Chapter 179: A Pill Shop
Chapter 179: Chapter 179: A Pill Shop
Chapter 179: A Pill Shop
Rhain’s dark grey eyes swept over the five Core Formation mercenaries standing before him.
No matter how firmly Vulcan vouched for this mysterious Master, these were hardened mercenaries who had survived decades in the brutal Inner Province by trusting no one easily.
He knew it perfectly.
Loyalty born from a single display of power was hollow and unreliable.
To earn their genuine loyalty, he needed to bind them with tangible profit.
Without a word, Rhain reached into his spatial ring.
Flash! Flash! Flash!
Six bottles materialized in the air, hovering gently before each of the mercenaries and Vulcan.
"You can take them," Rhain commanded.
Vulcan didn’t hesitate.
He grasped the bottle immediately, already knowing what was inside.
The five mercenaries exchanged a brief glance, and then they also reached out and took their respective bottles.
Luka was the first to pop the cork.
The moment the seal broke, an overwhelmingly rich, intoxicating medicinal fragrance exploded outward.
His scarred face went rigid.
"What in the world..." He gasped.
"These are flawless epic grade pills without any impurity!" Dex muttered with a stupified expression.
"WHAT!" Ives, Ezra and Orin frantically tore the corks off their own bottles.
When they saw the exact same flawless Epic-Grade elixirs resting in their hands, their minds went completely blank
Even in the Inner Province, Epic-Grade pills were incredibly expensive luxuries.
But Epic Grade pills with no impurities?
Those were legendary treasures that money simply could not buy!
Even a single 70-80% purity pill is sold at sky high prices.
Yet, this teenage Master had just casually tossed a bunch of them.
The perpetual reluctance, and suspicion in their expression instantly vanished.
"These pills are specifically refined for Core Formation Realm cultivators," Rhain stated. "If taken correctly over the next few months, they will push each of you forward by at least one minor realm."
The five mercenaries simultaneously drew in a sharp, hissing breath.
One minor realm.
For Core Formation cultivators, advancing even a single minor realm could take a decades.
Many stagnated for their entire lives.
All five mercenaries simultaneously dropped to one knee, their heads bowed low.
"We thank the Master for his supreme grace!" they roared in unison, "We swear our loyalty to the Master!"
Rhain observed the five kneeling figures, he did not ask them for Heavenly Vows.
Unlike Vulcan, whose soul-bound oath was necessary because his strength then was not enough to defend himself, he can now easily deal with a group of Core Formation Realm experts.
Atleast, saving his life would never be a problem.
Besides, he had more ways to secure their loyalty, other than just heavenly vow.
He decided to let them have free minds for now, and not be very harsh on his first meeting.
"Stand up," Rhain ordered. "You can be assured that as long as you follow me, you will never lack any kind of resource. But for that, you will have to be useful to me."
The five men rose, their eyes looking at Rhain with visible respect.
Rhain clasped his hands behind his back and spoke directly.
"You have all arrived at a very good time, for I have a task for you."
"Whatever Master commands!" Vulcan responded immediately, his massive arms folded respectfully.
"The pills in your hands are just a fraction of what I possess," Rhain stated, his dark grey eyes sweeping over the group. "I need a massive, continuous influx of Aetherium Crystals and rare materials. To achieve that, I want you to establish a high-end pill shop in Stormveil City’s busiest commercial market."
The mercenaries were quite surprise. A pill shop?
They were used to of lives where fights, and deaths were common, they have never expected to run a shop in their lives.
"This shop will act as our primary money-making front and intelligence-gathering hub in the Inner Province," Rhain elaborated. "You are to secure a prime location, establish the necessary connections, and manage the day-to-day operations. Do not draw unnecessary attention to yourselves at first. Build a solid foundation, establish the supply chain, and wait for my further commands."
"We understand, Master," Vulcan nodded heavily.
He will do anything his master says.
"Vulcan," Rhain continued, "you will act as the public face and the shopkeeper. Luka and Dex — with your strength, you will serve as the shop’s visible deterrent. Any faction that attempts to rob or threaten the establishment will answer to you. Ives — you are responsible for intelligence. I want to know who our competitors are, which noble family controls which territory, and any unusual movements in the city’s underground. Orin and Ezra — logistics and distribution. Ensure the supply chain runs cleanly. I believe that with six Core Formation Realm experts standing watch, no ordinary faction will dare to cause trouble."
"We understand, Master!" Luka and others also nodded, their eyes flashing with a fierce light. "Anyone who dares to covet your goods will leave their heads at the door!"
