Chapter 27: First Glimpse (2)

Although Che Wuyou was exceptionally gifted in the art of alchemy, so much so that many of Miao Shilin’s direct disciples looked at him with envy, in the world of cultivation, strength was paramount. Without a powerful cultivation base, no matter how skilled you were in alchemy, your achievements would ultimately be limited. This was because the vast majority of rare and precious elixirs in the cultivation world required a cultivator’s own formidable inner true fire to refine them. If you never reached the Core Formation stage in your life, you wouldn’t even be able to generate true fire within your body—so how could you possibly refine pills? As the saying goes, “All methods return to one,” and this is the underlying reason.

Just like the Miao family, whose powerful alchemical arts had been passed down for generations, yet had still fallen into decline—precisely because no true expert had ever emerged from their ranks. Centuries, even millennia had passed without producing a single great cultivator at the Core Formation stage. Even though they knew the methods to refine many precious elixirs, they lacked the means to actually produce them—a truly lamentable fate.

What made matters even more tragic was that, although the Miao family possessed a trove of precious prescriptions, they could never reveal them openly. Each formula was of immeasurable value; the exposure of even one could spark a catastrophic disaster. After all, the Miao family lacked the strength to protect such treasures. This is the truth behind the saying, “An innocent man gets into trouble because of his wealth.” Fortunately, ever since they had secluded themselves in Jizhou, southern Xinjiang, the Miao family had strictly abided by their ancestors’ edicts, keeping a low profile for thousands of years, never daring to boast of their precious formulas. All their valuable recipes were entrusted to the family head alone, never to be passed on to any disciple—unless that disciple’s talent was extraordinary, and he could reach the Core Formation stage before the age of thirty. Only then would he be considered an exception.

Otherwise, the head of the Miao family would guard the secret for life, revealing it only on his deathbed to his successor. This had been their tradition for generations. Their purpose: to await an opportunity, a chance for the Miao family to rise once again in the Southern Continent.

Che Wuyou had been at the Miao family for two full years now. In his second year, compared to the first, he suffered even more hardship and faced greater ordeals. Many senior disciples, because of his help in refining pills, now viewed him more favorably and were no longer so hostile. However, some harbored even deeper animosity toward him.

In particular, Han Feng and Yang Jian’s attitudes were especially harsh. No matter how cautious Che Wuyou was in his dealings with them, they always found new excuses to attack him. Although some seniors who had grown friendlier with Che Wuyou were unsettled by this, they wisely refrained from standing up for him.

First, Che Wuyou was close to Liu Lanzhi, who was a strong contender to be the next head of the Miao family; Che Wuyou was clearly a staunch member of her faction, so others were unwilling to take sides lightly. Second, those who targeted Che Wuyou were mostly followers of Senior Brother Yang Cheng. Obviously, Yang Cheng’s people were striking at Che Wuyou to undermine Liu Lanzhi. To intervene would be to openly oppose Yang Cheng—and in the Miao family, aside from the late prodigy Miao Zongbao, no one dared confront Yang Cheng directly.

Mentioning Yang Cheng, the eldest senior brother of the Miao family, many disciples regarded him with awe. He was the oldest and most advanced in cultivation among them, known for his deep cunning, resolute methods, and fierce loyalty to his followers—thus commanding a loyal cadre.

In the past, the junior disciples often witnessed Yang Cheng’s formidable displays of strength. In recent years, however, Yang Cheng rarely acted himself, delegating everything to his subordinates, devoting himself entirely to cultivation. This only added to his mystique among the disciples.

When Miao Zongbao was alive, even someone as shrewd as Yang Cheng had to yield to him. Though Miao Shilin paid little attention to the secret rivalries among his disciples, Yang Cheng always felt himself a notch below Miao Zongbao. Miao Zongbao was not only magnanimous and well-liked, but also exceptionally talented and skilled with the sword. Moreover, as the natural heir to the family, all the disciples naturally followed his lead.

Since Miao Zongbao’s death, the Miao family was left without an heir. Yang Cheng, as the eldest and the most advanced in cultivation, naturally regarded himself as the successor. He believed there would be no further competition and that he would smoothly inherit the family headship. But then Liu Lanzhi emerged, winning the favor of both the master and mistress, and Miao Shilin even hinted at making her the family’s successor.

