6/10

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Provincial Capital, Qilin Pavilion.

The shopkeeper’s face was rather grim today.

Two reasons.

First, recently, Snowflake Pavilion had somehow acquired a large quantity of low-tier precious-grade spirit pills, nearly monopolizing the entire market for low-tier pills at Qilin Pavilion.

Though as a long-established pill merchant backed by an upper realm sect, Qilin Pavilion had always focused on ‘high-tier premium’ pills.

But regardless, Qilin Pavilion’s branch in the provincial capital was established in the lower realms.

Being in the lower realms meant catering to cultivators of the lower realms.

Even their “high-grade” offerings were limited to Foundation Establishment and Golden Core stage elixirs. Many cultivators, after purchasing Snowflake Pavilion’s Tier 1 and Tier 2 precious-grade elixirs, began finding Qilin Pavilion’s Tier 3 elixirs disappointingly ordinary.

Regardless, Snowflake Pavilion’s recent maneuvers had struck at Qilin Pavilion’s very foundation.

Qilin Pavilion had devised numerous strategies to stem the tide of low-tier cultivators flocking to Snowflake Pavilion. Unfortunately, Snowflake Pavilion seemed to truly live up to its advertised claim of “a stable supply of precious-grade elixirs,” never experiencing any shortages.

Qilin Pavilion’s revenue had plummeted dramatically, leaving the shopkeeper thoroughly overwhelmed.

Secondly, Qilin Pavilion received notice from the upper realm sects demanding a large supply of low-grade auxiliary materials within a short timeframe.

These auxiliary materials were supplementary ingredients required for alchemy, harvestable within the lower realm.

Historically, the upper realm sects would occasionally “leak” some “high-grade alchemy materials” to them—materials around the third tier, for instance. In return, Qilin Pavilion would supply the upper realm sects with large quantities of easily gathered yet labor-intensive low-grade auxiliary materials.

The sudden demand for such a large quantity of low-grade auxiliary materials from the upper realm sects was overwhelming. Even Qilin Pavilion couldn’t produce that much on short notice.

They could only urgently dispatch additional personnel to the border.

Even then, it was insufficient.

Qilin Pavilion might be prominent in the lower realm, but in the eyes of the upper realm sects, it was insignificant. Were it not for its remaining utility, it might…

Ultimately, it was all about being at the mercy of others.

These two matters combined only compounded the shopkeeper’s headache.

And right at this moment, news of Liu Rui’s death arrived.

The shopkeeper’s head pounded as he pressed his temples, listening to Liu Rui’s team report the situation.

“It happened while gathering the Nine-Sting Queen… Captain Liu was chased and killed by the awakened Queen Bee. She brutally dismembered him. We, guards, could only cover the alchemist’s retreat,” the guards stated in unison.

The shopkeeper turned to the alchemist.

The alchemist looked disheveled and visibly shaken. Yet, meeting the shopkeeper’s gaze, he nodded solemnly: “It is indeed as reported.”

Though Qilin Pavilion relied on its connections to the sects of the upper realm, it operated independently in the lower realm, employing numerous alchemists and cultivator teams specialized in gathering alchemical ingredients.

These gathering teams roamed the borderlands year-round, frequently encountering ferocious beasts, so annual casualties were inevitable.

But this time, it was Liu Rui who died. He wasn’t a major figure, but he wasn’t insignificant either—a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator who had cost considerable elixirs and spirit stones to train.

The shopkeeper sighed deeply, his heart heavy with regret, though there was little he could do.

“Very well. The alchemist stays. The rest of you, go. Head to the accounts office to collect compensation for your Captain Liu. Ensure his family is provided for.”

“Understood.”

The alchemist left behind stood frozen, his face pale.

The shopkeeper of Qilin Pavilion stared at him for a moment. “The Nine-Sting Bee Needle was lost?”

The alchemist lowered his head. “…Yes.”

