The rush

On my way home, I've noticed the excitement in the crowds. Crowds were gathering around wood traders and carpenters. Parties were getting supplies and heading to the forest. There were bragging and betting on who would bring back more or better wood.

To be honest wood trade was a dangerous business, these people weren't called woodcutter or lumberjacks - they were called 'woodhunters', because forests were dark and full of horrors. Wood was a moderately expensive commodity (compared clay and bricks). Noble families had their own experts in the trade.

In contrast, carpenter guild was independent (with measures taken to keep it that way). According to Shen Xiu, it outranked some bottom tier noble families in wealth and political power, even their guild masters were gold rank experts (for many generations). And that was before my invention, now I wasn't sure, where they would end-up, probably closer to the current alchemist association.

Somehow, prices on a demon beast blood have dropped a little. As store manager explained, after a good purchase, this 'woodrush' would increase the supply of certain materials (including blood) as a side-effect. If things would go well, some things could lose up to a quarter of their normal price.

Xiao Yue reported her success with a confident smile. I gave her a couple of hours for cultivation and got back to my Inscription research. Two hours later, I finished with a War Prime sigils and took an hour before dinner to cultivate myself. When I came out, sister Xiu was there in a big room going over some papers.

"Big sis, you came!" - the business suit accented her own charm in a new unexpected way.

"Brother Yue," - she gave me a dangerous smile, - "you just don't know how much trouble you caused with this invention."

"You mean this Woodrush thing going outside?" - I thought the reaction was a bit exaggerated, - "It will die down in a week."

"You know nothing Yue'er!" - she hugged me tightly - "Major families are moving-out in force, they already divided nearby woods between themselves and padded areas in between with lesser families. In a couple of months, the city would expand. For the first time since the foundation! Some people already proclaiming 'Renaissance'." - as she was talking her hold was getting tighter and tighter.

"That would be troublesome, I just know it." - It wasn't butterflies - it was dragons. - "Bad news?"

"We got 70% of the profit and that includes base designs, custom works, and derivative designs (like an underground cultivation chamber). They won't let the Sacred family keep it all." - There was an annoyance in her voice.

"Damn," - I could practically hear Game of Thrones theme. - "They gonna press for marriage."

"Yeah, either Ye or Chen," - there was an anger in her voice. - "And I bet, big bro would find a way to ruin it all."

"Wanna elope?" - that was the simplest solution.

"And then come back as a couple of Legend ranks. That would shut them up for good." - she finally relaxed, practically melting around me.

Dinner was as good as breakfast and helped sis fix her mood. We even joked about her potential wedding and how everyone would blame each-other and fight using food. After that, she examined my Inscription notes. Then gave me another mind-shattering kiss caressing my body through the clothes. And once I came to my senses, she explained that, with my research, known Sigils could be adjusted to specific blood. It took us an hour to do it for a single blood-sigil pair, thought even our errors advanced research overall.

In the end, she went home in an absolutely good mood, as if the world was already hers. I spend the night cultivating and Xiao Yue got a few hours of proper rest.