A Deal Too Value To Ignore

That evening, after arranging everything they needed, Hao Nhien went to find Lac Thua before leaving the Lac Van Tribe.

In truth, the two of them did not have much luggage. Most of their belongings were stored inside their storage rings, and the merchant identities Lanh Tuyet had prepared for them were never meant to support a large caravan. Even so, Hao Nhien still wanted to make a few things clear to Lac Thua before they left.

“Tomorrow, we’ll enter Heavenly Eye City.”

Lac Thua did not look surprised. He simply nodded and asked,

“How long do you plan to stay?”

“I don’t know yet. If things go smoothly, perhaps only a few days. It may also take longer.”

Lac Thua glanced at the three packets of medicine Hao Nhien had just placed on the table.

“What about the sick people in the tribe?”

“None of the conditions I’ve seen over the past two days are particularly complicated. I wrote down the dosages, instructions, and things to avoid for these three medicines. If anyone becomes seriously ill or develops unusual symptoms, don’t give them pills on your own. Wait until I return.”

Lac Thua looked slightly surprised.

“You intend to come back?”

Hao Nhien smiled.

“If the business in the city works out, then of course I’ll have to return.”

He then took out a partially dried branch of Sa Diep from his sleeve and placed it on the table.

“There is one thing I want to mention first. For now, don’t have the people in the tribe gather too much Sa Diep, Xich Can, or Kho Diep.”

Lac Thua looked at the three herbs Hao Nhien named in turn, confusion appearing in his eyes.

“None of those are scarce around here, but they’re worth very little. Why hold back?”

“Precisely because they aren’t worth much yet, there’s no reason to gather too much in a hurry.”

Hao Nhien rolled the Sa Diep branch lightly beneath one fingertip.

“If the tribe spends its labor harvesting them only to sell them to merchant caravans at the same old price, then all they’re doing is trading human effort for a few spirit stones that are hardly worth mentioning. I want to enter the city first and see whether I can find a stable buyer. If I can, then we can discuss harvesting in larger quantities.”

Lac Thua studied him for a long moment.

“You truly intend to do business with medicinal weeds like these?”

“I’m a merchant.”

Hao Nhien answered naturally.

“Anything someone needs can become merchandise. The only questions are who needs it, how much they need, and whether they are willing to pay enough for the seller to survive.”

Lac Thua asked no more.

After a while, he cupped his hands.

“Then I’ll wait for your news.”

The next morning, not many people came to see them off. Aside from Lac Thua, there were Old Madam Lac, Tieu Thach, and several people Hao Nhien had treated over the past two days.

Tieu Thach stood beside his grandmother. When he saw Hao Nhien leading the Sa Beast and preparing to leave, he immediately called out,

“Uncle Giai!”

Hao Nhien turned.

The boy raised one hand.

“Remember to bring bread next time!”

Hao Nhien nearly missed a step.

Old Madam Lac immediately tapped the boy lightly on the head.

“You’re not allowed to ask people for things!”

Tieu Thach held his head but kept looking at Hao Nhien expectantly.

Hao Nhien laughed.

“All right. I’ll bring some next time.”

The boy immediately broke into a grin.

Walking beside him, Quan Nha said softly,

“Uncle Giai seems very popular with children.”

“Let’s go.”

Hao Nhien had no desire to continue that subject.

Only after the two of them had traveled far from Lac Van did he turn back for one last look.

The little oasis had already shrunk into a few faint specks amid the sea of sand. Compared with Heavenly Eye City, little more than a day away by Sa Beast, Lac Van was so small that it was almost beneath notice. To the people sitting inside Heavenly Eye Hall, a tribe like this was probably nothing more than a number written somewhere in a quota ledger.

But to those born there, it was an entire life.

The two purchased two Sa Beasts at a waystation and continued along the trade route.

The closer they came to Heavenly Eye City, the heavier the traffic became. Convoys hauling mineral ore moved one after another, while merchant caravans carrying medicinal ingredients and grain passed continuously between cultivators, soldiers, and transport crews dressed in different uniforms.

Unlike the outer regions, where most roads held little more than windblown sand and scattered travelers, this area resembled a network of great blood vessels channeling everything toward the same place.

By the following afternoon, a long black line appeared at the edge of the horizon.

At first, it resembled a low mountain range. Only as they drew closer did Hao Nhien realize it was the city wall.

The wall rose dozens of zhang high and stretched to the limit of sight, its stone surface covered in dark gray runes. Watchtowers rose every few hundred zhang, while the occasional flying sword in the sky had to descend as it approached the gate for inspection.

