“With that, this is the last official formality... Congratulations on founding your company, Fleming.” Mortal bowed to May deeply.

  Having completed this formality, she established a new company with the intention of selling penicillin. She named it after the real discoverer in his honor. Even if no one officially knew of its existence, at least his name would live on.

  She left the building and found herself in the middle of Junlin's main market square. It was rainy today, and the fog limited visibility to a few meters. May sensed that winter was coming soon.

  However, she did not return to the academy, but went to the penicillin production site. It had been quite some time since she and Nadine had accepted Tang as a disciple.

  “Sister Albrecht,” May said, greeting Nadine. “How's it going?”

  Nadine Albrecht was extremely involved in the mass production of penicillin project.

  “This is the last batch. Everything looks good.”

  Currently, they were only selling penicillin in small batches in the capital. The price was still high, but with the help of the sect's best alchemist, they had managed to increase production to absurd levels.

  “Penicillin is becoming rapidly widespread even now, despite its price being more than five times higher than what we are aiming for!” Nadine said joyfully. “This product will truly revolutionize the entire field of alchemy. Master Tang is truly remarkable!”

  Nadine thought that her master was behind the discovery of this extraordinary substance. No one decided to correct her misunderstanding. While Master Tang was uncompromisingly resistant to this idea, May had managed to persuade him not to tell the whole truth.

  However, he refused to lie about it because he had his honor. That's why May was able to get him to agree to the official story: she found the substance, and he helped make it better to where it is now. That was the excuse given to anyone who was curious about it.

  Of course, it wasn't the entire truth, but it wasn't a lie either. Master Tang helped a lot with mass production.

  I can't reveal too much yet. Even Hua Tang thought this discovery to be highly unlikely. Fame is of no value to me at the moment; on the contrary, it would only get in my way. All I need is money.

  May didn't want to speak to Nadine but to see their master. So she made her way up the stairs to the third floor to the office he was working in and knocked quietly on the door three times. After a moment, she heard a distinct voice. “Come in.”

  She opened the door and slowly walked inside. Her new master, Hua Tang, was sitting at his desk, writing something on a piece of paper with his six-fingered hand, which didn't look very comfortable. He looked up and glanced at May.

  “I started a company today, so we can now move on to mass sales.” Said May.

  “Fleming Company... You really don't have a knack for names. People will snap their tongues on it. But never mind, it's just an insignificant detail,” he said, interrupting his writing. “Small sales in a few alchemical workshops have been a success.”

  “So, I assume we can move on to mass sales?” asked May, who knew nothing about trade.

  “Yes, I've already contacted all the major workshops and sellers. Within a week, penicillin will reach every corner of the sect.” The man chuckled quietly and rested his head on his hand. “I can already imagine the astonishment that will follow this occasion.”

  Following their acceptance as his disciples, they were able to manufacture substantial quantities of penicillin at an unexpectedly low cost. If they managed to sell it all, the expected profit would be over a million. But would they be able to sell it all?

  “Senior, your words make me happy, but are you sure we can sell all of this? After all, it's a fairly untested product, and people may have doubts, especially when we consider the price,” May said seriously.

  Hua Tang just laughed when he heard her words and waved his hand.

  “Is that what you're worried about? Don't worry, even though your company is unknown, it is backed by my solid reputation... You expected that from me, didn't you? Besides, you underestimate people's desperation,” he replied calmly. “There won't be any trouble, especially since we're not limiting ourselves to our sect...”

  “Senior, are you going to send them outside the sect?” May was surprised, as she had heard about the high customs duties that were required and the many taxes that were demanded on sales outside the sect.

  “Things have changed a bit recently. The sects in the region have started to cooperate more... Customs duties have been abolished and taxes reduced. This works to our advantage,” he replied. “Not to mention that I have quite good connections. We have to think long-term.”

  May was impressed. If she wanted to do it herself, she would barely be able to distribute penicillin within the sect alone, let alone export it abroad. Having such a skilled person by her side was certainly convenient.

  “Master, every time I talk to you, you exceed my expectations.”

  “Haha, what can I say? I haven't taught you anything yet, and you've already created something that exceeds my lifetime achievements...” He said, shaking his hand energetically. “That's why I took Junior Albrecht... After all, I need a true disciple...”

  “Master, that's...”

  “Don't say anything. I still have a lot to teach you, but I already know that it won't be long before you won't need me anymore. You're too talented for this sect...”

  His words didn't match him. He always seemed so high and proud to her, but now he seemed to show weakness and as if he recognized his inferiority to May. She felt strange, but she knew he wasn't wrong.

  “Master, I still have a lot to learn from you...” She said sincerely, realizing her own shortcomings. She may have known a lot about chemistry, but about alchemy? Not so much.

