Why Am I the One Being Pursued?

The attendant accepted the tea, placed it on a tray, and respectfully carried it over.

After thanking him, Tingyun picked up a cup. The tea was mellow and sweet, fragrant as orchids. It reminded Tingyun of Meng Ming, the young proprietor of Buye Hou. She remembered that Meng Ming's tea had tasted just like this. Yet Shen Sha was merely a visitor from another land and could still brew tea to such a standard. It truly surprised her.

Suddenly, Tingyun noticed Bai Jun beside her from the corner of her eye. He had not tasted the tea Shen Sha had brewed. Instead, he lazily sank his entire body into the soft sofa, stretching out his legs without restraint. His posture was indolent and comfortable, and he narrowed his eyes contentedly like a pampered housecat.

If no one else had been around, Tingyun would have dotingly placed his head in her lap and let him do whatever he wanted. But they still had business to attend to, so she had no choice but to pinch Bai Jun's waist coquettishly and tell him to behave himself.

Bai Jun jolted, instinctively covering his side with both hands. His cornflower-blue eyes cast Tingyun a displeased glance, but he obediently sat up straight nonetheless.

Shen Sha took a sip of tea, inwardly marveling at how close the two were. However, the positions she and Tingyun represented meant that this was not the time for leisurely afternoon tea among nobles.

"Miss Tingyun is occupied with countless affairs every day. I presume you are not one of those pedantic people who beat around the bush. Then let us dispense with useless pleasantries and get straight to the point." She put away her smile and calmly set her teacup down on the table.

"I suppose your purpose is the ore in my possession?"

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Now, This Is What You Call Professionalism

All the bustling of the world is for profit; all the jostling of the world is for gain.

Law, morality, faith, reputation—there was nothing in this world that could not be entered into a ledger. This was a truth that applied everywhere.

Shen Sha had repeated those words ever since the first day she learned business from her grandfather. She had relied on them to defeat many opponents, including her own father and elder brother.

Now that she was the head of the family, she had to uphold this principle even more. Shen Sha, who had taken over the family business with lightning speed at such a young age, was naturally not as innocent and gentle as she appeared. With a merchant's keenest instincts, how could she not know about the company's recent moves? She could tell that Tingyun had likely come for the Sky-Jade Ore in her hands.

Tingyun gently waved her exquisite folding fan as she watched the curious Shen Sha before her. Her tone was neither humble nor overbearing. "As expected of the shrewdest major merchant in the marketplace. Since Madam Shen Sha is so forthright, I shall be direct as well. Minghuo wishes to purchase the Sky-Jade Ore in your possession at no less than the company's offered price."

Just as Shen Sha had expected, this was exactly what she wanted. Her earlier decision not to sell the Sky-Jade Ore to the company and keep it instead had indeed been entirely correct.

During her more than ten years of struggling through life on the Xianzhou, she had already grasped the most fundamental principle ingrained in Xianzhou society throughout its thousands of years of history: personal favors. As the saying went, "Financial debts are easy to repay; debts of gratitude are hard to settle." The hardest debt to repay in this world was absolutely not a monetary one, but a debt of gratitude. That was precisely why she had not sold directly to the company.

At the same price, trading with the company would only bring money—the lowest form of benefit.

But if she sold all the ore in her possession while the Luofu was purchasing Sky-Jade Ore, not only would she fetch an excellent price, she would also earn a favor in the process. Given the scale and influence of the Xianzhou Luofu, the benefits brought by the weight of that favor would be unimaginable.

Thinking of this, Shen Sha nodded and replied, "Not at all. Isn't business simply a matter of moving goods from one hand to the other? As they say, great merchants speak little; what they rely upon is intuition honed through countless trials. I had thought Minghuo dealt only in hoarding and reselling. Are you planning to use Sky-Jade Ore to pry open the transportation trade, which the company has monopolized? Go on, then. How many tons do you want?"

"As much as you have." Tingyun closed her folding fan lightly and answered calmly.

"Straightforward. I have nearly three million tons of Sky-Jade Ore stockpiled here in total. What do you think?" Shen Sha crossed her legs, maintaining a smile on her somewhat pale face. Everything was developing exactly as she had expected, which meant the most crucial bargaining chip remained firmly in her grasp. For a merchant, nothing could have been better.

"Three million?" Tingyun frowned slightly and closed her fan in puzzlement. "With Madam Shen Sha's resources, the annual output of five planets should be far more than three million tons, shouldn't it?"

