The disheartened Huangfu Huaye returned to Changning Guard.

The Huangfu Family now is completely different from the high-spirited family it was a few years ago. Over the years, they have sought medical help everywhere and purchased numerous elixirs to control Huangfu Huaye’s injuries and illness.

This has made the financial pressure on the Huangfu Family increasingly tense.

Adding insult to injury, the pastures in Qianma Town have risen suddenly, and in just three years, they’ve grown considerably in scale, using purely commercial means to compete with the Huangfu Family’s large pastures.

The livestock meat and wool produced by the three major pastures of Qianma are not only slightly better in quality but have also continuously lowered their prices, relentlessly encroaching upon the Huangfu Family’s original market.

Forcing the Huangfu Family to also lower their prices to sell in order to capture the market. Initially, the Huangfu Family could resist somewhat, since the pastures in Qianma Town were relatively small, and the Wang Family was not skilled in animal husbandry.

But now, three years have passed, the Wang Family has lowered the prices of their livestock products to sixty percent of the original! That was a direct and bloody stab at the Huangfu Family’s heart.

If the Huangfu Family followed suit with price reductions, they would enter a phase of selling at a loss, and the more they sold, the more they would lose. But if they didn’t lower the prices, the market would be taken over by the Wang Family, and the Huangfu Family’s livestock products would end up unsold.

This direct and brutal pricing strategy is driving the Huangfu Family to madness. To maintain even half of their market, they have to lower the prices again.

But before they could catch their breath, the Wang Family announced an increased investment in animal husbandry and encouraged small noble families in Changning Guard to plant pasture grass, promising to buy at high prices.

Even the Celestial Human Lei Family was tempted by the prices, converting some of their low-yield fertile land to grow the alfalfa grass provided by the Wang Family.

...

"Damn Wang Shouzhe! And those opportunistic small families deserve damnation too! Damn Celestial Human Lei Family!" In the study, Huangfu Jinhuan slammed a teacup, smashing it.

Compared to several years ago, Huangfu Jinhuan looked noticeably aged, with many more gray hairs.

"Patriarch, calm down." The old butler hurried forward to comfort him, "There is a saying: let him be wild, the clear breeze brushes the mountain ridge. The current plan is to find a way to heal the ancestor."

"Heal, heal." Huangfu Jinhuan raged, "Where can we go to heal? Even after writing to the main branch, they only gave a few ten thousand Qian Gold in a perfunctory manner, treating us like beggars."

"Patriarch, after all, we separated from the main vein over five hundred years ago." The old butler said helplessly, "Those clan members who had connections and feelings are long dead. Even the Ancestor of the Purple Mansion from the main vein is no longer the one from back then. There is a saying: when we were prosperous, mutual assistance and support was never a problem. But when we’re down, asking them to expend great effort to help is perhaps... insufficient feelings."

"That’s how the world is, it’s easy to add flowers to the brocade, but hard to provide help in times of need."

The old butler sighed silently, wondering if this really was retribution? In the past, it was because of the Huangfu Family’s actions that led the Ping’an Wang Family to fall to the bottom, living a life of hardship.

Now, because of the Ping’an Wang Family’s rise and revenge, the Huangfu Family is tasting this bitterness.

In recent years, to heal the ancestor and fight the Wang Family’s business battle, the Huangfu Family had to sell many fixed assets and dissolve many household servants.

As a result, the once-grandiose Huangfu Family’s main residence is now cold and desolate. The gate and courtyard are almost "covered in dust"!

While Huangfu Jinhuan was full of frustration, contemplating whether to go all out against the Ping’an Wang Family, a servant hurriedly came to report: "Patriarch, reporting to the Patriarch."

"Fool!" Huangfu Jinhuan’s face turned cold, a surge of anger and killing intent rising, "Rushing around like this, what kind of conduct is this?"

The servant crawled over, trembling, and took out an item: "Someone at the door requests an audience, saying that upon delivering this token to the Patriarch, you will personally welcome him."

Bunch!

Before Huangfu Jinhuan could finish shouting, the old butler said: "Patriarch, take a look before you act."

Huangfu Jinhuan suppressed his killing intent, took the item, examined it closely, then suddenly stood up, his eyes flickering.

Could it be... he came?

Why has he come at this time? Could it be...

For a moment, Huangfu Jinhuan’s expression was unpredictable, appearing hesitant. But when thinking about the current predicament of the Huangfu Family, he immediately snorted coldly: "So be it, don’t blame me, Huangfu Jinhuan, for being ruthless."

...