The effect of those words was like throwing a boulder into a still pond. Xiu Mei's carefully maintained professional mask cracked completely, shock flooding her features. She stared at the jade bottle with new eyes, as if seeing it for the first time.

"That's..." She stopped, started again. "You're lying. You must be. A spirit herb of that age and potency is considered a sect-level treasure. Major cultivation sects build their medicine halls around resources far lesser than Five Thousand-Year Spirit Ginseng. The idea that such a treasure would be used to create pills—even extraordinary pills—is simply not credible."

"Which is exactly why I call them Transcendent Recovery Pills," Liam said patiently. "The name reflects the materials used and the results achieved. I understand your skepticism completely, Manager Xiu. It's well-founded given normal circumstances. That's why I'd suggest calling in an alchemist to properly appraise them. Someone with the skill to identify the ingredients and verify the pill grade."

Xiu Mei studied Liam's face for a long moment, searching for any sign of deception or exaggeration,but he found none.

His expression was open, confident without arrogance, patient in the face of her doubt. Either he was telling the truth, or he was the most accomplished liar she'd ever encountered.

Her curiosity won out over her skepticism.

She stood and moved to the door, opening it to find Captain Zhao still within earshot. "Captain, send someone to fetch Master Physician Zhou immediately. Tell him the Chamber requires his expertise for an urgent appraisal. He's to drop whatever he's doing and come at once."

The guard saluted and departed at a run, understanding that "urgent" from Manager Xiu meant exactly that.

As she returned to her seat, Liam spoke up. "No offense intended, Manager Xiu, but don't you have access to alchemists of higher skill? Perhaps someone attached directly to the Chamber of Commerce rather than a local physician?"

Xiu Mei's smile carried a hint of rueful acknowledgment. "A fair question, but you must understand our position. This is a branch office in a border city. We're not a major auction house in a cultivation capital. The Chamber's most skilled alchemists are stationed where they can provide the greatest value. Blackstone City, for all its prosperity relative to smaller towns, simply doesn't warrant that level of support."

Liam nodded, accepting the explanation. It made sense from an organizational standpoint, even if it meant the appraisal would be less definitive than he might have preferred.

"In that case," he said, standing smoothly, "I don't have time to wait for your physician to arrive and complete his assessment. I'll leave the bottle with you so he can examine the pills at his leisure. What I need from you is relatively simple—I want one of these pills auctioned and sold. The proceeds can go entirely to the Chamber as payment for your services. But I don't want my name associated with the sale or circulating afterward."

Xiu Mei's eyebrows rose slightly. "If not your name, then whose identity should we use?"

"Firelight Pagoda," Liam said without hesitation. The name had come to him naturally, a reference to the Heavenly Scriptures Pagoda that would serve as the foundation for his organization. "Let that be the seller of record. Whatever reputation or attention the pill generates, direct it toward that name instead of mine."

Understanding dawned on Xiu Mei's face, her expression shifting to something approaching respect. She wasn't sure what "Firelight Pagoda" represented, but she recognized the strategic thinking behind the request. Create a separate identity. Build reputation under a name that could be controlled and shaped. Very clever.

"I can arrange that," she said with a slight nod. "The Chamber is experienced in handling anonymous sales and managing seller identities. But I must ask—what makes you so confident these pills will actually sell? That they'll generate enough interest to make reputation management necessary?"

Liam's smile became enigmatic, carrying absolute certainty. "I wouldn't have stepped through your door if I weren't confident, Manager Xiu. When your physician completes his appraisal, you'll understand why."

He turned toward the door, clearly preparing to leave, but paused with his hand on the handle. "One more thing. When the auction occurs, make sure word spreads widely. I want every major power in the region to hear about it. The more attention this generates, the better."

"That can be arranged as well," Xiu Mei said, standing to offer a proper farewell bow. "The Chamber appreciates your business... Firelight Pagoda."

Liam returned the bow with a slight nod and left the office, his footsteps echoing softly down the corridor as he made his way back through the building.

Xiu Mei remained standing behind her desk, staring at the jade bottle sitting innocently on its surface. The fragrance still filled her office, that impossible scent of vitality that made her feel more alive just by breathing it. Her mind was already working through the implications.

If the pills were even half as effective as the Mad Demon God claimed, their auction would be the event of the season. Perhaps the event of the year. And the name "Firelight Pagoda" would be on everyone's lips afterward.

She smiled to herself, already composing the messages she would need to send to inform higher-level Chamber officials of what had just landed in her lap.

This was going to be interesting.

***

Outside the auction house, Liam breathed in the afternoon air and nodded in satisfaction. The first piece was now in motion.

Now, it was time. It was time to hunt down the animals that did that to Master Han.

The Devouring Petal Pavillion had made ab enemy of him with their action and now it was time to remind them why that had been a catastrophic mistake.

Revenge, they say, is best when served cold.

The Devouring Petal Pavillion will disappear from Grand Xia today and not even one of them will escape the death sentence he passed to them. But first to experience what it feels like to touch what is his, are the three assassins. And he will locate them soon.

Immediately, Liam spread out his senses in all directions. His telekinetic sense had undergone a qualitative improvement after his transformation and it can now cover 120 metres radius.

Paired with his cultivation level version of spirit sense, Liam sense covered more than half of Blackstone City. As long as they haven't left, he will find them. And he's more than sure that they haven't left.

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