Shen Yuxi ate his food and listened to the gossip. The crisp tenderness in his mouth mingled with the rich fragrance of sauce, lifting his mood along with it. He picked up a chopstickful of dressed vegetables, then a slice of braised beef, chewing them slowly with rice, but his ears stood perfectly alert.
The Alchemy Alliance and the Medicine Association really are interesting forces.
He mused silently as sunlight filtered through the pear tree's branches and leaves, spilling warmly across his shoulder and making him want to squint.
Whenever they are mentioned, people always tie them together. Their original founder really was the same person.
One hand split into two houses. The Alchemy Alliance sought out alchemy prodigies and studied alchemical arts, while the Medicine Association handled logistics and supplies, scouring the world for raw materials. One produced goods, the other supplied ingredients, forming a complete industrial chain and raking in money by the basinful.
Later, as the generations passed and the people at the helm changed time and again, the relationship between the two houses was no longer as ironclad as before. Until the previous generation, when the Alchemy Alliance's leader and the Medicine Association's president caught each other's eye while doing business and became Dao companions, binding the two houses tightly together once more.
He swallowed a mouthful of beef and sighed inwardly.
Sadly, good times never last...
When it came to this sort of topic, it was Lin Huaixu's professional domain. He caught on immediately and spoke at just the right moment. "Speaking of which, Yue Mingnian, the Alchemy Alliance's leader, and Ji Ran, the Medicine Association's president, are also Dao companions. And..."
Lin Huaixu craned his neck and lowered his body. "I've even heard an amusing tale about the two of them."
"The Alchemy Alliance