Qin Zhou didn’t approach. He merely asked, “Do I… know you?”

“No.”

Qin Zhou: “An uninvited guest cannot be called a visitor.”

“Is Young Master Qin suggesting I leave? When you entered my village, did you consider whether you were uninvited?”

“Your village?”

“The dilapidated estate in that rundown village on the southwest hills outside Ping City.” The other party snorted coldly. “It sheltered the runaway, Young Master Qin, for several days. Is this the attitude you show toward the estate’s owner?” Qin Zhou confirmed that the other was referring to his village.

“That estate… is it yours?” Qin Zhou couldn’t help asking.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a piece of paper drifted out from behind the beaded curtain.

It was a deed of ownership.

Stamped with the official seal of Xihe Province, under the jurisdiction of Ping City County, the property belonged to—

Wen Jue.

He was the one who had cast the illusion over the village. Qin Zhou instantly understood.

“You came here in person. What do you want?”

Since he was the one who personally cast the illusion over the village, he must be a cultivator. With his 0.01 talent, Qin Zhou knew he stood no chance against such a power.

The fact that the other party hadn’t retaliated, choosing instead to visit the Qin residence at night, meant he must have his own purpose.

“What do I want?”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a fan swept aside the beaded curtain.

“I ask you—how did you breach that barrier?”

The white-robed youth stood precisely in the light, yet a layer of magic veiled his face, obscuring Qin Zhou’s view. The figure and aura revealed were comparable only to an Immortal Lord or celestial being.

“The barrier did not stop me.” Qin Zhou knew precisely why it hadn’t, but he kept silent.

The deed belonged to this cultivator before him, but the mansion was his—yes, ten thousand years ago. Though speaking it aloud would likely be met with disbelief.

“No one can breach my barrier,” the white-robed youth suddenly leaned closer to Qin Zhou, his voice laced with warning and arrogance. “Boy, across all Zhutian, no one can.”

Qin Zhou wasn’t particularly afraid. There was no killing intent emanating from the youth. In fact—

This Immortal Lord, before him, stood half a head shorter than himself.

He felt even less afraid.

The youth didn’t catch his gaze, only finding it odd. This kid… isn’t afraid of him?

“If you don’t tell the truth, you die,” the youth warned again. “Your soul will be scattered to the winds.”

“The barrier didn’t stop me. That’s the truth,” Qin Zhou repeated.

Qin Zhou’s gaze was sincere, without evasion, as if his words were the absolute truth.

“I doubt you dare deceive me.”

As he spoke, Qin Zhou’s eyes lingered on the jet-black hair before him.

A jade hairpin, carved with intricate patterns, was pinned in the hair, giving off a warm, pristine aura.

Qin Zhou recognized it almost instantly.

Bright Moon Reflecting Snow.

A top-tier accessory from the game’s early days, forged by Qin Zhou himself using premium materials. Because it granted numerous attributes, he had given it to the villager with the highest natural talent.

He never expected to see it again in a save file from ten thousand years later.

And now, it adorned someone else’s head.

This confirmed the deed’s authenticity. The cultivator before him was likely a descendant of that villager.

Just as Qin Zhou prepared to ask a question, the youth suddenly muttered, “Damn it,” and began to dissolve into wisps of blue smoke.

Qin Zhou couldn’t help but feel astonished.

“What are you staring at? It’s all because you made this one wait two hours… Very well.”

“Boy, I’ll provisionally accept your story as truth. You may temporarily use the village. But if you damage even a single thread there, I’ll claim your life from a thousand miles away.”

With that, the white-robed youth vanished completely. It seemed what he had seen earlier wasn’t the Immortal Lord’s true form after all.

Qin Zhou replied calmly, “Mhm. Rest assured.”

As for Bright Moon Reflecting Snow—

“Young Master, the hot water’s ready.” A knock sounded at the door—it was Chen San.

That would have to wait.

Qin Zhou withdrew his gaze. “Yes, come in.”

Once he formally joined the ranks of cultivators, perhaps he would see this person again.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Within the Immortal Restraint Prison.

