The Gu family's patriarch, with a stern face, found the trip to the ancestral tomb more challenging than expected. While the Gu family obtained what they wanted from the legacy, the losses exceeded their initial estimates.
Originally, the Gu family planned to achieve two goals: use ignorant cultivators to deal with the Golden Ring Poison Bees in the tomb and lure the Tian family members over to weaken their influence. However, they didn't anticipate the emergence of a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Tian family.
"You knew nothing about Tian Ru's situation! That girl has actually reached Foundation Establishment!" the Gu family head exclaimed in frustration. Tian Ru, who was in the same generation as his son, had now become a Foundation Establishment elder in the family, causing him both envy and resentment.
"Father, Tian Ru left the family a long time ago. We only learned about her sect when she returned this time. We heard about the Heavenly Sea Sect that day, but it's far away, and neither our Gu family nor the Lu family has anyone inside. The news couldn't reach us," Gu Zhixiao explained. He also felt uneasy. Tian Ru used to be just a little girl compared to him, and now, she was someone to be addressed as a senior.
"I doubt she'll stay in our town for long. Eventually, she will return to her sect. We should keep an eye on the situation in the Heavenly Sea Sect. She might bring some Tian family juniors in this time," Gu Zhixiao felt the pressure. Even though his son was about to enter the Changxian Sect, returning from there wasn't easy. Communication was challenging. If they could only watch the Tian family prosper while they were powerless, it would be frustrating.
"Boss, you're right. It seems that for this Ascension Ceremony, the family needs to support several juniors. We should find a way to get them into the sect," the Gu family head had to change the strategy. It wasn't wise to concentrate resources on just one person; sometimes, distant water can't put out a nearby fire. "This time, I plan to go into seclusion with some elders to study alchemy. We'll try to produce a batch of pills to ease the situation in the family. You three brothers keep an eye on the external situation."
Gu Zhixiao nodded, "Father, rest assured. Once your alchemy and that of the elders improve, there's no doubt the Gu family will prosper. The pill business is the foundation of our family. Although we miscalculated this time and couldn't exclusively benefit from the legacy, at least we have the alchemy techniques and detoxification pills. We can use them to attract a group of cultivators."
Gu Zhixiao's calculations seemed good, but when the Gu family head and the elders went into seclusion, rumors from the market made him hastily summon the steward in charge and inquire, "Are you saying that there are rumors of Tian family's detoxification pills circulating? Are they more effective than ours?"
How could that be possible? Even if Tian Ru brought back pills from her sect, the quantity couldn't be too much. How could it circulate again?
And Tian family's detoxification pills were better in quality than the Gu family's? How could they continue with their plan to profit from detoxification pills and attract cultivators?
The steward was sweating, not daring to wipe it away. He cautiously said, "Master, based on what people are saying outside, there's no way to make a direct comparison."
"And what are they saying? Why are they still hiding it from me?" Gu Zhixiao wanted to kick the steward to the ground. If he wasn't a trusted confidant, he wouldn't have the patience to listen to the explanation.
"Well, those cultivators say that our Gu family's detoxification requires two to three pills to completely remove the poison, while the Tian family's... only needs one, and it clears the poison thoroughly," the steward explained carefully, stealing a glance at the master's expression. He bit his lip and continued, "It seems more effective."
Gu Zhixiao realized the situation was bad. If this was true, it would significantly impact the reputation of Gu family's pills. He urgently asked, "Find out whether it's a deliberate rumor spread by the Tian family or if there's any truth to it. Also, who brought out these pills?"
"It shouldn't be false. Several cultivators who were poisoned personally mentioned it." The steward wore a troubled expression. Some cultivators had come to him for pills, but he had set a high price. After hesitating, those cultivators turned away. However, a few days later, they came back and boasted to him, "We want to get a detoxification pill to compare with the Gu family's. The Tian family is wary of us, so only if the poisoned person personally requests the pill and takes it on the spot will they provide it. They claim there's a limited quantity, but they had to bring it out to help the poisoned cultivators this time."
"What a cunning move by the Tian family!" Gu Zhixiao kicked over a nearby chair. With such a situation, the reputation of the Gu family's pills would undoubtedly suffer. "Go back and keep an eye on the Tian family. Find a way to get one of their detoxification pills."
"Yes, Master." The steward quickly retreated, only daring to wipe the sweat off his forehead outside. However, he immediately sighed. Getting such pills wasn't easy, and verifying on the spot whether a pill was taken was something that couldn't be faked.
Gu Zhixiao had people inquire further and discovered that the situation had worsened beyond what the steward had conveyed. Some cultivators had come to the Gu family's pill shop, demanding refunds, claiming that the Gu family had used inferior pills to deceive them. They insisted on compensation, stating that with the money they were asking for, they could buy two detoxification pills from the Tian family. Even if they spent double the money, there was no guarantee of completely clearing the toxins. Who knew if these toxins would have any impact on their future cultivation.
Gu Zhixiao had to dispatch guards from the Gu family to protect the shop. Sold pills couldn't be returned, and this precedent couldn't be set.
With Tian Ru overseeing the Tian family, Gu Zhixiao couldn't exert pressure on them. Suspecting that Tian Ru might be involved in presenting the pills, he reluctantly informed the Gu family head about the situation during his seclusion.
"It seems we need to put aside our current matters and focus on producing a batch of detoxification pills," the Gu family head decided after thoughtful consideration. "Once these detoxification pills are ready, let's see what the Tian family has to say. Additionally, control the materials for detoxification pills. If the Tian family lacks spirit herbs, how can they continue alchemy? It's best to find out who is behind this alchemy."
"Yes, Father."