Marry the Demon Sect Girl with No Bride Price-Chapter 38: Keep an Even Lower Profile
3:45 AM.
In an alley one street away from the Spirit Pill Workshop.
Zhao Yi, Qian Er, and Sun San kneeled before the red-haired female cultivator, respectfully saying:
"Senior, we have completed the task as per your instructions!"
The red-haired female cultivator waved her hand.
"We take our leave!"
The three clasped their hands in salute, stood up, and quickly left.
Soon, they returned to Narrow Rain Lane and entered the house.
Zhao Yi scratched his head:
"Why did the senior want us to teach a lesson to a nobody?"
Qian Er said, "How could we see through the actions of a distinguished expert? We just have to do the tasks as ordered!"
Zhao Yi glared at him, thinking, damn, you’re always sucking up, but then he saw Sun San next to him, silent as ever, and couldn’t help but ask:
"Sun San, what are you thinking about now?"
Sun San looked up, a puzzled expression on his face: "I feel like the aura around the senior has changed somehow."
Zhao Yi and Qian Er exchanged a glance, lowering their voices:
"What kind of change?"
Sun San spoke loudly and earnestly: "The senior has become even more elegant and dignified! Even if I wasn’t afflicted with Heart-devouring Poison, I swear to serve the senior for life, without changing my loyalty!"
Zhao Yi and Qian Er were stupefied.
"Sun San, you’re so shameless!"
"I’m the senior’s only loyal hound! You can’t take my place!"
"Let’s duel and see who’s the senior’s strongest servant!"
...
...
The next day.
Qin Gengyun woke up to find Qiu Zhihe still asleep beside him.
Taoist Friend Qiu’s routine is quite unpredictable. Sometimes she wakes up very early, other times I leave, and she’s still in bed.
Supposedly she goes to sleep at about the same time every night, so the times she wakes up shouldn’t be so irregular.
Maybe she suffered torments in the Demon Sect, causing some inner breath disorder?
Qin Gengyun didn’t wake Qiu Zhihe but quietly got up, dressed in the kitchen, left to buy buns, and then left half for Qiu Zhihe before heading out.
Arriving at the Spirit Pill Workshop, he found it bustling with noise, a crowd gathered in front of the old Pill Room, pointing and chattering excitedly.
Qin Gengyun approached to see and immediately widened his eyes.
Inside the old Pill Room, Yang Fengshan was tied naked to a bronze stove, bruised all over, looking extremely miserable.
The most embarrassing part was that despite the crowd, he still hadn’t woken up, his head drooping, a bit of drool at the corner of his mouth, as if sleeping soundly.
Qin Gengyun, shocked, patted Wang Ping in front, who was watching intently:
"Taoist Friend Wang, what’s going on?"
Wang Ping, face flushed with excitement, whispered:
"I don’t know either, it was like this when I arrived this morning, haha, isn’t it satisfying?"
Beside him, Xu Li chuckled as well: "Satisfying, extremely satisfying!"
At this moment, Yang Fengshan finally woke, groggily opening his eyes, seeing the crowd around him, then looking down at himself, seemed to remember his predicament, and suddenly screamed:
"Ah?! How- how did this happen?!"
Being a cultivator, ordinary ropes couldn’t bind him. He broke free and landed on the ground, covering himself with his hands.
"Where are my clothes, where are my clothes?!"
"Steward Yang, use mine for now."
Fang Chao took off his own coat and handed it to Yang Fengshan.
Yang Fengshan accepted it, hastily putting it on, then scolded the onlookers:
"What are you looking at? Not working?! Be careful or I’ll dock your Spirit Stones!"
"What’s happening?"
The Pavilion Master arrived, seeing the crowd in front of the old Pill Room, and Yang Fengshan in such a sorry state, he frowned and asked.
"Master, nothing, nothing, we were just playing around."
Yang Fengshan, feeling guilty, quickly said.
"Clean up and come assist me in alchemy at once!" Pei Daoyu said coldly, turning and entering the Alchemy Room.
