Chapter 1739 — The Two Families Join Hands (Part One)

"Oh, is that so? Then, Old Master Kang, we shall trouble you no further!" Hearing that the Kang family had no formula, You Zhentian had no mind to say anything more to them. His next step was to go straight to Guan Xuemin and demand the formula from him!

"This..." Seeing that You Zhentian was about to leave, Divine Doctor Kang grew a little anxious. The Kang family had finally won themselves a patron after so long, and now he was simply walking away — he would regret it to death!

"Young Master You, please wait!" At that very moment, Kang Zhaoming spoke up.

"Is there something else?" You Zhentian frowned and turned his head to look at Kang Zhaoming. He did not take a mere junior seriously, but after all, he had come this time bearing courtesy, and though he had gained nothing, it would do no harm to be polite on his way out.

"Young Master You, may I ask — do you intend to go to Guan Xuemin to demand the formula?" Kang Zhaoming inquired.

"And what if I do?" You Zhentian shot back.

"Young Master You, you do not understand Guan Xuemin's character. If the formula could simply be asked for, our Kang family would have gone to ask for it long ago..." Kang Zhaoming said. "Guan Xuemin is a man who yields neither to force nor to persuasion, and he seeks neither fame nor profit. Some time ago, the Yu family offered to make Guan Xuemin's clan into a distinguished family, and he refused... A man like that — if you simply go and demand the formula from him, do you think he will give it?"

"Oh?" You Zhentian was no fool, and he caught the meaning in Kang Zhaoming's words. He turned back and sat down again. "Then, in your view, how should this formula be obtained?"

It seemed the Kang family had already tried before. Since they had not succeeded, You Zhentian's going to demand it might not succeed either! And since Guan Xuemin sought neither fame nor profit, he certainly would not care about any benefits the Hidden Right Family might offer — which was precisely why You Zhentian sat back down, to see what insight Kang Zhaoming might have.

"As a matter of fact, Young Master You, if you were to coerce him by force, Guan Xuemin might well hand over the formula..." Kang Zhaoming said.

"That will not do. If I openly use force to compel him to hand over the formula, the Hidden Aristocratic Families Arbitration Association will hear of it and will certainly make trouble for our You family!" You Zhentian shook his head. Though the Arbitration Association stood in constant danger of collapse these days, no one wanted to be the first bird to stick its neck out and test the waters!

All the hidden aristocratic families knew that the Association's Grand Elder had vanished many years ago, but no one knew where he had gone, or whether he would ever return! What had been said back then was that he had gone to make contact with those missing Heaven-Rank experts, and afterward set out in pursuit of the Heavenly Dao...

But whether he had vanished together with those missing Heaven-Rank experts, or had perished in his pursuit of the Heavenly Dao, or... all of it was shrouded in fog. At present, the Hidden Aristocratic Families Arbitration Association was kept running by one elder sent from each hidden family and sect.

It was nothing more than the various families jointly keeping watch over one another. But now, every family harbored the desire to break this rule; they merely feared the Grand Elder might come slaughtering back, so all of them were waiting — waiting for some hidden family or sect to be the first bird to stick its neck out, to see whether the Grand Elder would appear...

So under such circumstances, the Hidden Right Family was no fool. Even with the backing of the Mysterious Pill Sect, they dared not be that first bird. In his view, whoever wanted to be it could be it — the Hidden Right Family was not going to play the fool.

"So you see, this sort of villain can only be played by our Kang family. Your Hidden Right Family must stay in the shadows, never in the open, or you will find yourselves in trouble!" Kang Zhaoming had vaguely heard Xiao Wangba and Xiao Wangdao boast about the rules of the hidden families, which was why he had deliberately said what he said just now — his aim was to keep the Hidden Right Family from leaving.

You Zhentian had not become young master of the family for nothing. Hearing Kang Zhaoming's words, he understood what was being conveyed: if you want the formula, cooperating with our Kang family is the best way. If you do not cooperate with us, then you will have to play the villain yourselves, and I fear you will bring down the censure of the Hidden Aristocratic Families Arbitration Association — a loss far outweighing the gain!

Of course, You Zhentian could also choose to cooperate with someone else, one in the open and one in the dark, but with the Kang family as a ready-made partner, there was no need to expend effort finding anyone else.

At this thought, You Zhentian slowly nodded. "You mean that your Kang family stays in the open, while our Hidden Right Family aids you from the shadows. Naturally, all conflicts and all blame will be borne by your Kang family, while we need only act in secret. Is that it?"

"Exactly!" Kang Zhaoming nodded. "As it happens, I have long had a fine plan in mind, but there has never been a suitable person to carry it out. If Young Master You is willing, then our two families are a match made in heaven, and this time we are certain to obtain the formula for the Life-Extending Detoxification Pill!"

"Let's hear it. But let me say this first: providing men and effort is fine, but you absolutely must not breathe a word about our Hidden Right Family operating in the secular world!" You Zhentian warned. "Otherwise, even if the You family comes under censure, you will not fare any better!"

"Rest assured, Young Master You. If we were so lacking in sense, we would not be discussing cooperation with you at all!" Kang Zhaoming said with a nod.

"Very well then. Tell me your method," You Zhentian said.

Divine Doctor Kang had never expected that the You family, who had been on the verge of leaving, would be turned back by Kang Zhaoming's efforts — pulled back with a few words, no less. He was overjoyed, and the look he gave Kang Zhaoming was one of boundless fondness. He had truly never seen it before — this grandson was a rare talent!

Several times before, when the Kang family had fallen into peril, it was Kang Zhaoming's clever ideas that had saved the day. So Divine Doctor Kang had come to feel, more and more, that Kang Zhaoming was superior to Kang Zhaolong.

Though Kang Guifeng felt somewhat bitter about it, he had to admit that Kang Zhaoming's knack for stumbling into the right answer by sheer luck was stronger than his own. No matter how it was done, to keep the Hidden Right Family here and bring them into cooperation with the Kang family — that was a great skill indeed!

"Guan Xuemin yields neither to force nor to persuasion, and he covets neither fame nor profit. One could say he has no weaknesses..." Kang Zhaoming said. "But I know his soft spot!"

"Oh? And what is that?" Unwittingly, You Zhentian had been led along by Kang Zhaoming's line of thought.

"It is his granddaughter, Guan Xin. Guan Xuemin dotes on this granddaughter exceedingly. If we were to abduct her and demand the formula for the Life-Extending Detoxification Pill from Guan Xuemin, then he would certainly not refuse..." Kang Zhaoming had harbored this idea for a long time, but had never dared to put it into practice. Now that the Hidden Right Family had come, they were just the ones to do it!

"Oh? As simple as that? Then your Kang family could do it yourselves — why seek cooperation with our Hidden Right Family?" You Zhentian was no fool, and he saw the problem in it at once.

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