Chapter 44: Chapter 44: Persuading to Stay

BOOM!

Jiang Han was completely stunned, frozen in place.

Hearing that Ling Xuan wanted to leave, and so suddenly, caught Jiang Han completely off guard.

After all, Ling Xuan was the one who supplied the Jiang Family with Elixirs, and he was their only Alchemist.

With Ling Xuan’s departure, the Jiang Family’s Elixir business would grind to a halt.

Unless they could find a new Alchemist in a short amount of time.

But finding a new Alchemist was easier said than done.

There were only a few Alchemists in Hanwu City, and they had all been hired away at high prices.

The Jiang Family had already spent a fortune to hire Ling Xuan.

They had exhausted all their efforts just for that.

Finding another Alchemist on such short notice was simply impossible.

And just like that, the Jiang Family’s Elixir business would be completely finished.

This was especially dire since the Elixir business was, to a large extent, the economic pillar of the Jiang Family.

Without the Elixir business, the Jiang Family would face a crisis, and possibly even bankruptcy.

’This was no small matter.’

The stakes were enormous.

After his momentary shock, Jiang Han hurried to persuade him to stay. "Mr. Ling, has our Jiang Family offended you in some way? Just say the word, and we will certainly change."

’I have to make him stay. I absolutely cannot let Ling Xuan leave. His departure would be a monumental crisis for our Jiang Family.’

As the Patriarch, it was a blow he could not afford to take.

But how could he have known? Ling Xuan was hell-bent on leaving; there was no way he could be stopped.

Ling Xuan said indifferently, "No one has offended me. I simply wish to leave on my own accord."

"Patriarch Jiang, please don’t misunderstand."

’With the terms the Ximen Family offered me, I’d be a fool to stay with the Jiang Family.’

And Ling Xuan was no fool. He was very clever.

"This..."

Jiang Han was at a loss for words again. Ling Xuan was being too abrupt.

’The Jiang Family hasn’t even offended him.’

This sudden turn of events made him, the Patriarch, feel a deep sense of unease.

The consequences of Ling Xuan’s departure would be severe.

He asked again, "Did someone in our Jiang Family disrespect you? As long as you name them, Mr. Ling, I will make them kneel and apologize to you."

Jiang Han was still trying to do everything in his power to keep Ling Xuan.

For the sake of the Jiang Family, he was even willing to cast aside his own dignity.

’My title as Patriarch means nothing. I must protect the Jiang Family.’

’The Elixir business absolutely cannot be cut off.’

However, Ling Xuan once again waved his hand dismissively. "Truly, no one has offended me. No one has shown me any disrespect."

"Patriarch Jiang, honestly, I just want to leave. I’ve been performing Alchemy for these past few years, and I’m mentally exhausted. I’m planning to find a quiet place to rest and recuperate."

He didn’t want to have a complete falling out with the Jiang Family either.

So he could only make up an excuse.

Jiang Han immediately seized on this point and continued trying to persuade Ling Xuan.

His tone was utterly sincere.

"Mr. Ling, if you need to recuperate, the private courtyard our Jiang Family gifted you is a place where absolutely no one will disturb you. All you have to do is stay with our Jiang Family." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"Even if you don’t perform Alchemy for a while, that’s fine. After all, your health is what’s important, sir."

Although Jiang Han was suspicious, he still didn’t consider the possibility that Ling Xuan was going to the Ximen Family.

He even started to think that perhaps Ling Xuan truly was mentally exhausted.

He believed him.

But Ling Xuan just shook his head.

"I’m sorry, my mind is made up."

Jiang Han was bewildered. He really couldn’t understand Ling Xuan.

Meanwhile, the other members of the Jiang Family, who by now all understood Ling Xuan’s importance, all rushed over.

"Mr. Ling, we beg you, please don’t leave our Jiang Family."

"That’s right, you’re too important to our Jiang Family."

"Our Jiang Family can’t go on without you."

"Please stay, Mr. Ling."

