10: Chapter 10: Picking Up Pills, Rapid Progress

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

Having exchanged for thirty-six thousand gold coins, Gu Han offered his thanks with a polite salute and then made an excuse to leave.

Thirty-six thousand gold coins wasn't much; it wasn't even enough to go to Wutan City to bid on a Foundation Establishment Elixir, which was at the level of a second-grade medicinal pill.

But in his hands, it could be much more useful than eighteen hundred merit points.

"Goodbye. Come find me anytime if you need anything."

Mo Feng's heart was bleeding, but he maintained a polite facade on the surface.

If he were to exchange these merit points with his clan, he would lose over five thousand gold coins—no small sum.

As soon as Gu Han's figure disappeared around the corner, the expression on his face changed instantly, and he immediately headed for the Inner Sect holding his command medallion.

Although Mo Yu was the Great Elder's direct disciple, because his cultivation was at the level of a one-star Dou Master, his primary area of activity was usually the Inner Sect.

"Eldest Young Master."

Mo Feng found Mo Yu and, seeing that Mo Qing was also there, immediately reported the situation.

"So, he doesn't harbor hostility toward our Mo Clan?" Mo Yu picked up his teacup.

"Isn't that normal?" Mo Qing didn't seem surprised and gave a sneer. "Big Brother, you're the Great Elder's direct disciple, and Grandfather is a Dou Ling Expert. Gu Han is short-sighted and only refused to give me face because he was eyeing the reward for first place in the Preparatory Disciple Grand Competition, but it's impossible for him to hate us."

"If I offered him something even better than the first-place reward, he'd definitely wag his tail like a dog."

"That might not be the case; geniuses all have their pride." Mo Yu took a sip of tea, his expression also quite self-satisfied. "But you're right. When facing our Mo Clan, he would certainly prefer to be on good terms rather than offend us if possible."

"In that case, we'll pretend to be friends with him first. We can give him some small favors and use him whenever there's an opportunity."

"If he doesn't know what's good for him and is destined to be our enemy in the future, we'll find an opportunity in advance to..."

Mo Yu didn't say what they would find an opportunity to do, but both Mo Qing and Mo Feng understood.

Their attitude toward Gu Han was temporarily settled.

"Let him live for a few more days then." Mo Qing sneered, then changed the subject. "He's really lucky to have actually succeeded in breaking through to Dou Practitioner in one go. Big Brother, hasn't my Qi Gathering Powder arrived yet?"

"Although the effect of the Qi Gathering Powder is only to help a Ninth Stage Dou Zhi Qi cultivator break through to Dou Practitioner, it is a fourth-grade pill after all, and it's in high demand but short supply. The clan's scheduling also takes time. Wait a bit longer, practice diligently on your own, and adjust your state."

Mo Qing agreed verbally, but in his heart, he thought otherwise.

Meanwhile, on the mountain path from the Outer Sect area to the Preparatory Disciple area, Liu Ling, holding a large bouquet of flowers, stopped Nalan Yanran as she was heading down the mountain with two maidservants. "Yanran, where are you going?"

"I'm going back to my clan. It's been a long time since I've seen my grandfather and parents." A polite smile appeared on Nalan Yanran's face.

"Shall I accompany you?" Liu Ling said immediately.

"That wouldn't be appropriate." Nalan Yanran's brows furrowed slightly.

Liu Ling's heart warmed slightly, and he said with a gentle smile, "Indeed, it's not appropriate for the time being. I was being impetuous."

For the time being?

Nalan Yanran felt that Liu Ling had misunderstood something.

But considering he was Gu He's disciple and a third-grade Alchemist, she couldn't say much.

"I'm in a hurry to get back. I'll return to the sect as soon as my teacher returns. Is there anything else?" Nalan Yanran's smile became increasingly polite.

"Haven't I just been promoted to a third-grade Alchemist?" Liu Ling handed over the flowers. "I've always wanted to give you a gift. I heard that your favorite is the Cloud Song Flower, so I've been preparing this gift for a long time."

Nalan Yanran: ?

It was her first time encountering a situation where someone had their own happy occasion but gave a gift to someone else.

