Requesting Priority Access

Luu Van did not speak immediately. Instead, he slowly looked over each bottle of pills on the table once more before shifting his gaze between Hao Nhien and Tieu Lan. The friendliness of a merchant greeting familiar customers was still there, but beneath it now lay the unmistakable calculation of a man who had spent many years in trade.

“All five types are high-grade pills. This quantity cannot be considered large when measured against the whole of Thanh Van City, but the quality and variety are already enough to attract considerable attention, especially the Mystic Yang Pills and Body-Stabilizing Pills.”

He rested a fingertip on the lid of the Mystic Yang Pill bottle and looked directly at Hao Nhien.

“Will you be able to supply these pills again in the future?”

Hao Nhien did not answer immediately. Instead, he looked at Tieu Lan.

Understanding his meaning, Tieu Lan straightened slightly and opened the small notebook in front of her.

“Our current output is still limited, but as long as we can maintain a suitable supply of medicinal ingredients, we should be able to provide them in batches. The quantity of each batch cannot be too large for now, and we also cannot guarantee that all five types will always be available at the same time.”

Luu Van asked,

“Can you be more specific? How long would it take to produce another batch?”

Tieu Lan flipped through several pages of notes before answering.

“Clearheart Pills and Qi-Recovery Pills should become stable first because most of their ingredients are relatively common. Body-Strengthening Pills depend more heavily on herbs related to blood and physical nourishment, while Mystic Yang Pills and Body-Stabilizing Pills require higher-level ingredients, some of which we still have to purchase from outside sources. Until our medicinal supply becomes truly stable, we cannot promise a fixed production cycle.”

Luu Van did not look disappointed. Instead, he continued with another question.

“Then can high-grade quality be guaranteed?”

“We cannot guarantee that every batch will produce high-grade pills,” Tieu Lan answered frankly. “But every pill will be inspected individually before delivery. Anything that does not meet high-grade standards will not be counted as part of a high-grade shipment.”

Luu Van was silent for a moment before nodding.

Hao Nhien noticed that the seriousness in the manager’s eyes had not diminished. If anything, Tieu Lan’s cautious answer seemed to make him trust them more.

“Heavenly Treasure Pavilion has no shortage of ordinary pills,” Luu Van said, “but a relatively stable supply of high-grade pills is something we can never have too much of.”

Hao Nhien took out a list he had prepared beforehand and placed it on the table.

“We are not only looking for spirit stones. Right now, a stable supply of medicinal ingredients and tools that can support further development is just as important.”

Luu Van picked up the list and began reading.

It included Ice Spirit Fruits, aged Mystic Ginseng, high-quality Sand Lingzhi, Sand Spirit Roots, living seedlings that still retained their vitality, supplementary ingredients for Mystic Yang Pills and Body-Stabilizing Pills, processed first-rank and second-rank beast cores, as well as alchemy cauldrons, heat-reactive spiritual metals, precise medicinal scales, tools for measuring medicinal extracts, and several kinds of reference materials related to alchemy.

The farther Luu Van read, the more serious his expression became.

“You want to exchange the pills directly for materials?”

“That is our preference,” Hao Nhien replied. “We will take spirit stones only for whatever value remains afterward.”

Luu Van considered it for a moment.

“Heavenly Treasure Pavilion can supply some of these immediately from our Thanh Van City inventory, but not everything is kept here. Ice Spirit Fruits and beast cores are not difficult, and we should also be able to find some aged Mystic Ginseng. Living seedlings, specialized spiritual metals, and tools requiring greater precision will need to be sourced from the high-level trading stores or transferred from another branch.”

His gaze stopped on the section concerning alchemy materials.

“As for complete pill formulas, especially those at Foundation Establishment level and above, those are not things we can casually sell in public.”

“We do not necessarily need complete formulas,” Hao Nhien said. “Records that can serve as references, notes on failed attempts, methods for processing beast cores, techniques for controlling heat, or writings left behind by other alchemists can all be useful.”

Luu Van looked at him for a moment before nodding.

“That will be much easier.”

He looked once more at the five jade bottles on the table, then suddenly rose to his feet. The movement was noticeably quicker than his previous calm manner.

