A disgrace to the veteran driver's career

On the other side, Lin Yuan had already arrived at the Peak Masters Residence.

Inside the spacious banquet hall, music played incessantly, and several graceful dancers were performing.

At the head seat, an old man with hair and beard like snow and a stern face sat upright.

Lin Yuan had been on Hundred Herbs Peak for decades, but this was his first time seeing the Peak Master.

True Man Mu's spiritual energy fluctuations were as mighty as a mountain, yet they carried a subtle, hard-to-detect instability, clearly indicating that he had just broken through to the Late Core Formation Stage, and his Realm was not yet fully stable.

"Fellow Daoist Sun, please sit." True Man Mu's voice was steady, but it couldn't hide a hint of joy deep in his eyes.

"If not for Fellow Daoist's mediation, inviting Alchemist Huang to lend a hand, this old man doesn't know how many more years he would have been trapped at this Bottleneck." He raised his wine cup, saluting from afar, his posture very humble.

Lin Yuan was vigilant, but his Divine Sense swept repeatedly, confirming that the wine and food were perfectly fine. Mu Wanqing and her father weren't so foolish as to poison him at a time like this.

He raised his wine cup and drank it all, a perfectly appropriate look of humility on his face: "Peak Master, you overstate it. This Junior is merely a messenger; the one truly exerting effort is Alchemist Huang."

After three rounds of wine, True Man Mu waved his hand, dismissing the dancers, and his expression turned serious.

"Fellow Daoist Sun, this old man invited you today not only to express gratitude but also to discuss a major matter concerning the future of my Hundred Herbs Peak with Alchemist Huang."

"Peak Master Mu, please speak freely."

True Man Mu said in a deep voice: "You must know that among my Yin Corpse Sect's Seventy-Two Peaks, while nominally a single entity, they are in fact self-governing. The Cultivation resources allocated by the Sect are entirely distributed according to each peak's strength ranking."

"The more High-level Cultivators and Foundation Establishment Cultivators there are, the larger the share one can receive."

Lin Yuan's eyelids were lowered, listening quietly, like the most loyal audience member.

"My Hundred Herbs Peak is currently ranked outside the top sixty among the Seventy-Two Peaks, already at the bottom." True Man Mu's eyes gleamed with burning ambition. "Currently, there are one hundred and sixteen Foundation Establishment Cultivators within the peak, among whom twenty-three have reached Foundation Establishment Perfection, just one step away from a Breakthrough!"

"If there are enough poyuan pills, at least five or six of these twenty-three people could successfully step into the Core Formation Realm!"

"By then, the strength of my Hundred Herbs Peak will undergo a qualitative leap, and it's not impossible for our ranking to jump into the top ten!"

poyuan pill!

Lin Yuan's heart contracted almost imperceptibly.

That was a Medicinal Pill that could greatly increase the success rate of Foundation Establishment Cultivators breaking through to Core Formation. This pill was extremely difficult to refine, requiring at least the skill of a Fifth-Grade Alchemist, and the Materials were all sky-high in price. A single Low Grade poyuan pill could fetch a sky-high price of fifty to sixty thousand Spirit Stones on the market.

At his current level, he was confident he could refine six pills from one batch of Materials: four Low Grade and two High Grade.

This business was incredibly profitable, but the risks were equally great!

A peak at the bottom of the rankings suddenly gaining multiple Core Formation Cultivators would inevitably attract countless gazes within the Sect.

At that time, if they followed the clues, could he, the Alchemist behind the scenes, still remain hidden?

Exposure meant endless trouble, or even being confined by some old monster and reduced to a tool solely for Alchemy.

This ran counter to his Dao of prudence.

"Although the poyuan pill is good..." Lin Yuan raised his head, meeting True Man Mu's burning gaze, his voice calm, "Alchemist Huang, however, prefers tranquility and does not wish to be exposed to others, which I presume Peak Master and Fellow Daoist Mu are aware of."

"Fellow Daoist Sun, rest assured!" Mu Wanqing immediately interjected, her voice clear and carrying the shrewdness unique to a merchant. "We have a complete plan for this. After the Medicinal Pills are refined, we will have those Disciples 'fortuitously' break through in batches over several years; we will absolutely not rush it and attract attention."

"Those who receive this pill will also be Core Disciples whom our Hundred Herbs Peak absolutely trusts, so there's no possibility of a leak."

Lin Yuan still felt uneasy. He slowly shook his head: "I will relay your words to Alchemist Huang. But whether he agrees, this Junior cannot guarantee."

A flicker of understanding crossed Mu Wanqing's eyes, and she nodded with a smile: "That's fine then."

