The Tonic's Overwhelming Demand
Just from Ryeon exerting this much effort, the efficacy of Pure Qinglian Water already surpassed all other remedies by a wide margin. And that fact alone was fanning the flames of demand for True Qinglian Water.
'If even Pure Qinglian Water is this useful, then how amazing must True Qinglian Water be...'
That line of thinking was exactly what drove it. Even more care went into making True Qinglian Water. Using Harmony, she blended the essential oils even more seamlessly and infused extra spiritual energy. After expending it all, leaving only the bare minimum behind, the estate's stock of essential oils had run dry, and the moon had risen high.
'Should I go mountain climbing after all?'
It felt like just yesterday she'd sworn never to climb another mountain, yet here she was, marveling at how fickle the human heart could be.
"The packaged ones will go out to Mansong Merchant Group via Yuseong Escort Agency at dawn tomorrow."
"Our escort agency is handling the transport?"
Danmok Hyeon-u turned back in mild surprise. Selecting a transport company was a sensitive matter, not something you could switch on a whim.
"Yes! Since Yuseong is on the smaller side, we've decided to have them handle just the runs from the estate to the merchant group for now. I talked it over with Aunt Wiun too."
"That's fantastic!"
"If we load the wagons with the essential oils needed for materials on the way back, it'll work out perfectly."
"Gotta work like this tomorrow too, huh?"
"We only worked through the afternoon today, so tomorrow should be about the same, right?"
Ryeon stretched contentedly with a big yawn. The worries about Geum Gajang, sparring, and duels that had filled her mind these past few days had vanished, leaving her feeling refreshed.
And the next morning, Ryeon had to admit she'd been a bit too optimistic.
It had been ages since the estate—stagnant for so long—saw this much logistics traffic flowing in and out. Thanks to that, all the household staff had come out to gawk at the steady stream of essential oil jars being stacked up.
"Whoa, these essential oils just keep coming, endless."
"Our pharmacy's turning all this into product? Qinglian Water, right?"
"They say it's a total game-changer."
"What? For real?"
"That young master over there who used it topped the imperial exams—topped them! T-O-P."
"Oh, that guy..."
"What are you even thinking? It's the crack of dawn."
"I-I'm not taking the exams myself."
"Aigoo, seriously..."
"Why make me feel bad? You planning to take them?"
"Even without exams, it helps with martial arts training, doesn't it? Qinglian Water isn't some potion that makes exam answers appear."
"You drink it?"
"This is nuts."
The staff bustled about, hauling the oil jars into the pharmacy. With the commotion starting at dawn, Ryeon—who had risen early herself—watched the scene unfold.
Among them, a Mansong Merchant Group steward traveling with Yuseong's escort wagons spotted Ryeon and hurried over.
"Young miss. I'm Steward Jo Jeong-bong, working under the young lady."
The middle-aged man with white streaks at his temples bowed politely to Ryeon.
"Wow, you're out here early. Thanks for all the hard work."
"Aigoo, it's good work. Our young lady asked me to pass on that these are the finest essential oils. We've only brought enough to fill the wagons, so if it's short, just send word to the merchant group anytime, and we'll ship more. No need to worry about anything else—just focus on production..."
"Making it isn't hard, but... do they really need this much?"
Ryeon gestured at the mountain of oil jars. She'd thought last night that half a day would suffice today, but staring at the steadily piling jars made her head spin a little.
"We even sent a week's worth this dawn..."
"Aigoo, that'll be gone by sunset this afternoon."
"Really?"
"Yes, ma'am. Demand's pouring in from far and wide these days. Some medical halls are even slipping us bribes to get first dibs when shipments arrive. Of course, our young lady doesn't touch that sort of thing."
Hearing that yesterday's full afternoon's output would vanish in half a day today stirred a wave of urgency in Ryeon. She quickly assured him she'd whip up more and send it back soon, seeing Jo Jeong-bong off.
Visibly moved by Ryeon's personal send-off, he bowed deeply several times before heading back to the merchant group.
