Chapter 1617: Flower Qianying

Normally, cultivators from the same star system would not intentionally make things difficult for one another. Chu Shen hails from Cheling Realm and is backed by Jiuyan, a powerful Sunlit realm cultivator. Given that Tianyan Realm is also a territory within the Myriad Phenomena Star System, it was assumed they wouldn't disregard Jiuyan's influence and attack Unrivaled Island, even if they had their own Sunlit realm support.

However, the reality was stark: Unrivaled Island had been seized by the Tianyan Chamber of Commerce, renamed Tianyan Island, and Chu Shen, Tang Jun, and the others were nowhere to be found.

Lu Ye could only conclude that the immense allure of Unrivaled Island must have prompted Tianyan Realm to act so disregardful of established norms.

He examined the items listed in the jade slip, finding a comprehensive range of goods, all of excellent quality. Essentially, cultivators could find almost anything they needed within the selection.

This promotional discount genuinely demonstrated sincerity. While a ten percent reduction might not seem substantial, the cumulative profit forgone would be considerable if a large number of cultivators made purchases.

"Sir, our chamber of commerce's promotion is only for one month, and there are just three days left," the female cultivator added. "If you wish to purchase anything, please don't miss this opportunity."

Lu Ye had no specific purchases in mind, but feeling that leaving empty-handed might arouse suspicion, he decided to buy some spiritual pills.

After settling the payment with spirit jade and collecting his pills, Lu Ye calmly exited the Tianyan Chamber of Commerce.

After casually wandering around various parts of the island, Lu Ye prepared to depart. He had gleaned a basic understanding of the situation there. His immediate priority was to locate Chu Shen and Tang Jun to learn the specifics of what had transpired.

While Lu Ye was unsure of Tang Jun's exact location, he presumed Chu Shen would be in Cheling Realm since he wasn't on this island. Therefore, a trip to Cheling Realm would be necessary, as meeting Chu Shen would undoubtedly reveal Tang Jun's whereabouts.

Before Lu Ye could depart, a figure suddenly emerged from a nearby shop. The man, who appeared to be leading, turned and addressed someone inside the establishment, stating, "Tomorrow is the final deadline. Make sure you've considered this carefully!"

With that, he indignantly flicked his sleeve and stalked off, muttering, "Unappreciative!"

Lu Ye wasn't certain what had transpired and had no inclination to eavesdrop. However, upon noticing a figure inside the shop, he paused and began walking in that direction.

The shop was modest in size. Across Unrivaled Island, many such establishments existed, all considered small, representing the smallest scale of businesses on the island.

Above the entrance, a prominent signboard bore two large characters: "Good Pills!"

This was clearly a shop specializing in spiritual pills, and the boldness to use such a name indicated the owner's strong confidence in the quality of their elixirs.

Upon entering the Good Pills shop, a petite figure immediately caught his eye. Her expression was soft and vulnerable, hinting at a mix of grievance, annoyance, and helplessness from the recent encounter.

Upon seeing Lu Ye, the person paused in surprise before exclaiming, "Senior Brother Li?"

Since he was using the name Li Taibai in Myriad Phenomena Sea, it was natural for this person to address him as Senior Brother Li.

Lu Ye gave a slight nod. "Junior Sister Hua, it's been a while."

The proprietor of this "Good Pills" shop was, surprisingly, the very woman he had personally recruited from the Myriad Phenomena Island's free market. Having purchased spiritual pills from her twice and recognizing her exceptional alchemy skills, Lu Ye had encouraged her to open a shop on Unrivaled Island.

Although Lu Ye wasn't intimately familiar with her, he at least knew her name was Hua Qianying.

Hua Qianying wasn't the only person Lu Ye had recruited; there was also An Zhe, who sold Dragonbreath Crystals.

Thanks to Lu Ye, both individuals received significant preferential treatment upon their arrival at Unrivaled Island, paying only a nominal amount of spirit jade for their shop rentals. It's important to remember that Unrivaled Island was already beginning to flourish, and countless factions vied for a presence there, often unsuccessfully, or at considerable rental expense.

However, because Hua Qianying and An Zhe had been personally recruited by Lu Ye, Chu Shen naturally afforded them special consideration.

The shop itself was small, and perhaps due to the earlier incident, there were no other customers. Hua Qianying warmly invited Lu Ye to sit and proceeded to prepare the finest spiritual tea.

Over the past few years, she had greatly benefited from her presence here. For one, owning her own shop was a vastly different experience from merely operating a stall in the free market; this location undoubtedly offered a more stable and substantial flow of customers.

Furthermore, her meticulously refined spiritual pills had earned her a reputation for exceptional quality. Even with slightly higher prices, she attracted many repeat customers. Unfortunately, her individual energy was limited, and her stringent quality control meant she could not produce a large quantity of pills for sale.

Nevertheless, she had managed to accumulate a fair amount of spirit jade in recent years.

All these benefits stemmed from Lu Ye, for whom she naturally felt immense gratitude. She had often wished to thank him in person, but ever since he recruited her, he had vanished, leaving her no means to contact him despite her repeated attempts.

Seeing Lu Ye again, Hua Qianying was clearly delighted, as she finally had the opportunity to express her gratitude in person.

