After delivering the elixirs, Qing Mu happened to run into the newly appointed leader of the Six Flavors Hall. Out of courtesy, Qing Mu greeted him with a bow, but the new leader unexpectedly pulled him aside to chat.
“Qing Mu, I’ve actually been keeping an eye on you for a long time. But the previous leader—well, I couldn’t really say anything to him.
Don’t think just because you started late, only becoming a pill craftsman apprentice at thirty, that you don’t have talent compared to those kids who’ve been refining pills for over ten years.
Keep working hard. This year, I’ll let you become a full-fledged pill craftsman, and next year or the year after, I’ll find an opportunity to make you the steward of the Six Flavors Hall.”
Listening to the leader’s words, Qing Mu was sweating nervously. Was this how they started spinning grand promises now?
Completely different from the previous leader’s method of squeezing people dry, huh?
“Master, you flatter me. My experience is still shallow. Arranging things like this might stir discontent among the others,” Qing Mu said, waving his hand to decline.
“This decision was made after discussion with the other elders, but it’s still a long way off. No need to worry yet.”
Was he about to be assigned a bunch of impractical tasks?
Just as Qing Mu was thinking this, the leader suddenly changed the topic to something completely unrelated.
After chatting for a while, Qing Mu’s curiosity was piqued, so he took the opportunity to ask, “Master, when I refine pills, I often find that even though a certain herb looks identical and smells the same, their effects can differ greatly. Could it be related to their place of origin?”
“Why do you ask that?” the leader raised an eyebrow.
“Oh, I wanted to ask about this a long time ago, but you know how the previous leader treated us, especially the pill apprentices—not very kindly.
To improve and become a truly skilled pill master, I need to follow you,” Qing Mu flattered, causing the leader to grin widely, clearly pleased.
That’s how Qing Mu gradually guided the leader into revealing some knowledge that had eluded him for so long—issues regarding the supply of medicinal herbs and pill formulas.
Simple herbs could be bought from merchants, but pill formulas were much harder to come by. Knowing this helped Qing Mu a lot.
He had no idea how long they had been talking, but he sensed some of the pressure weighing on the leader. The greatest pressure, however, was from the presence of the fox spirit.
The leader believed the Six Flavors Hall was unsafe right now. Although disciples from the Youjian Sect were stationed here, he could see that they cared very little about the fox spirit situation.
“Brother Qing Mu? Master?”
Speak of the devil, Qin Feng of the Youjian Sect suddenly appeared, causing the leader to snap shut his mouth before he could continue complaining about the sect.
“Oh, it’s Young Master Qin?”
The leader felt a little nervous, having forgotten that he shouldn’t have been complaining to Qing Mu. Recently, rumors suggested that Qing Mu and Qin Feng were quite close.
What if Qing Mu told Qin Feng those things later…
At this moment, a curious idea formed in Qing Mu’s mind. He deliberately avoided looking at the leader and instead focused his attention on Qin Feng’s face.
When Qin Feng said his goodbyes to the leader, Qing Mu still didn’t look at him. Only after the leader left anxiously did he glance at his retreating figure.
“What’s wrong?” Qin Feng noticed Qing Mu’s deliberate attitude toward the leader and asked curiously. Qing Mu just shook his head, signaling nothing was wrong.
“Brother Qing Mu, what were you talking about with the master?”
“We were talking about the fox spirit.”
“Tsk, the fox spirit?”
Qin Feng’s brows furrowed sharply upon hearing this, and Qing Mu noticed that Qin Feng was carrying a sword at his waist, looking fully armed.
“Qin Feng, what’s this about?”
“Shh.”
Qin Feng gestured for silence and whispered, “Don’t worry, Brother Qing Mu. I’m telling you, there’s a… fox spirit nearby.”
His eyes darted left and right, alert.
“Wait, wait, wait—a fox spirit?”
Qing Mu’s heart jumped inexplicably, confused. “How can there be a fox spirit? Haven’t they always been in the Six Flavors Hall? Why say this all of a sudden?”
“Brother Qing Mu, you seem a little too afraid of the fox spirit?”
Qin Feng patted his sword seriously. “I was mistaken, actually. Senior Brother told me that recently he sensed a fox spirit’s aura here.”
“Here? A fox spirit’s aura? Could it be…?”
Qing Mu’s mind went blank. He suddenly realized where they were—it was the place where pills were delivered, filled with the kinds of elixirs the fox spirit liked most.
That damned fox really hadn’t listened to him. She dared to sneak in and steal pills?
Now she was truly going to be discovered. What should he do?
“Brother Qing Mu, your expression is weird. What’s going on?” Qin Feng stared at him with an intense, suspicious gaze.
That look filled Qing Mu with dread.
“I’m honestly a bit scared of the fox spirit.”
Qing Mu shook his head. “I’ll take my leave first. I still have pills to refine this afternoon.”
“Qing Mu, why are you delivering pills during the day lately?”
“Ah, haha.”
A passerby suddenly greeted Qing Mu, but he just smiled without replying.
“Well then, Brother Qing Mu, you go ahead. I’ll stay here and look for any signs of the fox spirit.”
Qin Feng patted Qing Mu’s shoulder firmly, watching him leave.
Unbeknownst to Qing Mu, Qin Feng had just left a trace of spiritual energy on him. This way, he could track Qing Mu’s position.
“Hey! You, come here!”
Spotting a passing Six Flavors Hall apprentice, Qin Feng coldly called him over.
Qing Mu strode briskly back to his courtyard, kicking the door open.
The fox spirit in the pill refining room noticed him and was about to reach out in greeting when Qing Mu grabbed her arm.
He asked irritably, “Tell me, did you sneak out again?”
“Huh?”
The fox spirit blinked and shook her head vigorously, denying his accusation.
“Lying.” Qing Mu’s grip tightened, shifting from her arm to pinching her cheeks.
“Wah!”
The fox spirit flinched in pain, instinctively slashing at Qing Mu’s neck with her claws.
But her claws stopped just millimeters from his throat.
Startled, she paused, and Qing Mu snapped back to full alertness, feeling a mix of fear and joy.
If this were before, that swipe would’ve definitely torn his neck open.
At least their relationship had grown closer.
But now the trouble had come.
“People from the Youjian Sect came looking, saying there have been signs of a fox spirit recently. Now be honest with me—did you sneak out to steal pills?”
Qing Mu held her paw and released his grip on her cheeks, his tone gentle and caring. “Don’t lie. This is serious.”
The fox spirit fell silent for a long moment before finally nodding.
“I knew it.”
Qing Mu’s face fell in disappointment, slapping his forehead hard.
The fox spirit seemed to sense his despair and understood she’d made a mistake. She quickly reached out and rubbed his forehead.
Well, maybe it’s time to leave… or maybe tonight.
Qing Mu looked at the fox spirit’s small face and pondered silently.