Song Yao interrupted him and pointed at Zhu Zhao. “She and her master won't let me. If you can convince them right now, I'll be one of your Mingdan Pavilion's people.”
Zhu Zhao: “...”
Huai An: “...”
Well.
He could finally see it clearly now.
Lin Mu was not nearly as gentle and aloof as she appeared on the surface.
She was simply someone who wouldn't stop until she had thoroughly muddied the waters.
She was practically forcing his Mingdan Pavilion to offend the Nine Saints Hall.
Zhu Zhao pressed her finger down, shot her a warning glance, and looked at Huai An. “Lin Mu is a personal disciple, so she naturally cannot leave the Nine Saints Hall. However, if she is interested in the pill-refining path, she may go pay a visit. I will not stop her. It is just that...”
She paused and continued, “I have heard that the Mingdan Pavilion is currently fractured internally. My Seventh Junior Sister is merely a weak pill cultivator. If she accidentally gets caught up in your pavilion's internal conflicts, I fear it might be rather dangerous for her.”
Huai An toyed with his folding fan and shook his head. “Which faction doesn't have this kind of infighting? If Daoist Lin comes over, I will naturally guarantee her safety. You do not need to worry about this, Hall Master Zhu.”
Of course, it was impossible for Zhu Zhao not to worry.
She looked at Song Yao as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she swallowed her words.
She had already stopped Song Yao from going to the demon realm, stopped her from interfering in many matters, and had even somewhat restricted her personal freedom.
She couldn't truly make every single decision for Song Yao and keep her completely locked up inside the Nine Saints Hall.
Even though it was safe, doing so wouldn't be treating Song Yao as Song Yao.
Song Yao had always done whatever she pleased; being restricted at every turn would surely feel worse than death to her.
Zhu Zhao massaged her temples, stood up, and relented. “Then let it be as Seventh Junior Sister wishes. I still have matters to attend to. You two may chat.”
With that, she turned and left the room, leaving the space to the two of them.
Song Yao drained her tea and beckoned toward Huai An.
In the next instant, the ivory and gold-inlaid folding fan in his hand flew out and landed in her palm.
She climbed onto the table without any regard for proper posture, spread the folding fan, and waved it gently in front of herself with a lazy, weary expression. “Is Pavilion Master Huai truly appreciating my talent, or do you want to ask for my help? You must speak the truth.”
Huai An considered himself quite the playboy, but seeing her now, he inexplicably felt a bit inferior.
He asked in return, “Can I not both appreciate your talent and want to ask for your help?”
Song Yao curled her lips, her voice completely casual. “Of course you can, but that will cost double the price.”
She added, “Since I used your pills before and they worked quite well, I can give you a slight discount.”
Talk about demanding an exorbitant price.
The interest in Huai An's eyes deepened. “Didn't I say before? As long as you come, my private treasury is yours to use as you please.”
Song Yao wasn't very interested. “Those are just empty promises. Who knows when you'll go bankrupt?”
Huai An couldn't help but laugh. “Who curses someone like that?”
Song Yao didn't beat around the bush. “Speak. What do you want me to do?”
Seeing this, Huai An didn't beat around the bush either and spoke directly, “Your senior sister was right just now. The situation at our Mingdan Pavilion is indeed rather complicated. My father was previously attacked by a demon, which damaged his heart meridians. Even the pills of Mingdan Pavilion cannot cure him, and his life is hanging by a thread.”
“Although I am the Pavilion Master, I am only acting in this position. Unfortunately, the Mingdan Pavilion's business hasn't been good lately, and my eldest uncle has his eyes on the position. He has repeatedly, both openly and covertly, demanded that I step down.”
Song Yao found this kind of common family drama incredibly boring. “So you want me to help you kill your eldest uncle?”
“Of course not.”
Huai An didn't know whether to laugh or cry. “Leaving aside the fact that my eldest uncle is already at the Nascent Soul stage and has many experts by his side, even if I wanted to kill him, I wouldn't seek help from a pill cultivator like you.”
