Chapter 252: Ally
Grace watched Liam’s every action, wanting to check his skills properly. She didn’t know enough about ingredients to call eventual bluffs, but she trusted her ability to read people and believed she would notice when and if Liam’s confidence turned into pretense.
Except that mont never ca, and the developnt gradually transford Grace’s small smile into a troubled expression.
The underground hall was massive and only contained alchemical ingredients, aning that their number was absurd. Most were only rank 1 materials, but they ca in boxes, not batches.
The wealth the warehouse held was incalculable, and Liam didn’t try. Instead, he imrsed himself in checking the ingredients’ quality. That phase belonged to alchemy, so he unleashed the absolute concentration the field demanded.
The job was easy for Liam. His Master had hamred down the basics until they beca second-nature to him. He might have started with the alchemical fla, but his education had eventually encompassed logs, cauldrons, and ingredients.
So, filtering between usable and unusable ingredients barely took a single look, sniff, or light touch. Liam actually spent more ti splitting the ingredients into two piles.
And that was the reason behind Grace’s troubled face. Liam never explained himself, but the way he handled each ingredient told her which pile was which, and the unusable one grew bigger by the second, its size soon surpassing the other.
By the ti Liam was done, two-thirds of the warehouse had ended up in the unusable pile, hinting at a massive financial loss, as well as a corruption more widespread than Grace’s worst calculations.
Of course, the financial loss wasn’t imdiate. Grace’s rchants had purchased those ingredients with their own money, aning she would simply fail to earn from that.
Grace’s loss only amounted to the money spent on those rchants and the lower earnings from that shipnt. Yet, it remained significant, especially when accounting for the need to replace the corrupt underlings.
A solution would be to shrink the market under Grace’s control. However, other rchants would fill the channels she abandoned. She would also leave many clients dissatisfied, ruining her reputation, making it harder to reclaim them and get new ones.
"Fellow Daoist," Grace called once Liam approached her, patting his cloak to remove the accumulated dust. "May I know the reason behind each of your decisions. Also, please, lower your hood."
"Sure," Liam agreed, uncovering his face and glancing at the unusable pile. "The Fever Flowers, Hate Bamboo, Aconite’s roots, and Plague Fruits all carry the problems I listed in the market to different degrees. As for the others ..."
Grace had hoped that looking at Liam directly might reveal pretenses she had failed to spot earlier. Yet, he kept talking, and then he talked so more, and he continued even beyond that, ntioning so many unique and specific features even the greatest liar in the world couldn’t co up with.
Most importantly, Grace could see how natural that was for Liam. He listed a tide of advanced knowledge as if it were obvious. He might have said otherwise, but Grace knew that he was an expert, as well as how real her predicant was.
"It seems this is the limit of what I can achieve on my own," Grace sighed once the explanation ended. "I should have invested more in grooming loyal supervisors."
Liam didn’t say anything to that, but Grace didn’t forget about him. If there was one good thing to co out of that problem, it was eting Liam. She was now certain of his skills and value.
"Here’s your paynt, as promised," Grace said, effortlessly finding the strength to wear a small smile again as she retrieved sothing from her robe. "I ended up having this commissioned."
Liam’s eyes lit up at the sight of the item. It was a long pipe, black, with a spacious bowl and intricate carving on its body. Moreover, it was a rank 1 item.
Grace handed the pipe to Liam herself, and he didn’t hesitate to bind it. The process was effortless since his Qi overwheld whatever resistance the item posed, adding a faint green luster once it ended.
"You can enhance its sturdiness with your Qi," Grace explained. "That’s its function."
Liam’s wide eyes snapped on Grace before returning to the pipe. His greatest issue was now fixed, and the solution couldn’t have co in a better shape.
"If I may," Grace spoke, reclaiming Liam’s attention. "Why have you refused Young Master Isaac’s invitation? Did this magical pipe truly warrant such inflexibility?"
"Yes," Liam admitted, not going into detail. He could have handled Isaac better if he had been more knowledgeable and skilled with words, but re-enabling his smoking habit would have still taken priority.
Also, there was sothing else Liam decided to ntion. "And I already had an agreent with you."
Grace held back a sigh. Her business instincts had already suggested that, but the previous blinding innocence and that last response settled the matter.
Liam was not only skilled in a field that made him almost priceless. He was also dutiful in ways that bordered on loyalty, which was an extrely rare currency in the cultivation world. The two piles of ingredients proved as much.
"Another question, if I may," Grace continued. "What would have happened if I hadn’t paid you?"
"It would have ant you were tricking ," Liam replied, tilting his head in confusion at that hypothetical situation.
Grace’s underlings had relayed those words from the market, so she knew the implications. As always, her business instincts had been on point. Liam slled of money and danger, the latter not caring for which organizations it targeted.
Liam was sohow both a loose cannon and soone Grace felt could have her full trust.
"Fellow Daoist, you said you had alchemical products to sell," Grace ntioned. "May I see them?"
