Wen Jue returned to the village but failed to locate Qin Zhou. He headed straight for the Qin residence.

Qin Zhou’s courtyard lay on the eastern side of the estate. Having been there before, he found his way easily.

Yet before reaching the courtyard, as he passed the vermilion-painted corridor outside, voices suddenly reached Wen Jue’s ears—

“Chen San, you’ve really made something of yourself. I asked you to relay a message to the young master—I just wanted to see him—and you won’t even help? If not for me, would you be the young master’s favorite right now?”

“Brother A-Sheng, it’s not that I won’t pass the message. The young master said he doesn’t want to see you.”

Hearing this, Wen Jue raised an eyebrow. So it was Chen San.

And who was this A-Sheng?

“You think I believe that? If I hadn’t been away from the young master these past few days, would you even be running errands for him now?” A-Sheng was furious. Everyone said Chen San had won the young master’s favor, and even the mistress held him in high regard.

And him? In barely half a month, A-Sheng had gone from the young master’s personal attendant to a lowly servant anyone in the mansion could boss around. Originally, the young master had met a benefactor, and it should have been A-Sheng who reaped the rewards!

He should have stayed in that godforsaken village, guarding the young master!

Now this Chen San had snatched the opportunity!

Chen San understood A-Sheng’s fury, but…

“Brother A-Sheng, I truly told him, but the young master doesn’t wish to see you.” Chen San repeated once more. The young master rarely returned to the estate, and even when he did, he remained busy. He had sent word—it was indeed the young master’s wish.

“Hmph, Chen San, don’t get cocky too soon. I used to serve the young master day and night, and I was quite the figure in the mansion back then. After all those years with him, I was cast aside just like that. You just keep fooling yourself—sooner or later, you’ll end up the same way I did!” A-Sheng spat.

Hearing this, Chen San, who had been about to leave, suddenly halted. “The young master isn’t the kind of person you make him out to be.”

The porcelain bottle tucked in his chest had warmed to a gentle heat. The young master had already given him the two best choices. And…

“I’m not like Brother A-Sheng. When the young master told you to return to the manor to report, he never said you couldn’t come back to the village to find him. After reporting back, why didn’t Brother A-Sheng, as the young master’s personal attendant, come to the village to find him?” Chen San questioned him, a hint of anger creasing his brow. “Wasn’t Brother A-Sheng’s duty to protect and serve the young master?” Yet the one who despised that poor, desolate village for its poverty and harsh terrain was none other than you, A-Sheng! Now you regret not following the young master back then to bask in his glory?

“If I were you, instead of gossiping about the young master behind his back, you’d better reflect on why, after serving him for so long, you still haven’t earned his trust!”

Chen San had always been a good-natured fellow, and his sudden fierce glare left A-Sheng momentarily stunned. “You…”

“I won’t tolerate anyone speaking ill of the young master. If you do it again, A-Sheng, I’ll sever our past friendship.” With those words, Chen San turned and walked away.

He owed A-Sheng nothing.

The only thing he owed him for was that trip to the village to find the young master, A-Sheng had brought him along.

And…

He was grateful for today’s words, for they made his choice clear.

Rather than spend his life in the mansion, living an ordinary existence, he would follow the young master. Perhaps he could see more wonders, glimpse the broader world visible only to immortals.

Chen San stormed off, leaving A-Sheng seething with rage, his eyes red with fury.

Qin Zhou wasn’t the real Young Master Qin, so naturally, he couldn’t allow A-Sheng, who had served him for years, to follow him.

But setting that aside, A-Sheng and Chen San were simply incomparable.

“That guy has decent taste,” Muttering under his breath, Wen Jue slowly made his way toward Qin Zhou’s courtyard.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

In Qin Zhou’s courtyard, the autumn wind whistled. The cobblestone path, freshly swept, was already blanketed in ginkgo leaves, turning the ground golden.

The scenery was lovely, but despite searching high and low, Wen Jue couldn’t find Qin Zhou.

Was he not in the village? Not even at the manor?

Could he have gone to the Qin family’s alchemy shop?

Without a second thought, Wen Jue entered the house and plopped down on a stool.

Suddenly, he recalled his first visit to Qin Zhou—that night he’d sneaked into the Qin residence.

But this time… would that rascal make him wait another few hours?

Oh well.

He had taken the Core Stabilizing Pill Qin Zhou had given him. A gift is a bond.

But he hadn’t waited long before his divine sense detected movement outside the courtyard.

Someone was coming.

“Honored guests, the distinguished person hasn’t arrived yet. Please wait in this courtyard for now.”

“The distinguished person is busy. We don’t mind waiting.”

“Qin Haishan, I’ve been refining pills for the Qin family for years, earning your household plenty of Spirit Stones. Just tell me the truth—those precious pills displayed in the pill shop… were they truly refined by that distinguished guest?”

“…Indeed, they were refined by the distinguished guest.”

