The knocking grew more urgent. From outside the door, the Enforcement Hall disciple’s voice was now tinged with impatience.
“You in there! Open up immediately! If you don’t respond, we’ll treat it as obstruction of official duty!”
The instant the door bolt slid open, the people outside were visibly taken aback.
Li Xiuyuan stood at the front, followed by four disciples. His gaze fell on Ruan Qin. He recognized that face—the one that had sat in the judge’s seat all day today. The late Core Formation genius alchemist.
His gaze then moved past Ruan Qin to the other person slowly rising from beside the wall.
Ruan Se. Both were the heavenly chosen maidens of the Alchemy Sect. Li Xiuyuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.
“Fellow Daoist Ruan… Ruan Qin?”
He quickly clasped his hands and bowed.
“I am Li Xiuyuan, Patrol Supervisor of the Enforcement Hall. I did not know it was the two of you here. Please forgive my rudeness. May I ask what happened here? Someone just reported sounds of a magical duel and an explosion…”
“Someone attempted assassination.”
Ruan Qin cut him off.
“Two Golden Core cultivators, one early stage and one late stage, ambushed my sister. I fought them. They couldn’t win and fled southwest.”
The more Li Xiuyuan listened, the paler his face grew. An assassination attempt on disciples of the Alchemy Sect—if this case were brought to the Main Sect of the Alchemy Sect, not even he could handle it, not even Elder Sun could bear the burden.
“This junior has failed in his duty!”
He instinctively dropped to one knee, and the four disciples behind him followed suit, kneeling in unison.
“This junior had no idea that villains had infiltrated the market, nearly causing harm to you two fellow daoists. This junior was negligent! I implore you to give me a chance to make amends. This junior will lead my men in pursuit immediately!”
Ruan Qin pressed her lips together. Her body still ached terribly, and she couldn’t be bothered to speak.
“One of them was from the Blood Lotus Sect,” Ruan Se added. “The other’s identity is unknown. He wielded a magic artifact that emitted a red light, and his cultivation was profound—not an ordinary rogue cultivator.”
Li Xiuyuan snapped his head up, eyes wide.
“Blood Lotus Sect?”
“What, do you know them?”
Li Xiuyuan opened his mouth, then closed it. Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. He recalled the unsolved case from a few months ago—could the two cases be connected? But he dared not voice these thoughts.
“I don’t know them.”
He lowered his head.
“It’s just that this demonic sect has been active frequently in the Cangwu Realm lately. This junior has long heard of them. For them to dare commit violence openly in Yunze Market, the Enforcement Hall will investigate thoroughly.”
“Then go investigate quickly.”
Ruan Qin’s voice turned colder.
“They haven’t gotten far. There’s still time if you pursue now.”
“This junior understands!”
Li Xiuyuan acted as if he had just received a pardon. He quickly rose and waved at the disciples behind him.
“You, go back and report to Elder Sun. Mobilize reinforcements, seal off all the alleys, and search them one by one. The rest of you, follow me!”
Several disciples received their orders and departed. Li Xiuyuan also turned to leave, but then paused.
He looked back and spoke hesitantly,
“Fellow daoists, do you need a few disciples left here to guard you?”
“No need,” Ruan Qin replied flatly.
“If next time you let someone sneak up to my sister’s door again, Chief Li, you can explain it to me yourself.”
The look in her eyes sent a chill down Li Xiuyuan’s spine. He repeatedly acknowledged, not daring to stay any longer, and turned to disappear at the alley entrance.
Once the footsteps of the Enforcement Hall faded completely away, the courtyard fell silent once more.
Ruan Qin closed the courtyard gate and turned around, her gaze landing on Ruan Se.
“Come with me,” Ruan Qin said softly. “It’s not safe for you here.”
Ruan Se paused in her movements, then slowly shook her head.
“You won’t leave?”
Ruan Qin’s brow furrowed slightly.
“The fact that those two didn’t succeed tonight doesn’t mean they won’t come back. You’re only at Foundation Establishment Stage. Staying here is just waiting for them to grab you by the neck again.”
Ruan Se shook her head again.
“Ruan Se.”
Ruan Qin’s tone grew heavier.
“I… still have things to do.”
“What things? I’ll take you back to recuperate properly. Aren’t you participating in the competition tomorrow?”
Ruan Se said nothing, just lowered her eyelashes. This mannerism was all too familiar to Ruan Qin.
Ever since they were young, every time her younger sister had something to hide from her.
Ruan Qin narrowed her eyes slightly, then suddenly let out a derisive laugh.
“There’s someone in this room.”
“No one.”
Ruan Se’s reply was unnaturally quick.
Ruan Qin shot her a glance. She gave her sister no chance to block her and walked straight past Ruan Se toward the main room.
“Sis—!”
Ruan Se turned and chased after her. She wanted to stop Ruan Qin, but Ruan Qin’s pace was too fast.
She pushed open the door of the main room. The light of a spirit lamp spilled out from the doorframe, illuminating the furnishings inside.
On the low couch lay a young girl, her face pale, her lips colorless. Her breathing was steady but extremely faint.
But even so, it could not conceal the delicate features of that face.
Ruan Qin stood at the doorway, appraising the person on the couch from head to toe.
“This person wouldn’t happen to be that person’s disciple, would she?”
Ruan Qin’s tone returned to calmness.
Ruan Se squeezed through the door from behind her sister, blocking the low couch. Every hair on her body seemed to bristle. She opened her mouth, only to find she could think of no excuse at all.
Ruan Qin didn’t look at her. She walked straight to the couch and extended two fingers to gently rest on Su Wan’er’s wrist. A wisp of extremely fine spiritual power probed into her pulse, slowly circulating once through her body.
