Chapter 676: Who the hell came up with this bad idea?
There was no way around it, on the Holy Court Continent it was the survival of the fittest. Even though their family was fabulously wealthy, when it came to status, they simply couldn’t compare to Ye Fengyun, who was the disciple of the Holy Dragon Master.
Hearing them speak like this, Ye Fengyun’s countenance improved significantly.
"Young Master Ye, when did you arrive in Heishi City? Why didn’t you let me know so that I could have welcomed and feasted you?" Yuan Tianbo came huffing and puffing as he caught up, just as he had stepped through the gate of the Nanyan Chamber of Commerce.
These last few days had been tough for Yuan the playboy. Though the Meteorite Gold Mine was nothing more than a bone without much meat for the Yuan Family—tasteless to eat, yet a pity to throw away—they couldn’t just discard it. Therefore, as soon as Yuan Tianbo returned to his family, he was attacked by members of the other branches. He was immediately stripped of his Family Leader Token by the old Family Head and was harshly beaten with wooden boards.
However, unlike before, this time the old man did not confine him, nor did he ramble a long-winded scolding.
Yet Yuan Tianbo felt no joy whatsoever. He knew it wasn’t that the old man was showing him special grace but rather that he had utterly disappointed him, to the point where the old man couldn’t be bothered with him anymore. If nothing unexpected happened, he would never have the opportunity to lead the family in his lifetime.
Falling from heaven into hell, how could Yuan Tianbo be willing to accept this? After much consideration, he thought of Ye Fengyun. As long as he could curry favor with Ye Fengyun and have him say a few good words in front of the old man, there was still a chance for him to regain his grandfather’s favor.
Therefore, as soon as he heard that Ye Fengyun had arrived in Heishi City again, Yuan Tianbo couldn’t care less that the wounds on his buttocks had not yet healed, and he rushed over in great haste.
"Ah, I had some serious business to handle with the chamber presidents, so I didn’t notify you," said Ye Fengyun. He actually looked down upon Yuan Tianbo, but since Yuan Tianbo had served him so well during his last visit to Heishi City, he was still relatively courteous towards him.
"Young Master Ye, I heard that you’ve come to Heishi City this time to teach Nanyan Commerce a tough lesson?" Yuan Tianbo looked at Ye Fengyun with a flattering smile, like a pathetic, tail-wagging dog.
"Mhm, you’ve heard already," Ye Fengyun did not deny it.
Others might not be privy to this, but since Yuan Tianbo was already aware of the conflict between him and Mu Hanyan, how could he not guess this?
It wasn’t just Yuan Tianbo; today, so many Chamber of Commerce presidents had come storming into Heishi City with great momentum, a sight witnessed by merchants and regular customers in the market, and they could probably guess their intention too.
And so, despite it getting late, there was still a crowd gathered outside the great hall. They claimed to be doing business, yet none engaged in bargaining, obviously waiting to see the results of their confrontation with Nanyan Commerce.
Ye Fengyun didn’t mind their presence; his intention was to smear the reputation of Nanyan Commerce, so he certainly didn’t mind having a few more people to help spread the word.
"With Young Master Ye personally taking action, success is guaranteed. Nanyan Commerce won’t be able to jump around much longer," stated Yuan Tianbo with sycophantic enthusiasm.
"Nonsense, as if you needed to tell us," those Chamber of Commerce presidents looked at Yuan Tianbo with disdain.
A young man not striving to make progress, only knowing how to flatter others, it was truly contemptible. While they held themselves in high self-regard despising Yuan Tianbo, they completely forgot that they didn’t look any better in front of Ye Fengyun.
"Yeah, that’s true. Oh, by the way, Young Master Ye, how exactly do you plan to deal with Nanyan Commerce?" Yuan Tianbo dared not offend these Chamber of Commerce bigwigs and continued to cheekily ask Ye Fengyun.
"It’s not exactly dealing with them; just a little test of their abilities. Have them identify a few Medicinal Herbs..." Ye Fengyun briefly explained the matter.
While speaking, Ye Fengyun was the picture of confidence and pride. He failed to notice that Yuan Tianbo’s face had turned pale, and even overlooked the sympathy in his eyes.
"Whose shitty idea was this!" Yuan Tianbo felt like cursing.
Others might not know about Mu Hanyan’s good fortune, but he was well aware. Betting on Meteorite Gold was her winning streak, which ultimately led him to lose an entire Meteorite Gold Mine, along with his position as Young Master.
To challenge her with identifying strange flowers and herbs was like digging one’s own grave.
"What, are you starting to feel sympathy for them? Don’t forget how Mu Hanyan humiliated you last time," Ye Fengyun finally noticed the change in Yuan Tianbo’s expression, mistaking it for sympathy toward Nanyan Commerce, and spoke with some displeasure.
Sympathy my ass. I’d be glad if you obliterated Nanyan Commerce and took Mu Hanyan down with you, but the problem is, the one I’m feeling sympathy for is you.
