Three days later.
"Clang—!"
Xiao Yin perched by the narrow window preening its vibrant feathers suddenly let out a sharp and piercing warning cry. Its tiny head snapped toward the courtyard gate, every muscle in its small body alert and tense.
Chen Jinshu hadn't even had time to fully react to the bird's alarm.
In the next instant, a faint green glow pierced straight through the simple isolation formation she had set up around her residence. It stopped silently exactly three feet in front of her, hovering in place as it slowly rotated in the air.
"So fast already? Senior Zhou wasn't exaggerating at all." Her voice was a low murmur in the quiet room.
She lifted her hand and drew the glowing object toward her. The green light dropped into her palm and transformed into a physical jade leaf calling card that was as thin as cicada wings. When she allowed a thread of spiritual power to flow into the leaf, a line of small, elegant characters appeared on the surface.
"Western Neighbor Lin Xiao bows a hundred times. Two nights ago, I happened to witness pill radiance soaring skyward, violet qi lingering as it circled Boulder Residence without dispersing for a long time. My heart was deeply stirred, knowing it must be the handiwork of a true expert completing a marvelous pill. Though unworthy, I hold the humble rank of a third grade alchemist and have barely glimpsed the threshold of the Dao of alchemy. I most enjoy exchanging insights with fellow Daoyou.
Today, I dare to submit this note and humbly request a meeting. Just a cup of clear tea and a brief discussion of the Dao would more than satisfy me. I will personally sweep the floor and light incense as I await you. Though my humble abode is crude, I do possess several ancient formation manuals that we might study together. I sincerely beg for your kindness and hope to be granted an audience."
The flattery woven between the lines of the message practically overflowed.
Chen Jinshu frowned slightly, her eyes filled with pure and cold disdain. Suppressing the sudden chill crawling up her spine, she flicked her finger with a sharp motion. A small wisp of pale blue alchemical flame ignited at her touch, and the jade leaf hissed as it burned into a thin strand of green smoke that carried a cloying, sickly sweetness.
"A shameless flatterer. Someone like that is definitely up to no good."
She shook her head and didn't think further about the man. Her spiritual sense slipped into the spirit plant space as she resumed the quiet work of tending her spirit fields. She had bought quite a few spirit plants and various seeds at the market and planned to fill every available inch of the fertile fields.
…
Two more days passed in quiet seclusion.
The rough stone door of Boulder Residence was suddenly knocked upon, the rhythm slow and unhurried.
Thud—! Thud—! Thud—!
Three distinct knocks echoed through the silence of the chamber.
Chen Jinshu sat cross legged on the stone couch, focusing on her cultivation without lifting her eyelids or acknowledging the sound.
Before long, a clear and gentle male voice came from outside. It was neither particularly loud nor soft, yet it passed straight through her soundproof formation and reached her ears with perfect clarity.
"Is the master of Boulder Residence present? Western Neighbor Lin Xiao has come to pay a visit. My calling card the other day may have been abrupt, but my heart truly admires Daoyou's alchemical attainments. I tossed and turned for days, unable to restrain myself. Forgive my unannounced visit. Might I trouble you to grant me a meeting? Just a cup of clear tea would more than ease my longing."
There wasn't the slightest hint of anger or impatience in his voice despite being ignored for two full days.
Xiao Yin suddenly took flight from her shoulder, circling the narrow stone chamber in agitation while screeching sharply. It seemed brimming with a visceral disgust toward the hypocrite waiting outside.
Chen Jinshu continued regulating her breath with her eyes closed. Spiritual power flowed steadily through her meridians in a controlled cycle. The green lotus mark centered on her forehead flickered faintly as it refined the alchemical baleful qi that was drifting in from the wasteland outside Boulder Residence.
It fell silent beyond the door, as if the wordless rejection of his request had been expected by the visitor all along. Yet not long after, that same gentle voice sounded again, sounding calm and unhurried.
"Daoyou's secluded cultivation comes first. I was the one who overstepped. It's fine. I will simply wait here. The turbid qi in this place runs heavy, and refining pills can't be easy. If there's anything I can assist with, please don't hold back."
After those words were spoken, there was a long and heavy stretch of silence.
The man had actually settled down to wait outside the door.
That development truly caught her off guard.
As the sun climbed higher into the sky during the si (snake) hour (around 10 AM), a stagnant heat rose from the abandoned pill residue grounds nearby. Mixed with stray alchemical baleful qi, it formed a suffocating and filthy barrier of air around Boulder Residence.
Xiao Yin tried several times to rush outside to deal with the man itself, only to be gently soothed back by her spiritual sense. She didn't want to stir up more trouble than was necessary. She only cast a cold and brief glance through a narrow crack in the stone window.