"That is why I said stockpiled." Shen Sha smiled bitterly and shook her head. She snapped her fingers toward an attendant nearby, then continued explaining, "It seems Miss Tingyun does not know much about the market for selling ore. Sky-Jade Ore has never been a popular commodity. It could even be called a loss-making material. The cost of mining it is usually higher than the profit from selling it, so in a sense, this stuff really is quite rare."

"Alas, no amount of calculation can beat Heaven's whim. What I mean is, if I had anticipated the company's moves a year earlier, I could certainly provide Miss Tingyun with at least thirty million tons of Sky-Jade Ore now. After all, no one would pick a fight with money."

At that moment, the attendant who had left earlier hurried back carrying a sack. He bent down and opened the cloth bag, revealing glittering fine grains like rice inside. It was filled to the brim with Sky-Jade Ore.

"Take a look. I may not have much here, but it is all top-grade material." Shen Sha calmly lifted her teacup. Her words faintly carried a hint of pride.

Just as Tingyun rose to inspect it, Bai Jun grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down.

"A sample of ore has little reference value. I trust Boss Shen has a storage warehouse here. Even if it is only the size of a workshop, we would like to take samples there." Bai Jun, who had silently served as little more than decoration until now, suddenly spoke. Both his expression and tone became somewhat more serious.

Shen Sha's expression shifted slightly, though she concealed it well. She merely laughed gently, stood, and said, "Of course. Your caution, sir guard, puts me to shame. Please follow me." With that, she walked ahead and led the two onward.

Tingyun's emerald eyes were slightly puzzled. Her fingertip quietly poked the back of the hand beside her, only for Bai Jun to shoot her a displeased look.

Ah, what a hassle... Bai Jun grumbled inwardly as he raised a finger to his lips, signaling Tingyun to speak less later.

Though Tingyun did not know Bai Jun's intentions, she nodded instinctively and obediently followed behind him.

After walking through the spacious hall for some time, they arrived before a rather plain room under Shen Sha's guidance. The door bore the large words, "Sky-Jade Samples."

"Here we are." Shen Sha pushed open the wooden door. The moment they stepped inside, the cramped sensation from before vanished. The interior was astonishingly large, with a ceiling ten meters high. Across a floor spanning several hundred square meters stood small mountains of Sky-Jade Ore. Ever-burning oil lamps were set into the ceiling and walls, illuminating the room with incandescent brightness as though they had returned to the broad hall from before. The contrast between outside and inside felt strangely surreal.

Tingyun blinked in confusion. After a moment, she quickly realized the extraordinary nature of the space. "An artificial realm?"

"That is correct. This is a warehouse used to store part of the ore. I did not expect Miss Tingyun to recognize it at a glance. Your breadth of knowledge truly earns my admiration." Shen Sha nodded with feeling.

"Not at all. I merely happened to hear of it while passing through Penacony. It is hardly anything worth praising."

While Tingyun and Shen Sha traded pleasantries, Bai Jun walked alone to the base of the pile of Sky-Jade Ore. He silently bent down, picked up a handful of ore, and examined it. It was said that exceptional chefs could analyze a dish's methods and ingredients simply by tasting it. Though that was somewhat exaggerated, Bai Jun had indeed met people capable of such feats. Likewise, there were experts who could assess an ore's quality with a single glance. Bai Jun was naturally not that skilled, but after staying in Zhuming for so long, he understood a little of the basics.

After a moment, Bai Jun pinched a fragment of stone between his fingertips and turned his gaze toward Shen Sha. "May I ask what price you intend to sell this batch of Sky-Jade Ore for?"

"The price per ton ranges from 110,000 to 130,000 Credits. However, in consideration of Minghuo's reputation, and for the sake of friendship between us, I can offer you two the lowest price." Shen Sha answered seriously.

"Inflated. Not worth it." Bai Jun shook his head. The fragments he casually flicked upward slipped from his fingertips and slowly scattered through the air.

"You jest. Has sir not heard that the company intends to purchase Sky-Jade Ore from all parties at 100,000 Credits per ton? Besides, the ore here is all of the highest grade. By all accounts, this is not an inflated price, is it?" Shen Sha narrowed her eyes. The most cunning and dangerous side of a merchant gradually emerged, her words sharp and aggressive. "Furthermore, if you truly think I am deliberately making things difficult and trying to make a fortune off this opportunity, you may simply turn left when you leave. I can sell the Sky-Jade Ore directly to the company and save myself plenty of trouble. Wouldn't you agree, sir?"

