Qin Zhou finally chose a restaurant with a relatively tranquil atmosphere.

“Gentlemen, please proceed to the second floor!”

The second floor featured semi-private booths. The booth wasn’t large, but it offered ample space for four diners. Three sides were enclosed by bamboo latticework, while the left side featured an open archway—elegant and airy, offering a distant glimpse of the restaurant’s central opera stage.

“Your drinks and dishes are ready, gentlemen. Enjoy your meal~.”

The waiter swiftly cleared the table and departed without a second glance at Wen Jue across from Qin Zhou.

Qin Zhou sensed something. He gently rubbed his teacup and asked, “Your face…”

“I’m wearing a mask. Can’t you see it?” Wen Jue touched the mask covering his face.

Qin Zhou answered truthfully, “I can’t see it.”

Even the mask itself appeared as a blurred mosaic.

“Why wear a mask?”

“I simply dislike the looks I get from people. It’s bothersome, so I wear a mask—it saves trouble.” Wen Jue attempted to brush it off. “What brings you to the provincial capital?”

“Business. The well’s fixed, the land’s planted. I need to consider where to sell the crops.”

“Seems that Spirit Marrow is quite useful.” The land is cultivated now.

“Hmm. How effective is the Core Stabilizing Pill?”

Hearing this, Wen Jue’s expression shifted.

Yes, the Core Stabilizing Pill.

He’d almost forgotten about it.

A fifth-tier Core Stabilizing Pill. How did Qin Zhou manage to refine a fifth-tier Core Stabilizing Pill?

Now that he thought about it, regardless of his alchemist rank, where had he even obtained the ingredients? Even if he had a Mind Condensing Veil, refining a fifth-tier Core Stabilizing Pill required additional auxiliary ingredients…

How could a soul that had possessed a mortal possess so many resources?

Moreover, a fifth-tier Core Stabilizing Pill wasn’t something one could refine merely by having the ingredients.

What’s more, Qin Zhou used the furnace from the alchemy chamber.

…That was the old man’s spirit artifact.

Back then, Lu Wu had strained every ounce of strength and still couldn’t budge it an inch.

Wen Jue traced the rim of his control cup, his grip tightening gradually. “The pill is fine, but to this master, it’s nothing more than a sugar pill.”

“You actually managed to refine a fifth-tier Core Stabilizing Pill…” He lowered his gaze slightly, his tone sharp. “I’m truly curious—how did you manage to refine a fifth-tier Core Stabilizing Pill?”

Qin Zhou remained silent.

He could sense the sharpness in Wen Jue’s tone. This “this master” was no longer an attempt to mask awkwardness. It was genuine, solemn, and tinged with an unnamed fury.

Qin Zhou didn’t read anything into it, assuming the other was still holding a grudge over his previous abrupt touch to his face.

“Speak.” Seeing his silence, Wen Jue’s anger flared further. His gaze locked onto Qin Zhou’s neck—he really should have grabbed it and demanded to know who he truly was.

“That’s how it’s done.” Qin Zhou remained unruffled, pouring tea into the empty cup without a trace of guilt. “Fifth-tier? No problem. Sixth-tier? Also doable.”

“…What about seventh-tier?”

Qin Zhou raised an eyebrow. “Not impossible.”

His sincerity was so palpable that it cooled Wen Jue’s anger considerably.

In an instant, a barrier enveloped their private booth.

Qin Zhou looked at Wen Jue.

“If anyone overheard us, they’d probably laugh themselves silly.”

Qin Zhou chuckled helplessly. He wasn’t being boastful.

“No tea.” Wen Jue pushed away the cup Qin Zhou had poured for him.

Qin Zhou simply took the cup back.

After waiting a moment and seeing Qin Zhou hadn’t returned with a cup filled with liquor, Wen Jue asked, “What are you doing?”

“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t drink?”

“I want wine!”

“There is no wine,” Qin Zhou said flatly. “Tea cools the fire.”

Wen Jue: “…”

Those words felt like a jab at his earlier behavior, like a cat with its fur standing on end.

“Drink up.” Qin Zhou pushed the cup back toward him.

Wen Jue picked up the cup, tilted his head back, and downed it in one gulp before slamming it hard on the table.

Qin Zhou, we’ll have plenty of time to settle this!

“Sugar-coated hawthorn.”

“What?”

“I want sugar-coated hawthorn.” Wen Jue gazed out the window. At the street corner outside the inn, a vendor was hawking a whole pole of candied hawthorn berries.

Qin Zhou paused, as if questioning, Does an Immortal Lord crave such snacks?

Wen Jue’s eyes softened with nostalgia. “The one who raised me used to buy them for me often.”

Qin Zhou glanced at the stall, then back at Wen Jue. “Didn’t your father tell you sugar rots your teeth?”

Wen Jue: “…”

Father? Father, my ass! Whether it was that old geezer or not, he should’ve strangled Qin Zhou right then and there.

One second before Wen Jue exploded, Qin Zhou swiftly went to buy sugar-coated hawthorn.

Watching him walk away, Wen Jue stared at the tea in his cup. Two little voices seemed to wrestle in his mind—

Little Lu Yi: He absolutely can’t be the old man. The old man used to love buying me sugar-coated hawthorn!

Little Wen Jue: But he can refine pills—seventh-tier pills, no less!

Wen Jue covered his face.

He was losing his mind.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

In the end, two tall youths whose combined age exceeded ten thousand years walked from one end of the street to the other, each clutching a stick of candied hawthorn.

But it wasn’t just about the candied hawthorn.

