As the days passed slowly, the number of healing medicines sold daily by the Galé family across the markets of Utan City gradually diminished, until on the final day, when the last bottle of medicine was sold out, the Galé family member responsible for the sales had to face the crowded mercenaries outside with a look of embarrassment, offering a polite smile and saying, "We sincerely apologize. Due to a stock crisis, our shop will need to temporarily close." Hearing this, the mercenaries still pressing against one another fell instantly silent, glaring fiercely at the salesperson for a long time before finally muttering their complaints and dispersing. Amid their departure, several sharp, unyielding curses further agitated the salesperson to the point of pale-faced distress. Within less than an hour after the near-total depletion of the Galai family's healing medicine, the news had spread throughout nearly the entire city of Wutan. Everyone was taken aback—some secretly delighted, others saddened, and many simply sighed... Excited, he locked eyes with the three elders, only to find that they too were beaming with joy. Xiao Zhan paced back and forth in the hall for a few steps, then finally suppressed his excitement and smiled, asking with a tone of inquiry as the messenger arrived, "Where is the herbalist named Liu Xi?" "We don't know. Since the day when Galio and Liu Xi had a dispute with Xiao Yan's young lord, the next day, we've not seen Liu Xi again." Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhan and the three elders exchanged a brief moment of surprise, then their gaze subtly shifted toward the young Xiao Yan, who was seated on a chair beside them. "What are you looking at me for? It's not my business!" Seeing the four of them staring, Xiao Yan rolled his eyes, speaking with innocent frustration. Xiao Zhan shook his head in resignation. He simply wouldn't believe Xiao Yan's claim that it wasn't his business—how could someone have vanished completely after a disagreement with him? "By the way, Elder, I heard from an accidental disclosure by an internal member of the Gali family that Gali Nu, the second elder of the Gali family, was struck down by a mysterious black-robed figure while transporting medicinal herbs." Pausing slightly, the messenger suddenly spoke in a hushed tone. The footsteps abruptly stopped, and Xiao Zhan's eyelids twitched slightly before he nodded, then waved the messenger away, his gaze firmly fixed on Xiao Yan, smiling warmly, "Yan, it's remarkable that you were able to easily defeat Gali Nu, a Three-Star Grand Combatant. Aside from your teacher, I'd say no one else in Wutan City could have accomplished that." Xiao Yan rubbed his nose, sighed, and nodded with a touch of resignation, "Gali Nu did indeed pass away." "Heard directly from Xiao Yan's own confirmation, Xiao Zhan also felt a sense of admiration, shaking his head slightly. This family—Addre, which had fiercely contested with the Xiao family for several decades—had gradually declined simply because of a young man. It was truly remarkable. With a wry smile, Xiao Zhan sighed, "I know the old gentleman will step in to support our Xiao family, largely due to your influence. However, if you have the chance, please extend our gratitude on our behalf. We truly owe him so much." Xiao Yan shrugged and gave a casual nod. "Now, let's see how Addre manages to recover from this mess." Xiao Zhan chuckled, his tone laced with clear relief and a touch of envy. Indeed, in this fierce competition for the healing medicine market, Addre suffered a decisive defeat, severely weakened as a result, while the Xiao family emerged as the clear winner, reaping the greatest profits. In just two months of intense rivalry, the Xiao family had miraculously turned their fortunes around from a state of near-collapse to a resounding victory. The profits generated from the healing medicine alone were comparable to the family's annual revenue for an entire year. Moreover, Xiao's influence in Utan City now clearly surpassed that of the Galen and Obah families. Thanks to Xiao Yin's personal influence, the Miter Auction House has been consistently extending favorable offers to the Xiao family. As a result, the Xiao family has emerged as the most prominent force in Utan City. The Galle family also had a clear understanding of the current influence of the Xiao family. Once they realized their competition was hopeless, they too settled into a quiet, snake-like posture—coiled and patient, silently accumulating wounds, as if always waiting for the right moment to strike a decisive blow against their rivals. However, this period of patient endurance did not last long. The very next day after the Galle family's healing supplies ran out, two senior Duostar-level masters from the medicinal family of Trenlan stormed into the Galle family with strong resolve, making a highly "polite" request that the Galle family pay off the outstanding thirty thousand gold coins owed for the medicinal supplies within two days. Yet, despite turning his family inside out, Galib only managed to gather around ten thousand gold coins—far short of the outstanding debt. Forced to it, Galib had to face his long-standing allies, seeking temporary loans. While many were generous in times of prosperity, few were willing to offer support when things were dire. Seeing Galib's family in such a state of decline, with Xiao Family watching closely, how could the former allies be expected to commit themselves? At this moment, aiding Galib meant directly challenging the rising power of the Xiao family. Even after visiting half the major powers, Galib still failed to raise the remaining funds. Upon returning to his family with a gloomy expression, after a storm of anger, Galib reluctantly announced a decision that left everyone astonished: the sale of the market district. The Galle family owns three medium-sized markets and four smaller markets in Wutan City. This time, Galle Bi plans to sell two of the three medium-sized markets—the two with the most favorable locations and the highest foot traffic. The announcement immediately sparked strong reactions within the Galle family itself, and sent shockwaves throughout the entire city of Wutan. After all, market revenues account for roughly five out of every ten of the family’s profits. The fact that Galle Bi has decided to sell the markets—something that was once considered unthinkable—clearly indicates how dire the family’s financial situation has become. With the opening of the market districts, if foot traffic is sufficient, there's certainly a sure profit—yet in Utan City, there are only a dozen or so market districts. These markets have long been controlled by the Jialie family and the Xiao family. The other major families, however, do not rely on markets for their livelihood; instead, their profits stem primarily from numerous underground casinos and entertainment venues. Thus, when it became known that the Jialie family intended to sell off their most prestigious market district, many expressed keen interest. Yet after initial enthusiasm, their enthusiasm gradually waned. After announcing the sale of the market premises, Galib had expected a bustling crowd—yet once again, he found himself in an awkward situation. He hadn't anticipated that the Xue family's influence had grown so strong. With only two days left until the repayment deadline, Galib still failed to raise the remaining funds. He grew increasingly anxious, sweating profusely. Just as he was at his wit's end, a stranger unexpectedly entered the scene. The two parties engaged in an intense, flowing discussion over the price throughout the entire afternoon. Finally, the stranger secured the property for just twenty thousand, calmly and contentedly pocketing the two transfer agreements, and departed from the Galib family with a composed demeanor. Once the twenty thousand transfer fees were received, the Galib family finally sent the herbal medicine family members back. As he watched those creditors, like bandits, surge out of the courtyard, Galib felt as though he wanted to weep. Just as we sent away the creditors, a clan member rushed in to report that the two market properties sold in the morning have now been transferred to the Xiao family's name. Upon hearing this news, Galibai, overwhelmed with anger, stood motionless for a moment before suddenly spitting out a stream of blood and collapsing unconscious.