"On behalf of the people of the Northern Nine Forts, I thank you, Lady Su."
With her agreement finally secured, Prince Yong rose from his seat and offered a deep, formal bow. The weight on his shoulders seemed to lighten just a little.
"My reasons for staying are my own," Su Min said, waving a hand to dismiss his gratitude. "But do not stop gathering those medicinal ingredients. And before I go, let me offer you a piece of advice."
"Advice?" he asked, curious.
"Your son has decent talent. If he devotes himself solely to cultivation, he may yet achieve something great. But if he is constantly entangled in the mundane burdens of governance like you are, it will hinder his potential. In the world we live in now, you should be mindful of such things."
Prince Yong's expression tightened. He knew she was right. A family, even a royal one, was only as strong as the cultivators at its core. Without a powerful expert, they would eventually crumble. He had been grooming his son as his political successor, unknowingly stifling the boy's true potential.
"By the way, Lady Su," he ventured, seeing an opening. "Have you ever considered taking a disciple?"
"A disciple?" Su Min paused briefly, then narrowed her eyes just a fraction. So, this was his true intention. His covetous gaze had lingered on her alchemy for too long. Still, the idea did not repulse her. For now, she was the only alchemist in the region, but that would not last. Within the wider Lingxi Prefecture, especially in the great monasteries, there were bound to be others. Even weapon forgers were not unheard of. She was not opposed to planting a seed for the future.
"To become an alchemist, one must possess dual spiritual roots, fire and wood," she stated, her tone leaving no room for debate. "The fire root must be dominant, and the gap between the two should be as wide as possible. Second, they need innately powerful soul strength. If you can find someone who meets those criteria and who cultivates a dual attribute technique to conjure their own spiritual flames, then I would not mind teaching them."
She watched as Prince Yong's face darkened with each requirement. A small, knowing smirk touched her lips. The truth was, anyone who actually met those conditions would not need her guidance. They would likely trigger a Heavenly Revelation and glimpse the art of alchemy on their own.
"These are non negotiable," she concluded. "Either you are born with it, or you are not." With that, she fell silent, the matter closed.
She had not yet broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage, so there was no immediate rush to concoct the Foundation Pill. In the meantime, it was in her best interest to help Prince Yong strengthen his forces. She did not expect them to fight her battles, but they could at least hold the line against the prairie tribes when the time came for her to face the real threat.
It took Prince Yong a long moment to recover. He mentally combed through every talented individual he knew, but not a single one fit Su Min's impossible criteria. Just as she had said, people like that were born, not made.
"By the way," Su Min said, her tone shifting to something more casual, "those three new subordinates of yours, what weapons do they specialize in? And what is their foundational strength? I can forge them spiritual artifacts suited to their abilities. I do not expect them to fight beside me, but they should at least be strong enough to keep the prairie rats from interfering when I confront those two old monsters."
Prince Yong blinked, then suddenly remembered. He glanced down at his hand, where the white jade spatial ring she had refined for him gleamed softly. He had been so fixated on her pills that he had almost forgotten she was also a terrifyingly skilled weapon forger.
"Oh, and you will be providing the materials," she added nonchalantly.
Her own stockpile was running dangerously low, especially after crafting the Glazed Ice Azure Armor. This was a perfect opportunity to replenish her supplies. It was not quite extortion, as he would benefit directly from the results.
"Not a problem," Prince Yong agreed without a moment's hesitation. Though he did not fully understand what a 'spiritual artifact' truly was, he knew one thing for certain: after his son entered the Qi Refining stage, there had been a glaring problem. No mortal weapon could keep up with him. The finest steel shattered almost instantly when channeling spiritual energy. If Su Min could provide a proper weapon, his son's combat prowess would rise dramatically.
He had seen the proof himself. That Grand Preceptor from the desert had faced the same struggle. Before Su Min forged a weapon for him, the man could barely survive. Now, he could at least exchange a few blows.
"I will return to my seclusion now," Su Min announced, rising to her feet. "Unless the enemy is literally at your gates, do not come bothering me. Even if they are at your gates, think twice before you do."
With that, she turned and strode out of the hall, well fed and satisfied. She ignored the dancing girls fluttering in the corridor entirely.
The moment her figure vanished from sight, Prince Yong's demeanor shifted into one of urgent command. "Someone, mobilize our stocks immediately! Spirit herbs, spirit ores, spirit wood, spirit stones, gather all we have and then some!"
He suspected she would only directly use about seventy percent of what he provided, but even so, the return was more than worth the cost. Besides, he understood that Su Min was not just refining for them. Every item she forged honed her soul strength, preparing for the day she would attempt the near impossible task of concocting the Foundation Pill. Since she could not establish her foundation yet, she tempered her soul through sheer, repetitive practice. However many materials he provided, she would burn through them all. This was why smaller sects could never afford to nurture such practitioners. But he, Prince Yong, with the resources of a kingdom at his disposal, was the perfect patron.
As he slumped back into his throne, Prince Yong exhaled deeply, as if shedding a massive burden. His greatest fear had finally been eased. The intelligence reports were clear, the two old monsters of Flame and Earth were no ordinary Qi Refining cultivators. There was only one person he could think of who stood a chance against them, and that was Su Min. This time, he had gambled everything on securing her aid. Without her, the city was as good as lost.
Now that she had agreed, many paths opened before him. "The wolves of the grasslands," he muttered to the empty hall, his voice hardening with resolve. "As long as this Prince draws breath, you shall not set foot within Great Wei. And if I win this war, then I shall gain a reputation strong enough to challenge even the Imperial Court."
His fist slammed down onto the table beside him. The world was teetering on the edge of chaos, waiting only for a spark. If he could seize this victory, he could rise as the man who commands the entire realm.
—
Meanwhile, far across the northern plains, a colossal army, hundreds of thousands strong, had begun to gather. The earth trembled under the march of countless feet, a storm building on the horizon.
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Check out my other novel: "Games Invade Reality". It features a female protagonist, and most of the characters are also female. It is different from the mainstream as the MC is not fighting against the "Otherworld"; instead, she fights alongside them, and in the end, she even becomes their "Ruler". I update it with 2 chapters a day.