Rhain raised a finger.
"Most importantly, no one and I mean absolutely no one can know that I am behind this operation. As far as the outside world is concerned, this is a new, independent merchant group entering the market. If anyone asks where the pills come from, tell them you have a reclusive alchemist supplier who does not wish to be disturbed. Nothing more."
They again nodded simultaneously. "Understood, Master."
Rhain reached into his spatial ring.
With a heavy thud, a large sealed container materialized on the ground before the mercenaries.
"Inside are two hundred flawless Epic-Grade pills," Rhain stated. "Various types — recovery, essence amplification, physical tempering, and breakthrough aids. This is the initial stock. Sell them at market price, or slightly low. Build the reputation first. Quality will speak for itself."
Vulcan carefully lifted the container, his expression solemn as he realized the staggering fortune resting in his hands.
Two hundred flawless Epic-Grade pills — even at conservative market prices — represented hundreds of millions of Aetherium Crystals.
He clutched it tightly as if it contained his own life.
"I will not disappoint you, Master!" Vulcan vowed solemnly.
Rhain gave a final nod to the group.
"Get it done. Send me a transmission talisman the moment the shop is operational."
Without another word, Rhain’s feet lifted off the ground.
The Boundless Sky Wind wrapped around him, and his figure shot into the sky, vanishing into the clouds within seconds.
The six men stood in the canyon, staring at the empty sky where their Master had just disappeared.
"Is this really... not a dream?" Orin muttered, still unable to fully process it.
Dex scratched the back of his massive head, letting out a low whistle. "Brother Vulcan, I take back every doubt I ever had. This Master of yours... he’s incredibly magnanimous, and has a transcendent bearing. I have never seen a man like him."
Vulcan let out a booming laugh, slapping Dex’s shoulder hard enough to make the brute stumble.
"I told you fools. Master’s strength is bottomless, his generosity is unmatched, and his ambition will one day shake the whole world. Now stop gawking and move! We have a pill shop to build!"
___________________
Next Morning!
As Rhain stepped inside the Gold Badge lecture hall of the Battle Arts Division, he felt that the atmosphere had subtly shifted.
Several of the disciples who had been whispering at their desks instantly fell silent, their gazes tracking him as he walked toward his usual seat in the back corner.
The news of his impossible mission completion had clearly spread overnight.
A Gold Badge disciple who had completed the hardest entrance mission in five years — the one no one dared to touch — in a single afternoon.
Their eyes held a complicated mixture of curiosity, wariness, and respect.
Rhain paid them no attention.
He settled into his seat just as the doors at the front of the hall swung open.
Soon, the doors opened, and Preceptor Krell strode onto the central platform.
His severe gaze swept the room, pausing noticeably on Rhain for an extra second.
Having learned the truth from Fabian about Rhain’s monstrous Spiritual Sense and in addition to that he had completed the hardest mission of Inner Palace, Krell’s eyes now held an unspoken approval.
He has always admired talents, no matter what background they come from.
Not to mention that he also had a wife with the legendary Heavenly Physique.
"Today, we delve deeper into the transition between Intent and Law," Krell began, his powerful voice commanding everyone’s attention.
He thrust his spear forward in a single, devastating motion.
Swoosh—!
The space before the spear’s tip warped visibly. A thin, silver line of compressed law energy shot forward, piercing through an invisible barrier in the air before dissipating into nothing.
"Yesterday, I showed you the external manifestation of the Law of the Spear. Today, I will explain the internal mechanism — how to begin aligning your essence with a chosen law."
Krell planted the base of his spear against the stone floor.
"Every law exists as a fundamental truth woven into the fabric of this world. To comprehend a law, you must first learn to perceive it. And to perceive it, you must strip away the noise of your own preconceptions...."
Rhain listened with intense focus.
With his Heaven-Grade Eyes of Truth and a Spiritual Sense that rivaled a Domain Master, Rhain easily deconstructed Krell’s words.
As Krell demonstrated complex thrusts and spatial distortions, Rhain’s mind raced, seamlessly applying these high-level concepts to his own combat theories.
He was already beginning to understand how to infuse the terrifying nature of his Red Tribulations Heavenly Flame directly into his physical strikes.
Eventually, the session ended.
Krell dismissed the class with his usual stern warning about the upcoming tournament, and the disciples began to file out.
Rhain, however, did not wait for Fabian’s afternoon class this time.
Today, he had a slightly different plan.