Chapter 94: Forgotten Ledger

The conversation inside the reception parlor continued smoothly without stopping like the group was made up of friends who were recalling old memories between each other. The tea was just as warm and loving as the ladies and the snacks matched the relaxed, cooperative mood between Lu Feng and Lin Laifu.

Lin Laifu took another slow sip from his porcelain cup, his sharp eyes gleaming with genuine curiosity. "Young Master Lu, regarding these pills you plan to refine... what grade should I expect for our initial distribution? High-end buyers in Crimson Vale are quite picky, but if the purity is high, I can easily command top gold for every single batch."

"You need not worry about the quality," Lu Feng said calmly, resting his forearm against the dark wooden table. "Every pill I hand over to you will be of exceptional purity—at the very least. However, we will not flood the market right out of the gate. I intend to start with smaller, controlled quantities first. We will test the waters, gauge the reaction of your most trusted clients, and allow the reputation of the pills to build naturally."

Lin Laifu’s eyes brightened even further at the mention of flawless purity. In the trade business, high-grade pills were practically liquid currency, but flawless ones were priceless commodities that could win the favor of powerful elder cultivators.

"Starting small is wise," Lin Laifu agreed enthusiastically, nodding his head. "Scarcity drives up the price faster than anything else. If word gets out that I have access to limited batches of pristine pills, buyers will be lining up at my door, bidding against one another. Leave the marketing and discreet handoffs to me, Young Master Lu. Your identity will remain completely hidden."

"Good," Lu Feng replied with a slight nod. "I trust your methods."

With their primary matters concluded, Lu Feng, Han Lin, and Ye Chenxue stood up from their seats to take their leave. Lin Laifu immediately rose to his feet as well, walking alongside them as he personally escorted his guests down the wide corridors of his estate and out toward the main entrance.

When they reached the front courtyard, a luxurious black lacquer carriage drawn by two broad-chested, sleek spirit horses pulled up to the stone steps. The carriage bore the official crest of the Lin Merchant House, polished to a brilliant shine. A well-dressed coachman sat atop the driver’s bench, holding the reins with practiced ease.

"Please, Young Master Lu, allow my personal carriage to take you and the ladies back to your estate," Lin Laifu offered with a warm, hospitable gesture toward the open door. "It will save you the trouble of walking back to the carriage station in the afternoon heat."

Lu Feng looked at the fine wooden frame, the reinforced wheels, and the sturdy beasts tethered to the front. Seeing Lin Laifu’s personal setup immediately triggered a thought in his mind.

He turned back to the merchant with a thoughtful expression. "Seeing your carriage reminds me of something else I require. The estate is large, and traveling back and forth to the central market on foot or hiring public transport is inconvenient. I need a personal carriage of my own—something sturdy, discreet, and comfortable, along with two healthy horses and a reliable, experienced driver who knows the roads of Crimson Vale."

Lin Laifu let out a jolly laugh and patted his stomach. "Ah! A proper estate is never complete without its own transport! Say no more, Young Master Lu. Consider it added to the list. Tomorrow morning, along with your new servants and gate guards, I will have a custom, high-grade carriage delivered directly to your front gates, complete with two fine spirit horses and a trustworthy driver from my own stables."

"I appreciate your efficiency, Master Lin," Lu Feng said, cupping his hands in a brief salutation.

"It is my pleasure," Lin Laifu replied, bowing deeply. "Have a safe journey home!"

Lu Feng, Han Lin, and Ye Chenxue stepped into the shaded interior of the carriage. The leather seats were soft, and the wooden walls dampened the noise of the outside world as the coachman snapped the reins, sending the carriage rolling smoothly out through the iron gates.

Inside the carriage, the atmosphere was quiet and comfortable. Ye Chenxue sat quietly near the window, looking out as the grand estates of the upper district gave way to the familiar streets leading back toward their territory. Lu Feng leaned back against the cushions, resting his eyes.

Han Lin sat across from them, humming a faint, cheerful tune as she admired the small silk pouch hanging from her sash. Her mind was entirely occupied with thoughts of their successful morning—the spiritual seeds they had bought, the obsidian kitchen stove she had managed to bargain for, and the vibrant new dresses waiting for them.

