Chapter 10

When Qin Zhou emerged from the alchemy chamber, Wen Jue had already bound the others tightly together. They lay sprawled across the courtyard, arms and legs splayed.

Qin Zhou, who had only intended to fetch a drink, witnessed this scene: “…”

“Qin Zhou, you really are here!” Zhang Heming spotted him instantly and shouted loudly.

Qin Zhou glanced at him and asked, “Young Master Zhang, why are you still in Ping City?”

Zhang Heming’s expression changed, as if he’d swallowed a fly.

He never imagined Qin Zhou had truly gained powerful backing. Watching the green-robed cultivator being dragged helplessly into the courtyard by that white-robed Immortal Lord, Zhang Heming knew he was no match for Qin Zhou.

Zhang Heming clenched his fists, unable to fathom why he had lost to Qin Zhou.

He should have possessed a brighter future than Qin Zhou.

Yet the patron stood on Qin Zhou’s side…

Qin Zhou saw the expression on Zhang Heming’s face and knew exactly what he was thinking. He offered only one sentence: “Greed leads to ruin.”

Had the Zhang family not been greedy, they would never have reached this point.

“You…!” Zhang Heming was so choked with anger that his eyes turned red.

Wen Jue stood nearby, arms crossed, watching as if anticipating some spectacle.

Qin Zhou glanced around. Of all these people, he only recognized Zhang Heming. This probably had nothing to do with him.

Turning away, Qin Zhou headed back toward the alchemy chamber.

Wen Jue: ??

“Where are you going? Aren’t you going to handle your own mess?” Wen Jue cast a spell, and Qin Zhou found his feet rooted to the spot.

Qin Zhou: “You’re the one who let them in.”

Wen Jue: “I…”

Wen Jue pointed at the three green-robed cultivators. “They’re disciples from some minor sect helping the Zhang family refine pills. They lost the pill gathering and came looking for trouble.”

The three pointed-at cultivators in green robes froze, their faces flushing with embarrassment.

They had initially intended to…, but now they had no desire to cause trouble whatsoever. The white-robed cultivator before them was not someone they could handle.

“If you hadn’t agreed, they wouldn’t have been able to enter,” Qin Zhou emphasized the barrier’s function.

“Can you really stay cooped up in this village forever?” Wen Jue couldn’t help but ask.

Qin Zhou: “I can grow stronger and then go out.”

Wen Jue laughed bitterly: “Then I guess I’m just meddling?” That damn kid!

Qin Zhou thought for a moment, then sighed: “Thanks.”

Wen Jue: “…”

Was that thank you all he wanted?!

Why was it so hard just to watch the fun?

“Are you some kind of Bodhisattva reincarnated? They’re beating on your door, and you don’t even want to punch them back?” Wen Jue asked. “You’re at the second stage of Qi Condensation now. Dealing with these few shouldn’t be too hard, right?”

Second stage of Qi Condensation? Zhang Heming’s pupils contracted. How could Qin Zhou possibly be at the second stage?

“It’s difficult,” Qin Zhou said earnestly.

“I can only handle that one.” He pointed at Jin Ming, who appeared to be the youngest among the three.

Jin Ming glared coldly. “I’m a pill refiner.”

“Hmm, so am I.” Qin Zhou nodded.

Jin Ming reacted after a second, snapping back to reality. His voice involuntarily rose. “You’re the pill master who refines pills for the Qin family?”

Qin Zhou: “Yes.”

“You… you’re lying to me?” Jin Ming couldn’t believe it. No matter what, he refused to accept that the ‘master’ capable of refining a precious Spiritual Pill could be this person before him, whose cultivation was merely at the ‘second stage of Qi Condensation’.

Qin Zhou didn’t respond. Whether Jin Ming believed him or not was irrelevant.

Wen Jue nodded to himself nearby. Exactly, this was how it should be—only then would things get interesting.

Qin Zhou glanced at Wen Jue, a hint of resignation in his expression. Immortal Lord, didn’t you say you didn’t enjoy the spectacle?

Wen Jue cleared his throat. “Then you may leave. I’ll handle these people.”