A gust of wind swept through, and his divine essence returned to its place.

Time in the lower realm was limited. Even for him, it demanded considerable mental expenditure.

Still, it wasn’t entirely fruitless.

Wen Jue slowly opened his eyes. “It wasn’t that bunch of useless fools, nor any cultivator who forced their way in. Qin Zhou—why wasn’t he blocked by the barrier?”

Too bad he couldn’t stay in the lower realm too long. Otherwise, he’d have dissected Qin Zhou to see inside.

Not necessarily… There might be another possibility.

Wen Jue’s fingers traced the iron chain as his voice grew hoarse. “You old bastard… You didn’t possess a mortal to deceive me, did you…”

Another possibility…

“He’s the old man’s bloodline.”

As the last two words left his lips, Wen Jue nearly snapped the iron chain in his grip. “The man who gave me that hairpin… and still dared to marry and have children.”

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Early the next morning, the servants sent out by the Zhang family returned looking utterly bedraggled.

Most bore bruises and swollen faces, their spirits crushed. Mentioning the dilapidated mountain village they’d stormed the previous day caused their expressions to darken drastically—

“Young Master, we… we seem to have encountered a ghostly wall.”

“I saw a ferocious beast chasing me.”

“I saw my father gone…”

“I… I stood on the edge of a cliff, just inches from falling!”

They chattered excitedly, recounting last night’s ordeal as if they’d narrowly escaped death, still trembling with fear.

After listening, Zhang Heming wore only impatience.

“So you’re saying you went there, didn’t see Qin Zhou, and ran into ghosts? If that village really has ghosts, how come he went and nothing happened to him?”

Faced with the young master’s questioning, one quick-tongued fellow blurted out, “Well, not exactly nothing happened… his mind went haywire, didn’t it…”

Zhang Heming shot him a glare, and the others quickly tried to smooth things over. “Young master, that mountain really is a bit spooky.”

“Qin Zhou might genuinely have lost his mind, bewitched by that village’s ghosts! Why abandon the fine Qin residence to live in that wretched hamlet?”

“Exactly! Exactly!”

“Right! How could he compare to our young master? The Zhang family’s fortunes will never be the same.” The servants exchanged glances, each fawning with flattery.

They’d seen it clearly today.

People had arrived at the mansion, surrounded by attendants. The steward had even warned them not to offend the distinguished guests.

Likely, the Zhang family’s powerful backer had finally shown up.

Zhang Heming raised his hand, signaling he didn’t want to hear any more of this.

“Enough. Take this and buy some medicine. Apply it to your face so people don’t laugh at you.” Zhang Heming pulled out a silver ingot and tossed it to the group of servants.

The servants quickly grabbed their reward, offered a few more compliments, and then withdrew.

Zhang Heming felt a lingering frustration at not having punished Qin Zhou properly. But upon reflection, the servants were right—Qin Zhou was just that kind of person. Whether he was mad or not, if Qin Zhou couldn’t enter the immortal sect, the Qin family would be finished.

He was different. Though his talent wasn’t exceptional, he still had a chance at an immortal sect. And this time, his father had even connected with a cultivator from an immortal sect…

This Ping City would soon be the Zhang family’s domain.

“Young Master.” A voice suddenly called from outside the door. “Young Master, your Father requests you prepare yourself to receive an honored guest in the main hall.”

Zhang Heming jolted awake. “Right away, I’m coming!”

Zhang Heming knew this visitor was a connection his father had painstakingly cultivated—though, admittedly, the Zhang family had practically emptied their coffers to secure it.

And in return, they had sent an alchemist.

The purpose? To crush the Qin family.

As long as the Zhang family had an alchemist from an immortal sect… the Qin family would have no reason to be so arrogant.

Zhang Heming smoothed his robes and strode out.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Qin Zhou was unaware that Zhang Heming had sent someone to investigate the village.

After sleeping at the Qin residence, he woke early and took Chen San to the alchemy workshop behind the pill shop.

Of the pills produced yesterday, thirty had been given to the shopkeeper, leaving him with twenty remaining.

