Chapter 129 - The Tang Clan Surplus and Lu Canghai’s Bargain
Chapter 129: Chapter 129 - The Tang Clan Surplus and Lu Canghai’s Bargain
By midday, the gathering had mostly ended.
The Tang Clan had gained a mountain of materials and a stack of soul contracts.
Tang Yuyan remained cold throughout.
Tang Sisi recorded details beside her with a smile that made several elders feel poorer than before.
Only after the final faction left did Lu Canghai finally move.
He stepped beside Tang Yuyan with the dignified bearing of a gentleman.
At least, he attempted to.
"Yuyan."
Tang Yuyan did not look at him.
"No."
Lu Canghai paused.
"I have not asked yet."
"That is why I answered early."
Tang Sisi lowered her head.
Her shoulders trembled slightly.
Lu Canghai coughed.
"This time, it is a serious matter."
Tang Yuyan finally glanced at him.
"What? I am not accepting bodies as payment."
Lu Canghai’s expression stiffened.
Several Tang Clan juniors nearby immediately became very busy organizing empty boxes.
Lu Canghai coughed again.
"No. It is not that."
Tang Yuyan crossed her arms.
"You are already old and still acting suspicious. Say it."
Lu Canghai straightened his sleeves.
For a moment, the shamelessness faded, and the old bearing of the Utmost Gentleman surfaced.
Tang Yuyan’s eyes moved slightly.
Lu Canghai said, "Sell me half of the pill materials you received today."
Tang Yuyan’s expression froze.
Then her aura rose.
"Lu Canghai."
Her voice became cold enough to make the nearby Tang juniors step back.
"Did your old eyes not see the soul contracts?"
Lu Canghai remained calm.
"The contracts require your Tang Clan to deliver finished pills according to agreed quantities and grades."
Tang Yuyan’s eyes narrowed.
"The Tang Clan does not break oaths."
"I know."
"Then what are you saying?"
"I am saying half the materials are not necessary for fulfilling the contracts."
Tang Yuyan stared at him.
The air became quiet.
Tang Sisi slowly stopped recording.
Lu Canghai looked at the sealed boxes behind Tang Yuyan.
"Your Tang Clan’s refinement efficiency is greater than most factions. Your loss rate is low. Your alchemists are disciplined. Your purification methods are stable."
He raised one finger.
"Some factions provided extra materials out of fear."
He raised a second finger.
"Some added more because they wanted higher-grade results."
He raised a third finger.
"Some included surplus to curry favor."
Then he smiled.
"If you use all of it, you can naturally make more pills. But if we speak only of fulfilling the soul contracts, one third should be enough. At most, a little more."
Tang Yuyan’s face did not change.
But her silence changed.
Lu Canghai knew he had struck correctly.
Tang Yuyan’s eyes became sharper.
"You came here to calculate my Tang Clan’s accounts?"
Lu Canghai sighed.
"How could I dare? I merely understand your ability."
Tang Yuyan sneered.
"Flattery will not make me hand over materials."
"Then let us speak profit."
Tang Yuyan paused.
Lu Canghai’s smile faded slightly.
"If you refine everything yourself, you gain payment, favors, reputation, and surplus pills."
"Correct."
"But you also gain burden."
Tang Yuyan’s eyes narrowed.
Lu Canghai continued, "The Fallen-Star Sanctuary is unstable. The Ashen-Blood Miasma may be stronger than expected. If your Tang Clan becomes the only pillar everyone relies on, then every failure, every delay, every disciple who dies after misusing a pill will somehow become related to you."
Tang Yuyan’s gaze sharpened.
Lu Canghai said calmly, "Right now, everyone praises the Tang Clan’s reliability. But once fear enters the mystic realm, praise becomes blame very quickly."
Tang Sisi’s smile faded slightly.
The Tang Clan juniors also became serious.
Lu Canghai lowered his voice.
"Let Radiant Sky Sect carry part of the burden."
Tang Yuyan looked at him.
"You?"
"Not me."
Lu Canghai smiled.
"My disciples."
Tang Yuyan’s brows moved.
