Return of the Ancient Gods

When Chu Nan returned home, he told Chen Hezhi about his meeting with Northern Yan's Crown Prince Ye Renjie and asked for his opinion:

"Uncle He Zhi, what do you think?"

In a sense, Chu Nan and Ye Renjie are very similar. They both want to make their country strong and prosperous, but it is impossible for him to be as crazy as Ye Renjie.

When Chen Yi Jue heard about the Crown Prince of Northern Yan, he withdrew abnormally and did not intend to participate. Chu Nan and Chen Hezhi looked at each other and did not think much about it.

"There are petty thieves in the world who steal things; there are also big thieves who deceive the world and steal fame. Obviously, Ye Renjie is the latter. He is self-righteous, but we have to say that he is indeed a talent. He is scheming and calculating..." Chen Hezhi stroked his beard, thought for a while, and frowned.

Although he knew that the situation of the Great Chu Dynasty was not good, the reality might be beyond his imagination. Unfortunately, it was just a guess and what he had was not enough to prove it.

"..."

Then, Chen Hezhi set his sights on the bottle of third-grade Qi-nourishing Pill given by Ye Renjie, and thought of a countermeasure to share with Chu Nan:

"Perhaps Ye Renjie really helped us a lot this time. Aren't you worried about not having an opportunity to break the deadlock..."

"Uncle He Zhi, are you talking about the pill business?" Chu Nan looked down at the pills and understood what he meant.

"Yes, food is the primary need of the people, and economic warfare is indeed the most suitable." Chen Hezhi nodded and said confidently.

"The capital city, and even most of the elixir business in the entire South Chu, is controlled by the seven great families including King Kang..."

"It's a good idea, but it's not easy to implement." Chu Nan sighed helplessly. Pills are the economic lifeline of King Kang. If they really do it, it's like pulling out the teeth of a tiger.

"Hey, what am I thinking? Anyway, there is no other way. Do I have to sit down and have a good chat with King Kang? That's it!"

As he spoke, Chu Nan couldn't help but think of the fat man Wen Tao. It happened that Wen Tao was in the capital at that time, so he immediately took people to look for him.

A elegant room,

Chu Nan told Fatty Wen Tao and his father about his plan, and also added other chips:

"I don't know what you two think. If you have any objections to the profit sharing I proposed, or any other requests, as long as I, Chu Nan, can do it, I will do my best!"

Although Chu Nan helped Wen Tao a little, the matter was of great importance and he had no idea whether it would succeed or not, so he kept stealing glances at him.

The fat man Wen Tao shook his head and complained:

"Your Highness, you really don't treat me like a brother. You helped me heal my weak meridians and helped me find a good marriage. It's just a little money. Why are you being so polite?"

Wen Tao has always wanted to find Chu Nan to repay his kindness, but he never had the chance. Now that the opportunity is in front of him, he naturally will not miss it. He also wants to try out how satisfying it feels to spend a lot of money.

Fearing that Wen Tao hadn't heard clearly, or had acted on impulse, Chu Nan reiterated:

"I'm going to use all of your Wen family's assets to fight against King Kang. It's very likely that you'll lose everything. You have to think it through!"

Fatty Wen Tao nodded, his eyes firm, and comforted Chu Nan in return.

"I'll listen to my son." The head of the Wen family, a fatter man than Wen Tao, gritted his teeth and made up his mind, but was still a little hesitant.

"I once said that I would not hesitate to spend all my wealth as long as I could cure Tao'er's weak meridians. Now my words have come true. But, can't we leave even a little bit?"

Wen Tao was indignant and immediately rolled his eyes at his father.

"It's just a joke to liven up the atmosphere, don't take it seriously." The head of the Wen family said jokingly, waving his hands to admit his mistakes. He was relieved that his son Wen Tao did not pursue the matter, and then said seriously:

"But the Kangwang Mansion is not easy to mess with. It has dominated the elixir market for many years. Even if I put all my family property into it, I may not be able to shake it in the slightest."

When it comes to doing business, the head of the Wen family is the most authoritative person, and everyone's eyes are on him.

"Medicine is a big piece of fat meat. It is divided into three parts: high-level, medium-level and low-level markets. Most of the high-level and medium-level medicine markets are controlled by the Kangwang Mansion. Even the royal family cannot compete with it." The head of the Wen family explained slowly, shook his head helplessly and sighed.

“Kangwang Mansion gathers the country’s top alchemists and pill formulae, while others can only get a piece of the low-level pill market.

If the prince really wants to fight him, it would be like hitting a rock with an egg."

"From the cultivation of spiritual herbs to the sale of elixirs, the elixir-making business takes the lion's share of the profits, while others can only get a sip of the profits.

The Wen family's medicine business is highly dependent on the Kang Palace. If there is a conflict, it will be easy for the other party to take advantage of it. "Wen Tao added,

"Well, cultivators don't need magic weapons and talismans, but elixirs are indispensable. They are needed for breakthroughs, recuperation, and longevity. Otherwise, why is it said that alchemists are the most profitable profession in the world, leaving others far behind?" Chu Nan nodded, constantly thinking about countermeasures.

"If we want to enter the elixir market, we will be competing with a tiger for food. The pressure from all sides is not small."

