“What? Qin Zhou returned and went to the shop, demanding that the shopkeeper open the alchemy room for him.” Madam Qin froze upon hearing the clerk’s report. “Where is the young master?”

“Madam, the young master is still in the alchemy room!”

“Go see.”

Braving the night’s chill, Madam Qin soon arrived at the shop.

Night had fallen, and the alchemy shop was closed. All the shop assistants had gone home, but faint sounds and light could be seen coming from the back courtyard.

Madam Qin led the way, two maidservants hurrying to keep up behind her. They thought to themselves, Madam hasn’t been this flustered in ages. Young Master really is a handful.

First, he ran away from home after being rejected by the immortal sect. Days later, when they found him, he refused to return. Now he’s here at the shop refining pills—clearly, he’s been through a major shock.

It was leaving the mistress anxious and flustered.

As Madam Qin approached, she saw the shopkeeper standing in the courtyard, wrapped in his robe.

“Shopkeeper, where is Qin Zhou?”

Seeing Madam Qin, the shopkeeper exhaled in relief. “Madam, the young master is in the alchemy chamber.”

Madam Qin was no woman confined to the manor. In her youth, she had traveled far and wide with Master Qin. Only after Qin Zhou was born did they settle in Ping City. Thus, whenever Master Qin was absent, all matters fell to her to decide.

“You just let him in? Does he know how to refine pills?” Madam Qin suspected her son was fooling around, yet she feared even more that he might be genuinely hurt over the previous immortal examination incident.

The steward stammered, unable to offer a clear answer. He, too, was bewildered; only after the young master entered did he realize he shouldn’t have allowed such recklessness.

Alchemy wasn’t mastered overnight. Moreover, if it were truly possible to refine the Spiritual Pill without immortal techniques, as the young master claimed, then the Qin household wouldn’t have been dependent on others for so many years. They certainly wouldn’t have had to grovel before the alchemists sent by the immortal sect year after year.

Madam Qin rubbed her temples, her frustration mounting as she saw that the alchemy chamber door remained shut. “Open that chamber! Bring the young master out here!”

“Mother, grant me one more hour.” Suddenly, Qin Zhou’s voice echoed from within the chamber.

Madam Qin froze. Her son’s tone was steady, showing no sign of distress.

He hadn’t said anything definitive, yet his tone was so assured it felt as though the alchemy was already a sure thing.

Somehow, hearing those words instantly calmed her heart.

Madam Qin instinctively looked toward the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper nodded repeatedly.

That was precisely how the young master had persuaded him earlier.

It wasn’t so much persuasion as an air of unquestionable certainty and confidence that made one trust him without thinking.

“Madam, then…” The guards stood by, hesitating whether to go fetch the young master.

Madam Qin shook her head, her gaze lingering on the alchemy chamber door. “Wait at the shop. My son asked me to wait, so I’ll wait one hour.”

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

As the sounds outside gradually faded, Qin Zhou turned his attention back to the waist-high furnace before him.

“Now is the time to add more firewood. Increase the heat by two parts, and raise the flames by one inch.”

Chen San memorized the instructions carefully.

Chen San watched from the side as the young master crouched before the furnace, periodically adding wood. His movements weren’t exactly skilled, yet Chen San felt an inexplicable certainty—

This furnace of pill would truly succeed.

“Young Master, are you sure you don’t need my help with the fire?”

“No need. I’m just practicing.” Though thoroughly familiar with every step of the alchemy process, this was Qin Zhou’s first time actually performing it himself.

Fortunately, this batch was an entry-level Spiritual Pill. A first attempt posed no real risk.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

One hour later.

Qin Zhou led Chen San back to the shop, where Madam Qin and the shopkeeper had been waiting for quite some time.

Upon seeing them arrive, they dismissed the other servants.

After all, regardless of whether the pill succeeded or failed, they couldn’t risk outsiders witnessing the outcome.

“Qin Zhou.”

“Mother.” Qin Zhou bowed his head slightly, avoiding her gaze.

“Your mother must tell you this: even if you cannot enter an immortal sect, you remain my child, the eldest son of the Qin household.” Madam Qin sighed, propping her chin in her hand. “I know you sought to join the immortal sect for the Qin family. But talent is a gift from Heaven. It can only be said that my son lacks that destiny.”

“Even without a son who entered an immortal sect, the Qin family remains the Qin family. Our household still holds absolute authority in Ping City. One must live with a broad perspective—contentment brings lasting joy.”

“Mother speaks wisely,” Qin Zhou replied.

Madam Qin laughed brightly. “My son is clever. I shall say no more. That settles it. Return to the manor and get some rest.”

With that, Madam Qin rose to leave.

Chen San froze at the sight.

Why hadn’t the lady inquired about the alchemy?

Was she certain the young master had failed?

“Mother.”

“Hmm?” Madam Qin paused mid-motion. “Is there something else?”

Qin Zhou lifted his hand, revealing a small silk cloth in his palm. “The pill.”

Madam Qin followed his gaze. Nestled within the indigo silk lay several glossy black pills, each rolled to the size of a fingernail. Upon closer inspection, a subtle golden sheen shimmered within their darkness, as if flecks of fine gold dust had been blended in.

Even from a distance, a faint, delicate fragrance of Spiritual Heart Fruit wafted toward her.

This was…

An entry-level Spiritual Pill.

Madam Qin stared, utterly transfixed.

Even the shopkeeper couldn’t resist leaning closer… Good heavens.

This Spiritual Pill was even more exceptional than the finest batch currently stocked in the shop.

Madam Qin’s smile vanished, her gaze turning serious as she looked at Qin Zhou. “Qin Zhou, you refined this?”