Quan Nha looked at the city ahead.

“Heavenly Eye City?”

“Yes.”

According to everything they had gathered over nearly two months of travel, this was the true center of the Heavenly Eye system in this region. The transport routes from Tien Thanh, Trung Thanh, and the surrounding territories all converged here, while deeper inside the city stood Heavenly Eye Hall, a place Hao Nhien still knew almost nothing about directly.

He watched the stream of people moving toward the gate.

None of them knew Quan Hao Nhien was here.

None knew that the woman beside him was Hoang Lap’s daughter.

Hao Nhien asked quietly,

“You remember your name?”

Quan Nha turned toward him.

“Giai Nhien.”

“And?”

“My husband.”

Hao Nhien paused.

Quan Nha had already turned her face away, but the corner of her mouth was visibly curved upward.

He coughed lightly.

“Tieu Nha.”

Quan Nha had been walking ahead. She failed to react for one beat before turning back.

Hao Nhien only looked at her without saying anything else.

Quan Nha smiled.

“I remember.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

The two merged into the line before the gate.

The inspection was easier than Hao Nhien had expected, but it was by no means careless. The guards checked identity tokens, merchant origins, carried goods, approximate cultivation auras, and entrance fees. The records Lanh Tuyet had prepared were clearly solid enough, because when both identity tokens were placed on the inspection artifact, no sign of irregularity appeared.

The guard looked at Hao Nhien.

“Merchant?”

“Yes.”

“What do you sell?”

“Medicinal ingredients and some pills.”

The man glanced at the goods tied beside the Sa Beast.

“Any prohibited medicines?”

“No.”

A temporary wooden token was tossed toward him.

“Go in.”

Hao Nhien caught it.

That was all.

The two passed through the city gate, leaving the great doors open behind them.

Inside, Heavenly Eye City was entirely different from Lac Van.

The streets were wide enough for several cargo wagons to travel side by side. Tall stone buildings lined both sides, while shops stretched almost endlessly down the avenues. There were so many cultivators moving through the streets that for a moment Hao Nhien felt as though he had returned to Thanh Van City.

But a closer look revealed the difference immediately.

There were too many warehouses.

Too many soldiers.

Too many supplies moving without pause.

Spirit beasts hauled carts of ore past one after another. Across the street, crates of medicinal ingredients were carried into storage buildings, while farther ahead a caravan of weapons had just turned off the main avenue.

The city itself did not feel tense. People still bought, sold, ate, drank, and talked as usual, yet everything moved faster than an ordinary city should require.

After observing for a while, an image formed in Hao Nhien’s mind.

Heavenly Eye City was like a body consuming enormous amounts of food.

Ore.

Grain.

Medicine.

People.

Weapons.

Everything flowed inward without stopping, as though the city were storing strength for something that had not yet happened.

The two spent nearly two hours walking without asking too many questions. They simply studied shop signs, listened to prices, watched the customers coming and going, and memorized every place connected to medicinal trade.

Eventually, Hao Nhien stopped before a five-story building.

The signboard above was black, with four silver characters standing out sharply against the stone facade.

Heavenly Eye Medicine Pavilion.

Quan Nha looked at him.

“We start here?”

“If I want to become someone who sells medicine, I should first find the place that understands its value.”

The two entered.

Compared with Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, this place was far more practical. There were few decorative displays. Almost the entire first floor was devoted to trade, with counters for medicinal herbs, low-level pills, medicinal liquids, and healing remedies arranged one after another.

A young attendant quickly approached.

“Are the two of you looking to buy pills or sell medicinal ingredients?”

“Just looking for now.”

“Of course.”

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The attendant showed no coldness despite their ordinary clothing. He led them past the pill counters lining the first floor as he explained,

“Most pills displayed here are low-grade, suitable for Qi Condensation cultivators and guard teams that need regular supplies. This is a Qi-Vitality Pill. A bottle of five costs around thirteen hundred mid-grade spirit stones. Beside it is the Body Strengthening Pill, about two thousand for a bottle of five. Qi Recovery Pills have been consumed very quickly lately, so a bottle of five fluctuates between eighteen hundred and two thousand depending on the batch.”

Hao Nhien listened while observing.

The prices were indeed considerably higher than in many places he had visited, yet the quality on display did not justify the difference. Most were ordinary low-grade pills with obvious impurities and uneven medicinal strength. A few even retained traces of fire qi from poor control during refinement.

