Chapter 509: Han Yunxi, you’re the one robbing us outright
Once his wrath settled down, Mu Yingdong had to admit that Han Yunxi was smart. She had settled for the lowest price instead of anything lower, which he never would’ve accepted. If he suffered losses from this trade, he would rather the disgraceful deals with the black market be exposed, but the baseline price helped them break even as a form of solace in lieu of missed profits.
Still, the lingering regrets for what might have been left a pent-up taste in his mouth. Mu Yingdong thought it over before finding comfort in the fact that there was no way Han Yunxi could store such a large quantity of ingredients successfully. Most likely, she’d be forced to sell some off for silver before they all spoiled. He gained a bit of satisfaction from the thought.
Thus, Mu Yingdong comfortably agreed to the deal. “Heheh, of course this old man has to give Qin Wangfei face. If it’s eighty percent, then eighty percent discount it is. This can tentatively be considered Pill Fiend Pharmacy’s congratulatory gift.”
Who ever heard of accepting money for congratulatory gifts? Han Yunxi could only curse Mu Yingdong in her heart for being shameless. Thus, she decided to do something even worse to sent him into the depths of despair!
She said, “I’ll take 50 dan of all 300 types of ingredients. They’ll be purchased wholesale and stocked at start of every month. Stock will come in this month first, with the payment to follow the month after…”
Mu Yingdong’s face had already turned black at her words, but Han Yunxi remained serious. “We’ll pay for as much as we buy. Mu Clan Head, you don’t need to worry. This wangfei can promise under His Highness’s name that I’ll never go back on my words!”
Long Feiye nearly spat out the tea in his mouth, but simply coughed lightly a few times and agreed. “Approved.”
Han Yunxi was thrilled and continued, “Of course, we both need to sign an agreement for insurance. If the price of the ingredients drop, the Mu Clan needs to promise Pill Fiend Pharmacy that it’ll make up for the losses in value.”
Now it wasn’t just Mu Yingdong’s face turning black, but his vision as well. He felt like he was about to faint.
Han Yunxi! You’re the one robbing us outright!
Mu Yingdong stared slack-jawed at her in silence, while Mu Chaoran’s head was hanging so low that it was nearly buried in his pants. He knew that he’d lost all chances to rise in the Mu Clan. Meanwhile, neither of the Wang-Xie duo dared to make a peep. They only hoped that esteemed wangfei would spare them a bit more after taking such a big chunk out of the Mu Clan.
Leaving aside any potential profits lost from the fixed price, a contract like that would lock them into losing the very pants off their legs. Moreover, Qin Wangfei had ordered such massive quantities that it’d take her a year or two to sell off all her goods. But in recent years, the price of ingredients had only been increasing, not dropping. She might call the agreement something as nice as an ‘insurance,’ but it meant that the Mu Clan wouldn’t benefit from any price hikes in ingredient costs while suffering from compensation feeds when the market price dropped! For example, if the price of ingredients rose after a year, the Mu Clan could only sell Pill Fiend Pharmacy their ingredients at the current price. But if the price of ingredients fell, then they’d have to cut the listed price to match.
Han Yunxi must have invented the saying, ‘steady profits without loss!’
“Mu Clan Head, if you think there’s no problems, let’s put everything on paper?” Han Yunxi asked, before adding, “We’ll write everything down clearly so we can start transferring the dan. The first dan will be paid for as soon as it arrives along with the list.”
The list that Mu Yingdong wanted was naturally Zhangsun Zelin’s records of the black market drug trade. Despite being forced to show himself in person, he hadn’t made a single mention of the black market matters while here. Instead, he used a highfalutin reason to award Pill Fiend Pharmacy a medicine token and made everything seem like a normal business deal. It was testament to his experience and solid skills as a clan head. Unfortunately, all the skill in the world couldn’t save him from being the victim in the end. Han Yunxi seized hold of his limits and made him retreat from the battle.
Seeing Mu Yingdong’s somewhat regretful face, Long Feiye said coldly, “Mu Clan Head, how is it?”
His Highness Duke of Qin’s words held much more weight than Qin Wangfei. Mu Yingdong lifted his head to look at him before weighing the costs of going back on his promise. Leaving aside Long Feiye’s future movements regarding Tianning’s three-way split, there was also the issue of Mute Granny. Heaven knows why the couple was buying so much medicine either, much less how much they already knew and what else they were planning. After some hesitant wavering, Mu Yingdong came to an eventual compromise.
“Your Highness Duke of Qin certainly knows how to joke,” Mu Yingdong cleverly gave Han Yunxi a platform to descend from her lofty stance. “Esteemed wangfei, let’s write up the agreement.”
Han Yunxi knew to stop before she took it too far, so she said, “Someone come, bring the ink and brushes!”
Just like that, Han Yunxi used the name of Pill Fiend Pharmacy to write out a lengthy contract with the Mu Clan, thus securing a supply of goods at a fixed price. The sales of Pill Fiend Pharmacy were controlled at a price level acceptable to the majority, forcing Medicine City and other similar markets to lower their prices to match. Nobody suffered any losses, but only made slightly less profits than before. Because of this, Han Yunxi offended no end of people, but she didn’t mind. She considered medicinal ingredients to be as necessary as rice to the general populace. The prices had to be reasonable! Soon enough, the public was praising Pill Fiend Pharmacy as the best pharmacy in the market.
Of course, all of that came later. After signing the agreement, Mu Yingdong left with Mu Chaoran in a huff. The Wang and Xie Clan representatives were left gaping in their wake, their painstaking preparations all for naught.
“The two of you, drink tea,” Han Yunxi invited politely.
The duo smiled and picked up their teacups.
