Wei Family's Proposal (2)

Liu Feng's demand even caused Zhang Yan to shoot him a surprised look. 'Boss...that...' he was hesitant, unsure whether to intervene. After all, Lady Jing was a respected member of the Wei family and they had to give her some face.

He recalled a time when the Zhang, Wei, and Han families held equal standing in Gale City but now things were vastly different.

Lady Jing's offer wasn't ideal, but it presented an opportunity for him to establish a connection with the Wei family. 

***

Initially, the idea of twenty percent crossed his mind, but when he thought about it carefully, he realized he had nothing to lose. Fleeing was always an option for him, but not for Zhang Yan. But he will not let a random bully take advantage of his subordinates, after all, a prosperous Zhang family ultimately benefited him as well. Furthermore, he saw this as an opportunity to establish a firm stance against such acts.

The audacity of his offer left Lady Jing speechless. Filled with disbelief and bewilderment, she stared at Liu Feng with a trembling gaze, who remained composed with a hint of a smile on his lips.

"Outrageous!" she finally burst out, "Is this how the Zhang family treats their guests? Our invitation was purely a gesture of goodwill, and this is how you res..."

"Spare me the drama," Liu Feng interrupted. "We're all adults here. No need for any games. The current situation in Gale City is clear – the Wei family is not exactly thriving. You approached the Zhangs, or rather me because you need us more than we need you. We have the leverage here."

"So, Miss Jing," raising his advantages before her, he continued, "do we have a deal?"

Wei Jing was stunned by Liu Feng's response and even before she could fully recover, Liu Feng drilled the final nail.

"Or perhaps I should consider the Han family instead," he said out loud, feigning contemplation. "Their influence in the city seems to be on the rise compared to the Wei family's. What do you think, Miss Jing? Which partnership would be more beneficial for the Zhang family?"

Lady Jing's carefully constructed facade crumbled under the weight of Liu Feng's words. Her cheeks flushed a deep red, and her lips contorted.

Here she was, a lady of the prestigious Wei family, one of Gale City's most respected names, and yet this outsider dared to speak to her with such arrogance! The audacity was unprecedented.

She had already utilized the Wei family's network to gather intel on Liu Feng but inquiries among various smaller sects, even some bigger including the Flaming Mountain Sect, yielded nothing – no one knew of him. So, she reasoned, Liu Feng, should not pose a significant threat and even if he possessed a powerful hidden master, surely they would not risk the Wei family's enmity for the sake of the Zhangs.

After all, the Zhangs had nothing to offer in their current state. She saw nothing particularly special about them although her grandfather claimed otherwise but this speculation lost its merit when the Zhnag Family was chased out helplessly of Gale City and almost destroyed.

Although there was a possibility that Liu Feng belonged to that faction, Lady Jing couldn't understand why they would send a young cultivator like him. Her investigations confirmed his cultivation level did not exceed the Qi Condensation Realm. Yet, something about him did not make sense. Unlike most cultivators, she couldn't sense any flow of Qi from him, it was as if he was an ordinary mortal.

This was puzzling. Even her grandfather, a peak-stage Qi Condensation Realm cultivator weakened by advanced age, exuded a faint Qi fluctuation. She herself was in the early stages of Qi Condensation and could clearly sense that energy. Yet, this man in front of her remained a mystery.

'Surely,' she thought confidently, based on her intel, 'he can't be a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator.' Despite her trust in her network, a doubt lingered on her.

As much as she wanted to flip the table and storm out, she knew Liu Feng was right. They needed his help. The Han family's growing influence was taking a toll on the Wei family's thriving business.

While both the Han and Wei families boasted three Qi Condensation Realm cultivators on paper, the reality was far from the truth. The Han family patriarch was in his prime, but the Wei Family's trump card, her grandfather, was getting weaker every day. Their guest elder, a skilled alchemist, added little to their force, but she had doubts about his loyalty, and considering the raw talent of the Han Family's young master, she already knew it was next to impossible to surpass him.

