Dual-wielding! 100x proficiency, I'll grind my way to godhood!

The atmosphere immediately became much more relaxed after the two reached an agreement on cooperation.

Chen Mo glanced at the teacup on the table and spoke calmly.

"Sir, the tea has gone cold."

He picked up the teacup and took a light sniff.

"This tea has been stored for at least half a year. The tea rations from the Zhenfu Division should not be of this quality."

The garrison commander, who had been leaning back in his chair, leaned forward slightly upon hearing this.

"The allowance was set by the higher authorities, but by the time it reached me, this was all that was left."

He then called for someone to change the tea.

"Young Master Zhang, please wait a moment while I have someone brew another pot."

Chen Mo waved his hand.

"No need for that."

Before he finished speaking, he had already gotten up, walked to the corner of the wall, picked up the copper kettle, added water, and casually poked at the charcoal fire.

His movements were fluid and natural, as if he were at home.

The garrison commander watched Chen Mo's retreating figure but did not speak to stop him.

A member of the royal family, a descendant of royalty, personally added water and brewed tea in his study. He sat comfortably in the main seat while the other person stood and busied himself.

He felt he couldn't accept such treatment, but rushing forward to compete for it would be too deliberate; just sitting there without moving made him feel uneasy.

On second thought, since the other party was now discussing cooperation with him as an alchemist, there was no need to adhere to worldly etiquette.

After much deliberation, he ultimately decided not to act.

Staying put is the safest and most prudent choice at the moment.

Before long, the water in the copper kettle began to boil vigorously.

Chen Mo picked up the scalding hot copper kettle and walked back to the table. He first filled the teapot for the garrison commander, then poured himself a cup, calmly sat down, blew away the tea foam, and took a sip.

"Hmm, this pot looks more like it."

He put down his teacup, his tone calm yet his words clear.

"The water is the same water, and the charcoal is the same charcoal. The only difference is that the previous pot was cold, while this pot is scalding hot."

The garrison commander tightened his grip slightly, picked up the teacup, took a sip, and then slowly put it down.

He instantly understood the other person's unspoken meaning.

Whether the tea gets cold or hot is never a problem with the tea itself, but rather whether someone is willing to start the fire!

This young master Zhang in front of me isn't here to deliver medicine at all; he's clearly here to remind me that things have been quiet and deserted for too long, and to stir up some trouble for me!

Thinking of this, his gaze toward Chen Mo became more wary and cautious.

"Young Master Zhang is absolutely right."

Chen Mo reached out and fiddled with the small bottle on the table, his tone nonchalant.

"Zhao Yong asked me for medicine. The first time, it cost 300 taels per bottle. Now, it costs 5,000 taels per bottle."

The garrison commander stared at the medicine bottle, remaining silent.

He knew that Chen Mo's sudden mention of Zhao Yong must have a deeper meaning.

"Back then, he was the one who controlled me. Now, I'm the one controlling him."

Chen Mo raised his hand and pushed the small bottle half an inch towards the Zhenfu Envoy.

"Sir, you're not Zhao Yong. Tell me, how much should I charge you per bottle?"

The garrison commander didn't ask about the medicine's efficacy or quote a price; he went straight to the point.

"How much can Young Master Zhang provide each month?"

"How much does the master want?"

Chen Mo countered with a question.

Five bottles a month.

Chen Mo picked up his teacup, took a sip, and repeated himself.

"Zhao Yong will take the medicine; one bottle costs five thousand taels."

The garrison commander frowned slightly, deep in thought.

He didn't know what Chen Mo meant by bringing up the price again. Was it an implication that he should also go for that price? Or was it a test of his sincerity?

You can't just guess what the royal family means; guessing wrong is worse than not guessing at all.

"grown ups."

Chen Mo suddenly chuckled, his tone tinged with amusement.

"That sucker Zhao Yong was willing to pay five thousand taels. You, sir, are much smarter than him. You can decide on the price yourself."

Without any hesitation, the garrison commander spoke in a deep voice.

"Ten thousand taels."

Chen Mo nodded slightly.

"One bottle."

"make a deal."

The garrison commander made no mention of the total amount of 50,000 taels for the five bottles. When doing business with this royal prince, he had no right to calculate the accounts. The safest approach was to simply pay the money without asking any questions.

Chen Mo didn't expect the garrison commander to try to negotiate the price in the opposite direction. It seems he had gone a bit too far with his boasting, but who would complain about having too much money?

The medicinal herbs for the Qi and Blood Realm are very expensive, so this money came at just the right time.

"Are you buying so many secret medicines for yourself, or to give away?"

The garrison commander stared at him and remained silent for two breaths.

Was this question asked casually, or was it an attempt to probe his background?

He wasn't sure, but he couldn't leave it unanswered.

"Give it away."

He only said two words, then added another sentence on his own initiative.

"Lord Magistrate."