The shopkeeper’s face darkened. “Before you left, you assured me you had the Nine-Sting Queen in the bag. Qilin Pavilion has always held the upper hand over Snowflake Pavilion, yet this time they’ve stolen all the glory. We absolutely must regain the advantage. Breakthrough pills are items that cultivators reserve at high prices. Do you understand how desperately urgent this order is for Qilin Pavilion’s current situation?” “

”I trusted you, which is why I entrusted this to you.“

The alchemist paled at the rebuke. ”Manager… I…“

”So who sabotaged it? That Liu Rui?” The manager fixed his gaze on the alchemist, determined not to miss a single flicker of information on his face.

The alchemist pressed his parched lips together. “I had already used the poisonous smoke of the Stone Dry Grass to stun the Nine-Sting Hornet and retrieved the needle. But Liu Rui, seeing no other hornet beasts in the nest, insisted on collecting the Nine-Sting Hornet’s honey.”

“I couldn’t stop him. Later, when the Stone Dry Grass burned out, the Nine-Sting Queen awoke… Liu Rui died, and we barely escaped with our lives. As for the Nine-Sting Queen… that Nine-Sting Queen would hunt down its bearer. We had no choice. To save our lives, we had to abandon the Nine-Sting Queen’s stingers.”

In the end, the alchemist never revealed their chance encounter with the Snowflake Pavilion or how they were ultimately saved by Qin Zhou.

First, he didn’t believe he could afford to provoke Qin Zhou. Second, he despised Liu Rui intensely—had Liu Rui not instigated the conflict, he never would have recklessly provoked the Snowflake Pavilion group. Third, Qin Zhou… had saved his life.

Weighing the pros and cons, this was the best explanation.

“You’re alive and back—that’s what matters,” the shopkeeper said, his gaze fixed on the alchemist. “But you know, failure always comes with a price.”

The alchemist’s heart skipped a beat.

“Go receive your punishment.”

“Yes.” He answered obediently, yet a flicker of defiance stirred within him.

Perhaps this was simply reaping what he had sown.

But…

Whatever the punishment, as long as he still had his life, everything else could be rebuilt from scratch.

The alchemist slipped away quietly, but the shopkeeper sighed.

Lifting his teacup for a sip, he began to wonder why Qilin Pavilion had been plagued by misfortune lately. Could it be time to seek a fortune-telling chart from the Celestial Star Sect…?

Lost in thought, a voice suddenly cut through the silence—

“He lied. If the Nine-Hornet Queen had gone berserk, they couldn’t have escaped. After killing the bearer of the Nine-Hornet Sting, it would target anyone carrying the scent of the hive—even if they’d discarded the sting. At the Queen’s speed, forget the defenseless alchemist; even those guards wouldn’t have survived.”

“Their return alive can only mean one thing: the Nine-Sting Queen is dead.”

The shopkeeper froze. Who was speaking?

He sprang to his feet and glanced back. A figure stood by the windowsill, sword strapped to their back, facing away from him.

This person… When had they been standing there?

The shopkeeper narrowed his eyes, his hand clenching slightly. “And you are…?”

“I’ve come to make a deal with you.” The swordsman stepped before the shopkeeper, presenting a box. Inside lay the same fifth-grade elixir, which he placed before the shopkeeper.

Just like the Snowflake Pavilion’s master, the Qilin Pavilion proprietor’s eyelid twitched violently at the sight.

Fifth-grade pills—what a grand gesture.

But upon examining the man’s attire, the proprietor began to understand.

The sword on his back, and that black-and-white robe… Though he wasn’t deeply familiar with the sects of the upper realm, he knew a thing or two.

This man must be a disciple of that famed sect. But why would such a figure deign to visit this place?

“What business brings you here, Senior?” the shopkeeper inquired respectfully.

“I seek a person. A second-tier Qi Cultivation alchemist. He has powerful patrons and is quite unique.”

A mortal?

The shopkeeper hesitated before asking, “Might I inquire about the name of this person you seek?”

Fang Huai: “…I don’t know.”

Noticing the flicker of surprise in the other’s eyes, Fang Huai cleared his throat softly. “Finding an alchemist shouldn’t be too difficult for you lot.”

“It’s not difficult, but… your offer is so generous…” This matter probably isn’t simple.

Fang Huai replied coldly, “He’s worth the price.”

“Whatever news you find, tell me. This is just a deposit. Upon success, I’ll give you another one as a reward.”

