It must be said, Father Qin’s timing was impeccable.

Qin Zhou wanted to live better and longer in this world. First, he needed to cultivate his cultivation to a level where he could protect himself against anyone. Second, he needed to accumulate more wealth and assets.

Without savings, he couldn’t feel secure. Besides, he would need to find a partner someday.

Therefore, he had to expand his pill business.

Few cultivators ever came to Ping City, but the provincial capital was different. Not all cultivators qualified for the Upper Realm; the prosperous mortal lower realm also saw many cultivators.

With his father’s return, Qin Zhou could now hand over the Spiritual Pill.

“Establish the reputation of premium pills in the provincial capital. People will flock to them. If we consistently supply premium-grade pills and spread our name, the business will naturally grow.”

At this mention, Father Qin shed his usual easygoing manner, his gaze sharpening with caution. “Son, do you understand what precious-grade pills represent? The provincial capital has two major pill merchants, backed by major pill sects—Yaoshan Sect and Yaoyue Sect fall into this category. Even so, these merchants dare not claim they can consistently supply precious-grade pills.”

“I can.” Qin Zhou’s tone held not a hint of levity.

Nor was it arrogant; he spoke as if discussing a trivial matter.

Father Qin’s eyes widened slightly as he glanced back at his wife.

Was this truly his son? Such confidence made him almost doubt his own recognition.

His wife sighed silently and nodded.

“Qin Zhou, even if you can supply precious pills, have you heard the saying? ‘A tree that stands out in the forest is sure to be struck by the wind.’ We have no powerful backers or connections. Once we make such a bold claim, we’ll be the first to face the consequences.” Qin Haishan’s tone wasn’t harsh; at least in his view, his son having ambitions was a good thing.

“Though we’ll use precious pills as our hook, we won’t actually sell high-grade ones. We’ll only offer basic-grade. We’ll sell not just to independent cultivators, but also to sect disciples—even alchemy merchants can buy from us.” Qin Zhou’s tone was equally calm, as if he’d already mapped out ten thousand steps ahead with every single one he took.

Selling to sects and alchemy merchants meant prices wouldn’t be settled with mere spirit stones.

He alone couldn’t gather that many alchemical ingredients, but sects and alchemy merchants certainly weren’t short on them.

For something like this, he could just charge a processing fee and still make a profit.

“What you’re saying is…?”

“As long as the roots tightly entwine the entire forest, no wind can topple me.”

As a merchant, Qin Haishan’s mind worked quickly. His interest was piqued almost the moment Qin Zhou finished speaking. His son’s plan was feasible, but…

“How could you possibly manage alchemy alone?” Qin Haishan still felt it was unfeasible, fearing it would exhaust his son to death.

“It’s not just me refining pills. Our family’s Chen San also knows the craft. He just hasn’t mastered it as thoroughly yet, so the quality of his pills isn’t as potent as mine.” Madam Qin interjected at the right moment, “Our son won’t need to refine too many pills either. Do you really think many wandering cultivators can afford precious pills? Those in sects have their own alchemists. Unless absolutely necessary, they won’t come to our son for refining.”

Qin Haishan froze. “Who is Chen San?”

Madam Qin immediately recounted Chen San’s story. Mortals can refine pills too—that’s what Qin Zhou said. After listening, Qin Haishan rubbed his temples.

He was barely keeping up. He hadn’t even been in the provincial capital long, yet so much had happened at home.

“Father, if those two from the Yaoyue Sect request to meet the ‘honored guest’ after inspecting the pills, agree to it,” Qin Zhou said.

Qin Haishan instantly grasped his meaning.

If the Qin family’s alchemy business was to expand significantly, the Yaoyue Sect would be the first sect capable of establishing ‘contact’ with them.

After all, the Yaoyue Sect had once assisted the Qin family with alchemy, making it naturally Qin Zhou’s first consideration.

As for the Yaoshan Sect…

Qin Zhou wasn’t worried.

The cultivator who purchased his pills would inevitably spark interest in him as a pill master. It was only a matter of time before they came knocking.

Silently, his net had already begun to spread among the smaller pill-making sects. Only, these parties remained unaware.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

After discussing the details with Qin Haishan, Qin Zhou returned to his courtyard.

