Qin Zhou skipped the Immortal Pill Gathering, returning alone to his village.

He now stood on the threshold of entering an immortal sect, needing only to refine a Spiritual Pill. He still carried twenty entry-level Spiritual Pills.

Thanks to Wen Jue’s spiritual energy, he’d only needed fifteen Marrow Cleansing Pills to raise his cultivation to 4.0. The ingredients were costly, and Qin Zhou had no desire to refine another batch. 4.0 was sufficient for him to enter the immortal sect.

Once he unlocked his Cosmos Bag, he’d have a thousand ways to strengthen himself.

Marrow Cleansing Pill… they hurt like hell.

Especially when swallowing a dozen at once.

Unwilling to relive that agony worse than death, Qin Zhou pushed open the door. Yet sitting in the courtyard was the very culprit responsible.

Before the easternmost house, a white-robed youth sat with his legs crossed, humming a tune. Seemingly aware of his arrival, he looked over leisurely.

“I didn’t skip my hopscotch today,” Qin Zhou thought. Sometimes Wen Jue really resembled those legendary guardian spirits. When the master returned, he would appear.

This thought couldn’t be voiced aloud—it would likely earn him another twenty Marrow Cleansing Pills.

Wen Jue: “…Did I say you skipped the grid?”

“You mentioned it last time.”

With that, Qin Zhou recalled how he’d resolved to treat Wen Jue courteously next time he visited.

But the Marrow Cleansing Pills were excruciatingly painful.

“Thanks for the marrow-cleansing,” Qin Zhou said earnestly.

Recalling how that marrow-cleansing nearly killed Qin Zhou, Wen Jue gave a light cough. “You’re welcome.” He quickly changed the subject. “By the way, today’s the Immortal Pill Gathering, right? Aren’t you going?”

“You know about the Immortal Pill Gathering?”

“Who in all of Ping City doesn’t?” Wen Jue snorted lightly. “You’re not going to see the outcome? Are you so certain the Qin family will win? Or do you simply not care who wins or loses?”

“The Qin family can’t lose,” Qin Zhou said. “I refined the pills myself. I know what I’m doing.”

“But the ones judging the outcome aren’t you. They’re the group of immortal sect disciples the Zhang family brought in.”

Qin Zhou lifted his eyes to look at him, only to find a blurred mosaic. He shifted his gaze again. “They can’t lose. The Zhang family can’t recruit any major sects as backing. Disciples from minor sects wouldn’t dare offend an outstanding alchemist over some petty mortal grudges.”

Arrogant bastard. Wen Jue narrowed his eyes, yet couldn’t deny Qin Zhou’s point. Throughout history, alchemists have always held a unique status. Their ability to cultivate talent meant no one dared offend them, and a skilled alchemist often had even greater backing.

As for Qin Zhou… I don’t know if he has backing, but this kid has a secret.

A shocking secret.

“So what are you going to do now?” Seeing Qin Zhou about to enter the house, Wen Jue instinctively followed. “Refine pills?” “

”Eat a Spiritual Pill.“

”Oh—“ Wen Jue drew out the syllable, ”After washing your marrow, you’re about to become a cultivator, huh?“

”Mhm.” Qin Zhou replied before entering the house, carefully closing the door behind him.

Staring at the shut door, Wen Jue’s smile froze on her face.

What was that supposed to mean?

Was it because she’d accidentally given him a few extra Marrow Cleansing Pills last time?

Like he was a thief!

“If you have nothing else to do, you could go to the Immortal Pill Gathering. It should be lively.” Qin Zhou’s voice suddenly came from inside the house.

“This one dislikes crowds!” Wen Jue snapped. “Besides, this one has plenty of other matters to attend to!”

With that, his spirit-formed body instantly dissipated.

Qin Zhou pushed open the window. Seeing the courtyard empty, he suddenly realized he’d forgotten something—

He’d forgotten to ask about the origins of Bright Moon Reflecting Snow.

…Not important anyway.

It’s been ten thousand years.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Meanwhile, the Immortal Pill Gathering was indeed bustling.

Their intentions were as plain as day. The Zhang family’s goal was to drive the Qin family out of Ping City. The area around Ping City was rich in talent and resources, attracting numerous medicinal herb merchants.

Previously, the Zhang family lacked alchemists and couldn’t reap the benefits.

Now was their chance.

Thus, without much preamble, Zhang Heming stated their purpose for the day—

Esteemed Immortal guests have journeyed far to witness this Immortal Pill Gathering. To add luster to the event, the Zhang and Qin families have personally entered the contest. We have each commissioned our alchemists to refine several pills. We humbly invite the Immortal guests to evaluate them—

“And we ask all Ping City citizens present to bear witness.”

“The losing family must relocate their entire household and shops out of Ping City.”

“Qin…” Zhang Heming faltered mid-sentence, glancing back at Chen San seated among the guests. He gritted his teeth and forced a smile. “This gentleman from the Qin residence… would you agree?”

Chen San rose, his demeanor neither humble nor arrogant, his voice betraying no trace of fear. “Then let the citizens and esteemed immortals bear witness. The loser shall depart Ping City with their entire household and business.”

