Chapter [B3] 8 — A Royal Summon

Chapter [B3] 8 — A Royal Summon

I flew through the skies, making my way to Lord Zhou's manor. By opting to fly rather than take a carriage, I kept my journey short. The concerned look of the messenger who had informed me of this meeting did not bode well. As I descended, the guards watched me warily before recognizing me and giving a light bow.

As I stepped down, a servant rushed out, bowing her head deeply. “Elder Jie, the Lord is awaiting you.”

I nodded, following her as she escorted me through the manor. The gates slid open, and I walked in, bowing my head deeply. “My lord.”

“Raise your head, Lu Jie,” the lord said. “We have just received a summons from the Jade Court, inviting us to the banquet held in honor of the Shie clan gaining a new Divinity. But it was not just us that a letter came for. You got one as well,” he informed me.

I walked closer, receiving the letter from the lord, examining the pristine Jade seal with the symbol of a dragon carved in Azure color. I looked up at the lord.

“Once you open that scroll, you will have to obey its words, no matter what. But if you choose not to open it, there will be people who will come here to test your loyalty to the empire. And we will be powerless to stop them.”

I gulped, looking down at the scroll in my hands. Nodding, I sent a pulse of Chi, cracking the seal open. The scroll unfurled, revealing some of the most beautiful paper I had ever seen since arriving here. It was soft to touch, with a firm surface and the most intricate embroidery that glowed with Qi present on it. Opening it, I began to read through the contents.

“Lord Lu Jie,

Baron of Taizhou and Elder of the Divine Tree Sect,

In the enlightened realm of the Azure Jade Empire, and under the benevolent gaze of His Imperial Majesty, it is with great esteem and respect that we extend to you this formal invitation from the esteemed Jade Court.

The Empire rejoices as we prepare to honor the Elder of the prestigious Shie Clan, whose ascension to the ranks of Divinity marks a momentous occasion in the annals of our illustrious history. After a prolonged period of closed-door cultivation, their emergence as a beacon of celestial prowess and wisdom is a testament to the enduring legacy of our cultivation heritage,” I paused, skipping a few paragraphs of similarly long-winded formal talk.

“In celebration of this auspicious event, a grand banquet will be held at the Jade Court in the Imperial Capital, coinciding with the Winter Solstice Festival. This event will not only pay homage to the newly risen Divinity but also serve as a gathering of esteemed figures from across our vast empire.

Your presence, Lord Lu Jie, as the Baron of Taizhou and the revered Elder of the Divine Tree Sect, is eagerly anticipated. His Imperial Majesty invites you to partake in the grandeur of the festivities and to affirm your fealty to the throne and the Empire within the hallowed halls of the Jade Court.

Sincerely,

Wei Xun

Chancellor of the Jade Court,” I finished, reading through the entire scroll, feeling a pulse of Qi travel through the chamber.

“What was that?” I asked.

“An art. The Jade Court now knows that you have received the invitation, and failure to arrive will likely be considered treason unless a sufficient explanation is provided beforehand,” the lord said.

“That’s quite...” I trailed off, not sure what to say. Hardcore, perhaps? I definitely felt the authority of the emperor within the scroll, only a hint of it, but even just that was enough to remove any ideas of disobeying the orders.

“Yes, my lord. Currently, any advancement has to be registered with the empire's halls, with only paltry rewards at best for doing so. Most of these innovations never see the light of the day. They are hoarded, and stored in the vaults, kept safe within treasuries. And also useless. No one can use these without the permission of the emperor, or the vaults such as the Alchemy Hall. It's the exact same method that they themselves used to control alchemical pills and their spread. Are you aware of how the Alchemy Hall keeps such a tight grip on all pill recipes?” I asked.

“We do. The halls themselves, beyond just using their authority, also incentivize selling any form of new recipe to the halls themselves. Upon doing so, they decide what the cost of the pill will be, and take a share of any money those pills make. This gives them a massive hoard of recipes that only they have access to, which means most alchemists never even consider going independent. But if that wasn’t enough, if anyone decides to be independent and use their own recipe, the Alchemy Halls use their vast resources to make their own pills much cheaper in contrast, to the point where no single alchemist could ever even hope to earn a living. If that doesn’t work, they have their... other methods,” the lord said.

