48: New intelligence: Crisis at the Mystic Pavilion

A faint fish-belly white had just begun to color the horizon, and a thin mist hung like a veil over the tranquil Lin family courtyard. Crystal dewdrops gathered in the crevices of the bluestone slabs, reflecting the weak morning light.

Lin Jingyu pushed open the slightly worn wooden door. A morning breeze carrying the crisp fragrance of mountain flora brushed against his face. He took a deep breath, as if trying to dispel the fatigue of the night and the lingering chill.

The arduous initial refinement of the bane bone soul-chasing nail over several hours yesterday had nearly exhausted his mental energy. The intensity of the Yin-cold Evil Qi contained within it far exceeded his expectations.

Every time his spiritual power attempted to leave an imprint on it, it felt like plunging his hand into ten-thousand-year-old black ice. A bone-piercing chill would madly spread from his fingertips, and he felt as if his Divine Soul was about to be assimilated and frozen by that boundless Evil Qi, his thoughts becoming sluggish.

If not for the fact that this Bone Nail only required a crude spiritual imprint to be barely usable, rather than complete refinement, with his meager Qi Refining Third Layer cultivation, he would have long since been backlashed into an ice sculpture.

Even so, a faint, empty, stinging sensation still lingered in his Dantian Qi Sea. The residual Yin-cold in his Meridians hadn't been completely expelled, and his fingertips trembled slightly as they touched the doorframe.

He turned and walked towards the kitchen on one side. Beside the stove, the sweet potato pills he and his sister Lin Jingxia had busily fried yesterday were now completely cooled, neatly arranged in over ten warm Jade Boxes.

He opened one of the boxes. Inside, each pill was plump and round, their golden-yellow color enticing. The frying was perfect, forming a crispy shell as thin as a cicada's wing. In the faint morning light, they resembled solidified little suns, emitting a warm glow.

A unique, sweet, toasted aroma, mixed with the gentle Spiritual Qi characteristic of the hundred-year mountain sweet potato, quietly diffused as the lid was opened.

The quantity wasn't large, only these dozen or so boxes. After establishing a stable supply partnership with Miaoling Pavilion, he temporarily no longer needed to hustle for sales channels and avoided the risk of drawing attention by setting up a stall.

More importantly, of the remaining three fist-sized fruits from that hundred-year mountain sweet potato vine, if he continued selling them at a stall, given his current reputation, he'd probably use them all up in less than ten days.

Then he wouldn't be able to explain things to Miaoling Pavilion.

He habitually focused his spirit, his thoughts stirring slightly.

The Void Realm before him rippled silently, like water disturbed by a thrown stone. The familiar, semi-transparent, pale blue light screen instantly appeared, its faint glow swirling, the characters as clear as if branded onto his retina.

[Intelligence Refreshed.]

[In the Southeast Market Town, the four great pill pavilions are locked in open and covert struggles, with undercurrents running deep. Among them, Daling Pavilion and Miaoling Pavilion harbor the deepest-seated grudge, entangled in factional strife within the Qinglan Sect, their conflict deep-rooted.]

[Daling Pavilion has operated for decades, possessing profound heritage and a solid Foundation. Its business empire is vast, involved in Medicinal Pills, Talismans, Magical Artifacts, Formations, and even intelligence trade. It can be called a colossal beast entrenched in the Southeast Market Town.]

[However, the newly emerged Miaoling Pavilion, only five years old, is like a newborn calf unafraid of tigers, its aggressive edge formidable. Relying on unique Spirit Pills and powerful Alchemists, it presses forward step by step, continuously eroding Daling Pavilion's established market share, and has already become its most dangerous threat.]

[Three days ago, during a routine minor competition among the four great pill pavilions, Miaoling Pavilion surprisingly narrowly defeated Daling Pavilion by a slight margin, forcing it to lose three Spiritual Plant-producing lands that yielded high-quality herbs, a heavy loss.]