What drew his attention more was the speed at which they sold.

A bottle would barely leave the counter before another attendant brought out a replacement. Most customers did not buy one or two pills at a time. They bought entire bottles, often several at once.

Heavenly Eye did not lack people who needed pills.

What this place lacked was quality.

After nearly completing a full circuit, Hao Nhien picked up a Qi Recovery Pill and asked,

“Only low-grade?”

The attendant immediately understood.

“Most of the first floor stock is low-grade. We do carry mid-grade pills, but they are not always available.”

“What do they cost?”

“Considerably more.”

The attendant replied,

“A mid-grade Qi Recovery Pill usually sells for around seven to eight hundred mid-grade spirit stones when available. Body Strengthening Pills are slightly more expensive. But those are often reserved before they even arrive, so they rarely appear openly on the first floor.”

Hao Nhien nodded lightly.

“So you need to place an order?”

“For the most part. Regular clients of the Pavilion, large merchant caravans, and cultivator teams often reserve whole batches in advance. Sometimes the wait is half a month. Sometimes a full month passes and it still may not be your turn.”

“And high-grade?”

The attendant laughed, though there was no mockery in it.

“If true high-grade pills appear, the chief steward or someone from the fourth floor handles them directly. They never come down to the first floor.”

Hao Nhien smiled as well.

“I understand.”

He returned the low-grade Qi Recovery Pill to its tray, then took out a small wooden box from his goods.

“Does the Pavilion buy pills?”

“Yes.”

The attendant looked at the box.

“What quality?”

Hao Nhien opened the lid.

Five pills lay neatly inside. Each was a different type, yet their medicinal glow and fragrance were obviously purer than the pills displayed at the counter.

The attendant’s smile disappeared at once.

He bent closer, studied them carefully for a moment, then looked up.

“They’re all mid-grade?”

“Yes.”

Hao Nhien answered.

“I want to sell them.”

This time, the attendant did not ask about price.

He only said, “Please wait a moment,” before immediately turning and heading inside.

Quan Nha watched him go.

“Looks like someone went to fetch the key.”

Hao Nhien smiled lightly.

“The door isn’t open yet.”

Five mid-grade pills were not enough to shock an entire Medicine Pavilion. What mattered was that five different types had all reached the same stable level of quality, suggesting that the person who brought them was unlikely to be a merchant who had gathered them by chance.

Less than half an incense stick later, a middle-aged man in a purple robe came out quickly.

He was not quite running, but his pace was clearly faster than the usual composure expected of a chief steward.

His eyes immediately fell on the five pills.

He picked them up one by one, examining their color, smelling their medicinal fragrance, then sending a faint thread of spiritual qi into each to inspect the medicinal properties within.

Stable.

Low impurities.

No obvious residual fire qi.

Only after examining all five did he look up.

“I am Dai Ninh, chief steward of Heavenly Eye Medicine Pavilion. May I ask how the two of you should be addressed?”

Hao Nhien cupped his hands.

“Giai Nhien.”

He inclined slightly toward Quan Nha.

“This is my wife, Tieu Nha.”

Quan Nha nodded lightly.

Dai Ninh looked over the two of them once more before gesturing politely.

“Would the two of you be willing to speak upstairs?”

“Of course.”

The third floor was considerably quieter than below.

Dai Ninh led them into a private room. The moment the door closed, the soundproofing formation along the wooden frame glowed faintly.

He poured the tea himself, while the five pills were placed between them on the table.

“Apothecary Giai, did you refine all of these yourself?”

“Most of them.”

Hao Nhien answered.

“My wife understands medicinal ingredients and usually helps select and prepare them.”

Dai Ninh glanced at Quan Nha, then looked back at Hao Nhien.

“You intend to sell all five?”

“Yes.”

“Only five?”

Hao Nhien smiled.

“If I only had five, would Chief Steward Dai need to come downstairs personally?”

Dai Ninh laughed.

“You really are easy to speak with.”

He set the pill in his hand down.

“I can buy these five immediately. But if you have a more stable supply, then the conversation changes.”

“I do.”

“How much?”

Hao Nhien thought briefly.

“For the first batch, I can deliver around thirty pills of each type.”

Dai Ninh fell silent.

“All five types?”

“Yes.”

“One hundred and fifty pills?”

“Approximately.”

Dai Ninh studied him for longer this time.

A few mid-grade pills might simply be accumulated stock, or the best results an apothecary had saved from several batches. But if someone could deliver one hundred and fifty mid-grade pills of multiple types within a short period, that person’s value was entirely different.