"Thank you." Nalan Yanran took the flowers.

It was just a bouquet of flowers; there was no need to refuse.

If it were a valuable item, she definitely couldn't accept it, lest the other party misunderstand.

"The flowers are beautiful, but the person is even more beautiful." Liu Ling made no attempt to hide his admiration.

Nalan Yanran felt uncomfortable all over. After thanking him again, she said, "I'm in a hurry, I'll be going now."

"Alright, after you get home, be sure to put the flowers in a vase," Liu Ling urged before ceasing his pestering.

Holding the bouquet, Nalan Yanran continued down the mountain with her two maidservants.

Liu Ling stood there watching her until she was out of sight, then turned to head up the mountain with a smile on his face.

"When she discovers the Mind-Awakening Pill, Yanran will surely be pleasantly surprised. It's a pity I won't get to see her surprised expression."

"If I didn't do it this way, she definitely wouldn't have accepted the pill from me. I'm so clever."

Liu Ling walked up in a great mood, and before long, he passed by an Outer Sect Disciple who was heading down the mountain.

They glanced at each other without speaking, both treating the other as an irrelevant stranger.

No, in Gu Han's heart, he treated Liu Ling as a 'Wealth-Delivering Boy.'

"I do like Cloud Song Flowers."

"But I like Cloud Song Flowers that grow freely in the wind and rain, even if they wither and drift away with the wind."

"Not Cloud Song Flowers that are picked, packaged, and placed in a vase for people to admire, with their fate held in someone else's hands."

At a corner on the path down the mountain, Nalan Yanran had a very displeased expression and then threw the bouquet away.

The two maidservants looked at each other, not daring to say a word.

If Liu Ling was trying to flatter her, he had certainly missed the mark today.

Ever since she learned she had an engagement, what their young mistress cared about most was 'fate' and 'freedom.'

"Let's go."

Nalan Yanran's expression was cold as she continued down the mountain.

Not long after their group left, Gu Han's figure appeared nearby.

Following the opportunity prompt, he soon saw a bouquet of Cloud Song Flowers in front of a small tree canopy on a steep slope. He immediately moved to retrieve it, taking out a jade bottle from the very center of the bouquet.

"There are actually three of them; they'll last for a month."

Opening the jade bottle for a look, Gu Han thought to himself that Alchemists were indeed wealthy and overbearing.

Storing the jade bottle in the Black Tortoise Mystic Realm, he casually threw the Cloud Song Flowers even further away, then changed direction toward the Third Peak behind Yun Lan Mountain.

After weaving through various mountain paths for about four hours, he finally reached his destination.

At this time, the weather near this peak had already begun to change, but the Yin Wind mentioned in the opportunity hadn't started yet.

Gu Han wasn't in a hurry. With a thought, he entered the Black Tortoise Mystic Realm and began setting up a simple bed, prayer mat, desk, and so on.

He would go outside to cultivate and enter the secret realm space when he needed to rest, which would ensure absolute safety.

Time flew by like a white stallion passing a crevice; ten days soon passed since Gu Han came to the Third Peak to cultivate.

Gu Han confirmed that his comprehension was indeed very strong. With the help of the Yin Wind illusion, he had already cultivated Profound Ice Strength to the Great Success stage.

Having completely absorbed the residual medicinal power of the jade spirit fruit, he had already broken through to two-star Dou Practitioner and had touched the bottleneck of three-star.

If he took the Mind-Awakening Pill, the effect would be even better, but Gu Han was in no hurry to do so.

"Pa!"

Gu Han stood before a rock on the mountain peak and performed the Profound Yin Finger.

Under the reinforcement of the Ice Dou Qi, his finger was as hard as steel, plunging into the mountain body as if it were piercing tofu.

When he withdrew his finger, a hole appeared in the rock, its surface covered with a layer of frost.

"The Profound Yin Finger has also been cultivated to the Great Success stage."

Gu Han showed a satisfied expression. With a thought, he returned to the Black Tortoise Mystic Realm to adjust his breathing and check today's opportunity.

"Hmm?"