237: Chapter 235 The Front Lines Are in Crisis

It was another ordinary morning.

Sunlight shone from the east, spilling onto the bluestone slabs in the courtyard with a warm glow. Yun Ming was cultivating in the courtyard, five Golden Cores slowly rotating in his Dantian, while spiritual energy surged through his Meridians. He had grown accustomed to this rhythm—neither hurried nor slow, neither tight nor loose. A fox lay on his lap, its eyes squinted, its nine tails hanging down and swaying gently. A pot of tea and a small plate of melon seeds sat on the stone table; the tea was ordinary, the kind that cost a single copper coin per pot, while the seeds were from the mystic pattern jade seed sunflower he had grown himself.

There was a knock at the courtyard gate.

It wasn't the Fourth Elder. The Fourth Elder knocked very lightly, three times, neither too heavy nor too light, neither rushed nor slow, just like the man himself. It wasn't Zhou Qian; Zhou Qian never knocked, he just pushed the door open and walked in, loud and brash. It wasn't the Princess Royal; when her Phoenix Sedan descended, half the city could hear it amidst the blaring gongs and drums—there was no need to knock at all. It was Shen Yizhi.

When Yun Ming opened the door, he was momentarily stunned. Shen Yizhi stood at the entrance, wearing a deep blue robe with a jade belt at his waist and his hair tied high in a bun.

"Mr. Yun, I hope you have been well," Shen Yizhi said, cupping his hands.

Yun Ming stepped aside to let him in. "Come in and sit."

Shen Yizhi walked into the courtyard and sat by the stone table. Yun Ming poured him a cup of tea. Shen Yizhi picked it up, took a sip, and set it down. He didn't say it was bad, nor did he say it was good; he simply put the cup down and leaned back against the chair, looking at Yun Ming.

"What brings Mr. Shen here?" Yun Ming sat down opposite him. "Are things no longer busy at the frontlines?"

Shen Yizhi shook his head. "The frontlines are very busy. It's precisely because they are busy that I've come to find Mr. Yun."

He took a Jade Slip from his sleeve and placed it on the table. "This contains the situation at the front. You can take a look when you have time, Mr. Yun."

Yun Ming glanced at the Jade Slip but didn't pick it up. "Just tell me directly, Mr. Shen. I don't like reading reports."

Shen Yizhi smiled. The smile was faint, like a sliver of sunlight leaking through a crack in the clouds during winter—not warm, but it brightened one's heart. "Alright."

He leaned back, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest as if organizing his thoughts. "The Crown Prince is attacking both the Second Prince and the Third Prince simultaneously. The pressure on the Third Prince's side is immense. Although True Lord Luoyun has come out of seclusion, the Crown Prince has more retainers and more troops. The Third Prince's side can still hold on, but not for long."

He paused, his fingers stopping for a moment before resuming their tapping. "I've come this time hoping Mr. Yun can refine more Medicinal Pills. Heavenly Dew Spirit Nourishing Pills, Xuan Ying Pills, and Healing Pills are all needed. The soldiers at the front are consuming too much spiritual energy; relying solely on meditation to recover is too slow. The Third Prince has said that the rewards will not be meager. Spirit Stones, Materials, Cultivation Techniques, Magic Treasures—as long as Mr. Yun asks, the Third Prince will do his best to provide."

Yun Ming picked up his teacup and took a sip. "How much longer can the Third Prince's side hold out?"

Shen Yizhi fell silent for a moment. His gaze fell upon the teacup on the table; the tea inside had already gone cold, its color deepening. He stared at the cold tea for a few breaths, then looked up.

"If there are enough Medicinal Pills, they can hold for another three months. If there aren't enough, they might not even last a month."

Yun Ming set down his teacup. He leaned back, hands crossed over his belly, looking at Shen Yizhi. Shen Yizhi looked back at him with a calm gaze—no urging, no anxiety, only the patience of someone waiting for an answer.

"I can refine thirty batches of Heavenly Dew Spirit Nourishing Pills a month. Five batches of Xuan Ying Pills. Healing Pills, unlimited," Yun Ming said. "Is that enough?"

Shen Yizhi's eyes lit up. The flash of light was brief, but Yun Ming saw it.

"Thirty batches?" Shen Yizhi's voice rose slightly. "Didn't you say ten sets of Materials yield nine batches, Mr. Yun? Where would thirty batches come from in a month?"

Yun Ming said, "Refining one batch a day makes thirty batches a month. I refine quickly; one batch takes less than an hour."

Shen Yizhi was stunned for a moment. He looked at Yun Ming as if trying to find some flaw in his expression. But Yun Ming's face was calm—he didn't look like he was boasting, nor like he was merely trying to comfort him. Shen Yizhi laughed. This smile was wider than before, carrying a sense of relief.