The crowd dispersed, Yang Fengshan hurriedly tightened Fang Chao’s coat around him before entering the Alchemy Room.
Qin Gengyun initially planned to use his Divine Sense to eavesdrop outside the Alchemy Room but considering the Pavilion Master’s recent foul mood, if caught, it would be another trouble.
He gave up on this dangerous thought and started cleaning the courtyard by himself.
Wang Ping and Xu Li, two gossip-lovers, sidled over, chuckling:
"Taoist Friend Qin, do you know what secret we overheard last night?"
"Last night?" Qin Gengyun realized: "You went to Yihong House again?"
Places like Yihong House are the best sources for news, and Wang Ping and Xu Li regularly hear secrets there, loving to boast about them in front of Qin Gengyun.
So as Qin Gengyun saw their looks, he guessed they visited Yihong House again last night.
"Haha, Taoist Friend Qin indeed understands us."
Wang Ping laughed: "Last night, we went to Yihong House with Taoist Friend Xu to listen to music and heard the courtesan from Zhenyang City talking about some secrets of the Northern Wilderness Trial."
Xu Li took over, speaking mysteriously: "There are only seven days until the Northern Wilderness Trial opens, but many disciples of the Zhenyang Sect are complaining that the talisman papers and pills distributed this time are of low grade."
"There are even cases where First Grade Spirit Powder is used to replace Second Grade Spirit Pills, making disciples suspect the buyers have embezzled funds!"
Qin Gengyun was moved, probing: "Did the courtesan say which low-grade pills were used to replace Second Grade Spirit Pills?"
Wang Ping shook his head: "She didn’t mention that. Taoist Friend Qin, don’t you understand? Why did the Pavilion Master’s deal for those two hundred Ice Purity Pills fall through? It’s because the Zhenyang Sect replaced many Second Grade Spirit Pills with low-grade pills!"
Xu Li clicked his tongue in admiration: "I wonder who could be so audacious, replacing First Grade pills and even squeezing out the Grand Alchemist following the Pavilion Master."
Qin Gengyun stayed silent, continuing his chores.
At 5 p.m., Qin Gengyun clocked out and left the Spirit Pill Workshop.
He planned to head to the night market first to find Mo Xiaolan and give her the Blood Coagulation Pill he made last night as a token of gratitude.
However, on the way, Qin Gengyun kept contemplating.
Originally, he planned to look for a larger house to rent today.
But now he thought of waiting.
The Pavilion Master apparently follows a Fourth Tier Alchemist who has wide connections, directly accessing Zhenyang Sect’s inner circle.
Those two hundred Ice Purity Pills are probably the work of that Fourth Tier Alchemist.
But they were thwarted by his two hundred bags of Clear Wind Powder.
This Grand Alchemist is probably furious now, possibly searching everywhere for the person who ruined his big deal.
If he suddenly showed signs of sudden wealth, he might catch someone’s attention, who might inform the Pavilion Master.
In that case, once investigated, he would clash with both the Pavilion Master and that Grand Alchemist.
Currently, his cultivation and alchemy levels are low; making enemies is unwise.
So for now, staying low-key is better.
Renting a big house can wait until things settle down.
Furthermore, he had planned to leave the Spirit Pill Workshop as soon as his alchemy level reached the Second Tier to start his own operations, but now it seems prudent to wait, staying at the Spirit Pill Workshop a while longer to gauge the situation before making decisions.
Qin Gengyun soon reached the night market, spotting Mo Xiaolan from a distance, with a middle-aged male cultivator standing at her stall. The man didn’t seem interested in buying anything but just kept engaging Mo Xiaolan in conversation.
Mo Xiaolan seemed a bit annoyed, but had no other option.
Qin Gengyun approached, calling out: "Taoist Friend Mo."
Seeing him, Mo Xiaolan’s face lit up, her voice crisp: "Taoist Friend Qin, what brings you here?"
The middle-aged cultivator turned at the sound, scrutinizing Qin Gengyun, his eyes flickering as he questioned Mo Xiaolan:
"Taoist Friend Mo, who is this...?"
