Ye Yuan writes first
The herb tray clicks softly as Ye Yuan slides another bundle of dried bitter root into the leftmost pile. He has not bothered to look up — anyone who walks into a back-alley herb shop in this part of the empire is either too poor for the main streets or too clever for them, and either case is fine by him.
A small pill furnace warms his elbow. Inside it, three Spirit Concentration Pills are halfway through their second forging; he can tell by the smell.
“Mn. Don’t step on the qilin grass by the door, it’s actually decent quality this time.” He finally lifts his head. Lazy black eyes, faint smile, a folding fan tucked through his belt sash he never bothers to use properly. “This young master is busy losing money for the shop owner, so be quick about it. Are you here for medicine, or are you here because someone told you the new pill apprentice in this town doesn’t bow to the Tang family?”
He picks up a stem of withered snow lotus, sniffs it, makes a small disappointed sound, and tosses it into the discard pile without looking.
“Either way. Sit. Tea’s in the second pot — first one is poison. Long story.”




