Over the next few months, Zhou Xun once again settled into a quiet, routine life of cultivation.
One day, after completing his daily pill-refining tasks, Zhou Xun prepared to leave.
"Pill Refiner Zhou, wait!"
A warden called out to Zhou Xun.
"So it's Warden Liu. What is it?" Zhou Xun asked with a surprised smile.
"Grandmaster Yun Ku has returned and wishes to meet you newly promoted pill refiners!" Warden Liu replied cheerfully, then leaned closer and lowered his voice.
"I've been at Danbao Pavilion for many years, and Grandmaster Yun Ku's summonses for newly promoted pill refiners have been few enough to count on one hand. Pill Refiner Zhou, you must seize this opportunity!"
"Thank you, Warden Liu!" Zhou Xun cupped his hands in thanks.
Ever since Grandmaster Yun Ku had broken through to Tier 2, he had rarely handled Danbao Pavilion's affairs personally.
Before long, Warden Liu led Zhou Xun to Grandmaster Yun Ku's small courtyard.
"This subordinate has brought Pill Refiner Zhou!" Warden Liu respectfully requested through the courtyard gate.
"Let him come in!" Immediately afterward, a voice Zhou Xun found faintly familiar came from within.
The voice was powerful, like an ancient bronze bell.
"Pill Refiner Zhou, please enter." Warden Liu pointed inside as he spoke.
Zhou Xun nodded and promptly pushed open the courtyard gate, stepping inside.
The courtyard was not large, only several zhang across. A connected fish pond ran around its perimeter, home to quite a few spirit fish.
At its center stood a pavilion with stone stools and a stone table. An Elder dressed simply was already waiting there, smiling at Zhou Xun.
"Grandmaster Yun Ku!" Zhou Xun recognized at once that this Grandmaster Yun Ku was the very Elder he had met during Danbao Pavilion's recruitment gathering.
"Little friend, we meet again!"
"This junior was discourteous before and failed to recognize you, Senior." Zhou Xun cupped his hands and offered a deep bow.
"Haha, it seems I was right that day. Little friend, you truly joined Danbao Pavilion!"
Grandmaster Yun Ku laughed heartily, pride showing on his face.
The entire Danbao Pavilion was under Grandmaster Yun Ku's command. If he wanted someone admitted, it was no more than a word from him.
Thinking of how Warden Lin had tried to obstruct him that day, yet he had still been selected, and recalling Warden Lin's attitude afterward—
How could Zhou Xun not know that the Elder before him had been the one pulling the strings?
Thus, he respectfully offered another deep bow.
"For this junior to have reached this day, I have Senior to thank!"
Seeing this, Grandmaster Yun Ku accepted the bow without protest. He nodded slightly and said,
"When I saw you that day, I found you quite agreeable, so I gave things a little push. Still, I never expected you to grow to this point!" The Elder spoke with clear appreciation in his eyes.
"Your pills may fool ordinary pill refiners, but they cannot fool this old man. Deliberately lowering the quality of your pills was a trick this old man used in his youth. As for your true skill, Wang Erniu is probably far inferior to you in pill refinement by now!"
The Elder explained, then looked at Zhou Xun with an ambiguous smile.
"Senior's eyes are as sharp as a torch. This junior was presumptuous!" With matters exposed, Zhou Xun could only admit it.
"Knowing how to hide one's brilliance is a good thing. It can also let you walk farther and longer. But with me at Danbao Pavilion, you may rest assured. At times, displaying your strength at the right moment will instead earn you more resources!" The Elder said as he stroked his beard.
"Thank you for Senior's guidance!" Zhou Xun offered another bow.
"Here are some pill-refining arts. Take them and study them." With that, he patted his Storage Pouch. A stack of manuals half a man tall appeared before Zhou Xun.
"If you can advance to an intermediate-grade pill refiner within one year, I can promise to accept you as my personal disciple and pass on every bit of my pill-refining skill to you!"
"Thank you, Senior!" Zhou Xun respectfully bowed once more.
Grandmaster Yun Ku was a Tier 2 Intermediate Pill Refinement Master, his status comparable to that of a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator.
If Zhou Xun became his disciple, he would not need to worry about resources before reaching Foundation Establishment.
After all, a Tier 2 Intermediate Pill Refinement Master could already skillfully refine Foundation Establishment Pills.
After returning from Grandmaster Yun Ku's place, Zhou Xun took out the pill-refining arts Grandmaster Yun Ku had given him.
He gave them a rough read.
They were actually a Tier 2 Low-Grade pill-refining inheritance.
