The man who was a heavyweight in more ways than one hurried over to Yan Zhen, his face full of concern as he asked, “Young Master Yan Zhen, are you alright?”
Looking at Nian Lun, who was bowing respectfully before him, Yan Zhen furrowed his little brow in frustration. Where were those classic lines from a man of your stature? Come on, say something so I can deliver my part!
With the script not matching up, Yan Zhen could only play along with the situation. “I’m fine.”
“Have you chosen a pill furnace? Would you like me to send someone over to check which one suits you best?”
“No need. This one I have here will do. Wrap it up.”
Yan Zhen patted the Three Phases Treasure Furnace. Nian Lun nodded immediately. “Then shall we take a look at the pill formulas next?”
“No need. Just grab two or three for me at random. And for the beginner ingredients, fifty or sixty portions will do.”
“I’ll get right on it, Young Master Yan Zhen. Please head back to the VIP room and wait a moment.”
With that, Nian Lun scampered off eagerly, looking more like a bootlicker than any bootlicker Yan Zhen had ever seen.
The three Xiao Family members were stunned, their jaws practically dropping to the floor.
The Xiao Family had some business dealings with the Golden Jade Chamber of Commerce, so Nian Lun had visited their home before. They had received him with the highest honors, and at the banquet table, he had sat shoulder-to-shoulder with their father. Sipping wine more precious than gold, they exchanged the subtle codes of the merchant world, his every word and gesture carrying the air of a true magnate.
But what was this sycophantic fatso? Was this really Manager Nian from their memories? Had he been possessed or something?
The key question was, what had Yan Zhen done to deserve such treatment?
After the conflict between Yan Zhen and Xiao Shi, the Xiao Family had investigated the boy’s background. He was the young city lord of Martial Tang City, the lowest-ranked among the kingdom’s top ten cities, and apparently betrothed to the daughter of the general’s household in the Royal Capital. That was it.
Surely Nian Lun didn’t need to grovel like this for some future son-in-law of a general’s family?
More than any tangled web of hidden motives, they preferred to believe they were seeing things.
“Yan Zhen, what exactly did you do? Why is Manager Nian acting like this? Who the hell are you, really?”
Yan Zhen glanced at them. If this weren’t before the face-slapping plot kicked in, that death-flag question alone would have done them in.
He ignored them. As per the script, their interaction ended here. The built-up grudge would be settled at the monthly assessment.
With that in mind, Yan Zhen strode out of the pill-selling area and made his way back to the VIP room along the original path, leaving the three Xiao brothers standing there, questioning their entire existence.
Lazily reclining against the genuine leather chair back, Yan Zhen stowed away the “Special Trump Card: Aba Aba” and sank into thought.
He was certain of it—his future good big sister must have peeked at the script ahead of time. Otherwise, there was no explaining Nian Lun’s attitude or the perk of “all purchases on the house.”
But where would she have gotten the script? The System said it hadn’t been exposed.
【Ding! System Warm Reminder: Chapter 134】
Chapter 134?
Yan Zhen recalled it and suddenly understood.
It mentioned that his Fair Rich Beauty Big Sister (not yet, at this point) possessed something like a precognitive dream ability. She would dream of dangers before they arrived.
Thanks to this power, she had secured her position as the Chief Manager of the Golden Jade Chamber of Commerce with merely Mystic Master cultivation and at under thirty years old.
Precognitive dreams could loosely tie into risk investment, right?
For instance, she dreamed of future troubles that only Yan Zhen could resolve, so she invested in him early to build a connection.
In the script, Yan Zhen met the beautiful manager because he saw through her hidden ailment at a glance.
Following his beautiful master’s guidance, Yan Zhen treated her. Over time, they grew close, and she proposed taking him as her little brother.
The issue was, the script had no mention of risk investment or her having a precognitive dream about him.
Was it another unknown change in the world?
Whatever. He’d figure it out when they met.
He didn’t wait long in the VIP room before Nian Lun returned, storage ring in hand, packed with everything he needed—all free of charge.
Yan Zhen insisted on paying, but Nian Lun practically knelt, so he let it go.
With the items in hand, Yan Zhen rushed back to the residence in a frantic hurry. He told the others not to wait for him for dinner, then slipped into his room, sealed the doors and windows, and entered the Crystal Stone Space.
The stone bed on the altar had been put away, since he had now developed spiritual power and no longer needed the head massages.
His beautiful master sat in meditation as always, dressed in her black wide-sleeved gown, her silver-white hair nearly trailing to the ground. Her aura was aloof and pure, like a snow lotus on a heavenly peak, untouchable.
Sensing his arrival, her clear black-and-white eyes slowly opened, her expression softening.
“Zhen’er, you’re back.”
“Master, I’m ready. Teach me the Pill Refining Technique!”
“So hot-headed and fidgety—how can you pursue Technique Refining like that? Sit in meditation and calm yourself first.”
“Uh…”
Yan Zhen obediently calmed down for five minutes.
Five minutes later, the System issued a role-playing task.
【Ding! Key Plot Activation】
【Current Progress—Chapter 90: First Time Pill Refining】
【Role-Playing Requirements: ① Successfully refine one pill; ② Naturally advance to Six-Star Mystic Practitioner after refining】
【Completion: 0%】
Yan Zhen set out the Three Phases Treasure Furnace and attempted pill refining under his beautiful master’s guidance.
Perhaps thanks to learning the Mystic Soul Technique, Yan Zhen’s control was excellent. With few mistakes, he produced his first pill. It was lumpy and misshapen, not really looking like a proper pill, but for a first try, even Chen Xi was surprised he’d formed something.
In his previous life, Yan Zhen had collapsed from exhaustion after barely extracting the essence from three herbs. He’d failed so many times, wasting effort without even forming a pill embryo. Was this progress?
Having refined one inedible scrap pill, Yan Zhen was dog-tired. He flopped backward, panting heavily.
“Zhen’er, no lying down. Meditation recovers you faster.”
During cultivation, Chen Xi was strict. With a flick of her jade finger, she unfurled an array formation beneath him.
The mystic qi of the Fire Refining Starry Sky was too pure for Yan Zhen to refine directly; the array diluted it.
Pulling a bitter face, Yan Zhen sat up, fighting off the intense fatigue as he entered a cultivation state.
Once recovered, he began the second round.
This time there was improvement, but it was still a scrap pill.
Pill refining had three steps: first, extract the herb essences; second, blend them together; third, fuse into a pill.
The third step was the hardest. Fusion wasn’t mere mixing—it required the medicinal properties to combine organically.
The slightest error would cause the pill’s potency to plummet or turn it into scrap, demanding precise fire control.
Until late into the night, Yan Zhen finally produced a furnace of barely 1st Tier Healing Pills, though only low-grade.
Exhausted beyond endurance, he glanced at the 50% role-playing completion and collapsed onto the warm altar floor, snoring away.
Chen Xi smiled helplessly, put away the pill furnace, then lifted her pale hand. A stone bed rose from the altar surface. With a sweep of her wide sleeve, she laid out soft bedding and hung gauzy curtains, arranging pillows and blankets.
She carried Yan Zhen onto the bed, then lay beside him, silently watching over his sleep.
Last time, Chen Xi had glimpsed the hidden kink in Yan Zhen’s heart—female doctors and nurses. She had prepared the outfits, but the chance hadn’t come yet. She’d have to wait for the monthly assessment.
The Mystic Academy’s monthly test involved duels, and injuries were inevitable.