At the word “handle,” all three of them, including Zhang Heming, snapped their heads up.

How would he handle them?

“What are you staring at? You entered my village and saw things you shouldn’t have. Did you really think you’d walk out alive?” Wen Jue’s voice suddenly deepened, as if he’d heard something amusing, completely different from his earlier tone with Qin Zhou.

The group froze in place. They all understood Wen Jue wasn’t joking.

Given his unfathomable power, there was no way they could leave this place alive.

Now, not just Zhang Heming, but even the few Qingyi cultivators turned pale.

“Senior, we mean no harm! We three are disciples of Yaoshan Sect. My two junior brothers—one masters the art of a thousand mechanisms, the other excels in alchemy. Neither is useless. Please, Senior, show mercy!”

To call it a threat would be laughable; they hoped Wen Jue might recognize their sect’s elders or master and spare them out of respect.

Wen Jue, however, looked puzzled. “Yaoshan Sect? I’ve never heard of it.”

At this, despair began to settle in their hearts.

If even their sect couldn’t save them…

But Wen Jue shifted his tone unexpectedly. “Judging by your sect’s name, you must possess many valuable items. If you wish to live, trade them for your lives.”

“We do!” The green-robed cultivator immediately unfastened his Cosmos Bag and presented it. “Take whatever you desire.”

Jin Mingning and the others exchanged glances before producing their own Cosmos Bags.

Only Zhang Heming, unsure what to offer, swallowed hard and said, “The Zhang family still has some alchemical ingredients. I wonder if you’d find them useful…”

Wen Jue tossed them to Qin Zhou without a glance.

“Pick.”

Qin Zhou: “…”

Wen Immortal Lord was truly lazy. Qin Zhou sighed inwardly, opening his Cosmos Bag to begin searching.

Surprisingly, Qin Zhou actually found some items.

“Spirit Focusing Wood.” Qin Zhou pulled out a small piece of spirit wood, about the length of a finger. “Highly beneficial for cultivating the divine soul.”

Jin Ming’s heart sank when he saw the small piece of wood in Qin Zhou’s hand.

That was the initiation gift his master had given him—a rare piece of Spirit Focusing Wood, a treasure-grade alchemical ingredient. Though he knew its efficacy, Jin Ming had never dared use it for alchemy.

After all, it was just a tiny piece.

Yet here he was, forced to part with this treasure to save his life.

No… What was harder to accept than losing the treasure was the realization that Qin Zhou, before him, was indeed a ‘master’. He recognized the Spirit-Focusing Wood and could even describe its effects.

He hadn’t deceived himself earlier. He was also an alchemist.

An alchemist as young as himself, yet with far greater talent.

The pride in Jin Ming’s eyes crumbled like candle wax, wiped away effortlessly by this damp cloth.

Just then, Wen Jue interjected, “What’s so special about that?”

Clearly, Wen Jue recognized the Spirit Focusing Wood and deemed it insignificant.

Qin Zhou: “They’re just disciples from minor sects.”

True treasures? They probably hadn’t even seen one, let alone possessed one.

“Why are you siding with them when I’m solving your problem?” Wen Jue wondered.

“You just want to watch the show,” Qin Zhou exposed him coldly, then pulled a porcelain bottle from his Cosmos Bag. “I’ll handle this trouble myself.”

With that, he poured out the pills from the porcelain bottle—five in total. Enough for the three cultivators and Zhang Heming and his servant.

“Swallow these, and you live. Will you?” Qin Zhou approached them and asked.

“Swallow.” Zhang Heming nodded first.

The servant also nodded hastily, “This one will swallow too.”

Qin Zhou promptly stuffed two pills into their mouth.

Turning to the other three, he asked, “What about you?”

The other two nodded without hesitation. Only Jin Ming hesitated, asking, “What… exactly are these pills?”

Qin Zhou hadn’t intended to explain, but seeing Wen Jue looking over, he said, “Memory Removal Pill. After swallowing them, all memories formed within the next hour will vanish.” Naturally, they would no longer recall anything about this courtyard.

