"Hey—Nine Lives Healing Elixir. Says it's several times as effective as any other wound medicine?" On Raozhou's main street, several soldiers, uniforms splattered with blood, came to a stop beneath a massive billboard.
"It's from Danhan Alchemy. I know that place. Duanhu, get the squad—carry Qiu and the injured to Danhan's shop. We'll wait for you at the entrance," their burly leader barked.
"But Captain, they don't open until September 10."
"It's the 9th today. We'll wait as long as it takes. If it turns out to be a scam, I'll tear down their shop myself."
"Sir!"
In Raozhou, wounded soldiers like these were everywhere. With fighting spreading and casualties mounting, rumors from the front lines only grew darker.
Thanks to Danhan's over-the-top advertising—and the high cost of casualties—it wasn't unusual to see ambulances bringing injured soldiers straight to their door.
Within days, Danhan's storefront wasn't just mobbed by onlookers; it was surrounded by lines of weary, battered fighters.
There were so many that city guards had to step in to keep order, the surging crowds nearly blocking the entire street.
…
Hanstar Calendar, Year 2930, September 10th.
At dawn, Danhan's shopfront was wall-to-wall with people—spectators, skeptics, and most of all, hopefuls ready to pay to try this miracle.
"They're opening up…" Someone called out as the doors swung wide.
After days of being besieged, Lucas was unshaken by the crowd. With a loudhailer, he addressed them: "Friends—please line up! I promise there's enough Nine Lives for everyone. Danhan's breakthrough is a godsend for the wounded. For every bottle, we're including a complimentary bandage and our premium wound powder as a bonus!"
Ethan, knowing how impractical injections would be, had focused on oral penicillin—wound powder and bandage were simply supporting products.
As for penicillin allergies? It was merely noted in the instructions. With so many dying daily from untreated wounds, who would let fear of an allergy get in the way—especially when oral forms had even milder reactions?
"How much for a bottle?" came the chorus from dozens of anxious customers, cutting Lucas off. Price was all that mattered.
Lucas smiled, raising his hand for calm. "Because we use only the finest ingredients, the price is a little higher—two gold coins per bottle…"
A collective gasp swept the crowd, then a wave of curses. Two gold coins? That was robbery! Other wound salves cost a few silvers, or at most a handful of copper coins.
Most in line bolted as soon as they heard the price—two gold coins would be a year's income for some families.
Lucas's smile barely held. He'd wanted ten silvers; Ethan insisted on five gold. Two was their compromise. For the premium version, in fancy packaging, Ethan set the price at ten gold—none of those had sold.
Still, Danhan's claims were so outlandish that even with such a high price, some people would buy. Sometimes friends pooled resources for a single bottle—rarely did anyone buy two. The "luxury edition"? Not a single sale.
Within an hour, the crowd thinned—Danhan had sold less than two hundred bottles, not even enough to recoup the advertising.
"Brother Moore, this round—sigh…" Lucas trailed off, wishing he could push for a price cut.
They'd made nearly fifty thousand bottles, working overtime. Now only two hundred gone, there were still piles in storage.
"Don't stress. Give it a few days. I need to get out for a bit," Ethan replied, unbothered.
Penicillin's success? Ethan wasn't worried. He was more concerned about his next formula. He knew penicillin couldn't deliver profits forever; the real plan was to make what he could, fast.
In a few days, Lan Yu would deliver a fresh batch of rare herbs. For now, Ethan was just hunting for one last ingredient—a humble one, really: lotus fiber. Only the freshest from the second segment of a lotus root would do. Through countless experiments, Ethan had learned that without lotus fiber, results fell short, but with it, everything changed.
If only, in his last life, he'd managed to finish his treatment—his meridians incomplete before his lover's treachery.
…
If on day one they sold a couple hundred bottles, by day two and three, sales stalled completely. Lucas was in a panic, while Ethan all but disappeared into his lab, only emerging for meals.
"This can't go on, Lulu—bring him here, I've got to talk!" Lucas barked at his assistant.
"Boss, Master Ethan said unless it's urgent, don't disturb him…"
"I'll go myself…"
Lucas barely made it to the stairs before a massive shadow blocked the entrance. "Who's the boss here?"