“How long?”

“One month.”

Dai Ninh raised an eyebrow.

“You’re certain?”

Hao Nhien nodded.

He had calculated the first batch in advance based on the medicinal ingredients already accumulated. One hundred and fifty pills was not a number he had named casually.

But it could only be the first batch.

If he wanted to continue long-term, the method would have to change.

“I’ll use my own ingredients for the first batch.”

Hao Nhien said.

“But if the Pavilion wants to continue cooperating afterward, I cannot keep finding every ingredient myself.”

Dai Ninh immediately understood.

“You want us to provide the medicinal ingredients?”

“The primary ingredients.”

Hao Nhien corrected.

“As for supplementary ingredients, at least for some formulas, I can find my own source.”

Dai Ninh narrowed his eyes slightly.

“What difference does that make?”

“A great deal.”

Hao Nhien placed a Qi Recovery Pill in the center of the table.

“For example, this one.”

Dai Ninh looked at it.

“Qi Recovery Pill?”

“Yes.”

Hao Nhien pointed at it.

“The formula I use requires one primary ingredient with sufficiently dense spiritual qi and a relatively stable age. I have no intention of searching the desert for that myself. If the Pavilion can supply it consistently, the rest becomes much easier.”

“And the supplementary ingredients?”

“Sa Diep, Xich Can, and Kho Diep.”

Dai Ninh’s eyes shifted slightly.

The three names were extremely common.

So common that he barely needed to think.

“Heavenly Eye does not lack any of those.”

“The city doesn’t.”

Hao Nhien said.

“I just stayed in a place where they grow naturally in large quantities.”

“Sa Diep grows around the oasis. Xich Can is common at the base of rocky ridges. Kho Diep is somewhat rarer but still abundant enough to harvest. Right now, the people of that tribe sell them for almost nothing because there is no stable market.”

Dai Ninh looked at him.

“You want that tribe to supply the supplementary herbs?”

“For now, it is only an idea.”

Hao Nhien did not overstate it.

“I still need to check the quality after initial processing, seasonal yield, and whether harvesting will affect natural regrowth. If everything is suitable, only then would it make sense to consider planned cultivation.”

Dai Ninh tapped one finger lightly against the table.

“And the primary ingredients?”

“The Pavilion supplies them.”

Hao Nhien answered.

“I receive the primary ingredients from you, combine them with supplementary ingredients from my own source, and refine them into Qi Recovery Pills. The Pavilion does not need to organize people to collect low-level medicinal plants, and I do not need to run everywhere searching for primary ingredients.”

“Who owns the finished pills?”

“If the Pavilion supplies the primary ingredients, you pay me a refinement fee. The finished pills belong to the Pavilion.”

Dai Ninh was silent for a moment, then laughed.

“Apothecary Giai truly knows more than pill refinement.”

Hao Nhien took a sip of tea.

“I told you I was a merchant.”

Dai Ninh looked again at the Qi Recovery Pill on the table.

Qi Recovery Pills were among the most heavily consumed supplies for low-level cultivator teams and guards. A single pill was not worth much, but monthly demand was enormous.

The important point was not that Sa Diep, Xich Can, and Kho Diep were valuable.

Precisely because they were not valuable, mass production required a source that was stable, cheap, and easy to control.

“Sa Diep, Xich Can, Kho Diep…”

Dai Ninh repeated the names slowly.

“The Pavilion does indeed purchase large quantities of those every month, but the sources are scattered and the quality is inconsistent. If there truly is a place capable of supplying a stable amount after basic processing, it is worth considering.”

Hao Nhien did not show any excitement.

“I only want Chief Steward Dai to consider it.”

“You want us to guarantee purchase?”

“Not yet.”

The answer surprised Dai Ninh.

Hao Nhien explained,

“If I return now and tell the entire tribe to gather medicinal herbs because the Pavilion will buy them, then one month later the yield falls short or the quality proves inconsistent, the first people to suffer will be them.”

He rested one finger against the table.

“I want to start small.”

“How small?”

“Enough for one trial batch.”

Dai Ninh thought for a moment, then nodded.

“I like that approach.”

Hao Nhien continued,

“The first batch of pills will still be delivered one month from now as promised. I’ll use the ingredients I already have, so the Pavilion does not need to provide anything yet.”

“And after that?”

“If the quality remains stable, then we try a second batch using the new method.”

Hao Nhien met Dai Ninh’s eyes.

