The inner city, Lin An’s study.
“Master, the soap workshop is running very smoothly, and the soap has been extremely popular. At most, it will take two months to earn back the entire initial investment.”
The steward bowed as he reported on the porridge shed and the workshop to Lin An.
“Prepare a carriage. I want to go take a look at the workshop.”
“Also, send invitations to the major clans. I’ll host a banquet tonight to discuss expanding the soap workshop with them.”
After giving his instructions, Lin An rose to make his preparations.
By the time he left the Lin residence, a carriage was already waiting outside.
Sitting inside the carriage, he could still see quite a few refugees through the window, though there were fewer than before.
There was also a little more hope in their eyes.
The carriage continued onward, but just before it reached the city gate, it suddenly came to a halt.
“Master, there’s a crowd up ahead. I’m not sure what they’re doing,” the steward quickly reported.
Lin An lifted the curtain and took a look.
The people at the center of the crowd were a mother and daughter. The mother lay on a straw mat, her face pale and weak, while her daughter knelt on the ground, repeatedly kowtowing and begging.
The steward went over to ask around, then returned and reported, “Master, the woman is sick. Her daughter wants to sell herself to save her mother, but she’s asking for fifty taels of silver.”
Lin An shook his head. Fifty taels was far too expensive. It was a year of disaster, and a young girl was worth only about five taels. No wealthy merchant would make such a losing bargain.
“Let’s go.”
Lin An lowered the curtain and told the steward to continue on.
There were far too many people in the city in the same situation as this mother and daughter. If he rescued every person he came across, his fortune would be emptied before long.
That was why he was willing to provide porridge, but he would not save everyone he encountered.
The carriage soon left the city.
Lin An inspected the workshop and found that it had hired several hundred people, providing livelihoods for several hundred refugee households.
But this was merely a drop in the bucket. It was nowhere near enough to solve the problem faced by all the refugees.
After completing his inspection, he took the carriage back to the inner city.
When he passed the city gate, he saw the mother and daughter from earlier in the distance.
The onlookers had long since dispersed, leaving only the two lonely figures behind.
The young girl’s initial anticipation had gradually turned into despair.
“Cough, cough… Yao'er, stop kneeling. If you keep this up, your body won’t be able to endure it.”
The woman looked at her daughter, who was gritting her teeth and persisting, her eyes filled with heartache.
She understood her own illness all too well. Treatment would cost a fortune, and no one would spend that much money on a refugee like her.
The girl shook her head, her gaze exceptionally resolute.
She knew that the price she was asking was too high, but for the sake of her mother, she had no choice but to try.
Yet by now, the hope in her heart had grown increasingly faint.
Just then, she noticed Lin An’s carriage.
It was rather luxurious, and anyone could tell at a glance that it belonged to a wealthy person.
An impulse suddenly rose within her. Gritting her teeth, she stood up and staggered in front of the carriage.
“What are you doing? Do you have a death wish?”
The coachman hurriedly pulled on the reins and shouted at her.
“Yao'er, come back quickly!”
The woman reached out anxiously. She was afraid that her daughter would offend some important person and be beaten to death.
Such things were not uncommon in this world.
The girl’s eyes were filled with determination. She dropped to her knees and kowtowed decisively.
“Please, my lord, save my mother. I’m willing to do anything for you.”
Lin An lifted the carriage curtain and looked at the frail figure kneeling on the ground.
“Aren’t you afraid of dying?”
Seeing that Lin An had spoken to her, the girl replied firmly, “I am, but I want to save my mother even more.”
“What’s your name?”
Lin An continued questioning her.
“Li Yao.”
After answering, Li Yao slammed her forehead against the ground in another deep kowtow.
“Please, my lord, save my mother.”
Lin An lowered the curtain and instructed the steward, “Take them back to the residence and find a physician to examine her.”
He did not know why he had suddenly softened. Perhaps it was because the girl was willing to risk her life for the chance to save her mother, and that had moved him.