“Hmph. Then your son is quite capable of having climbed to such a high-ranking guest.”

This remark left the middle-aged man momentarily speechless. He could only brush it aside with a smile. “Come inside and wait.”

Creak.

The gate to Qin Zhou’s courtyard swung open. Wen Jue sat inside, with no intention of going out. Just as he lifted the inverted cup, he heard the middle-aged cultivator among the three say—

“Mr. Qin, you’re mistaken. The noble has already arrived and is waiting for us.”

Wen Jue’s hand, holding the cup, froze mid-air. He was taken aback—there were actually cultivators here who could sense his presence?

“Elder, I am He Wenfeng, an elder of the Yaoyue Sect, visiting with my disciple Qi Ruiming.”

Wen Jue stirred his divine sense slightly, instantly seeing through the doors and windows to take in the entire scene within the courtyard.

The middle-aged cultivator speaking bowed respectfully toward the ginkgo tree in the west, performing a fist-clasp salute. The young man beside him, presumably his junior disciple, stood bewildered, merely mimicking his senior disciple’s direction in the salute.

Meanwhile, the middle-aged man bearing a striking resemblance to Qin Zhou stood utterly bewildered, seemingly unable to comprehend why they were bowing to a mere tree.

Indeed, perched upon the ginkgo tree were two figures. They appeared to have been caught off guard, unable to conceal their presence in time, hence their discovery by the Yaoyue Sect elder.

Wen Jue sat inside the house, a cold smile playing on his lips.

So he had a tagalong after all.

The two figures in the ginkgo tree shuddered simultaneously.

Lu Xiao lightly tapped Jiang Huan’s forehead, gathering all the lingering spiritual energy around them that hadn’t been concealed in time. But it was already too late—the gaze from inside the house felt like needles piercing their backs.

Lu Xiao’s face fell. “We’re done for.”

Jiang Huan’s expression flickered with panic. “My fault.”

They’d barely arrived when they were discovered.

They’d only followed Senior Wen’s spiritual energy through teleportation—how had they ended up in the lower realm? Appearing here so suddenly, even they hadn’t had time to conceal their presence.

But how had Wen Jue ended up in the lower realm? They couldn’t linger here.

Seeing Lu Xiao genuinely anxious, Wen Jue patted his shoulder. “It’s fine. For my father’s sake, we won’t die.”

Should they reveal themselves? The two exchanged a glance.

Before they could decide, a voice suddenly spoke from within the room—

“What kind of Yaoyue Sect elder bows to the wrong direction?”

The Yaoyue Sect elder and Qi Ruiming froze simultaneously.

How… could there be another person inside?

No—the spiritual energy that erupted from that tree just now… why did it vanish so abruptly…?

A flicker of embarrassment crossed the elder’s face before he addressed the room: “Senior, my apologies for my discourtesy.”

Qin Haishan, who had brought the two men here, was utterly bewildered.

First, these two had abruptly bowed to the ginkgo tree in his son’s courtyard. Then, a man’s voice had suddenly appeared from within his son’s room?

Wasn’t his son the honored guest at the Qin residence?

There was another person in the room?

Qin Haishan’s heart skipped a beat—

No, how could there be a man in his son’s room?!

The next moment, Wen Jue pushed open the door and stepped out.

His radiant white robes captivated all three present, leaving them unable to look away.

Especially Qi Ruiming.

He had never seen anyone so strikingly beautiful. While many possessed beauty, the figure before him stood alone, even among cultivators.

Elder He Wenfeng lowered his head hastily after just one glance.

For he understood: the more extraordinary the appearance, the more terrifying the cultivation. And he couldn’t even sense this person’s spiritual energy… This individual, before him, was likely not someone the Yaoyue Sect could afford to offend. Could it be… that the Qin family’s honored guest was an immortal cultivator from the upper realm?

Qin Haishan, however, took a few extra glances. After seeing clearly, he gasped—

His son… had been hiding a beauty in his room.

And it was a man.

Qin Haishan clenched his fists, silently reassuring himself: It’s fine, it’s fine. His son was also a cultivator. Among cultivators, gender didn’t matter. The path to immortality was long; having companions was a blessing.

After two seconds of composure, Qin Haishan resolved to speak. But before he could utter a word, Qi Ruiming, before him, could no longer contain himself—

“We’ve come to inquire about the alchemy matters at the Qin residence. The rare and precious pills you’ve crafted are truly extraordinary. We apologize for the abrupt visit, but we hope you won’t hold it against us.”

Wen Jue immediately interjected, “I didn’t make them.”

Qi Ruiming: ?

“Qin Zhou is the alchemist.”

Qin Zhou?

Qi Ruiming processed this for a moment. Wasn’t Qin Zhou the young master of the Qin family? Those pills—Qin Zhou made them?

Qi Ruiming instinctively glanced back at Qin Haishan.

Qin Haishan cleared his throat. “Yes. With so many people around earlier, it wasn’t appropriate to reveal the truth to you both. It was indeed my son, Qin Zhou, who refined the pills for the Qin family.”

