“What about going to the north? I still think going to Draye is a decent option. Lots of crime, but extradition is unlikely unless we make a big mistake.” Shao Qing mumbled as he considered the idea. “Mm. It’s not completely out of the picture, but I’d rather not go there unless we’re forced to. It’d be fine if they don’t discover us, but the truly safe areas are small, so if they discovered us we’d probably end up trapped there. The Kang Clan would surround us, waiting like vultures. And that’s a best case scenario.”

Shao Qing and Tao Yun were scrutinizing a map that was several feet across. It was made of a durable white fabric, and the nations surrounding the Kang Clan’s territory were drawn out in great detail. Small, handmade markings overlaid parts of the map- the fruit of their discussion.

“Hm… what if we flee to a dead zone? If we laid low in one for a while there’s no way they’d find us.” Tao Yun pointed towards a few spots on the map that were tinted in grey. “A dead zone…” Shao Qing grimaced. “You’re right, but I’d rather take a bit of risk than live in a god forsaken place like that for even a month or two. I’m not enough of a masochist to endure living in a place with no qi.”

The two continued to discuss possible post-heist escape locations for a while before Shao Qing brought the topic to a close. “The way I see it, as long as we cross a few borders the Kang Clan’s pursuit shouldn’t be a big deal. On the national scale they’re an important power, but they have nowhere near enough manpower to scour the entire region and personally examine every new alchemist or formation master that pops up. If we don’t choose the obvious locations and keep low we should be fine.”

With that said, Tao Yun let the topic rest for the moment. “Anyways, we don’t need to work out the escape routes yet anyways. Starting with that is a bit too pessimistic.” Shao Qing took a moment to memorize the markings on the map before removing them all and rolling the map back up. “I assume there’s no progress on the Centennial Pill’s recipe?”

A bitter smile covered Tao Yun’s face. “Not on my end. I’m a good enough gossip to practically be an information network, but that kind of information doesn’t leak very often. ...And besides, I have to be low-key. Can’t just ask about it directly. You?” Shao Qing shrugged. “I haven’t gotten much of a chance to look yet. I’m planning to go around the neighboring alchemists’ guild locations and look through their archives. I should find remnant recipes, and while that’s not quite what we need, it’s a good starting point. If all else fails it’s not impossible to derive a similar, if worse, recipe.”

Tao Yun’s soul contract had only been broken for around two weeks, and planning was still in an extremely early stage. Tao Yun had yet to understand the mysteries of the Centennial Tree’s formidable security formation, Shao Qing had yet to find the Centennial Pill’s recipe, and it wasn’t a good time to act yet even if they had finished those tasks. Still, they had one major advantage- their opponent was in the open, and they were in the shadows. They had over a decade to prepare and lay out a careful web of plans, while the Kang Clan didn’t even know they should be preparing for anything. In time it would all come together.

Despite the currently slow pace of things, there was still a clear, short-term goal both Shao Qing and Tao Yun could pursue. Making money. No matter how well they planned their heist out there was a chance of everything going wrong and them being caught in the act. In that case they’d need as many trump cards as they could to ensure their escape. Trump cards which could, luckily enough, be exchanged for with currency.

To this end, Shao Qing was currently concocting batch after batch of pills. The Kang Clan’s alchemical division was never without work for an alchemist at his level, although if he treated himself as a human pill furnace he would soon run out of the more lucrative tasks. Maybe then he’d get around to visiting the alchemists’ guild.

Wisps of colored smoke flowed out of Shao Qing’s pill furnace as he finished another concoction. He reached out and a large green pill, almost too big to wrap his hand around, landed in his palm. This pill had been commissioned by one of the Kang Clan’s few beast tamers and been developed centuries ago to cure some specific rare disease that affected spiritual horses. Not at all Shao Qing’s specialty, but the pay was good and he had more than enough knowledge and skill to produce almost any Acupoint Opening-grade pill given ingredients, instructions, and time.

With his commission done Shao Qing carved his insignia into the pill and sealed it inside a special jar to help seal the energy inside further. Not a step that was particularly needed, but it cost him relatively little and the customer might appreciate it- there were actually more than a few alchemists who would drop a significant amount of money on their containers for no reason but to impress their customers. Thankfully Shao Qing didn’t have trouble getting work, and there was no need to brand his pills as some sort of special luxury product.

...Well, ignoring the fact that commissioning pills from a Quasi-Grandmaster Alchemist was already quite the luxury.

To turn in this commission, as well as a few more minor ones, Shao Qing packed up his equipment and made a trip over to the Kang Clan’s alchemy division. As it was early in the afternoon it was bustling, with alchemists, clerical workers, and apprentices going to and fro. Before he had the chance to turn in his commissions, however, one of Shao Qing’s associates intercepted him- Grandmaster Alchemist Kang Bao. To reduce confusion, in the Kang Clan he was oftentimes referred to by his nickname- Grandmaster Flaming Ghost.

“Friend Shao! Are you here to turn in work?” Kang Bao greeted Shao Qing happily, clasping his hands and giving a slight bow. Shao Qing returned the gesture. “Yes. I finished a pill for one of the beast tamers, and a few things besides. What brings you here today?” “Something similar. One of the Grand Elders has had me occupied with a request and I came to turn in part of it. How’s your research going?”

The two alchemists made small talk for quite some time. Shao Qing didn’t consider himself a social butterfly, but by coincidence he had formed a solid rapport with Grandmaster Kang Bao. Kang Bao also specialized in pills relating to the soul, and having seen promise in Shao Qing he treated him as an equal. Around a decade ago Kang Bao even bothered a couple of the Grand Elders, asking them to allow Shao Qing to break through to Soul Foundation. Unfortunately, after some deliberations the request had been denied on the basis of Shao Qing not having made enough contributions. After that Kang Bao had seemed disappointed, his hopes of having a proper research buddy dashed.