“The Pavilion supplies the primary ingredients. I will test Sa Diep, Xich Can, and Kho Diep from Lac Van. If the pill formation rate remains unchanged, then we can begin discussing long-term cooperation.”

Dai Ninh did not answer immediately.

He studied Hao Nhien for several breaths, his expression clearly different from before.

Not because the man opposite him had proposed some earthshaking plan.

Quite the opposite.

The plan was extremely practical.

If it failed, the losses would be small.

If it succeeded, the Pavilion would gain another supply source that was easy to manage.

“Agreed.”

Dai Ninh finally said.

“The Pavilion will purchase the first batch.”

He handed over a jade slip.

“Our purchase price will be eighty-five percent of the average transaction price for mid-grade pills of the same type over the previous three months, calculated at the time of delivery.”

Hao Nhien checked it, then nodded.

“Agreed.”

“No bargaining?”

“The Pavilion needs to profit if there is going to be a second deal.”

Dai Ninh laughed.

“I like that.”

Hao Nhien set down the pricing jade slip and took out another.

“There is one more matter.”

Dai Ninh looked at the object in his hand.

“Please, Apothecary Giai.”

“For the first batch, I will use medicinal ingredients I already carry, so the Pavilion does not need to prepare anything for me over the next month. But if, after receiving the goods, Chief Steward Dai still wishes to continue cooperating, then from the second batch onward…”

Hao Nhien placed the jade slip on the table and pushed it across.

“This contains the ingredient list for the five types of pills I just showed you.”

Dai Ninh picked it up and quickly swept his spiritual sense across it.

The list was not long, but it was by no means limited to only a few items.

Several ingredients overlapped across the five formulas. After consolidation, in addition to Sa Diep, Xich Can, and Kho Diep, there were still roughly ten other primary and supplementary medicinal ingredients that would need to be prepared.

Dai Ninh examined it once more before looking up.

“This is enough for thirty pills of each type?”

“Approximately.”

“The actual pill yield will still fluctuate.”

“Of course.”

Hao Nhien said.

“I only require medicinal ingredients that meet the proper standard. If the quality is poor, I will return them rather than force a batch just to reach the number.”

Dai Ninh nodded.

He fully agreed with that point. A single mid-grade pill was worth far more than squeezing out several low-grade pills from substandard ingredients.

He set the jade slip down.

“Not all ten remaining ingredients are stocked in this branch, but one month is enough time for me to mobilize them. A few will have to come from northern stations or arrive with merchant caravans, but if we are only preparing for the first cooperative batch, that is not a problem.”

Hao Nhien nodded lightly.

“Good.”

Dai Ninh smiled.

“Apothecary Giai is quite careful in business.”

“I would rather not talk about long-term cooperation today only to come back next month explaining why I lack ingredients.”

Dai Ninh laughed.

“Fair enough. I’ll keep this list. One month from now, when you deliver the first batch, I’ll also give you a clear answer about the supply of each ingredient.”

Hao Nhien cupped his hands.

“Then I’ll trouble Chief Steward Dai.”

Quan Nha, who had been sitting beside him throughout the conversation, finally spoke.

“As for ingredient quality, we will inspect everything ourselves before it enters the furnace. If the quality does not meet the standard, we would rather discard the entire batch than force the refinement.”

Dai Ninh looked at her.

“Madam also understands medicine?”

“I know how to process medicinal ingredients.”

Quan Nha answered naturally.

“Giai Nhien refines the pills. I help him waste less.”

Dai Ninh laughed.

“Then the two of you truly are a business pair.”

Quan Nha took a light sip of tea.

Hao Nhien pretended not to hear the teasing tone.

After further discussion, the two sides finally recorded the terms of the first batch.

Five types of pills.

Mid-grade quality.

Approximately thirty pills of each type, with some fluctuation allowed depending on the actual pill formation rate.

Delivery in one month.

The Pavilion would purchase the entire batch at eighty-five percent of the average transaction price for mid-grade pills of the same type over the previous three months at the time of delivery.

After the first batch was completed, if the quality met expectations, the Pavilion would prepare the remaining ingredients on the list for the next cooperative batch. Sa Diep, Xich Can, and Kho Diep would be supplied experimentally by Hao Nhien’s side from Lac Van.

Dai Ninh put away the jade slip.

“Apothecary Giai.”

“Yes?”

“If you truly bring the full batch one month from now, I suspect our next conversation will be much longer than this one.”

Hao Nhien smiled.