Jin Ming: “I’ve never heard of such a pill…”

“I made it.” Qin Zhou said no more, simply stuffing one into each of their mouths.

Wen Jue leaned closer to Qin Zhou, curiously asking, “You have this kind of thing?”

Qin Zhou shot him a glance, “Isn’t that exactly what you came for?”

To probe his secrets.

Wen Jue: “…”

Wen Jue didn’t. Wen Jue wouldn’t admit it.

“…Then can I throw them out now?” Wen Jue asked.

“Mhm.” Qin Zhou intended to return to the pill room.

“Qin Zhou.”

“Mhm?”

“If I hadn’t been here today, they would’ve definitely caused you trouble. Are we just letting them go like this?” Wen Jue wasn’t sure, so he asked again. He didn’t understand—returning kindness for hatred?

If Qin Zhou was like that, then the largest lotus throne in the Thousand Buddha Hall should be given to him.

Returning kindness for hatred? He truly wasn’t that kind of person.

Hearing this, Qin Zhou paused before saying, “That medicine is only a bit more painful than the Marrow Cleansing Pill.”

Wen Jue flinched: “…”

He’d underestimated him.

This kid was downright vicious.

The Memory Removal Pill washed away memories buried deep within the soul. Even if someone searched his soul, they wouldn’t find a single trace.

The remnants in Qin Zhou’s Cosmos Bag.

A truly supreme pill.

Pity it never saw the light of day before he withdrew from the world.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

“You seem quite skilled at alchemy.” After tossing everyone off the mountain, Wen Jue instantly returned to the courtyard.

Qin Zhou was sorting through the Cosmos Bags left behind by the three. Fortunately, he found quite a few items usable at his current cultivation level, especially Jin Ming’s Cosmos Bag, which was nearly filled with alchemical ingredients.

“Mhm.”

“Before possessing Young Master Qin, were you a master alchemist? I know many who practice this art. Who was your master? Perhaps I know your lineage.” Wen Jue’s tone was casual, as if merely making small talk.

Qin Zhou answered honestly, “I have no lineage.”

“No master either?”

“Mhm.”

Wen Jue snorted coldly. He knew this kid wasn’t telling the truth. If this brat had no connection to that old geezer, he’d wring his own neck!

Qin Zhou couldn’t see Wen Jue’s expression, but he knew the other man wanted to uncover his secrets—to understand why he wasn’t blocked by the barrier.

Let him guess.

He had no intention of revealing anything anyway.

“The thing on your head…” After a moment’s hesitation, Qin Zhou spoke of the Bright Moon Reflecting Snow hairpin. “It’s quite beautiful.”

Wen Jue paused, raising a hand to lightly touch the hairpin nestled in his hair.

“Did someone give it to you?” Qin Zhou asked.

Coming to his senses, Wen Jue slumped back into a chair in the courtyard. “Curious?” he inquired.

“It’s no ordinary object.”

“Indeed, it isn’t.”

“Then…”

“Oh, you want to know its origin? It’s been so long, I’ve forgotten. Probably seized from some cultivator I killed.”

He was lying.

Qin Zhou understood. Wen Jue was deliberately saying this. He wanted to know about him, but Qin Zhou didn’t want to tell. So, regarding the Bright Moon Reflecting Snow, Wen Jue deceived him, too.

Tit for tat.

Besides… there’s plenty of time.

“I’m off to refine pills.” Qin Zhou gave a brief nod before striding straight toward the alchemy chamber.

Refining again? Wen Jue was a bit speechless. “You’re working so hard to improve your cultivation—is someone chasing you down?”

Qin Zhou turned back and replied, “Striving to improve my cultivation is for the sake of living longer.”

Wen Jue couldn’t relate. He’d lived long enough. “And after living long enough?”

“Find a Dao companion.”

Wen Jue:?

By the time Wen Jue lifted his stunned gaze, Qin Zhou had already entered the alchemy room.

“…Seems like he’s not wrong.”

An endless, tedious life—without a Dao companion, it would truly be boring enough to kill.

Like how he felt right now.