Then, her brow lifted slightly.
“A Heavenly Grade Water Spiritual Root.”
A hint of surprise crept into Ruan Qin’s voice.
“Most of her meridians are shattered, her Dao Foundation is cracked. She’s being kept alive by a strand of medicinal power. A Changchun Life-Prolonging Pill?”
She turned to look at Ruan Se, a gleam flashing in her eyes.
“You still have such pills?”
Ruan Se remained silent, not answering.
Ruan Qin didn’t press further. She redirected her gaze to Su Wan’er and probed for a moment longer before continuing,
“This medicinal power is warm but not dispersing, protecting the heart meridian and the dantian area.”
She withdrew her hand, stood up straight, and crossed her arms.
“What rank alchemist is this person?”
Before Ruan Se could speak, a flash of delight had already appeared in Ruan Qin’s eyes as she continued on her own:
“With talent like this, if she joins our Alchemy Sect and is personally taught by the master or by me, within ten years she will surely become the new rising star of the Alchemy Path in the Cangwu Realm. Once she wakes up…”
“Fellow Daoist Su is a sword cultivator, not an alchemist.”
Ruan Se finally found her voice, cold and tinged with wariness.
“And even if you want to poach her, don’t bother. Senior Lai protects his disciples more than you think.”
Ruan Qin was amused by her sister’s protective tone. She raised an eyebrow, and for once didn’t retort, simply waving her hand.
“What are you saying? Am I the kind of person you think I am?”
Ruan Se looked at her without speaking. Her eyes plainly spelled out three words: Yes, you are.
Ruan Qin coughed lightly, shifting her gaze away from Su Wan’er.
“But she’s seriously injured. It feels like she’s about to die.”
“She won’t die,” Ruan Se said firmly.
“The medicinal power of the Changchun Life-Prolonging Pill can sustain her for at least a month. There’s still time.”
“Could it be the Qingxuan Yangyuan Pill?”
Ruan Qin suddenly asked.
Ruan Se froze.
“You made a deal with that person. He wanted you to win the competition and obtain the Qingxuan Root, and in return he would teach you the Alchemy Path.”
Ruan Qin continued,
“That’s why you pushed yourself so hard—drained of spiritual power yet refusing to withdraw from the competition. All for this.”
Ruan Se was silent for a moment, then nodded very lightly. Ruan Qin looked at her, was silent for a while, then let out a sigh.
“The Qingxuan Yangyuan Pill is a peak eighth-grade pill, even showing signs of ninth-grade quality. The master attempted it twice and failed both times. He said this pill not only tests the heat control, but also tests the alchemist’s understanding of medicinal properties. A slight deviation, and the medicinal power of the Qingxuan Root will dissipate completely the moment it enters the furnace.”
She paused, looking at her sister.
“And this ‘Senior Lai’ you speak of wants to refine the Qingxuan Yangyuan Pill?”
“Senior said he can refine it,” Ruan Se replied calmly.
“Then he definitely can.”
“Heh.”
Ruan Qin let out a light laugh.
“Something even the master couldn’t do, and he wants to do it? Since when did the world produce a half-step ninth-grade alchemist without my knowledge? Are you joking with me?”
“I am not joking.”
Ruan Se turned to look at her sister.
“I saw him refine pills with my own eyes. In one hour, a sixth-grade Changchun Life-Prolonging Pill, from preparing the ingredients to forming the pill, all in one go. His pill-refining technique is unlike anything I’ve ever seen in any alchemy manual.”
She paused.
“He can throw all the herbs into the furnace at once, wrap each individually with spiritual power, and let them fuse themselves in the flames. If it’s him, he definitely can.”
Ruan Qin was silent. She had never heard her sister speak in such a tone.
Ever since they were young, her sister had always been aloof. Even when misunderstood or looked down upon, she would just coldly turn away, too lazy to explain a single word.
But now, her sister was speaking up for someone she had only known for a month.
Ruan Qin’s expression hardened.
“You haven’t been tricked, have you?”
“Whether I’ve been tricked or not is none of your business.”
The two stood facing each other, identical amber eyes locking in the lamplight. Neither was willing to back down first.
After a long moment, Ruan Qin looked away first.
“Forget it. If you don’t want to leave, fine.”
She walked over to a chair by the window, sat down, and took out a pill from her sleeve, swallowing it.
“I’ll stay here today to recover. Tomorrow I’ll go to the competition with you.”
Ruan Se was taken aback.
“You’re not going back to your lodging?”
“What, your sister is seriously injured—can’t I even rest for one night?”
Ruan Qin shot her a sidelong glance, her tone reverting to its usual acerbity.
“Or are you afraid that me being here will interfere with your midnight rendezvous with that ‘senior’ of yours?”
Ruan Se’s face flushed crimson, spreading from her earlobes all the way down to her neck. She abruptly turned around, presenting her back to Ruan Qin, using action to indicate that she couldn’t be bothered with her.
Ruan Qin was so exasperated she laughed. She leaned back in the chair, closed her eyes, and began to regulate her breathing.
The room grew quiet, leaving only the steady, long breaths of the occupants.
After a moment, Ruan Qin suddenly spoke up.
“What was that pill called earlier?”
“…The Green Wood Harmonizing Qi Pill.”
Ruan Se was silent for a moment before answering.
“Your Green Wood Harmonizing Qi Pill is indeed sixth-grade. Being able to refine a pill of that rank means your Alchemy Path has already improved.”
Ruan Se’s shoulders stiffened slightly. Still facing away from Ruan Qin, it was a long while before she let out an extremely soft “Mm.”
Ruan Qin said nothing more. The corners of her lips curved into a faint arc, then she pressed it back down.