  “Ha!” He laughed at her words, but he could sense her sincerity. “I’m afraid I’ll have to teach you more about business than alchemy… You see, alchemy is a profession that devours money. There is no such thing as a poor and good alchemist. To be good, you have to be rich.”

  May nodded at his words. She was lucky that her chosen career path coincided with the goals of her system.

  In addition, her experience with professional trade was indeed rather vague. So she thought it was a pretty good idea.

  “Learning about trade from Master seems like a great idea,” she said with a smile.

  Master Tang smiled back, but in a rather wicked way, as if he had caught her in a trap. May sensed that she had probably backed herself into a corner.

  “That's great. You will go to a meeting with a trading company,” he said, writing something on a piece of paper.

  After a moment, he handed her the piece of paper with the writing on it. “High noon, East Market, at the Three Horns Gate. Look for people dressed in blue robes with white vertical stripes.”

  May frowned. “Master... I'm not supposed to go there alone, am I?”

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  “You are.”

  May felt fear at the very thought of going alone to meet complete strangers who were professional long-distance merchants! She couldn’t believe that Hua Tang was going to entrust her with such an important task.

  “Why do you look so pale?” he asked mockingly, with a hint of smugness. “It's your company, after all, isn't it? It's only logical that you should take care of such matters.”

  May fell silent, seeing that he was teasing her. However, he was right. She was the one who insisted and ultimately forced him to give her complete control.

  “Master, I appreciate it, but... How am I supposed to learn anything from you if I'm there alone? Wouldn't it be better if you stood by my side and could give me good advice?”

  He waved his hand dismissively. “Do I have to hold your hand there? The experience of having to act on your own and take full responsibility is a much better teacher than me.”

  May didn't know what to say. Was she supposed to negotiate a business deal with that trading company herself? She wasn't sure if she could handle it.

  Seeing her unhappy expression, Hua Tang finally decided to take pity on her.

  "Ugh! Stop feeling sorry for yourself! It's not that bad. The Blue Goose Company. The leader of that company is an old friend of mine. Daren Wu. We've already arranged most of deal anyway... You just need to finalize the formalities."

  Hearing this, May calmed down a little, knowing that she wasn't being thrown in at the deep end after all. However, even so, she didn't feel completely satisfied.

  “What exactly are these formalities?”

  “Documents and such. After all, it's your company, and you have to take care of it,” he replied.

  May frowned. “Master, you're the co-owner of the company... I authorized you to sign such agreements with my written consent and confirmation in advance...”

  He snorted. “And you're going to make me serve you for the rest of your life? You are my student. So do not doubt my words."

  “Yes, I'm sorry,” May replied, bowing her head before him. “Is there anything else I should know?”

  “Not really. The company comes from Mount Yrdia Sect, so they may be a little brash, but I advise you not to worry about it.”

  May tried to remember exactly where the sect was located on the map. After establishing that it was to the northwest and quite a considerable distance away, she asked.

  “Are they really going to carry penicillin that far?”

  “Yes. Their journey will end in their homeland. However, on the way, they will stop at the Wooden Crane Sect, Ice Cave Sect, and then Three Color Sword Sect.”

  “All friendly sects,” May noted. She thought to herself that they were also the poorest.

  “Yes. It's better to start in safe places. When they return, we'll find out how the penicillin was received. Although I already know the answer...”

  ───── ??☆?? ─────

  May went to the meeting at the designated place. Three Horns Gate got its name from the simple fact that the gates were decorated with ‘horns’. However, they were not real, but made of copper. May did not know exactly why the designer of the gate had decided on such a specific ornament.

  She looked around and soon spotted a dozen people dressed in slightly blue clothes. However, it was not as obvious as it might seem, as blue robes were more of a loose suggestion than a requirement. They did not stand out as much as one might think. Their outfits were not homogeneous.

  She moved closer. Almost all of them were men who were at least twice her age. She felt uncomfortable and out of place. She was a girl, smelling of flowers and dressed in the rich attire of a cultivator, among hard-working men dressed in rags.

  From time to time, some of them glanced at her with curiosity. However, no one approached her, and at most, they laughed to their colleague, pointing at her. May made her way into a pub-like establishment, where they seemed to be most numerous. She was searching for their leader. Hua Tang had described him to her later, so she was sure she would not mistake him.

  No one even reacted to her entering. There was too much commotion. She sighed quietly and began to look around. However, she couldn't find anyone who fit the description.

  Suddenly, however, she heard someone's voice. “Are you looking for me, esteemed cultivator?”