After brewing the spiritual tea, she poured Lu Ye a cup. He took a casual sip, and his eyebrows involuntarily rose in surprise as he looked at her. "This tea... it's excellent!"

He wasn't a tea enthusiast and rarely drank it, so he typically couldn't discern the nuanced qualities of good or bad tea. However, Hua Qianying's tea was distinctly different. The moment it touched his palate, Lu Ye felt a surge of invigorating clarity, and a pleasant warmth spread through his abdomen as he swallowed.

Given his current late-stage Constellation realm cultivation, ordinary items wouldn't evoke such a profound sensation.

He recognized the tea's superior quality, yet he couldn't articulate precisely what made it so good, only managing to describe it as "excellent."

Hua Qianying pursed her lips and smiled. "This is from my homeland. If Senior Brother enjoys it, I'll give you some later."

"Thank you," Lu Ye replied, draining his cup before setting it down and gesturing for a refill.

Hua Qianying promptly poured him another cup.

Lu Ye savored this second cup more carefully, surprisingly experiencing new sensations that further emphasized the tea's rarity.

"What happened just now?" Lu Ye inquired.

While he typically paid no mind to ordinary trivialities, Hua Qianying was, after all, someone he had personally recruited. He had harbored a slight ulterior motive initially, but with Unrivaled Island now under new ownership, that personal aim was temporarily set aside, to be reconsidered only when cultivators from Kyushu had firmly established themselves in Myriad Phenomena Sea.

Now that the individuals were brought over, Unrivaled Island had undergone a complete transformation, leaving Lu Ye feeling quite helpless. Furthermore, it appeared Hua Qianying herself was facing some difficulties.

Upon hearing Lu Ye's question, Hua Qianying offered a wry smile. "After Unrivaled Island changed hands, the Tianyan Chamber of Commerce attempted to recruit me and have me join them, but I declined."

While Hua Qianying's reputation was not widely known when she operated her stall in the free market, numerous individuals became aware of the superior quality of her spiritual pills after she opened the "Good Pills" shop on Unrivaled Island. More than one faction had sought to recruit her, yet she had consistently refused all such offers.

Had she genuinely desired to pledge allegiance to a particular faction, she would not have needed to operate a stall in the free market. Even a major power like the Myriad Phenomena Chamber of Commerce, she believed, would not have refused her if she simply demonstrated her alchemy skills.

If she was unwilling to join even the Myriad Phenomena Chamber of Commerce, then other factions were out of the question. While the Tianyan Chamber of Commerce was respectable, it was still considered a step below the Myriad Phenomena Chamber of Commerce.

The primary reason she agreed to Lu Ye's recruitment and came to the island was that he imposed no restrictions or other demands on her. Their arrangement was more akin to an equal partnership: Unrivaled Island provided her with a shop at a symbolic fee, allowing her complete freedom in her endeavors.

However, had she joined another faction, regardless of her exceptional alchemy skills, she would never have received such favorable treatment. While benefiting from their support, she would also have been bound by inescapable responsibilities, such as refining a specific quantity of spiritual pills within set deadlines.

Yet, she maintained extremely strict control over the quality of her spiritual pills, refusing to sell any that did not meet her exacting standards. This alone made it impossible for her to satisfy the demands of such factions.

It was entirely reasonable for the Tianyan Chamber of Commerce to desire Hua Qianying's recruitment. Cultivators consume an enormous amount of spiritual pills, making outstanding alchemists an indispensable asset for any force. Given Hua Qianying's reputation, it was only natural for the Tianyan Chamber of Commerce to set their sights on her after establishing control.

"Since you refused them, they likely won't give up easily," Lu Ye observed.

Hua Qianying nodded. "Indeed. That's why the Tianyan Chamber of Commerce is now demanding a substantial amount of spirit jade from me as shop rental fees."

While she had accumulated some spirit jade in recent years, which would ordinarily suffice for rental payments, the Tianyan Chamber of Commerce was demanding not just one or two years' worth, but a full two decades' rent, to be paid upfront.

Such a demand was unprecedented in Myriad Phenomena Sea, where spiritual islands frequently changed hands. Typically, even when spiritual islands leased out shops, fees were collected on an annual basis, as any spirit jade paid upfront would be forfeited if the island were to be conquered.

A full twenty years of rental fees constituted an enormous sum, one that Hua Qianying simply could not afford.

This was clearly a deliberate maneuver, likely intended by the Tianyan Chamber of Commerce to coerce Hua Qianying into submission. Of course, should she refuse, the Chamber would incur no loss; they would simply reclaim the shop and lease it to another party.

"Tomorrow is the final deadline," Hua Qianying stated.

"What do you plan to do?" Lu Ye asked.

"Leave this place." Hua Qianying replied without hesitation. She knew that even if she somehow managed to produce the required spirit jade, staying would only invite further trouble from the Tianyan Chamber of Commerce in the future. It was better to depart now.

After all, she had started in the free market; she could always return there.

Lu Ye nodded. "That's probably for the best."

Hua Qianying was, after all, someone he had personally recruited, and he still harbored a minor personal ambition concerning her. However, with Unrivaled Island now under new management, that ambition was temporarily shelved, to be revisited only once cultivators from Kyushu had firmly established themselves in Myriad Phenomena Sea.