Lin Zhishou’s words left Zhou Luo utterly astonished.
He stared at the elder in disbelief before his expression quickly shifted to one of sheer excitement. “Yes! Of course! Being able to serve as your apprentice, Uncle Shou, is my greatest fortune!”
Originally, Zhou Luo had assumed that displaying his talent would merely earn him a few cultivation resources from the family.
He had never expected that Lin Zhishou, a bona fide Rank One Alchemist, would actually take him under his wing.
“Even though I am technically a Rank One Alchemist myself…”
Still, becoming the apprentice of a respected figure like Lin Zhishou meant a significant rise in status. It would also provide the perfect cover for when he eventually began refining Rank One pills openly.
This was an unexpected windfall.
“Very well. Come to Shouchun Garden tomorrow evening after dinner,” Lin Zhishou instructed. He then turned and walked out of the room.
The household hurried to see him off.
Once the elder had departed, Lin Qinghan could no longer contain her curiosity. She looked at Zhou Luo and asked, “What did Uncle Shou want with you?”
Lin Yiyi eagerly chimed in, “Yes, Husband! For a grand figure like Uncle Shou to visit us in person, it must be incredible news, right?”
Lin Feiying and Lin Zi’er also gazed at him, their faces filled with curiosity.
Only then did Zhou Luo reveal that he had successfully refined a pill.
“You actually succeeded?” A flicker of astonishment crossed Lin Qinghan’s face. It was entirely unexpected.
“Husband, you are amazing!” Lin Yiyi looked at him, her eyes shining with adoration.
Lin Feiying and Lin Zi’er remained quiet, but the warmth in their eyes spoke volumes.
“It was just luck. Pure luck,” Zhou Luo replied modestly.
But to the four women, this was far more than mere luck.
They were thoroughly shaken by his latent talent, and equally thrilled that he had caught the attention of the family elders. After all, if Zhou Luo’s standing rose, their own status within the clan would elevate as well.
That evening, Lin Qinghan personally prepared a lavish feast to reward him.
The other three women were not to be outdone. When night fell, they each displayed their charms, giving him a very thorough reward of their own.
Meanwhile, news of Lin Zhishou visiting Zhou Luo and offering him an apprenticeship spread like wildfire among the other matrilocal husbands.
When they learned that Zhou Luo had quietly taught himself the art of alchemy, their eyes turned red with envy, jealousy, and resentment.
Although the family had not granted him any immediate material wealth, the mere prestige of being taken in by Lin Zhishou was enough to make these live-in sons-in-law grit their teeth in bitter frustration.
Some even spent their hard-earned savings to purchase stacks of alchemy texts, hoping to duplicate his success and stage their own leap through the dragon gate.
As usual, he wore a warm, genial smile, offering his congratulations the moment he stepped through the door.
“It was only a stroke of luck,” Zhou Luo demurred, sitting on a stone stool in the courtyard.
“I knew from the start that Brother Zhou was no ordinary man,” Xu Changsheng said earnestly.
He then casually tried to steer the conversation, subtly probing for any secret methods or shortcuts Zhou Luo might have used to teach himself alchemy.
Zhou Luo saw right through his intentions. His responses were entirely watertight, leaving Xu Changsheng with no choice but to depart empty-handed.
That evening, full of anticipation, Zhou Luo arrived at Shouchun Garden.
There, he encountered the young man he had met previously at the Hundred Herbs Hall-Lin Nian.
Lin Nian’s expression darkened at the sight of him. “Uncle Shou is waiting for you inside,” he said coldly.
Zhou Luo nodded and began walking past him.
As he brushed past, however, Lin Nian hissed in a low, venomous whisper.
“Remember your place. A stray dog trying to perch on a high branch and turn into a phoenix? Keep dreaming.”
Zhou Luo paused for a fraction of a second, ignored the barb, and kept walking.
Inside the refinement chamber, Lin Zhishou stood before a bronze cauldron, his expression tense and solemn.
