Before Li Chen's Broad Cloud Peak had even opened for business, it gained another batch of usable manpower and supplies.
This was excellent news for its development, so once the representatives of the lineages had all left, he made a point of thanking Yu Youxian.
When Yu Youxian spoke of the matter, she seemed rather dispirited. "They're all nouveau riche landlords. Though their lineages' foundations fall far short of my Yu Household's, what they can offer you really isn't much less than we can. You'll understand in time."
Li Chen said, "Fellow Daoist Yu, you're an elegant, refined fairy, yet you have to spend every day mingling with the mundane world and discussing these mercantile affairs. It must be rather exhausting."
Yu Youxian glared at him. "We practitioners of music aren't immortals who live without eating mortal food! Besides, isn't this all your fault? If the sect offered enough support, why would we need to bring in so much outside investment? We could simply wait until conditions improved and let them come knocking themselves. Wouldn't that put us firmly in control?"
Seeing her stubborn refusal to admit it, Li Chen smiled faintly and said nothing more.
Yu Youxian then told Li Chen something else. "The craftsmen our Yu Household recruited are nearly ready as well. They'll head to your Broad Cloud Peak as disciples undertaking practical training. A master artisan will lead them, but he won't be working for you. His role will lean more toward supervision and guidance, so bear that in mind."
Li Chen's interest stirred. "Oh? Tell me more."
Yu Youxian said, "There are three true disciples, nine inner-court disciples, and sixty-five working apprentices among them."
"One true disciple and three inner-court disciples belong to our Yu Household. Under our earlier agreement, they can work for you