Hearing this, Zhang Heming’s heart settled.

What’s the point of holding a grudge? The Qin family was about to vanish.

He didn’t know why the Qin family sent a servant to act like a fox borrowing a tiger’s might, but it was nothing more than putting on airs. In today’s pill contest, the Zhang family could never lose!

Zhang Heming could almost see the Qins fleeing Ping City like stray dogs, a gleam lighting his eyes. “Then we invite the esteemed Immortal Masters to the stage to evaluate both families’ pills!”

Several streaks of green light cascaded down from the upper floor. In the blink of an eye, the cultivators had all arrived on the platform.

“Those must be the Immortal Lords!”

“So impressive! I didn’t even see how they descended!”

“Begin. Let’s get this over with quickly,” the lead cultivator said coldly.

They had no desire to be gawked at like monkeys on display.

Zhang Heming smiled. “Bring forth the pills! The Qin family, present yours as well!”

Chen San approached the platform carrying his own box.

“Young Master Zhang, our young master has instructed that we must first request the Immortal Lords to agree to one matter before proceeding with the appraisal.”

Zhang Heming frowned. “What standing does your young master have to demand the Immortal Lords agree to anything?”

“If they refuse, the pills won’t be compared, and the challenge is void.”

Zhang Heming froze. What was Qin Zhou playing at?

“Tell us,” one of the green-robed cultivators couldn’t help but ask, curiosity piqued.

Chen San nodded. “My young master says that since you’re acting as judges, fairness is essential. Before the evaluation, we ask each of you Immortal Lords to raise three fingers to the heavens and swear an oath: that your words are truthful. Should you be found unjust, the Way of Heaven shall strike you with three bolts of lightning.”

The words fell, and the entire tavern fell deathly silent.

He… this young master of the Qin family—how dare he?

Demanding these esteemed cultivators take an oath?

Everyone was incredulous, but more than that, they were terrified. They feared that if these cultivators grew displeased, they might do something irreparable.

“Your young master certainly has the nerve to speak,” another green-robed cultivator said coldly.

As the cultivators’ faces darkened, Zhang Heming felt a secret thrill. The Qins feared these cultivators might show favoritism during the pill evaluation after accepting their bribes. But they hadn’t considered that demanding an oath would humiliate the cultivators. Offending these immortal sect disciples would only bring misfortune upon the Qin family.

His joy, however, was short-lived.

“And you, young master of the Zhang family, what do you say? Your father invited us here, yet now demands we swear an oath before tasting your pills?”

Zhang Heming’s heart lurched at being singled out. “No, honorable cultivators… this… I…”

Why was the blame falling on him?

It wasn’t him who asked them to swear!

Cold sweat beaded on Zhang Heming’s brow as he struggled to find an explanation. But refusing the oath was unthinkable—what if the Qins fled? If the pill contest failed, how could he face his father?

Just then, a voice spoke from among the green-robed cultivators—

“Enough, Senior Brother. It’s just an oath.”

It was the youngest junior brother, Jin Ming.

“I only want to compete in pills. Those unwilling to swear can sit upstairs.” Jin Ming said, frowning.

“Jin Ming.” The senior brother snapped coldly.

Jin Ming felt resentful but dared not say more.

“We can swear.” The senior brother spoke, though his mood was clearly sour.

Zhang Heming dared not speak, merely watching them swear.

Three fingers raised to the heavens, they chanted: “Every word spoken is truth. Should we violate justice, may the Way of Heaven strike us down with thunder.”

“Very well then. Please, esteemed cultivators, taste the pills.” Seeing this, Chen San handed over the box.

The Zhang household servants promptly presented their own pill boxes.

Zhang Heming knew nothing of pills, but seeing Chen San’s composed demeanor, an inexplicable unease stirred within him.

How could he be so steady?

Could it be… he truly dared to compete with the Zhang family in pill-making?

Zhang Heming’s suspicions deepened.

Yet the arrow was already on the string; there was no turning back.

The gong sounded—

The pill comparison officially began.

Two pills were placed on the tables before the cultivators. The common folk could glimpse their expressions by tilting their heads slightly.

The first opened the box on the left. Black pills shimmered with flecks of golden light.

This was a pill personally refined by his junior disciple.

“Since ancient times, Spiritual Pill have been graded by tier. Today’s pills are of the same tier, so we judge them by appearance and quality. Generally, we cultivators classify the Spiritual Pill into five grades: Common, Fine, Rare, Precious, and Supreme. The first two are most common, Rare is uncommon, while rare and supreme grades are beyond the mortal realm. Today’s pill comparison will be decided by quality.“

”The one before us now, with its purple spiritual energy, is a rare-grade, entry-level Spiritual Pill.”

The common folk, being ordinary mortals, couldn’t perceive the color of spiritual energy. They only knew this cultivator wouldn’t lie. This also proved that the alchemist hired by the Zhang family was indeed formidable.

The Qin family… might just lose.

After the green-robed cultivator finished speaking, he turned his gaze to the pill box on the right.

