"Besides, that Fire Demon Beast didn't show up by accident," Evan Xiao said. "Wherever there's a Soulstone Vein, a magical beast will appear."
Grace was stunned for a moment, but the way he explained it made everything sound so reasonable. "So you're saying there's definitely a Soulstone deposit here?"
Evan Xiao nodded.
"Then I'll go back and apply for mining rights right away!"
"You can try, but it might not work," Evan Xiao replied. "Quentin Shaw isn't the adventurous type."
Grace pursed her lips and smiled, "I have my ways with him!"
......
If Evan Xiao's divine powers were restored, he wouldn't need to mine—he could find it directly.
The Dragon Clan possesses an incredibly sharp sense of perception.
Even if the Soulstone Ore's surface perfectly concealed its spiritual energy, Evan Xiao could still find it.
However, right now, it wasn't convenient for him to restore his divine powers.
So for now, he was just an ordinary person at Spirit Master, Second Rank.
If they wanted Soulstone Ore, they'd have to do it the usual way: mining.
All national resources and matters of livelihood were controlled by the Prime Minister's Office.
In other words, to get mining rights, you had to submit detailed documents, get Quentin Shaw's approval, and report to the Emperor before you could officially start.
After Grace returned, with the help of Minister Zhuo, Jason Zhuo, and others, she prepared the documents and handed them over to Quentin Shaw.
Quentin Shaw was surprised to see that the mine she wanted to dig was for 'Soulstone Ore.' He looked over the documents several times and asked, "President Zhu, you want to mine Soulstone Ore? Is that correct?"
"That's right."
"Soulstone Ore..." Quentin Shaw muttered. "I've never even seen one!"
"If I manage to dig some up, I'll be sure to gift you a few pieces," Grace said with a smile.
"Haha! That would be great," Quentin Shaw chuckled. "But... I can't submit your application."
"Prime Minister, would you mind telling me why?"
"The Vermilion Kingdom has never produced Soulstone Ore," Quentin Shaw said. "If I submit your request and you can't find any, I'll look like a fool in front of the Emperor."
Grace thought for a moment and said, "If you don't mind, I can talk to the Emperor first and make it clear that it's my request. If nothing comes of it, it won't be your fault."
Quentin Shaw still shook his head.
This wasn't just about the Emperor.
The Vermilion Kingdom had never produced Soulstone Ore.
If it really got reported, the entire court would be watching.
If she didn't find any, his rivals would use it against him. At best, he'd be the butt of jokes.
At worst, who knows what kind of trouble could break out.
He wasn't willing to take that kind of risk.
Grace stepped up to him and suddenly raised her fist in front of his face.
"President, what are you doing?" Quentin Shaw asked.
Grace smiled faintly and opened her fingers. Resting in her palm was an Elixir Pill.
Quentin Shaw's eyes widened at the sight of the pill.
"I suppose you've run out of pills, haven't you, Prime Minister?" Grace said. "If you trust me this once, you'll get great benefits—and you'll never have to worry about this again!"
Quentin Shaw suddenly stood up. "...So it was you all along?"
Back when Grace first came to the Vermilion Kingdom, she disguised herself to deliver the medicine Quentin Shaw needed, all to help Joanna Zuo with her lawsuit.
After Quentin Shaw finished the pills, he tried to find her again, but couldn't.
Sam Yuan and Joanna Zuo both refused to say anything.
Grace just smiled.
"I should've figured it out sooner! Sam Yuan, Joanna Zuo—their amazing alchemist was you all along, wasn't it?"