“Who would’ve thought Young Master Qin not only excels in alchemy but also understands the ways of business?” He Wenfeng couldn’t help remarking on the way back.

Qin Zhou: “All thanks to the assistance of the Yaoyue Sect.”

He Wenfeng shook his head. Did he really think he didn’t know what role he’d played? At most, he’d merely made the introduction.

Ultimately, it was all down to Qin Zhou’s own skill.

What puzzled him was, “Did Young Master Qin not consider the possibility of today’s talks falling through?”

This young merchant’s son hadn’t flinched at all when facing the cunning and calculating head of the Snowflake Pavilion.

“If we can negotiate, we negotiate. If we can’t, the ones regretting it in the end won’t be us.”

“True enough.”

Had Qin Zhou truly attended the banquet unprepared?

Not exactly.

Long before this, he had inquired about the two major pill merchants in the provincial capital.

The Snowflake Pavilion maintained close ties with the major pill-producing sects of the lower realms. Though called a pill merchant, it functioned primarily as a middleman, leveraging its transportation networks and connections to distribute pills produced by these sects across the land.

The other provincial capital dealer, Qilin Pavilion, operated differently.

Backed by upper realm alchemy sects, this venerable merchant surpassed Snowflake Pavilion in both origins and stature, specializing in high-end luxury goods. Snowflake Pavilion could only rival it by focusing on low-end mass sales.

From every perspective, Qin Zhou’s low-tier rare elixirs were a far better fit for Snowflake Pavilion. Qilin Pavilion might show interest in his precious-grade products, but securing a partnership with them would prove exceedingly difficult.

Snowflake Pavilion’s agreement to collaborate came as no surprise to Qin Zhou.

Though both were hailed as the two great pill merchants, Qilin Pavilion consistently held the upper hand over Snowflake Pavilion. If Snowflake Pavilion launched precious-grade pills… it would effectively embark on the broad avenue of affordable luxury. A stable supply of precious-grade pills would precisely enable Snowflake Pavilion to journey further and more steadily along this path.

After weighing all factors, he personally attended the banquet to ensure today’s deal would be finalized.

“Young Master Qin, when might you visit the Yaoyue Sect? After I brought your pills back, the Sect Master expressed a strong desire to meet you. If possible, the alchemists of the Yaoyue Sect would all welcome your guidance. Naturally, this trip would not be in vain.”

Qin Zhou pondered briefly before declining: “I’m returning to Ping City tomorrow. Urgent matters await at home. I can visit the Yaoyue Sect on my next trip to the provincial capital.”

With that, He Wenfeng could say no more. He merely smiled and agreed: “Very well. I shall await your arrival at the sect.”

Qin Zhou nodded.

His spirit fields still bore Spirit Heart Fruits. They required occasional weeding and watering. Since the fields lay within Wen Jue’s barrier, inaccessible to others, he would need to return personally to tend them.

Nevertheless, this trip to the provincial capital had yielded considerable gains.

At the very least… he had now gathered enough alchemical pills to reach the peak of the Qi Cultivation stage.

The Yaoyue Sect had provided ample alchemical ingredients. After refining the agreed-upon pills, he still had plenty left over. Combined with Qin Zhou’s own title bonuses, each furnace yielded nearly an extra third of pills.

Next, to advance further, he would need to consider pills for breaking through the Qi Cultivation stage.

Wen Jue said he only knew how to refine pills.

But for Qin Zhou, alchemy was also the fastest way to enhance his cultivation. His trade in pills was simply to acquire more of them.

The upper realm.

He did want to go.

He also wanted to see old friends.

Those young disciples he had spent eight whole years of his life cultivating—he wondered how they were faring now.

If they were doing well, that was naturally good.

But if they were not, he would always retrieve them.

Qin Zhou closed his eyes, pondering this.

 ━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

That night, Qin Zhou returned to his residence.

