The evening air within the Tang Estate was deceptively still, carrying only the faint, sweet scent of night-blooming jasmine and the distant, rhythmic chirping of cicadas.
Inside the private dining pavilion, the atmosphere was one of quiet triumph. Shen Yu, Mei Yilan, and Lixue sat around a low table of polished cedar, the remnants of a luxurious meal before them.
"The public's fervor has reached a boiling point," Mei Yilan remarked, her voice elegant yet sharp with the tone of a master strategist. She poured a stream of pale green tea into a jade cup. "The Peng Clan has officially begun the payout of 'compensations' to the victims of their failed alchemy. It is a delicious irony, Yu'er. Every gold coin they bleed in a desperate attempt to save their reputation finds its way directly into our Jade Spring Hall to purchase your cure."
