99: Chapter 99 Small Clan

Chen Wuwang paced from the inner hall to the Council Hall, his gaze falling upon the whiteboard, the tip of his pen hovering over the last character of "Let them watch first."

Footsteps sounded outside the door—not the steady, rhythmic tread of the clan guards, but uneven, hurried, and accompanied by suppressed panting.

He did not turn back, simply setting down the pen and tapping his fingertips against the edge of the table three times—three long, two short, an old habit.

When the door was pushed open, it brought in a gust of wind, carrying the scent of dust and morning dew on grass.

Three groups of people filed in, their robes stained with dust and cuffs frayed. The leaders were all middle-aged, their auras of Foundation Establishment Peak fluctuating, yet their eyes were uniformly burning with intensity.

"Head of the Chen Family," one of them said, arching his hands in a salute, his voice trembling slightly. "We come from the Dongling Wen Family, the Beipo Liu Clan, and the Nanqiu He Clan. Having heard that your workshop has produced Medicinal Pills, we have come specifically to... seek a purchase."

Only then did Chen Wuwang turn around.

His silver-white hair was tied behind his head, the Mechanical Prosthetic Eye in his left socket remained silently closed, and the three claw marks on his right cheek caught the morning light, revealing the dark hue of an old scar.

He wore no battle armor, nor was he draped in the ceremonial robes of a Family head; he was dressed in simple black martial attire, the dagger at his waist still sheathed. He resembled a blade tucked away in its scabbard—silent, yet one could sense its lethality.

"Sit," he said, gesturing to the three rows of low stools already set up in the hall.

The three hesitated for a moment before sitting on the edges, while the rest of their attendants were forced to stand in the corridor outside the door. They looked at each other, their eyes filled with probing curiosity and unconcealable thirst.

Chen Wuwang did not speak immediately. He walked to the outer corridor, where the clan guards were already waiting, reporting in low voices:

"The Wen Family brought twenty catties of low-grade Ore; the Liu Clan offered three baskets of wild Qi-Returning Grass; the He Clan... brought half a deed to an abandoned workshop, claiming it was left behind a century ago and they don't know if it's still usable."

He nodded, turned back into the hall, grabbed a pot of tea, poured four cups, and pushed them toward the three men.

"Drink," he said. "It's freshly brewed, made with mountain spring water and wild tea buds. It's not worth much, but it quenches thirst."

No one touched their cups.

The Wen Family Clan Chief cleared his throat: "Head of the Chen Family, to be honest, our three families... have not seen pure Qi Condensation Medicinal Pills for three years. We have at least twenty disciples in each of our families stuck at the ninth level of Qi Refining. We heard last night that you can produce three hundred pills a day... We... are willing to exchange resources for them."

"Three hundred pills," Chen Wuwang replied, his tone as flat as if he were commenting on the weather. "It sounds like a lot, but once divided, it's only one or two pills per person each month. I can give you thirty pills, but the problem is—"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the three men: "What are you offering in exchange? And can you deliver them on time?"

Clan Head Liu grew anxious: "We have medicinal herbs! They were all gathered in the mountains. Although they aren't as uniform as those grown in spiritual fields, they are rich in Spiritual Qi! And... we can give more! Fifty baskets would be fine!"

"Rich in Spiritual Qi?" Chen Wuwang shook his head. "The medicinal properties are chaotic, and there are too many Impurities. Consuming too much will cause a backlash on the Meridians. I want stable, batch-processable resources, not a pile of waste that needs to be re-sorted."

The leader of the He Clan lowered his head and rubbed his hands: "Then... what about the workshop deed? That place is desolate, but the foundation is still there. If the Chen Family is interested in rebuilding, we are willing to grant you the usage rights, in exchange for one hundred pills every year."

"I will accept the deed," Chen Wuwang finally nodded, "but one hundred pills is impossible. Thirty pills. Deliver them to the designated location within three days. If the inspection passes, the exchange can proceed. Overdue, and it is void."

The three looked at each other.

"But... can we get a few pills first to test them?" The Wen Family Clan Chief gritted his teeth. "It's not that we don't trust your workshop, it's just that this 'Machine Alchemy'... has never existed in the Cultivation World. Alchemy usually relies on the focused mind and spirit, but this iron shell makes a rumbling sound for a while, and pills come out? We... have no confidence in this."

