’So young,’ Grace couldn’t help but think as soon as the black hood went down.

Apparent youth had little meaning in the cultivation world. The Qi slowed down aging, especially at the higher stages. Grace herself looked younger than her actual age.

Also, there were cosmetic products and techniques. Cultivating didn’t deprive people of vanity, and some invested money there. That market’s prices were actually quite inflated and always earned the Merchants Guild a good income.

Still, Grace didn’t believe Liam belonged to that category. It was nothing more than a hunch, but she trusted her instincts with her life, and the finding conflicted with the knowledge Liam had shown previously.

Real age aside, Liam had long black hair that didn’t always fall straight. It was a bit messy, wild even, as if he didn’t know that combs existed.

Liam’s face echoed that wild trait. He wasn’t exactly handsome, but he was undeniably manly. The same went for his intense black eyes, which added a dangerous vein to the complete picture.

And yet, Grace believed that Liam wasn’t doing that on purpose. She felt that the expression was normal for him, as if he had learned to emote in feral environments rather than among humans.

Truth be told, if someone who knew Liam were to look at him now, they would also notice a new cold maturity, as if his expression carried the trace of his recent loss.

Liam couldn’t help but grow warier under that prolonged, attentive inspection. He didn’t know if he had committed the worst mistake he could make.

And Grace felt the danger properly now. Her cultivation was more advanced than Liam’s, but her survival or business instincts told a different story. Deep down, she knew he wasn’t an enemy she had to make.

"Can you read me now?" Liam asked, uncomfortable under that attentive gaze, especially since his perception kept failing to read Grace back. Too much of her behavior was beyond his superhuman senses.

"I’m confident in talking business now," Grace half-confirmed. "Before we begin, I couldn’t help but be impressed by your knowledge earlier. Are you a botanical expert? An alchemist?"

"Alchemist," Liam revealed, having planned the move since his seclusion.

The more clues Liam left, the more likely people were to connect the dots, leading them back to the Pale Moon Sect.

However, Liam had also learned the value of reputation. For example, the whole mess with Ronnie and the Captain would have been avoided if people had known and acknowledged his expertise.

Moreover, the prices Liam had read confirmed the same opportunity he had seen in the Sect. Complete concoctions were always worth more than the sum of their ingredients, often over double that, creating a valid way of earning money.

Liam didn’t have his Master vouching for him now. Yet, if he established himself as an alchemist, he would earn the respect those rare experts in the field were owed, multiply his finances at a negligible initial investment, and, most importantly, continue practicing.

It would be like getting paid to continue pursuing the main goal.

Also, that reputation could act as a safety net. As long as people trusted Liam’s alchemical skills, they might pay for the ingredients themselves, allowing him to restore his finances if he hit rock bottom.

Liam would have never known how to start that strategy on his own, but Grace had created the perfect opportunity.

"If I may," Grace said, a glint in her eyes that Liam believed to be interest, "Are you good?"

"No," Liam directly replied, genuinely believing that. His Master was the good one, the only one worthy of that praise.

Grace blinked before wearing an intrigued smile, proceeding to refill both cups.

"Alchemists are a rare commodity," Grace stated, "Especially those without affiliations. Those are actually impossible to find or are so good that everyone has to bow down to their unreasonable demands."

Grace finally showed something Liam could read, seemingly on purpose. Her words had carried a question.

"I have no affiliations," Liam exclaimed.

"Would you be interested in a position inside the Merchants Guild?" Grace offered. "The Messengers have more reach, and the Enforcers have more military power, but we are the richest by far, as well as having access to the greatest variety of cultivation resources."

The offer was good. Liam didn’t even need to think about it to understand that, and Grace didn’t hesitate to insist.

"Of course, you’ll get plenty of benefits," Grace added. "All-around discounts and priority over products you desire, just to name a few."

What Liam lacked the most after leaving the Sect was the stability of established systems. Now, everything he wanted or planned to do required searches and additional interactions, wasting time and resources, all shrouded in a layer of uncertainty and risk.

Joining the Merchants Guild would fix all that and more, actually being a perfect fit for Liam’s needs. Sadly, he couldn’t accept.

The Guilds worked for the Dragon King, so the risk was too great.

Also, no established systems, no matter how good, could support Liam’s growth. Nothing in the world was created with his divine, or diabolical, talent in mind.

Joining one of such systems might be good initially, only to become shackles later on, and Liam wouldn’t have his Master taking care of that now.

"I don’t want to join anyone," Liam declared. "I won’t linger too long in one place, either."

Grace was ready to insist more, but her business instincts told her not to. Most importantly, they warned her not to probe in a way that went beyond the norm among cultivators.

Generally, knowing more about business partners was paramount. It was a leverage that ensured benefits, or at least prevented huge losses.

But the greatest opportunities also carried huge risks, and Grace felt them both from Liam in her guts. She smelled money, a lot of it, as well as danger, probably more of the latter.

"How about a consultancy?" Grace wondered. "As you saw, one of my underlings tried to sell flawed products. I can’t allow that."

"What do you mean?" Liam asked.

"A one-time task," Grace explained. "There’s a Guild’s warehouse north of here. The ingredients and items are marked by merchants. If you were to review them, I could find out who else tried to earn under the table."

Liam’s gaze snapped at the desk, having half a mind to peek down to check what Grace meant, only to suppress his confusion and focus on the part he had understood.

Honestly, as long as it was a single job that led north, meaning further away from the Sects, Liam could consider doing it, especially since it sounded effortless.

The issue was about the benefits.

"And what would I get?" Liam questioned.

"I’ll provide the four ingredients you requested in the quantity you desire, as long as it’s reasonable," Grace announced. "You’ll also be able to confirm their quality, obviously."

What Liam had shown was already paying off. The earnings would be worth a few hundred spirit stones, and they were basically free.

"This upfront," Grace continued. "As for the magical pipe, as much as I must make it up to you, this job only warrants a rank 1 item. Anything more, and the loss would be too great, other than taking far longer to fulfill the request."

"Chief Grace, can you get me a rank 1 pipe?" Liam asked.

"The Merchants Guild has connections with inscription masters," Grace confidently said. "It has connections with everything. I might even get lucky and find something suitable in our stashes."

Of course, Grace’s intentions went beyond that single job. The latter was simply the hook that would allow her to establish a connection with Liam and show the appeal of her presence in his life.

It was also a test for Liam himself. Depending on how he performed, Grace might be willing to take on more risks.

And Liam smelled that, albeit with no stench. Grace was indeed plotting, but her intentions saw benefits for both of them.

"When?" Liam questioned.

"Two weeks," Grace said. "I’ll give you the ingredients now and the item once the job is finished. I need that time to look for it anyway."

"What about the trades and sales with discounts I’d get now?" Liam didn’t forget to mention. While the deal rearranged his priorities, he still had his stashes to refill, and didn’t want to wait two weeks and the additional uncertainty to fix that.

"Of course," Grace smiled, drawing a green jade from her robe. "I’m always ready for business."