Sowhat flustered and at a loss, Duan Ping subconsciously asked.
"What should I do then?"
Seeing this, Wang Yu comforted him.
"Do not worry. You cannot escape involvent, and neither can I. I ca to you precisely for this matter. Can you let et True Disciple in person?"
"Alright, alright."
Without hesitation Duan Ping agreed, then asked a few more details before hurrying away from the Ice and Snow Pavilion.
Lan Ji saw this and curiously asked.
"What is wrong with him, he looked like he had been startled."
"A small matter."
Wang Yu did not explain further and quickly returned to his ordinary cave-dwelling in the Evil God Market.
While waiting for the notice, he cultivated silently and planned in secret.
Half a month passed like this.
He did not receive the ssage he had long hoped for. Instead, unexpected visitors arrived. He could not help but sigh. Everything seed to erupt at once, leaving no room to even catch his breath.
The visitor was Zhou Tao. Thinking of the matter with the Alchemists’ Association, Wang Yu could already guess the purpose of his visit.
"Brother Wang, it has been a while."
"I heard you have been back for so ti. Why not co to the Association? After all, it was your hard work that established it."
Zhou Tao had co alone to pay this visit, even bringing a gift in his hand instead of putting it in a storage pouch.
Hearing this, Wang Yu showed a look of displeasure.
When dealing with others, he also looked at their status. For people like Liu Jinxian or Zhuo Shouqing, whose family backgrounds were extraordinary, he would bow his head and humble himself.
But Zhou Tao, though he had ninth-layer Qi Refining cultivation, in Wang Yu’s eyes was nothing but a fool who did not understand his own position.
Thus, his words were very blunt.
"So what, you ran into trouble, and now the Association is my hard work? From what I see, you have been doing well enough. Why co see at all."
Hearing this, Zhou Tao did not feel embarrassed. Instead, he forced a smile and repeatedly admitted fault.
"Yes, yes, it is my mistake."
"But there truly is sothing I need Brother Wang’s help with. This small gift, please accept it as a token of respect."
He placed the basket on the table. Inside were high-end spiritual pastries from the market, not cheap at all. At the very bottom, a storage pouch was pressed underneath.
Wang Yu picked it up and swept it with his divine sense.
Good heavens, at least twenty thousand spirit stones. That amount already rivaled more than half of his own fortune. Clearly, Zhou Tao’s trouble was not small.
Placing the pouch back into the basket, Wang Yu spoke.
"Speak, what is it. I may not be able to help you."
Zhou Tao nodded and quickly explained the recent events. As expected, it was mostly as Wang Yu had already guessed. Pills were a monopoly, belonging to the Alchemy Hall established by the sect.
Originally, when the four of them first created the Association, it was a small affair. The pills produced never entered the market, instead flowing into the Ice and Snow Pavilion, where so inner disciples consud them. It never caused any ripples, remaining entirely low-key.
But after Zhou Tao took over, in the first year he actually still cooperated with Zhao Shang, even keeping aside the portion of dividends that belonged to Wang Yu.
Yet, as ti passed, Zhou Tao’s ambition began to grow. He wanted to expand the number of mbers in the Association, increase pill production, and profit more from it.
Zhao Shang disagreed, and so three years ago ca the incident of him being accused of betrayal, which gave Lan Ji the opportunity to step forward.
The two then reached a new agreent. Using Lan Ji’s identity, Zhou Tao spread the sales channels to other True Disciples’ pavilions in Cold Blood Market, taking the route of low prices.
The Association’s mbers kept expanding, eventually surpassing one hundred.
Production capacity greatly increased.
Inside this matter, so individuals violated the rules set by Zhou Tao. Under the na of forming an association, they secretly sold low-priced pills to fellow sect mbers. This action disrupted the stable pricing of sect pills.
It attracted a large number of low-level cultivators, who actively purchased these cheap pills.
At this ti, another group of people, relying on their connection to Zhou Tao and unable to resist the temptation of spirit stones, were lured in. What began as a handful of people soon turned into the majority.
With the expansion of this private market, the entire association gradually fell into depravity. Even Zhou Tao himself could not resist the large sums of spirit stones flowing in and out every day.
The original rules set by Wang Yu in the early days were completely ignored.
The snowball kept rolling larger, and finally reached a critical point. At this mont Lan Ji grew fearful. She no longer dared to profit from it, and voluntarily cut ties with Zhou Tao.
This group in the association only cared about money, not their lives.
Once the True Disciple channel was cut off, the market among the lower sect mbers grew even larger, which eventually led to so being caught by the Law Enforcent Hall during private transactions.
Such behavior was already explicitly forbidden in the sect rules.
In one conversation, Zhou Tao explained everything in detail. Even the parts unfavorable to Wang Yu were not concealed, but fully confessed. It seed he was truly panicked.
No wonder he was willing to spend twenty thousand spirit stones to beg for a way out. He was completely cornered.
After listening quietly, Wang Yu sighed.
"I cannot help you. When Lan Ji withdrew, you should have realized that even True Disciple Su’s could not protect her. At least, that was her belief.
"Why did you still dare to continue?"
Unwilling, Zhou Tao slamd the table, his face gloomy. "Brother Wang, I can give you thirty percent of the profits. Just help this once.
"I know you have connections in the Law Enforcent Hall. The matter with the Xu Family Pill Shop was orchestrated by you. This Zhou can see clearly.
"As long as those who were arrested are rescued, and the Law Enforcent Hall is temporarily deceived, the Alchemy Association will disband overnight."
Wang Yu glanced at him speechlessly.
"Too late. Do you really think they are unaware? They are rely waiting for you to fatten up. Too skinny... they cannot eat their fill."
The mbers of the Alchemist Association ca from the bottom ranks of the Ten Workshops of Blood Reversal Sect. These low-level pill refiners who struggled to rise up were already being watched by many.
What way could Wang Yu possibly have? He was not the sect master.
The words were very direct. Zhou Tao was not stupid. Otherwise, he would not have insisted on following the rules Wang Yu had set at the start. Unfortunately, he had still been blinded by the lure of spirit stones.
Knowing sothing is one thing. Personally practicing it is the true key.
Everyone understands grand principles, but has everyone beco a saint or ancestor? This is the inherent weakness of human nature, unavoidable.
Perhaps, when his last hope shattered, Zhou Tao turned ferocious. The aura of a Qi Refining ninth layer pressed down in threat.
"You must help , Wang Yu. Do not forget, you are the true founder of the Alchemist Association. If I tell the Law Enforcent Hall about your collusion with Zhao Shang, will they not conveniently deal with you as well?"
Wang Yu slamd the table and stood up. The aura of late-stage Qi Refining erupted without concealnt, clashing directly against Zhou Tao.
"You dare?!"
"Heh. I am about to die anyway. Why would I not dare?"
Not everyone had Zhao Shang’s escape route. At least Zhou Tao did not. Under the threat of death, he could do anything.
Wang Yu hated this kind of coercion the most. After all, this matter had nothing to do with him. A group of people had been greedy and brought trouble upon themselves. He had gained no benefits at all, so why should he clean up their ss?
Sensing Wang Yu’s Qi Refining seventh layer cultivation, Zhou Tao was sowhat shocked. After all, despite having three spiritual roots, abundant resources, and over fifty years of effort, he had only just broken through to the ninth layer of Qi Refining.
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