Chapter 25: Breaking

"What pill did you want me to make, Ms. Hall Master?"

"This…"

There was a certain sense of heaviness filling the air as Charlotte started looking around the lobby of the Cultivator Association; her eyes, squinting from time to time if she even saw someone remotely glancing in their direction. She then doubled up her sound barrier technique, truly making sure that no one would be listening in on them,

"...Before I tell you, I need you to know about the situation in the Lotus Pharma sect."

"Whose sect is that?"

"...It's the sect I belong to."

"I thought you belonged to the Azure Pill sect, Ms. Hall Master?"

"No, they're our competitor!"

"Okay," Lucian nodded, "You do not really have to tell me the situation about your unknown sect, Ms. Hall Master."

"We're not unknown!" Charlotte seemed to want to do something there and then, but stopped herself from doing so and just stayed on her seat, "Remember I told you with our last talk that my father is one of the elders of the sect, right?"

"No, I do not remember."

"Of course, you don't," Charlotte could really only let out a small but very deep sigh while shaking her head, "I'll just get straight to the point, then. My father's on the verge of losing his position since he hasn't made a contribution to the sect for a very long time — and it's not because my father's worse than everyone else."

"Okay."

"While the other Elders and their disciples are churning up more and more useless pills, my father has been working on one single pill that would completely put our sect on the map again — a pill that would temporarily let a cultivator jump to a higher stage… without any life-threatening side effects. That means a purity of 90% or higher."

"Okay," Lucian blinked a couple of times as he momentarily glanced at Charlotte's mask before looking away, "And what is the pill you wanted me to formulate for you, Ms. Hall Master?"

"...I just told you," Charlotte also blinked a couple of times as she slightly leaned her head away, "A pill that would temporarily let a cultivator jump a level without any life-threatening side effects."

"Hm…" Lucian slightly covered his mouth as he looked at the briefcase; slightly squinting his eyes in suspicion, "...And you are going to give me all of that money as a down payment, Ms. Hall Master?"

"Yes," Charlotte nodded, "And this."

Charlotte then placed a piece of paper on the table, "This is a Lith Contract."

"Interesting," Lucian let out a small, almost amused breath as he looked at the piece of paper. As its name suggests, it is a contract that involves two or more cultivators putting their lith on the line — if one were to break the contract, he would suffer lith deviation and most probably die, if not crippled for life,

"They were made by taoists using their own lith — a very terrifying science."

"...Yes," Charlotte could not help but squint her eyes as Lucian seemed more interested in the contract than in anything she had said so far, "Since I am paying you for the formula itself, that makes me the legal owner. And if you claim it to be yours, you will suffer Lith Deviation."

"Okay," Lucian nodded.

"And of course, since you are adamant in hiding your identity — if ever I expose you as the real creator of the pill, I will suffer Lith Deviation."

"That is good, Ms. Hall Master," Lucian nodded.

"Okay then," Charlotte then pricked her finger and stamped on the contract with her blood — and Lucian did the same, retrieving a scalpel from his bag and slightly cutting his pinky finger to stamp on it. And as soon as they had both signed the contract, it just suddenly withered away, "The contract lasts until you are successful in creating the pill and then I pay you the rest."

"Okay," Lucian nodded as he saw Charlotte grabbing the briefcase filled with money and sliding it over the table toward him.

"I also put my number there, you can call me once it's done. But…" Charlotte cleared her throat, "How long do you think you will need?"

"Until what time is your shift, Ms. Hall Master?" Lucian grabbed the briefcase and stood up.

"I'll be here until 9 in the evening," Charlotte tilted her head to the side, "I guess you can ask me more questions then."

"Hm," Lucian just shrugged before bowing his head to Charlotte.

Charlotte then watched as Lucian just casually left the building without saying any more words. But after she made sure he was gone, Charlotte let out a long and very deep sigh as she rested her head on the back of the sofa.

"I'm…" Charlotte breathed out, but after a few moments, she let out a small giggle, "...too old to get this excited. Well, time to go back to work."

Charlotte then let out another sigh as she stood up and started walking to the elevator, but then halted her steps as soon as she felt a certain weight on her shoulder — she quickly turned to look at where it was coming from, only to see the receptionist subtly glaring at her.

"Hmph!" And as soon as they met eyes, the receptionist let out a small harrumph and looked away.

"..." Charlotte really only blinked in confusion, completely oblivious if she did something to deserve that. But after a shrug of her shoulders, Charlotte just decided to continue her slow day as a Hall Master and observe some low-level Cultivators.

She did not really have much to do as a hall master, she was just there to look intimidating and step in just in case something went wrong. She would truly just want to stay in her sect and create some pills; but alas, she needed to at least be in a position of power outside the sect so that no one would look down on her and her father.

And soon, she finished her day. She was about to leave the building, but before she could do so, she saw Lucian sitting alone in their usual spot in the lobby.

"...Dr. Lucian?" Charlotte approached him.

"Hm?"

"Did… you still need to ask questions about something? What are you doing back here?"

"Who are you?" Lucian tilted his head to the side as he looked at Charlotte for a few seconds before looking away.

"What—Oh!" Charlotte touched her face, and realized that she was actually no longer wearing a mask and was just on her casual clothes. She was wearing a simple white blouse and leggings which completely complimented her sporty figure and the muscles on her legs.

Her long, wavy brown hair made her large green eyes slightly pop — the intimidating Hall Master was completely gone without the mask and the robes.

"It's me, Charlotte."

"Who…?"

"Hall Master Charlotte," Charlotte's eyes just turned dead as she rolled them, "Do you still have any questions?"

"No," Lucian shook his head.

"Then why—" And before Charlotte could finish her words, Lucian placed a handkerchief on the table, "That is…"

"The pill you requested, Ms. Hall Master," Lucian blinked as he gestured to Charlotte to get it.

"What!? You already finished the first trial in just a few hours!?" Charlotte quickly waved her hand to create a sound barrier as she almost leaped toward the sofa.

"I apologize it took so long," Lucian let out a small minute sigh, "I had to cook Waldo first. His meat is not tender at all."

"What...?" Charlotte completely ignored Lucian's words as she very carefully grabbed the handkerchief and opened it up; only for her eyes to almost get blinded, metaphorically, of course,

"This is…"

"That is the first trial, Ms. Hall Master," Lucian nodded,

"But it is also the final one."