She was so thoroughly caught up in the satisfaction of their shopping spree and the delicious lunch at Lin Laifu’s estate that she completely forgot she had intended to show Lu Feng something important today. The thought didn’t even cross her mind as the carriage rocked gently over the stone streets.

Before long, the carriage pulled up to the front gates of Lu Feng’s estate. The coachman jumped down to open the door for them, bowing respectfully as they disembarked.

Waiting near the entrance were the delivery porters from the trade market, who had just arrived with the heavy crates containing the obsidian stove, copper pots, cold-iron knives, spiritual seeds, and several large boxes filled with their new garments.

After paying the delivery men a small tip and dismissing them, Lu Feng, Han Lin, and Ye Chenxue began gathering up the packages to bring them inside.

"I’ll handle the heavy wooden crates for the kitchen," Lu Feng said, lifting two large boxes containing the stove and heavy metal cookware with effortless ease.

"I’ll carry the spirit seed jars and the lighter kitchenware," Ye Chenxue added, neatly lifting a pair of wooden baskets.

Han Lin gathered the large, decorative boxes containing their new clothes, along with a few remaining utility parcels. "Follow me to the kitchen first!" she said briskly, leading the way through the courtyard and into the main building.

They arrived at the estate’s kitchen—a large, stone-walled room that was currently sparse and underutilized. Under Han Lin’s sharp direction, Lu Feng carefully set down the heavy obsidian-iron stove against the central cooking hearth, aligning it precisely where the fire-element array could operate efficiently. Ye Chenxue arranged the copper pots, ceramic storage jars, and cold-iron knives onto the clean wooden shelves along the wall.

"Perfect!" Han Lin said, wiping a slight smudge of dust from her cheek as she looked over the newly upgraded kitchen with immense satisfaction. "Now we can actually prepare proper meals without ruining the ingredients."

"We’re we ruining the ingredients?" Lu Feng asked with a raised brow.

With the kitchen items properly placed, the trio split up the remaining boxes containing their new wardrobe additions. Each of them took their respective packages and headed off down the long corridors toward their private quarters to organize their belongings.

Han Lin reached her spacious bedroom, pushing the sliding door open with her foot as her arms were full of silk-wrapped boxes. She set the packages down on her broad wooden table and let out a long, contented sigh.

"Time to make room," she murmured to herself.

She walked over to her large rosewood wardrobe, opening the double doors wide. Han Lin was a naturally neat person, but after acquiring several fine new cloud-silk dresses today, she decided that simply hanging them up wasn’t enough—she wanted to completely reorganize her entire wardrobe from scratch.

Humming softly, she began taking out her existing robes and garments one by one, folding them neatly and placing them onto the bed. She cleared out the upper shelves, wiped down the inner wooden panels, and began arranging her clothes by fabric and color.

Near the very back of the bottom shelf, tucked beneath a thick layer of folded old robes, her fingers brushed against something hard and flat.

Han Lin pulled her hand back slightly, confused. She reached deeper into the dark corner of the wardrobe and pulled out a thick, leather-bound book wrapped tightly in a protective cloth.

As she lifted it into the light, the cloth slipped away, revealing a worn, ancient-looking ledger. It looked partly damaged too.

Han Lin froze. Her eyes went wide, and her heart skipped a beat as the realization hit her like a bucket of cold water.

"Oh no..." Han Lin gasped out loud, her hand flying to her mouth in sheer shock.

The ledger! It was the secret book she had recovered earlier—the one containing critical details about hidden faction transactions and undisclosed resources that she had explicitly promised herself she would report to Lu Feng the moment they had a quiet moment.

In all the excitement of last night’s gifting, exploring the trade market, haggling over spiritual seeds, slapping a random annoying man, and dining at Lin Laifu’s estate, the ledger had completely slipped her mind. It had been sitting buried in her wardrobe the entire time!

Clutching the heavy book tightly against her chest, Han Lin turned her head toward the door leading out into the hallway, her face flushing with a mix of embarrassment and urgency.