The Su Household Sends Someone

At the Su Household's compound on Luyou Island.

In a residence paved with jade, Su Junsong stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the spirit tree in the courtyard, his mind full of thoughts.

The Lei Household and the Jade Countenance Sect had been at war for nearly two years. The fighting was brutal, and it looked as though one side meant to wipe the other out completely.

A few years earlier, the Su Household would surely have joined in and launched a sneak attack on the Lei Household.

Now they could not, since both were under the Azure Mystic Sect's rule.

The Duan Household, which specialized in artifact refining, had instead recruited them to fight the Beast-Taming Han Household for the Guo Household's inheritance.

But the longer the war went on, the more wrong it seemed. The Su Household had suffered heavy losses: two Late Qi Refining cultivators had died, and even his uncle by marriage in the Foundation Establishment Realm had been injured.

Su Junsong always felt he had overlooked something, but he could not pin down what it was.

The larger situation aside, there was a heap of troubles within the lake as well.

The war had cut off their supply of Alchemists from the Jade Countenance Sect, and an Alchemist guest elder in the Household had died recently. There was no time to train a replacement on such short notice.

For many pills, they actually had to rely on their younger uncle in the Azure Mystic Sect to lend a hand.

"Ah, running this Household isn't easy!"

As he sighed, spiritual light flickered in the sky, and the formation reacted.

Su Junsong beckoned, and a lotus-leaf Law Artifact descended.

Su Wen came rushing over and said bitterly, "Big Brother, something's wrong with the Spirit Gathering Formation in my room. My cultivation is far too slow. Su Youyou must have meddled with it!"

That wretched woman had snatched away the white silk Law Artifact that should have belonged to her!

At the sight of his cousin, who was normally the most vain of them all, Su Junsong felt a headache coming on.

He said, "Have you asked Yunjin?"

Su Wen's face darkened at the question.

Of course she had. Su Yunjin had given her a merciless scolding, asking whether she had put any effort into cultivation over the years.

Su Wen had been furious, but Su Yunjin outranked her in both cultivation and status, leaving her unable to stand up to her.

Apart from being more beautiful than Su Yunjin, Su Wen could find no other advantage she had over her.

Just then, a black-clad figure strode over and dropped to one knee.

"Young Master, a newly risen Alchemist is suspected to have appeared in the market. He was originally Zhou Ning, a retainer from Bamboo Creek Island."

When Su Junsong first heard this, he found it absurd. Since when could a retainer become an Alchemist?

Su Wen, however, looked utterly startled. Zhou Ning?

She vaguely remembered that he had worked so hard hunting fish that he had injured his eyes watching for them.

An Alchemist?

Bamboo Creek Island had once been under her charge. It had yielded countless Fuluo Eels, earning great merit for the clan, and she had received a Spirit Condensation Pill for it.

If Zhou Ning really had become an Alchemist...

Then not only was she more beautiful than Su Yunjin, even her talent surpassed hers!

"Ahem, I know Zhou Ning. I took pity on him back then and helped him along." Whether this Alchemist was genuine or not, Su Wen would claim the credit first.

Of course, she still thought it was impossible.

As one of the Household's principal decision-makers, Su Junsong was usually busy, but even so, an Alchemist was enough to command his attention.

"Lead the way."

In the market.

"How much?"

"I'll only sell this medicine to someone fated to have it," Zhou Ning said.

A crowd had gathered in front of the stall. Even the other stallholders came over to examine the quality of the Stasis-Clearing Pill.

There were people who knew their goods, and their expressions shifted.

Some were excited and incredulous, unable to resist asking, "Kid, do you know the price of lying here in Luyou Market?"

Zhou Ning nearly laughed aloud. "Who in Luyou Market doesn't lie to sell at a higher price?"

The crowd gave embarrassed chuckles. One unscrupulous merchant did not laugh at another.

The middle-aged stallholder shook his head. "This is different. If you admit it now, there might still be a way out. Leave it too late, and I'm afraid you'll lose your life."

They simply could not believe that a lowly retainer had transformed into an Alchemist.

The kid was most likely playing to the crowd.

Zhou Ning did not argue. He remained calm and unhurried.

The crowd before him suddenly parted, and a tall, slender figure stepped forward, his face as fair as polished jade.

Even when facing a lowly retainer, the man spoke gently. "I am Su Junsong."

Zhou Ning cupped his fists. "Zhou Ning, a retainer of the Su Household."

This was the young man who had presided over Steward Su's wedding. Zhou Ning had heard that he was well respected in the Su Household, kind and benevolent by nature. Even someone as sharp-tongued as Old Jia praised him.

Su Junsong beckoned, and a pink pill floated up.

It was perfectly round, with flawless coloring.

