**Chapter 21: Information Gap
With a crisp sound of the alchemy furnace turning, a beam of spiritual light fell from Ye Jingcheng's hand, and the Red Flame Fox immediately lay down.
The missing lid of the furnace was removed, revealing nine plump Detox Pills inside.
"Finally finished!" Ye Jingcheng said with a hint of joy.
Tomorrow was the day for evaluating the pills, and he had a total of one hundred and ten Detox Pills. This was slightly fewer than the Recovery Pills he had previously made, but Detox Pills were more challenging to refine, so having this many, especially with the last batch producing nine, was quite an achievement.
Ye Jingcheng patted the Red Flame Fox, infusing it with more spiritual light. The Red Flame Fox made a soft sound, habitually shrinking its head to expose the spiritual patterns on its body.
Soon, the Red Flame Fox emitted a faint red glow. Ye Jingcheng left a few Feeding Pills and a bowl of dwindling spring water.
Next, he took out the Jade Ring Mouse and fed it similarly.
The Jade Ring Mouse had grown quite a bit, its large ears now looking somewhat comical. However, it was still much smaller compared to the Red Flame Fox. The Jade Ring Mouse was so cautious that it didn't dare make a sound when the Red Flame Fox was alert.
Ye Jingcheng gave the Jade Ring Mouse a Feeding Pill and a bowl of spring water. Although the Jade Ring Mouse was not as powerful as the Red Flame Fox, its keen sense of danger was exactly what Ye Jingcheng needed.
The Jade Ring Mouse chirped softly and began to eat. The Red Flame Fox, hearing the sound, lifted its front paws slightly, showing a hint of displeasure. The Jade Ring Mouse shrank back, no longer making any noise and quietly ate the Feeding Pill.
"Little Flame!" Ye Jingcheng glanced at the Red Flame Fox, which then lay back down.
Ye Jingcheng, seeing this, did not say anything further. He left the house and went to the front yard.
The moon was bright, and the clear moonlight illuminated the yard, casting light on the spirit beasts kept in cages.
Ye Jingcheng sighed as he noticed three more injured spirit beasts in the yard. This was not the first time; since that day Ye Xinghong mentioned it, this was the third batch.
He took out three Feeding Pills and approached the injured spirit beasts. He had hesitated for a long time about whether to treat them or not. After all, the cultivation world was harsh, and instances of betrayal and enmity were common.
Yet, he knew that as a four-element root cultivator, his path was limited without the resources of the Ye family. While he could improve the Red Flame Fox's strength, it could only go so far. A foundation-building beast wouldn't help him reach the peak of his lifespan or break past the 120-year limit.
But with the family's support, his ancient books and spirit beasts could shine. Moreover, if the family had malicious intent, he should have been questioned during Ye Jingyu's return. Instead, the family had allocated resources to him.
[Translator: sauron]
This showed the family's attitude clearly.
Ye Jingcheng looked at the two injured Azure-scaled Pythons and slowly infused them with spiritual light, just enough to allow gradual recovery. After the three spirit beasts absorbed some spiritual light, he took out three Blood Vitality Pills and administered them to each beast.
Under the moonlight, the three spirit beasts made soft sounds, with some sticking out their tongues and others gripping the ground with their front claws to show their goodwill.
Ye Jingcheng clapped his hands, looked at all the spirit beasts, and, seeing none matched the ancient book's descriptions, went back inside.
The next morning, with the bell of the market ringing, the sky had brightened. Ye Jingcheng and his companions, relieved, stepped out of the house. This marked the end of their one-month period, and they no longer needed to refine pills or artifacts. They had more time for cultivation.
"Jingcheng, do you think the other three great families will show up?" Ye Jingli asked curiously.
"Sixth Brother, I can't guess," Ye Jingcheng shook his head.
Regardless of whether they showed up or not, Ye Jingcheng was confident. His Jade Ring Mouse's large ears had its uses; for example, he was aware of the additional person in Ye Xinghe's room without them showing up.
It was clear who that person was: it could be Ye Xingliu or Ye Haicheng.
After gathering in the hall, Ye Jingcheng and the others handed their pills and artifacts to Ye Xinghe.
"Thank you all for your hard work. After today, you can rest for ten days without any assigned tasks!" Ye Xinghe said with a smile.
He then arranged for Ye Xinghong and Ye Jinghao to prepare the reception room.
"Jingcheng, come with us later," Ye Xinghe suddenly said to Ye Jingcheng.
Ye Jingcheng nodded. Although it seemed a bit strange, he didn't refuse. He was interested in observing cultivators from other families.
After preparing spiritual tea in the meeting room, and after some time, the street appeared somewhat empty as the market crowd hadn't yet gathered.
Two cultivators in white robes, adorned with feather designs, walked from the street's end. They were the only ones present, with no other cultivators from the three great families accompanying them.
"Friend Bai, Friend Xu!" Ye Xinghe greeted them and invited them into the reception room.
"Ye Daoist, we're in a hurry, so let's get the pills and artifacts out directly. We'll proceed as per the previous terms!"
"If you don't have them, I'll go to the Li family and ask for double the compensation!"
"I've already completed three batches with them. In five days, I'll hold an auction to sell a Blood Heart Pill. If you're interested, you can come to bid!"
Upon hearing this, Ye Xinghe's expression changed drastically. He realized that this time, the Li family had not engaged in any schemes. Instead, they were leveraging the information gap, having acquired all the Recovery and Blood Vitality Pills and set high prices to negotiate more deals with Huayu Gate. Meanwhile, they were also aiming to buy the Blood Heart Pill.
Ye Family's investment in pill acquisition had not matched the returns, and they had lost a month's worth of resources needed to gather spirit stones.
The Ye family's foundation-building beast needed a Blood Heart Pill, and while Huayu Gate was unaware of this, the other three great families, including the Mo and Xu families, were fully aware. Their reluctance to see the Ye family's foundation-building beast recover further explained their actions.
Ye Jingcheng's late realization of this information gap was frustrating.
"Friend Bai, why didn't you inform me about this sooner?" Ye Xinghe asked anxiously.
"This was decided by the sect leader early in the month. The Xu family was supposed to notify you four great families. Didn't you receive the message?"
*(End of Chapter)*