"Young Master Ye, I didn’t mean it like that, I just feel..." Yuan Tianbo wanted to persuade Ye Fengyun to back off early to avoid humiliating himself, but then he thought the rotten idea was most likely cooked up by Ye Fengyun himself. If he spoke too bluntly, wouldn’t he be slapping his face in front of everyone? That would only annoy him; thus, he stammered, unable to figure out what to say.
"You don’t need to say anything more, my mind is made up. This time, we must disgrace Nanyan Commerce, letting everyone see exactly how much they weigh." Ye Fengyun’s obstinacy was on full display once again, he didn’t give Yuan Tianbo a chance to speak further and cut him off abruptly.
Seeing Ye Fengyun angry, Yuan Tianbo immediately swallowed his words.
Alas, it was too late for regrets anyway. Maybe it was Mu Hanyan’s lucky streak running out this time. Better to wait and see what happens; there’s no need to rile up Ye Fengyun now.
"Let’s go. Since we’re here, let’s go and take a look together," Ye Fengyun said and headed inside.
Yuan Tianbo was originally hesitant about whether to get involved, but having heard him say that, he had no choice but to leave and follow obediently. However, unlike the times when he was constantly jumping up and leading the charge, this time, he stealthily hid at the back of the group.
When the Chamber of Commerce Presidents and Ye Fengyun were seen approaching, the merchants and patrons there to watch the commotion subconsciously slipped away.
"This time, we came to Nanyan Commerce to ask them to help identify a few strange flowers and herbs. Why don’t you all come and watch as well?" Ye Fengyun spun his eyes and said to the crowd.
Yuan Tianbo subconsciously covered his cheeks, feeling a toothache. Of course, he knew that Ye Fengyun invited these people to join merely to make the smack on Nanyan Commerce’s face louder when the time came. But had he not considered that he might be the one getting slapped in the face?
These people had skipped dinner, waiting just for the showdown between Ye Fengyun and Nanyan Commerce. Hearing those words, they all came back. Nevertheless, neither Ye Fenyun at the moment nor Nanyan Commerce were entities they dared offend. So while they enjoyed watching from the sidelines, they didn’t dare to get too close, gathering far away in a corner to watch.
"How about it, gentlemen? It’s been over two hours. Surely those few Medicinal Herbs must have been identified by now?" Ye Fengyun said loudly through the hall doors, his tone clearly mocking.
The hall was silent, with no one responding.
"Young Master Ye, you don’t think that these folks from Nanyan Commerce are too embarrassed to show their faces, do you?" sneered one Chamber of Commerce President.
"It’s hard to say. The most important thing in running a Chamber of Commerce is ’Eye Power’, and if they can’t even identify a few Medicinal Herbs, they have no face to show," another President added, with a hint of sarcasm.
"Luckily, it’s just a few strange flowers and herbs. It doesn’t matter if they can’t recognize them. If they misjudge during a major purchase or sale, who knows how many lives could be harmed," someone else lamented, shaking their head.
As they spoke, none of them blushed, seemingly forgetting that not long ago, they themselves were utterly helpless in the face of Ye Fengyun’s Medicinal Herbs. Now they laughed at Nanyan Commerce. No surprise, though, business required a thick skin. Their cultivations might not be all that, but their skins had already grown thicker than the city walls, especially the part by the corner.
Faced with their cold mockery and warm ridicule, the hall remained dead silent.
The merchants and patrons gathered in the distance were also secretly amazed. Nanyan Commerce, though polite and modest to them, had always been sharp and never backed down an inch to competitors.
On any other day, they would have responded to such mockery. Today, however, there was silence. Could it be true, as they said, that Nanyan Commerce couldn’t identify Ye Fengyun’s strange flowers and herbs and were ashamed to show their faces?
This was indeed troubling! Dealing with Nanyan Commerce was far easier than with other Chambers of Commerce; they had made quite a profit recently and were hoping to continue riding on Nanyan’s coattails. But if Nanyan suffered a setback this time, its reputation would surely be damaged under the deliberate promotion of other Chambers, and its survival would be at stake.
Naturally, they didn’t want to see that happen. Looking at the tightly closed hall doors, they were all secretly anxious.
"Even if you can’t identify my Medicinal Herbs, there’s no need to hide and avoid everyone. It’s not like I don’t know that Nanyan Commerce isn’t well-founded. It’s not like I would take the opportunity to humiliate you, haha... hahaha!" Seeing no response from inside the hall, Ye Fengyun almost believed the words of the Chamber Presidents and was secretly delighted. He pushed open the doors while laughing triumphantly.
But the moment the door opened, his laughter abruptly stopped.
The sneering cold smiles of the following Presidents also stiffened at once.
There was a large round table in the hall, with leftovers and cold dishes strewn about. Led by Qu Shanling, the people of Nanyan Commerce were lounging indelicately in their chairs, rubbing their bellies and picking their teeth.
"Sorry about that, Young Master Ye. We ate too much and just couldn’t get up," Qu Shanling said, touching his stomach and frowning bitterly.
Ye Fengyun’s face turned exceedingly ugly in an instant. Eat! These people still had the appetite to eat and to such an extent. It was clear they had not taken his challenge seriously at all, or in other words, they had not taken Ye Fengyun seriously in the slightest.