"Your Lordship, I beg to differ!" Hanson Han hurried forward, kneeling on the cold stone floor. "Not only should we not execute Ethan Moore—we should reward him generously."
Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?"
He'd never liked the Moore family. Now, a Moore descendant had created a priceless elixir… and instead of offering it to the state, he'd spread the formula to the whole world. Whether Ethan had acted out of cunning or stupidity, Sebastian didn't care—he just wanted the man dead.
"Your Lordship, Ethan Moore gave the Nine-Life Elixir to the people for free," Hanson Han explained, his voice urgent. "This is a deed that benefits both the state and its citizens. Before he revealed the elixir, you could have executed him without consequence. But now? If word gets out that a man who saved countless lives was killed for it… it would ruin your reputation. It would harm Chengyu's standing, too.
"Think about it the other way: if the world hears that Ethan Moore gave away such a vital treasure to help the people—and that you, in return, spared his life and rewarded him—Chengyu will grow stronger. Your people will rally around you, more loyal than ever."
Hanson Han stepped back, letting his words sink in. He hadn't spelled everything out, but Sebastian understood. Ethan Moore had offended him—but if Sebastian pardoned and rewarded Ethan *because* Ethan had helped the people, he'd turn a crisis into a chance to boost his own authority.
A single Ethan Moore meant nothing to him. He could always kill the man later, once the fuss died down and everyone forgot about him. But seizing the chance to win the people's love? That was too good to pass up.
"Lord Han is right," Sebastian said, his tone softening. "Guards—bring Ethan Moore in."
Moments later, a young man was led into the hall. His face was pale, his eyes dull, and his hair stuck up in messy tufts. This was the apothecary who'd created the Nine-Life Elixir?
Every official stared in shock. Apothecaries were rarely fashion-conscious—especially when they were busy brewing potions—but they usually kept themselves presentable. Ethan looked like he'd been through a storm.
"Kneel before His Lordship!" the guard who'd brought Ethan in snapped, shoving his back lightly.
Ethan didn't react. He just stood there, his gaze wandering aimlessly around the hall, as if he didn't understand that he was in the presence of Chengyu's ruler—or that he was supposed to bow.
"Leave him be," Sebastian said, waving the guard away. His voice was surprisingly gentle. "He is an apothecary who has done great good for the people. I grant him the right to stand and speak."
Once the guard had retreated, Sebastian turned to Ethan. "You are Ethan Moore?"
Ethan blinked, as if snapping out of a trance. He stared at Sebastian for a long moment, then gasped. "Y-You're His Lordship? Y-Yes! I'm Ethan Moore!"
An official on the left stepped forward, ready to scold Ethan for his rudeness—but Sebastian held up a hand to stop him. "I hear you developed the Nine-Life Healing Elixir. Can you tell me how you did it?"
Sebastian had heard rumors of Ethan's madness. As the rightful heir to the Northern Qin princedom, Ethan's name had crossed his desk a few times—but he'd never cared enough to pay attention. If Ethan hadn't created the elixir, Sebastian would have ignored him even if he'd died in the street.
But if Ethan was truly an apothecary genius… Sebastian might keep him alive to exploit his skills.
Ethan let out a quiet breath of relief. He hadn't realized he'd just danced on the edge of death—but now, it seemed the Lord-Regent had no plans to kill him. His exhaustion was real: the potion he'd used to expand his meridians had left him in agony, and he'd stayed up all night arranging for the formulas to be printed and distributed. He was running on fumes.
Still, his dazed demeanor was partly an act. Everyone knew he'd been mad—so a little slowness and confusion would seem perfectly normal.
"Your Lordship, it wasn't my creation," Ethan said, his voice weak. "It was something my father left me before he died. He said if I ever struggled to survive, I should use the Nine-Life Elixir. I… I lost my mind a while back, obsessed with silly titles. When I started to get better, I remembered what my father had told me. That's when I took the elixir to Danhan Alchemy and proposed a collaboration. I've never studied apothecary work—not a day."
Sebastian nodded, a twinge of regret stirring in his chest. He should have paid more attention to the Moore family's heir. He didn't doubt Ethan's story: he knew Theodore Moore had been an apothecary. If Ethan had never learned the craft, that made sense—Theodore had vanished before Ethan was even born. How could he have taught his grandson?
"Then why did you spread the formula everywhere?" Sebastian asked, his tone sharpening slightly.
Ethan's eyes widened, and he looked nervous—exactly the reaction Sebastian expected. "My grandfather originally intended this formula for my father. It was supposed to help my father win the people's support when he inherited the Northern Qin princedom. But my father died before he could claim the title. I… I used to be so fixated on getting that princedom back that I lost myself. Now that I'm better, I realize the Moores will never get the princedom again. So I thought… if I spread the elixir's formula, it could save more lives. It would be a way for the Moore family to earn merit."
Sebastian nodded again. It made sense. When a new prince took power, winning the people's loyalty with acts of kindness—like providing life-saving medicine—was the most effective strategy. He believed Ethan's story, nine times out of ten.
"Then why did you first partner with Danhan Alchemy to sell the elixir at a high price?" Sebastian pressed, his eyes locking onto Ethan's. "Why wait until after you'd produced a batch before giving the formula away for free?"
Ethan looked flustered, as if caught off guard. "I… I was starving. I had no money to promote the elixir on my own. Lucas Lu—Danhan Alchemy's owner—helped me when I had nothing. I wanted to repay him first. And… I needed to prove the elixir worked. If I'd just handed out the formula right away, no one would have believed it was any good. Selling a batch first let people see its power."
Sebastian's regret deepened. If he'd learned about the elixir just one day earlier, he could have stopped the formula from spreading. He pushed the feeling aside and thought for a moment.
"Ethan Moore," he said, his voice firm but not unkind. "Even though you didn't create the Nine-Life Elixir, the Moore family has still done a great service to Chengyu. As Lord-Regent of Chengyu, I wish to reward you. If you wish to reclaim the Northern Qin princedom… that can be arranged."
A murmur ran through the hall. Everyone who knew Ethan's history marveled at his luck. The Moores had fought for the Northern Qin princedom for years—Gabriel had died for it, and Ethan had gone mad for it. Now, Ethan had gotten it with barely any effort, just by giving away a formula.
Nearly every official assumed Ethan would jump at the chance. He'd been obsessed with the princedom for years—even madness hadn't cured that.
Ethan sneered inwardly. If Sebastian had truly wanted to give the Moores back the princedom, his father would never have died in Raozhou. And if he, Ethan, agreed to take the title now? He'd be signing his own death warrant.
Even if he could leave Raozhou and reach Northern Qin, what would he do? Walk in alone with a princedom seal and expect people to bow to him? He'd be killed before he even stepped into the palace. The memory of the poison attempt just yesterday was still fresh in his mind—he wasn't about to forget that.
Whoever had tried to poison him with arrowwood… Ethan was certain Sebastian wouldn't lift a finger to avenge him if he died.