168: Deceive

These words reached Shu Shichan's ears, making her peach-blossom eyes widen instantly.

Ever since she became obsessed with Alchemy, the people in the manor either thought she was "neglecting her proper duties" or looked at her as if she were a bringer of misfortune whenever they saw her practicing Alchemy.

It was the first time she had heard someone praise her Alchemy Aptitude, especially a distinguished guest like Chen Xuan, who had such an extraordinary temperament and clearly held an extraordinary status.

An indescribable joy surged from the depths of her heart, and a faint blush even crept onto her cheeks.

"Young Master flatters me..." Shu Shichan pinched the hem of her skirt, but her eyes were as bright as if they held starlight. "I just like to study medicinal ingredients on my own; I haven't officially studied under a Revered Master."

Chen Xuan took the opportunity to ask further, "Since you have such a good foundation in the Dao of Alchemy, has the manor not hired a specialized alchemist to guide you? Or perhaps some Senior led you into the field?"

Steward Ding, standing to the side, was stunned by what he heard.

Alchemy Aptitude?

He looked at the Pill Furnace on the ground with a large hole blown in it, then at the thick, bubbling liquid in the maid's hand.

If anyone else had said those words, he would have suspected them of being a fraud.

Could it be that the Young Miss really has a talent for Alchemy?

Although eating those Medicinal Pills usually meant lying in bed for two or three days, at least the medicinal effects were real.

At the mention of this, the smile on Shu Shichan's face faded slightly. She shook her head gently, her tone carrying a hint of grievance:

"Everyone in the manor thinks Alchemy is too bitter and says there's no need for a girl like me to bother with such things. The alchemists they hired were also blind; they couldn't see my talent at all and left after teaching me twice. Later, I just practiced blindly on my own following the Alchemy Manuals, which is how I reached my current level."

Hearing this, Chen Xuan let out a sigh of feigned regret, his gaze sincere. "Your sensitivity and comprehension of medicinal properties are rare in a thousand years. In the path of the Dao of Alchemy, talent is certainly important, but without a good teacher to guide you, it's easy to lose your way and waste such good Aptitude."

Standing nearby, Mu Wanqing blinked her eyes, her almond-shaped gaze shifting back and forth between Chen Xuan and Shu Shichan.

Her Revered Master's words of "praising talent and sighing with regret" sounded so familiar! Back at her house, hadn't Revered Master praised her for having a "pure Spiritual Root and being a good seedling for cultivation" before naturally taking her in as a Disciple?

Seeing her strange expression, Xiao Lingxian gently pulled her sleeve and whispered, "Senior Sister, what's wrong?"

Mu Wanqing quickly leaned into her ear and murmured in a low voice, "I'm telling you, looking at this situation, I'm afraid we're about to have another Junior Sister."

Hearing this praise, Shu Shichan's eyes nearly curved into crescents.

She hurriedly turned and took the bowl of heart-focusing pill, which was still emitting a faint heat, from the maid's hands. Holding it with both hands, she presented it to Chen Xuan: "Young Master, this... bowl of fourth-grade heart-focusing pill is something I just finished refining. Taking it can stabilize the state of mind and clear distracting thoughts; it's especially helpful for Cultivators in closed-door cultivation for a Breakthrough!"

Chen Xuan's heart skipped a beat. He looked at the dark green, viscous sludge and then at the young girl's expectant gaze.

It seemed that if he refused now, all his previous bamboozling would go to waste.

He coughed twice to clear his throat and suddenly called out behind him, "Wanqing!"

Mu Wanqing, who was whispering to Xiao Lingxian about her past experience, was suddenly called upon. Before she could react, she saw Chen Xuan pointing at the bowl of "sludge" and saying in a flat tone, "I am gifting this heart-focusing pill to you. After taking it, you should return to closed-door cultivation to stabilize your cultivation base."

"Huh?!" Mu Wanqing's almond eyes widened instantly, and the gossipy expression on her face froze as if she had been struck by a bolt of lightning.