He would stay at the manor tonight.

The spirit field project had been postponed, and he’d recently refined enough pills. The Qin family’s medicinal ingredients were nearly depleted, leaving him with a rare night of leisure.

With nothing pressing, he wouldn’t return to the village.

After all, the village was empty. Being busy was manageable, but this idle time felt rather dull.

Qin Zhou found himself inexplicably thinking of Wen Jue.

He wondered if the fifth-tier Core Stabilizing Pills would be effective for him.

If they weren’t, he could always just eat them like candy beans.

Gazing at the bright moon outside, drowsiness began to overtake Qin Zhou.

He hadn’t been here long, yet under the moonlight, he felt not a shred of homesickness.

Perhaps it was because this world was so much better than the one he’d left behind.

No father relentlessly pushing arranged marriages, no absurd work pressures, no social troubles stemming from sexual orientation—

After all, here, cultivators held absolute power.

Whether one chose a male partner was purely a matter of personal preference.

Qin Zhou’s eyes slowly closed.

He had once believed that no matter what this world held, he would make the best of it. Living well here was enough.

But now it seemed he was actually savoring the unexpected delight this journey had brought.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

At the same time, an unwelcome visitor arrived at the Demon Sect in the upper realm.

Amidst the chaos, several guards were knocked to the ground as the Demon Sect’s main hall was violently breached.

The Demon Sect Master, who had been feigning sleep, lifted his eyes slightly. Spotting the silhouette bathed in moonlight at the doorway, a flicker of surprise crossed his gaze.

“Master! Someone breached the mountain gates! We… we couldn’t stop them!” one of the guards gasped, spitting blood as he spoke.

“Lu Xiao, your men are disobedient.” But the newcomer merely brushed off the dust from the fight. “I said I needed to see you, yet they insisted on blocking my way.”

Among the myriad sects of the upper realm, the Demon Sect stood foremost in might. Power reigned supreme within their ranks, and their leader, Lu Xiao, had sat upon that throne for millennia. For thousands of years, no one had ever managed to dislodge the Sect Leader from his seat.

Yet this formidable patriarch had now stepped down from his throne.

Under the stunned gazes of the Demon Sect cultivators, their patriarch approached the uninvited guest and respectfully addressed him: “Uncle Wen.”

Then, the Demon Sect patriarch glanced at his subordinate, spitting blood on the ground. “These subordinates are ignorant.”

The subordinates trembled violently.

“Rest assured, I didn’t kill them.” Wen Jue, present only as a spiritual projection, spoke.

“What business brings you here, Uncle Wen?”

“Fifth-grade Core Stabilizing Pills. Exchange them for some spirit marrow.”

Wen Jue tossed a porcelain bottle.

Lu Xiao caught it, uncorked it, and took a light sniff. It was indeed fifth-grade Core Stabilizing Pills.

“Jiang Huan.”

The shadow that had stood behind the Demon Sect Master suddenly materialized. “Master.”

“Take ten pieces of spirit marrow and give them to Uncle Wen.”

The dark figure called Jiang Huan immediately approached Wen Jue, presenting the ten pieces of spirit marrow.

Wen Jue didn’t even glance at them, simply stowing them into his Cosmos Bag. “Where is your father?”

Lu Xiao: “Which father is Uncle Wen asking about?”

Wen Jue: “The Seventh.”

“I don’t know,” Lu Xiao replied sincerely.

Wen Jue sighed in exasperation. “Then I’ll be going.”

“Take your time, Uncle Wen.” Lu Xiao nodded.

Just as Wen Jue stepped forward, Lu Xiao’s voice suddenly reached him again—

“Uncle Wen, Father left me a message before his last departure, asking me to pass it on to you. This time, he still stands with you.”

“…Alright.” Wen Jue halted mid-step, wanting to say something for his nephew to relay. But after a moment’s thought, he held his tongue and simply said, “I’m leaving.”

Lu Xiao watched him walk away.

In mere moments, Wen Jue’s spiritual essence vanished completely from the Demon Sect’s domain.

“Everyone, leave. Remember—no one came to the Demon Sect’s main hall today.” Suddenly, Lu Xiao declared before the gathered sect members.

Hearing this, his subordinates all lowered their heads in unison.

