"Brother Huo, these two are Miss Li Xin and Miss Lin Jialu."
The merchant association's steward came over to Huo Yuhao and quietly introduced them:
"They're the children of Haoyue City's consul and chief military officer, respectively. They've come to discuss a possible partnership with you."
Huo Yuhao took a careful look at Li Xin and Lin Jialu.
With his spiritual power, he could clearly sense that they were a knight and a mage, respectively. Neither was particularly gifted, though. They were already sixteen or seventeen, yet neither had broken through to the third rank.
The two young women had distinctive looks. Li Xin's emotions fluctuated intensely, and with her long pink hair and fire-attribute spiritual energy, she was like a little chili pepper.
Lin Jialu, on the other hand, was a typical water-attribute mage. She seemed gentle, with the bearing of a well-bred young lady.
While Huo Yuhao observed them, Li Xin and Lin Jialu were observing him as well.
They hadn't expected the alchemy grandmaster who had recently become so famous in Haoyue City to be a boy in his early teens, apparently six or seven years younger than them.
(As for Huo Yuhao's current age, let's set it at nine. When he first transmigrated and formed a physical body, he was two or three years old. Let's say he was three, so after six years of cultivation, he's exactly nine now.)
More importantly, the boy's spiritual energy fluctuations were much stronger than theirs. That was what they found most unbelievable.
They grew even more curious about Huo Yuhao's identity.
Lin Jialu and Li Xin exchanged a glance. Then Li Xin spoke first, her tone much gentler than Huo Yuhao had expected:
"You're Huo Yuhao? Did you make all those spiritual energy lamps that have been appearing around the city lately?"
"Yes."
Huo Yuhao nodded and admitted it openly.
Given his identity and status, he had no reason to fear anyone coming after him.
"That's impressive."
Li Xin spoke from the heart, then pulled a purchase order from her robes. "Grandmaster Huo, we actually came today to discuss something with you. The lighting devices the Knight Temple uses for night patrols are too old. They don't last long, and they're bulky.
"I heard the spiritual energy lamps you make are small and bright, so I wanted to ask if you could make a batch for us too. The longer they last, the better. We can discuss the price."
When she finished, she added, "Of course, if you're busy, we can wait."
Huo Yuhao was somewhat surprised. He had thought someone from a prominent family would put on airs, at least a little, but Li Xin spoke frankly and sincerely. There was no hint of "I'm the consul's daughter, so you have to do as I say."
Lin Jialu spoke next, her voice soft and gentle. "Hello, Grandmaster Huo. Our Lin Family has three shops in the east of the city, mainly selling potions and magic equipment.
"If you're willing to sell your spiritual energy lamps and potions in our shops, we can help distribute them. We'll split the proceeds at the market rate, with the Lin Family taking twenty percent. Would that be acceptable?"
After she finished, she pursed her lips and added, "If you don't think that's suitable, we can discuss the split further."
Huo Yuhao thought it over. His spiritual energy lamps were selling well, but he relied entirely on the merchant association to sell them on consignment, leaving him with only one sales channel.
The Lin Family's shops had been doing business in the east of the city for generations, and their distribution channels were much broader than his.
More importantly, by doing business with the Lin Family, he could meet his other trading needs.
With that in mind, Huo Yuhao said:
"The split is fine, but I don't want gold coins."
Lin Jialu looked up at Huo Yuhao, a little puzzled, but she didn't press him. She simply waited quietly for him to continue.
"Miss Lin, I want potion formulas and illustrated guides to magic equipment. The higher the rank, the better," Huo Yuhao said. "The Lin Family has been in this business for so many years. You shouldn't be short of such things."
Lin Jialu paused. The Lin Family certainly wasn't short of them.
Dozens of formulas and illustrated guides were piled up in the Lin Family's storeroom. Most were low-rank, though there were some of the third and fourth ranks.
What puzzled her was something else. Given the talent Huo Yuhao had displayed, if he came from the Magic Temple, he wouldn't have to worry about obtaining these things at all.
The Magic Temple provided systematic instruction on potion formulas and magic equipment. Even if he needed any, he would need high-rank ones, not low-rank ones.
But Huo Yuhao seemed exceptionally eager for these things, as though he were feeling his way forward alone.
She didn't voice the question. In business, one didn't ask what one shouldn't.
Besides, she had heard an elder of her family mention that he had saved Cai'er. Someone like him deserved a little extra respect.
"I can give you ten formulas and guides below the third rank. Each one will cost a hundred spiritual energy lamps."
"For those above the third rank, you'll have to pay extra, or trade the exclusive supply rights to your spiritual energy lamps for them," Lin Jialu said sincerely. "Does that sound acceptable?"
"Five third-rank potion formulas and three illustrated guides," Huo Yuhao countered. "The Lin Family gets exclusive supply rights to the spiritual energy lamps in the east of the city for one year."
Lin Jialu ran the numbers in her head and nodded. "All right, we'll do as you say."
Li Xin listened to the two of them bargain. Once they had settled the deal, she cut in, sounding warmer than before:
"What about my request? Can you make spiritual energy lamps that last longer?"
"Yes."
Huo Yuhao turned to her and nodded. "Give me ten days. I'll double how long they last, increase their brightness by fifty percent, and double the price."
"Deal."
Li Xin agreed readily, but added, "You don't have to rush too much, though. If ten days isn't enough, half a month is fine too. Don't wear yourself out."
She pulled a purchase order bearing the seal of the Knight Temple branch from her robes and handed it to Huo Yuhao.
The order read "Purchase of spiritual energy lamps," and the quantity was filled in as "long-term."
"Miss Li Xin, it looks like you're close to the master of the Knight Temple's Haoyue City branch?"
Huo Yuhao looked at the name on the purchase order and spoke in some surprise.
"Mm."
Li Xin lifted her chin, but her tone was candid. "Still, I negotiated this myself. I didn't rely on him."
Huo Yuhao nodded and put the purchase order away.
Lin Jialu tore a page from her ledger and wrote out a simple contract. The two of them signed it, and Li Xin signed as a witness.
As they were leaving, Li Xin glanced back at Huo Yuhao, laughter in her voice:
"Grandmaster Huo, you're only nine? You don't look it. Come visit the Knight Temple branch when you have time."
"All right," Huo Yuhao replied.
Lin Jialu also turned back and said softly, "Grandmaster Huo, if you ever need help with anything, you can come find me at the Lin Family shops in the east of the city."
After the two left, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm clicked his tongue in the Sea of Consciousness. "One of those girls is fiery, the other mild-mannered, but they're both pretty decent. They spoke quite politely."
Huo Yuhao didn't respond. He put the contract away, returned to the workshop in the rear courtyard, and continued his work on the spiritual energy vehicle.
For the next two or three months, Huo Yuhao was so busy his feet hardly touched the ground.