When everyone was silent and dejected, the fat man Wen Tao suddenly exclaimed:

“It’s not that there is no way to break the impasse. As long as the pills we refine are better than those of Prince Kang’s Mansion, we can quickly occupy the market.

"Prince, you can help people reopen their profound veins. This skill is definitely inherited from the predecessors. If you just show them some skills, you can beat them, right?"

"Fatty, you understand me well. I'm sorry to disappoint you this time. I really can't make pills." Chu Nan smiled awkwardly and told the truth. Then he said:

"However, I accidentally got a recipe for an ancient Qi-nourishing Pill. The ingredients used are slightly different, but the effect is about 30% stronger than those on the market."

"Qi-nourishing Pill, an intermediate-level pill, is a very popular one." The eyes of the head of the Wen family lit up, and his interest was immediately piqued. He knew the significance of this ancient pill formula better than anyone else. With such a powerful weapon, he might be able to fight against Prince Kang's Mansion.

"These are twelve finished pills. Please check them, Master Wen." Chu Nan took out a small jade bottle. Before coming, he asked Xia Chan to refine a batch of finished products for convenience. He then handed it to Master Wen.

"The medicinal fragrance is rich, the color is moist, and the medicinal power is not only 30% higher than that on the market, but it is almost catching up with the fourth-grade elixir." Taking out a pill to look at it, the head of the Wen family was amazed. He accurately said the key point.

"I believe that it will definitely sweep the mid-range pill market once it is launched. However, to refine this kind of pill, the requirements for the pharmacist must be very high, right?"

The head of the Wen family has decided to take a gamble. Even if the hope of winning is slim, he must try his best and think carefully.

"Don't worry, the improvement of the pill formula not only increases the efficacy, but also makes it simpler to refine, and the requirements are much lower." Chu Nan comforted him. This conclusion was reached after he had people try it, and this was also the main reason for his confidence.

Whether it was destined by heaven or the powerful and mysterious means by which this pill recipe was prepared, this pill recipe provided great help to Chu Nan in this action.

With Chu Nan's words, the head of the Wen family can finally feel at ease and his confidence is doubled.

Chu Nan and the head of the Wen family discussed the details of the launch of the new Qi-nourishing Pill. The conversation was not very pleasant, but the old man Chen Hezhi raised an objection:

"Xiao Nan, it's really rare for you to have such a trump card in your hand. You can rely on the new type of nourishing qi pill to share a piece of the pie with King Kang, but if you want to achieve your goal, no, that's not the way you use it!"

Competition for elixirs is a means, and defeating Prince Kang's Mansion is the goal. Old man Chen Hezhi wanted to remind Chu Nan of this, and he had a big picture planned in his mind.

"Why is this?" Chu Nan and Wen Tao were puzzled, but the cunning head of the Wen family reacted first.

"The launch of the new Yangqi Pill can impact the pill business of the Kangwang Mansion and gain huge profits in the short term, but it is not enough to defeat the other party. It will just make them earn less money."

"Then what should we do?" Chu Nan asked humbly. His words awakened the dreamer. It was indeed true. Perhaps he was too obsessed with how to make money and forgot his original intention.

Since the elders have said so, they must have thought of a solution.

"..."

Chen Hezhi briefly explained his plan, leaving Chu Nan and the others dumbfounded:

"You are trying to push King Kang and his men into a dead end!

Didn't you ask me to kill people before? Now you are much more ruthless than me. I am ashamed of myself."

"Everything should change according to the time and situation. Maybe I'm overthinking it. I always feel that it's not simple. I set out a big net and hope to catch a big fish." Chen Hezhi had a worried look on his face, his eyes fixed on the Qi-nourishing Pill in his hand, as if thinking about something.

"Why do I feel like you, Uncle He Zhi, have a mortal feud with King Kang and are determined to put him to death?

He is indeed a wise and devilish general. I am ashamed of myself for not being as good as him." Chu Nan sighed and gave him a thumbs up as a joke.

The Wen family father and son nodded in agreement. They were greatly enlightened and in awe of each other in their hearts.

Before taking action, it is natural to find out the basics first. Chu Nan took the initiative to take it and let Qiu Lu and Xia Chan show their skills to the head of the Wen family.

Seeing Qiu Lu and the other man settle their subordinates' monthly accounts in just a cup of tea, the head of the Wen family was shocked:

"Miss Qiulu is not only beautiful, but also has an amazing ability in fast calculations. It's amazing! I wonder if the prince can bear the pain and give her up..."

Before the head of the Wen family could finish his words, Wen Tao rolled his eyes at him and told him to shut up immediately.

"It's just a joke, don't take it seriously, don't be angry. But this skill is really amazing, the magical power is amazing."

"It's not a magical power, they are just more talented in this aspect." Chu Nan smiled proudly. He didn't hand his wife over to him. He waved his hand to refuse and asked Qiu Lu:

"How is the result?"

"Even if we include the Princess's Mansion and Prince Kang's Mansion, the operating funds are 63 times as much as ours. If we add in the others, it should be a hundred times as much, conservatively estimated."

"63 times? It's really amazing!" Chu Nan was also shocked when he heard this result. The Princess's Mansion received countless rewards, but there was still such a big difference. He truly realized what it meant to be rich enough to rival a country. His eyes became cold.

"But this is what makes it fun, so let's have a good fight."

……