Lin Yuan rolled his eyes. "Should I be surprised?"
If not for his urgent need for information, he would have already spat in this old man's face. Old Man Yi was one of the most greedy and ruthless figures in Azure Harbor, deeply entangled in nearly every shadowed trade that passed through the Tide Line.
Yi did not react to the sarcasm.
"The new handler working under the Star-Gazing Tower's External Affairs Hall has taken an interest in your Cold Restoration Pill formula."
Lin Yuan felt his thoughts pause for a brief moment, his gaze sharpening slightly.
"That makes very little sense. The pill is only a mortal-grade medicine."
Yi looked at him with open contempt. "That is its present state. The handler believes he can push it toward spirit-grade if he obtains the formula."
Lin Yuan considered the possibility briefly, then refocused. "And what about the spears? Who is copying them?"
"That situation is connected," Yi said flatly. "They intend to pressure you from several angles until you become desperate enough to accept whatever offer they present afterward."
He leaned back slightly, his tone calm but certain. "It is an old tactic—and more common than you think."
"So they plan to corner me completely before pretending to offer help. Charming," Lin Yuan muttered under his breath.
Yi continued without sympathy.
"The Harbor Authority's involvement comes from the same connection. The new handler is a friend of the man in the Star-Gazing Tower. They intend to take the formula, then spread the pill through other harbor cities and claim credit for it."
Lin Yuan's eyes turned cold.
"Two of the largest forces along the coast working together against a shopkeeper who barely earns enough to stay afloat."
Yi shook his head slightly, unimpressed.
"You should not imagine yourself special. This happens to anyone who creates something useful. Merchants, alchemists, craftsmen… once you have something worth stealing, someone will come for it."
Lin Yuan leaned back slightly, his tone turning colder. "So, in short, they intend to turn me into their obedient errand boy while they profit from my work."
Yi shrugged. "That is an accurate description."
"If you were in my position, what would you do?"
Yi studied him for a moment before answering. "I would find backing. Every merchant eventually needs someone standing behind them. That is how this city functions."
He paused slightly before adding, his tone more deliberate. "The key is choosing a backer whose bite is not fatal. All of them will take something from you. You simply choose the one who takes the least."
Lin Yuan looked at him quietly, then spoke again. "You did not follow that path. Instead, you bribed the Harbor Authority and, according to rumor, even gained favor with the City Lord's Mansion."
Yi gave a thin smile, clearly pleased. "Exactly. I learned long ago that relying on a single backer only means you get swallowed whole sooner or later."
His fingers tapped lightly against the table. "Sometimes bribery costs less than loyalty."
Lin Yuan took a slow breath, the situation settling more clearly in his mind. It seemed unavoidable.
"I think there is information missing."
Hearing this, Old Man Yi's lips curved slightly upward, his expression turning more satisfied.
"Since you paid, I will not waste time any longer. The spear copies are coming from the Sinking Storage District."
He paused briefly before continuing. "More precisely, from a workshop that appeared only three months ago. They are operating under the protection of a junior overseer from the Harbor Authority."
Lin Yuan's eyes flickered with anger.
"So the Authority is shielding counterfeiters now?"
Yi looked at him with a strange, knowing smile.
"You say it as if this is new. The overseer takes a share of the profit, the workshop gains protection, and the Authority pretends the spears flooding the market are simply competition."
He shrugged slightly. "The same cycle repeats again and again."
Lin Yuan crossed his arms, absorbing the information in silence.
Yi continued, his tone calm and almost instructional. "The quality is poor for now, but they do not need quality. They only need to sell enough batches at lower prices to shift the market."
He leaned forward slightly. "Once buyers grow used to cheaper goods, your reputation weakens. Then, when you finally resist, they offer you a contract that binds your hands and drains your profits."
Lin Yuan's voice turned cold. "A neat little trap."
"Quite neat," Yi agreed. "And refined with each merchant they swallowed."
"Do you know who runs this workshop?"
Yi nodded. "A man named Fan Lin. He was once part of the Smiths' Hall before being expelled for stealing designs."
His tone carried faint disdain. "He has no cultivation talent to speak of, but he is persistent and stubborn. The perfect puppet."
Lin Yuan considered the name, though it meant nothing to him.
"Does he know the spears are mine?"
Yi smirked slightly. "Even if he did not know at first, he certainly knows now. You should assume he understands exactly whose ground he is stepping on."
Lin Yuan leaned forward slightly, his gaze steady. "Why tell me this so easily? I thought you enjoyed watching me struggle."
Yi chuckled softly, the sound low and unhurried.
"Do not misunderstand. I do enjoy watching fools struggle when they wander into waters too deep for them."
He tilted his head slightly. "But you are not a fool."
His expression sharpened slightly. "More importantly, I now own a portion of your market. If someone squeezes you, they squeeze my profit as well. I do not tolerate that."
Lin Yuan nodded slowly. "So this is practicality, not generosity."
"Precisely."
The room fell quiet for a moment, the tension settling into something more controlled.
"What do you suggest I do next?" Lin Yuan asked.
Yi gave him a thoughtful look, his fingers tapping lightly against the table once more.
"If you storm that workshop, you will gain nothing except legal trouble the Authority will happily use against you. If you try negotiating with the handler, he will see it as weakness."
He paused briefly before continuing. "And if you continue alone, you will bleed until there is nothing left to take."
Lin Yuan folded his hands on the table. "Then what is the correct path?"
Yi lowered his voice slightly, his tone becoming more deliberate.
"You need a sponsor. One strong enough that even the Harbor Authority hesitates before touching you."
He leaned back slightly. "Once you have backing, all of this becomes an inconvenience instead of a threat."
Lin Yuan remained silent for a moment before speaking again. "Backing comes with a price."
Yi's expression deepened slightly, his gaze steady.
"Everything in this city has a price. The only difference is whether you choose it yourself or let someone else choose it for you."
Lin Yuan looked at him directly, his tone calm but firm.
"Old Yi, which backing would you choose if you were me?"