Inside the quiet back office of Wei Alchemy Hall, Wei Meilin sat behind an old but polished rosewood desk, her brows faintly furrowed as she scanned a scroll of records. The ledger in her hand detailed monthly earnings, supply costs, pill inventory… and losses. Always losses.
She placed the scroll down with a soft sigh, massaging her temples.
The fifth month in a row in the red.
Her gaze drifted to the side table, where three sealed letters lay unopened, each bearing a different family seal Peng, Hong, and Zhang. None of them contained well wishes.
At best, thinly veiled threats. At worst, subtle invitations to surrender.
And then there was her late husband's younger brother.
Wei Meilin's jaw tightened. That man, lazy, crude, and utterly untalented had been circling her like a vulture ever since her husband died. If he wasn't pestering her with disgusting glances and drunken slurs, he was quietly whispering into the ears of the elders, pretending to care about the family.
"For the good of the clan, we should solidify the bloodline…"
She could still hear his oily voice from the last meeting.
Despicable.
The Wei family had once been on the rise of greatness. Now, they were like a carriage with a broken wheel, moving forward only because of momentum, but destined to crash without a miracle.
And she, the last pillar holding it up, was already showing sign of cracks.
Not to mention her clan in the capital, the family that cared only about talent was growing impatient. She lacked talent, so she was married off to the Wei family as a pawn. Now, as their fortunes faded, so did her value. She feared being recalled, treated not as kin but as a commodity to be sold or worse. The thought tightened her chest. Time was running out.
Her fingers brushed against the rim of a cold teacup. She hadn't even noticed the tea had gone cold.
Just as she reached to pour a fresh cup, a loud knock came at the door.
"Madam Wei!" a voice called from the other side, slightly breathless. It was the front hall clerk.
"Enter," she said, voice composed despite her fatigue.
The young man pushed the door open, his expression tense. "A-A disciple from the Azure Moon Sect is here. He's requesting a meeting with you."
Wei Meilin blinked, but her face remained calm. "A sect disciple?"
She didn't stand immediately. Azure Moon Sect disciples came to the city from time to time. While they carried prestige, their sect was known for its strict internal discipline. Flaunting one's status recklessly often led to punishment. In fact, not too long ago, one such disciple had been crippled publicly for bullying a merchant's daughter. Since then, most disciples kept a low profile when visiting Cloudveil City.
"No need to panic over something like this," she said as she reached for her outer robe. "Sect disciples aren't above the rules, especially not here."
"Yes, but…" The clerk hesitated, then stepped forward nervously. "He said… he's an alchemist. And that he come to discuss… a deal."
Wei Meilin froze, just for a breath. Her hand hovered over her robe ties.
"…An alchemist?" she echoed, the weight of those words sinking in.
Alchemists were rare, even within the sect. Most disciples didn't have the talent or patience for this path. The ones who did were either reclusive old monsters who hadn't shown their faces in decades… or legacy disciples with powerful backers and endless resources. Even outer sect alchemists were few and far between. Their time wasn't something commoners could afford, let alone expect them to get involved in mundane city matters. Their time was too valuable, reserved for the sect's elites, for core disciples, or high-paying clients from noble families.
For one to approach her hall, uninvited, and talk of making a deal…
It either meant trouble… or opportunity.
She narrowed her eyes.
Her eyes narrowed slightly. The Wei family in the current state had nothing left to offer. They had no strong backers, no leverage. If this was some kind of trap, she would find out.
But if it wasn't…
Wei Meilin stood, straightened her robe, and adjusted the collar with practiced elegance.
"Lead him to the guest room," she said calmly. "I will be there soon"
"Yes, Madam!" the clerk bowed and rushed out.
Left alone again, Wei Meilin exhaled softly and glanced at her reflection in the polished tea tray.
A noble beauty stared back, flawless skin, elegantly tied hair, and lips with a natural curve that hinted at both warmth and danger. Her figure, wrapped in fitted silk, exuded quiet confidence and mature charm.
But behind those sharp, commanding eyes… exhaustion lingered.
She turned toward the door.
"Let's see what this alchemist wants."
__
Wei Meilin walked into the room with a graceful figure.
The man before her was not what she had expected.
She had assumed this was another one of those handsome, well-dressed inner sect disciples with smooth skin and sharper smiles, arrogant young men who thought themselves geniuses. But the one before her looked… older. Not too old, but certainly far from youthful. Perhaps in his early forties by appearance, with unkempt hair tied lazily behind his head and half-lidded eyes that held a faint shimmer of amusement or shamelessness, she couldn't tell.
Even more curious was the cloaked figure standing silently behind him, unmoving like a statue. She assumed it was a bodyguard, so she let the thought pass.
Wei Meilin's lips curved ever so faintly as she glided forward, her robes swaying like water. Graceful and composed, she sat across from him, her posture impeccable, her chin slightly raised. She could already feel the heat in his gaze, lingering not on her eyes or her expression, but lower ,wandering without restraint across the curves of her chest, her slender waist, and the long, pale legs revealed through the slit in her dress.
She didn't mind.
She was used to it.
From the time she first bloomed into womanhood, men had always looked at her like that. Wanting. Hungry. The only difference was how they concealed it. This man didn't even try. And perhaps that made him more honest than most.
She met his gaze calmly, letting him look, even subtly adjusting her seating so her leg peeked a little further. If he thought lust gave him an advantage, she would remind him that desire could be turned into a chain during a negotiation.
Li Feng leaned back slightly in his chair, that familiar, unreadable smile tugging at his lips.
