Longevity starts with choosing Hextech enhancement

Chapter 31 Li Sibao's Hesitation
Manager Chen is feeling very upset now.

After attending the celebration banquet yesterday, he was called in for a talk by several family elders.

The implicit meaning of his words was that he should quit his job as the manager of the second branch and return to his clan to study alchemy in order to cope with the increasingly fierce competition from the Jiang family.

The Chen family was known for being an expert in both elixirs and weapons, but since the rise of the Jiang family, a large portion of the elixir market had been taken over by the Jiangs, causing profits to plummet by more than half.

One of the key factors is the time required to refine the elixir.

In the past, many second-level elixirs were supplied by the Chen family. The other foundation-building cultivators not only had to pay money for the elixirs, but also had to wait in line.

But now they have another choice, and many people will choose the one that takes less time.

As a foundation-building cultivator, if Manager Chen can successfully switch to cultivating pills, he will naturally be able to regain a lot of business.

However, he had never been interested in alchemy since he was a child, but was obsessed with learning different spells.

In the past, relying on his status as the direct descendant, even if he didn't work, it wouldn't be a big problem. Such a big family wouldn't need one more person.

But what's worse is that with the severance of trade routes, the Chen family's weapon refining business has also been greatly affected.

Lizhou was poor, and in the past they relied on mining local spiritual minerals, refining magical instruments, and reselling them to wealthy other places for profit.

However, now that the Divine Fire Sect has established a firm foothold, it is very likely that the trade routes will not be restored in the next three to five years, so the number of magical instruments must be controlled.

Otherwise, the overall price of magical instruments will inevitably plummet.

In fact, two months ago, the Chen family had reached an agreement with the other two weapon-refining families to jointly reduce the production of magical weapons.

Naturally, the income from refining equipment also dropped significantly.

Several elders in the family thought about it and thought, hey, Manager Chen is a foundation-building cultivator, but he hasn't learned any skills yet. How can this be possible?
So I started talking to him frequently, trying to get him to contribute more to the family.

Especially after seeing the new generation of the Song family yesterday, the contrast between the two made many people in the clan speak up to persuade them, which put a lot of pressure on Manager Chen.

"I can give the family an extra 30% of the spirit stones, but I really don't like alchemy."

Manager Chen tried to shirk responsibility by using the same method he used before, but it didn't work this time.

"We are all family. Are we forcing you to pay spirit stones to support the family? We are going to make money from outsiders."

"What's the point of us taking your spirit stones? You can't even write two Chens with one stroke. If you pour it from one hand to the other, the total will still be the same, right?"

"In recent years, the local medicine shops in Lizhou have provided the family's main source of income. Zhian, your uncle is old, so come and help him."

Manager Chen looked up at the sky and felt a terrible headache. All these troubles seemed to have turned into a fire burning before his eyes.

Huh? Why does this fire look so real?

Ten breaths later, a light white sword light fell.

Manager Chen waved his hand and froze the entire roof. Then he looked around and saw Xiao Chen who was performing hydrotherapy not far away, and Li Sibao who was dying beside him.

He took a few steps forward and asked, "What's going on?"

While asking, he reached out and held Li Sibao's wrist to check his injury.

Xiao Chen heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing this. The poison in front of him was even more powerful than he had imagined. He estimated that it would take at most half an hour for it to invade the heart and cause death.

Fortunately, Manager Chen arrived in time, and things became easier after that.

"Sir, I was resting this morning when Li Sibao suddenly rushed in and attacked me. During the fight, I injured him and ended up being poisoned by an unknown source."

"I just asked him, and he said someone ordered him to do so."

Li Sibao was barely breathing at this point, and he tried to raise his voice: "Manager, please save me. The poisoned wine is buried in the right corner, and I still have half a bottle left."

He just wanted to stay alive now, so he took the initiative to tell the location of the wine bottle, hoping to identify the corresponding toxin from it.