“Precisely. But that won’t work with me. The method of production I own means that even mortals can create these pills. It is why I went to such lengths to make sure that every part of the process could be replicated and created by mortals, because when done so, they instead become part of the labor, and no respectable alchemist would ever agree to a wage as low as mortals. But even if not just that, the production of the Qi crystals, and soon other pills, is not half or even a third of the price, but as low as one-tenth. So their usual methods will not work here,” I said, smiling.

“That is true, but at the same time the Alchemy Hall's vast resources, and their respectable reputation within the empire, will be used to apply political influence and pressure to crush you and restrict the use of your Alchemy methods,” the lord said.

“Or alternatively, they will send spies to try and steal the information. They have probably already sent some,” I said.

“But what about their spies and attempts to steal your methods?” the lord asked, concern still evident in his voice.

“Are you not worried about that? Them stealing your method of production? Crushing you with political power? We do not have the influence needed to protect you from them. We can merely stall them at best,” the lord said, his expression a mix of worry and contemplation.

“I’m aware, my lord. Neither of us have enough influence to outright stop the Alchemy Halls, but... what if we didn’t have to?” I said, a hint of a plan forming in my words.

The lord looked at me, intrigued but still cautious. "Explain."

I grinned, unable to hold my excitement, as I began to reveal my plan. "I intend to hold an auction in the capital. I’ll be using the Shie clan’s influence and the Cloudy Peaks Sect to invite as many sects, clans, and nobles as I can. Everybody is welcome, all with the means and resources. And there, I will start selling the things that I have created, and will be creating. Artifacts, relics, foreign technology never seen before within the empire," I said, as the mental image unfolded before me.

"But that is just the first step. Afterwards, I will send an invite to the largest clans and sects, to hold a private auction. One of these invites will be to the royal court itself. Here, I will provide them with the best resources. The things that were not public. Special offers available just to them. But alongside these things, I will also give them the ability to buy the patent."

“The... what?” the lord asked.

“The patent, my lord. It is the right of ownership of a piece of information, or a method of production and technology, given to the one who registers it as such under an official body. It is not a recognized system in the empire, of course, there is no such concept of this thing. But, what the Alchemy Halls effectively do, is already this. They buy the recipes, the techniques, and hold the right to use them perpetually. I will be selling those techniques and the rights to use them,” I said.

“And... you're sure that's a good idea? To simply hand these things to these sects?” the lord asked.

“I’ve thought about it. And I do believe so. I lack the resources and power to distribute the things that I wish to create on a wide enough scale with a capital that could allow me to truly utilize them to their full potential. But at the same time, for everyone who is wise, they will see the opportunity that these things present. The ability to make their own territory stronger, clan members powerful, themselves more prosperous. And thus we go back to what I said at the start. Greed. That is what will fuel the changes that are to come. But I also intend to make sure that those changes are not abused to go out of hand. Part of it will also be that I will be taking a percentage of the income from any piece of technology I sell that the clans use, which will allow me to begin step three,” I said, raising three fingers.

“What else could there be?” the Lord asked.

“I intend to keep some things that I create to myself. Some weapons, some tools. I will not share everything that I have, of course. But more so than anything, the primary reason to do this is to get my name out there. That I have these things that have been created. That they have been created by mortals. This will create many rumors, some possibly false, most true. After that, I will spread one more rumor myself, a true one. That says, any mortals who join the Divine Tree Sect can unlock their cultivation,” I said, as the Lord’s eyes widened in shock.

"Rather than try to hide it, you intend to leverage that as a tool? That... that’s brilliant,” the Lord said.

My grin widened, unable to hold my giddiness, as I let my ambition bare. “I will call upon scholars, mortals, craftsmen, any and all who would listen to my voice. And I would offer them a home, and a dream, that their lives could be far better than they currently are. And using these people and their ability to innovate, I will create a merchant empire right here, on the Seventh Peak and Taizhou. A thriving new capital of prosperity.Embark on an adventure to the origins at Nøv€lß¡n#★