187: Chapter 186 The Lobbier

That afternoon, Yun Ming was in his courtyard watering his Spirit Medicine.

The sun was bright, casting a warm glow over everything.

The mystic pattern jade seed sunflowers had produced another batch of seeds, full and plump, ready for harvest in a few days.

He was in a good mood, humming a little tune he'd heard somewhere, watering the plants ladle by ladle.

The courtyard gate was knocked upon.

Yun Ming set down the ladle and walked over to open the gate.

The gate opened, and a middle-aged man stood outside.

The man appeared to be in his forties, with a square face, a short beard, and dressed in a dark cyan robe with a jade belt tied around his waist, from which a token hung.

The token was made of copper and engraved with the words "Fengyin Province City Lord's Mansion."

His aura was steady and restrained; he was clearly at the Late Golden Core Stage.

He stood there with a smile, bowing slightly, his demeanor neither humble nor arrogant.

"Is this Mr. Yun, Yun Ming?"

Yun Ming glanced at him and nodded. "That is me. And you are?"

"I am an advisor to the Fengyin Province City Lord's Mansion, surnamed Zhou, with the given name Qian."

The man's voice was not loud, but clear and distinct, every word enunciated.

"I have intruded today to discuss a matter. Might I have a moment of your time, Mr. Yun?"

Yun Ming remained silent for a moment.

People from the City Lord's Mansion had come looking for him, and they knew his name, which meant they had already inquired about him.

As for when they had made inquiries or why, he did not want to guess.

He stepped aside. "Come in."

Zhou Qian followed him into the courtyard and sat down at the stone table.

Yun Ming went to the kitchen to boil water, brewed a pot of tea, and brought it out.

The tea was of ordinary quality.

Zhou Qian picked up the teacup, took a sip, complimented it as good tea, and set it down. His gaze swept around the courtyard, landing on the Spirit Medicine and the mystic pattern jade seed sunflowers in the corner.

His gaze did not linger long; he quickly withdrew it and fixed his eyes back on Yun Ming's face.

"Mr. Yun has lived here for quite a few years, right?" Zhou Qian began, his tone casual, as if making small talk.

"More than ten years," Yun Ming said.

"More than ten years," Zhou Qian nodded. "Mr. Yun is a Loose Cultivator who came from the East Xuan Region. When you registered your identity, you spent a hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones, and you also bought a small building for a million High-Grade Spirit Stones. Mr. Yun is generous with your spending; you must have significant wealth."

Yun Ming picked up his teacup and took a sip, saying nothing.

He knew Zhou Qian wasn't just investigating him, but telling him that they knew everything about him, so he didn't need to hide anything.

This was a gesture, as well as a form of pressure.

But he didn't buy it.

"Mr. Zhou, please speak plainly," Yun Ming said, setting down his cup, his tone flat.

Zhou Qian smiled, a very natural smile that didn't seem forced.

"Mr. Yun is straightforward, so I will not beat around the bush."

He paused, lowering his voice slightly. "I have come today under the orders of the Third Highness, who wishes to invite you to serve him, Mr. Yun."

Yun Ming did not answer immediately.

He took another sip of tea, swallowed slowly, set the cup down, and looked into Zhou Qian's eyes.

"Why me?" he asked.

Zhou Qian smiled. "Mr. Yun is at the Golden Core Middle Stage and is also a Third-grade High Grade Alchemist. In all of Qingyao City, there are only three Third-grade High Grade Alchemists and only one Fourth-grade. The Third Highness is thirsty for talent, and naturally wishes to befriend someone like you, Mr. Yun."

Yun Ming nodded.

This reason made sense.

Alchemists were a scarce resource everywhere, especially high-level ones.

Although the Zifu Immortal Dynasty was more prosperous than other places and had more Alchemists, Third-grade High Grade Alchemists were still not as common as cabbages.

It was no surprise the Third Prince wanted to recruit him.

"I refuse," Yun Ming said, crisp and decisive, without any hesitation.

Zhou Qian clearly hadn't expected him to refuse so abruptly.

His smile stiffened for a moment but quickly returned to natural.

He picked up his teacup and took a sip, as if buying himself some time to think.

"Does Mr. Yun have any concerns?"

He set the cup down and asked, "The Third Highness treats talented people with respect and never mistreats his subordinates. If you are willing to serve him, the treatment will be excellent. Spirit Stones, Medicinal Pills, Cultivation Techniques, and Magic Treasures—the Third Highness will do his best to satisfy your needs. If Mr. Yun has any conditions, you may propose them, and I can convey them on your behalf."

"It's not a matter of conditions," Yun Ming shook his head. "I just don't want to get involved in these things. Wars, fighting over territory, the struggle for the throne—these things have nothing to do with me. I am just a Loose Cultivator who wants to live a quiet life. You fight your battles, and I will not get involved."

Zhou Qian remained silent for a moment. He looked at Yun Ming, and Yun Ming looked back at him.

Their gazes collided in the air; there were no sparks, just a calm confrontation.