"Did you refine this?" Su Junsong asked at an even pace, showing neither contempt nor excitement.

Su Wen watched Zhou Ning even more closely. If he was putting on a mysterious act and disturbing the peace of the market, he could not blame her for killing him!

"Watch, Young Master!" Without another word, Zhou Ning took out the spirit charcoal he had prepared and lit it with a flick of his finger.

Then he placed the black iron Pill Furnace over the spirit charcoal.

Everyone was stunned. Was he going to refine pills in full view of the crowd?

Zhou Ning took out ingredients including Purple Placenta Grass and Blood Rose Flower, then put them into the Pill Furnace one by one.

The purple and red liquids merged, and he added a milky-white sweet fruit.

"Combine!"

Zhou Ning brought his hands together in a seal.

In the end, they merged into a pale pink liquid that hung steadily in the air.

He continued making Hand Seals, and the pink mass steadily separated as though blowing bubbles. One glob, two, three...

As the fourth glob separated, blackish-brown impurities appeared on its surface, and it grew turbulent.

Zhou Ning let it drop into the furnace.

He controlled the other three globs evenly, tempering and compressing them again and again.

Finally, he made another Hand Seal. "Condense!"

In just a few breaths, three rosy pink pills floated out of the furnace and landed on a porcelain plate.

The onlookers had been holding their breath the whole time. At that moment, it was as though a weight had lifted from them, and they stared open-mouthed!

Many of them had never seen pills being refined in their entire lives.

"Damn me, this old man's eyes have really been opened today!"

"He did it. He really did it. After more than a year, he actually managed to refine them!" the middle-aged stallholder muttered.

There were no more voices of doubt.

Su Junsong had an exceptional eye. He could tell that the Stasis-Clearing Pills were of good quality, certainly no worse than those on the market.

At last, he smiled and addressed him warmly. "Alchemist Zhou, come to the residence with me for a talk."

Su Wen, who had been watching from the side, was overjoyed. Even the freckles on her face seemed to brighten.

She patted Zhou Ning's shoulder affectionately and said cheerfully, "Alchemist Zhou, I could tell back then that you were no creature destined to remain in a pond. That's why I gave you a packet of Clear Eyes Powder!"

She had earned merit again!

She had helped nurture an Alchemist for the Su Household.

Su Wen was a Late Qi Refining cultivator, and her pats were heavy, but Zhou Ning paid them no mind. He had opened six meridians, so it only tickled.

Looking at the smug Su Wen, her true nature on full display,

Zhou Ning truly felt for the first time that the barrier that had once stood between him and the Su Household's cultivators had largely disappeared.

At this moment, he could finally count as a person.

A lakeside guest room in the residence.

Su Junsong wore a smile. As the saying went, one mastered the arts of the pen and sword to sell them to the emperor's house.

He understood that principle well.

Since this man had displayed his abilities in full view of the crowd, he must have wanted a position as a guest elder.

Now it was time to discuss terms.

During their conversation, he learned that Zhou Ning's success rate at refining Qi-Benefiting Pills had also reached twenty-five percent.

He reckoned Zhou Ning would not dare lie. That success rate was just what the Su Household needed now.

He glanced at Su Wen.

She immediately understood. "Zhou Ning, would you like to serve as an Alchemist guest elder for our Su Household?"

Zhou Ning immediately said with solemnity, "The Su Household has treated me well. I must repay such kindness."

Su Junsong nodded and pointed out, "You should know something of the situation outside. It's extremely dangerous for Alchemists to travel now. The Lei Household is assassinating Alchemists everywhere."

Su Wen said, "You're only at the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement. I'm afraid you'd be killed the moment you left Cuiwei Lake."

Su Junsong laid out his terms. "Why not do this? Stay with the Su Household, and you'll receive one Spirit Stone a year. The Pill Furnace will be provided free of charge, and you'll only need to complete a reasonable number of pill-refining assignments."

Zhou Ning nearly laughed aloud. One Spirit Stone?

Never mind the current situation-even a few years ago, that would not have been enough.

Seeing that Zhou Ning said nothing, Su Wen sneered and released the spiritual pressure of a Late Qi Refining cultivator.

At the end of the day, Zhou Ning was a retainer of the Su Household, and his cultivation was so low. Could they not squeeze him flat or roll him round as they pleased?

Su Junsong merely watched from the side and did not stop her.

Though he was kind, he put the Lineage's interests above all else.

Zhou Ning pondered for a moment, then calmly took out a letter and placed it on the sandalwood table.

When Su Junsong saw the Azure Mystic Sect's insignia, his gaze instantly froze.

Zhou Ning said slowly, "My good friend Gu Xiangning became True Person Yaoxian's disciple a few years ago."