[One month from now, the major competition of the 'Southeast Pill Conference', which concerns the core interests of the market town, will be held. If Miaoling Pavilion emerges victorious again in this battle, then the access qualification for the 'Southeast Auction', which Daling Pavilion has controlled for years and which is highly lucrative, will inevitably be transferred to Miaoling Pavilion!]

[Daling Pavilion has now shown its true, desperate colors, sparing no expense! With irresistible, heavy benefits, it secretly poached Miaoling Pavilion's second shopkeeper and its cornerstone, the chief Alchemist! Cutting the ground from under its feet, a ruthless move.]

[Another major pill pavilion, 'Tianling Pavilion', also unwilling to be left out, took the Opportunity to add insult to injury, brazenly striking to intercept several of Miaoling Pavilion's key supply channels for core Spiritual Plants and beast cores with even more favorable terms!]

[Miaoling Pavilion is beset with troubles both internally and externally, teetering on the brink! Core personnel poached, raw material supply cut off, its reputation severely damaged. Once bustling with customers, now its doors are deserted, extremely quiet.]

[So strapped that it struggles to even stably supply its signature pills for maintaining its storefront, such as first-grade High Grade 'ningyuan pills' and 'Huichun Powder'.]

[On the eve of this major competition, rumors circulate in the market town that Miaoling Pavilion has reached the end of its rope and will inevitably forfeit and admit defeat, withdrawing from the competition in disgrace.]

[However, on the day of the Pill Conference competition, a sudden change occurred! An unknown, unremarkable female cultivator, displaying only Qi Refining Seventh Layer cultivation and with ordinary appearance and attire, took the stage representing Miaoling Pavilion.]

[Her Alchemy techniques were ancient and grand, her fire control art exquisite and peerless. The quality of the pills she refined far surpassed her peers. With overwhelming dominance, she swept through all the Alchemists present like a crumbling force, ultimately claiming the competition's championship without a shred of doubt! Astonishing everyone with her skill!]

[...]

Lin Jingyu's gaze swept quickly over the light screen, finally settling on those last few lines of description. His pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

This intelligence depicted a brutal struggle among the inner circle pill pavilion giants. The interests and the forces behind them involved were far beyond what a small Qi Refining Third Layer Loose Cultivator like him could imagine.

For him, Miaoling Pavilion was currently just a relatively stable supply channel, a customer that brought in two Spirit Stones of income daily and with whom he had managed to establish some slight connection.

A deeper connection? Not really, for now.

The infighting among inner circle pill pavilions often involves the machinations of different factions within the Qinglan Sect behind the scenes, and may even be driven by the will of Foundation Establishment experts.

Rashly getting involved would be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot—seeking one's own doom.

However, within this seemingly distant vortex, there also faintly gleamed a thread of Opportunity.

The phrase 'offering fuel in snowy weather' quietly surfaced in Lin Jingyu's mind.

According to the intelligence, Miaoling Pavilion was now betrayed and isolated, with no support, struggling to even maintain daily operations. It was at its most destitute, most needy moment.

If he could, at this time, continue to faithfully deliver those two boxes of sweet potato pills every day as agreed—this act of supply, perhaps insignificant in the other party's eyes but representing 'fulfillment of contract' and 'stability'—would appear exceptionally different.

No matter what, it would quietly plant an impression of 'true feelings are revealed in times of trouble' in the other party's heart, greatly boosting their goodwill.

This 'friendship' held incalculable benefits for his future.

If nothing else, getting a discount when purchasing items like Medicinal Pills would be a given.

A trace of a smile, almost imperceptible like ripples from a stone thrown into a lake, appeared at the corner of Lin Jingyu's mouth, then quickly subsided into calm.

This foresight brought by the Golden Finger should be used precisely like this.

Before, why did it always refresh useless gossip like, 'So-and-so female cultivator's affair', or 'Two or three things about Elder So-and-so'... that kind of tabloid news.

It was probably also because I was cooped up at home before, only cultivating, without any contact with outsiders.

He closed the light screen, the faint blue glow vanishing.