’To advance any further, I’d probably need a stronger medicine to replenish my qi and blood. Something like a Qi Blood Pill.’

’But the cost of those was far beyond that of Body Tempering Powder. There was no way I could give them to Li Lu.’

Li Lu, however, took the trade in stride. To him, getting twenty-five portions of Body Tempering Powder for something he’d just picked up was already a huge windfall. He said without a moment’s hesitation:

"Don’t worry about it. Getting this much Body Tempering Powder in return is already a win for me. Besides, your master needs to keep a certain profit margin on his end. It’s fine."

As for that ten-thousand-plus taels of silver...

Li Lu turned to Cheng Zongyang and asked tentatively, "Those Medicinal Materials you brought back last time—how many portions of Medicated Bath Powder can you make from them?"

Cheng Zongyang thought for a moment before replying at a measured pace, "The powder I had them grind before I left is all ready. I’ll do my best to prepare it over the next few days. We’ll just have to see how much it yields; I haven’t calculated a specific amount."

"Oh, right. I brought something else back this time. It’s quite valuable. My master said that if you’re willing, you can take it and use it. If not, the offer is off."

Hearing this, Li Lu’s eyes lit up with curiosity. "And what might that be?"

Cheng Zongyang smiled faintly. "A formula. It can solve the County Town’s current food shortage."

"The formula is for a Five Grains Inner Replenishing Pill. A single pill can sustain an ordinary person for three days without food. Tell me, old brother, wouldn’t you call that a treasure?"

At this description, Li Lu’s eyes widened. After the initial shock, he quickly asked, "A formula like that actually exists? What are your master’s terms?"

Grain was what the County Town lacked most right now. If they had a medicine like this, it would be tantamount to solving the food shortage completely.

Cheng Zongyang shook his head. "He’s not looking to exchange it for money right now. Instead, he wants to first establish a cooperative agreement. Once we’ve solved the problem, we will be required to fulfill our end of the bargain. Otherwise, it would be a breach of contract, and they will come to deal with it. Furthermore, this agreement must be signed willingly, without the slightest hesitation or reluctance."

As he spoke, Cheng Zongyang took a sheet of parchment from the basket at his side, placed it in front of Li Lu, and said, "This is the cooperative agreement from my master. You can take a look."

Li Lu took it and began to read it in detail.

But the further down he read, the darker his expression grew.

Finally, he looked up, displeased. "Why is it always this ’Soul Returns to the Wilderness’ business? What is this supposed to mean? Is this a curse?"

Cheng Zongyang just smiled and calmly delivered his prepared response:

"Truth be told, we both know what so-called agreements and oaths are worth. With no Government Office to act as guarantor, this agreement relies solely on our personal integrity."

"’Soul Returns to the Wilderness’ is just a turn of phrase for an oath, equivalent to swearing you’ll die a horrible death. Tell me, old brother, are oaths like that really binding?"

Li Lu found this reasonable. If oaths actually worked, countless people would be dead by now. He nodded.

"In that case, I suppose there’s no problem. We’ve worked together many times, so the trust is certainly there. If your master insists on a formal agreement this time, it just goes to show how important this formula truly is."

But a doubt lingered in his mind. ’Cheng Zongyang is just as involved in the County Town’s affairs as I am, so why is he making me be the one to sign?’

As he mulled it over, his expression grew hesitant, and he seemed conflicted.

Cheng Zongyang had been watching the changes in Li Lu’s expression. Seeing his conflicted look, his unspoken words hanging in the air, he seemed to guess what was on his mind and said:

"The only reason this formula is on the table is because my master knows I have a personal stake in the County Town’s welfare. That’s why he spent a great deal to acquire it from a Gate Valve Family."

"But the responsibility that comes with it must be signed for by you."

"Think of it this way: I provided the connection, and you’re signing the agreement. That way, both sides have put something in. Otherwise, there’s no way we could have gotten our hands on this formula for free."

"As long as we cooperate for the next three years, send them money or Medicinal Materials of the agreed-upon value, and don’t violate the contract, why should we overthink it?"