In his eyes, this was only a minor matter, and he did not dwell on it.
That evening, he hosted the heads of several prominent clans, discussing the expansion of the soap workshop with them.
He would provide the formula, while the clans would jointly manufacture and sell the soap. Lin An would take only ten percent of the profits.
As an immortal cultivator, it was not suitable for him to attract too much attention. Besides, the soap-making process was very simple and could not remain secret for long.
Rather than taking all the profits for himself, it was better to keep a low profile.
Most importantly, no matter how much mortal wealth he accumulated, it would be of little use. This world ultimately belonged to cultivators. Spirit stones were the true hard currency.
So long as he had enough gold and silver for his needs, that was sufficient.
The benefits had been delivered right to their doorsteps, so the various clans had no reason to refuse. They all rose and expressed their thanks.
Over the years, Lin An had gained a basic understanding of this world.
There were cultivators standing behind all these prominent clans, but most of them were only at the Qi Refining Realm.
The overall level of power in this world seemed rather low. Even a late-stage Qi Refiner was already considered a major powerhouse in the region.
Anyone who reached the Foundation Establishment Realm could establish a sect and become one of the very strongest cultivators.
As for those who reached the Core Formation Realm, they could be honored as Patriarchs. It was said that the number of Core Formation Patriarchs in the entire cultivation world could be counted on one hand.
With a Foundation Establishment expert backing Lin An, none of the major clans dared to provoke him. Even though they knew how profitable soap could be, all they could do was look on enviously.
Now that Lin An had taken the initiative to offer them a share, they were naturally delighted.
With the matter settled, expanding the workshop was placed on the agenda.
After the expansion, a large number of workers would naturally be needed. Most of the refugees around Yan'an City were hired, and the refugee crisis was eased as a result.
That was all Lin An could do. He had no desire to involve himself in anything more.
The disaster lasted for two years. It was not until the imperial court announced that the demonic beast responsible for causing the drought had been slain by a powerful cultivator that the disaster gradually came to an end.
The city regained its former liveliness. Pedestrians once again came and went along the streets, and refugees were rarely seen anymore.
Of course, none of this had much impact on Lin An.
That was, until the winter of the fourth year.
A maid in the residence accidentally fell into the water. Li Yao jumped into the bone-chilling water and rescued her.
Afterward, the maid came down with a severe cold, but Li Yao was completely unharmed.
When others asked her about it, she simply said that the water had not been cold at all. It had actually felt warm.
When those words reached Lin An’s ears, they naturally aroused his curiosity.
He had someone bring Li Yao to him.
Several years had passed, and Li Yao was now eighteen. She had grown into a graceful and beautiful young woman.
However, because she had sold herself to Lin An and become a maid in his residence, she had yet to marry.
“Master.”
Li Yao stood respectfully before Lin An, waiting for his instructions.
“Take this Qi Refining technique and cultivate it. If you successfully draw qi into your body, come back and find me.”
Lin An handed Li Yao the Qi Refining technique Zhang Fan had given him back then.
Li Yao’s eyes widened slightly as she stared at the cultivation manual before her in disbelief.
This was a cultivation technique, something only the legendary immortals could practice. Yet her master was actually willing to give such a precious technique to her.
“Thank you for your gift, Master. I will cultivate diligently and repay your kindness.”
Li Yao solemnly swore her oath.
“Go.”
Lin An waved his hand and watched her leave.
Over the years, he had also tried investing in other people, but without exception, all of his attempts had failed.
The system’s investment targets had to possess spiritual roots. Yet after all these years, he had encountered only a handful of cultivators, let alone anyone with spiritual roots.
The problem was, he didn’t even have a Spirit-Measuring Stone. Even if he encountered someone with a spiritual root, he wouldn’t be able to recognize them. As a result, he hadn’t made a single investment all these years.
That was, until today. Li Yao’s ability to withstand the cold revealed a hint of potential to him.