Qin Zhou: “Yes.”

Seeing this, Chen San hurriedly interjected: “Madam, the young master refined this himself. I personally watched him retrieve it from the furnace.”

Madam Qin: “How many pills per furnace?”

Qin Zhou replied indifferently: “Thirty.”

Madam Qin pursed her lips. “All thirty of equal quality?”

Qin Zhou considered for a moment. “More or less.”

Madam Qin waved her hand. “Shopkeeper! Send a letter to Tianshan tomorrow—tell that alchemist not to come!”

Shopkeeper: !!

“Wait. Have him come,” Madam Qin narrowed her eyes. “My son has talent. Though this talent isn’t that kind of talent, his alchemy skill is enough to trade for an initiation pill to that immortal sect!”

The shopkeeper’s eyes lit up. “You’re absolutely right, Madam!” If this worked out, the young master might actually gain entry into the immortal sect!

“No exchange.”

Qin Zhou shook his head. “If I’m going to cultivate, I’ll do it myself. If I can refine Spiritual Pill, I can refine Marrow Cleansing Pill.”

Madam Qin froze.

Her son was this arrogant?

But…

“Very well. Let those immortal sect elders regret their decisions!” Madam Qin declared cheerfully.

“The alchemy ingredients came from the shop. Sell these pills here, too. Mother, I’m tired and need to rest. Chen San and I will head back first.”

“Go ahead!”

Watching Qin Zhou and Chen San walk away, the smile on Madam Qin’s face gradually faded.

The shopkeeper, however, was still elated. “When the young master first claimed he could refine pills, I thought he was boasting. Now he’s proven me wrong!”

But as soon as he finished speaking, he glanced at the madam. Her expression was far from pleased.

“Madam, Master has learned alchemy—isn’t that a good thing? You…”

Madam Qin sighed. “It is a good thing.”

“Then…”

“Why did Qin Zhou learn alchemy after just a few days? I noticed his temperament has grown steadier. Why do you think that is?”

“Madam, failing to enter the immortal sect must have been a heavy blow to the young master. But since he will eventually inherit the Qin family shop, growing more mature and steady can’t be a bad thing…” The shopkeeper spoke hesitantly.

“That’s likely true.”

Madam Qin nodded, stepping slowly out of the shop. The moonlight shone brightly overhead, yet an inexplicable sadness welled up within her.

She pressed her hand lightly to her chest.

As if something had already been lost.

“Madam!” The shopkeeper suddenly remembered something and hurried after her. “Today, that good-for-nothing from the Zhang family came looking for trouble with the young master again.”

Madam Qin halted in her steps, setting aside the inexplicable sorrow in her heart. She lifted her eyes and glared. “Tell me everything.”

The shopkeeper promptly recounted the incident that occurred when the young master had come earlier to retrieve the Spiritual Heart Fruit.

“Madam, don’t you think the Zhang family is getting terribly arrogant? If it hadn’t been right outside our shop, the young master might have been seized by the Zhang guards.”

Madam Qin frowned. “I’d heard the Zhang family had gained some backing, but I hadn’t realized their audacity would grow so quickly.”

“What about us?”

“We can’t let this go, but we must plan carefully. I’ll draft a letter. Have someone deliver it to the provincial capital, to the Master’s hands.”

“Understood.”

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

On the carriage ride back to the estate, Chen San couldn’t help glancing at his young master repeatedly, hesitating to speak.

“Speak if you have something to say,” Qin Zhou murmured, feigning sleep.

“Young Master, you clearly extracted fifty pills from that furnace. Why did you tell the mistress it was only thirty?”

Qin Zhou opened his eyes and asked, “How many pills does an ordinary alchemist produce per furnace?”

Chen San recalled the shopkeeper’s words and replied after a moment’s thought, “Twenty.”

Others produce twenty pills per furnace, while the Young Master produces fifty.

“A tree that stands out in the forest is sure to be broken by the wind,” Qin Zhou remarked.

Chen San only nodded, barely grasping the meaning.

Whatever the young master said was right.

Qin Zhou closed his eyes once more.

The number of pills produced per furnace depends on the quantity of ingredients, the grade of the furnace, and the alchemist’s skill in controlling the furnace fire.

When the quantity of ingredients and the furnace are fixed, the alchemist’s skill becomes paramount.

Unseen by Chen San, in an inconspicuous corner of Qin Zhou’s interface, a title achievement named [Master Alchemist] had lit up.

[Master Alchemist]: 10,000 cumulative alchemy sessions. (Exalted Honor) Rare pill drop rate +10%, 70% chance to gain an additional pill.

Stepping down from the carriage, Qin Zhou looked up.

This was the Qin Manor.

Even under the quiet night sky, the grandeur of the Qin residence was unmistakable.

Two stone lions stood steadfastly guarding either side of the compound, while the lacquered red gates stood solemnly in the center.

As Qin Zhou approached, guards immediately stepped forward. After examining their faces by lantern light, they promptly ushered them inside.

Night had deepened, so Qin Zhou had Chen San lead him back to his quarters.

Exhausted from tending the furnace all night, Qin Zhou found his room and entered directly.

Chen San lit the lamps before stepping out to instruct servants to boil water.

The room was clean and tidy, its opulence and taste evident at a glance. Not bad.

Just as Qin Zhou reached to pour himself a cup of cold tea, he heard movement behind the beaded curtain. His hand paused mid-air. “So a guest has arrived.”

Qin Zhou set down the cup and slowly backed two steps toward the door.

“This guest has been waiting for Young Master Qin for two hours.” The voice was cool and magnetic, yet the tone carrying the words seemed almost gritted.