Jiang stepped out with trembling legs, his face pale. "I will never doubt Meyu again... but I will also never get into a carriage with her in charge ever again."
Bao groaned, his back popping audibly. "I think my soul left my body at least twice."
Layla, meanwhile, was still gripping the carriage door, as if uncertain the world had truly stopped moving.
"That... wasn't a journey. That was a war."
Yuxe Wuye, now fully composed but with hair that still looked vaguely haunted, exhaled slowly.
"At least we made it."
Lin Wuye, completely unaffected, patted his robes free of dust and turned to Meyu.
"Tell me, did Atlas ever use this method of travel himself?"
Meyu, stretching casually as if the past three days had been nothing more than a leisurely stroll, smirked.
"Oh, no. He absolutely refused. He said, and I quote, 'I enjoy living.'
More elders and disciples had gathered, drawn by the commotion of the speeding and wealthy carriages and the spectacle of the exhausted Sect new leader, Meilin Wuye and Lin Wuye, the advisor. A handful of nervous junior disciples whispered among themselves, while the more seasoned members stood at attention, ready to intervene if necessary.
Among them, Zhu Fen, the youngest disciple, peeked out from behind Elder Jian Bo, his small hands gripping his tattered robes. His voice wavered as he spoke.
"Elder Jian Bo... w-what's going on? Who are they?"
Lin Wuye, stepped forward alongside Layla.
"Calm yourself, Zhu Fen. No one's here to harm the sect. In fact..." He shot a quick glance at Meyu, who was dusting herself off with an entirely too-smug expression.
"You could say we've acquired something far more valuable."
Layla smirked, placing a hand on her hip. "The sect now has its own personal merchant."
A silence settled over the gathered members before Elder Jian Bo let out a deep, incredulous sigh, his already worn features twisting into a deep frown of disbelief.
"A what? Lady Meilin, you do realize the sect has no money, yes? We can barely afford to feed our disciples, let alone hire someone!"
Zhao Lihua crossed her arms, watching the exchange with thinly veiled amusement.
"I have to agree with Elder Jian Bo. How exactly do you plan to pay this so-called 'personal merchant'? With goodwill?"
A few disciples murmured in agreement, concern growing as they considered their already struggling finances. The sect had barely managed to get by over the years, and now they were taking on a merchant?
Meyu took a step forward, clasping her hands behind her back with a slow, deliberate movement that somehow made the gathered elders even more wary. Her smirk widened, that dangerously persuasive glint in her eye sharpening.
"Ah, I see" she said lightly. "You're all assuming this is an expense. That's adorable."
Elder Jian Bo's frown deepened, the lines on his face tightening.
"That is typically how merchants work. They expect payment. Unless, of course, you're planning to enlighten us on how this 'arrangement' isn't a drain on resources we don't have."
Meyu rocked slightly on her sandals, looking for all the world as if she had just been asked whether the sky was blue.
"Oh, come now. Do you think a respectable merchant, like Master Atlas, would ever invest in something that didn't benefit him and everyone else? Give him a little more credit."
Zhao Lihua raised a skeptical eyebrow. "And yet, you're the one standing here instead of him."
Meyu's smirk didn't falter. "That's because someone has to keep his empire running while he takes a very dramatic and long nap. But don't worry—he left me with very clear instructions."
Jian Bo crossed his arms. "Which were?"
Meyu exhaled dramatically. "Well, first, I was supposed to ensure the Silver Lotus Sect didn't starve to death during the winter. Which, you know, is important. Second, I was to make sure no one tried to weasel out of a perfectly good deal just because they don't know how to read a contract. And third, I was to be patient while a bunch of skeptical elders questioned a brilliant business decision. And look at that, I'm already succeeding at number three!"
Zhao Lihua pinched her forehead. "Get to the point."
Meyu grinned. "Gladly. The sect isn't paying us."
A pause. Several confused blinks.
"...Excuse me?" Elder Jian Bo said slowly
Meyu pulled out a copy of the contract, tapping a perfectly manicured finger against one of the clauses.
"Silver Lotus Sect owes nothing until winter is over. That was part of the terms Master Daokan himself agreed to. Atlas didn't even negotiate. He just gave him that."
Layla, catching on immediately, nodded sagely. "Ah, of course. That makes sense."
Then, with a perfectly executed thoughtful expression, she turned to Lin Wuye.
"Doesn't it?"
Lin Wuye, sharp enough to follow her lead, rubbed his chin as if he had known this all along. "Absolutely. In fact, I would've been concerned if Atlas had negotiated. This level of generosity was clearly part of a grander scheme."
Meyu waved a dismissive hand. "I know, right? It's a mystery. But, if I had to guess, I'd say it's one of three reasons."