Wen Jue was already dressed in luxurious finery, with a narrow waist and long legs. At first glance, he looked like the chief senior disciple of some sect had descended to the mortal world. Even with his fox mask, he couldn’t help but become the center of attention.

Qin Zhou, at first glance, appeared to be about the same height as Wen Jue. In reality, he was actually slightly taller. Combined with his handsome, enduringly attractive face, he also drew quite a few glances.

Especially since these two were walking together.

Each held a string of candied hawthorn berries in their hands.

The string in Qin Zhou’s hand belonged to Wen Jue.

Staring at Wen Jue’s back, Qin Zhou thought—

Wen Jue’s sudden appearance in the provincial capital was unexpected. After Qin Zhou had rudely interrupted him last time, Wen Jue had stormed off. Given his temperament, he wouldn’t show himself so soon.

This abrupt reappearance likely meant something had happened.

Yet asking about it felt like overstepping.

“When are you returning?” Qin Zhou asked him.

Wen Jue: “I cast a divination for you. A malevolent force has been approaching you lately. Consider these candied haws my payment for protecting you.”

He was still worried that the Sword Sect would come looking for trouble. Though the claim about a Dao companion was pure nonsense spread by that little spy, what if the Sword Sect had some bonehead who actually believed it…

“Is your divine soul not tired?”

“The sugar-coated hawthorns aren’t finished yet.” Wen Jue gave a little shake to the pouch at his waist.

Hearing this, Qin Zhou felt even more certain of his earlier guess.

But Qin Zhou still didn’t understand.

Where did this ominous aura come from?

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

After dining at the inn, Qin Zhou took Wen Jue to the Qin family’s pill shop in the provincial capital.

The pill shop was small, nowhere near as grand as the one in Ping City.

But small as it was, it had everything it needed.

Before long, He Wenfeng from the Yaoyue Sect arrived, his purpose straightforward.

“The Yaoyue Sect is hosting a banquet in the provincial capital the day after tomorrow, inviting numerous alchemy sects and the Snowflake Pavilion. Young Master Qin, your presence is requested.”

Qin Zhou readily agreed and casually mentioned Chen San’s aptitude test to He Wenfeng.

He Wenfeng smiled and agreed to it.

Thus, early the next morning, Chen San followed He Wenfeng there.

Of course, Qin Zhou went too.

Originally, he thought Wen Jue wouldn’t stay in the lower realm for long. But unexpectedly, when Qin Zhou went for his talent assessment the next day, Wen Jue was still there.

“This is Chen San’s talent assessment—what are you doing here?” Wen Jue asked Qin Zhou beside him, playing with his fan.

“I’m taking the test too.”

He Wenfeng, walking ahead, turned back upon hearing this. “Young Master Qin is also taking the test? If you have no sect you wish to join, there’s no need to take it.”

Qin Zhou: “Well, I’m already here.”

He Wenfeng:?

Qin Zhou wasn’t truly thinking ‘I’m already here’. The original Young Master Qin had failed this very talent test, stormed out of home in anger, and met with misfortune. Having inherited his body, Qin Zhou was willing to fulfill the original owner’s long-held wish.

The young master Qin’s soul might no longer be present but he’ll let him rest easy.

The group arrived at the talent testing site.

The entrance resembled an ancient imperial examination hall. Two stone lions guarded either side of the tightly shut, lacquered red gates.

As it was not examination season, the surroundings were quiet, with scarcely a soul in sight.

He Wenfeng led the group to a small pavilion on the right side of the gate.

A small window opened before the pavilion, faintly revealing a figure seated inside.

“Elder of the Yaoyue Sect, He Wenfeng.” He Wenfeng presented his personal token.

The figure inside examined it closely before rising abruptly. “Enter.”

Whatever that person did caused the inconspicuous side door to the right of the lacquered red gates to suddenly swing open from within.

“Everyone, please follow me,” He Wenfeng instructed.

The group fell into step behind him.

The figure inside the small pavilion, seeing them approach, craned his neck from the window. His gaze swept over the group before finally settling on Qin Zhou.

Only after the group had entered the small door did he dare lean against the window and mutter—

“Isn’t that Qin Zhou? That kid really hooked up with someone powerful. He’s actually being personally escorted by a Yaoyue Sect elder…”

“You know him?”

“How could I not? He ranked last in this year’s talent assessment… While not famous throughout the entire provincial capital, he’s certainly notorious within this assessment cohort.” The man sighed. “After all, someone who couldn’t even light up the spirit root test ball? Probably the only one in a thousand years.”

After speaking, the man suddenly snapped to attention. “Wait, no—who was talking?”

He whipped his head around, but behind him, there was nothing.

Rubbing his eyes, he shuddered. “Damn it, what was that?”

“Must have misheard…”

Little did he know, a figure had already slipped past his side. Its movement was too swift for anyone to catch even a glimpse.

The figure effortlessly leapt over the two-meter-high courtyard wall, landing atop it. Standing with hands clasped behind his back, he watched from afar as Qin Zhou and his group passed through the gate and entered the long corridor.

His gaze settled on Wen Jue and Qin Zhou.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Suddenly.

Wen Jue turned his head, looking toward the direction of the gaze. But there, no one remained.

“What’s wrong?” Qin Zhou asked him.

“Nothing.”

Wen Jue didn’t look back again.

Yet the fingers gripping the fan handle tightened slightly.

Lu Xiao had just been beaten by him. Even if you gave him ten times the courage, he wouldn’t dare follow him here again.

The only ones who would target him and Qin Zhou were undoubtedly those stubborn fools from the Sword Sect.

Moreover… those who could slip away from him under his nose could be counted on the fingers of one hand across the heavens.

Wen Jue snorted. So they really did send a thug.