She looked at the green, bubbling "Medicinal Pill" and then at her Revered Master's solemn face. A sense of grievance and shock at being "betrayed by someone she trusted" welled up in her heart.

Just as Mu Wanqing was about to refuse, Chen Xuan's voice suddenly rang in her mind: "Eat this bowl of medicine, and I won't pursue the matter of you saying you'd 'Breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm in a month and a half' earlier."

These words instantly extinguished Mu Wanqing's thoughts of resistance.

She stared at the bowl of heart-focusing pill, repeatedly comforting herself in her heart: Maybe it just looks bad. After all, it's a fourth-grade elixir, so the medicinal effect shouldn't be bad... Besides, being able to wipe the slate clean for the previous matter doesn't seem like a bad deal?

She steeled herself, stepped forward, took the jade bowl, closed her eyes, and scooped up a spoonful to put in her mouth.

But as soon as it entered her mouth, a bitter, astringent, and slightly burnt taste hit her taste buds, nearly making her vomit on the spot.

Catching Shu Shichan's expectant gaze, Chen Xuan's "calm" look, and Xiao Lingxian's relieved expression out of the corner of her eye, she could only grit her teeth, circulate her spiritual power to forcibly block her sense of taste, and gulp down the entire bowl of heart-focusing pill like swallowing medicine dregs.

As soon as she put down the bowl, Mu Wanqing felt her stomach churning. Her body instinctively rejected this "Medicinal Pill," and her face turned several shades paler.

But before she could recover, a cool current suddenly rose from her Dantian and spread through her Meridians to her entire body.

Her irritable mood from being forced to swallow the medicine actually calmed down instantly, but the physical discomfort did not diminish in the slightest.

"Mas... Revered Master, your Disciple will go into closed-door cultivation now."

Without waiting for Chen Xuan's reply, Mu Wanqing fled the scene as if her life depended on it.

Xiao Lingxian was somewhat stunned. She felt as if her Senior Sister was about to cry. Was that really a Medicinal Pill?

Steward Ding, standing to the side, couldn't help but frown. His gaze toward the young man in white held a bit more awe: How ruthless!

Watching Mu Wanqing's hurried departure, Chen Xuan turned back to the girl in front of him and continued his bamboozling with a sincere tone: "Thank you for gifting the pill, Young Miss. After Wanqing took it just now, her state of mind indeed calmed down a lot. This shows your talent in the Dao of Alchemy."

"I wonder if you have any intention of taking a Revered Master?"

...After some bamboozling, Chen Xuan had successfully planted a seed of taking a Revered Master in Shu Shichan's heart.

The young girl was quite interested in becoming a Disciple to learn Alchemy. The only obstacle now was that she had to convince her father first.

Chen Xuan was in a good mood!

He hadn't expected to find another Child of Destiny so soon after arriving in the Profound Realm.

He was one step closer to a Breakthrough to the Void Refining Realm.

While Chen Xuan was deep in thought, a commotion broke out at the manor gate, and even Steward Ding hurried over.

Chen Xuan thought for a moment, restrained his Qi, and quietly followed.

Outside the manor gate!

Two men covered in wounds were firmly supporting a middle-aged man with a withered aura.

Blood dripped from their dark-red-soaked collars onto the bluestone steps.

Seeing someone running from the manor, Mr. Zhao on the left roared with a hoarse voice:

"Quick! Go to the study and get, get the Meridian-Reconnecting Pill! If it's too late... the Family Head..." Before he could finish, he began to cough violently.

Steward Ding had just reached the gate. As his gaze swept over the three men, his expression instantly turned from his usual gentleness to solemnity.

He rushed forward and asked:

"Mr. Zhao! What on earth is going on? Didn't you go with the Family Head to wipe out the Qinglan Sect? Logically, with the Family Head's cultivation base, how could... how could he end up like this!"

After saying that, he took out a celadon jade bottle from his robes, poured out a Medicinal Pill, and handed it over.

Mr. Zhao's face was filled with shock: "A fifth-grade elixir, the blood marrow pill?"