Candlelight flickered faintly. A youth in white robes sat on a chair in his room, seemingly unaware of his entry. He remained bent over, fiddling with objects on the table.

Qin Zhou approached to look.

On the table lay a whistle and a Cosmos Bag.

“Trying to scare me?” Wen Jue turned, his eyes narrowing. “Did you think I wouldn’t know you’d returned?”

Qin Zhou: “No.” Could Wen Jue’s power really not detect his return? Impossible.

Wen Jue: “Tsk.”

This man was truly no fun. Not the least bit cooperative.

“What are these?”

“As you see, a Cosmos Bag and a mount whistle.” Wen Jue stood up, stepping aside. “They’re yours.”

Qin Zhou:?

“You’re carrying quite a few pills, aren’t you? Aren’t you returning to Ping City tomorrow? Use the Cosmos Bag—it can hold as much as you need. Save me the trouble of finding you robbed and stripped of both person and treasure when I come looking for you in the village.“

”The mount whistle—channel your spiritual energy into it, blow the whistle, and your mount will come to you.“

Qin Zhou truly hadn’t expected Wen Jue to procure so many things for him in less than half a day after disappearing.

”I don’t accept favors without merit.” Qin Zhou replied.

Wen Jue: “It’s nothing valuable. Take it if I offer it. If you really feel awkward, then just refine some more sugar bean balls for me. I’ve been descending to the lower realm too often lately, and my divine soul needs some rest. These things are yours. If you encounter danger, you can blow the whistle. That beast should have no trouble protecting you.”

“How long will your recuperation take?” Qin Zhou inquired.

Wen Jue snorted lightly. “I don’t know.”

“Once the Core Stabilizing Pill is refined, how shall I find you?” The immortal cultivation world was wonderful in every way—except for the lack of cell phones.

Wen Jue: “Just hop back and forth across the hopscotch grid at the village entrance.” After saying this, Wen Jue chuckled to himself.

Truthfully, he couldn’t picture Qin Zhou hopping rope at the village entrance.

Qin Zhou: “Alright.”

Wen Jue waved his hand. “Then this one takes leave.”

“Farewell.”

After that, Qin Zhou watched Wen Jue’s figure gradually dissipate. Spiritual energy enveloped his soul essence, fading before his eyes as it soared toward an unknown distance.

 ━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Meanwhile, at the Demon Sect in the upper realm.

Jiang Huan awoke to find his world had collapsed.

His Cosmos Bag was gone.

Everything inside had ‘escaped,’ piling up into a mountain in his quarters. His underwear was fluttering in the wind, hanging precariously on the peak of this mountain.

“…” He’d seen people steal from homes, but never someone who stole the entire house and left all the furniture behind.

Jiang Huan felt like crying, but had no tears left. He rushed straight to the Demon Sect Master’s residence, pleading with Lu Xiao to intervene.

Lu Xiao, still recovering from his injuries, gave him a helpless, pale smile: “I cannot intervene on your behalf.”

A thought struck Jiang Huan: “Could it be…”

“It was Uncle Wen.”

Besides Wen Jue, who else possessed the strength to single-handedly break through the barrier of his Cosmos Bag?

Jiang Huan’s heart trembled. “Why would Senior Wen…”

Had he been exposed? Had Wen Jue discovered his message to the Sword Sect? No. If that had been known, he would have died countless times at Wen Jue’s hands already.

Then why…

It was actually quite simple. Lu Xiao glanced at him and sighed. “Uncle Wen said that Qin Zhou needs a Cosmos Bag. Coincidentally, he’s taken a liking to yours.”

Jiang Huan fell silent.

Qin Zhou—ah, Wen Jue’s mortal lover.

“A mere Cosmos Bag. If Uncle Wen wants it, Jiang Huan, don’t bother clinging to it. Your sorrow won’t change a thing.” Lu Xiao arched an eyebrow.

“How could… It’s a blessing for it to be favored by Senior Wen…” Jiang Huan’s heart bled.

