Invincible Soul Emperor

Chapter 341: Chapter 341: The Method to Break the Game

About a week later, the number of Pill Kings gathered at Chen Yue Pavilion had reached nearly one hundred. Unaffiliated Pill Kings accounted for more than half of them, while the rest were from various minor factions.

Seeing the time was ripe, Ye Qingchen gathered all the Pill Kings to share his idea. Looking at the powerful lineup of nearly one hundred Pill Kings before him, he couldn’t help but feel a bit dazed. After composing himself, he began to speak.

”Fellow Pill Kings, over the past week at Chen Yue Pavilion, we have exchanged insights on the Alchemy Dao and have all made significant progress. Therefore, today I’d like to boldly make a suggestion for everyone to discuss.”

”Mr. Chen, please speak freely,” said a lean, elderly man. ”Thanks to our exchanges these past few days, I advanced from a fifth-grade to a sixth-grade Pill King. This is all because of you.”

The speaker was Chang Hongyan, who had been stuck at the fifth-grade Pill King realm for more than a decade. After Ye Qingchen shared the Pill Emperor’s Heart Sutra with him, he had an epiphany and broke through to the sixth-grade. Therefore, among all the Pill Kings present, Chang Hongyan was definitely the most grateful to Ye Qingchen.

Ye Qingchen nodded and said, ”Elder Chang is as impatient as ever. In that case, I won’t beat around the bush. Chen Yue Pavilion has just opened and is in need of people. If you don’t mind, you are all welcome to stay and become shareholders, owning a portion of the Pavilion.”

After Ye Qingchen finished, the Pill Kings didn’t immediately declare their positions. They simply looked at him with confusion, pondering the meaning of his words.

Ye Qingchen smiled and continued, ”There are three benefits to this arrangement. First, Chen Yue Pavilion will provide a large quantity of medicinal herbs for all of you to practice refining Spirit Pills.”

The Pill Kings nodded thoughtfully. Free herbs were a benefit, certainly, but not a particularly tempting one. After all, whenever they refined pills for others, their clients would typically provide two or three sets of herbs to account for the success rate, along with a handsome reward. The promise of free herbs alone was not enough for these Pill Kings to give up their unfettered lives and tie themselves to Chen Yue Pavilion.

Ye Qingchen had anticipated this reaction, so he wasn’t bothered and continued, ”As for the second benefit, we have nearly one hundred Pill Kings here, each with unique skills. The rapid progress we’ve all made in the Alchemy Dao through our exchanges is plain to see. Furthermore, for those who stay at Chen Yue Pavilion, I will release more of the alchemical scriptures left behind by my sect for everyone to study and improve together.”

When Ye Qingchen finished, the Pill Kings began whispering amongst themselves. This offer truly resonated with them. The prospect of sharing the collective experience of nearly one hundred Pill Kings was staggering enough on its own. However, it was the alchemical scriptures from Ye Qingchen’s sect that held an endless allure for them. Everyone had witnessed it over the past few days. Ye Qingchen was already a sixth-grade Pill King, yet his understanding of the Alchemy Dao was so profound that it benefited even his peers. All of this, he claimed, came from his sect’s scriptures. If he were to reveal more of these texts, their own progress in the Alchemy Dao would surely skyrocket.

This was Ye Qingchen’s trump card. The Pill Emperor’s Heart Sutra was the life’s work of a Pill Emperor. Sharing parts of it would not only win him allies but also allow him to learn from their different interpretations, thereby improving his own understanding. It was a classic case of killing two birds with one stone. After making his point, Ye Qingchen fell silent, quietly observing the whispering Pill Kings.

Finally, Chang Hongyan couldn’t hold back any longer. ”Mr. Chen, you mentioned three benefits. What is the last one?”

Ye Qingchen smiled faintly. ”The third benefit, naturally, is that once you own shares in Chen Yue Pavilion, you can collect dividends regularly. You’ve all seen how well our business is doing. For you, it will be a substantial income!”

After saying this, Ye Qingchen stood up and added, ”You get to practice alchemy, study the Alchemy Dao, and earn money at the same time—killing three birds with one stone. And rest assured, Chen Yue Pavilion will never restrict your freedom. As long as you remain with us, these three benefits will only grow. If the day comes when you wish to leave, we will not stand in your way.”

An uproar swept through the Pill Kings after Ye Qingchen finished speaking. They had been tempted by the second benefit, but as unaffiliated alchemists accustomed to their liberty, they feared losing it above all else. Now that Ye Qingchen had promised they could leave at any time, the Pill Kings had no more reservations and, one after another, expressed their willingness to join Chen Yue Pavilion.

Ye Qingchen smiled and nodded, having Ma Chunsheng register the names of the Pill Kings, allot their shares, and distribute the prepared fragments of the Pill Emperor’s Heart Sutra. This act incited a flash of envy in those who had yet to commit.

Ye Qingchen surveyed the Pill Kings who remained silent. He understood it wasn’t a lack of desire to join, but that they already belonged to their own sects or families. Though these organizations were small, they were not something to be abandoned lightly.

Ye Qingchen had already planned for this. He cupped his fist toward them and said, ”I have anticipated your concerns. You can also stay, but you will need to pay rent to Chen Yue Pavilion. This rent can be paid with the Spirit Pills you refine. Alternatively, you can sign a cooperation contract with us, and we can work together for mutual benefit. What do you all think?”

Ye Qingchen then explained the details of the contract. With their final concerns addressed, the remaining Pill Kings joyfully agreed to cooperate with Chen Yue Pavilion.

And so, in one fell swoop, Chen Yue Pavilion gained nearly one hundred Pill Kings. Their disciples also flocked to the pavilion, and after passing an assessment, they too could help with sales for mutual profit. Instantly, Chen Yue Pavilion’s alchemy output increased dozens of times over, solving the problem of their inadequate supply of Spirit Pills. Moreover, Qin Yue had also transferred a large quantity of herbs from the nearby Rising Sun Pavilion to supply the consumption of these Pill Kings.

The crisis facing Chen Yue Pavilion was thus completely resolved by Ye Qingchen’s simple strategy. Only now did Qin Yue finally understand the solution Ye Qingchen had spoken of. He had effortlessly resolved a situation that had left her feeling utterly helpless, which only deepened her admiration for him.

She couldn’t help but feel a little smug. Hehe, my taste in men is pretty good after all...