Yue Zhao noticed Yun Jin stifling a laugh and felt a flicker of suspicion, but he didn't dwell on it.
After all, this junior sister of his had always been a little… unusual. He had long since been forced to adapt.
"Pavilion Master Chen, it's settled then. I'll return in seven days. Please keep an eye out for the herbs on that list," Yue Zhao said.
Chen Changrong nodded. "Rest assured, while those herbs are rare, they're not entirely impossible to find. I'll have my contacts search for them and notify you immediately if there's any news, Master Ren."
"Much obliged." Yue Zhao cupped his hands in thanks.
Hmm, Senior Brother and the Pavilion Master seem to have hit it off.
Yun Jin's eyes gleamed mischievously as she tugged on Yue Zhao's sleeve. "Senior Brother, I've taken an interest in herb cultivation. Buy me some seeds, won't you?"
Yue Zhao blinked. "Cultivation? That's no simple task! Junior Sister, do you really have the energy to spare for this?"
Yun Jin's eyebrow arched.
Yue Zhao's heart skipped a beat.
"Oh no. Wrong choice of words."
He immediately moved to cover her mouth—but it was too late.
Yun Jin smirked arrogantly. "Energy? What energy does it take? If a medicinal herb needs constant care to grow, is it even worth calling a herb? If I say so, even weeds will learn to tend to themselves!"
Yue Zhao's expression turned lifeless.
Lesson learned: Never use a rhetorical question with Yun Jin.
Her answers will make you question your entire existence.
Chen Changrong was also stunned. After a long pause, he coughed lightly. "Well, if your junior sister has the interest, there's no harm in letting her explore. Tell you what—I'll gift her some seeds. If she manages to grow anything, I'd be happy to buy them back."
In the cultivation world, the older the herb, the more valuable it became. Seeds, however, were practically worthless. Chen Changrong generously handed over dozens of varieties.
Yun Jin accepted them cheerfully. "Pavilion Master, I won't let you take a loss. For every seed that sprouts, I'll return a fully grown herb to you."
Chen Changrong waved her off with a chuckle.
These seeds had cost him almost nothing. Growing them into usable herbs required specialized cultivators, dedicated medicinal gardens, and significant time and resources.
If they were already mature herbs, he might've hesitated to part with them. But seeds? Meh.
As for Yun Jin's promise to return the grown herbs… Chen Changrong simply took it as a child's whimsy.
"She might be an alchemy prodigy, but herb cultivation is an entirely different field. At her age, how could she possibly master both? Ah well, let the girl have her fun."
With a jovial wave, Chen Changrong sent them on their way.
~
By the time Yue Zhao and Yun Jin returned, night had fallen.
Lin Ya and the others had been waiting anxiously.
Seeing them, Lin Ya frowned. "What took you so long?"
Had they been any later, he would've gone searching himself.
Yue Zhao's expression was complicated. "It's… a long story."
"Then take your time," Si Wanning said lazily, unfazed.
Yue Zhao took a deep breath. "I'm afraid the truth might be too much for you to handle."
Lin Ya burst out laughing. "What haven't I seen in my years? Go on, enlighten me. Let's see what could possibly shock this old man."
Si Wanning leisurely sipped her tea, settling in for a tale.
Only Yu Songnian remained as stoic as ever, his face an unreadable mask.
Yue Zhao gave them a pitying look. "Yun Jin, she…"
"She caused trouble again?"
"Picked a fight with someone powerful?"
"Ran off on her own?"
Yue Zhao continued solemnly. "She passed the assessment and became a first-rank alchemist."
Everyone: "???"
Lin Ya instinctively rubbed his ears. Surely, he was hearing things.
Si Wanning choked on her tea, sending it spurting from her nose. How she managed that was a mystery in itself.
Yu Songnian alone remained unfazed, his icy demeanor unshaken.
Yue Zhao couldn't help but admire him. Third Junior Brother's mental fortitude is truly unparalleled.
He pressed on. "Junior Sister, show them your token."
Yun Jin grinned and slammed the alchemist's token onto the table with a loud thud, rattling the furniture.
Lin Ya numbly inspected it.
Huh.
It's… a genuine first-rank alchemist token.
How… odd.
"And that's not all," Yue Zhao added. "She also refined a batch of perfect pills."
Silence.
"A single vial of first-rank Biling Pills fetched us ten high-grade spirit stones." Yue Zhao placed the gleaming stones on the table. "Junior Sister, these are yours."
Yun Jin happily examined them before shoving the pile toward Yue Zhao. "Senior Brother, you handle all the financial dealings with the Hundred Herbs Pavilion. You can reinvest them or use them as capital—just remember to share the profits with me."
Yue Zhao was taken aback. "You're entrusting all of this to me?"
Yun Jin scoffed. "A peerless genius like me wasting time on money? That would be a tragedy for the entire cultivation world! You deal with it."
Yue Zhao gritted his teeth—yet, against all logic, he felt a pang of warmth.
No matter how infuriating she was, this was an immense show of trust. If Yun Jin could consistently produce pills, their partnership with the Hundred Herbs Pavilion would be extremely lucrative. Handing him full control meant she believed in him.
He met her eyes solemnly. "Fine. I'll manage these for now. Once the business expands…"
He trailed off, but his gaze burned with ambition.
In his past life, he had been a financial prodigy—a self-made billionaire before thirty. After transmigrating, he'd spent years struggling just to scrape together modest savings.
But with real capital…
Who's to say I couldn't buy half the cultivation world?
As Yue Zhao's imagination ran wild, Si Wanning spoke up timidly.
"Senior Brother, if this is an act… you're way too committed. These high-grade spirit stones look real."
Yue Zhao swiftly pocketed them, sneering. "And what, exactly, do you have that's worth scamming?"
"The token… is also impossible to fake," Lin Ya murmured, still dazed.
He suddenly stared at Yun Jin.
"She really is a first-rank alchemist!"
"Master! Now that I'm an alchemist, just wait—I'll refine the Heaven-Mending Pill for you!" Yun Jin declared confidently.
Heaven-Mending Pill…
Lin Ya froze, unexpectedly moved.
"This child…"
"She became an alchemist… for my sake?"
He looked at her with fatherly affection. "Alchemy is no small endeavor. Xiao Jin, I still think you should focus on cultivating your Azure Lotus Sword Art. Right now, nothing matters more than increasing your strength. If you spend all your time refining pills, how will you have the energy for swordsmanship?"
Yue Zhao coughed. "Master... Junior Sister doesn't exactly spend much energy on alchemy."
"Don't spout nonsense!" Lin Ya snapped.
"This brat has no idea how to cherish his junior sister! Alchemy is grueling work!"
—
Half an hour later.
Watching the pill furnace rotate on its own while Yun Jin leisurely sipped tea and snacked on melon seeds, Lin Ya fell into a deep silence.