Lu Canghai said, "Radiant Sky Sect will buy the materials at a fair price. We will not touch your soul contracts. We will not borrow your name. We will refine our own stock for our own people and perhaps a few allies if needed."
Tang Yuyan said coldly, "Then why not buy materials elsewhere?"
"Because everyone else is now buying materials too."
Lu Canghai spread his hands.
"Prices outside have already risen. Some merchants have begun hiding stock. Some factions are hoarding. By tonight, half the useful herbs in Azure-Jade City will cost more than pride."
Tang Yuyan was silent.
That was true.
Lu Canghai continued, "You have the largest concentrated supply right now. Selling part of the surplus to me gives you immediate profit, reduces your refinement burden, and lets Radiant Sky Sect prepare more pills."
He paused.
"Also, if something goes wrong inside the sanctuary, having more Radiant Sky disciples alive is not bad for the Tang Clan."
Tang Yuyan’s eyes narrowed.
Lu Canghai leaned slightly closer.
"I did not come to cheat you."
Tang Yuyan gave him a cold look.
"That sentence usually comes before cheating."
Lu Canghai coughed.
"This time, truly not."
Tang Yuyan did not speak.
Lu Canghai’s voice became softer.
"I will show you something worth more than spirit stones later."
Tang Yuyan’s eyes shifted.
"What?"
Lu Canghai glanced around.
Tang Sisi immediately understood and quietly waved the Tang juniors farther away.
Lu Canghai then whispered, "Do you not want to know how capable my disciple is?"
Tang Yuyan’s expression did not change much.
But her eyes did.
Lu Canghai continued, "You know who he is. That boy is the son of Su Qingshan, that old bastard."
Tang Yuyan’s gaze sharpened.
Even Tang Yuyan could not ignore that name.
"What is the connection?"
"There is a connection," Lu Canghai said. "For now, I cannot explain everything."
Tang Yuyan’s expression became dangerous.
"You want materials, but you refuse to explain?"
"I refuse to lie."
That made her pause.
Lu Canghai looked at her seriously.
"I can promise you this. You will not lose out. If my disciple succeeds, you will see a pill refinement method worth remembering. If he fails, Radiant Sky Sect eats the loss. Not your Tang Clan."
Tang Yuyan stared at him.
Lu Canghai met her gaze.
For once, he looked exactly like the man who had once carried the name Utmost Gentleman.
Tang Yuyan was silent for a long moment.
Then she said, "Half is impossible."
Lu Canghai’s eyes brightened.
"If half is impossible, then forty percent?"
"Twenty."
"Thirty-five."
"Twenty-five."
"Thirty, and I owe you a personal favor."
Tang Yuyan’s eyes narrowed.
Tang Sisi’s smile immediately became bright.
A personal favor from Lu Canghai was not cheap.
Especially now that he had recovered.
Tang Yuyan stared at him.
"You are becoming more expensive."
Lu Canghai smiled.
"You noticed?"
Tang Yuyan wanted to throw a needle at him.
She restrained herself.
Barely.
Finally, she said coldly, "Thirty percent. Fair price. Paid immediately. No Tang Clan name attached to whatever you refine. If your disciples create useless pills, do not come crying to me."
Lu Canghai grinned.
"Deal."
Tang Yuyan added, "And if you embarrass me with this so-called secret..."
A violet needle appeared between her fingers.
Lu Canghai’s grin became more dignified.
"I will not."
Tang Yuyan stared at him for another moment.
Then she turned away.
"Sisi, prepare the materials."
Tang Sisi smiled.
"Yes, Aunt."
Lu Canghai watched the Tang Clan begin sorting a portion of the materials.
His smile became brighter and brighter.
He had not gotten half.
But thirty percent of the Tang Clan’s gathered surplus was already more than enough.
More importantly, he had bought it before the rest of Azure-Jade City’s market fully exploded.
This was not shamelessness.
This was foresight wearing shameless clothing.
Far away, inside Quiet Jade Inn, Su Bai sat in his room and slowly opened his eyes from cultivation.
For some reason, he suddenly felt that his master was doing something troublesome.
Then he thought about it again.
’No. If it was Master, he was probably doing something troublesome and profitable.’
Su Bai closed his eyes again.
That was acceptable.