"I understand what you mean, Mr. Yun," Zhou Qian said slowly, his tone much more formal than before. "The Third Highness is thirsty for talent, but he does not force others. Since you are unwilling, I will not force you." He paused, then added, "However, I would like to ask one more thing: is Mr. Yun willing to establish a cooperative relationship with the Third Highness?"

Yun Ming raised an eyebrow. "What kind of cooperation?"

"Alchemy."

Zhou Qian said, "The Third Highness has many soldiers under his command, and the demand for Medicinal Pills is great. Since Mr. Yun is a Third-grade High Grade Alchemist, I would like to ask you to help the Third Highness refine some Medicinal Pills. Of course, we will not let you work for free. We will provide the Pill Formula and Materials. For every furnace of pills, you may keep fifty percent, or sell that fifty percent to us at market price."

Yun Ming did not answer immediately.

He calculated in his mind.

This condition was not bad.

The other party provided the Pill Formula and Materials; he only needed to provide the time and energy.

Once a furnace of pills was completed, he could keep fifty percent, which was not a loss whether he used them himself or sold them.

Furthermore, doing this would mean he was associated with the Third Prince, which would make things easier if something happened in the future.

Always leave a path open for future encounters.

He didn't want to get involved in the struggle for the throne, but he couldn't offend the Third Prince's people completely either.

After all, he was living in Fengyin Province, and Fengyin Province was now the Third Prince's territory.

"Very well," Yun Ming nodded. "But I have three conditions."

Zhou Qian's eyes lit up. "Please speak, Mr. Yun."

"First, I only refine pills; I do not ask about their use. The Pill Formula you give me, I don't care what you use it for. The Materials you give me, I don't ask where they come from. I am only responsible for refining."

"That is only natural," Zhou Qian nodded.

"Second, I will not leave Qingyao City. If you want pills refined, send the Materials to me. Once refined, you come to collect them. I will not go to the front lines, I will not go to military camps, and I will not go to any place related to the war."

Zhou Qian hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. The Third Highness will send people to deliver the Materials, and the same route will be used to collect the pills, so Mr. Yun need not trouble yourself with traveling."

"Third," Yun Ming picked up his teacup, took a sip, and set it down. "If one day I do not wish to refine anymore, I can stop at any time. You cannot force me, nor can you cause me trouble because of it."

Zhou Qian remained silent for a moment, then nodded. "I can make the decision on behalf of the Third Highness; I accept all three of Mr. Yun's conditions."

Yun Ming nodded, saying nothing more.

Zhou Qian took a Jade Slip and a Storage Pouch from his sleeve and placed them on the stone table.

"This is the Pill Formula for the Third-grade Medium Grade zifu true essence pill, along with ten sets of refinement Materials. On this day next month, I will send someone to collect the pills. If Mr. Yun has any other needs then, you may let us know."

He stood up and bowed to Yun Ming. "Mr. Yun, I will take my leave now."

Yun Ming stood up and returned the bow.

Zhou Qian turned and walked out of the courtyard gate; his footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

Yun Ming stood at the courtyard gate, watching his back disappear at the end of the alley, then closed the gate, returned to the courtyard, and sat down at the stone table.

He looked at the Jade Slip and the Storage Pouch on the table, remaining silent for a long time.

The zifu true essence pill, Third-grade Medium Grade; he had seen this Pill Formula in the Secret Volume of Qingwei Alchemy. It was a type of Medicinal Pill that could increase the cultivation speed of Golden Core Stage Cultivators.

This type of Medicinal Pill was not very useful on the battlefield, but it was a hot commodity during daily cultivation.

The Third Prince wanting him to refine this type of pill meant he wasn't preparing for war, but hoarding resources.

Yun Ming rubbed his chin.

It wasn't that he was overthinking, but he always felt like something big was about to happen.

A prince, after rebelling, was not rushing to prepare for war, but instead was going around the world recruiting Alchemists and hoarding cultivation resources.

This didn't look like someone preparing for war, but rather someone planning for long-term operations.

What did he want to do? Take root in Fengyin Province? Confront the imperial court? Or did he have other plans?

Yun Ming shook his head, casting these thoughts out of his mind.

No matter what the Third Prince wanted to do, it had nothing to do with him.

He was just an Alchemist; the Materials were delivered, he refined them, delivered the goods, and took the money.

He would not ask or care about other matters.

He picked up the Jade Slip, probed it with his Divine Sense, and the Pill Formula for the zifu true essence pill appeared in his Sea of Consciousness.

He carefully read it through, confirmed there were no issues, then put away the Jade Slip and stored the Storage Pouch inside the map of mountains and rivers.

Ten sets of Materials were enough for him to practice.

Third-grade Medium Grade Medicinal Pills; he had refined them a few times before, and while his success rate wasn't high, it wasn't low either.

Refine a few more furnaces, and practice makes perfect.

He stood up, walked into the house, and began preparing for Alchemy.

No matter how strong the wind and rain outside, life had to go on, and pills had to be refined.