“Please wait here for a moment.”

With that, Luu Van turned and left the room.

The door closed behind him.

Tieu Lan watched him leave but did not ask anything. She merely checked the seal on one of the jade bottles again. Hao Nhien lifted his teacup. The tea had already cooled by nearly half. He did not try to guess where Luu Van had gone, but the manager’s reaction was enough to show that he no longer considered this an ordinary transaction.

Less than half a quarter-hour later, footsteps sounded outside.

There was more than one person.

Luu Van returned with a middle-aged steward dressed in black. The man stopped outside the doorway rather than entering and simply stood there with his hands cupped in front of him.

Luu Van sat down again, his expression completely different from before. The satisfaction of encountering valuable goods was still present, but it had clearly transformed into the decisiveness of a merchant who had just recognized an opportunity with long-term potential.

“Young Master Hao, Miss Tieu Lan, this old man proposes that Heavenly Treasure Pavilion hold a closed auction tonight.”

Hao Nhien was slightly surprised.

Tieu Lan also looked up at him.

Luu Van continued,

“This branch already maintains a list of customers who regularly purchase high-grade pills and pills suitable for Foundation Establishment cultivators. We only need to send jade invitations to the right people. Families, sects, major hunting teams, and logistics managers with genuine demand will certainly attend.”

He looked at the five bottles.

“Heavenly Treasure Pavilion will handle the appraisal, keep the sellers’ identities confidential, and deal with any outside inquiries. The Mystic Yang Pills and Body-Stabilizing Pills are enough to make certain families send representatives immediately, while the Clearheart Pills, Qi-Recovery Pills, and Body-Strengthening Pills will keep the auction from being limited to only one type of buyer.”

“The final prices should be better than through a direct sale.”

Hao Nhien looked at Tieu Lan.

She gave a slight nod.

The proposal suited their purpose, but Hao Nhien still asked the most important question.

“What percentage does Heavenly Treasure Pavilion take?”

Luu Van showed no displeasure. On the contrary, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

“Normally, ten percent. This time, just as when we cooperated over the medicinal liquid before, Heavenly Treasure Pavilion will charge only five percent.”

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Hao Nhien looked directly at him.

“What do you want in return?”

The room fell silent for a brief moment.

The steward standing outside the door raised his eyes slightly.

Luu Van smiled.

“Priority access.”

He spoke very clearly.

“If the two of you bring more high-grade pills to Thanh Van City in the future, Heavenly Treasure Pavilion wants the right to inspect them first. You will not be required to sell to us, and we will have no right to force the price down. We only ask that before offering the goods elsewhere, Heavenly Treasure Pavilion be given an opportunity to make an offer.”

Hao Nhien considered the condition.

It was not unreasonable. Heavenly Treasure Pavilion wanted early access to the source, but it was not demanding exclusivity.

“Agreed,” he said. “But only within Thanh Van City. If Hoa Van opens additional trade routes in the future, we cannot promise that all of our products must pass through a single merchant association.”

Luu Van nodded immediately.

“Of course. Demanding exclusivity now would only make the two of you wary, and Heavenly Treasure Pavilion values a long-term supply of good products more than an agreement that makes our partner want to leave.”

Hao Nhien gave a slight nod.

“Then we will proceed according to Manager Luu’s proposal.”

Luu Van immediately turned toward the steward outside the door.

“Send word to prepare Closed Auction Room Two. Issue jade invitations to Silver-tier guests and above, with priority given to families with Foundation Establishment cultivators, major beast-hunting teams, and sect logistics managers.”

The steward cupped his hands.

“Understood.”

Luu Van continued,

“Have a second-rank medicinal appraiser inspect all five types of pills. The Mystic Yang Pills and Body-Stabilizing Pills must receive a more thorough examination.”

“Understood.”

The steward bowed and quickly departed.

Luu Van turned back to the two of them.

“Heavenly Treasure Pavilion has a private courtyard reserved for distinguished guests behind the main building. I have already ordered it prepared. The two of you may rest there tonight. The auction will take place in a closed hall, and you will be able to observe from a private room without revealing your identities.”

He then pointed to the list on the table.