“I hope so too.”

Dai Ninh stood and personally escorted the two of them back downstairs.

Just before leaving the Medicine Pavilion, Hao Nhien suddenly stopped.

“Chief Steward Dai, there is one more thing I would like to buy.”

Dai Ninh looked at him.

“Please say it.”

“Seeds and propagation stock for the medicinal plants on the list. Whatever the Pavilion has, prepare a small amount for me. I do not need much, only enough for trial cultivation.”

Dai Ninh looked slightly surprised.

“You want even the primary ingredients?”

“Both primary and supplementary ingredients.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“Sa Diep, Xich Can, and Kho Diep already grow around Lac Van, but I still want samples from another source for comparison. As for the others, if they can be propagated, I would like to test their growing conditions, maturation time, and whether the medicinal properties change after harvest.”

Dai Ninh studied him for another moment.

“You know how to cultivate medicinal plants too?”

“A little, but not enough to make a living from it.”

Hao Nhien did not exaggerate his ability.

“If you refine pills for long enough, you naturally learn something about how medicinal plants live. I only want to test them first. Whether it works or not can only be known after planting.”

Dai Ninh nodded.

The request was not difficult for Heavenly Eye Medicine Pavilion. Most ingredients used in the five formulas were low- or mid-level medicinal plants, and propagation stock was not especially precious. For a few species that were difficult to grow from seed, root cuttings, sprouts, or viable stem sections could be used instead.

He called over an attendant and handed him the ingredient list.

“Go to the warehouse and see which plants have propagation stock available. If a species cannot be grown from seed, bring the most suitable alternative. A small amount of each is enough for several trials.”

The attendant accepted the order and quickly left.

Not long afterward, he returned carrying a long wooden case divided into more than ten small compartments. Each compartment had the name of the medicinal plant and its preservation method clearly written on the outside. Some contained seeds, some held dried root sections preserved with spiritual qi, and several contained tiny treated sprouts whose vitality had been maintained.

Hao Nhien opened the case and checked each compartment.

Sa Diep.

Xich Can.

Kho Diep.

Along with nearly ten other medicinal plants appearing in the five formulas he had given Dai Ninh.

Not all of them could be grown under the same conditions, and there was no reason to expect every species to thrive. But Hao Nhien did not need immediate success.

What he needed first was the opportunity to test.

For Sa Diep, Xich Can, and Kho Diep, his purpose was even clearer. He wanted to compare the Pavilion’s stock with the plants growing naturally around Lac Van, then determine the most suitable propagation method before thinking about expanding production.

As for the other medicinal plants, Hao Nhien had no intention of introducing them to Lac Van immediately even if the trials succeeded.

At least for now, the primary ingredients should still be supplied by Dai Ninh and the network of Heavenly Eye Medicine Pavilion.

Lac Van first needed to learn how to turn what already survived naturally on its land into a stable source of income, rather than immediately chasing more valuable medicinal plants that were also more difficult to cultivate.

If they could not even stand firmly on the first step, everything beyond it would remain nothing more than imagination.

Dai Ninh looked at the wooden case in his hands and smiled.

“Apothecary Giai, you haven’t even delivered the pills yet, and you’re already thinking about cultivating medicinal plants.”

Hao Nhien smiled as well.

“If I want to do long-term business, I should prepare early.”

“Then one month from now, I’ll see how far your preparations have gone.”

“And I’ll see whether Chief Steward Dai has gathered everything on the list.”

Dai Ninh laughed loudly.

“Very well. One month from now, we’ll both check.”

Hao Nhien cupped his hands in farewell, then left the Medicine Pavilion with Quan Nha.

Outside, Heavenly Eye City was as noisy as ever. Cargo wagons rolled endlessly through the streets, while hawkers, merchants, and spirit beasts blended into a constant stream of sound.

Quan Nha walked beside Hao Nhien for a while before glancing at the case of propagation stock in his hand.

“Do you really have a way to make this work?”

Hao Nhien was silent for a moment.

“I don’t know yet.”

He stored the wooden case inside his storage ring and smiled lightly.

“But it is worth trying.”

Quan Nha asked no more.

The two continued into the crowd.

Behind them, Heavenly Eye Medicine Pavilion remained as busy as ever. More than a day’s journey away, the Lac Van Tribe still sat in a land poor in water and people.

Hao Nhien did not know whether this plan would succeed.

But at least he had now seen a path that might allow the young people there to remain at home instead of leaving simply because the tribe had nothing else left to offer.