“If this wangfei guessed correctly, the Mu Clan had always been selling their medicine at lower prices than your clans, correct?”
Xie Hongming quickly replied, “Exactly so, exactly so! Esteemed wangfei is wise and brilliant!”
Wang Zhongyang hastened to add, “Esteemed wangfei, the Mu Clan has strong presence amongst the Council of Elders. They’ve used no end of methods to claim a stake in the market and all of the best lands in Medicine City. Not only that, they’ve been pressuring all the young pharmacists to work for them and monopolize Medicine City! The prices of medicine have been sky-high for the past few years, the Mu Clan needs to take responsibility!”
Aiyaya, even the Wang and Xie Clans have times when they’re standing on the same side? Bound by hatred for a common enemy, is it?
These two families hadn’t been in contact for the past 50 years. The Wang Clan used to be the head of all the medicine families until the rise of the Mu Clan. The Xie Clan had long clung to the Mu Clan after differences with the Wang Clan. At the Council of Elders, the Mu and Xie Clans were both allied against the Wang Clan. But today’s events really was a rare sight. Who knows what Mu Yingdong would think if he saw?
Without a doubt, Han Yunxi had spoken her piece on purpose. “Heheh, Second Old Master Wang’s words are pleasant to the ear. The Mu Clan has been getting stronger over the past few years. It’s a pity that they lack the proper manners of a large clan. Now the Wang Clan in comparison is still as amiable as before, it’s worthy of admiration…”
Han Yunxi was praising the Wang Clan, not Wang Zhongyang, but the latter assumed the compliments were directed toward himself and was filled with pride and joy. “It’s a favor to be deemed worthy by esteemed wangfei!”
Hearing this, Xie Hongming quickly added, “My father has always said that the character and demeanor of Medicine City is best expressed with the Wang Clan! It is just as esteemed wangfei says in your eminence.”
While Xie Hongming was a flatterer, Wang Zhongyang was far more crafty. He grasped the main idea after a few sentences and, like Mu Yingdong, didn’t make a single mention of the black market scandal.
“Esteemed wangfei, since the Wang Clan’s means are limited, we are unable to offer the same low prices as the Mu Clan. However, we will do our utmost to support Pill Fiend Pharmacy, so I ask that esteemed wangfei offer us a convenience.” Wang Zhongyang had rose to his feet and was now clasping his hands in a bow. He had no idea that Wang Gong and His Highness Duke of Qin were old friends, much less how the head of the Wang Clan had thoroughly vented his anger with the Duke of Qin over the black market deals. In any case, the Duke of Qin wouldn’t cause difficulties for the Wang Clan no matter how the outcome of this conversation played out. Instead, it was Wang Zhongyang himself who would earn a serious punishment from the clan head when he returned.
Xie Hongming was a junior member of his clan, so he simply copied Wang Zhongyang’s actions and added, “Esteemed wangfei, the Xie Clan is in a similar plight as the Wang Clan, may esteemed wangfei show mercy!”
Han Yunxi pretended to think it over before giving her answer. “The two of you should go back and talk things over, then give me a price in one month’s time. If this wangfei likes it, then that will be that. If not…hehe, we can talk it over slowly!”
Wang Zhongyang and Xie Hongming both rejoiced. Thank goodness they weren’t the clan head themselves, because they had no say on the final pricing. After all that happened with the Mu Clan today, it was good news to go back and discuss things with their respective heads.
“Many thanks to esteemed wangfei!” the two chorused, silently relieved. They didn’t tarry, but quickly bid their farewells. Although each had different paths back to their homes, Han Yunxi’s parting words made them realize their families needed to talk over the prices together. In this way, she drew the relationship of the Wang and Xie Clans closer while driving a wedge between the Mu and Xie Clans. Once the Wang and Xie Clans allied with each other, the Mu Clan wouldn’t have a chance to run rampant in Medicine City again. Compared to cheating Mu Yingdong out of his prices, Han Yunxi’s final move was the blackest one of all!
Of course, Long Feiye had taught her all this first. He had long met with Wang Gong and told him to ally with the Xie Clan. While Han Yunxi caused a stir in Cloud Realm Continent’s medicine circles with Pill Fiend Pharmacy, Long Feiye used the ruckus as a pretext to disturb the waters of Medicine City itself. The Tianning chessboard was in chaos now. Would Medicine City follow in its wake?
Very soon, Han Yunxi spread news of Pill Fiend Pharmacy’s agreement with the Mu Clan and their gift of the medicine token amongst the various pharmacists. All of the medical community rose into a uproar at the news! How Mu Yingdong dealt with the fallout from Medical City afterwards was his personal business; in any case, Pill Fiend Pharmacy had gotten famous.
The Mu Clan sent over its first shipment of medicinal ingredients at the same time Han Yunxi went on a personal trip to Pill Fiend Valley. She went through her inventory of wanted ingredients before bringing some of the lists with her. Most of the remaining work were left to a bunch of servants and subordinates. Han Yunxi wasn’t planning to ask for the debt of Broomcorn Millet antidote anymore, but simply wanted Gu Qishao to come to Pill Fiend Pharmacy like before. After all, half of it belonged to him.
But she didn’t find him at the valley despite Pill Fiend Pharmacy’s growing prestige. It seemed like he’d vanished into thin air without a sound. As the auspicious day of the opening arrived, sounds of congratulations and exploding firecrackers filled the air for a lively scene. Long Feiye had personally inscribed “Pill Fiend Pharmacy” on the horizontal sign board that Han Yunxi was now hanging over the door.
Finally, Pill Fiend Pharmacy had officially opened its doors!
But would Gu Qishao show up? Han Yunxi was silently anticipating his arrival in her heart, yet it was someone else who appeared.
Just who…was he?