"Greeting, Madam Wei. I'm Li Feng. I assume your clerk has already informed you of the reason I'm here."
"Greetings, Young Master Li, I heard you claim to be an alchemist," she began, her voice smooth, cold, and elegant."Since you've come for a deal, you should already understand who we are."
Her tone was polite, but distant. Formal, yet unmistakably probing.
The man chuckled, unhurried. "Naturally. That's why I came."
She didn't react, but inwardly sigh. So he knew they were struggling. "You come here despite knowing that."
"I come because of that," he replied, leaning forward slightly, his eyes not leaving hers even as they dipped again, slowly to her collar, then down further. "Desperation makes for good deals."
Wei Meilin gave a small, dry smile.
"I'm flattered," she said dryly, adjusting her sleeve just enough to pull his eyes again. "But I assume you didn't come here just to stare at me."
He smirked. "Oh, but I do enjoy it."
Then he leaned forward, resting an elbow on the table, his voice dropping just slightly. "Still, you're right. I come to talk business."
At last,
She studied him carefully, her fingers folded lightly on the table. "Then let's not waste time. I assume you're looking for a deal."
"Straight to the point. I like that." He leaned back, eyes still lazily fixed on her sinful body. "I'll keep it simple. You provide the ingredients, I refine the pills. You sell them however you want. In return, I get seventy percent of the profit."
Wei Meilin's eyes didn't narrow. Her expression didn't change.
But internally, she scoffed.
Seventy?
"You're quite bold," she replied coolly. "Our side has to source the ingredients, handle the distribution, and manage the shop. Your offer leaves us with barely enough to break even."
He tilted his head, still smiling. "Break even? Not quite. You'll be swimming in profit."
"Oh?" she said with mild interest. "And why is that?"
The man's smile sharpened just slightly. "Because I don't produce trash. I can refine high-quality pills consistently. Sometimes even flawless grade. With my method, each batch will have at least an eighty percent success rate."
A flicker of intrigue passed through Wei Meilin's eyes.
Eighty percent success rate?
Even their own alchemists struggled to maintain a 30% success rate for mid grade pills. And flawless? They never even produce a single one.
There was a pause. She studied him. His eyes were clear, not the arrogant boasting of a fool, but the calm confidence of a man who knew exactly what he was worth.
Her mind moved quickly.
High-grade pills typically tripled the value of their base ingredients. Flawless pills? Ten times, sometimes more, especially if auctioned to desperate nobles or cultivators with bottlenecks. If he really had an 80% success rate…
Even selling a single high grade pill could cover the cost of an entire batch.
She didn't show her shifting thoughts, keeping her posture elegant and untouched. "Even so, seventy-thirty is rather steep."
His smile widened. "That's the price of quality. I refine. You provide. We both win."
She tilted her head slightly, her voice calm. "Sixty-forty."
Li Feng chuckled and shook his head. "Madam Wei, you should know that thirty is already generous, if my capabilities are as real as I claim."
And she did know.
Wei Meilin wasn't foolish. A true 80% success rate with high grade or even flawless grade pill are absurd, nearly unheard of. If even half of his claim is real, she stood to gain far more than she'd lose. She understood the value of what he offered.
If his success rate was real, and he truly could produce flawless pills… the profit margin would be outrageous. It would be foolish to haggle over percentages when the difference was tens of thousands of spirit stones in a single batch.
Still, as a businesswoman, she couldn't just nod and accept.
Just as she opened her mouth to speak again, Li Feng smoothly cut her off.
"Actually, Madam Wei," he said smoothly, "I forgot to mention one final term of our deal…"
Li Feng rose from his seat, strolling leisurely to her side and settling beside her with disarming familiarity. The couch dipped slightly under his weight, and their bodies brushed, just enough to feel the warmth of her curves beneath the silk.
Then came the touch.
Li Feng's fingers traced slow, teasing circles along the bare skin of her thigh beneath the delicate silk of her qipao, deliberate and confident, yet careful not to cross a line unspoken. The soft fabric whispered beneath his touch, cool and smooth, contrasting with the subtle heat gathering under her skin. A shiver flickered along her spine, unwelcome but undeniable.
"This deal only goes through," he murmured, his voice low and laced with intention, "if you're willing to keep me company now and then..."
Feeling the heat from his palm on her thigh, she didn't flinch on the outside but her heart did jump a bit yet she didn't dare to move as this deal could change her current situation.
The hand on her leg continued its teasing exploration, but her expression remained unreadable. Not coy, not indignant, just silent calculation behind those dark purple eyes.
High grade pills...Eighty percent success rate. If he wasn't bluffing, this deal could change everything. All she had to do is… indulge him. Sit by his side, let him touch her, and spread her leg for him. It disgusting. But if it could drag the Wei family back from collapse... if it bought her even a sliver of leverage then maybe it is worth it.
Because the truth was cruel: her clan in the capital had never cared for her. She was beautiful, yes, but mediocre. Married off like a pawn, sent to the Wei family in hopes of future gains. And now that the Wei name was crumbling, they would call her back, strip away the last of her dignity, and sell her off to some noble family for whatever worth she had left. Or worse… turn her into a cauldron, to aid some decrepit old freak's cultivation.
Her stomach twisted at the thought. No. Compared to that… enduring this bastard's perversion was a small price to pay.
Wei Meilin grit her teeth softly. Then she exhaled, slow and composed.
She met his gaze with eyes cold and calculating, her voice alluring.
"Prove your skill first," she said, voice low and precise. "If what you say is true, then we'll discuss… the terms."
Li Feng's grin widened, patient and quietly triumphant. "That's all I need to hear."