After hearing Cheng Zongyang’s explanation, Li Lu finally understood.

It was a division of labor, in a sense.

And just as Cheng Zongyang had said, as long as they abided by the repayment agreement, there was no need to worry—unless, of course, they planned on defaulting.

"Repaying thirty thousand taels of silver or goods of equivalent value within two years... that shouldn’t be a problem." Li Lu steeled himself and agreed.

Hearing this, Cheng Zongyang took out the Blood Ink.

When he finally saw Li Lu successfully write his name on the parchment and press his thumbprint, Cheng Zongyang breathed a sigh of relief.

’This means that if Li Lu does anything to betray me within the next two years... well, that would be a real shame.’

’If the dog you raise one day turns into a wolf and tries to devour its master, it’s only courting its own death.’

Once that was settled, Cheng Zongyang said, "I’ll send a message to have my master send the formula. You can send the bird back to me afterward."

"No problem." Li Lu smiled. "That bird is very clever."

Cheng Zongyang then moved on to another matter. After taking a sip of tea, he asked, feigning casualness:

"The moment I returned, I heard you were planning to go dig up the official road to the north?"

Li Lu nodded. "I was planning to sabotage that official road to make it impassable for southbound travelers, forcing them to reroute. It would reduce the danger to Jade Peak County."

"But on second thought, I decided against digging pits. The traces would be too obvious, too unnatural. Instead, I’ll damage the mountainside to make it look like a landslide."

"The earth and rock from the landslide will block the path. When the people of the Foreign Race from the north see the state of the official road, they’ll have no choice but to detour, unless they want to climb over on foot."

Now Cheng Zongyang understood.

The method could indeed block the path of those coming south from the north, but it was a temporary fix, not a permanent solution.

Cheng Zongyang asked, "What if they just go around? They’re on horseback; a detour won’t take them much time. Then they could just as easily enter through the East City Gate or one of the others."

Li Lu replied, "I’d love to block every single road, but that’s obviously impossible. Still, this will slow them down, won’t it?"

Cheng Zongyang shook his head. "Old brother, listen to me. Don’t do anything. Also, if they send more people, you are to do nothing except answer for the whereabouts of the last group."

"Why?" Li Lu asked urgently. "Are we just supposed to hand over all our grain?"

"Yes," Cheng Zongyang said. "With the Five Grains Inner Replenishing Pill, our need for grain won’t be as desperate. But we can’t just hand it over casually, either."

"They haven’t come yet, but they will. We can plan for it. Let’s assume they come, and they bring more than the six men they sent last time."

"They will certainly investigate and ask questions, and then let the matter drop. After that, they will demand we hand over grain. So, we will comply—but we won’t give them much."

"Old brother, hide the grain you brought back last time and don’t touch it. As for the rest, we’ll scrape together three or four thousand jin and let them take that."

Li Lu’s brow remained furrowed, and he said nothing.

Cheng Zongyang continued, "What’s happening outside the West City must not be discovered. But we can’t be constantly on guard, either. If we kill one wave of them, another will just take its place. It’s endless."

"So, let’s just give them what they want this time. Once they have their grain and leave, they won’t send anyone else. Then our crops and our new village will be safe."

’For me,’ Cheng Zongyang thought, ’as long as we can make it through this summer’s harvest, things will get much easier.’

Of course, this talk of handing over grain was just for Li Lu’s benefit. ’They want to take my things? We’ll see if they live long enough to enjoy them!’

After listening, Li Lu understood Cheng Zongyang’s plan.

Avert disaster with a grain offering.

Rather than indulging in the short-term satisfaction of a fight, which would only cause them to send more men, it was better to satisfy their demands this once and prevent them from coming back.

Li Lu sighed. "If we have to hand over five thousand jin, then doesn’t that mean I brought all that grain back for nothing?"

Cheng Zongyang smiled.

"That’s not important. What’s important is that you need to go out again to gather more Medicinal Materials. The five thousand jin of grain you brought back might be needed to make Inner Replenishing Pills. But our supply of Medicinal Materials is limited, so we can’t make many. That’s why you must find more."