27: Begin refining pills

[Year Six,]

[You became exceptionally low-key, focusing on your Cultivation. After Fang Chen's death, the Imperial City Guard and the Dukes Residence were both investigating the killer.]

[What was more troublesome was that these two parties seemed to have communicated and realized someone was intentionally instigating conflict.]

[You began to worry—if Fang Chen's death failed to provoke a fight between the two houses, you wouldn't be able to reap the benefits.]

["It seems I need to find another way." You decided to take a risk and seek out the Grand Secretary's Cheng Family.]

[According to the ending, the Cheng Family would be the first Great Grandmaster Family to be liquidated. They must have noticed something and surely needed a powerful ally like yourself.]

[That night, you masked yourself in black and sneaked into the Cheng Residence. You intentionally made some noise in the parlor, drawing out Cheng Tianrui.]

["Trespassing in the Cheng Residence, you're looking for death!" Without a word, Cheng Tianrui threw a punch.]

[You stood your ground and lightly blocked with your hand—]

["Bang!" Two forces of True Essence collided, and the tables and chairs in the parlor were shattered to pieces.]

[Cheng Tianrui's expression changed drastically: "You... are a Great Grandmaster?"]

["I killed Fang Chen," you said in a low voice.]

["What does that have to do with my Cheng Family?"]

["What if I say it was your Cheng Family who ordered it?"]

[Cheng Tianrui was speechless; he felt that the Dukes Residence would definitely believe it.]

[At that moment, the Great Grandmaster Cheng Wenbo walked in laughing: "Hahaha... Your Excellency must be the one who fought Prince Xiao in the Imperial Palace?"]

["I want to cooperate with the Cheng Family," you said straightforwardly.]

[Cheng Tianrui sneered: "Why should my Cheng Family cooperate with someone of unknown origin like you?"]

[You said solemnly: "Nowadays, the imperial power is tyrannical, city lords everywhere are fostering bandits to increase their own importance, nobles are carving up territory, and Martial Artists run wild..."]

["This vision of a chaotic world is entirely fueled by the Dukes Residence and the Martial Alliance behind the scenes..."]

[Before you could finish, Cheng Wenbo interrupted: "The world belongs to the Xiao Family; what does it have to do with my Cheng Family?"]

[You laughed: "The middle path neither gains the favor of the sovereign nor the will of the people! When the Dukes Residence comes for you, let's see who will help you!"]

[At that moment, Cheng Rongrong, who had been eavesdropping outside, walked in: "Your ambition is quite large; you actually want to be the Emperor?"]

[You laughed heartily and said heroically: "A man of my generation should establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, establish a destiny for the people, continue the lost teachings of past sages, and open up peace for ten thousand generations!"]

[Once these four sentences of Hengqu were spoken, the expressions of the three members of the Cheng Family changed instantly, their eyes filled with shock.]

["Are kings, nobles, generals, and ministers born to their rank? The Emperor of Yan is fatuous and tyrannical; the world should belong to those with virtue." You did not hide your ambition at all. In this simulation, you also wanted to taste being the Emperor.]

[Cheng Rongrong's eyes lit up, and she asked impatiently: "If you gained the world, how would you govern it?"]

["I have Seven Policies for Governing the State." You recited the original seven policies word for word.]

[By the end, a sharp light flickered in your eyes: "As long as we fuel the ambitions of the Grand Duke and the Martial Alliance, the Yan Dynasty will surely fall."]

[After a deep conversation, you finally reached a consensus.]

[After you left, Cheng Wenbo looked at your back and sighed meaningfully: "This youth... has the potential of a Martial God."]

[Year Seven,]

[During this year, Cheng Rongrong ran to your small courtyard every few days. Each time she came, she could come up with a new trick; even you admired her ability to think of so many excuses.]

[The Cheng Family also began to act according to the plan, secretly moving closer to the Dukes Residence while also winning over the Martial Alliance. The power and ambition of the Dukes Residence grew like a rolling snowball.]

[In just one year, the situation of the Yan Dynasty changed quietly. A three-way confrontation formed in the court between the imperial power and the coalition of the Dukes Residence, the Grand Secretary, and the Martial Alliance.]

[However, both sides were very restrained, and no conflict broke out for the time being.]

[You knew this was merely the calm before the storm.]

[Both sides were competing in secret, like a taut bowstring that could snap at any moment.]

[One day, Cheng Rongrong came to see you again.]

