The young man left not long after delivering the message, saying he was told no explanation on why what was happening was happening.

Alex decided to go talk with the owner of the store later on. For now, it seemed Wang Yanwei had some information of her own to share.

“This is how it started with my shop too. First, they come after our resources and then our customers, until we have no choice but to shut down the shop,” Wang Yanwei said.

“Do you think all alchemy stores have been made to work against us?” Alex asked.

“I don’t think so,” the woman said. “They don’t have the capital to do such a thing on such a wide scale. The stores are also in contact with each other and they won’t stand for a single store trying to disrupt all of their business. It will start with one and then another. It will take a while before they have all the stores on their side.”

“What are they even doing exactly?” Fang Yuxie asked. “Do the store owners just listen to a Supreme Alchemist more than someone else?”

“No, that’s not it,” Wang Yanwei explained. “I believe they just give the store an ultimatum. Either don’t sell to our store or they will never do any business with any store affiliated with their guild. Most store owners just can’t take that sort of risk.”

Alex nodded. “The same must’ve happened here as well,” he said. He thought for a bit and considered his options carefully.

There were still many stores that would be willing to sell ingredients to him, so not all was bad just yet. Heaving to reestablish connections and deals was a chore, certainly, but he could ask the Blackfrost guild for some help there.

The problem was, that store could soon also stop working with them, and then they would have to start all over again. It was frustrating.

Finding ingredients on their own was also an option, but to do that, Alex would have to shut down the store every time he needed one. He could go to the Darkspine forest or the Mirror Woods to the south and gather some ingredients there, but the danger that lurked in that forest was also quite good.

There was also the option to pay to enter an Alchemy garden just a teleportation away from here where he could find any ingredients he wanted at a decent price.

There were many secret realms like that which was monetized by one group or another.

The two women watched Alex in deep thought and waited for him to speak. “I believe… we should just go to another shop for now. What other one is closest to here?” Alex asked.

Wang Yanwei sighed, understanding that this was just a temporary solution. This was just curing the side effects of a disease instead of the disease itself.

Alex understood this as well, but he had no choice. There were two permanent solutions, and both included him doing things that made him stand out a bit too much.

“Let us go then. I know the owner of another store, she should help us,” Wang Yanwei said and began walking.

“Sister Fang, can you close the store down? I will take a while,” Alex said.

“Sure, do your thing,” Fang Yuxie said and began pacing out of the shop along with the other two.

While Fang Yuxie closed down the store, Alex and Wang Yanwei made their way to Lantern Street. The streets were lined with lanterns all throughout the place, burning brightly and indefinitely.

The tradition to keep so many lanterns in this street had been going on for so long that people no longer remember if the street’s name made the tradition, or the tradition named the street.

Walking a few blocks into the street, they arrived at the Moonlight Alchemy store.

Wang Yanwei made sure to have her ‘Superior Immortal Alchemist’ badge on full show. Following her lead, Alex showed it off as well.

They walked into the store and were immediately greeted by respectful staff who were more than cordial toward an alchemist. “I’m here to meet store owner Pang, is she around?” Wang Yanwei asked.

“I will let Senior Pang know of your arrival, senior Wang.” The staff quickly left. She came back a while later, asking both the woman and Alex to follow her. 𝐟re𝘄o𝚟el.c𝐨𝚖

They were taken up a flight of stairs to a wide lounge area where a woman sat by the window, watching the bright lanterns on the street. Her dark hair didn’t have more than a few jewelry, but she didn’t need more than that. Her skin was fair white, fairer than both Alex and Wang Fanwei.

She wore what appeared to be a simple pink robe, but on it were the designs of a stork, which Alex had heard was the symbol of the Pang family.

The woman turned around at the sound of their footsteps and presented an amicable smile. “Dear Yanwei, it has been a while,” the woman said in a rather sweet voice.

“Store owner Pang,” Wang Yanwei said and gave a small nod in greeting.

The woman gave a look of shock. “Why so distant, cousin?” she asked.

“That’s what your family wants, isn’t it?” Wang Yanwei asked.

“Who cares what those old foggies want? They don’t get to decide everything,” she said with a giggle. “Come sit. And who is this friend you have brought along.”

The woman had long since noticed Alex’s badge, but for some reason, it didn’t matter to her how strong Alex was

Alex was also quite surprised to find that the owner of such a simple alchemy store, was actually a terrifying Immortal Spirit realm cultivator.

She had enough strength to become the sect master of a sect that ranked in the top 100s inside the Blue Silk continent.

“Greetings, senior Pang. I am Dawnblade.” Alex gave a respectful bow to the woman, who in return gave a surprised look.

“Alchemist Dawnblade? From the Dawn Apothecary store?” she asked. “I had heard you were a Superior Immortal Alchemist, but… I never knew you were still so young.”

Alex gave a smile and a nod. “I most certainly still have ways to go.”

“To become a Superior Immortal Alchemist with your cultivation base, that’s not something I believe I have seen before,” the woman said. “I am pleasantly surprised.”

“Thank you for your praise, senior Pang,” Alex said.

“Call me Mihua.”

Alex nodded.

“So, why exactly have you come to me, cousin? This can’t be a simple visit, can it?” she asked.

“I… I need your help,” Wang Yanwei said. “Our store urgently needs a new place to get our ingredients from since our last one ditched us. So, we came to you hoping to form some sort of partnership.”

“With me?” the woman asked, looking at both of them. She mulled over the request for a bit, making the other two wait for an answer.

“Let me guess,” she said finally, looking at Alex. “They have come after your shop too.”

“You’re aware?” Alex asked, surprised.

“It’s business,” the woman said simply.

“Then you know the sort of trouble we’re about to get into,” Wang Yanwei said. “Will you help us?”