“While you wait, I can have someone take you to the high-level trading area in the rear. It contains medicinal ingredients, living seedlings, materials, and tools that are not displayed on the public floors, as well as certain older records that ordinary customers are not permitted to examine. You may mark anything suitable, and after the auction, the value can be deducted directly from your proceeds.”

Hao Nhien was somewhat surprised by how proactive the manager had become.

The first time he and Tieu Lan had come to Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, they had been required to wait while every bottle of medicinal liquid was inspected. Now Luu Van was not only arranging a closed auction for the same evening, but was also giving them access to the high-level trading area, preparing a private courtyard, and allowing them to select what they wanted to purchase in advance.

The difference did not lie in polite words.

It lay in each decision.

Luu Van seemed to realize that Hao Nhien understood, so he merely glanced at the five jade bottles before speaking again.

“This old man has worked in trade for many years. It is not as if I have never encountered good products. But people who can provide several different kinds of pills, maintain this level of quality, and even establish clear standards for how those products should be handled are not common.”

He looked directly at Hao Nhien.

“Heavenly Treasure Pavilion wants a long-term partnership, not merely a single transaction today.”

Hao Nhien remained silent for a moment.

He did not place complete trust in the words of any merchant, but at the very least, Luu Van had presented clear terms with clear benefits and clear limits, without attempting to force anything upon them.

“Thank you for your trust, Manager Luu.”

Hao Nhien cupped his hands.

“We also hope Heavenly Treasure Pavilion can become one of Hoa Van Town’s long-term trade routes.”

At the mention of Hoa Van Town, Luu Van’s eyes shifted slightly, but he did not ask further.

Standing beside Hao Nhien, Tieu Lan’s lips curved into a faint smile.

She said nothing, but Hao Nhien noticed that her eyes were brighter than when they had first entered the room.

This time, she was not merely someone accompanying him.

Every pill on the table contained her effort, from selecting the herbs and measuring the proportions to recording each trial and identifying every deviation before helping correct it.

Heavenly Treasure Pavilion was treating the two of them as genuine partners.

A short while later, a middle-aged steward led Hao Nhien and Tieu Lan through two corridors and down a stone staircase.

The deeper they went, the colder and drier the air became. Pale luminous stones were embedded at regular intervals along the walls, while formation patterns appeared in sections, clearly designed to regulate temperature, prevent medicinal qi from escaping, and detect anyone without proper authorization.

At the bottom of the stairs stood a large bronze door.

The steward took out a jade access token and pressed it against the center of the door. The formation patterns lit up, and the heavy door slowly opened.

A dense medicinal fragrance immediately drifted out.

What lay beyond was not Heavenly Treasure Pavilion’s entire reserve warehouse, but rather its high-level trading area for items that were not displayed on the public floors.

The space inside was much larger than the Quan Family’s medicinal storehouse. Rows of wooden shelves stretched into the distance, jade boxes were carefully numbered, cold-jade containers rested inside separate preservation formations, and living seedlings were planted in small pots filled with spiritual soil. Some of the more valuable medicinal materials were placed behind shimmering barriers marked with symbols indicating their trading restrictions.

The steward turned toward them.

“Items marked in green may be purchased directly. Yellow marks require the manager’s approval, while red marks may only be obtained through auction or exchanged for goods of equivalent value. You may inspect anything you wish, but please do not open the restrictions without permission.”

Tieu Lan nodded.

“Thank you.”

She began with the seedlings.

Her pace was slow. Whenever she stopped, she examined the stem, leaf color, soil around the roots, and the vitality radiating from the plant. When necessary, she took samples from her pouch for comparison and asked the steward about origin, harvesting time, or preservation methods.

At first, the steward gave only brief answers. After hearing her accurately identify the condition of several medicinal plants, however, his manner gradually became more serious.

When Tieu Lan stopped in front of a pot containing Sand Spirit Roots, she did not select them immediately.

Holding her hand a short distance from the restriction, she asked,

“These were transported here from the Western Wastes?”

The steward checked the label.

“Yes. About two months ago.”

“The main roots were partially cut?”

The steward paused, then checked the jade slip in his hand.

“Yes. The seller removed part of the root before delivery.”