["Young Master Qin, father said His Majesty wants to appoint me as Empress and wants to hear your opinion." Cheng Rongrong lowered her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.]

["This is clearly the Emperor trying to sow discord," you saw through it at a glance.]

["If you really become the Empress, the first thing the Duke and the Martial Alliance will do is deal with the Cheng Family. At that time, the imperial Family will surely stand by and watch."]

["Then what should we do?" Cheng Rongrong asked hurriedly.]

[You understood that the Cheng Family was testing you and wanted you to give something in return.]

[You smiled: "Simple, just say you have already pledged your life to me in private and can get married at any time."]

[Cheng Rongrong's face immediately blossomed into a smile, her cheeks as red as ripe apples. She lowered her head and whispered: "Mm... then I'll go tell father right away!"]

[You shook your head helplessly. To break the Emperor's scheme of sowing discord, this was the most direct way.]

[Year Eight,]

[Chang Qingyi arrived; he brought you some intelligence every month.]

["Senior, Fragrant Lord Qiao asked me to tell you that an Alchemy Grandmaster has been found."]

["Who?" Your eyes lit up.]

["This person is nicknamed the Medicine Bodhisattva, real name Zhang Renjing. He is a Grandmaster Realm expert, currently the Chief Imperial Physician of the Imperial Academy of Medicine, and the Hundred Herb Hall is also his property."]

[You nodded with satisfaction: "Not bad, you've been working very effectively lately."]

["This is all within my duty," Chang Qingyi replied respectfully.]

["Help me inquire about the earth vein spiritual milk as well," you instructed.]

["Yes, I shall take my leave first!" Chang Qingyi departed after receiving the order.]

[You carefully pondered the matter of the Medicine Bodhisattva and suddenly realized.]

["No wonder the Medicine Bodhisattva was killed in the previous simulations."]

["It seems the Dukes Residence and the Martial Alliance were after the obstacle breaking pill and the realm breaking pill."]

["They must have failed to win him over first before resorting to assassination."]

[Without these Medicinal Pills, the Xiao Family would be unable to Cultivate new Grandmasters, and their strength would inevitably decline. Existing Martial Artists would also switch allegiances.]

[No wonder the Medicine Bodhisattva only dared to take action ten years after his death.]

["Is Alchemy really that difficult?" You didn't quite believe it and decided to investigate the Zhang Residence tonight.]

[After nightfall, you masked yourself in black and sneaked into the Zhang Residence.]

[After observing for a while, you frowned—this Zhang Renjing actually had over a dozen wives and concubines. Can this old guy handle it?]

[Once Zhang Renjing went into a side room to rest, you quietly slipped into his study.]

[You searched for a long time but found nothing.]

["Where did this old fox hide the Pill Formulas?" You were a bit anxious.]

["In the last simulation, he would rather die than betray the Xiao Family. Capturing him probably won't work and would only alert the enemy instead," you analyzed calmly.]

[For the next ten or so days, you staked out the Zhang Residence every day.]

[You discovered something strange—although the old man had many wives and concubines, he went to the same concubine's room every night.]

["Could the Pill Formulas be there?" Your eyes lit up.]

[The next day, while Zhang Renjing was away, you slipped into that concubine's room.]

[You searched everywhere but still couldn't find them.]

[Just as you were wondering, the concubine returned to the room to prepare for a nap.]

[You hid behind a screen, watching her undress.]

[Suddenly, your eyes lit up—there were actually words embroidered on her stomacher!]

[You suddenly realized that the Pill Formulas were actually hidden on the stomachers.]

[You approached quietly, knocked the concubine unconscious with a palm strike, and pulled off the stomacher to look—as expected, it was the Pill Formula for the obstacle breaking pill!]

["Where are the other Pill Formulas?"]

[The corners of your mouth curled up as you opened the wardrobe and searched—good heavens, a whole cabinet of stomachers, all of them were Pill Formulas!]

[You grabbed a dozen stomachers, stuffed them into your robe, and left silently.]

[A month later, you stared at the charred residue of the Medicinal Pills in the Pill Furnace. Your entire face was blackened by smoke, with only the whites of your eyes still rolling.]

["Damn, this obstacle breaking pill is so fucking hard to refine!"]

[This month, you wasted dozens of sets of medicinal ingredients, and the silver you spent made your heart ache.]

["Forget it, I'll start with the simplest Body Tempering Pill."]