Song Yao tucked the pill recipe back into her robes. As the spirit vessel took flight, her robes fluttered loudly in the wind.
Before she could ask anything else, two disciples from the Nine Saints Hall hurried over and bowed obediently to her. “Seventh Senior Sister, it’s getting cold. Please don’t sit out here. Go back into the cabin. Besides, it’s time for your medicine.”
She didn’t need to think twice to know that her Fourth Junior Brother must have instructed them.
Song Yao gave a casual nod of agreement, but the two disciples showed no intention of leaving, clearly intent on watching her go back and take her medicine.
She yawned, hopped down from the railing, and walked inside with her arms tucked into her sleeves. As she went, she asked Huai An, who was walking beside her, “So, what do you want?”
“I heard you’ve wanted to leave the Nine Saints Hall for a long time. It just so happens that I can offer you a good place to go.”
Huai An walked slowly by her side, speaking unhurriedly. “How about coming to my Mingdan Pavilion? Whatever monthly allowance the Nine Saints Hall gives you, I’ll give you ten times that amount, and I’ll provide all your pills as well.”
The two Nine Saints Hall disciples following them suddenly froze.
He was trying to poach their Seventh Senior Sister right in front of them for such a high price?!
Their gazes instantly filled with hostility as they shot him sharp, wary glares.
Song Yao raised an eyebrow, her tone indifferent. “Only ten-fold?”
Huai An paused, then laughed helplessly. “Then how much do you want?”
Before entering the cabin, Song Yao casually pulled a pill from her spatial pouch and swallowed it, not letting the two disciples follow her any further.
The two didn't dare enter, but they said nervously, “Seventh Senior Sister, you must think this through carefully.”
“Master and the Hall Master can surely give you even more spirit stones.”
Huai An didn't mind the glares. He smiled and closed the door behind them.
Turning around, he saw Song Yao leaning lazily against a soft chair by the window. He walked over and watched as she counted on her fingers. “The Third Elder just gave me six hundred thousand spirit stones. My Second Senior Sister said I can take all her savings to play with. As for my Fourth Senior Brother’s money, if I really insisted on using it, I could. Can the conditions you’re offering exceed theirs?”
Huai An hadn't expected her to be so favored within the Nine Saints Hall.
But then again, it made sense.
Anyone who could refine such pills would be treated as a treasure by any sect.
He raised his eyebrows and poured a cup of tea, placing it before her. “If you come to Mingdan Pavilion, I’ll pay you five million spirit stones upfront. If your future expenses are ever insufficient, you may take whatever you need from my private treasury at any time. How does that sound?”
The offer was indeed very tempting.
Mingdan Pavilion was arguably the number one pavilion in the Tianshu Realm. Dealing in the pill business made them obscenely wealthy.
Without a second thought, Song Yao reached out her hand toward him. “Easy enough. In that case, I’m a member of Mingdan Pavilion now.”
Huai An: “...”
She agreed that quickly?
Wasn’t she going to negotiate for a few more rounds?
He hesitantly reached out his hand. The moment their fingertips touched, she grabbed his hand and gave it a firm shake.
“Pleasure doing business with you.”
Song Yao sat up straight and added, “But I have one more problem.”
Huai An’s gaze fell on their joined hands, and he twitched his brow almost imperceptibly. “What problem?”
She lifted her wrist, revealing a faint pink peach blossom mark on her skin. “This is the Nine Saints Hall’s personal disciple mark. If Fusheng doesn’t let me go, I can’t leave. Can you go negotiate with him?”
“...”
He was genuinely stunned for a moment before realizing who the “Fusheng” she mentioned was.
Hall Master Fu, Venerable Qianfu.
Since the great battle at the Nine Saints Hall—excluding any monsters that might still be hiding in the shadows—he was the universally acknowledged strongest expert in the Tianshu Realm.
And she addressed him so casually by his name.
Actually, this was better.
He had originally only been interested in her pill recipes, but now, the girl herself... was starting to seem very interesting to him.
“I wouldn't dare steal someone from that senior,” he said, pulling his hand back with some effort as he changed his mind. “My offer remains the same. You can hold a title at Mingdan Pavilion and just come to help whenever I have a need. How about that?”
Such an enticing offer for such a simple request—it was either a scam or a kidnapping plot.
Song Yao stood up and entered the Fifth Elder’s room, looking down at her. The demon toxin was not easy to clear; she needed to know what had happened inside the demon realm.
She thought for a moment and held out her hand to him. “Pill first.”
Huai An: “...”
Fine. She was a bandit.
She hadn't committed to anything yet, but she was already asking for things.
He helplessly placed the pill in her palm. “Take this as a sign of my sincerity. Think it over well and find me anytime.”
“Easy enough.”
Song Yao tilted the Fifth Elder’s chin up and tucked the pill inside. A dark green spiritual energy rippled from her palm, helping the pill dissolve quickly.
Huai An clicked his tongue inwardly in admiration.
Such pure wood spiritual energy... she was a natural talent for pill refining. Staying in the Nine Saints Hall was truly a waste. She should come to Mingdan Pavilion to study properly.
The effects of the medicine kicked in instantly. The Fifth Elder suddenly furrowed her brows in pain, her entire face contorting as she gasped for breath.
Huai An urged, “Give her some tea.”
Song Yao shot him a look.
Huai An: “...Fine.”
Resigned to his fate, he pulled back his sleeves, poured some tea, and sat by the bed. He exerted some effort to prop the Fifth Elder up and fed her a bit of tea to help the medicine go down.
In the next second, the Fifth Elder suddenly reached out and grabbed Huai An, catching him off guard.
Her grip was so strong that the tea in his hand splashed everywhere. His face twisted as he let out a cry of pain.
Before Song Yao could move to save him, the Fifth Elder’s eyes snapped open. She stared straight at Song Yao, panting heavily. “Shen Queshan! I saw Shen Queshan!”
Rate on N.U.