One by one, the Jiang Clan Members came forward to plead with him.

Even Jiang Men rushed over, grabbing Ling Xuan’s hand. "Mr. Ling, we have such a good relationship! For my sake, please stay."

"We’ve all become like family."

"Besides, it’s not like the Jiang Family has been disrespectful to you."

But Ling Xuan was growing impatient.

"Enough. Say no more."

"I’m leaving, and that’s final. I never wanted to stay with your Jiang Family in the first place."

He was getting angry. ’These people are begging me now.’

’Where was this energy before? Why didn’t they offer me a higher share of the profits then?’

At that moment, a sudden realization dawned on Jiang Han.

He hastily pushed the others aside, came before Ling Xuan, and said humbly, "Mr. Ling, as long as you stay, I’ll give you twenty percent of the Jiang Family’s profits. What do you think?"

They had previously given Ling Xuan ten percent; now he was raising it directly to twenty.

The other Jiang Family members were all astonished.

’Twenty percent... that’s really a bit too high.’

But Ling Xuan was dismissive, sneering, "What’s twenty percent? Even if you gave me thirty percent, I wouldn’t give it a second thought."

"Well, I’m leaving."

He was determined to leave.

No one could make him stay.

Jiang Han was truly frantic now. He absolutely could not let Ling Xuan leave.

He quickly grabbed Ling Xuan’s arm and pleaded, "Mr. Ling, I, Jiang Han, am begging you. Even if you must leave, that’s fine."

"But please, give the Jiang Family some time. Let me find your replacement before you go, can you?"

If he let Ling Xuan leave now, the Jiang Family would truly be finished.

The other Jiang Family members also began to plead, their faces bitter with despair.

’This Ling Xuan is dead set on leaving.’

But Ling Xuan violently shook off Jiang Han’s hand.

"Patriarch Jiang, finding someone is your business. What does it have to do with me?"

"I’ll go my way, and you can go find your people."

"Enough. Please show me some basic respect. I will not be staying with the Jiang Family any longer."

The Jiang Family was at their wit’s end.

Finally, Jiang Han grit his teeth. He was going all in.

He blocked Ling Xuan’s path and declared loudly, "Mr. Ling, how about this: you name your own terms. Any terms at all. Whatever they are, I will agree to them."

"I still hope you will stay with our Jiang Family. After all these years, you have a bond with us, don’t you?"

Jiang Han still held Ling Xuan’s Alchemy skills in high regard.

Unfortunately, he didn’t know why Ling Xuan was so insistent on leaving now, and he was powerless to stop him.

Even with Jiang Han offering such terms, Ling Xuan remained completely unmoved.

"I hold out no more hope for your Jiang Family."

"Goodbye. There’s no point in saying more."

Jiang Han was on the verge of dropping to his knees.

"Let him go."

Just at that moment, a cold voice echoed through the main hall.

The voice was indifferent, even icy.

Everyone was taken aback.

They all turned their heads toward the source of the sound.

After all, while the entire Jiang Family was trying to make Ling Xuan stay, some clan member was actually causing trouble, telling him to leave.

’If Ling Xuan’s departure wasn’t a big deal, they would just let him go. But they truly couldn’t afford for him to leave.’

SWOOSH!

The Jiang Clan Members, Jiang Men, and Patriarch Jiang Han all locked their gazes on one person.

They saw a person sitting in a chair, calm and composed, with an indifferent expression.

When they saw who it was, they realized it was none other than Jiang Chen.

The one who had spoken was, of course, Jiang Chen.

Even Ling Xuan, who had been so dead set on leaving, couldn’t help but stop in his tracks at the sound of that voice.

He looked over.

He was, after all, a proud and arrogant man. He wanted to see who in the Jiang Family would dare to speak to him in such a manner.

And tell him to just leave, no less.

"Jiang Chen?"

In an instant, he recognized the speaker. It was actually Jiang Chen, the son of the Jiang Family’s Patriarch, Jiang Han.