A moment later, True Man Mu suddenly rose: "This old man has just broken through, and my Cultivation is unstable, so I need to return to meditate and stabilize it. Wan'er, you entertain Fellow Daoist Sun on my behalf."

"Yes, Daddy," Mu Wanqing replied obediently.

As True Man Mu's figure disappeared at the door, only Lin Yuan and Mu Wanqing remained in the vast banquet hall.

Mu Wanqing picked up the wine pot and walked gracefully to Lin Yuan's side. A unique, faint fragrance subtly wafted into Lin Yuan's nostrils.

She filled his wine cup, her breath like orchids, her eyes shimmering with liquid light, staring straight at him, a playful, cat-and-mouse amusement in her gaze.

That look... Lin Yuan's hand, holding the wine cup, paused in mid-air for a moment.

That look was clearly the same one she had at the waterfall, when she was overcome with emotion!

A terrifying thought exploded in Lin Yuan's mind.

Damn it! My disguise is blown!

His mind raced, but his face still maintained the dull expression of a middle-aged Alchemist, trying to find a flaw.

Where exactly did things go wrong?

"Fellow Daoist Sun, is this wine to your taste?" Mu Wanqing's voice was enchantingly seductive.

Lin Yuan put down his wine cup, his gaze sharp as a knife, looking directly at her: "The wine is good wine, it's just that Fellow Daoist Mu's fragrance is a bit too special, disturbing my mind."

Mu Wanqing covered her mouth and chuckled softly, her beautiful eyes curving into crescents. Far from avoiding him, she leaned closer, letting him smell it more clearly: "Is that so? How I remember, Fellow Daoist seemed to like this scent very much?"

Lin Yuan's last shred of hope was completely extinguished.

He slowly sighed and smiled.

It seems his disguise was truly blown.

Since that's the case... he might as well stop pretending!

With a flick of his long sleeve, a clever force swept through, and the cups, plates, wine, and food on the table were instantly collected into his Storage Pouch.

Amidst Mu Wanqing's short gasp of surprise, Lin Yuan stretched out his ape-like arm, directly picked her up by the waist, and pressed her heavily onto the smooth mahogany dining table!

"Fellow Daoist Lin, are you going to meet this little girl in your true form?" Mu Wanqing showed no panic; instead, she extended her lotus-like arms, hooked them around his neck, her smile deepening.

"How did you find out?" Lin Yuan leaned down, his nose almost touching hers, his voice low, carrying a hint of danger from being outmaneuvered.

"For now, I don't want to tell you!" A cunning glint of triumph flashed in Mu Wanqing's eyes.

"Good, good, good..." Lin Yuan chuckled softly, his laughter containing a mix of annoyance at being seen through and the excitement of an old driver meeting his match.

"I, Lin Yuan, have traveled the Cultivation world for so many years, and this is the first time I've been outsmarted to this extent! Today, I'll make you beg me to let you finish speaking!"

...An hour later.

"I was wrong, I was wrong... I'll tell you, I'll tell you everything..." Mu Wanqing's voice was tearful as she recounted the entire sequence of events in detail.

"...After you took that specially made jade marrow clear heart dew, a very faint, unique fragrance naturally clung to your body, not dissipating for three days..."

Lin Yuan's expression was utterly spectacular.

He prided himself on his caution, never carelessly eating anything given by others. Recalling the details by the waterfall that day, a thunderous realization struck him.

Damn it!

Lust is a knife to the head! Be careful, be careful, be extra careful!

This woman actually used this method to set a trap!

It was impossible to guard against! It was simply the greatest disgrace of an old driver's career!

"At the time, I only suspected you were the same person and wanted to verify it." Mu Wanqing curled up in Lin Yuan's arms, her voice aggrieved yet tinged with triumph. "Who knew, two days ago in the Pill Treasure Pavilion, I actually ran into you. I recognized that scent the moment I smelled it."

Lin Yuan's face was unpredictable: "Besides you and your father, who else knows my true identity?"

Mu Wanqing quickly shook her head, then as if remembering something, quickly nodded: "And my twin sister, she knows too."

"And then, there's no one else!"

She looked at Lin Yuan's expression and quickly added: "Don't worry! Your Alchemy skill is the greatest reliance for our Hundred Herbs Peak's rise. We're too busy hiding it; how could we let others know!"

"If outsiders knew, the people coming to request Medicinal Pills would probably queue from the mountain gate to the foot of the mountain. By then, where would you find the time to help us with Alchemy?"

That was the truth. Lin Yuan knew very well that once his identity was exposed, what awaited him would certainly not be respect and admiration.

He would never have peace again.