Chapter 267 - 240: "First" Meeting

Chapter 267: Chapter 240: "First" Meeting

JINGLE. The bell, hanging behind the door near the Cultivation Method Gate, rang as the main entrance was pushed open. Mary, who was tidying the counter, immediately looked up.

"You’ve arrived, Mr. Salumu." She made out the newcomer in the dim candlelight and immediately stopped what she was doing with a smile.

"Hello, Miss Mary." Uncle Musa politely removed his hat. Although Mary had previously suggested they meet that evening, he had refused. The meeting was moved to two days later. During that time, he used various methods to gather information about the owner behind the "Drink Undying" Alchemy Workshop, but his efforts yielded very little.

One rumor claimed the workshop was originally owned by a mysterious old woman. Now, in her old age, she was only responsible for brewing potions, while Mary, her distant relative, was in charge of sales and also handled some other business ventures.

Another rumor suggested the workshop had long been purchased by the Church, which apparently planned to build a large school on the site. Mary was merely an employee of the Church, but as for which one, opinions varied.

However, from the Artisan Association, Musa heard that nearly every artisan in town had intricate ties to this Alchemy Workshop and the "White Shell" merchant guild behind it. When he asked the artisans, they all spoke of Miss Mary with endless praise, some even calling her the "Order Queen" of Yangjiao Town.

’I hear that whenever someone is invited into the reception room in the warehouse, they never leave without a smile on their face.’ Musa sized up Mary. He knew the praise she received was inseparable from the boss behind her. ’The scale of this guild, and its name... it’s hard not to make certain connections.’

For a fleeting moment, Musa had considered that the owner behind the Alchemy Workshop might be Shire Merlot. This wasn’t just because of the guild’s name, but also because it had risen so quickly—in just over a month. Shire had previously been responsible for many of the Baron’s affairs, which included liaising with merchant guilds. And that wasn’t to mention Vivian’s letter, which said her "brother has received the blessing of a Divine Being."

But on second thought, he grew skeptical. Young Master Shire had never studied Magic, let alone Alchemy or potion-making. In his former role as Captain of the Guard for Baron Merlot, Musa had some contact with Alchemists and knew that becoming a qualified one was no simple matter.

Besides, Shire was practically destitute now. To afford this impressive-looking Alchemy Workshop, while also sustaining the "buy 10, get 1 free" Healing Potion promotion this whole time... it would require a massive amount of capital.

’Perhaps the owner has some connection to Shire. Or maybe Shire is hiding behind the owner, helping him run the guild.’ After much thought, Musa finally landed on a theory he found plausible. ’In that case, when I meet this owner, I’ll need to probe indirectly and find a way to ask about Shire.’

"My boss has arrived and is waiting for you, Mr. Salumu. Shall we proceed to the meeting now, or...?" Mary asked courteously.

"Now is fine," Musa nodded, then followed Mary into the Alchemy Workshop.

After passing through a corridor piled high with potion shipments, he was led into a dimly lit reception room. Only a few candles flickered around the space. On the sofa, a figure in strange attire remained seated, simply extending a gloved hand to gesture for Musa to sit opposite them.

’This person is completely covered up,’ Musa frowned, staring at the figure. They were short, no taller than a child, and not a single patch of skin was exposed. The only visible features were a pair of large, green eyes. ’This is a problem. Getting news of Young Master Shire today is going to be difficult.’

He calmly sat down opposite the figure and waited for them to speak first.

...

When Shire had heard Mr. Salumu’s suggestion to postpone the meeting for two days, he hadn’t thought much of it; after all, his own proposal had been rather sudden.

Over the past two days, however, Little John had specifically come to tell him that this Mr. Salumu was asking about him through various channels. If not for the fact that Shire was a goblin and couldn’t appear in Yangjiao Town—meaning no one could give a definitive description—he was sure Salumu would have already uncovered details as specific as his habit of drinking Golden Flower Tea.

’Such a thorough investigation... it doesn’t seem like he’s just here for business,’ Shire mulled over it for a long time. ’From our previous trade interactions, I never got the sense that the old man had this kind of personality.’

’Could my recent expansion have been too conspicuous? Has the fact that all of Yangjiao Town seems to revolve around the White Shell guild attracted some unwanted attention?’

’Now that I think about it, there are some definite problems,’ he mused, stroking his chin as he recalled the details. ’The guild is constantly placing orders and taking in massive quantities of goods, but very little is ever shipped out. On the surface, it might not seem like much, but anyone paying close attention would spot the flaw. The goods we bring in just disappear without a trace.’

’It seems Mr. Salumu’s first visit was right after the Storm Brotherhood was wiped out,’ Shire thought, feeling increasingly uneasy. ’That was right when I launched the "buy 10, get 1 free" promotion for Healing Potions and started ordering a lot of beds and weapons in Yangjiao Town.’

’Looks like the Valentine Clan isn’t just a pack of fools after all. Someone clearly pieced things together from the Storm Brotherhood’s demise and even managed to pinpoint the Alchemy Workshop.’

He considered how to handle the situation. Should he just take out this Mr. Salumu, or should he abandon their foothold in Yangjiao Town and pull Mary back?

After turning it over in his mind, Shire couldn’t decide. ’I can’t just kill him; that would tip them off. Right now, this is all just my own speculation. Maybe he’s simply a very cautious merchant. Besides, the "Drink Undying" workshop is the clan’s only window to the outside world. We need it to move massive amounts of supplies. If we abandon it, Mary and Little John’s covers will be blown.’

The two of them were now deeply bound to him—or rather, to his clan. Whether it was the effects of the [Heart of the Brave] that Little John provided or the vast amounts of information and news Mary sent over daily, both were crucial for the clan’s continued stability and survival.

’This is all just my guesswork. If he was one of Count Valentine’s men, there’d be no need to be so indirect. They could just have the town guard arrest Mary and seize the shop.’ Shire thought with a frown. ’For them to go to all this trouble means they’re after something big. I need to handle this carefully.’

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Salumu," Shire said, intentionally using a hoarse voice. The other man didn’t speak, only nodding gravely.

"This is our first time meeting."