The shopkeeper racked his brain but couldn’t fathom what second-tier Qi Cultivation alchemist could command two fifth-tier pills.

But…

Fifth-tier pills? Free pills? Why pass them up?

“This deal, I accept. I’ll arrange for people to find the alchemist for the senior.”

“Mhm.” Fang Huai nodded.

As he had instructed the Snowflake Pavilion, he left his surname and a whistle at the Snowflake Pavilion.

The shopkeeper accepted the items without hesitation.

Just as Fang Huai was about to leave, the shopkeeper called after him, “Senior, may I ask… what did you mean earlier?”

“About the Nine-Sting Beast?”

“Yes.” A shadow crossed the shopkeeper’s eyes. He could accept Liu Rui’s death, but if that alchemist and the guards had conspired to deceive him… the punishment for that would not be so easily forgiven.

Fang Huai frowned, seemingly reading the shopkeeper’s thoughts. The truth that had been on the tip of his tongue shifted, and instead he said—

“It’s hardly their fault they lied. After being paralyzed by the poisonous smoke, the Nine-Sting Queen goes berserk—no one below the Nascent Soul stage can stand against her. That a master saved them was pure luck; revealing this now would likely mean they wouldn’t live to see tomorrow.”

He hadn’t meant to cause trouble, nor did he wish for anyone to bear the consequences of his words.

Nascent Soul?

The fierceness in the shopkeeper’s eyes softened.

If it were for self-preservation… well, that could be understood.

But…

“So you’re saying a Nascent Soul-stage expert appeared at the border between the lower and upper realms?” the shopkeeper pondered. “But what would a Nascent Soul-stage expert be doing at the border?”

What would a Nascent Soul cultivator seek at the border? To slay the Nine-Sting Beasts? To harvest Nine-Sting Bee Stingers? But those stingers are alchemical ingredients for breaking through the Golden Core stage.

The shopkeeper’s words struck Fang Huai like a bolt of lightning.

The one who slew the Nine-Sting Beasts might not be a Nascent Soul cultivator.

It could be someone even stronger… a Great Perfection cultivator, couldn’t it?

Seeking alchemical ingredients was natural for refining pills.

It wasn’t impossible that the demonic figure Wen Jue had brought his alchemist consort to the border to gather materials for him breakthrough.

The more Fang Huai thought about it, the clearer it became.

The person he’d been desperately searching for… might be right here.

“Call back that alchemist who just left. I need to know exactly who saved them.”

 ━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Just as Fang Huai was meticulously interrogating someone about his whereabouts, Qin Zhou’s Foundation Establishment Pill had reached perfection.

Qin Zhou knelt to consume the elixir and directly broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

In less than two months, he had ascended from Qi Cultivation to Foundation Establishment. His cultivation speed was so astonishing that anyone witnessing it would have to admit it was beyond comprehension.

Because of this breakthrough, he had completely entered the period of abstaining from food. He even saved time from daily meals—to cultivate the land.

Just watching, Wen Jue felt his heart race. How could someone love farming so much? Was clearing a plot of land not enough? Did he intend to use the entire mountain to grow Spirit Heart Fruits?

Though he thought this, Wen Jue wasn’t idle while Qin Zhou spent his days on the back mountain.

Where Qin Zhou worked, he had to follow suit.

Having become the Great Demon Lord, Wen Jue felt insecure, even going so far as to volunteer for extra tasks.

There simply weren’t that many tasks in the fields. The second-tier Spirit Heart Fruits planted earlier hadn’t sprouted yet. All they could do now was to clear new land and weed.

“You pull weeds, I’ll clear the land.” Wen Jue casually snatched Qin Zhou’s hoe.

Driven away, Qin Zhou had no choice but to crouch down and pull weeds.

Wen Jue clearly wasn’t working as diligently as Shisi.

After every two hoe strokes, he’d turn to glance back at Qin Zhou. Buried in his weeding, Qin Zhou could practically feel that piercing gaze on his back.

But the moment he looked up, Wen Jue would turn back to hack away at the soil with a grunt.

Though his face remained hidden, every slight movement of this man was caught in Qin Zhou’s gaze.

