Mansion for you. What do you think?" Arboreus Lei's tone carried a hint of threat. The profits from Spirit Elixirs were enough to drive him crazy. The Pill Treasure cockloft hadn't developed a new alchemical product in years, and other major city branches had successively introduced new medicines. The status of the Canglan City branch had been declining in recent years. They were anxious for a chance to turn things around, and Spirit Elixirs were their opportunity. On the side of the Wan family, Master Huo personally intervened, and within a month, they were not allowed to take action against the Xu family. The Lord's Mansion, on the other hand, faced no such restrictions. Even if Master Huo intervened, they would not give him any face. Coercion and temptation! If, in the name of the Pill Treasure cockloft, the Lord of the Pavilion came forward to negotiate, the Lord's Mansion would undoubtedly think twice. "Thanks for Mr. Lei's goodwill. I will handle the matters with the Lord's Mansion myself. If there's nothing else, I'll leave now. Please send the medicinal materials that need refining to the Xu family." After saying this, he stood up and left without lingering. Arboreus Lei's words had revealed a touch of anger on his face. The Pill Treasure cockloft ultimately couldn't be relied upon. Passing through the front hall, leaving the Pill Treasure cockloft, obtaining two medicinal herbs, and seizing the time to cultivate. Only by reaching the innate realm can he unleash some Immortal Emperor techniques. Having an advantage against those in the Soul washing realm. As he passed through the front hall and left the Pill Treasure cockloft, voices of discussion came from all directions. "This kid won't live for long. Offending the Lord's Mansion is a death sentence." The Lord's Mansion was not like the Wan family; it was filled with experts, especially the Lord himself, a formidable figure in the Pulp-washing Realm, unparalleled in strength. From the Pill Treasure cockloft back to the Xu family, passing through an uninhabited area, a large-scale battle had occurred here a few years ago, resulting in the collapse of many houses. Most of the residents had already moved away. "Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh..." As soon as he entered this area, more than a dozen people emerged from the shadows, not bothering to disguise themselves. Commander Guo, with the guards from the Lord's Mansion, surrounded him. "Surrender the Ninth Sun fruits, and I can make your death a bit quicker." Icy killing intent enveloped him, as they wished to flay and skin Verdantius Liu alive, publicly rejecting him and ruining the Lord's Mansion's face. "Are you sure you want to start a fight?" Verdantius Liu wore a smile on his face. Except for Commander Guo, who posed some threat, the other guards could be easily dealt with. Hiding his cultivation level, to outsiders, he appeared to be around the fifth stage of acquired Realm. "You waste, who gave you the courage to oppose our Lord's Mansion? Today, I'll come and deal with you." A guard on the right, with the strength of the seventh stage of acquired Realm, slapped Verdantius Liu's cheek. The movement was extremely fast, reaching Essence Cleansing Seventh Layer. "Get lost!" Before his body could approach Verdantius Liu, a mysterious large foot suddenly appeared, kicking his body. Like a kite with a broken string, he fell heavily into a pile of rubble, writhing in pain. Verdantius Liu didn't resort to lethal force. The Xu family faced a major crisis, and it wasn't suitable to provoke the Lord's Mansion at the moment. He spared them a little mercy. Commander Guo's eyes narrowed. Even the weakest guard from the Lord's Mansion was at the sixth stage of the acquired Realm, yet one was kicked away like never before. "Seeking death! How dare you injure the guards of our Lord's Mansion!" The other nine guards infuriated, brandished their weapons, and mercilessly attacked Verdantius Liu. Each move was extremely fierce, intending to put him to death. Commander Guo didn't even show any intention of stopping them. He reveled in their audacity, showing a trace of satisfaction. With his right hand pressing on the short knife, he suddenly traced a beautiful arc, and in the air, red blood flowers flickered. Blood sprayed. The nine guards suddenly froze in place, feeling a chill on their necks. As they reached to touch, their hands came away with some blood stains. "This is just a lesson. If you dare to attack me again, it won't just be a scratch on your skin, but a cut to your neck." A single knife simultaneously hit all nine of them, leaving a fine wound on their necks. It required extremely precise control, one less point wouldn't have a deterrent effect, and one more point would cut off their necks. Commander Guo's eyes narrowed. That knife just now was too stunning, with no trace to be found, as if it descended from the heavens. The ten guards stood as if bewitched, dumbfounded, and unsure of what to do. Caught between a rock and a hard place! Should they attack again, it would be self-inflicted humiliation. Should they let him go? "Clap, clap, clap..." Commander Guo suddenly clapped his hands, watching Verdantius Liu with a playful expression. "Rumors outside say that the son-in-law of the Xu family is a useless person. Today really opened my eyes; I actually underestimated him." A fierce killing intent swept over, half a step into the Innate Realm, Commander Guo had been serving in the Lord's Mansion for decades, committing numerous acts of murder, and he was familiar with such matters. With a shake, a soft whip in his hand produced a violent sonic boom, aiming straight for Verdantius Liu's face, extremely insidious. If hit, it would undoubtedly cause flesh to tear and ruin his appearance. Verdantius Liu didn't retreat but instead advanced. Seven consecutive steps, appear in front of Commander Guo. Each of his movements seemed like a toddler learning to walk in front of Verdantius Liu. Anything below the Innate Realm is nothing but ants! With just his physical body, Verdantius Liu could contend with someone at the First stage of the Innate realm. Let alone someone at the mere half step into the Innate Realm; a single hand could end him. The short knife suddenly descended. Its speed was like lightning, a simple and straightforward draw, releasing a breathtaking momentum, terrifying knife energy tearing through Commander Guo's defense. "Badly!" Commander Guo never expected Verdantius Liu to be so fast. Most terrifying was his drawing technique, as fast as lightning. Before he could react, the blade was already pressing forward. He could only choose to step back. One step back, step by step! The blade's light followed him like a shadow, constantly falling just three inches away from his body, bone-chilling coldness making Commander Guo emit a sharp roar, the long whip in his hand rotating to sweep toward Verdantius Liu's lower body. "You're too slow!" In martial arts, speed is paramount! Verdantius Liu's knife technique took speed to the extreme, like a dragonfly skimming over water. He leaped into the air, drawing a beautiful arc, landing behind Commander Guo. This scene terrified Commander Guo, his soul nearly escaping. In terms of combat talent, ten of him bundled together couldn't match Verdantius Liu's single finger. With his back exposed to the enemy, it meant he had completely lost the initiative. Leaning forward, he tried to avoid a fatal blow. If Verdantius Liu really wanted to kill him, he would've been a corpse long ago. The short knife came down with a resounding chop. Commander Guo felt a chill on his back and thought his body had been split open. With a thud, he knelt on the ground. After waiting for a long time, his consciousness was still clear. Reaching towards his back with his right hand, his clothes were torn, revealing smooth skin. He only felt a cool breeze. Struggling to stand up, turning around, he looked behind. Verdantius Liu had long since left. The final slash used knife energy to tear open his clothes, and he subconsciously thought his body had been split open.