Beyond the Pills

By the time Hao Nhien and Tieu Lan returned to the private courtyard behind Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, night had already fallen. The moment the wooden gate closed, the sound-isolation formation around the courtyard activated, causing the voices, carts, and bustle of Thanh Van City outside to quickly fade until only faint vibrations remained beyond the stone walls.

Inside the room, two lanterns cast a soft red glow. Smoke from the small incense burner beside the window curled upward in thin rings before slowly dissolving into the air.

Hao Nhien sat down at the wooden table, both hands resting on its surface, but his gaze passed through the window toward the distant lights reflected across the tiled roofs of Thanh Van City.

Tieu Lan did not ask anything immediately. She set down the pouch of medicinal materials, quietly replaced the water in the teapot, then poured a cup and placed it in front of him. A light fragrance of tea soon spread through the room, but Hao Nhien did not touch it.

Only after a while did Tieu Lan sit beside him and gently place her hand over the back of his.

Hao Nhien remained silent for quite some time before finally exhaling.

“I still cannot stop worrying. There has still been no news at all from Quan Nha.”

His fingers tapped the tabletop at a slow, steady rhythm, as though he were using that rhythm to keep his thoughts from wandering too far.

“Right now, I can think of two possibilities.”

Tieu Lan did not interrupt.

Hao Nhien watched the steam rising from the tea before continuing.

“The first is that there really is something wrong with Elder Linh Van.”

Tieu Lan’s expression shifted slightly.

Hao Nhien slowly laid out the details that prevented him from fully dismissing the possibility. There were several things in Elder Linh Van’s past that reminded him of Duong Long. He had once appeared gravely injured, been rescued by the Quan Family, remained afterward, accumulated merit, and gradually entered a position close to the family’s center.

“Of course, none of that proves anything. Many people could have similar pasts, and Elder Linh Van has remained with the Quan Family for many years. He has saved people before and even quietly helped Quan Nha search for information about her parents.”

Hao Nhien’s hand tightened slightly.

“But after what I saw with the Fire Qilin Clan, I can no longer ignore similarities like these as easily as before. Moreover, the secrets surrounding the Quan Family’s Body Fist Soul Art have long drawn the curiosity of outside forces.”

Tieu Lan frowned slightly but did not immediately object.

Hao Nhien continued.

“If Elder Linh Van truly has a problem, what worries me is not only whether he intends to harm Quan Nha. I also want to know why he would choose this exact moment to take her away from the Quan Family.”

Tieu Lan gently tightened her hand around his.

“Young Master, we still have no evidence. You have gone through too many things involving Heavenly Eye recently, so when you see similarities, it is natural that your mind goes to the worst possibility.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“I know. That is why I have not mentioned this suspicion to the Quan Family. Without evidence, casually casting doubt on an elder who has served them for many years could have serious consequences.”

Tieu Lan looked at him.

“And the second possibility?”

“Elder Linh Van truly found a clue about Quan Nha’s parents.”

Hao Nhien answered.

“That is the more reasonable possibility. He has spent years searching for information. If he suddenly discovered an object, someone who knew what happened, or a trace that would only remain available for a short time, Quan Nha would certainly go with him.”

He paused before continuing.

“What I do not understand is that Elder Linh Van once said the enemy connected to Quan Nha’s parents was extremely powerful, perhaps strong enough that even the current Quan Family could not confront them. If he already knew that, why did the two of them leave immediately without clearly informing the Family Head?”

Tieu Lan thought for a moment.

“Perhaps they were never planning to confront anyone, only verify the clue in secret. If the opportunity truly existed for only a short time, leaving in a hurry would make sense.”

Hao Nhien looked out the window.

“I have considered that as well.”

Tieu Lan rested her head lightly against his shoulder.

“For now, Sister Quan Nha may not be in danger at all. She left the Quan Family voluntarily and went with Elder Linh Van. Until there is actual bad news, you should not turn every possibility into the worst possible outcome.”

She squeezed his hand gently and added,

“If even you lose your calm, then when a real clue appears, we will be more likely to judge it incorrectly.”

Hao Nhien turned to look at her.

Under the dim lantern light, Tieu Lan’s face still carried traces of fatigue from the previous three nights of alchemy, but her eyes were remarkably clear.

After a while, he finally nodded.

“You are right. At least until there is bad news, I should not turn every uncertainty into the worst conclusion.”

Hao Nhien picked up the cup of tea. It had cooled somewhat, but the remaining warmth was still enough to soothe his palm.

“Perhaps she really did simply follow some opportunity.”

Tieu Lan smiled faintly.

“Sister Quan Nha is not someone who gets into trouble easily.”

Hao Nhien said nothing more and took a sip of tea.

The two remained seated beside each other for quite some time. Outside the window, the night wind passed over the rooftops, while the flame in the lantern gave off the faintest crackling sound. Whenever the wind grew slightly stronger, Hao Nhien’s gaze still instinctively drifted toward the direction of the Quan estate, but some of the tension between his brows had eased.

At that moment, a knock sounded outside.

Hao Nhien set down his cup and stood.

“Who is it?”

Manager Luu Van’s voice came from outside.