"The company's written terms state that prices are assessed according to quality, with the highest reaching 100,000 Credits. Madam Shen Sha has no objection to that, correct?" Bai Jun did not hurry to refute her. Instead, he continued questioning her.

"Correct. But as I said before, this batch of Sky-Jade Ore is genuinely all first-grade material. In layman's terms, it is the highest quality. There should be nothing inappropriate about pricing it there, should there?" Shen Sha was not modest at all as she spoke frankly.

"If it were first-grade Sky-Jade Ore, then that price would indeed be appropriate."

As Bai Jun's relentless questioning continued, his expression was unexpectedly calm, devoid of emotion. Only the corner of his mouth twitched, and a trace of helplessness colored his voice. Though he truly did not want to waste so much breath on this matter, he could hardly stand by and watch Tingyun be led around by the nose.

"Could it be that sir believes I am deceiving you?" Though Shen Sha still appeared calm on the surface, her tone carried obvious hostility.

"Sky-Jade Stone is usually buried deep within the rock layers of large mineral veins. Theoretically, it is a fairly common mineral. But its cheap use in reinforcing and stabilizing building structures is disproportionate to its relatively high extraction costs, making it something many mine owners avoid. Few take the initiative to mine it. Thus, the existing amount circulating on the market is scarce, and most of it is used by wealthy households as a superior substitute for marble."

Bai Jun picked up a handful of Sky-Jade Stone and slowly rose to his feet. He still carried that faint, lazy air, but when he opened his blue eyes, usually half-lidded, his bearing subtly changed.

"W-What are you talking about?" Shen Sha's heart inexplicably tightened at this overly precise and professional explanation, and a bad feeling rose within her.

"Do not be in such a hurry. What I mean is that precisely because Sky-Jade Stone is scarce on the market, many people hold certain misconceptions about it. For instance, they cannot distinguish Sky-Jade Stone from Li-Ying Stone." Bai Jun explained at an unhurried pace, but Shen Sha, standing beside him, quietly swallowed when she heard the words Li-Ying Stone. Beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead.

"Honestly, even many experienced craftsmen cannot tell the two apart, because Li-Ying Stone looks far too similar to Sky-Jade Stone. Even their uses are largely alike. If there is one difference, it is probably that Sky-Jade Stone has more stable strength and is more expensive."

"Y-You mean..." Shen Sha raised a sleeve to wipe away the cold sweat on her forehead. Perhaps even she had not noticed just how badly her voice was trembling.

Bai Jun had already caught Shen Sha's wavering expression from the corner of his eye, yet he continued as though nothing had happened. "Although the two are very similar, there are still ways to distinguish them. Sky-Jade Stone is usually irregularly granular, while Li-Ying Stone tends to form dense blocks. And most importantly, Sky-Jade Stone is a mineral formed by magmatic hydrothermal processes and is almost always associated with sphalerite. In other words, no matter how perfect the quality of Sky-Jade Stone is, it will inevitably contain amber-colored anglesite."

With a bang, the Sky-Jade Stone crushed into powder flowed from his fingertips like fine snow and drifting sand. There was not the slightest trace of dark yellow or mottled rusty coloration.

"Madam Shen, if ore adulterated one part in ten can barely be called first-grade, then I have nothing to say. But with four or even five parts out of ten mixed in, calling it first-grade is a little excessive, wouldn't you say?" Bai Jun casually shook the powder in his hand. He was not pressing her aggressively, merely asking in an even tone.

It was as if thunder had exploded on level ground, churning horrifying waves through Shen Sha's mind and making her already pale face turn even whiter.

A complete defeat. There was no question about it—a complete defeat.

Her lips trembled, but she could not produce any excuse for a long while. In the end, she forced a weak smile and squeezed out hoarse words. "I thought Miss Tingyun had been my only opponent from beginning to end. I never expected the most dangerous person to be you, sir. I was careless..."

"Very well, I admit this batch cannot be considered first-grade. Calling it second-grade would be somewhat forced as well. I apologize for deceiving you both in this matter. How about this? The lowest purchase price the company assessed at the time was 80,000 Credits. Then I shall sell it to you at 80,000 as a display of my sincerity."

Having once again tasted a crushing defeat she had not experienced in many years, Shen Sha smiled bitterly and shook her head. "My apologies, you two, but it seems my body cannot endure completing the remaining handover. I will leave my attendant Todd to draft the contract for you."