Fearing the dirt would soil his white robe, he’d removed his outer garment. The white undershirt hugged his compact, lean upper body, clinging tightly. As he hoed, the muscles in his arms rippled slightly. When he bent over, the outline of his beautiful shoulder blades and waistline became faintly visible… and…

Qin Zhou averted his gaze.

He thought to himself, Lu Yi wasn’t a youngster anymore.

After about a quarter of an hour, Qin Zhou couldn’t help but lift his head and sigh softly, “Wen Jue, if you don’t want to work, go sit on the ridge.”

Wen Jue nearly whacked himself with his hoe. “Why wouldn’t I want to work?”

What did that mean?

He didn’t have to do it, right? Someone else would?

This work, he absolutely must do!

If he didn’t do it, this old man… cough, Qin Zhou would definitely find another villager. What if he summoned someone unfamiliar who blurted out his entire identity in a few sentences?

He said he’d keep a close eye on him!

Qin Zhou fell silent for a long moment, wanting to say something but holding back.

He continued hoeing his weeds.

Wen Jue glanced back at his progress, equally displeased. “You haven’t hoed much either.”

Qin Zhou didn’t even lift his head. “You keep watching me, so naturally I hoe slower.”

His rebuttal drifted into Wen Jue’s ears.

Wen Jue didn’t process it immediately and blurted out, “What does my watching you have to do with you working slowly?”

Qin Zhou shut up instantly.

Wen Jue: ?

Confused, Wen Jue turned back and swung the hoe again.

Anyway, no one could take this job away from him.

“Qin Zhou, did you use up all the Spirit Marrow I gave you last time?” Wen Jue suddenly remembered to ask. Spirit Heart Fruits needed to absorb spiritual energy nutrients from the soil to grow. At Qin Zhou’s pace of clearing land and planting crops, that little bit of Spirit Marrow probably wasn’t enough.

“No,” Qin Zhou replied solemnly. “Nine remain.”

“I only gave you ten in total.”

“Mhm.”

So he’d only used one? Wen Jue frowned in confusion, setting down his hoe and scooping up a handful of soil.

The spiritual energy on the back mountain shouldn’t be this dense.

He wasn’t unfamiliar with soil nourished by Spirit Marrow. Moreover, according to Qin Zhou, the Spirit Heart Fruit had already been harvested once… Yet why was the concentration of spiritual energy on the back mountain stronger than ever before?

“Qin Zhou, this land…”

Wen Jue turned around and met Qin Zhou’s gaze.

Qin Zhou understood his meaning at a glance. “It’s generating spiritual energy,” he said. “Centered around the village.”

The spiritual energy hadn’t spread outward for others to detect because of Wen Jue’s barrier.

“…Too bad the quantity isn’t large.” Wen Jue tossed the soil in his hand. This level of spiritual energy growth could only be used to nourish these Spirit Heart Fruits.

Qin Zhou: “Mhm.”

What Wen Jue could sense, he naturally noticed too.

The village belonged to Qin Zhou—how could he not know?

In fact, ever since he activated the small mountain village’s level using his Spirit Marrow, the spiritual energy here had been steadily increasing.

In fact, after the village reached Level 2 and could cultivate second-tier Spirit Heart Fruits, the spiritual energy here had become even more abundant than before. Even Tunfeng, after collecting his daily grain rations, would linger a little longer.

But now, with the village still at a low level, many things were beyond his imagination.

He’d just have to take things one step at a time.

Lost in thought, Wen Jue suddenly raised an eyebrow. “Someone outside the barrier seeks you.”

Qin Zhou: “Who?”

Wen Jue withdrew his perception. “Seems to be someone from that Snowflake Pavilion. Why come directly here?”

Qin Zhou nodded. “I’ll go see. Probably a new pill order.”

Usually, Snowflake Pavilion would contact him through Chen San in Ping City. But not long after passing his trial, Chen San had gone to cultivate at Medicine Moon Sect.

Since then, Snowflake Pavilion had only sent messengers back and forth.

But Wen Jue said it was someone from Snowflake Pavilion—so it couldn’t be a messenger.

Qin Zhou stood up, deciding to go see for himself.