“Young Master Hao, it is this old man.”

Hao Nhien walked over and opened the door.

Luu Van stood outside the courtyard, his face slightly flushed and his eyes brighter than usual. In his arms was a thick ledger and a long wooden case, while a middle-aged steward behind him carried two carefully sealed jade boxes. Luu Van’s robes were slightly disheveled, as though he had come straight here from the auction hall.

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One look at his appearance was enough for Hao Nhien to guess that the result had not been bad.

The moment Luu Van saw him, he laughed heartily.

“Young Master Hao, Miss Tieu Lan, the auction has just ended. This old man did not want the two of you waiting until morning, so I brought the results over immediately.”

Hao Nhien gestured inward.

“Manager Luu, please come inside.”

Luu Van quickly entered the room. The steward behind him placed the two jade boxes on a side table, then bowed and withdrew.

Luu Van sat down, spread the ledger across the table, and went straight to the point.

“Five bottles of pills, three pills in each bottle. Every single one has been sold.”

Tieu Lan sat beside Hao Nhien, her eyes immediately falling on the densely written figures across the page.

Luu Van pointed to the first entry.

“The high-grade Clearheart Pills had the lowest starting price among the five, but also the broadest demand. A merchant caravan that frequently travels through regions with dense Fire qi bought the entire bottle for five thousand six hundred mid-grade spirit stones.”

His finger moved down to the next line.

“The Qi-Recovery Pills attracted bids from two beast-hunting teams and one family. The final price was seven thousand four hundred.”

Luu Van continued.

“For the Body-Strengthening Pills, this old man originally expected a price close to the Qi-Recovery Pills, but a Foundation Establishment body cultivator was determined to purchase them for his team, pushing the final price to eight thousand.”

Tieu Lan looked at the figures on the paper, her hands tightening slightly on her lap.

Luu Van stroked his beard, still smiling.

“The three bottles mainly intended for Qi Condensation cultivators and body cultivators brought in a total of twenty-one thousand mid-grade spirit stones, considerably higher than this old man originally expected.”

His finger then moved to the final two entries.

“The most noteworthy results, however, came from the Mystic Yang Pills and Body-Stabilizing Pills. After being reexamined by Heavenly Treasure Pavilion’s second-rank medicinal appraiser, both received very high evaluations.”

Luu Van pointed to the Mystic Yang Pill entry.

“The medicinal power is strong, but the Fire nature was controlled exceptionally well. It lacks the excessive harsh heat commonly found in pills of the same type. Three buyers continued bidding until the end, and the final price reached fourteen thousand mid-grade spirit stones.”

His finger moved to the last line.

“The Body-Stabilizing Pills act more slowly, but once the participants reviewed the usage guidelines and the appraiser’s assessment, two major families entered the bidding. This bottle ultimately sold for twelve thousand.”

Luu Van pulled the ledger farther down.

“The total auction price for all five bottles was forty-seven thousand mid-grade spirit stones. According to our agreement, Heavenly Treasure Pavilion takes a five-percent transaction fee, leaving forty-four thousand six hundred and fifty as your actual proceeds.”

Tieu Lan stared at the number, her eyes noticeably brighter.

But Luu Van was not finished.

“Some buyers used items from the list you provided to substitute for part of their spirit-stone payment. Heavenly Treasure Pavilion inspected and valued those items before accepting them. In addition, the goods the two of you marked in the high-level trading area were calculated at our internal price, roughly twenty percent below the public selling price.”

He pointed to a line marked in red ink.

“If we convert the remaining spirit stones, medicinal ingredients, beast cores, seedlings, and tools into their ordinary retail value at Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, the total value the two of you received this time comes close to fifty thousand mid-grade spirit stones.”

Tieu Lan drew in a quiet breath.

“Nearly fifty thousand?”

“Correct.”

Luu Van nodded.

“Of that amount, thirty-nine thousand mid-grade spirit stones have already been credited to the card. The rest has been converted into the items the two of you selected or those offered by buyers as part of their bids.”

Hao Nhien looked toward the two jade boxes on the side table.

“Everything available immediately is inside those?”

“The items that could be delivered at once have already been prepared.”

Luu Van replied.

“There are Ice Spirit Fruits, Mystic Ginseng, Sand Lingzhi, supplementary ingredients for Mystic Yang Pills and Body-Stabilizing Pills, several processed first-rank and second-rank beast cores, a spiritual-metal scale set, heat-monitoring tools, cold-jade storage boxes, and three types of seedlings that still retain sufficient vitality. If you still want the items unavailable at this branch, Heavenly Treasure Pavilion can transfer them from elsewhere.”

He pushed the long wooden case toward Hao Nhien.

“The spirit-stone card is inside. All thirty-nine thousand have already been credited.”

Hao Nhien opened the case.

A dark-colored card lay within, its surface covered in formation patterns and a number glowing faintly in spiritual light.

Thirty-nine thousand.

He stared at the number for a little longer.

Before coming to Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, Hao Nhien had only hoped that the five bottles of pills would be enough to exchange for some ingredients, several necessary tools, and a reserve of spirit stones for their immediate plans. The result had clearly exceeded his initial expectations.

