The tournament had odd rules, with many made on the spot. It had a single winner, but things were more complicated than that.

The Recruitment Guild handled everything, issuing rewards consisting of rank 1 resources, with a martial art as the main prize.

However, more than winning, the contestants focused on showing their worth to the audience, fighting as many times as they could, hoping that their determination, battle prowess, or whatever else would get them recruited.

The audience actually played a big role in choosing the winners. There was a popular vote going on, which joined the individual victories to create a scoreboard that only the Recruiters knew. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Even the tournament’s length varied, depending on its level of attendance and whether it continued to be worth keeping open.

Nevertheless, that had nothing to do with Liam. He was only there to concoct, but the consequences of Grace’s announcement soon showed themselves.

A single showcase of the effectiveness of Liam’s products wouldn’t turn him into a famous alchemist, but freebies were freebies.

Most contestants were lone cultivators who spent months and years accumulating handfuls of spirit stones, which weren’t enough even to smell alchemical products, let alone use them.

So, as the news that Grace handed out those products freely spread, the most desperate contestants didn’t hesitate to approach her shop. Of course, she always ensured that those clients used them on the spot, but that did little to diminish the general excitement.

The contestants could only hope to perform well if they were in top condition, and those alchemical products could allow just that.

And the trend only intensified as Liam’s concoctions enabled more appealing announcements on Grace’s side.

"Rank 1 Qi-Recovery elixirs have just arrived on my shelves," Grace announced. "Come get your free sample. You don’t want to fight tired, do you?"

"To anyone who suffered heavy injuries," Grace exclaimed. "Five rank 1 healing pills have just been brewed. Don’t let unlucky losses get in the way of your promising future."

"Ever wished to have an edge over your opponent?" Grace questioned. "My humble shop offers state-of-the-art body-enhancing pills!"

Liam could only perform one concoction at a time, and most lasted longer than an hour. Also, each could only produce five to six products.

Grace might have limited the freebies to one per customer, but the number was too high. There were around forty lone cultivators in the valley, meaning Liam would need seven to eight concoctions to rule them all out of that special offer.

Moreover, once night descended, Guild members also joined the lone cultivators, ignoring how shameless the action might look or the politics among different factions to prioritize their performance in the tournament.

That wasn’t even the end. The news of free alchemical products had spread beyond the valley, attracting cultivators who had never planned to attend the tournament, and increasing the number of customers who had yet to get their free sample.

It seemed Grace had underestimated the cultivation world’s desperation, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

At first, the customers were timid, approaching the shop with their heads lowered, as if ashamed that people could see how desperate they were. After all, reputation was a big thing in the cultivation world.

However, as the products’ value increased, a proper queue began to form, which then became a rowdy crowd of cultivators eager to get priority on whatever Liam concocted next.

There were more cultivators than products, meaning a shortage, meaning first-come, first-served, eventually creating literal lines of foundation experts arguing with each other for who should go next.

That obviously was part of Grace’s strategy. She wouldn’t have made Liam start with a mere ointment otherwise, and she had planned even beyond that.

Once the night got too deep, the Recruitment Guild set various lanterns and braziers, but the fights ended, postponed to the following morning. Yet, the area never grew silent since Liam kept concocting, becoming the sole attraction of the increasing crowd.

Actually, the Recruiters had set up a gathering in the valley to discuss the battles and entertain the audience with wine and polite conversations, but nothing could beat free alchemical products.

It was at that point that Grace looked at the night sky and delivered another planned blow.

"The day is over," Grace declared. "I thank you all for having enjoyed our free samples. The special offer is now over, but you can still purchase our products at the small price of one hundred spirit stones."

Liam heard everything, almost in awe at the dots that connected in his mind. Arriving late had been by design, shrinking the time the freebies would be available for, reducing the financial loss of that business strategy.

As for the response, it was overwhelming.

"I beg of you, Chief Grace, just one more concoction!"

"Please, esteemed Chief Grace, my turn had finally arrived!"

"Chief Grace, extend your kindness for one mere hour!"

That and more resounded from the crowd, and for good reason. One hundred spirit stones might be an extremely competitive price, but it was also a sum few possessed or had ever accumulated in their entire lives.

"Fellow Daoists, please, please," Chief Grace exclaimed, raising her arms to calm down the crowd. "While I accepted the Heavens’ duty of making Master William known throughout the world, I also must make ends meet. If not for me, for Master William."

The crowd went silent now that Grace had involved Liam, but the restlessness didn’t subside.

"Though I understand the unfairness of this all," Grace continued. "Many of your fellow contestants would have fully recovered by tomorrow thanks to Master William’s products, unlike you. Rejecting your pleas would be akin to taking sides."

The restlessness peaked, transforming into mad hope, at which Grace threw an appealing hook.

"Guild members can ask their superiors for help," Grace announced, "Or trade resources with my fellow merchants to afford Master William’s products. At one hundred spirit stones, there’s no better investment in the world."

While potentially intangible, Grace was correct. The products’ price was low enough that exchanging resources for spirit stones to purchase them would leave everyone with more wealth than they started with.

Despite the merchants’ cut, Liam’s elixirs and pills were all worth over one hundred and fifty spirit stones, with some even three hundred, more than compensating for that expensive additional passage.

"As for everyone else," Grace added. "The Merchants Guild’s tent on the other side of the valley can provide loans at minimal interest rates. Just be sure to take them under my name."

That was another service the Merchants Guild offered. It was a way of obtaining control through money, and Grace’s reputation inside it would skyrocket if she roped in a mere fraction of the crowd.

Yet, a debt of one hundred spirit stones wasn’t something lone cultivators could afford to take for the same reason that had prevented them from accumulating such a sum on their own.

The Merchants Guild offered ways to streamline the debt’s repayment, issuing specific tasks and more. Still, that was another way of enforcing control, shackling debtors to its influence for an unknown amount of time.

So, no one stepped forward. While disadvantaged, those who had failed to get freebies couldn’t accept those terms. It would be like betting their entire future on getting recruited, something they didn’t have much hope for even in top condition.

Of course, Grace had accounted for that, too.

"Fellow Daoists, refusing to invest in your future is akin to rejecting your calling as cultivators," Grace declared. "If not for this tournament, Master William’s products can give you the opportunity to pursue lucky encounters and save your lives when tribulations come!"

Grace hadn’t explicitly said it, but the silent rule her threatening smiles had set was no more. She wouldn’t force her clients to use the alchemical products on the spot anymore. They could do whatever they wanted with them.

That implied the ability to resell Liam’s products at the normal market price, which would repay whatever debt with the Merchants Guild while bringing profit. It was literally free money now that Liam’s pills, elixirs, and ointments had proven their value.

It only took one cultivator to move for all hell to break loose. The crowd literally ran across the valley to get their loans and be ready to purchase the batch of alchemical products.

Obviously, not all would be able to make the purchase. Each concoction only produced five to six items after all. Some might even buy in bulk.

Nevertheless, failing to have money at hand for when the next batch was complete would mean losing the products to someone else. So, many, far more than Liam could satisfy, took on loans despite the math not being in their favor.

And a chill ran down Liam’s back when he understood the full extent of that strategy. Grace would ensure sales while turning almost everyone else into debtors. Even those who failed to become clients would bring her money.

More than just products, Grace had managed to monetize the hope to make a profit. She would sell nothing while still earning in terms of fame inside the Guild, and whatever her share of the debt’s interests were.

’Luckily, she is on my side,’ Liam couldn’t help but think, the talismans keeping away the shaking of the ground caused by the returning crowd as he continued to focus on concocting.