Buying a defensive formation for the residence

"Alchemist Lin, what brings you here today?" The steward of Azure Elixir Hall wore a familiar smile, but the moment he noticed the stubborn gloom clouding Lin Fan's brow, his heart tightened slightly. "You don't look well. Has something happened? If there's anything Azure Elixir Hall can do for you, please say the word."

Lin Fan wasted no time on pleasantries. He sat in a quiet guest seat to one side and recounted everything that had just happened at Ten Thousand Treasures Medicine Depot. He explained how Ten Thousand Treasures Hall had opened its new medicine depot and swept up all the high-grade medicinal ingredients in Commandery City at inflated prices, then used those ingredients as leverage when he went to buy some, trying to force him to supply all his pills exclusively to them.

By the time he finished, the smile had vanished from the steward's face. His brows knotted tightly, and he slammed a hand against the edge of the table.

"What a ruthless move! Ten Thousand Treasures Hall really will stop at nothing! When they couldn't recruit you, they simply cut off your supply of ingredients, hoping to force you to bow your head and submit!" The steward's expression grew grave, and he let out a long sigh. "They have indeed bought up most of the stock held by herb farmers and small- to medium-sized merchants around Commandery City at high prices. Over the past few days, I've also noticed that high-grade ingredients on the market have been growing scarcer by the day."

Lin Fan looked up and asked, "Steward, Azure Elixir Hall must have a considerable reserve of high-grade ingredients, right? Do you have any other supply channels?"

The steward looked somewhat troubled by the question and slowly explained.

"To be frank, some of our high-grade