A man dressed in a moon white brocade robe stood exactly three zhang outside the courtyard. He was tall and slender, with features that could indeed be called handsome by any standard. His peach blossom eyes, in particular, naturally carried a hint of affectionate amusement when they shifted.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he stood there in an elegant pose. He appeared to be calmly "appreciating" the barren and ugly surroundings of Boulder Residence, as though he truly were waiting for a fellow cultivator to emerge and discuss the Dao.
The following days were especially vexing for Chen Jinshu and they nearly delayed her upcoming plans.
On the first day, the man waited outside for a full three hours. Only when night fell during the xu (dog) hour (around 8 PM) did he leave, letting out a faint and audible sigh as he departed. That sigh even carried a trace of lonely lament, sounding like someone mourning the rarity of finding a kindred spirit in the world.
On the second day, he came even earlier to his post.
This time, he carried a yellowed ancient book and stood in the same spot as before. Facing the rising sun during the mao (rabbit) hour (around 6 AM), he began to "study" the text as if no one else in the world existed.
From time to time, he deliberately voiced questions out loud, clearly trying to draw her out of the house.
"Daoyou, this line here says, 'When earth fire follows the veins, it should be guided with gui water.' I have pondered this balance of drawing water into fire for a long time without understanding it. Daoyou's pill radiance nurtures the spirit, so you must be an expert at harmonizing yin and yang. Might you offer some insight?"
She recognized that book at a single glance. It was nothing more than a common fragment of Pill Techniques Miscellany, something anyone could buy for a few coins at the market. It was completely worthless to a serious alchemist.
Inside the stone chamber, she calmly placed several newly purchased auxiliary herbs into the Genesis Alchemy Furnace. The flame burned steady and smooth under her control.
She continued to ignore the man's fake pleas for guidance.
On the third day, he changed his tactics entirely.
Lin Xiao put away the book and instead took out a small jade box. When the lid was opened, a wave of pure and gentle plant qi spilled out into the air, briefly suppressing the filthy miasma in the surroundings.
"Daoyou, while near the edge of the market today, I was fortunate enough to find two Qingfu Seeds. This item is excellent for nurturing the spirit of an alchemy furnace. Seeing how upright Daoyou's pill radiance is and how refined your furnace fire must be, this may offer some small benefit to your alchemical path. I wouldn't dare decide on my own, so I present it here. Daoyou may take it at any time. I will take my leave."
He placed the jade box on the bluestone slab just outside the courtyard gate, then turned and left without any hesitation, his steps remaining calm and unhurried.
Qingfu Seeds were indeed rare spirit plant seeds and were worth a great deal to those on the path. That casual show of goodwill was anything but light.
Chen Jinshu swept the jade box with her spiritual sense and confirmed there were no obvious restrictions or traps on it, yet she still didn't move to retrieve it. Or perhaps she simply didn't dare to.
The Qingfu Seeds lay quietly inside the box, looking more like a death warrant to her than a gift.
By the morning of the fourth day, the jade box was gone from the slab.
On the fifth day…
Lin Xiao still came patiently to the residence. Sometimes he waited in silence. Sometimes he read. Sometimes he brought up a few nonsensical alchemy "questions" for the air to hear.
He even tried to draw Xiao Yin's attention with gentle waves of his spiritual power.
"What a lively little green sparrow. Such clear feather coloring, with divine light hidden within. Daoyou raises it exceptionally well, which is truly admirable. In my early travels, I once obtained an ancient method, the Spirit Bird Feather Grooming Art, which might benefit this sparrow."
If she hadn't carefully soothed the bird, that man might have already been roasted by Xiao Yin's luan fire.
Days passed, yet the refined smile on Lin Xiao's face never changed.
In the blink of an eye, the sixth day arrived. Lin Xiao still came as usual. With patience like that, if he had applied it to his actual cultivation, he would have likely become a regional powerhouse long ago.
Why would he stoop to harassing a woman like this?
Only after the presence outside finally faded away did Chen Jinshu slowly open her eyes, anger steadily burning within them.
"The Hundred Herbs Token can't be delayed any longer."
She flicked her sleeve with a sharp snap. Her figure rose from the couch like drifting green smoke as her hands formed rapid seals. Soft cracking sounds came from her bones as they shifted. As spiritual power flowed through her, her facial features rounded into something ordinary and forgettable. Her skin turned a sallow shade, and her indigo Dao robe transformed into plain gray brown hemp clothing.
The pressure of a Golden Core cultivator was fully restrained within her, leaving only the faint aura of a mid stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, which would be easily lost amid the bustle of the market.
"Guard the house for me. I will be back soon," she murmured, gently tapping Xiao Yin between its eyes.
The sparrow rubbed against her finger reluctantly, then watched as its master stepped out and left.