However, for Qin Zhou, whose talent growth was a mere 0.01, the basic-tier Spiritual Pills offered negligible benefits.

The Marrow Cleansing Pill was his true objective.

The difference between the Marrow Cleansing Pill and the low-tier Spiritual Pill lay in the Soul Return Grass.

Soul Return Grass was considered a spirit material. Pills refined with it as the primary ingredient strengthened the body and could be taken by ordinary people. It was a common spirit material, not particularly rare.

However, few knew that adding a small amount of Soul Return Grass to Spiritual Heart Fruit could refine the Marrow Cleansing Pill.

Qin Zhou had once experimented with numerous pill formulas, consuming considerable resources. That tiny bit of Soul Return Grass had been accidentally added during a mishap.

He had expected the pill to be ruined, but instead, it turned golden, revealing the formula for the Marrow Cleansing Pill.

Ever since then, he has accepted every individual, regardless of their innate talent. The reason was simple: he could purify everyone’s innate talent. This was the secret behind his small village’s rapid growth.

However, the basic Marrow Cleansing Pill only worked on ordinary people.

For cultivators of higher levels, this basic Marrow Cleansing Pill was little more than candy.

But at this very moment, for Qin Zhou with his 0.01 talent rating, the Marrow Cleansing Pill was nothing short of a supreme immortal pill.

And it wasn’t just him.

For all mortals, this might well be the stepping stone to the immortal path.

To put it more dramatically.

This was something capable of transforming the entire lower realm.

Lost in thought, a flash of golden light suddenly appeared and vanished before his eyes.

The smoke from the alchemy furnace slowly dissipated, revealing dozens of small black pellets faintly visible at the bottom.

Qin Zhou knew. It had worked.

Chen San, seeing this, shared his excitement. “Young Master, the pills are out! One, two, three, four…”

Thirteen, fourteen…

As Chen San counted, the excitement in his voice gradually faded. “Young Master… fifteen pills.”

Compared to last night’s fifty pills, this batch of fifteen seemed far more ‘normal’.

Qin Zhou didn’t feel disappointed.

The success rate for Marrow Cleansing Pills was inherently much lower than for Spiritual Pills. Producing fifteen pills was already a major achievement worthy of his ‘title’.

“Young Master, these pills seem different from last night’s.” Only after retrieving them did Chen San notice something amiss.

“Hmm, these are different.”

Chen San’s heart leapt with joy. “So that’s why!”

That’s why only fifteen pills were produced. He knew it couldn’t be the young master’s fault. Qin Zhou took the pills Chen San handed him. Suddenly struck by a thought, he asked, “Chen San, do you wish to join an immortal sect?”

Chen San froze. “Young Master, asking me… How could I join an immortal sect? I don’t have the talent.”

Even children from ordinary families underwent talent assessments, but his had been done long ago—no aptitude for it. Coupled with his family’s poverty, such dreams were unthinkable.

“What if you did have the talent?”

Qin Zhou’s successive questions left Chen San at a loss for words.

“Maybe… I would,” Chen San scratched his head. “Everyone says once you become a cultivator, you have no worries. You’re above worldly concerns and don’t have to fret over making a living.”

Qin Zhou nodded gently. “This pill could help me enter an immortal sect. It could help you, too.”

Only then did Chen San grasp the meaning behind Qin Zhou’s words. He shook his head hastily. “I don’t want it. Young Master, you should use it.”

Immortal pills were precious. That Young Master had even considered giving him one filled Chen San with both trepidation and profound warmth. Even if Young Master hadn’t truly intended to give it to him, just asking was enough.

Seeing the sincerity in Chen San’s eyes, Qin Zhou said no more.

Chen San had good character.

In the past, someone like him would have definitely become one of his villagers.

But this wasn’t a game anymore. He would respect Chen San’s wishes.

Once he entered an immortal sect, if Chen San chose to follow him, he would grant him a talent reset. If not, Chen San could remain at the Qin family shop as a novice alchemist, assured of a comfortable life.

For now, however, the urgent task was to test the effects of this Marrow Cleansing Pill.