Invincible Soul Emperor

Chapter 338: Chapter 338: The Terrifying Analytical Ability

After Ye Qingchen’s return, he not only perfectly handled the counterfeit medicine scandal but also took Chen Yue Pavilion’s reputation to a new level.

Business at Chen Yue Pavilion was exceptionally brisk, with its Spirit Pills reaching a point where demand far outstripped supply. However, the customers’ eagerness to purchase remained undiminished. Some even left Spirit Stones in advance to pre-order Spirit Pills. Qin Yue had even transferred several Alchemists from various Rising Sun Pavilions to assist Ye Qingchen, and only then were they barely able to keep up.

However, these Alchemists naturally wouldn’t refine Spirit Pills day and night as Ye Qingchen did. With Chen Yue Pavilion’s business constantly improving, the Spirit Pills were snapped up the moment they were produced, even with the extra Alchemists.

Qin Yue could only continue to search for a solution. She asked her grandfather, Qin Zhantian, to dispatch more Alchemists, but nearly all of those closest to Chaoyun Country had already been transferred. As for those farther away, it would take them a significant amount of time to arrive.

Just then, Ma Chunsheng came looking for Ye Qingchen, excitedly clutching a stack of orders. An irrepressible smile adorned his face. In fact, it wasn’t just him; all the clerks at Chen Yue Pavilion were extraordinarily excited.

With Chen Yue Pavilion’s business booming, everyone’s sales commission was rising steeply. Moreover, with Ye Qingchen presiding over the pavilion, no one feared taking responsibility; their only job was to secure orders. In the current situation, there was no need to solicit orders at all; it was a mad rush for their products. Even pre-orders were paid in full, which, to the clerks, felt like free money.

Ma Chunsheng was even more thrilled. With Chen Yue Pavilion’s current momentum, his role as Store Manager was indispensable. Not only would he earn a generous commission, but this success would also serve as leverage for his future promotion within the Rising Sun Pavilion.

Ye Qingchen had just finished concocting a batch of Spirit Pills. Seeing Ma Chunsheng enter, he stopped what he was doing.

Ma Chunsheng handed the orders to Ye Qingchen and said with a grin, ”Mr. Ye, we’ve received another ten large orders today, each for no less than fifty Spirit Pills. And they’ve all been paid in full.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Qingchen didn’t look as happy as Ma Chunsheng had imagined. Instead, he frowned, examining the orders in his hands. ”Store Manager Ma,” he asked, ”how is the acquisition of medicinal herbs going?”

Ma Chunsheng was taken aback for a moment before replying, ”Mr. Ye, we’ve sold countless Spirit Pills recently, and the herbs in the warehouse are nearly depleted. I’ve already sent people to procure more, but the herb merchants in Illusory Moon City have intricate networks. Many of them claim to have no stock, even when we offer a higher price.”

Ye Qingchen nodded. ”That explains it. Store Manager Ma, you’ve been in this business for many years. Haven’t you noticed anything unusual about these orders?”

Ma Chunsheng froze again. Blinded by the recent success, he hadn’t analyzed the orders carefully. Now that Ye Qingchen mentioned it, a vague suspicion began to form in his mind.

Seeing Ma Chunsheng’s expression of dawning realization, Ye Qingchen nodded in satisfaction. The manager Qin Yue sent me is clever and quick on the uptake. Given time, he’ll surely be able to manage Chen Yue Pavilion on his own. Then I can proceed with the next step of my plan.

Ye Qingchen patted Ma Chunsheng’s shoulder. ”Store Manager Ma, I think you’ve realized it too. Most of these orders are for our most popular Spirit Pills, with over half being for detoxification and healing. For those who truly wish to increase their strength, these kinds of Spirit Pills aren’t very useful.”

Handing the orders back to Ma Chunsheng, Ye Qingchen continued, ”These orders might seem chaotic, but upon closer inspection, a pattern emerges. When you look at them together, it’s easy to see that different orders actually complement one another. This must be the work of a single faction taking advantage of our discount to make large purchases and pre-orders. It’s just that this faction has been very cautious, which is why you didn’t notice it at first.”

Ma Chunsheng nodded. ”You’re right, Mr. Ye. This is less like pre-ordering and more like someone is hoarding our Spirit Pills, intending to profit from the situation!”

Ye Qingchen smiled slightly, gesturing for Ma Chunsheng to continue.

Ma Chunsheng thought for a moment, still looking puzzled. ”But what faction could possibly acquire so many Spirit Pills?”

Ye Qingchen sighed, the answer already clear in his mind. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Qin Yue hurrying in. Her face was flushed, and despite her Martial Spirit Realm cultivation, sweat beaded on her forehead, a clear sign of her anxiety.

Seeing Ye Qingchen, she wiped the sweat from her brow. ”Qingchen, bad news! I just received a tip through a special channel. The Huanyue Sect is secretly buying up massive quantities of their own elixirs, and they intend to buy out all our stock at Chen Yue Pavilion!”

Ye Qingchen smiled and reached out to wipe the sweat from her face. ”I already know the Huanyue Sect is the one making trouble behind the scenes.”

Qin Yue stared at him in surprise. I paid a hefty price for this information. How could he possibly know about it already?

While Qin Yue was still trying to figure it out, Ma Chunsheng held up the order forms. Pointing to the reserved Spirit Pills, he said, ”Miss Qin, Mr. Ye already saw the signs in these orders and deduced that the Huanyue Sect is targeting our Chen Yue Pavilion.”

Following Ma Chunsheng’s finger, the quick-witted Qin Yue also understood the implications.

What truly shocked Qin Yue, however, was Ye Qingchen’s sharp analytical mind. He spent all day practicing alchemy in the Pill Refining Room, never stepping out, much less spending money on information. Yet, with just a glance at the orders, he had deduced that their opponent was the Huanyue Sect. This deepened her admiration for him even more.

Seeing Ye Qingchen’s calm and composed demeanor, Qin Yue felt much more at ease, but she still had to ask, ”Qingchen, now that we know our opponent is the Huanyue Sect, what’s our next move?”

Ma Chunsheng also chimed in, ”Based on the total volume of Spirit Pills the Huanyue Sect is purchasing, Chen Yue Pavilion will be stuck working for them for the next three years! Not only will we fail to crush the Huanyue Sect’s elixir business, but Chen Yue Pavilion will also be at their mercy. Mr. Ye, we should retract the twenty-percent-off promotion. If we only fulfill the current orders, we’ll take a loss for six months at most, but we’ll be able to recover after that. The longer this drags on, the greater the trouble will be down the line!”

Qin Yue nodded in agreement, turning her gaze to Ye Qingchen.

However, contrary to their expectations, Ye Qingchen simply shook his head. ”No. The twenty-percent-off promotion... must not be stopped.”