Seeing his status as heir threatened, Yang Cheng naturally sought ways to teach Liu Lanzhi a lesson, hoping to make her retreat and understand who the true master of the Miao family would be. Thus, whenever there was a chance to undermine Liu Lanzhi’s prestige or make an example, Yang Cheng would seize it. Yet, he had to act discreetly, lest he be accused of bullying his junior sister, or word reached the master and aroused his displeasure. Therefore, targeting Che Wuyou became the perfect means to strike at Liu Lanzhi—no one could criticize him for it, and Liu Lanzhi would be forced to swallow her grievances in silence.

Despite the harsh environment Che Wuyou found himself in—never knowing when he might become a casualty of the Miao family’s internal strife—he no longer felt the despair and hardship of his first year. On the contrary, he sensed progress every day, gaining new knowledge and skills. Life was bitter, but he felt an unprecedented sense of purpose. Perhaps these were the things he could truly rely on.

Over the past year, Liu Lanzhi’s star had been rising. Since cultivating the “Classic of a Hundred Herbs,” her mastery of the Dao had deepened, and her position in the Miao family soared. With Miao Shilin’s expressed intention to make her the family’s young mistress, she had truly become a figure of prominence. Even many senior brothers, upon encountering her, would stand respectfully aside, waiting for her to approach, and then politely greet her as “Junior Sister Liu” before leaving.

Still, some senior brothers, relying on their talent or seniority, remained indifferent toward her, especially Yang Jian, Yang Cheng’s own brother. Whenever he saw Liu Lanzhi, he would find fault without cause and lecture her sternly in front of everyone to assert his authority as a senior. Other brothers, no matter how much they secretly resented Liu Lanzhi, dared not openly disrespect her in this way.

After all, Liu Lanzhi was still just a child and could not fathom the schemes of her seniors. She sensed their changing attitudes but didn’t understand the reasons behind them. As for Yang Jian’s admonishments, she took them in stride, sometimes even accepting them with humility. Regardless of how her seniors treated her, she remained polite and respectful, just as she had always been.

Occasionally, she saw some seniors bullying Che Wuyou. If it was only verbal abuse she could tolerate it, but their methods were often too cruel. She once reported this to her master, Miao Shilin, but he merely glanced at her indifferently and said nothing more. Perhaps, in Miao Shilin’s mind, as long as Che Wuyou survived, nothing else mattered.

Seeing her master’s attitude, Liu Lanzhi had no choice but to intervene herself. The other seniors, out of respect for her, would not make things too difficult. But Han Feng and Yang Jian would only roll their eyes and say, “If it wasn’t for that boy’s brother, would Zongbao have died so inexplicably?” Then they would sneer at Liu Lanzhi for defending an enemy instead of seeking justice for her senior.

Liu Lanzhi, still young, was no match for seasoned figures like Han Feng; a few words would leave her speechless and guilt-ridden. Sometimes she wondered if she had truly wronged Brother Zongbao. No matter how innocent or pitiable Che Wuyou was, he was still of the Che family—the son of the Miao family’s enemy.

Yet, after a year spent day and night together, the bond between Che and Liu was far deeper than that of ordinary acquaintances. Moreover, Liu Lanzhi was half a teacher to Che Wuyou. She simply could not place him in the role of an enemy; in truth, she didn’t want to. Though Che Wuyou was clumsy and frequently angered her in training, it did nothing to change her sense that he was one of her own. Indeed, even Liu Lanzhi herself was unaware that, deep within, she harbored a faint admiration for Che Wuyou’s stubborn perseverance.

Today marked exactly two years since Che Wuyou had arrived at the Miao family. As on every other morning, he and Liu Lanzhi each drank a bowl of vivid green medicinal soup. Though he had been drinking it for a year, Che Wuyou still did not know what it was. Watching Liu Lanzhi sit cross-legged, refining the medicinal power within her body, Che Wuyou, instead of refining it, simply let the energy flow along his meridians directly into his dantian.

Fortunately, the medicinal energy was no longer as wild and unruly as the first time he had taken it; now, it seemed drawn by the power in his dantian, docilely entering and merging with the energy there, without even the slightest waste.

This was, in fact, a truly astonishing phenomenon. No matter who refined medicinal energy or absorbed elemental qi from heaven and earth, a significant portion would always dissipate—an unavoidable reality, as nothing could be used with perfect efficiency. Yet, the medicinal power Che Wuyou absorbed showed no sign of dispersal at all. It was remarkable, though Che Wuyou, oblivious, took it as a matter of course, giving it not a second thought.