Du Xinghe raised her gaze and glanced at him.
Qin Qingyue’s appearance lived up to his name—he was indeed a handsome and refined young talent. What was even rarer was his clear and noble aura, which made people feel fond of him at first sight. Even among his peers from other sects, he was well-liked.
Because of this, it wasn’t strange for him to strike up a conversation or greet anyone.
However, the plain white robe Du Xinghe wore wasn’t the style of any major sect’s disciple, nor did it bear any special patterns, which led some to look down on her.
“And you are?”
Seeing Du Xinghe’s unhurried and indifferent attitude toward Qin Qingyue, someone stepped in to defend him: “Senior Brother Qin is the chief personal disciple of the Wuliang Sect. Do you really not know him?”
Du Xinghe was taken aback.
What a classic sidekick line—delivering the boast the protagonist couldn’t say themselves.
The title of chief personal disciple of the Wuliang Sect sounded like something straight out of a protagonist’s script.
“Shaotang!”
Qin Qingyue turned and scolded the person before saying to Du Xinghe:
“We’ve only met briefly from afar, so it’s normal that you don’t recognize me. I visited the Nine Yang Sect earlier and heard from Ming Zhi that there was some misunderstanding between you. After you left the sect in anger, no one knew your whereabouts. She’s been very worried about you and, knowing I’m traveling around, asked me to pass on a message if I saw you.”
He had heard about this woman leaving the sect and assumed she would be living in misery, but in person, she seemed quite spirited.
It was only because of Ming Zhi’s request that Qin Qingyue managed to recall this face from the depths of his memory.
The original owner had been absorbed in cultivation and was poor at socializing. She never got the chance to shine in public displays of skill, while the dirty and exhausting tasks were always assigned to her by default. During important inter-sect gatherings, she was often sent off on errands, making her something of a mystery among her peers in major sects. Some suspected she was Yuanming Zunzhe’s personal disciple, while others acted as if she didn’t exist.
In contrast, Ming Zhi was adept at showcasing herself. In just under a year, discussions about the “Nine Yang Sect’s little junior sister” frequently appeared on the Communication Jade Slips. Everyone knew that the Nine Yang Sect had produced a talented female cultivator who was doted on by her sectmates.
When Ming Zhi asked someone to pass on the message, she presented herself as humble but never admitted any fault, making it seem as though the senior sister had been unreasonable while she herself remained warm-hearted and concerned…
With such a well-crafted stance, the original owner’s clumsy tongue would never have been able to set the record straight.
But the Du Xinghe before him smiled and said, “I thought it was something important! If Ming Zhi is thinking of me, it’s probably because I risked my life to save her and bring her back to the sect. I also took care of her meticulously when others shunned her for her festering, foul-smelling wounds. Before she could repay this kindness, I was nearly killed on the Heart-Questioning Cliff while gathering Spirit Herbs for her. My injuries were too severe, and I returned late, delaying the time she was supposed to take her medicine. So, Yuanming Zunzhe struck me with a blast of sword energy…”
She tugged her collar down slightly.
It should have been a suggestive gesture for a woman to bare her shoulder, but when Du Xinghe did it, it was done with straightforward dignity.
“Here, take a look.”
Where there should have been skin as fair and smooth as fresh lychee flesh, what was exposed to the air was a purplish-blue wound, tangled with newly grown flesh, looking particularly gruesome and horrifying.
In later generations, scar issues that would require expensive cosmetic surgery are often the simplest matters in the cultivation world. That she bore this scar immediately led everyone, including him, to conclude that Yuanming Zunzhe had struck too harshly, and that she had been expelled from the Nine Yang Sect without even receiving proper healing elixirs.
Seeing this, Qin Qingyue’s pupils contracted sharply, the words he had prepared to defend Ming Zhi stuck in his throat.
[Successfully sowing discord through casual remarks, points +10!]
“There must be some misunderstanding…”
As soon as Qin Qingyue uttered these difficult words, Du Xinghe realized he was playing the role of a devoted follower.
She directly cut him off: “You’ve seen her now, she’s alive. Tell her to stop thinking about me.”
“Ming Zhi still cares deeply and often mentions you in the Jade slips. If you say that, what does that make all your past camaraderie as fellow disciples?”
