Cash Out Early

The Sea Market Master had said at least two pills; the implication was, the more the better—harvest yin to supplement yang without mercy.

The court had no hobby of spending vast sums on investments just to wait for failure. If they could refine more, they naturally would. Two were guaranteed for Southern Zhili and the Imperial Capital, while additional hands had been dispatched to scour for materials, preparing for a third.

He carefully put away the pills.

The medicine boy pulled out a thick ledger and flipped to one of its pages.

"May I trouble Lord Liang to stamp it with an Official Seal? Then the Luan Phoenix Reversal Pill will count as having been delivered into your hands."

"Do you have ink paste?"

"Yes."

That settled it.

Liang Qu stopped the medicine boy.

"Are there any alchemy grandmasters in the Alchemy Workshop with free time?"

"Um..." The medicine boy pondered. "For court alchemists, how can there be any distinction between free and not free? It all depends on whether the matter is urgent."

"What do you mean?"

"At the end of last year, the Sea Expedition Fleet led by King Su returned. It took months just to unload all the supplies aboard, with countless rare treasures. The nobles and dignitaries throughout the Imperial Capital exchanged treasures to refine pills, so for at least the next year or so, none of the more capable alchemists will have any free time.

"But in the second month, the Sacred Emperor gave the word, and the Alchemy Workshop still squeezed out hands to refine grand pills. So if Lord Liang is not anxious, you can queue normally and wait a year first. If you are anxious, find a passable reason, pull some strings, and have it assigned as official business to cut in