As soon as these words were spoken, the other two nodded in agreement.

Chen Wuwang was not angry; instead, he chuckled.

He took a piece of paper from his bosom—a copy of yesterday's production report, with key parameters masked, leaving only two lines of large text: [Daily Production Stability: 302 pills | Average Purity: 98.4%].

"Data does not lie," he said. "If you want to test it, you can."

He looked at the three men: "Who is willing to take one on the spot? I will personally monitor your Spiritual Qi fluctuations. Within an hour, if there is even the slightest instability or backlash, we can stop talking about this deal."

The air went silent for a moment.

The leader of the He Clan stood up abruptly: "I will do it!"

Chen Wuwang's expression was calm. He pinched a jade bottle, tilted it slightly, and a golden-patterned spiral pill rolled into his palm, which he then handed to the He Clan leader.

The He leader swallowed it, and everyone held their breath.

Three breaths later, the Spiritual Qi inside his body began to rise, steady and continuous. In less than a quarter of an hour, he had actually broken through from the seventh level of Qi Refining to the Early Stage of the eighth level. A flush of accelerated cultivation appeared on his face, and though his breathing trembled slightly, there was no disorder.

"This..." Clan Head Liu widened his eyes, "It really worked?"

"And more," Chen Wuwang pulled up a Spiritual Energy recording board at his side, the curve on it clear. "The medicinal power is released evenly, and the metabolic residue is less than 0.3%, making it cleaner than traditional Medicinal Pills."

The three were completely speechless.

The Wen Family Clan Chief suddenly became excited: "Then we will order too! Thirty pills! We want thirty pills!"

"We want to order too!" Clan Head Liu interjected, "Ore, medicinal herbs, we will definitely deliver them within three days!"

"Don't fight," Chen Wuwang raised a hand. His voice was not loud, but it suppressed the entire room.

He picked up his pen and wrote three lines on the whiteboard:

[Export Principle 1: Resource exchange only]

[Export Principle 2: Limit of thirty pills per Family]

[Export Principle 3: Delivery within three days, overdue orders are void]

After writing, he put down the pen: "I do not sell for Spirit Stones, I do not want servants, and I do not accept empty 'favors.' What I want are things I can use—Ore, herbs, land, workshops. Whoever delivers effectively, accurately, and quickly, has the qualifications to buy."

The three looked at each other, and finally, they all cupped their hands: "We... will obey."

"There is one more thing." Chen Wuwang took three Jade Slips from the drawer and handed them out one by one. "Take these and pass on the message."

A line of small text was carved on the Jade Slip: "Chen Family pills do not rely on charity; they rely on skill."

"Tell your people," he looked at the three of them. "This is not a favor; it is a transaction. If you want to become stronger, you must bring things to exchange. Whoever comes empty-handed, do not expect to enter my door."

The He leader gripped the Jade Slip, his voice trembling slightly: "Head of the Family... are you... trying to establish rules?"

"It's not about establishing rules," Chen Wuwang shook his head. "It's to let everyone understand—in this world, there is no such thing as a free lunch. There is only who acts first, and who gets to eat first."

The three stood up, bowed deeply, and left with the credentials and Jade Slips.

Chen Wuwang saw them to the hall entrance but went no further.

Sunlight shone on the threshold, casting his half-body shadow, long and silent.

He turned back to the whiteboard, picked up his pen, and added a new line below "Export Questions":

[First Batch Reservations: Wen, Liu, He | Materials Pending Inspection | Market Initialized]

The pen tip stopped.

He knew that once these thirty pills were delivered, it would be like a stone thrown into a lake. The next wave would not just be small clans.

But he was not in a hurry.

He sat in his chair, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table—three long, two short—the rhythm unchanged.

Outside the door, a clan guard reported in a low voice: "Head of the Family, the first transport team is waiting outside the city and can receive the goods at any time."

"No rush," he said. "Wait three days."

"But they... might not be able to hold on."

"Even if they can't hold on, they must," Chen Wuwang looked at the square outside the window. "Let them go back, get the supplies ready, and then come knock on the door."

He stood up and walked toward the inner hall.

The sunlight cut in at an angle, shining on the whiteboard, making the last line of text clearly visible:

"Let them watch first."