"We still underestimated your abilities, Mr. Yun." He stood up and gave a deep bow. "Then I shall thank Mr. Yun on behalf of the Third Prince."

Yun Ming waved his hand. "Don't be so quick to thank me. I can perform Alchemy, but you must provide the Materials. The payment remains as before—no credit."

Shen Yizhi smiled. "That goes without saying. I'll have the Materials sent over as soon as I return." He sat back down and took a sip of tea. The tea was cold and a bit astringent, but he didn't frown. He put the cup down and looked at Yun Ming.

"How have you been lately, Mr. Yun?" he asked in a casual tone, as if making small talk.

Yun Ming leaned back, hands crossed over his belly. "The same as always. Cultivating, refining pills, and raising a fox."

Shen Yizhi glanced at the fox lying on Yun Ming's lap. The fox's eyes were closed, its nine tails hanging down and swaying, its belly rising and falling with its breath. Shen Yizhi's gaze lingered on the fox for a moment before he looked away.

"How is... Xue Ji?"

Yun Ming looked down at the fox. "She's alright. Her intelligence has recovered somewhat; she can understand human speech now. Her cultivation is also recovering; she should be breaking through to the Golden Core Middle Stage soon."

Shen Yizhi nodded. "That's good. The Princess Royal is still thinking about her. She sends a voice transmission to ask every few days."

Yun Ming didn't speak. He couldn't control the Princess Royal's obsession with Xue Ji. As long as she didn't try to snatch her away, he didn't care. If she did try to take her, he wasn't afraid. It was only by luck that the needle hadn't struck her last time.

Shen Yizhi sat for a while longer, talking about matters at the front. The Crown Prince's army had recently received reinforcements, and the Third Prince's defensive line was being heavily compressed. Qin Zhao's arm had mostly recovered, but she couldn't return to the battlefield yet and was still recuperating in the rear camp. True Lord Luoyun's health wasn't great either; after all, he was old and couldn't handle continuous combat. The cooperating Sects each had their own agendas and weren't helping with their full strength. When Shen Yizhi spoke of these things, his tone was flat, like he was reading a report. But Yun Ming could hear what was being suppressed beneath that flatness.

He didn't respond. All he could do was refine pills. He couldn't help with anything else.

Shen Yizhi stood up. "Mr. Yun, I should go. The frontlines are waiting for me to return."

Yun Ming also stood up. "I'll see you out."

The two walked to the courtyard gate. Shen Yizhi stopped, turned around, and looked at Yun Ming.

"Mr. Yun, there is one more thing I'd like to ask."

"Speak."

Shen Yizhi was silent for a moment. He looked into Yun Ming's eyes as if searching for something.

"In your opinion, Mr. Yun, can the Third Prince win this war?"

Yun Ming looked into his eyes. There was no probing or politeness in those eyes, only a very serious, seeking gaze.

"You are a strategist, Mr. Shen, calculating all the affairs under heaven. Why ask an alchemist like me if a war can be won?"

Shen Yizhi gave a bitter smile. "Calculating all affairs under heaven? One cannot calculate everything. Human hearts cannot be fully calculated, nor can the will of heaven."

Yun Ming was silent for a moment. He thought about it and then spoke.

"I don't know if the Third Prince can win. But I know that as long as the supply of Medicinal Pills doesn't break, the Third Prince's soldiers won't fall because their spiritual energy is exhausted. As for how the war is fought, that is a matter for you and the Third Prince."

Shen Yizhi looked at him for a breath, then nodded. "You are right, Mr. Yun." He cupped his hands. "Farewell."

Yun Ming cupped his hands. "Take care."

Shen Yizhi turned and left the courtyard. An Escape Light rose, disappearing into the horizon. Yun Ming stood at the gate, watching the receding Escape Light for a while. Then he turned back into the courtyard.

He sat down at the stone table and took a sip of the tea that had gone completely cold. The fox jumped onto his lap and lay down, its nine tails hanging.

Yun Ming reached out and stroked its back.

"It looks like things are about to get busy."

The fox's ears twitched, but it didn't open its eyes.

It was still early, and the sunlight was just right. The courtyard was very quiet, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind. Yun Ming leaned back against his chair, eyes closed, fingers tapping lightly on the armrest. He wondered if the three months Shen Yizhi mentioned would be enough for him to finish refining this batch of pills. He wondered if the Third Prince's war could truly be won. He wondered when all of this would finally come to an end.

He thought for a long time but found no answers.

He opened his eyes, stood up, and went inside. He took the cauldron of all things mother qi out from the map of mountains and rivers and placed it before him. He took a set of Materials for the Heavenly Dew Spirit Nourishing Pill from his Storage Pouch and laid them out one by one. The fire was lit, and the Golden Crow Flame within the cauldron burned quietly.

He began to refine pills. The world outside had nothing to do with him. But he knew that every batch of pills he refined could potentially save a life. That was enough.