Liam nodded and waved his hand, letting a series of items fall to the floor. His ointnt, elixirs, pills, deadly poison, and antidotes appeared in the open, and Grace didn’t even need to ask what they were to do a quick math.
That wealth was worth thousands of spirit stones. Moreover, Liam could probably make more products, aning he was a walking money multiplier.
Liam wasn’t an opportunity Grace could let slip through her fingers. He was a golden goose that could elevate her wares from ingredients to complete alchemical products, which would in turn elevate her standing as a rchant.
The problem was Liam himself.
Grace had lost count of how many business partners she had handled, and the math never changed. As long as she had what they needed and her prices were competitive, she would secure long-term deals and earn consistently.
Still, Liam was an odd one. He claid to be a lone cultivator, but was also a rooting expert and an alchemist, which wasn’t really possible unless exceedingly lucky encounters were involved.
Moreover, Liam had been ready to start a war inside the market, but had also rejected the easy option of killing Old Joe. He had offended Isaac to stay true to his word while also ripping off the Enforcent Guild.
That hinted at a screwed but uncompromising moral compass, sothing that Grace knew how to tackle, but that wasn’t her preferred approach, or the world’s for that matter. After all, honesty got people killed.
"I’ll be blunt," Grace declared. "I want you."
"Chief Grace?" Liam blinked in perplexity, not knowing how that confusing statent had anything to do with his products on the floor.
"Just Grace," Grace said. "Let’s talk cultivator to cultivator. Anyone can guess that you are, were, or will be important, just like I can guess that you are on the run."
Liam was speechless but no less wary. He knew Grace was smart, but that knowledge was properly dangerous, and his mood brought tension to the warehouse.
"I don’t care what you did," Grace added, ignoring the tension. "My instincts tell
that it can’t be too bad, but even then, the world is a bad place, and whatever. I’m not proud of many things I did to survive, either."
’Can she read my mind or sothing?’ Liam gasped internally. ’Is it because of the Ancestral Qilin’s bloodline?’
"Now, the issue," Grace stated, crossing her arms. "Alchemists are so rare that even most Sects don’t have them. I can revolutionize my entire business around you, especially since at least half of it is currently corrupt."
Grace sighed, almost not believing what she was about to say. "Normally, I would have used covert thods to get you. Old Joe as leverage, secrets as threats, ingredients as shackles, and more."
The tension intensified, but Grace remained fearless. She was no foundation expert after all.
"But," Grace continued. "Sothing tells
crossing your personal line, wherever it is, will push you away for good, if not poison
to death."
That part was easy to surmise even for soone who wasn’t an alchemist. Grace only had to look into the ingredients Liam purchased to learn what he was concocting.
"So, I won’t risk crossing it," Grace declared. "I’ll even expose myself. I need you more than you need . My reasons are my own, but you can help
fulfill them, and that might an clashing with several Guilds."
Liam honestly had no idea why Grace was revealing so much, but it was working.
"What about the Kingdom?" Liam questioned. "What about the Dragon King?"
"The King has his throne," Grace scoffed, "I have my life, and my life needs wealth, mountains of it. You are my first real opportunity toward it. If I have to offer myself to seize it, I shall."
The intensity in Grace’s gaze wasn’t a lie. Liam would read it even if his breakthrough hadn’t provided that superhuman ability, but that brought his eyes to his new pipe.
The heart didn’t care for reason. Liam’s loss might have made him wary of reopening himself to affections, but he couldn’t change who he was.
Grace had her personal agenda, but all her actions had been true to her promises. She had even taken things one step further, handling Old Joe and resorting to that speech.
Moreover, Grace’s value was undeniable.
"My secrets ..." Liam warned, "Might be bigger than you think."
"The rchants Guild is just a ans to an end," Grace exclaid, smirking confidently. "If you give
access to the wealth I need, I’ll even beco a demonic cultivator. I’m confident I can establish a flourishing market no matter the location or status."
’What even is her goal?’ Liam wondered but didn’t ask. Secrets among cultivators had to be respected, especially when they could involve going against the Kingdom.
There was only one last barrier, one Liam had to ask.
"Can I trust you?" Liam questioned, sothing in his voice warning Grace about the deep aning it carried.
"Yes," Grace instantly confird. "If you are loyal to , I’ll be loyal to you. It’s the most basic trade in the world."
Liam wanted to hesitate, but his heart was already making decisions. He wasn’t the type for complicated thoughts. Either he cared, or he didn’t.
"I understand how sudden this is," Grace added. "If you wish so, I’ll drink a poison of your choosing and rely on you for the cure. I’m willing to be under your control until you can trust ."
’I hadn’t thought about that,’ Liam realized. His mindset broadened, but also settled the matter for good.
Liam materialized a small pouch in his hand and carefully poured its contents into the pipe’s bowl. Once it was full, he lit it up with his Qi and brought it to his mouth.
And, as black smoke blew out of Liam’s mouth, words joined it. "Call
William."
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