"We cut our prices too, and the customers are finally coming back to us. They won't get them back unless they lower their prices again!"
Pavilion Master Liang said coldly. Celestial Rain Tower's move had caught them completely off guard, but a large part of why this was happening was thanks to Master Kong's "great work"!
As he spoke, he shot a cold glare at Master Kong. This was all truly Master Kong's "doing." If not for his earlier actions, how could Celestial Rain Tower have ever gotten an opportunity like this? Now, not only were they failing to turn a profit, they were taking a massive loss.
Master Kong stood by, embarrassed. 'How could I have ever imagined that piece of trash, Yi Tianyun, could actually forge a middle-grade Spiritual Artifact?' He still found it hard to believe Yi Tianyun could craft so many of them.
"Pavilion Master Liang, I suspect they were just probing our situation! In other words, they're spies sent by Celestial Rain Tower!"
Master Kong had started spouting nonsense, trying to pin the blame on Yi Tianyun.
Pavilion Master Liang's expression darkened. 'To think Master Kong still dares to spout such nonsense at a time like this.' Yi Tianyun and his people were clearly from Merak Palace. How could they be spies for Celestial Rain Tower? Even if they were, Celestial Rain Tower wouldn't drag anyone from Merak Palace into their affairs. Businesses like theirs tried not to form such alliances, as it could easily lead to conflict.
Just then, a Guard burst in from outside, panting heavily. He had obviously just sprinted up the stairs. The moment he arrived, he shouted, "This is bad! This is terrible! Celestial Rain Tower has started auctioning high-grade Spiritual Artifacts! And the price... the price... is fifty thousand taels lower than ours!"
"What!?"
They were stunned. High-grade Spiritual Artifacts were never hard to sell; there was usually no reason to lower their price. There were only a few possibilities for such a price drop. First, they had too much stock. Second, it was a targeted move against them, deliberately driving down the price!
If they didn't lower their prices to match, their reputation would be at stake.
As Celestial Rain Tower's reputation grew, more customers would flock there, and fewer would come to their Celestial Phoenix Tower.
The Celestial Phoenix Tower had always been a cut above the Celestial Rain Tower. But with this turn of events, they were being soundly beaten. How could they possibly save face?
This might just be a one-time sale, and Celestial Rain Tower might not have any more to sell in the future. But reputation is everything. A loss was a loss, and it would become a mark of their shame.
It was like losing a duel after being taken down by a single punch. You might win a rematch later, but you still lost that fight. That defeat was a disgrace, a permanent stain on one's record.
Besides, if this situation continued, they wouldn't even have a chance to make a comeback.
"They're cutting prices again, and on high-grade Spiritual Artifacts no less! Has the Pavilion Master of Celestial Rain Tower gone insane?!"
Pavilion Master Liang's expression was grim. This was far more serious than what had happened before. If it were only one or two high-grade Spiritual Artifacts, it would be manageable; they had a small stock of their own. But if there were six or seven, or even more than a dozen, that would be terrifying…
"These high-grade Spiritual Artifacts... who on earth forged them?" Pavilion Master Liang asked urgently after a moment's thought.
"According to our scout's report, it was that Yi Tianyun, the Outer Disciple from Merak Palace," the Guard said.
"It really is him!"
Pavilion Master Liang's face went completely dark. He snatched the nearby teacup and furiously smashed it on the ground. CRASH! It shattered into a thousand pieces.
Master Kong, standing beside him, looked grim. This had escalated far beyond what he'd anticipated; things were spiraling toward a severe crisis.
'He can forge high-grade Spiritual Artifacts? At his age?'
Master Kong looked so pale he nearly fainted. 'What kind of monster did I provoke?'
It would take him a very long time to become a Fourth-Rank Blacksmith, and there was no telling when he would succeed. Even after becoming a Fourth-Rank Blacksmith, the success rate for forging high-grade Spiritual Artifacts was still terrifyingly low.
The key was that even now, he struggled just to forge middle-grade Spiritual Artifacts, with a success rate of less than thirty percent!
Compared to Yi Tianyun, he was nothing but a pile of shit!
However, Pavilion Master Liang didn't direct his anger at Master Kong, instead waiting for the next report.
He didn't have to wait long for that report. Soon, the scout rushed back, his face stricken with terror. "He... they've forged three—no, four high-grade Spiritual Artifacts, and he's still forging! I heard they're going to make more than ten high-grade Spiritual Artifacts..."
For their Celestial Phoenix Tower, simply having a few high-grade Spiritual Artifacts on hand from time to time was a major point of pride. Those who could forge them typically supplied only the more prominent Second-Rank or even Third-Rank Factions!
If things continued like this, Celestial Rain Tower's prestige would completely eclipse that of the Celestial Phoenix Tower.
At that point, a great many people would go to Celestial Rain Tower to have weapons forged, and their network of connections would skyrocket, completely crushing the Celestial Phoenix Tower.
As a Treasure Pavilion, the quality of one's treasures is paramount. Once your quality is proven inferior, it's a sign of your own weakness. For both families and individual Cultivators, the choice of where to go would be obvious.
No wonder Zi Yuwei was so excited. She could already envision her Celestial Rain Tower booming for a long time to come.
"Kong Shengfeng, some fine work you've done, provoking a character like that for our Celestial Phoenix Tower!"
Pavilion Master Liang used Master Kong's full name, a sign he was about to explode with rage. He was especially furious as he recalled what Yi Tianyun had said just before leaving.
Some people are worth befriending, and some are not. Do you understand that simple truth?
"Pavilion Master Liang, I..."
Before Kong Shengfeng could say anything, Pavilion Master Liang cut him off with a wave of his hand.
"Say no more. We can't afford an Honored Guest Elder like you. Please, take your leave!"
Pavilion Master Liang had made his decision instantly. He knew Yi Tianyun was specifically targeting Kong Shengfeng. If he didn't dismiss him, and Yi Tianyun decided to stay with the Celestial Rain Tower for good, the Celestial Phoenix Tower would never be able to recover.
Kong Shengfeng's expression was utterly foul. Facing the enraged Pavilion Master Liang, a glint of killing intent flashed in his eyes—but it wasn't directed at Pavilion Master Liang. It was for Yi Tianyun!
"Then I shall take my leave!"
Kong Shengfeng turned and walked away, his teeth clenched and his expression dark. As he rounded the corner, an overwhelming killing intent flared from him. "Very well. I didn't want to be ruthless, but now you've forced my hand!"
After Kong Shengfeng left, Pavilion Master Liang did not send anyone to apologize. Things had already come to this. If the Celestial Phoenix Tower couldn't regain some face, they would lose their footing in Celestial Wind City.
'Looks like my only choice is to ask the Divine Forging Sect for help. An Outer Disciple from Merak Palace, Yi Tianyun, is he...? You want to teach me, Liang Tiancheng, how to conduct myself? You're still far too green for that!'
Liang Tiancheng's gaze was icy, his heart blazing with fury. Regardless of who was truly at fault, from the perspective of Upper-Rankers like him, they would never admit their own mistakes. They would only find a solution and retaliate fiercely.