Chen Mo nodded, then changed the subject, his tone slightly playful.

"You should know the magistrate's preferences best. How should this medicine be prepared to make him comfortable?"

The garrison commander felt relieved, thinking to himself that the other party knew what he was doing.

Don't ask about the details, just ask how to do the right thing. This is to give him a way out.

"Reduce the potency of the medicine by 30%."

He spoke slowly.

"The county magistrate's strength has already reached the fifth realm, the Transformation Realm. The medicine is too strong, which would be counterproductive."

Chen Mo smiled faintly, "That's just the regular version of Viagra."

"Reduce by 30%, keep 70%, that's just right."

"The gentleman is knowledgeable."

The garrison commander did not accept the praise. In this situation, it would be inappropriate to accept it readily, but it would be pretentious to deny it. The best approach was to pretend that he had not heard it.

He paused for a moment, then spoke up.

"I've paved this way for the county magistrate for a long time. Sending medicine there builds favors. And once I've built enough favors..."

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Mo interrupted him.

"The path for adults is now open."

The garrison commander looked at him and did not deny it.

He felt more at ease after the conversation was taken away.

Some things are better left unsaid by a member of the royal family.

Chen Mo's tone was calm yet precise.

"The path you've chosen, sir, is the right one. If the county magistrate takes good care of this, and you have the medicine, then once the medicine is delivered, the magistrate will be at ease, and your affairs will proceed smoothly."

The garrison commander cupped his hands and said.

"Young Master Zhang sees through things."

Chen Mo shook his head.

"It's not that I see things clearly, it's that adults act sensibly. I'm just... making things clear for you."

"Leaving that aside, I'm new here and don't know much about the situation in Qing Shi Town. I hope you can give me some pointers."

The garrison commander's eyes lit up, and he immediately put down his teacup, his tone becoming more proactive.

"Young Master Zhang, you're too kind. The situation in Qing Shi Town isn't complicated at all. Let me explain it to you."

Chen Mo nodded, signaling him to continue.

"Qingshi Town's Zhenfu Division ranks first in strength, and I am at the mid-stage of the Qi Control Realm."

"The Zhao family ranks second. The Zhao family patriarch, Zhao Cheng, is at the early stage of the Qi Control Realm, which is one small realm lower than me. So no matter how arrogant the Zhao family is, they dare not turn against me."

"However, the Zhao family has two guest elders at the early stage of the Qi Control Realm, so the Zhao family is very powerful in Qing Shi Town. They own 70% of the pill shops in the town. In a way, they are practically local tyrants."

"Secondly, there's the Li family and their martial arts school."

Chen Mo listened quietly.

The garrison commander changed his tone.

"But what the imperial court wants is not for one entity to dominate."

"The Zhao family is powerful, which makes the situation in Qing Shi Town unstable. If the higher-ups hold us accountable, my position will also be in jeopardy. So we must suppress them. How? By supporting our rivals and letting them fight each other."

He took a sip of tea.

"The Li family and the martial arts school are just there to make up the numbers. The head of the Li family and Director Zhou are both at the late stage of the Inner Strength Realm. Individually, they can't beat the Zhao family, but together, with my backing, they'll be more than enough for the Zhao family to handle."

Chen Mo spoke calmly.

"Your Excellency has devised a clever plan. By supporting the weak and suppressing the strong, you let them fight amongst themselves while you reap the benefits."

The garrison commander nodded.

"I am merely fulfilling my duty. This is the court's attitude towards the powerful families—to weaken them. But we cannot weaken them forcefully; we must weaken them gently, letting them wear themselves down. Once they have worn themselves down enough, I will step in to clean up the mess."

He then changed the subject, his tone turning somewhat angry.

"But the Li family is utterly hopeless; I've given them chances, but they haven't been able to adapt. If they want to turn things around, they need to be more sensible. The Zhao family pays tribute to me, so the Li family should pay even more; the Zhao family follows the rules, so the Li family should follow the rules even more strictly. Only then can I help them."

"But they went and threw 100,000 taels of silver in my face, trying to get me to stand up for them. This isn't asking for a favor, it's slapping me in the face."

"I am an official appointed by the imperial court, not their bodyguard. If I were to do that, what would the Zhao family think? What would the higher-ups think? The Li family wants to be the one making the moves, but they lack the foresight and the ability."

Chen Mo chuckled lightly, explaining what happened in court yesterday and shifting the blame to the Li family.

"The adults want the Li family to be pawns, but they want to be the players."

The garrison commander nodded, inwardly sighing, "As expected of a royal descendant, his insight and vision are beyond the reach of ordinary people."

"Young Master Zhang understands immediately. The Li family doesn't have the ability, yet they're arrogant and don't know what's good for them."

Chen Mo could only say that the Li family was unlucky to have encountered someone as extraordinary as him.

First, stabilize relations with the garrison commander, and then see if we can exchange martial arts techniques to enhance our strength.