Though Yaoyue Sect possessed formidable alchemists, those who conducted business with commoners were likely not among the most skilled.

Well…

They might as well open it and see.

Adopting a casual attitude, the green-robed cultivator lifted the lid of the pill box.

The next instant, he froze.

A fleeting flash of golden spiritual energy.

Yet this fleeting glimpse did not escape the eyes of every cultivator present.

Golden… the color of a precious treasure.

A color seldom seen in the mortal world.

But… how could this be?

Could the pills refined by the Yaoyue Sect alchemist truly surpass even Junior Brother’s in quality?

The common folk couldn’t fathom why the atmosphere on stage suddenly froze after the box was opened. Was there something wrong with the contents of the Qin family’s pill box?

The next moment, Jin Ming leapt to his feet, snatching the pill box right from his senior brother’s hands.

Upon seeing its contents, his pupils contracted.

Golden. Truly golden.

The Qin family’s pill box contained a precious-grade, entry-level Spiritual Pill.

Seeing this scene, Zhang Heming’s unease surged to its peak. Yet, with the cultivators silent, he dared not speak.

“Honored Immortal, please evaluate the Qin family’s pill!” At that moment, Chen San piped up again.

“You—” Zhang Heming nearly blurted out a curse.

The blue-robed cultivator froze, while Jin Ming, holding the box, raised his voice to question Chen San: “Who refined this pill?”

Chen San replied, “The Qin family’s pill was naturally refined by their own pill master.”

Zhang Heming glanced at Chen San, then at the blue-robed cultivator’s side. His heart sank. “Honorable Immortal, this pill…”

“First pill: Qin family wins.” Jin Ming pronounced each word deliberately before returning to his seat.

But the other senior disciples knew trouble was brewing.

They’d thought disrupting the Yaoyue Sect’s pill business might appease Jin Ming, but instead, they’d lost right here.

Among the many pill sects, many alchemists could defeat Jin Ming. Yet within the same tier, few could match him.

Who exactly was this alchemist from the Qin family?

“Continue.” Seeing no movement, Jin Ming called out again.

Zhang Heming wiped his face. “Second pill. Please, Divine Master, open the box.”

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Unsurprisingly, the next pill was still a rare purple-grade from Jin Ming, while the Qin family’s pill remained a precious-grade treasure.

“Second pill. Qin family wins.”

…

The third pill.

“Qin family wins.”

…

“Qin family wins.”

The repeated announcements from the green-robed cultivator sent Zhang Heming’s heart sinking deeper with each utterance.

It’s over.

It’s all over!

How could the Zhang family lose! How could they possibly lose!

Yet another soul was even more unsettled than Zhang Heming—Jin Ming, the alchemist representing the Zhang family.

Jin Ming never aspired to be the Zhang family’s alchemist, yet he never imagined his once-proud alchemical talent would be trampled into the mud time and again in this mundane rural place.

And now, with his own eyes, he had to announce the result of the final pill contest—

“The Qin family wins.”

The moment the words left his mouth, the crowd below erupted in cheers.

Chen San breathed a sigh of relief; his mission was accomplished.

At that moment, a voice cut through the air with piercing intensity—

“Impossible! How could the Zhang family lose! The Qins must have used some trick! Those pills couldn’t possibly be theirs!” Zhang Heming erupted, unable to accept the outcome.

The Zhang family had lost.

Defeat meant the entire family, shop, and all, would have to leave Ping City.

The Zhang family could not lose!

Chen San frowned and asked, “How could the pills brought from the Qin family not be theirs? Young Master Zhang, please don’t make baseless accusations. If the people don’t believe it, they can go to the shop and see for themselves. The Spiritual Pill sold by the Qin family will always be of the highest quality from now on.”

The Zhang family had lost completely. The divine elders themselves had declared the Qin family victorious, and the absence of thunder in the sky proved the outcome was fair and just.

“Young Master Zhang, don’t be such a sore loser!”

“Exactly! The losers move out of Ping City, shop and all! Don’t go back on your word!”

The crowd below the stage jeered.

“Shut up! All of you! Shut up! Do you believe I’ll cripple you all?” Zhang Heming’s innate arrogance flared. He grabbed a man by the collar below the stage and began cursing furiously.

As Zhang Heming wrestled with the man, Zhang Hesheng, watching everything unfold from the second floor, gripped the railing tightly. Suddenly—

A mouthful of blood spurted out.

Clearly, his blood pressure had surged.

“Young Master! Young Master, something’s wrong! Your father has coughed up blood!”

In the blink of an eye, everyone turned to see Zhang Hesheng lying stiff and pale on the floor, unconscious.

Meanwhile, Jin Ming stormed off the stage in a huff. The green-robed cultivators exchanged glances before scrambling to follow.

The wind swept away the cultivators’ figures, also knocking half the plaque for the Immortal Pill Gathering loose. It hung crooked and askew, a sorry sight.

At that moment, a white figure silently appeared by the third-floor railing. No one knew how long he’d been there, but clearly, no one had noticed his presence. “It’s quite lively here,” Wen Jue murmured, propping his chin with one hand and smiling.