Han Yu had briefly considered joining that division. Yet he knew his control over Ju Fan's identity was still fragile. The wrong move would expose him. Seeing his friends in such a broken state might shatter his composure, and the slightest emotional slip could doom him.
He had to be careful.
He had to plan.
He had to be patient.
Which was why he had waited until now, when he finally had a believable reason to inquire. Han Yu had seen numerous alchemists accompanied by slaves, not only to assist in pill processing but also to use as test subjects.
Alchemy killed many slaves every year. They were cheap, expendable, and always in high demand. If he pretended to want one for alchemy, nobody would doubt him.
Han Yu still prayed none of his friends had already been used for such a purpose.