Before leaving, Shen Sha suddenly turned around and extended an olive branch to Bai Jun with a serious expression. "Honestly, would sir be interested in working for my family? So long as you are willing, the position of mining consultant for all five planets may be entrusted to you."

"It sounds like a highly tempting offer, but please allow me to refuse. Wealth, status, and reputation are all meaningless. From beginning to end, I have only wanted to live in my own way." Bai Jun shook his head. He did not sound as though he were joking, and Shen Sha understood that. Thus, she did not press him further and slowly left.

While Todd drafted the subsequent contract, Tingyun could no longer restrain herself and hurried over. Her fair, lovely face was flushed with excitement. "Benefactor, you were incredible! I already knew you were amazing before, but today you seemed even more amazing!"

"Too close..."

Seeing that exquisite face pressed so near, Bai Jun instinctively leaned backward, revealing a rare and subtle expression.

"Oh? Wasn't Benefactor so imposing just now? Why have you become like this again?" Having learned her lesson last time, Tingyun deliberately kept her distance this time. She only lightly poked his shoulder with a finger, afraid she might scare Bai Jun away like before.

"Tch..."

Watching him turn his face away awkwardly so he would not look at her, and recalling how dashing he had been just moments ago, the stark contrast made Tingyun's heart race. Fine, gentle light shimmered in her emerald eyes.

"By the way, what time is it now?"

"It should be nearly halfway past the Hour of the Monkey, perhaps?" Tingyun murmured softly. She tilted her head in confusion, thought for a moment, and answered.

At that, Bai Jun suddenly raised his left hand, and confidence entered his voice. "Good. The two-hour limit we agreed upon has passed. Hurry up and undo it for me!"

Tingyun froze. She had not expected Bai Jun to still be thinking about that. Did he truly dislike being with her that much?

"Does Benefactor dislike this little woman so much..." Though she was deeply reluctant, an agreement had to be honored. As Tingyun untied the strange-object rope, she gazed at him resentfully, as though trying to make him change his mind with her eyes.

Unfortunately, it had no effect on Bai Jun.

"That is that. Leave the rest to you. I have other matters and will be going first. If you really want to treat me to a meal, just transfer some money to my Jade Omen. Not much—enough to buy steamed buns for a few days will do." The moment the rope was untied, he rubbed his wrists and immediately left.

Watching his retreating figure grow distant, Tingyun reached out as though to stop him, but eventually lowered her hand in disappointment. She had already troubled him enough today. She truly could not be too greedy.

If she wanted to take their relationship a step further, it seemed she still had a long road ahead.

After leaving the marketplace alone, Bai Jun looked over the bustling streets of the Starcruiser Sea Hub. He vaguely felt that he had forgotten something, probably something important, yet he could not recall what it was.

"What was I supposed to do this afternoon again?"

As he pondered, he turned a corner. His gaze swept over a roadside archway bearing the words "Xuan Ye Avenue."

The street lay in the most prosperous part of the Starcruiser Sea Hub. Shops stood side by side without end, their lights never extinguished day or night. The faint sounds of star skiffs passing through the sea hub drifted through the air, while white spring flowers planted along both sides of the road fell like rain across the endlessly flowing crowds.

When he looked ahead again, many people had gathered around a bench beneath the bridge. Bai Jun stopped, staring at the small figure with dark purple hair at the center of the crowd. His expression shifted in surprise.

That person was...

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The Dragon Lady Who Carries Medicine

Near a bench at the corner of the street, beneath scattering white flowers, a large crowd had gathered for some unknown reason. There were Xianzhou natives, Foxkin, and even Vidyadhara among them. Most looked haggard or anxious.

At the center of the gathered crowd stood a petite and adorable Vidyadhara girl. She had a beautiful pale dragon tail, and her lively dark purple hair was playfully braided behind her. Her little face had dimpled cheeks, a slightly upturned nose, and large blinking eyes that shone like blue crystals. Two immature dragon horns also protruded from her forehead.

A flower petal drifted down and landed neatly atop her dark purple hair.

"Doctor, I accidentally ate chocolate pills. Now I am unbearably thirsty, my whole body aches, and the fur on my fox tail has started falling out!" A Foxkin woman clutched her tail and asked anxiously.

"Food poisoning. How many times must I say it? Foxkin should not eat chocolate! Boil sophora root and raw licorice in Five-Grain Jade Liquid until reduced by half, strain out the residue, and drink as much as needed until you vomit. Also, copy 'Essential Dietary Taboo Guidelines' five hundred times and memorize it thoroughly."