Realizing the elder was in the middle of refining, Zhou Luo quietly stepped to the side to observe.
Lin Zhishou was attempting to refine a Rank One Longevity Spirit Pill.
When consumed, this pill could extend one’s lifespan and delay aging. It was considered a High Grade medicine among Rank One pills.
Rank One Alchemists were generally categorized into Low, Middle, High, and Peak grades.
A Low Grade Rank One Alchemist was essentially a novice. Most cultivators with decent talent could reach this stage given enough time.
This was precisely why Lin Xin had previously dismissed Zhou Luo as not worth the family’s resources.
The transition to Middle Grade was where the real barrier lay.
Only those who reached the Middle Grade were recognized as true Rank One Alchemists.
Lin Zhishou was the only High Grade Rank One Alchemist in the Lin Family, which accounted for his lofty status.
To become his apprentice was a stroke of immense fortune. Aside from the matrilocal husbands, even among the collateral branches of the Lin Family, only Lin Nian had been granted this privilege.
Because he was refining a High Grade Rank One pill, even someone of Lin Zhishou’s caliber had to proceed with absolute caution.
However, watching from the side, Zhou Luo could already tell that this batch was doomed to fail.
Sure enough.
Moments later, a muffled thud echoed from within the cauldron. The spiritual herbs inside instantly blackened, and a sharp, acrid burnt odor filled the chamber.
The refinement had failed. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
Lin Zhishou sighed with regret, though he did not look overly discouraged. Refined High Grade pills carried a high failure rate; it was a common setback.
“Ah, you are here?” Lin Zhishou noticed Zhou Luo, spoke casually, and walked over to seat himself in a nearby chair.
Zhou Luo quickly and perceptively poured a cup of hot tea and offered it to him.
A glint of approval shone in Lin Zhishou’s eyes. Taking a sip, he said leisurely, “Starting today, you will come here every evening to assist me.”
“Understood, Uncle Shou,” Zhou Luo replied humbly.
“If you have any questions regarding your recent studies, you may ask them now,” Lin Zhishou said, cradling his tea.
Zhou Luo produced a list of queries he had prepared in advance. He had selected these questions carefully; they were common bottlenecks that any genuine novice would face.
Lin Zhishou answered them patiently, explaining the concepts in detail.
Once their discussion concluded, it was time for practical application.
At this point, Lin Nian entered the chamber.
Lin Zhishou instructed both of them to refine a batch of Fasting Pills.
Lin Nian, brimming with confidence, successfully produced four pills in short order. Zhou Luo, playing his part, also succeeded but only managed to produce a single pill.
Lin Nian sneered at the meager result.
Yet, he completely failed to realize that his own success was the result of nearly a decade of grueling practice, whereas Zhou Luo had supposedly picked up a book less than a year ago.
Lin Zhishou then used their performance to lecture them on the finer points of pill refinement.
Though these basic concepts were utterly redundant to Zhou Luo, he maintained a highly focused expression, diligently taking notes.
The session lasted for several hours.
Before concluding, Lin Zhishou even demonstrated the process of refining a Middle Grade Rank One pill.
It was late at night by the time Zhou Luo dragged his exhausted body back home.
To someone who was secretly a Peak Grade Rank One Alchemist, sitting through such elementary lectures was nothing short of mental torture.
But for the sake of maintaining his apprentice cover, he had to endure it.
The moment he lay down on his bed, Lin Yiyi snuggled close, resting her small head against his chest with a sweet, radiant smile. “Husband, are you very tired?”
Looking down at her lovely, slightly teasing face, Zhou Luo rolled over, trapping her beneath him. “Tired? How could I be?”
In the days that followed, Zhou Luo established a grueling routine. He cultivated by day, served as an apprentice at Shouchun Garden by night, and returned home to diligently work on expanding his lineage.
It was a schedule more taxing than any corporate grind.
But his hard labor bore fruit. Under his relentless dedication, the other two wives soon became pregnant as well.