  She turned around and saw a man standing in the distance, dressed in rich robes, similar in color to those of his companions, but unlike his workers, they were fresh, clean, and beautiful. She also noticed his distinguishing feature. A burn injury that was covering his entire face. It was certainly not a pleasant sight.

  “Daren Wu?” she asked, even though she already knew the answer.

  “In the flesh,” he replied with complete professionalism. “I was expecting your visit. Would you like some tea?”

  “I'd be delighted,” she replied, following the man.

  They finally reached a more secluded and quiet place away from the hustle and bustle of the tavern, which however was not very elegant and typical for cultivators. It was a kind of warehouse where various goods were stored. A normal cultivator might consider being hospitable in such a place an insult, but May didn't particularly care.

  They were not alone. There were three other people there. They all looked like quite important figures. Only one of them was sleeping on the floor, leaning against a wooden beam. However, his posture revealed that he was quite strong. May quickly assessed that his physical strength must have been great.

  The man poured her some green tea and they sat down together at the table. It went better than she had expected, as he was professional and, contrary to Hua Tang's words, did not treat her with superiority.

  It was basically just a formality, however she had to be very careful with her words. He certainly wanted to find out a lot about her. Why did she come to the meeting? who was she really? She didn't want to reveal too much to him.

  “Everything looks fine...” Daren Wu finally said, and May let out a sigh of relief. The paperwork took them nearly three hours, and she was exhausted. She understood very well why Hua Tang wanted her to take care of it!

  Learn about business, my ass! He just didn't want to waste his time on this nonsense! While I admit that these are important issues, they take too much time, are too boring, and are too exhausting! I'd rather swing a spear for three hours!

  “Well, thank you for everything, I'm leaving now,” said May, getting up from her chair.

  As she was about to leave, she was suddenly stopped by the person who had been sleeping leaning against a wooden beam all this time. He woke up.

  “Wait a minute... Wait here, girl...”

  “Girl...? For your information, I'm a cultivator.” She said with a hint of hostility, as she felt tired after all that work. Normally, she wouldn't say anything like that.

  The man just laughed at her words. “As it happens, so am I, junior!”

  May frowned.

  “Hou Xi Pa... Please be gracious in front of guests. You shouldn't address a respected cultivator in such a manner.” Daren Wu suddenly approached him with disapproval.

  “Junior should listen to his elders, Leader Wu! Besides, don't interfere, it's none of your business!” He said to him with a slight hint of madness in his voice. Then he turned his head back to her. “What's the matter? Come closer.”

  May thought for a moment and decided to approach him uncertainly. Now that she focused her attention on him more intensely, he was certainly at a higher stage than May. She could sense it subconsciously. However, she did not feel any hostile intentions from him, despite his uncouth nature.

  “Give me your hand.”

  May was surprised by his words. That was certainly not what she had expected.

  He doesn't want to read my palm, does he...? I'm not fond of fortune telling and such things.

  Reluctantly, she did as he asked. She suddenly felt a slight stinging sensation. She squealed softly but said nothing. After a moment, he let go of her hand.

  “Just as I thought. Your soul has micro-damage.”

  May hadn't expected that response. However, it made sense...

  Those nightmares... Minnie had said something about them damaging the soul. Could it be that some damage had already been done?

  “Are you sure? Is it serious?”

  The man put his hands behind his neck and leaned back against the beam again.

  “It's not life-threatening, but it may slow down your cultivation a bit. Do you know what might be causing it? If further damage occurs, it could get really nasty.”

  “That... shouldn't be a problem anymore,” she replied after a moment.

  She had no intention of telling him the exact reasons.

  Minnie?

  “Yes?” She heard the answer in her head.

  Why didn't you say anything?

  “Because you didn't ask? How am I supposed to know? I don't know your health status until you buy it from the system... By the way... Would you like confirmation of these micro-damages to your soul? Only 1,000 mu! Great deal.”

  May rolled her eyes. She had no intention of verifying it, as she was sure it was indeed true. In addition, she had recently noticed that her cultivation had slowed down a bit. She blamed it on the fact that she spent most of her time at work, but perhaps there was another reason…

  “That's good. I can help you with that if you want,” he said with a smirk.

  “Really?”

  “Yes. But not for free. Five thousand. I know you're loaded, so cough up the cash! Haha!”

  May snorted and turned back to Minnie. She wanted to see if she could buy it cheaper with the system, but surprisingly... No. A complete recovery from the system was almost twice as expensive!

  She asked with some distrust. “How are you going to cure me exactly? Will I get rid of these microdamages completely...?”

  “I have my ways,” he said with a smile. “And yes, you will recover completely.”

  “In that case, it's fine,” she replied, not entirely sure if she was making the right decision.