Inside the pharmacy.
Xu Linglong's gaze fixed on Anian's confident expression.
The medicinal ingredients in this alchemical liquid contained nothing rare, and at a glance the effects seemed weak.
But somehow, combined with Chu Xingchen's name, it became something she couldn't simply dismiss.
If the ingredients were ordinary, then what this female doctor had been researching must be the alchemical technique itself.
Xu Linglong hadn't originally planned to drink it—she was going to use an illusion spell and pour it out.
But…
Now she was going to taste it.
What secret had Chu Xingchen left behind here?
As a celestial demon, she naturally had resistance to poisons.
Nothing she ate could kill her anyway, so there was nothing to fear.
Xu Linglong lifted the bowl to her lips, and the foul odor immediately assaulted her nose.
Without hesitation, she took a small sip.
The moment it hit her throat—bitterness, foulness, nausea spread through her in waves.
Xu Linglong narrowed her eyes and began analyzing the liquid as it entered her system.
Her conclusion was the same: completely ordinary medicinal effects, aside from being extremely unpleasant to drink.
If Chu Xingchen used this to achieve victory, the only explanation would be that drinking it tempered his mental state—otherwise it was useless.
If she had to evaluate this alchemical liquid…
She'd say it was cleaner than swill, but otherwise far inferior to it.
After all, there weren't many things that made her want to vomit.
Anian noticed Xu Linglong only took a small sip with no visible reaction, so she quickly interjected:
"Just a tiny sip—how could you know the unique medicinal effects? You need to drink a large mouthful."
Drinking so little—how could you experience anything? You had to take a big gulp!
Xu Linglong didn't even bother glancing at Anian, just giving a light snort.
Anian looked confused.
Xu Linglong poured the liquid from the bowl outward, and the moment it left the container, it transformed into a wisp of smoke and completely dissipated.
This stuff, worse than swill, and she expected her to drink it twice?
Some winning secret weapon of Chu Xingchen.
Next time anyone tried to make her drink this concoction, Xu Linglong guaranteed it would all be forced down Anian's throat.
Xu Linglong took a deep breath and set the bowl back on the table.
Thank goodness she hadn't brought Bai Bo in—otherwise he'd laugh himself sick at this scene.
Xu Linglong composed herself, then slowly turned her gaze to Anian—if she didn't get the intelligence she wanted, she'd genuinely make Anian drink swill.
"I've finished the medicine. I also came with questions for you."
Xu Linglong's voice carried a subtle charm.
Since this was an infiltration and a setup, being too obvious might alert Chu Xingchen.
Unless necessary, it was better to avoid forcefully using charm techniques to influence spiritual consciousness.
But small tricks were still usable.
Anian's expression returned to normal. She first glanced at the empty bowl, a hint of disappointment crossing her face.
This brew wasn't bitter enough yet.
"What do you want to ask?" Anian replied.
"I've heard that Chu Xingchen—Lord Chu—once collaborated with our Demon Suppression Bureau. I joined Yuzhou City's Demon Suppression Bureau because I admire him. I wonder if you, who received his teachings, could tell me what kind of person Chu Xingchen is?"
Xu Linglong gently lifted her gauze hat, revealing pale purple eyes and a face of stunning beauty.
Central Province, Tianyan Sect.
Inside the Tianyan Peak main hall.
Hundreds of message jade slips circulated continuously, with new ones flying in from outside from time to time.
Bai Xuanling lounged nearby, sipping tea that Chen Baiqing had brewed.
Jade slips orbited both Chu Xingchen and Xie Lingyu.
Even more surrounded Lu Xuan.
Since each jade slip could hold extensive information and wasn't cheap, every message jade slip contained reports as detailed as possible.
The readers were all high-level cultivators anyway, with sufficient spiritual consciousness.
Reading was fast, of course, but making corresponding arrangements required careful thought.
Naturally, the three people in the Tianyan Peak hall weren't the only ones handling these messages.