Tieu Lan shook her head.

“They are still usable for medicine, but they are unsuitable as seed stock. The main roots have been damaged too severely. Even if we bring them back, they will be difficult to keep alive for long.”

The steward looked at her for another moment before nodding.

“Miss Tieu Lan is correct.”

Walking beside her, Hao Nhien silently committed the exchange to memory.

A large supply did not mean that everything within it was useful. Without someone who truly understood medicinal plants, it would be easy to buy seedlings that still looked healthy but could no longer survive for long, or pay a high price for ingredients whose actual medicinal power had already declined too far.

The value of the five bottles of pills had not yet been determined, so Hao Nhien and Tieu Lan merely marked the items they wanted rather than taking anything immediately.

When they reached the records section, the steward opened a separate wooden cabinet.

There were not many complete jade slips inside. Most of the contents consisted of old books, fragments of beast hide, yellowed sheets of paper, and records that alchemists or medicinal practitioners had once sold to Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.

Some were only half complete. Others listed ingredients but lacked proportions. Still others were not pill formulas at all, but records of failed attempts, methods for processing beast cores, common errors in heat control, or experiences using cauldrons with multiple fire channels.

Hao Nhien and Tieu Lan examined them carefully.

In the end, they marked an incomplete body-nourishing formula, a record concerning the treatment of beast cores during alchemy, and a collection of notes specifically documenting thermal deviations in cauldrons with multiple fire channels.

To Hao Nhien, records like these could sometimes be more valuable than a complete pill formula.

A pill formula told him how those who came before had succeeded.

Records of failure told him where they had gone wrong.

Afterward, the two moved on to the equipment section.

Tieu Lan stopped for quite some time in front of a small medicinal scale.

Hao Nhien looked at her.

“This one?”

“Yes.”

She checked each of the accompanying weights.

“It is more precise than the one we are currently using. It can measure down to one-twelfth of the smallest unit. If we use it for dried ingredients or concentrated medicinal extracts, the margin of error should be reduced considerably.”

Hao Nhien looked at the price.

It was not cheap, but it was entirely worthwhile for their purposes.

“Mark it.”

Tieu Lan nodded.

By the time they left the high-level trading area, the outside sky had already turned toward evening.

The last light of the day cast a pale golden hue across the corridor.

A middle-aged attendant was already waiting outside. When he saw them emerge, he bowed.

“Honored guests, your courtyard has been prepared. Please follow me.”

The private courtyard stood behind Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, separated from the trading area by a stone wall and a line of tall bamboo. Inside were a reception room, two sleeping chambers, and a smaller room that could be used for work. Several spirit herbs with mind-calming properties grew in the inner courtyard, while small bronze bells hung beneath the eaves. Even when the wind passed through them, they made no sound, clearly due to restrictions designed to preserve the silence.

Everything they might need had already been prepared, from tea, hot water, and food to meditation tonics and a long table large enough for Tieu Lan to spread out all of her notes.

The attendant escorted them all the way to the entrance before saying,

“The auction will begin in two double-hours. If either of you requires anything, simply ring the bell. The appraisal results will be delivered before the auction begins, while the auction proceeds will be settled immediately after it ends.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“Thank you.”

The attendant bowed and departed.

When the courtyard gate closed, silence immediately settled around them.

Hao Nhien stood in the small courtyard, watching the evening light spread across the green roof tiles. Tieu Lan stood beside him, one hand still lightly holding the pouch containing her notes.

After a while, she said,

“Young Master, they are treating us very differently from last time.”

“Yes.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“They have seen that we can offer five different products at a high enough quality. More importantly, they believe these products can appear again.”

Tieu Lan nodded softly.

The two sat down on the stone seats in the courtyard.

In only two double-hours, the five bottles of pills would be placed before the people most capable of bidding high prices among the customers selected by Heavenly Treasure Pavilion. If everything went smoothly, before the night ended Hao Nhien would learn how many medicinal ingredients, seedlings, tools, and opportunities for cooperation Hoa Van’s first true products could obtain.

But there was still no answer regarding Quan Nha.

Even though he had decided to wait a little longer, her continued silence remained like a stone in his heart that he could not yet set down.