In an instant, Zhou Xun understood Grandmaster Yun Ku's painstaking intentions.
Although he had set the condition of becoming an intermediate-grade Tier 1 pill refiner, this pill-refining inheritance was enough to show it.
Grandmaster Yun Ku had long since been teaching him as though he were already his disciple.
Otherwise, how could such a Tier 2 pill-refining inheritance be casually given away to another?
Thinking of this, Zhou Xun could not help but feel a trace of respect for Grandmaster Yun Ku.
Since transmigrating here, this was the first person who had treated him so well.
That day, Zhou Xun was studying the pill-refining arts Grandmaster Yun Ku had given him at his home in Green Willow Alley.
Suddenly, a streak of fire flew in from outside.
Zhou Xun beckoned with his hand, and the firelight landed in his palm.
It was a Low-Grade Message Talisman.
It sold for around ten Spirit Essence.
Before becoming a pill refiner, Zhou Xun would never have been willing to use one.
After infusing it with spiritual power, a hearty voice rang out. It was Hong San.
"Brother Zhou, I hope you are well. By a stroke of luck, Hong San has become the Iron Hand Gang's deputy gang leader. I have specially arranged a banquet in Room Alpha-10 at Yuexiang Restaurant, and ask Brother Zhou to honor me with your presence!"
Yuexiang Restaurant was the largest restaurant in Red Leaf Square, a full tier above the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion where they had met before.
It seemed Hong San truly had been promoted.
When he learned that the Iron Hand Gang would be adding a deputy gang leader, Zhou Xun had been certain that Hong San had a high chance of being chosen.
After all, among the Iron Hand Gang's thirteen halls, only Xinshou Hall had developed against the tide.
If the position of deputy gang leader had not gone to Hong San, the members of Xinshou Hall would not have accepted it either.
Yet he had only just become deputy gang leader and was already putting on such airs. This gave Zhou Xun a faint sense that something was amiss.
After all, Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion was where they had met many times before, and it was much more familiar.
Since Hong San had invited him personally, Zhou Xun had no intention of refusing and agreed to attend the banquet.
He then patted his Storage Pouch, took out a Message Talisman, murmured a few words softly, and tossed the talisman into the air. It turned into a streak of fire and flew away.
Afterward, he changed into a different outfit and headed for Yuexiang Restaurant.
Yuexiang Restaurant, Room Alpha-10.
Zhou Xun pushed open the door and strode inside.
The moment he entered, he saw Hong San sitting at the head of the banquet table, eating Demon Beast Meat and drinking spirit wine.
Zhou Xun's heart stirred slightly. Starting the feast before the guest arrived was not the way to treat a guest.
It was not that Zhou Xun cared so much about formalities.
Rather, behind this discourtesy lay a change in Hong San's attitude toward him.
The old Hong San had been exceedingly respectful and enthusiastic toward him, waiting downstairs early every time and personally leading Zhou Xun inside.
However, Zhou Xun revealed none of it and spoke first.
"Congratulations, Third Brother, on becoming deputy gang leader!"
"Haha, Brother Zhou, come and have a taste! Yuexiang Restaurant truly deserves to be Red Leaf Square's finest restaurant. The banquets here are not something Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion can compare with!"
Only after seeing Zhou Xun speak did Hong San warmly rise to his feet and invite Zhou Xun to sit.
Then he said,
"Only after becoming deputy gang leader did I learn the wonder of power and influence!"
"Back when I was the master of Xinshou Hall, I had some power too. But among the Iron Hand Gang's thirteen halls, we ranked near the bottom and were not valued. Whenever those hall masters met me, they would call out, 'Hong San'er,' 'Hong San'er.'"
"Now when they see me, every one of them calls me 'Third Brother,' 'Third Brother,' polite as can be. Even when we go out, if I do not take the first step, they do not dare move their feet. Tell me, isn't that amusing?"
Hong San laughed heartily, looking as though he greatly enjoyed the feeling.
"Even when drinking, I could only go to Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion in the past. Now, I can set up a table at Yuexiang Restaurant!"
"And those people I ordinarily could not even approach now sit at the same table and eat with me one after another!"
"Just yesterday, I entertained a warden from Danbao Pavilion. In the past, how could I, Hong San, ever have been worthy of someone like that? Haha!"
Hong San spoke as if casually, yet he covertly glanced at Zhou Xun, seemingly trying to read something from his expression.
"Third Brother is now deputy gang leader. Naturally, you cannot be compared to your former self!" Zhou Xun replied blandly, his expression unchanged.
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