On the southeastern mountainside of Jade Spring Mountain stood a cliff with a sheer drop of seventy or eighty meters.
On the open ground below, a group of men dressed as Gray-Clad Attendants bustled about.
Some dug foundations, some erected wooden posts, some carved doors and windows, while others built perimeter walls.
Cave Dwellings of varying sizes had been carved into the cliff face five or six meters above the ground, linked by one-meter-wide stone stairways.
Inside a spacious cave at the very top.
"Junior Brother Chen?" Zhu Yi sized Chen Mu up and down.
He was over forty, with a square face, thick brows, and a stern, rigid air about him. He was the newly appointed pavilion master of Jade Spring Mountain's Affairs Office, Chen Mu's future direct superior.
"Greetings, Pavilion Master Zhu." Chen Mu respectfully cupped his fists.
"What Alchemy Jade Slip have you studied?" Zhu Yi asked.
An Alchemy Jade Slip? Was he investigating the origins of his alchemy skills?
"I have a summary of the Fasting Pill." Chen Mu answered truthfully. "It was bestowed upon me by Elder Song, Song Wuji."
Its origins were aboveboard anyway, so he was not afraid of scrutiny.
"How many arts have you mastered... Forget it." Zhu Yi shook his head. "Since you came through Martial Uncle Liang, I won't ask."
What did that mean? Chen Mu froze.
"It's fine if you don't know alchemy. Stay at the Pill Treasure Pavilion for now and learn slowly." Zhu Yi continued on his own.
He thinks I'm some useless nepotism hire?
Chen Mu did not know whether to laugh or cry.
"Pavilion Master Zhu, I..."
"I know." Zhu Yi wore an understanding expression. "There will definitely be people in the pavilion talking behind your back."
"But as long as you turn a deaf