Aftermath

Inside Chief Steward Wang's room, only Li Zhaoning and Chen Chong remained.

The sandalwood in the gilded Boshan incense burner still burned, thin smoke curling upward and drawing a straight line through the silence.

Li Zhaoning turned around to look at Chen Chong, and the usual coolness in her gaze had thinned somewhat.

"Alchemist Chen—no, Master Chen." She paused slightly, as if savoring the title. "This operation was carried out so swiftly thanks to you."

Chen Chong cupped his hands. "It was my duty."

"I will inform the Lineage of the profit-sharing ratio for master alchemists as soon as possible," Li Zhaoning said evenly. "The Li Family will provide every master alchemist with a residence."

"There is one in Green Willow Alley on the eastern side of the city. It has three courtyards in and three courtyards out, a quiet setting, and it is close to World-Aiding Hall."

Chen Chong considered it, then shook his head. "There is no need for a residence. I am quite comfortable in my little courtyard."

As though she had expected this, Li Zhaoning did not press him. She merely nodded slightly, then took a sheet of paper from her sleeve and handed it over.

"Jade Marrow Essence-Condensing Pill."

Chen Chong accepted the pill formula. The paper was fine Xuan paper, folded perfectly neatly. When he opened it, he saw more than ten main and supplementary ingredients listed, several of which he had never even heard of.

Earth Marrow Essence Milk, Nine-Jointed Jade Ginseng, Profound Frost Grass. He frowned, but did not ask further.

Li Zhaoning explained, "The Li Family will supply the ingredients needed for the pills. The pills collected by the Li Family are a fixed quota, submitted monthly. Any surplus belongs to you."

She paused, looking at Chen Chong. An almost imperceptible solemnity entered her voice. "The Jade Marrow Essence-Condensing Pill has potent medicinal strength. It strengthens the bones and sinews. The ingredients are exceedingly rare, so the monthly supply will not be large."

Then she looked at Chen Chong again, her gaze lingering on his face for an instant.

"It would be best to take such pills yourself."

Chen Chong understood the meaning behind her words. It was both advice and a warning.

He raised his head to look at Li Zhaoning and happened to meet her eyes. They were as deep as ever, but something flickered in their depths.

The two of them suddenly fell silent.

The smoke from the Boshan burner spun once in midair before dispersing. Outside the window, the sunlight had already slanted westward, spreading patches of warm golden light across the floor, where fine dust drifted.

After a short while, Li Zhaoning swept her gaze around the room. The gaudy furnishings within—the leopard skin, the Ru kiln porcelain, the white jade screen—looked especially ironic in the gathering dusk.

She let out a faint, wistful sigh, so soft it was like wind brushing over paper. With light lotus steps, she prepared to leave.

Watching her retreating figure, Chen Chong suddenly remembered something and blurted out, "Zhaoning—"

Li Zhaoning halted. She did not turn back, but her shoulders tensed slightly.

"During this operation, Steward Su diligently kept watch over Wang Zheng every day," Chen Chong said, his tone easing. "Could he perhaps be promoted by half an official rank or so?"

Li Zhaoning was silent for a moment. Then she nodded and left directly.

Her footsteps were nearly soundless on the crimson carpet. The door opened and closed, bringing in a breath of fresh air that scattered the scent of sandalwood.

The sun had set. Yet the Dark Market was ablaze with lights, bright as day.

All the illuminating jade stones on the vaulted ceiling shone at once, white light pouring down from above and lighting the entire underground street in every last detail.

The crowd was even denser than during the day. Vendors' cries and buyers' haggling echoed in a constant hum through the vast underground space.

Chen Chong wandered through it, heading straight toward the back. He had more or less figured out the lay of the land as well. Those who did big business were all in the rear. The front held sundry stalls; only the back contained the real "shops."

The layout in the rear was completely different from the front. There were no cries hawking wares like before. There were fewer stalls as well, scattered sparsely and spaced far apart.

