Supreme Emperor of Mist

"Greetings, Commander Qin. Welcome to the Demon Mountain Fort." Huang Ping smiled as he received Qin Lan right outside of the fort's doorstep. He appeared to be doing much better right now after recovering from all the injuries he suffered during the last battle.

"Commander Huang." Qin Lan cupped his hands together to return the gesture. Handling the rein for his steed to the horse master standing beside him, Qin Lan took a leap down and approached Huang Ping with a smile.

"Looks like the commander is doing much better than expected. What about captain Wang?" he asked. Walking side by side further into the Demon Mountain Fort, Qin Lan was awed by the majestic appearance of the renovated fort.

"Wang Xun is currently trying to advance into the eighth level of Flesh Refining Cultivation. I'm afraid that he won't be coming out in this one to two months." Huang Ping shared the news about Wang Xun with Qin Lan.

"What do you think about this natural fortress? Even our master builders were surprised by it." Huang Ping said as he takes another view of this fort. Even Qin Lan can't keep his curiosity hidden as he studies the natural formation scattered all around him.

"A treasure amongst treasure. As long our highness managed to manage this place properly, the benefit it will bring will not be any lesser than the Fuyun City." Qin Lan gives it an honest evaluation.

"I will need brother Qin's help to make sure I can manage this place properly then. Brother Qin, you must help me." Sun Wu Jian said from afar as he approaches them. Following by his side are three of the nine elite guards always seen around him.

"Brother Sun," Qin Lan greeted Sun Wu Jian and the other guards behind him.

"Brother Qin, let us walk together. I have something I am eager to show you immediately." Sun Wu Jian came to Qin Lan's side as he suggested. Walking side by side, the two soon came to a vast field with over ten kinds of Spiritual Herbs growing in it.

"Surprised? This is just one of the six fields we have. At first, I am curious about how the Hushan Bandits capable of supporting themselves. But after looking at this, I think I know where did their financial support come from."

"To think that they're actually this wealthy... I must be blind to miss this for so long." Sun Wu Jian chuckled while laughing at his own foolishness.

"Brother Qin, what do you think about this? Can you teach my people how to manage this farm efficiently?" Sun Wu Jian asked.

"Of course! Honestly speaking, I am very eager to see what we can make from this. Give me five hundred workers with skills in botany and prepare a place for me to refine them." Qin Lan replied with a smiling expression on his face.

After giving Sun Wu Jian a pat on his back to assure him he will try his best, Qin Lan flexed his limbs and neck as he prepared a working frame on what they'll be used for.

...

...

"Delivery! I am here on behalf of the Qin Family's Clayware Workshop!" a rider came to the Demon Mountain Fort's entrance in a rush. On his hand was a token with the word (Qin Family) engraved on one of the smoother surfaces.

"Go straight and turn right. That's where you'll be going. Now, hurry before you disturb another envoy." the guard smiled at the rider on horseback and allowed him to enter the fortress. And not even five minutes have passed, another rider followed.

There was a Qin Family Token in his hand as well.

"The flow of Qin Family employees is coming without stop these days... Do you think I should ask my two younger brothers to join commander Qin's faction?" one of the guards asked.

"What for? Be it the Qin Faction or our ninth prince faction, we're one big family. Just make sure you do your job well. Just appreciates what you have now and cultivate diligently." another guard used the back of his spear to knock his colleague's shoulder.

"I heard that those working in the Qin Faction have better food to eat too. I wonder will that kind of treatment came to us in the future." the other guard continued.

"Hahaha, get ready to starve tonight if the kitchen chief heard what you've just said!" the guard laughed. Of course, in his mind, he too agreed that the food prepared by the kitchen chef is pale in comparison to what the people from Qin Faction are eating.

But to Qin Lan's understanding, it was not weird. Currently, the Qin Faction is undergoing a transition. With the right to control the accounting department of the Qin Faction fall to Hu Jia's hand, they're currently expanding their reach in different types of businesses.