Du Xinghe thought very seriously for a moment:
“That makes her highly imaginative.”
“Is that all?” Qin Qingyue remained unwilling to accept this.
Du Xinghe pondered: “Then it also makes her proficient in the seventh stratagem of the Thirty-Six Stratagems – creating something from nothing.”
Qin Qingyue, being thin-skinned, flushed red after being interrupted and rebuked by her.
Just then, Master Chunci’s attendant summoned him to help evaluate the Soul Gathering Detoxification Pills refined by six disciples.
Six identical brocade boxes were placed before him. After carefully examining their patterns, he finally identified the best one: “A fourth-grade Profound-Grade Detoxification Pill. Master, your disciples are so young yet already touching the threshold of Profound-Grade pills – truly admirable.”
Master Chunci smiled: “Their talent still falls short compared to yours. What a pity you’ve already joined the Wuliang Sect… such promising material!”
The six disciples heard this with discontent but could do nothing.
Qin Qingyue, possessing a fire-element Single Spiritual Root, had far surpassed his peers in the Fire Control Art. Though not specializing in the Art of Alchemy, Master Chunci often instructed him out of appreciation for his talent, hoping he would achieve great things in alchemy.
“Why doesn’t Master have Fellow Daoist Qin refine a batch of Antitoxin Pills for us to observe and learn from?”
One defiant disciple suggested.
Master Chunci looked at Qin Qingyue, who readily agreed and immediately lit the furnace.
When the furnace opening time arrived, the Antitoxin Pill that flew into the brocade box had a marvelous luster – a second-grade Profound-Grade pill, surpassing the defiant disciple by two grades.
Still unconvinced, that person muttered: “Probably just had good luck with this batch.”
The wonder of pill refinement resembles rolling stats in mobile games.
Using high-quality spiritual medicines with proper preparation techniques only guarantees the minimum quality. Various normally uncontrollable subtle differences affect the final product’s grade.
“I did have particularly good control today. I apologize for showing my crude skills before Master Chunci.”
Qin Qingyue’s cheerful response made the previous disciple appear like a clown.
Among the spectators below, Shenshui asked Du Xinghe: “Master, what’s so interesting about this? We’d be better off watching the cooks in the cafeteria.”
“You don’t understand. If we learn from this, our sect can enjoy the spirit food buffet in the cafeteria later.”
Du Xinghe never took her eyes off the demonstration.
Sure enough, Master Chunci finally displayed his skill, refining a box of first-grade Heaven-Grade Antitoxin Pills on the spot.
After receiving everyone’s astonished admiration, he said with a beaming smile: “The market on the Flying Ship will open the day after tomorrow. Everyone is welcome to come exchange insights on the Art of Alchemy.”
It is well known that cultivators traveling abroad are particularly prone to encountering poisonous substances, so Antitoxin Pills are always in high demand. Especially since this Flying Ship was headed toward Evil Ridge, Master Chunci himself had no need for such sales tactics. He had brought his disciples on this journey to gather rare spiritual medicines from a secret realm in the south. This endeavor not only enhanced his reputation but also allowed his disciples to witness the benefits of proficient pill refining while earning some extra income.
Within a single day, Du Xinghe had committed to memory the exceptional, advanced, and standard techniques for refining the Soul Gathering Detoxification Pill.
Even the subtlest differences, which ordinary people would hardly notice, could not escape the observation of her Thieving Eye.
Whenever she closed her eyes, she would repeatedly review and refine these techniques.
The only downside was how taxing it was on her eyes.
By the time Du Xinghe was assisted back to her room by Shenshui to rest with her eyes closed, Qin Qingyue was already communicating via a Jade slip with Su Yan of the Nine Yang Sect, mentioning that he had encountered Su Yan’s former junior sister.
“…Tell her on my behalf that I have a box of healing elixirs. If she stops using past favors to pressure Zhizhi, I will give her the medicine.”
After a moment of contemplation, Su Yan replied indifferently.
Qin Qingyue felt this was inappropriate: “Wouldn’t that be rubbing salt in her wounds?”
“For a woman to bear such ugly scars—I’m doing her a favor. She should be thanking Zhizhi. If it weren’t for Zhizhi’s sake, I wouldn’t care if she lived or died.”