These resources were not enough to make every problem disappear overnight, but they were sufficient to allow several things that would otherwise have needed to be done one step at a time to begin much sooner. Better ingredients, more precise tools, and a reserve of spirit stones also meant that future experiments would no longer be constrained so severely by the cost of every failure.

Hao Nhien closed the wooden case and looked at Luu Van.

“Thank you, Manager Luu. For the auction to reach this level, your effort in organizing it must have been considerable.”

Luu Van waved a hand.

“Good goods are the foundation. Heavenly Treasure Pavilion merely found the right buyers.”

He settled back into his seat and, for the first time since entering the room, lifted his teacup and took a sip. The tea had already gone cold, but Luu Van did not seem to notice.

“This old man should speak frankly. High-grade pills are not unheard of in the Eastern Plains. Great alchemists and major sects can all refine them. What interested the buyers tonight was that all five types showed relatively consistent quality and that the medicinal power was still very fresh.”

He set the cup down.

“People who buy pills fear defective pills more than they fear high prices. This is especially true for Foundation Establishment pills. If a cultivator uses the wrong pill or encounters unstable medicinal power, damage to the meridians can be far more frightening than the spirit stones spent.”

Luu Van looked at Hao Nhien and Tieu Lan. There was a brief trace of scrutiny in his eyes, but it disappeared almost immediately.

“Of course, Heavenly Treasure Pavilion does not ask about matters a guest does not wish to reveal. Your identities have been kept confidential. The medicinal appraiser only knows that the goods were received by this branch, while the auction participants know only that all five bottles came from the same source.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“That is best.”

Luu Van stroked his beard lightly, his gaze shifting toward the spirit-stone card on the table.

“After tonight’s auction, this old man is even more interested in discussing long-term cooperation. Tomorrow, we can review your full list again, after which Heavenly Treasure Pavilion can propose a regular supply arrangement. Common medicinal ingredients can be delivered monthly, rarer ingredients in batches, while seedlings and special items can be reported in advance for the two of you to decide whether to purchase.”

He paused before continuing.

“In return, if you produce new pills in the future, Heavenly Treasure Pavilion will retain the right of first inspection under today’s agreement. No forced prices and no exclusivity, merely priority in negotiations.”

Hao Nhien considered it for a moment before replying.

“If the conditions are suitable, then we also need a stable supply source like that. We can discuss the details tomorrow.”

Luu Van laughed.

“Excellent. That is exactly what this old man wanted to hear.”

Tieu Lan looked at the wooden case, then at the two jade boxes on the side table. The joy on her face was almost impossible to conceal.

“Young Master…”

Hao Nhien turned toward her.

“A very good beginning.”

Then, seeing how pleased she looked, he deliberately added,

“But we are still very far from where we need to be, Medicinal Practitioner Tieu Lan.”

The final words immediately brought color to Tieu Lan’s cheeks.

She lowered her head, but her smile only became more obvious.

“Yes.”

Luu Van looked between the two of them and laughed.

“It seems Heavenly Treasure Pavilion has not only encountered a promising source of pills, but also become acquainted with a young medicinal practitioner of considerable talent.”

Tieu Lan grew even more embarrassed, unconsciously placing both hands neatly on her lap and momentarily unsure how to answer.

Hao Nhien cupped his hands toward Luu Van.

“We will have to trouble Manager Luu again tomorrow.”

“No trouble at all.”

Luu Van stood and was about to roll up the ledger when Hao Nhien suddenly spoke.

“Manager Luu.”

The old man’s movement stopped.

Hao Nhien looked directly at him.

“If Heavenly Treasure Pavilion only wants to discuss buying pills and selling medicinal materials tomorrow, then our conversation can be very short.”

Luu Van raised an eyebrow slightly.

“What does Young Master Hao mean?”

“I am building a place called Hoa Van Town in the region between the Eastern Plains and the Western Wastes.”

Hao Nhien did not explain too much. He simply spoke slowly.

“It is still very small, but if it develops successfully, pills will not be the only things passing through it in the future.”

Luu Van’s gaze immediately changed.

Hao Nhien continued.

“Medicinal ingredients from the Western Wastes, beast cores, minerals, tribal goods, and then commodities from the Eastern Plains moving in the opposite direction. If Heavenly Treasure Pavilion only wants to buy whatever I bring here, then that would already be a good transaction.”

He paused briefly.

“But if Heavenly Treasure Pavilion wants to place a foothold on that route before it has truly taken shape…”

Hao Nhien smiled faintly.

“Then tomorrow, we can discuss something larger.”

The room fell completely silent.

Luu Van stared at him for a long time. The smile that had remained on his face slowly faded, replaced by the seriousness Hao Nhien had only seen when the merchant was truly evaluating a major opportunity.

“This old man understands.”

Luu Van rolled up the ledger.

“Then tomorrow, we will not discuss only pills.”

“Correct.”

Hao Nhien replied.

“Tomorrow, we discuss Hoa Van.”

Luu Van cupped his hands before finally leaving the courtyard.

The door closed behind him, and his footsteps gradually faded into the distance, but the final words seemed to remain in the room long after he was gone.