At the same time, Ryeon rounded up everyone in the estate who could be spared for Qinglian Water production. Danmok Hyeon-u was the pharmacy master and close to her, so he was already on board, but pulling in the elders didn't feel right.
'From the rest, people with nimble hands who are reliable and won't leak the recipe...'
Narrowing it down like that left shockingly few candidates. The estate had been strapped for cash for so long that everyone had their assigned duties and couldn't just be pulled away willy-nilly.
As Ryeon bustled through the pharmacy's front garden, sorting out the manpower shortage—
"Good morning, Miss Ryeon."
"Oh...! Yeopun Taoist. Sleep well?"
"Mind if I come in?"
"Of course, come on!"
Yeopun, clutching a slim booklet, stepped lightly past the pharmacy wall.
"I was reviewing what you taught me on my morning walk when a question popped up. I asked around, and they said you were here..."
Ryeon smiled sheepishly, a bit embarrassed.
"The medicine we're making and selling here suddenly spiked in demand. I have to handle production, so I've been out since early morning. But what was your question, Taoist Yeopun?"
She was ready to answer whatever it was, but Yeopun brought up something else.
"I heard you're short-handed. If you need help, could I lend a hand?"
"Pardon?"
"If it's just assisting, I think I could pitch in..."
Ryeon blinked wide-eyed at first, then pursed her lips, pondering his offer carefully—more precisely, pondering Yeopun himself.
'Yeopun. A future Kunlun Sect Taoist... exceptional martial talent, single-minded focus. Even offering to help now is...'
She saw through him. He wanted to grab Ryeon for quick sword discussions and spars to boost his progress, but seeing she was swamped, he figured helping her clear it fast would get him what he wanted.
'The proportions for Qinglian Water aren't that critical anyway.'
With reactions this hot, fakes were inevitable—she'd already braced for it. Anyone with decent intel would reverse-engineer the volumes coming into the estate. Aunt Wiun had probably taken steps to disguise it, but that wouldn't fool the desperate for long.
But there was one thing people didn't know: the core of Qinglian Water was her power. That couldn't be leaked even if someone tried. No worries there.
"But you're a guest."
"And at the same time, to me, you're also my teacher. Helping is only natural."
She politely demurred once, and he quipped right back. Ryeon grabbed both his hands with a moved expression.
"It'll be a huge help. Thank you so, so much."
Yeopun had offered first, but he'd figured it'd be something simple like packaging and stacking jars. Sure, it was surprising for direct clan blood to handle pharmacy production, but he'd picked up that the estate hadn't been flush lately, so he shrugged it off.
But the moment he stepped into the pharmacy's storage room, his eyes locked on a large paper affixed to one wall.
Wintergreen Oil — 4 parts
Mint Oil and Menthol, mixed 1:1 — 3 parts
Eucalyptus Oil — 2 parts
Camphor, Lavender, White Sandalwood Oil, and Thyme Oil, mixed in equal parts — 1 part.
This was the exact recipe for Qinglian Water. Uncharacteristically, Yeopun startled back.
"R-Ryeon! I saw that..."
Wasn't this treated as a clan secret? Leaking it meant family extermination.
"Oh. It's easier to avoid mistakes if we can glance at it, and no need to ask each other and risk slip-ups."
"But..."
"Yeopun Taoist, are we strangers? You won't blab the Qinglian Water recipe anywhere, right?"
"Of course not!"
"I trust you, Taoist Yeopun."
Yeopun drew a sharp breath. Starlight danced in the girl's upturned eyes, sparkling brightly. Betraying that gaze would make one the scum of the earth, a total scoundrel...
"I-I won't betray that trust. Never."
He declared firmly. Ryeon beamed.
Danmok Hyeon-u, watching the young pair bicker from afar, smiled warmly.
"Nui."
"Huh, Ryun-ie?"
Then the boy who served as Danmok Ryeon's attendant approached. She'd heard he was raised like siblings with her, and indeed, he showed no trace of a typical servant. No servility, sharp features, high nose— he looked more like a young master from a wealthy house.