Despite the overwhelming desire to refuse, her pride did not allow her to surrender immediately.

She turned to Zhang Yan, "Is this the Zhang Family's final proposal?"

At first, Zhang Yan was confused about why Liu Feng proposed such an unreasonable amount but as their conversation went on, he understood Liu Feng's intention. He was already aware of the power struggles within the city but he did not realize he could leverage that to gain an advantage in this negotiation. Although this involved Liu Feng directly with the Zhang Family's business, Zhang Yan was satisfied with the result. He was not concerned about that as he had already decided, that whatever profits this partnership would bring him, he would reserve a generous portion for Liu Feng. 

"Yes," Zhang Yan confirmed without hesitation.

Taking a deep breath to compose herself, Lady Jing closed her eyes, accepting the bitter truth. 

"Seventy percent is a huge amount for me to agree upon, Master Liu," Lady Jing conceded, with a hint of a forced smile on her face. "While I understand the value you bring to the table, such a significant request requires the approval of the Wei Family patriarch. I will certainly present your proposal to him."

Although her initial attempt had failed spectacularly, a new spark of flame reignited her resolve.

"Despite our disagreement, I am still hopeful that we can find some common ground and establish a mutually beneficial alliance. The Wei family values strong partnerships, and I believe there is much we can achieve together."

After a moment to compose herself, Lady Jing adopted a more pleasant demeanor. "Perhaps you would be interested in visiting one of our shops to see how they operate? We take great pride in the quality of our goods, our alchemy pills especially."

As an additional gesture of goodwill, she extended a further invitation. "You and Master Zhang are also welcome to visit the Wei residence at your convenience. My grandfather would be glad to meet you both."

***

As Zhang Yan escorted Lady Jing out, Liu Feng noticed a familiar figure. Assistant Li from the Misty Medicine Pavilion stood alongside Butler Wei, overseeing the delivery of various crates. Workers from the Pavilion unloaded them with rhythmic movements efficiently.

Miss Jing's sharp gaze caught the carriage with the Misty Medicine Pavilion symbol. Curiosity flickered in her eyes, as she mentally made a note to inquire about it later. However, recognizing the delicate situation of their current negotiations, she wisely chose to hold her questions for another time.

Liu Feng, inspecting the items, gave a satisfied nod as he stamped the delivery receipt, confirming all the items had arrived safely. He thanked Assistant Li from the Misty Medicine Pavilion and paid him for the goods. As a final gesture of appreciation, he tossed some silver coins to the workers for their swift work.

***

After requesting a separate space for his alchemy experiments, Liu Feng decided to move his supplies. He with the help of Zhang Yan and Butler Wei quickly identified a suitable location, separate from the main residence, and Liu Feng wasted no time in transferring his materials to his new alchemy workshop.

In the corner of his new workshop, Liu Feng positioned his cauldron. Beneath it, he carefully placed the Alchemy Flame Formation. Next, he put the crates of herbs, stacking them in an organized manner.

He took the extra step of labeling each crate for easy identification later. Finally, in the remaining workspace, he arranged his various alchemy tools and apparatus with care.

While chemistry wasn't exactly his forte back on Earth, he couldn't help but smile as he saw his organized workshop taking shape into a well-equipped lab.

By noon, after an hour of rearranging and organizing, his compact workshop was ready for him to begin his work. 

After grabbing a satisfying meal, Liu Feng asked for Zhang Yan, eager to discuss their recent conversation with Miss Jing. He wanted to finalize his plans and let Zhang Yan know about his thoughts. He knew he would not be able to oversee the operations of the store and he needed the Zhnag Family's help. He was confident that he could somewhat elevate the Zhang Family's financial conditions while earning some money for himself.

****

//Planned the entire end of this arc and the major parts of the next arc in the last couple of days. These three arcs will be the end of the first volume.

//Interesting things are incoming around chapter 60 ish