Chapter 11 — The Failed Batch and The Wolf Pack Fear
The 40 Percent Result
Two days passed slowly. The snow outside piled higher, but inside the hut, the air was filled with anticipation.
The wooden molds sat in the corner, covered by a cloth.
It was the moment of truth.
Su Lan wiped her hands on her apron. She looked nervous.
"It is ready," she whispered.
She carefully turned the wooden tray over.
Thump.
A large block of solid, pale-green soap fell onto the table. It looked beautiful—smooth, waxy, and uniform in color.
Long Tan watched as she took a thin wire stretched between two sticks. She pressed it down to slice the block into smaller, hand-sized bars.
Slice.
The wire cut through the wax smoothly.
Su Lan picked up the first fresh bar. She brought it to her nose and inhaled deeply, closing her eyes.
She held her breath for a moment.
Then, she frowned. Her shoulders slumped.
"It is... okay," she said, her voice sounding unsure. "It smells nice. Like fresh rain and peaches. But... it is not like the raw leaf."
She looked at Long Tan with worry in her eyes.
"When I chewed the raw leaf, the energy exploded in my mouth. It numbed my tongue. It was 100% power. But this soap? The energy feels... muted. Quiet."
She bit her lip. "I think I cooked it too hot. The boiling oil must have destroyed the delicate Qi inside the leaves. I wasted them."
Long Tan walked over. He took the bar of soap from her hand. It felt cool and heavy.
He closed his eyes. He used his Moon Sense to feel the energy inside.
He could feel a faint vibration. It wasn't the roaring river of the raw leaf, but it was still there, humming softly.
"It is not destroyed," Long Tan analyzed carefully, opening his eyes. "It is just reduced. I would say... about 40% of the vitality remains."
"Only 40%?" Su Lan sighed, frustrated. "I lost more than half of the treasure."
"40% is still excellent for a first try," Long Tan said, squeezing her shoulder gently. "Most merchants sell soap with 0% vitality—just pig fat and ash. We have something real here. Let's test what 40% can do."
The Family Bath
They heated a large pot of water on the stove until it boiled, then poured it into the large wooden bathing tub in the center of the room.
In winter, a hot bath was a rare luxury. Usually, they just wiped themselves with a wet cloth.
"I will test it first," Long Tan said.
He stripped off his clothes.
Su Lan looked at him and blinked.
A few weeks ago, Long Tan was skinny and looked like a starving beggar.
Now?
His body was lean and hard. His muscles were defined like carved wood. His skin was tough. 360 Jin of strength lay hidden under his skin.
He stepped into the tub. The hot water stung his frozen feet, then felt wonderful.
He lathered the pale green soap on his chest.
The foam was rich, thick, and creamy. It didn't disappear instantly like cheap soap.
As he scrubbed, he focused on the feeling.
It wasn't the "shock" of the raw leaf.
Instead, it was a steady, soothing warmth.
It seeped into his skin. It felt like a hot towel was being pressed against his tired muscles. The ache in his back from making the bow faded away.
He looked at Su Lan, who was holding a towel nearby, staring at the water.
"The tub is big enough," he teased, splashing a little water toward her. "The water is hot. Want to join me?"
Su Lan's face turned bright red, like a ripe apple. She swatted the air with the towel.
"Shameless!" she hissed, glancing at the corner. "The children are watching!"
Long Tan laughed. "Fine, fine. But the soap works. My skin feels loose. The tightness in my shoulders is gone. It relaxes the body."
Little San's Surprise
Next, it was Little San's turn.
By now, the water was no longer hot. It was getting lukewarm. In this freezing weather, lukewarm water feels like ice.
"Nooo," Little San whined, clinging to the bedpost. "I hate baths! It's cold! I will freeze!"
"Come on, stinky boy," Su Lan said, grabbing him and lifting him into the tub.
"Ahh! Cold!" Little San shivered violently. His teeth chattered.
Su Lan worked quickly. She rubbed the 40% Potency Soap onto his shivering back.