Since then, Kang Bao seemed to operate under the odd assumption that Shao Qing would wait out his contract, advance to Soul Foundation and Grandmaster Alchemist, and then stay at the Kang Clan where the two of them could discuss their research together happily ever after. Shao Qing wasn’t sure if this was merely optimistic or delusional, but he had never had a reason to clarify his hatred for the Kang Clan and make things awkward- even if befriending a Grandmaster Alchemist didn’t have its advantages, Kang Bao was a nice guy. There was no reason to burn bridges. ...Even if most of his extended family were, in Shao Qing’s supremely biased opinion, a bunch of pricks.

“So, you’re taking on a lot of work lately?” Shao Qing grunted in the affirmative. “Mhm. I’ve had my eyes on a couple of good items, and I have some future directions for my research into both soul and battle pills that I’d like to fund. For the next few years at least, I plan to stockpile contribution points, money, and alchemical supplies.” Half truth, and half lies. Kang Bao was none the wiser. “Ah. Well, if you’re saving up, I have some good work I could pass onto you. The higher-ups asked me to concoct a large batch of soul recovery pills and a few other things. Likely for a mid to large scale skirmish somewhere or other. Point is, I’m busy and can’t get around to it yet. Want to take it?”

Kang Bao’s statement was also a bit misleading. He was distracted, but he couldn’t be said to be terribly busy. Normally he’d just get around to the work eventually, as money was money and no one in the clan besides Kang Qun himself would hurry him too much- but if his friend was saving up, he might as well pass on the extra work.

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Shao Qing accepted. Another five minutes of idle chatting and the two parted ways again. Shao Qing turned in the commissions he’d originally come for, received compensation in the form of contribution points and spirit stones, and returned to his workshop. There he began to evaluate his new, somewhat sizable, job.

“50 soul recovery pills of three types, effective on Early Soul Foundation cultivators to at least a third-grade standard, as specified by Section 12 of the Alchemists’ Guild guidelines… 10 Overflowing Soul pills, all side-effects including death permissible as long as they can increase strength by a small realm at minimum for at least three to five minutes… 10 Stone Wound pills without permanent or semi-permanent petrification side effects…”

Shao Qing scanned over a list of requests and jotted down notes. The parameters would be rather simple for Kang Bao, a quantity over quality task for him, but for Shao Qing the standards were harsher. Still doable, but it would take more effort. But before he got to them… he needed ingredients. He had almost all the ingredients for the soul-related pills on hand, but a few of the requests were rather obscure.

“I could trade for them from the alchemy division or commission someone to gather them for me, but that’d cut into my profits a bit too much. Hm… foraging is a pain. I guess it’s time to check up on my garden.” Shao Qing took a talisman out of his pocket, a complex weave of lines written in a special blue ink laid on top of a yellowish-green piece of spirit toad skin. At the center of the congregation of lines was a reddish-blue gem. This talisman was a voice transmission device that worked over short distances, connecting to a single corresponding talisman. “Quasi-Grandmaster Tao, could you come to my workshop when you’re free? I have a request.”

Tao Yun arrived within 10 minutes. He spoke only after double-checking the concealment formations he’d personally strengthened. “What is it? More planning?” Shao Qing shook his head. “No, no, nothing like that. I’m just going to check on a certain ‘garden’ of mine, and I’d appreciate it if you set up a formation or two around it while we were there. It should be around two days round trip.”

Despite the sudden request, Tao Yun was unfazed. “Sure. I have to do some things this afternoon, but if you’re free we can leave this evening.” “Fantastic. I’ll see you this evening then.”

What Shao Qing referred to as a garden was, in fact, a Spirit Soil Tortoise. Some specimens were several miles in length, and if one sat on a cultivator, they’d be dead before they could let out a parting curse. “Are you sure this is safe? You’re not a Quasi-Grandmaster Beast Tamer too, are you?” Shao Qing chuckled. “No, I barely know what foods it likes. But that’s perfectly fine. You may not be familiar with Spirit Soil Tortoises, but many alchemists and herbalists are. The land on their back is full of spiritual energy and is highly beneficial to the growth of most plants. Their use as gardens isn’t without precedent.”

After Shao Qing clarified, Tao Yun seemed to accept the situation. “Well, alright then. Although I’ve never set up a formation on a living creature before.” “It should be fine given its size- it only needs to hold a decade or so anyways. Spirit Soil Tortoises are lethargic, herbivorous, and gentle creatures, so it shouldn't get in your way. But…” “...But what?” “But you should watch out for any sudden moves. It’s rare, but if you’re not careful you could get injured. Plenty of Dantian Creation cultivators have died by accident that way.”

Dantian Creation. So not a major problem. “I’ll watch out.”

After many hours of flying with only a few hours of rest in the middle of the night, both of them arrived in a massive, dense forest. The trees rose hundreds of feet into the air, their interwoven canopies only allowing narrow rays of light to get in from above. The only exceptions were occasional clearings, standing out like oases of sunlight among a desert of darkness.

Once they reached the forest, they travelled by foot. It took half an hour of looking before they found the Spirit Soil Tortoise in question. It was several hundred feet long, with a thick chunk of land attached to the top of a flat shell. The Spirit Stone Tortoise had a droopy, bored-looking expression on its face as it laid in the middle of a clearing, sunbathing. An intimidating aura similar to Middle Soul Foundation emanated from the beast.

Tao Yun took a cautious approach, staring at it from a distance, while Shao Qing did the exact opposite. Without any hesitation he entered the clearing and greeted the creature. “Terra! It’s good to see you!”

The tortoise responded by poking its head further out and eating a nearby bush.