They understood the Sect Master’s meaning.

Whoever spoke up, who leaked word of today’s events, would face one consequence: death.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Only after leaving the Demon Sect’s main hall and moving far away did someone finally press a hand to their chest, muttering indignantly, “That man barged in and injured our people. The Sect Leader not protecting us is one thing… but to forbid us from even mentioning it? What kind of logic is that?”

“Guardian Jiang, do you know who that man was?” Most crucially, the Sect Master had actually addressed him as Uncle Wen.

Jiang Huan, as the Demon Sect’s Left Guardian, held a position second only to the Sect Master himself. Though generally taciturn, he was considered reasonable within the sect. Hearing this, Jiang Huan lifted his eyelids slightly and replied, “Sect Master Lu Xiao’s uncle— the Supreme Patriarch’s senior brother.”

This brief statement left the questioner utterly stunned.

The Demon Sect produced many talented individuals, but Lu Xiao’s secure position as Patriarch stemmed not only from his strength but also because the sect was founded by his father. Who was the Supreme Patriarch? He ranked among the top ten on the Heaven Piercing List.

As for the Supreme Patriarch’s elder brother, only one was widely known.

The one ranked first on the Heaven-Piercing List…

The one hailed as the greatest demonic fiend in Zhutian…

The Demon Sect cultivator instantly regretted his question, a shiver running down his spine. Not for any other reason, but because he had just narrowly escaped death at Wen Jue’s hands.

“Left Guardian… Shouldn’t he be imprisoned? How did he appear here?”

Jiang Huan: “Don’t ask what you shouldn’t.”

The Demon Sect cultivator immediately fell silent.

Jiang Huan glanced up at the sky and continued walking forward, though his brow remained unmarked by joy.

Everyone believed Wen Jue was trapped within the Immortal Restraint Prison, yet who could have imagined his cultivation was unfathomably deep, allowing his divine soul to traverse freely between realms?

In this millennium-long conflict between the righteous and demonic paths, the righteous side might not emerge victorious.

Jiang Huan turned his head, gazing distantly at the towering Demon Sect hall.

And what did Lu Xiao mean by those words?

This time, he still stands by your side.

The Supreme Patriarch would side with Wen Jue? Does that represent the Demon Sect’s stance?

This time? Which time was that?

“Jiang Huan.”

The sudden telepathic voice snapped Jiang Huan from his thoughts. He lifted his head slightly, gazing toward the Demon Sect’s main hall. “Master.”

“Investigate the origin of these Fifth-Tier Core Stabilizing Pills.”

“Master, this is difficult to investigate,” Jiang Huan replied directly. “Following Senior Wen would get me killed.”

If discovered, he doubted he’d return to the Demon Sect alive.

“…Aren’t you curious?” Lu Xiao, seated in the hall, couldn’t close his eyes no matter how hard he tried. “Since my birth, Uncle Wen has lived in seclusion—thousands of years of solitude. Now he personally seeks me out over a few pieces of Spirit Marrow. Something feels off, very off. Could it be… that Uncle Wen has set his sights on a pill master?“

”What would a pill master need Spirit Marrow for?” Jiang Huan asked coldly.

Lu Xiao choked.

True. What use would Spirit Marrow be to a pill master? It wasn’t a pill ingredient.

“Master, alchemists capable of refining Fifth-Tier Core Stabilizing Pills are indeed sought after by sects. But to catch Elder Wen’s eye? That’s another matter entirely. Also, please refrain from attributing everything to romantic entanglements.”

The Great Demon Lord taking a fancy to an alchemist? It was quite something for this ‘hypocritical’ sect master to even entertain such a thought.

“You… you don’t understand. It’s intuition.” Lu Xiao’s words lacked conviction. “Anyway, we must investigate this.”

“I will die,” Jiang Huan reiterated.

“Then we’ll go together. That way, Uncle Wen won’t kill us outright out of respect for my father.” Lu Xiao nodded in agreement after speaking.

Just as Jiang Huan was about to refuse, a gust of wind swept past. Lu Xiao had already teleported before him, slapping his shoulder. “Let’s go!”

Jiang Huan: “…”

He truly didn’t want to be an undercover agent in the Demon Sect anymore!