She lifted a finger. "One: He saw a greater long-term benefit to the sect thriving rather than struggling, which meant it was an investment rather than a favor."
Another finger. "Two: He was planning something that required Master Daokan's goodwill, and this was just the setup."
And finally, a third. "Or three: He was feeling particularly generous that day and wanted to see how much power he could get away with giving away before someone finally called him out on it."
Jian Bo, however, still looked unimpressed. "That still doesn't explain what you're getting out of this. You don't work for free."
Meyu sighed. "Of course not. I get a portion of future earnings from trade facilitated between the sect and the city merchants, using goods provided by Ryl Trading." Her smile widened.
"Everyone wins. The sect gets food, winter supplies, and materials. I get to expand Atlas's trade network. And all of you get to sleep soundly knowing you're not going to have to scrape by on rice gruel and prayer until spring."
A silence stretched among the elders and disciples. Some of the younger ones actually looked hopeful, but the senior members were still processing just how easily they'd been maneuvered into accepting the arrangement.
Zhao Lihua exhaled slowly, rubbing her temples.
"So you mean to tell me that while we were struggling, begging local traders for fair prices, Atlas had already set up a deal where we wouldn't have to pay a single copper until spring?"
Meyu nodded, completely unbothered. "Yup. And you're welcome."
Jian Bo muttered under his breath before finally conceding with a heavy sigh. "Fine. But if this turns out to be a mistake—"
Meyu cut in smoothly, already turning on her heel. "Oh, don't worry. It won't." She flashed a dazzling grin over her shoulder.
"Because I'm very, very good at what I do."
She took two steps before pausing, tilting her head as if she had just remembered something trivial. "Oh, right. One more thing."
She turned back to face them, smile widening into something that was both playful and devastating.
"Since Ryl Trading is covering everything for the winter... you're all working for us."
Jian Bo blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me!" Meyu clasped her hands together cheerfully.
"For the entire winter, the Silver Lotus Sect will be handling some very basic trade work in return for not starving. Simple, really."
Layla scowled. "Wait a minute—"
Meyu whirled on her, eyes gleaming. "Ah-ah, dear Meilin. You don't want to sound ungrateful, do you? After all, we did sponsor everything. The food? The supplies? The warm, cozy winter instead of freezing in the mountains? That was us."
Her voice dropped into something dangerously sweet.
"And let's not forget... you'll be learning valuable business skills! Think of it as education. Literacy training. A favour, really."
Lin Wuye looked between them, then let out a long sigh. "We've been scammed, haven't we?"
Meyu beamed. "No, no! Scamming implies you got nothing in return. This? This is an opportunity."
She turned on her sandals, humming to herself as she walked away, already thinking of the most efficient way to put them all to work.
Jiang, watching all of this unfold, muttered to Bao. "I hate how effective this is."
Bao sighed. "I hate how much she reminds me of him."
Before Jiang could agree, the sound of multiple heavy boots hitting the ground made them both turn. Meyu looked back at them with a knowing smirk.
"Oh, did I forget to mention? The workers from Ryl Trading will be assisting with the rebuild. It's only fair that the sect does some work in return."
The carriage doors swung open, and out stepped the workers from Ryl Trading.
They weren't just ordinary merchants or traders—no, these were laborers, haulers, and craftsmen, all built like warriors. Muscles rippled beneath their clothes, their arms thick from years of carrying heavy goods and working manual labour. A few of the women among them looked just as strong—if not stronger—than some of the sect's own disciples.
Jiang, who prided himself on his own physical prowess, felt insecure.
He leaned toward Bao. "Uh. Am I imagining things, or do some of those women look more ripped than me?"
Bao clapped a hand on his shoulder solemnly. "No, brother. They absolutely do."
Layla, Lin Wuye, and Yuxe Wuye all looked absolutely dumbfounded, their expressions frozen in disbelief, eyes wide like characters straight out of an exaggerated drama.
Layla turned to her father, still processing what she was seeing.
"I thought women in this place weren't allowed to be laborers or work hard jobs?"
Somehow, despite the distance, Meyu's ears perked up. She casually waved a hand.
"Atlas doesn't care about gender, status or whatever you are. If you can work, you get paid. Simple as that."
Layla blinked, then slowly nodded, a thought settling into her mind. As a former queen, she had fought against outdated status quos, pushing for women's rights in a world that resisted. Even in her previous life, she had defied expectations, abolishing archaic traditions despite being surrounded by those who sought to maintain them. The logic was sound. She couldn't even argue against it.
Layla blinked again but now in confusion, "That still doesn't explain why some of the woman are so strong."
Lin Wuye, his face one of smiling defeat, a tear falling down from his right cheek, simply patted her on the shoulder.
"Meilin, my daughter, just let it be."