Only the most critical information reached the hall directly.
Which meant these hundreds of jade slips all contained important updates and directives.
The rest had already been delegated to subordinates.
Li Yingling, the eldest disciple, couldn't keep up with the constant stream of jade slips either, so she adopted a pattern of working two days and resting one.
Before long, Chu Xingchen urged her to focus on cultivation instead.
Fortunately, compared to processing official documents, cultivation was much more comfortable.
Li Yingling readily agreed and went off to cultivate immediately.
Most of Chu Xingchen's disciples were currently in cultivation, occasionally taking breaks.
"Phew…" Chu Xingchen gently set down a jade slip. "These relationships are so tangled, all driven by self-interest. If you really want to accomplish something good, it's not that easy."
Lu Xuan nodded quickly at his words:
"Naturally. The world has changed long ago—the era when a sword could solve everything is long past. Behind every sect, there's another sect."
As Lu Xuan spoke, his gaze naturally shifted toward Bai Xuanling.
Bai Xuanling didn't hold back, casually picking up a nearby teacup and hurling it at Lu Xuan.
The teacup flew so fast it was nearly a blur.
Lu Xuan raised his hand slightly, catching it with spiritual energy—a teacup thrown hard enough to kill a tiger.
"Back then, without the sword in my hand, this world wouldn't have a place for you or me." Bai Xuanling's eyebrows rose, her expression displeased. "I don't see the world changing much. Without a sword in hand, who'd be interested in listening to whatever you have to say?"
"The sharper the sword, the more people will listen."
"An eternal truth."
Lu Xuan didn't argue back. First, Bai Xuanling's words had some merit but not much. Second, was Bai Xuanling someone you reasoned with?
He had no desire, as Tianyan Sect Master, to be beaten by Bai Xuanling in his own hall.
With Chu Xingchen watching on the side, no less.
The Tianyan Sect Master needed to save face too.
Chu Xingchen didn't join the conversation. Instead, he set down his jade slip and looked toward the entrance.
Li Xingtian stood outside the door, looking at him with a strange expression—almost nostalgic—then bowed slightly.
"I have something to attend to. You two keep busy."
Chu Xingchen decisively stood up and prepared to leave. He knew his second disciple's nature well.
If it wasn't important, knowing he was busy, Li Xingtian would almost certainly not come to disturb him.
That tiny remaining probability was just the kind of unpredictable thing Li Xingtian might do on a whim.
Xie Lingyu glanced over but didn't say much.
Bai Xuanling looked curious but didn't pry into the privacy between master and disciple.
Chu Xingchen stepped outside, directly reaching out to pull Li Xingtian up from his bow, then casually draping an arm over his shoulder:
"Why are you looking at me so strangely today? You know your master's preferences, right? If you have other hobbies, your fifth junior brother is certainly handsome enough."
"Master… I don't have those kinds of hobbies."
"Good. What's wrong? What problem do you need me to solve?"
Li Xingtian looked at the smile on his master's face and gently grabbed Chu Xingchen's robes.
Chu Xingchen glanced down at his clothing, then back at Li Xingtian, his gaze wary.
Li Xingtian didn't mind, getting straight to the point:
"Master, you've destroyed quite a few demon cultivator strongholds and evil cults, but still haven't found Xu Linglong's whereabouts."
"Mm… what about it? Are you worried about that? Don't worry, your master will handle it."
Li Xingtian let go:
"Master, I have a theory."
Chu Xingchen's suspicious expression returned:
"You haven't read any of the reports, and you have a theory?"
"Did you and your eldest senior sister practice some intuition technique together?"
Li Xingtian's tone was
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serious:
"Master, I understand her."
"Oh…" Chu Xingchen's suspicion softened into something like pity. "You've probably speculated about her thoughts quite a bit too. Not surprising."
Li Xingtian: "…"
His master's words… why did they sound so infuriating?