She scrubbed gently.
Suddenly, Little San stopped whining.
He stopped shivering.
He blinked his big eyes and looked down at his chest.
"Mom?"
"What is it? Does it hurt?"
"No," Little San giggled. "It tingles. It feels like... tiny warm ants are walking on me. It tickles!"
He rubbed his own arm where the foam was.
"The cold water doesn't bite anymore. I feel warm inside! It's like wearing a coat in the water!"
Su Lan looked at Long Tan, surprised.
"Even at 40%, the Yang energy in the leaves is strong enough to resist the cold water," Long Tan noted, nodding in approval. "For a normal person with no cultivation, this is magic."
The Pricing Strategy
That night, the hut was warm and clean. The family sat around the oil lamp.
On the table sat 10 bars of the pale green soap, stacked like bricks of jade.
"So," Long Tan asked, crossing his arms. "What is the price?"
Su Lan thought hard. She touched the smooth surface of the soap.
"If this was 100% potency—if it cured pain instantly—I would charge 20 Coppers. Maybe even a Silver coin for a box."
"But this is only 40%. It warms the body. It heals dry skin. It smells nice. But it won't cure deep wounds."
Long Tan nodded. "We need people to try it first. If the price is too high, the villagers will be scared to buy it."
He held up five fingers.
"5 Copper Coins."
"5 Coppers?" Su Lan asked, eyes wide. "Normal soap is 1 copper. Scented soap from the city is 3 coppers. Is 5 too greedy?"
"Yes," Long Tan said confidently. "But normal soap doesn't make a shivering child feel warm in cold water. This is 'Grade 1 Peach Soap'."
He looked into her eyes, teaching her the way of business.
"We sell this batch for 5 coppers. It is cheap enough that villagers will buy it just to try. But once they use it... once they feel the warmth... they will be addicted. They won't go back to the 1-copper trash."
"And later," Su Lan smiled, understanding the plan, "When I learn to control the fire... when I make the 100% Potency batch..."
"Then we release 'Grade 2 Soap'," Long Tan finished. "And we sell that for 20 Coppers to the rich merchants."
Su Lan nodded firmly. She grabbed the stack of soap.
"5 Coppers. I will sell them tomorrow."
The Lingering Fear
Su Lan packed the soap away into a basket, humming a small, happy song. She finally felt useful. She was no longer a burden; she was a creator.
But Long Tan did not smile.
He stood by the window, looking out into the pitch-black forest. The wind howled through the trees.
His hand drifted to the handle of his heavy Iron-Oak Bow leaning against the wall.
"What is wrong?" Su Lan asked, noticing his silence. "We have the soap. We have the tax money. Why do you look so grim?"
"The wolf," Long Tan whispered.
"The one Auntie Li saw?"
"Yes. And the one I kicked in the forest," Long Tan said, his voice low. "That wolf... I realized something. It was a teenager. It was young, barely grown."
He turned to look at her, his face serious in the flickering lamplight.
"Wolves are not solitary creatures, Lan. If there is a teenager... there is a mother. There is a father. There is a pack."
He looked back at the darkness.
He knew how wolves thought. They were vengeful. They were smart.
If a human hurt one of their scouts, they didn't just run away in fear. They regrouped. They planned.
"I hurt one of them," Long Tan thought. "It will go back to the Alpha. It will lead them here."
He imagined the scene: Five or six wolves circling the hut. Scratching at the door. Breaking through the thin wooden windows.
"A single wolf, I can kill with my knife," Long Tan murmured to himself. "But if a pack of five or six comes... attacking from all sides..."
He gripped the window frame until the wood creaked under his fingers.
"I am strong, but I am only one man. I cannot protect the front door and the back window at the same time."
He looked at Little San sleeping on the bed. He looked at the baby in the crib.
He realized the danger wasn't over. It was just beginning.
"I need to prepare defenses," he decided, his eyes cold. "Before the pack arrives."
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