That was the gift his master gave him when he advanced to Nascent Soul! That Cosmos Bag was forged by a top-tier artifact smith.

Out of everything in his entire Cosmos Bag, that Cosmos Bag itself was the most valuable.

Jiang Huan clutched his chest.

Heart-wrenching.

This undercover mission was better left undone.

“Haha.”

Jiang Huan snapped his head up. “What are you laughing at, Sect Master?”

“What?” Lu Xiao looked skyward. “I wasn’t laughing.”

Jiang Huan frowned. He had heard it. He definitely laughed.

Just then, a report came from outside the door—

“Master Sect Leader! Trouble!”

Lu Xiao and Jiang Huan immediately grew serious.

“What trouble?”

“Elder Wen… Wen, the Supreme Elder? Elder Wen took your Wind-Swallowing Steed!”

Wind-Swallowing Steed. Lu Xiao felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. That was the mount his father had left him—a top-tier spirit beast. Who knew how many spirit pills it had consumed before finally reaching the sixth tier?

Watching Lu Xiao’s already pale face turn even whiter, Jiang Huan asked without a hint of concern, “Did Elder Wen leave any message?”

“Elder Wen said Qin Zhou needs a mount, so he’s borrowing Tunfeng…”

“Did Uncle Wen… say when he’d return it…”

The subordinate stammered: “No… no.”

He didn’t even say when he’d return it!!

Lu Xiao clutched Jiang Huan beside him: Waaah!!!

Jiang Huan sighed, ruffling the sect master’s hair.

He understood. He understood everything.

 ━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

The next day.

Qin Zhou and Chen San, who had planned to ride mounts back to Ping City, both fell silent when they saw the imposing warhorse appear before them.

The horse before them stood shoulder-high to a man, mist swirling at its hooves as if it had stepped down from the clouds.

Its coat was jet-black, save for a single streak of white in its mane. The overall black-and-white coloration strongly resembled the emblem of a certain sect. A aura of spiritual energy swirled around it, making it clear from every angle that this was no ordinary steed.

Responding to the whistle, its gaze was sharp, almost human-like in its intelligence. Fixing its eyes on Qin Zhou and Chen San, it snorted disdainfully, as if dismissing them with contempt.

“Young Master… this horse from Senior Wen is truly majestic,” Chen San remarked, fully aware that a single kick from it could easily kill him.

“Mhm.” Qin Zhou’s eyes glinted.

Undoubtedly, Qin Zhou liked this horse.

“But… can we really control it?” Chen San felt a twinge of fear.

Qin Zhou replied, “I’ve dabbled in beast-riding techniques.”

Chen San:?

When did you study that?

Then, Chen San watched as Qin Zhou pulled a pill from the new pouch at his waist.

Chen San: …

So Master’s beast-taming technique was just feeding it.

Tunfeng snorted again, its eyes growing cold, seemingly unimpressed by this precious-grade pill.

Chen San’s heart sank. It’s over. Even the young master’s pills don’t work.

But Qin Zhou didn’t lose heart. He reached into the pouch and pulled out a handful.

Tunfeng lowered his head and sniffed.

Qin Zhou held the pills out toward Tunfeng. “They’re all yours.”

Tunfeng’s eyes thawed, yet he restrained his desire. Possessing sentience, he wasn’t some horse easily lured by a few pills.

“Follow me, and you’ll eat your fill,” Qin Zhou stated calmly.

Across all realms, perhaps only Qin Zhou dared promise unlimited access to precious-grade pills.

Though Tunfeng ate well at the Demon Sect, it was never fed to its fill. But if following this human meant every meal would be satisfying…

After weighing the pros and cons, Tunfeng bent its front knees in a half-kneel.

Qin Zhou stroked the horse’s back. A fine steed.

Chen San sucked in a sharp breath.

Young Master, he truly possesses beast-taming arts!