One disciple led Han Yu to another. Another pointed him toward a supervisor. A few spirit stones here, a few mid grade stones there.
Bit by bit, the picture became clearer.
A production group had been formed.
Not officially an elder sanctioned hall, but not illegal either.
It was backed by a powerful internal figure.
And the name surfaced repeatedly.
Zhao Liumen.
Han Yu stood near the edge of one of the refining halls, listening quietly as a mid level alchemy disciple spoke in hushed tones.
"Zhao Senior Brother controls the material routes," the man said. "He consolidated several merchant supply lines using his clan's backing. The ingredients are cheaper in bulk, even if the quality is slightly lower."
"And the alchemists," Han Yu asked.
"Some were recruited with incentives," the man replied. "Others were pressured. A few were forced out of independent refining entirely."
Han Yu's fingers tightened within his sleeves.
"And the profits."
