Chapter 384: The Lingering Shadow
Chapter 384: The Lingering Shadow
2024-11-20
"That's good news."
Jiang Cheng smiled and nodded.
"Right?"
Gao Ling burst into laughter.
With the increased profits Jiang Cheng brought, his commission would also increase.
If Jiang Cheng's alchemy skills improved further and he produced more pills, the profits would be even greater.
But that wasn't all.
He thought of Gu Changlin's request, and after two or three months, he would further reduce Jiang Cheng's share...
He had done this many times before, and there was no shame in it. He could also imagine that when that day came, Jiang Cheng's reaction would be intense.
However, Gu Changlin was right. Unlike the others here, Jiang Cheng was a true outsider from the outer district, and apart from Gu Changjun, the Dawn Society, and the City Outskirts Enforcement Bureau, there was nowhere else for him to go.
Giving him a thirty percent share was already a generous offer, considering his exceptional alchemy skills.
If it were anyone else, twenty percent would be more appropriate.
After returning home and having dinner with his family, Jiang Cheng was about to continue his cultivation when his mobile phone rang.
It was an unfamiliar number.
Jiang Cheng's eyebrows furrowed.
He had thought it was Ding Lei, whom he met during the day, calling him.
He entered the room, closed the door, and answered the call simultaneously.
A young man's voice echoed.
"Master Jiang, good evening."
"Who is this?"
Jiang Cheng's eyebrows furrowed as he felt the voice was somewhat familiar, but he couldn't recall where he had heard it before.
Moreover, judging from the way the caller addressed him, it seemed that Ding Lei had given his contact information to others, which was why someone was calling him.
"Master Jiang, you really are forgetful. It hasn't been that long, and you can't recognize my voice? Do you need me to remind you?" The voice echoed again, with a hint of ridicule.
"Is it you?"
Jiang Cheng's expression changed.
He recognized the voice—it was Gu Changjun!
"Yes, it's me."
Gu Changjun chuckled and wore a smug expression.
He had long known about Jiang Cheng's contact information from Gu Changkong, but he hadn't contacted him until now.
This time, after learning of Jiang Cheng's whereabouts, he finally made this call.
"Master Jiang, it's been a while since we last met. During this time, I hope you've been well?"
"Do you not know if I'm well or not?" Jiang Cheng replied with a cold laugh, then hung up the call and promptly added the number to his blacklist.
He quickly realized why the other party had called him.
However, he didn't feel like there was anything to discuss with this person. After all, even after he left Dinghu Neighborhood, this guy had sent assassins to infiltrate the experimental building and hunt him down.
According to Gu Changkong, the assassins were terrifyingly powerful and might have been Fourth or Fifth Rank Grandmasters.
Including the previous incident, this was already the second time he had been targeted by them.
If it weren't for the fact that the other party was a young master of the Gu family, carrying a Fourth Rank or higher treasure, he would have sought an opportunity to deal with him right away.
"?"
Gu Changjun was taken aback.
"What's wrong?"
A woman's voice sounded from the side, it was Bai Yan.
"The call, it's been hung up."
Gu Changjun gaped at the woman beside him, then gnashed his teeth and said,
"How dare he! He actually hung up on me!"
He dialed the number again, but this time, the call didn't go through.
Undeterred, he tried several more times, but the result was the same.
"You little punk, you dare to block me?" Gu Changjun's teeth were clenched in anger.
After learning that Jiang Cheng had been taken in by Gu Changlin, he and his mother spent several days gathering information to understand the situation.
Upon learning of Jiang Cheng's specific circumstances, both of them were tempted, and they understood why Gu Changlin had personally intervened. After all, this was a golden goose! With it in their grasp, they could earn several billion every month, and in a year, it would amount to tens of billions! Who wouldn't be tempted?
So, he made a call, intending to negotiate with Jiang Cheng again.
Yes, he had sent people to assassinate Jiang Cheng before, but that was in the past, and the latter was doing just fine now. The terms could be negotiated gradually.
He planned to offer some benefits while also issuing a few threats, confident that Jiang Cheng would succumb.
However, he didn't expect Jiang Cheng to be so decisive, not even giving him a chance to say more.
"Mother, since he won't accept our offer, let's get rid of him and prevent Gu Changlin from getting too smug," Gu Changjun said, his gaze filled with hatred as he looked at Bai Yan.
"Mhm."
Bai Yan nodded slightly.
Yes, since this kid couldn't be of use to them, they couldn't let him fall into Gu Changlin's hands, either.
Ideally, they would capture the kid, break his legs, or bind him with chains, forcing him to spend the rest of his life refining pills and earning money for them.
However, the security at Gu Changlin's neighborhood was exceptionally tight.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that even a fly couldn't sneak in without being detected by the array's senses, not to mention the powerful cultivators within who were vigilant to any slight disturbance.
Even she would find it challenging to take action.
After all, Jiang Cheng wasn't the first person to attract their attention in this way. Gu Changlin also had several exceptional rune masters and artificers, but after so many years, those people were still living comfortably.
"Let those who are keeping an eye on him outside be more vigilant."
She thought to herself.
If Jiang Cheng were to come out, everything would be negotiable.
...
The next day.
Jiang Cheng met with Gu Changlin and saw the Sixth Rank Alchemy Furnace in the alchemy chamber.
This alchemy furnace stood over one person tall, and even an adult couldn't wrap their arms around it. The furnace was adorned with intricate patterns, giving it an air of mystery.
Behind Gu Changlin was an alchemist who explained the furnace's specific usage.
Before leaving, Gu Changlin apologized, expressing that he didn't intend to lower the split, but the cost of the alchemy furnace was too high, and he had no other choice.
Jiang Cheng could only express his understanding, as he had no other option.
After everyone left, Jiang Cheng's gaze fell upon the alchemy furnace.
For his current cultivation level, the benefits of this furnace were limited.
Originally, ten portions of herbs were needed, but now eight were sufficient. With his Great Success Realm alchemy technique, he could further reduce it by two portions, making it no different from the day before.
However, once his alchemy technique reached Perfection, the medicinal strength of the original five portions of herbs could be used to refine a furnace of top-grade Vigor Pills.
With the furnace's enhancement, each portion of herbs' medicinal strength was 1.3 times greater, and four portions of herbs were enough.
With this, one furnace of pills could save four portions of herbs, essentially earning one furnace's worth with each refinement.
Even without the forty percent split, his daily income would be forty million! This wouldn't be possible without this alchemy furnace.
"I really should thank him," Jiang Cheng thought to himself.
(End of Chapter)
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