A week ago, their business was still focusing on medicine alone. But right now, textile, pottery, and culinary arts were added to Hu Jia's successful portfolio. Her method impressed even the Magistrate's Office by providing jobs and income to over a quarter of residents living inside Fuyun City.

Places like the slums where You Qing, Han Xue, Yi Feng, and Qiang Shou originated from are now undergoing renovation because Fuyun City is expanding once again.

As for Qin Lan, he hadn't been home for close to half a month now.

"Chief Alchemist! We're out of Flame Essence Grass and Starry Spiritual Flower! The production of Turbulence Pill is on halt right now!"

"Chief Alchemist! We need some help right here! Half of the Spiritual Herb doesn't seem to reach the minimum quality we need to refine the Flesh Foundation Pills you're asking for!"

"Chief!"

"Chief!"

There was a call from all over the place asking for Qin Lan's attention. Right now, this place in Demon Mountain Fort is the hottest place for all aspiring alchemists. It was filled with half of the disciples from Eighth Elder's Dwelling and Sun Wu Jian's personal Alchemist recruits.

Close to forty types of pills were concocted in this place daily as they're trying their best to clear all the available Spiritual Herbs planted in the six Gardens. Of course, there was a reason behind this great project.

Qin Lan was planning to reclaim the land infested with all kinds of random spiritual herbs planted in the six gardens. And since Sun Wu Jian had already given him the green light to proceed however he wishes, Qin Lan decided to make this project one of the biggest for now.

From the initial 500 slave workers, their number has now increased to close to a thousand. But even with a thousand workers, it was still proceeding slower than what he expected.

"Get the token holders over to my private refining hall. Tell them my class will start in another half an hour," Qin Lan ordered an assistant as he completed yet another batch of pills. Using his Spiritual Energy like an extension of his limbs, Qin Lan flicked his hand simply to fill the bottles to the brim.

"This subordinate understood. I will immediately accomplish the task as soon as I can." the assistant left in a hurry. After he left, Lu Qing Yun appeared. Coming to Qin Lan's side with a silk handkerchief in her hand, she wipes away the filth and sweat from Qin Lan's forehead.

"Young Master, you're working too hard recently... Please take a rest when you have some time later," said Lu Qing Yun.

"I have too much to do right now. There'll be more time for me to rest later, so let's make sure that we had everything done first." Zhang Qin Feng replied. Turning his head around to a corner of the refinement hall, Zhang Qin Feng took a glance at another two disciples of his.

"Little princesses, can you please inspect the pills in our hand?" a few youngsters below fifteen years old came to Zhuge Yanyu and Zhuge Xinyu's side. There was a tray of Fasting Pill, Bone Clotting Pill, and Jewel Lotus Fruit for inspection.

"This is acceptable. This is not. You'll have to do much better than this if you want to become as good as us in pill refining."

"You've must have forgotten about controlling the flame. Look at this... Although it was a complete pill, you've burned it. This makes the tablet much easier to spoil and harder to swallow. Redo it again." Zhuge Yanyu said.

"The two of them have grown up so much." Lu Qing Yun said. 

"Well, I'm not worried about the two little lasses, but the three of you. What is the foolish Lu Yi doing nowadays?" Qin Lan asked as he swallowed one of the grapes Lu Qing Yun fed to his mouth.

"That fool? If I'm not wrong, he should be fighting against his highness' peak leveled officers in the training ground," she replied.

"You'll have to remind him to not waste his time. If he's going to fool around like this, he'll be learning about the Foundation Qi later than the two of you. By that time, he can't blame me for being impartial." Qin Lan said.

"Qing Yun will make sure to remind him about it." Lu Qing Yun nodded.

"Chief Alchemist, everyone is present. We're ready to go into your Private Refinement Hall now." the assistant came back with close to ten alchemists behind him.

"Great. Let's get it started. Girls! Come with me into the class!" Qin Lan called the two.