Qi Ruiming frowned upon hearing this. “Elder, you mean that it was Qin Zhou who refined those pills? That’s impossible. Qin Zhou has no cultivation talent whatsoever. Moreover, I came to the Qin family to refine pills this spring—it hasn’t even been half a year. Could it be that in this short time, Qin Zhou not only entered an immortal sect but also became a formidable alchemist?”

Wen Jue leaned against the pillar by the door, watching the commotion unfold. A faint smile played at the corners of his lips. “Why would that be impossible?”

Hearing this, Qi Ruiming felt even more uneasy. He fixed his gaze on Wen Jue’s strikingly handsome face and said, “Yes, with the assistance of a senior like you, naturally, nothing is impossible.”

“Ruiming, show no disrespect to our senior!” He Wenfeng hurriedly reprimanded him.

Assistance? Wen Jue couldn’t fathom what help he’d given Qin Zhou. That fellow’s secrets remained entirely beyond his grasp. Even regarding alchemy, he hadn’t fully understood.

He’d only just learned Qin Zhou possessed alchemy talent, and in the blink of an eye, the boy had concocted a fifth-tier Core Stabilizing Pill for him.

With that thought, Wen Jue lifted his eyelids to glance at Qi Ruiming, his voice icy. “Is it so hard for you to admit you’re inferior to him?”

Jealousy practically overflowed from this man’s eyes.

But Qi Ruiming’s envy extended far beyond Qin Zhou’s alchemy talent. He’d spent years refining pills at the Qin family estate without catching the eye of any influential figures. Yet Qin Zhou—someone who couldn’t even pass the talent assessment—had been noticed. And by such… a strikingly beautiful, influential figure.

Chastised by Wen Jue, Qi Ruiming flushed crimson with fury. “I’m inferior to him? I entered an immortal sect at Shisi. What about him? If not for that elder’s aid, he’d still be a mere mortal!” “Ruiming!” Elder He Wenfeng glared, seething. He wanted to shut Qi Ruiming’s mouth—what on earth was he saying?

They were here to pay respects to the patron—or more bluntly, to curry favor.

Why was he spouting such irrelevant nonsense? Speaking ill of Qin Zhou in front of the patron? Had Qi Ruiming lost his mind?

Wen Jue’s voice grew impatient. “Are you done? If you’re dissatisfied, go challenge him yourself.”

At that very moment, Qin Zhou, who had just rushed back from the shop and was standing outside the courtyard preparing to push open the door, suddenly halted.

He thought he’d heard Wen Jue’s voice.

“What if I win?”

“You won’t win.”

“Are you certain, Senior? If I do win, would you allow me to become your Pill Apprentice, just like Qin Zhou?”

“Ruiming, you’re out of your mind!” Elder He Wenfeng couldn’t believe it. He knew his junior disciple was impulsive and had a sharp tongue, but how dare he?

“Uncle He, I’m perfectly clear-headed.” Qi Ruiming glanced back at his uncle, his eyes cold and composed. So composed it left He Wenfeng speechless.

He wasn’t foolish. He was gambling for an opportunity—a chance to soar to new heights.

He might not lose to Qin Zhou in alchemy. Qin Zhou could refine precious treasures, something he couldn’t match. But when alchemists compete, is quality the only measure?

He was a junior of the Yaoyue Sect, but he was also a second-tier alchemist.

Qi Ruiming didn’t believe he would lose.

Just as Wen Jue was about to refuse, he suddenly caught sight of the courtyard entrance.

Suddenly, he smiled: “Very well. If you win, I’ll let you become my pill apprentice, just like Qin Zhou.”

Pill apprentice, hmph. He was quite happy to take advantage of Qin Zhou’s position.

Qin Zhou outside the gate: “…”

After hearing everything, Qin Zhou sighed softly. Wen Jue was pleased, but it was time to end this spectacle. He hadn’t summoned the Yaoyue Sect for a pill competition.

Qin Zhou pushed open the door, about to speak, when he lifted his gaze and saw Qi Ruiming staring intently at Wen Jue.

The adoration in those eyes was almost tangible.

Qin Zhou froze. Admiring the mosaic?

Or was it… more than just the mosaic?

Qin Zhou’s expression darkened. In a single second, he understood the reason.

“Oh, my little Pill Apprentice has arrived.” Wen Jue’s laughter carried a hint of mockery.

Qin Zhou met the gazes of everyone present, his eyes fixed directly on the face obscured by the mosaic.

Wen Jue met that gaze, yet felt an inexplicable flutter in his heart: “?”

Meeting the collective gaze, Qin Zhou spoke calmly—

“If you wish to compare alchemy, then so be it.”

“Should I win, I shall claim a token of victory from you, Senior.” Qin Zhou’s gaze locked onto Wen Jue.

Wen Jue: “…”

Wh-what the hell!

He only called him a pill-making apprentice!