Bailu plucked the white petal from her hair and sat calmly on the bench. Facing the gazes around her, she remained entirely composed. She did not seem like a child at all, but rather carried the bearing of a mature adult.

"Doctor, my tooth hurts." A Vidyadhara clutched his left cheek, unable to bear the pain.

"Pain from tooth regeneration. Go to the pharmacy and get a packet of Stone Ox Cimicifuga Powder. Decoction it in water, strain out the dregs, and drink it in three portions over the course of one day. It tastes fishy and bitter, so you may add an appropriate amount of sugar powder according to your preference, but do not add too much." Bailu shook the medicine gourd in her hand and spoke with effortless expertise.

A Xianzhou citizen stood in place, his complexion pale yellow and puffy, his face dry and lusterless. He looked conflicted and refused to step forward for a long time.

"Come, come, let me take a look. What is wrong? Where does it hurt?" Bailu waved at him, somewhat puzzled.

"I-I'm fine..." Before he could finish, Bailu raised a hand and interrupted the excuses he was about to make.

Avoiding treatment out of fear of illness was not uncommon. Bailu already knew exactly how to handle such cases. She walked over to the Xianzhou citizen, placed her small hand on the pulse at his wrist, and reached a conclusion in moments. "Stagnant liver fire, insufficient vital energy, blood deficiency causing poor nourishment, depleted yang essence, and weakened yin energy. In other words, kidney deficiency."

Having his sore spot exposed, the man immediately flushed red. Feeling as though everyone around him was looking at him strangely, he loudly argued, "N-No! I'm only three hundred and twenty years old! How could I possibly have kidney deficiency? You little quack—"

"Treatable." Bailu placed her little hands behind her back and answered calmly.

"A divine physician?"

Alas! How laughable to think of his earlier arrogance and his later reverence.

"Truly miraculous healing, Doctor Bailu." Applause rose from the crowd, followed by a chorus of astonished exclamations.

The healing arts were a medical system compiled from the Xianzhou Alliance's accumulated experience in treating illness from ancient times to the present. Diagnosing cases emphasized the four examinations: observation, listening and smelling, inquiry, and palpation. They were also called traditional diagnostic methods.

Every physician needed roughly ten to twenty minutes to conduct a diagnosis, then prescribe the proper medicine based on its cause. Given that the many races of the Xianzhou Alliance had differing physical traits, consultations especially tested a physician's stamina and experience. This was particularly evident in small clinics operated by individuals.

Several decades ago, the Cold Spring Sect reformed the traditional diagnostic system. By using more modern and advanced methods such as Shadow-Piercing Worms, they greatly reduced diagnosis times, allowing poorly skilled physicians to reduce their diagnostic time to five to ten minutes.

Although it could not genuinely improve the quality of diagnoses, it was still considered a major advancement in modern medicine.

However, Bailu basically had no need for such things when she went out to treat and save people. With her peerless medical skills, even the diagnostic process could be compressed to under a minute. Almost as soon as she heard a patient describe their symptoms, she could provide a prescription within dozens of seconds. With just a few sentences, she would send away a pitiful person who had long suffered from illness—without dragging things out, without exception.

Before long, the crowd that had once been packed together had thinned to only three or five people. It probably would not take more than a few minutes to finish with everyone. Bailu could not remember how many patients she had seen, nor could she be bothered to count. She only knew that healing the sick and saving lives was a physician's duty. A little hardship and fatigue did not matter.

Bailu felt unbearably thirsty. She licked her dry lips and thought that once she had some free time, she absolutely had to buy herself a steaming cup of Immortal's Joy Tea as a reward.

"Doctor Bailu, lately I have been feeling chest tightness and shortness of breath. I have also been drowsy, and my eyes are always too tired to open."

A gentle, pleasant voice suddenly came from beside her. Bailu found it somewhat familiar, but did not pay much attention. Out of habit, she placed her small hand on the fair wrist extended toward her.

Feeling the steady yet strong pulse beneath his wrist, Bailu frowned slightly. In confusion, she pressed a finger to her lips. "Strange. Your bodily functions are vigorous. There are neither unusual symptoms nor the slightest sign of a Mara-struck Body... Hey, are you making fun of me?"

Realizing this, Miss Bailu, already tired after working all afternoon, frowned in displeasure. Purple lightning gradually flickered around the medicine gourd in her hand. If this person had truly come to cause trouble for amusement, she would use the strongest current to thoroughly loosen up his muscles.