Manager Chen's face was calm, and he spoke softly, "It's okay. Now that I'm here, you don't have to be afraid. First, tell me, who gave you the wine?"

Li Sibao struggled and said, "I don't know, but I know his face. When I get better, I can take you to see him."

Manager Chen turned to look at Xiao Chen: "Do you have any clues? Have you offended anyone recently?"

Before Xiao Chen could say anything, Li Sibao became anxious: "Ahem, save me first, ahem, save me..." Seeing Manager Chen coming, Xiao Chen stopped the hydrotherapy.

At this time, the poison is no longer suppressed and is spreading rapidly.

However, Manager Chen did not cast any spells, but took out a pill from his storage bag.

At first glance, the size and shape of the pill were the same as the most common Qi-nourishing pills, but it exuded a peculiar fragrance.

Xiao Chen just smelled a little, and it felt like a spring breeze was blowing on his face, and he felt refreshed all over.

Li Sibao also seemed to have regained some spirit, with hope in his eyes.

Manager Chen looked into Li Sibao's eyes and said in a very steady tone, "The toxin in your body is very strong. I don't have any good solutions. Only this secret family medicine can save you."

"But it's expensive, more expensive than your life. Now you have to make a choice..."

"what!"

Li Sibao yelled, not knowing where he got the strength from, and suddenly stretched out his hand to grab the pill.

"Snapped!"

Manager Chen knocked away Li Sibao's outstretched right hand and said, "Prove your worthiness to live, or I will take you to the elders for help."

"If I can't prove it, I will do my best to find someone to rescue you, but if it takes too long, I can't guarantee that you can survive."

Li Sibao hesitated for a moment.

In fact, through several contacts, he had already vaguely guessed in his heart that the mysterious man came from the Cang Yan Sect, one of the three major sects in Lizhou.

The three major sects appear to be harmonious on the surface, but in fact, they are involved in countless dirty deeds against each other.

Lizhou's resources are too scarce, with only four large spiritual veins, which can only accommodate three major sects and a Qianzhufang City.

However, there are a large number of small spiritual veins in the state, which have given birth to thousands of immortal cultivation families of all sizes, as well as tens of thousands of independent cultivators, resulting in serious internal friction.

The founders of the Cang Yan Sect and the Lihuo Sect both founded their sects with fire-attributed skills.

So since more than a thousand years ago, they have been hoping that the entire sect of the other party would be wiped out overnight.

This will allow the remaining family to unify Lizhou and happily enjoy the resource output of the entire state.

So the real situation is that the Cang Yan Sect and the Lihuo Sect are secretly hostile to each other.

Li Sibao was worried that once he told the truth, he would be charged with being a traitor or a traitor. Even if he was temporarily saved, he would still be doomed to die in the future.

Fortunately, he won't have to worry anymore soon.

First, a mouthful of blood spurted out without warning, splashing onto the ground and instantly forming several small black pits with wisps of black smoke.

Then Li Sibao's head tilted and he lost his voice forever.

His hesitation at the critical moment made him miss the last chance to survive.

"Li Sibao!" Manager Chen immediately leaned over to take his pulse, then shook his head.

He stood up and put away the pill, a look of surprise and doubt on his face: "What a powerful poison, there are still subsequent changes."

"Wait here for a moment. I'll go find the elders."

Xiao Chen bowed in response and waited there.

After Manager Chen left, Li Sibao's body quickly turned into a pool of black blood.

It took only a quarter of an hour in total, and apart from the inferior flying sword which was still flashing with light and stubbornly resisting the erosion, not even clothes and bones were left.

The ground was also corroded into a large pit, which would make anyone who saw it feel their hair stand on end and their heart tremble with fear.

Another quarter of an hour later, Manager Chen arrived with Elder Chen, another unfamiliar elder, and several fellow brothers wearing robes from the Law Enforcement Hall.

(End of this chapter)