The stall owners sat in their respective places. Some drank tea, some read books, and some rested with their eyes closed. Not a single one actively solicited customers.

Yet as Chen Chong passed by, he could feel those half-lidded eyes sweep over him, pause on him, and then move away.

Chen Chong stopped before a stall.

The stall was not large: an old wooden table covered with coarse dark-blue cloth. Several rows of porcelain bottles and wooden boxes sat atop it, each sealed with wax. Their labels were handwritten in tiny, neat regular script.

An old man sat behind the table, around fifty years old. His hair was short and more than half gray, yet combed without a strand out of place. His face was lean, his cheekbones slightly high, and his chin clean-shaven. He wore a faded gray-blue cloth shirt, its sleeves rolled up to reveal wiry forearms. He sat upright with his eyes closed, breathing long and evenly, as though resting—or perhaps practicing some kind of breath-nurturing art.

A purple clay teapot rested at the corner of the table, steam rising from its spout. Beside it lay an open book with yellowed pages.

When Chen Chong approached, the old man opened his eyes. Only halfway, half-lidded, with his gaze leaking through the slits as he lazily swept Chen Chong a glance.

"I do not take inferior pills, nor do I sell ordinary medicinal herbs."

His voice was not loud, but he enunciated every word clearly. Having said that, he was about to close his eyes again.

Chen Chong took a small porcelain bottle from his sleeve, pulled out the stopper, poured out a pill, and set it on the table. The dark-golden pill gleamed beneath the white light of the illuminating jade stones, its surface patterns flowing slowly, as though an extremely thin layer of ripples ran across it.

The old man's motion of closing his eyes paused for an instant.

Then his eyes opened fully. His irises were dark brown, bright in a way that did not suit a man of his age.

He reached out and picked up the pill. First, he examined it beneath the light, turning it to study the direction of the patterns. Then he smelled it, bringing it close to his nose and taking a light breath, his brows lifting slightly. Finally, he lightly scraped the pill's surface with a fingernail, shaved off an exceedingly thin layer of powder, and tasted it on the tip of his tongue.

He was silent for a moment.

"Not bad, not bad." The old man nodded, setting the pill back on the table. His gaze shifted from the pill to Chen Chong's face. "A True Martial Pill. And the work of a master, at that. A ripple pattern was left when the fire was withdrawn. Since when did Dingshan County produce such a master?"

Chen Chong did not respond. He simply said, "I need ingredients."

The old man glanced at him and leaned back slightly. "Speak."

Chen Chong named three ingredients. "Earth Marrow Essence Milk. Nine-Jointed Jade Ginseng. Profound Frost Grass."

The old man lightly tapped the table twice with his fingers. Then he stared at Chen Chong, his gaze turning serious, as though weighing the worth of the young man before him. He looked for a long time—longer than he had spent examining the pill.

"Ten True Martial Pills as a deposit," the old man said, his voice several shades deeper than before. "Fifty more once the matter is done."

Chen Chong nodded without asking further. He took another porcelain bottle from his sleeve, slightly larger than the previous one, and handed it over.

The old man caught it and pulled out the stopper to inspect its contents. Ten dark-golden True Martial Pills were arranged inside with perfect neatness, their medicinal fragrance assailing his nose.

He stoppered the bottle and tucked it into his robes. Then he took a wooden case from beneath the table and pushed it over. Cloud patterns were carved across its surface, somewhat similar to the wooden box Yang He had produced last time.

"The Earth Marrow Essence Milk and Nine-Jointed Jade Ginseng will arrive within half a month. The Profound Frost Grass will take longer—one month." The old man leaned back in his chair again and narrowed his eyes. "When the goods arrive, I will wait for you here."

Chen Chong picked up the wooden case and turned to leave. Behind him came the light clink of the purple clay teapot's lid as the old man poured himself another cup of tea.