Song Yao nodded in agreement. “True, I am indeed rather weak and delicate.”
Huai An added, “I came to find you because I made a wager with him. We agreed that whichever of our candidates wins the championship at the Alchemist Tournament will take over as the Pavilion Master.”
“The person he found once studied at the Medicine King Valley. I heard they can refine pills above Heaven-grade third-tier, which is extraordinary. I know I don't have anyone like that under me, but if it's your self-created spiritual pill, perhaps it can defeat him.”
Song Yao maintained her relaxed posture and said lazily, “You have that much faith in me? What if I can't win?”
Huai An: “There's no other way. If we really can't win, we'll just have to play dirty.”
Now Song Yao was somewhat interested. “How do we play dirty?”
Huai An: “Find someone to disrupt the Alchemist Tournament, or directly make a move against my eldest uncle. I'll arrange those things.”
Song Yao thought for a moment, then snapped the folding fan shut. “I don't care for your private treasury. If we win, let me be the Deputy Pavilion Master. How about it?”
Huai An: “...”
This was even more of an exorbitant demand than he had imagined.
He took a jade token out of his spatial pouch. “Here is ten million spirit stones. Whether we win or lose, they are yours. If we win... the position of Deputy Pavilion Master can be yours.”
Song Yao put away the jade token and patted his shoulder quite satisfactorily. “I like your straightforwardness. Don't worry, if I can't win, no one else will either.”
Huai An: “No one else will win either? Why?”
Song Yao curled her lips. “I'm quite good at playing dirty.”
Huai An: “...”
...
There was still some time before the Alchemist Tournament, so there was no rush.
Song Yao agreed to head to the Mingdan Pavilion in a few days to refine her pill recipe, then leisurely made another trip to Baicao Peak.
This time, the Seventh Elder didn't hide from her. He even looked quite happy to see her. “You finally remembered to come visit your master? Are you hungry? What would you like to eat?”
Song Yao crossed her arms and leaned against the side. “What do you mean 'finally'? Who was the one hiding from whom first?”
The Seventh Elder looked slightly embarrassed. “No such thing, how could that be? I... I have just been a bit busy...”
With that, he hurriedly walked toward the back. “How about this? I'll go slaughter two chickens for you to eat.”
Song Yao was startled and followed behind him. “Which two chickens are you going to slaughter?”
The Seventh Elder quickly reassured her, “Not your chickens. Your little chicks and ducklings are being well taken care of. Oh, right, and your Lin Shui too. I'll take you to see it after we eat. Just have a seat.”
Song Yao let out a sigh of relief. “Alright.”
She returned to the front courtyard and sat down. Having finished refining pills, He Yu walked out of the Pill Pavilion and sat beside her with a deathly pale expression.
Song Yao poked him. “Eldest Senior Brother, you look like a monster.”
He Yu: “If you refined pills for five days and five nights without closing your eyes like me, you would look like a monster too... By the way, where is Master?”
Song Yao: “He went to slaughter chickens.”
He Yu let out a slow "oh". “Speaking of which, Master is rather strange. Before, when you came, he would run off to refine pills without saying more than a few words to you, but while refining, he would constantly nag about you. I have no idea what's wrong with him.”
Song Yao replied slowly, “Perhaps he is a bit afraid of me.”
He Yu mumbled, “Why would he be afraid of you?”
“Hard to say.”
Song Yao shook her head, placing the folding fan she had just snatched from Huai An onto the table, and then placed the jade seal she was holding in her other hand onto the table as well.
Just as she was about to enter the Pill Pavilion to gather some medicinal ingredients, she suddenly remembered something and turned back, picking up the seal.
Surging spiritual energy flowed from her palm into the seal.
The entire seal glowed brilliantly. In the next instant, the white light dissipated, the seal vanished, and a dagger appeared in her hand.
Rate on N.U.
