Moments later, during the si (snake) hour (around 10 AM), inside the bustling inner market of the Medicine King Market.
The long street was deafening with noise, packed with surging crowds of cultivators and merchants.
The Welcoming Pavilion stood tall and imposing beside the crowded entrance to the inner market. Its massive vermilion doors were thrown wide open, and those individuals going in and out were all finely dressed in silks and satins. Their auras were condensed and steady, appearing completely unlike the chaotic mix of loose cultivators outside.
Above the grand entrance hung a massive plaque carved from high-quality spirit jade, bearing the single, gilded character "Guest." Soft halos of light flowed rhythmically across the jade's surface, silently proclaiming the immense prestige and wealth of Medicine King Valley.
Chen Jinshu was just about to step inside the cool interior when her foot halted abruptly on the stone threshold.
From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a familiar moon white figure already inside the pavilion. He was standing with his back to the door before a beautifully carved rosewood counter, his posture appearing leisurely and refined.
The man was tall and slender, holding a jade bone folding fan in one hand. A warm jade bell hung from its silken tassel, letting out faint, melodic chimes as he turned slightly to speak with the steward behind the counter.
Even from the back, that deliberately maintained air of gentle elegance almost stabbed at her eyes, making her feel faintly nauseous.
"Lin Xiao. He is actually here." Her thought was sharp and cold.
Worse still, he chatted easily with the steward in charge of the floor. The man bent slightly at the waist as they spoke, his face plastered with a nearly fawning smile. It was obvious they were quite familiar with one another.
Alarm bells rang loudly in her mind, and she almost turned around to flee from the pavilion on the spot. But the Hundred Herbs Token concerned the secret art of plant enlightenment. There was no room for any mistakes or delays.
She drew in a slow breath of the turbid air, forced down the churning killing intent and the chill rising in her chest, and lowered her head even further. She concealed her aura as best she could and silently joined the back of the line.
The queue moved forward with agonizing slowness.
Lin Xiao seemed to be pushing a small jade box toward the steward. His voice wasn't particularly loud, yet it reached her ears with perfect clarity.
"A small token of regard. These are lotus seeds of the Nine Apertures Iceheart Lotus, newly acquired the other day. Consider it something to moisten Steward Zhao's Seven Apertures Clever Heart."
Steward Zhao stroked his thinning beard, his eyes narrowing as he took the gift. He slipped the jade box into his wide sleeve without a trace. His laughter was hearty, yet a clear greed glinted beneath his expression.
"Alchemist Lin is too kind. Your matters are the Welcoming Pavilion's matters. That quota for Cold Pool Condensed Dew is on me."
With the deal done, Lin Xiao turned around with a practiced smile and casually swept his gaze across the crowded hall.
Chen Jinshu immediately shifted aside, pretending to study a large hanging illustration of the Hundred Herbs Diagram on the wall. Her dull gray hemp robes blended in perfectly among several equally unremarkable loose cultivators.
His gaze skimmed past her without stopping for even a second. With his folding fan swaying rhythmically, he strolled out of the Welcoming Pavilion at an unhurried pace.
Only then did the taut string of tension in her chest loosen slightly. She stepped forward quickly as her turn arrived.
"Pill appraisal. I'm here for the Hundred Herbs Token." She deliberately lowered her voice, keeping it flat and cold as she placed an unremarkable coarse clay bottle on the rosewood counter.
The bottle was rough and crude, appearing completely out of place in the splendor of the pavilion.
Steward Zhao didn't even lift his eyelids to look at her. He took a slow, deliberate sip of spirit tea and tapped a conspicuous jade placard beside the counter. Four bold characters were carved upon it for all to see.
"Verification fee. Five hundred."
She silently laid out five mid grade spirit stones on the wood.
With a quick flick of his sleeve, the stones vanished. Only then did he lazily pick up the clay bottle and pull out the simple wooden stopper.
In an instant, an indescribably clear and lively aura spilled out from the container. The rich, concentrated pill fragrance overwhelmed every trace of burning incense in the pavilion.
A purple gold radiance billowed from the bottle's mouth. Faintly visible within the light were three pills the size of longan fruit, each perfectly round and flawless. Natural cloud patterns flowed across their surfaces, while a single point of spiritual light at each core flickered like a distant star.
"Hiss." Steward Zhao sucked in a sharp breath of air. All traces of his earlier laziness and arrogance vanished in a heartbeat. His eyes went wide, and his fingers began trembling slightly with excitement.
"Purple Mansion Spirit Nurturing Pill. Third grade pill patterns!"
He snapped his head up, his murky old eyes flashing as he stared hard at her utterly ordinary and sallow face.
"May I ask, Daoyou… where did you learn this craft? This pill… would you be willing to part with it? Our pavilion is willing to pay a high price. One that will absolutely satisfy you."
His greed was barely concealed behind a professional mask.
"Appraise the pill. Give me the token." She repeated herself, her voice icy and detached, carrying an unquestionable pressure.
A small wisp of Golden Core pressure leaked out from her, stabbing straight into his Primordial Soul.
Steward Zhao jolted as if struck, instantly sobered by the hidden power. Fine beads of cold sweat broke out on his forehead as he hurriedly reined in every stray thought of profit. He didn't dare say another word to her. With nimble and practiced hands, he retrieved a specific token from deep within the counter.
It was palm sized, entirely emerald green, and shaped like a leaf. It felt warm to the touch as she took it. On its front were intricate reliefs of a pill cauldron and various spirit herbs, while the back bore a single ancient character, "Hundred Herbs."
"Keep it safe. Seven days before the pill assembly begins, report to the entrance of the Hundred Herbs Secret Realm at the valley gate with this token." Steward Zhao handed it over respectfully, though his eyes couldn't help drifting toward the clay bottle once again.
She snatched the token, stuffed it into her robes without looking, put away the bottle, and turned to leave. Her gray brown figure quickly disappeared into the noisy crowd outside the building.
Once beyond the Welcoming Pavilion's line of sight, she quickened her pace through the alleys. Tall stone walls flanked her path, their surfaces mottled and overgrown with dead vines, blocking out most of the market's noise.
All she wanted now was to return to Boulder Residence and wait for the pill assembly to begin.
However, just as she turned past a shadowy corner piled with discarded medicine baskets, a cloyingly sweet voice reached her ears, instantly setting off every alarm in her mind.
"Fairy, please wait."
Her steps froze. Her back went rigid, and a chill shot straight from her tailbone to the crown of her head.
She slowly turned around to face the speaker.
Lin Xiao leaned against the mottled gray wall. His moon white brocade robes were spotless and bright. The jade bone folding fan swayed gently in his hand, that flawless, gentle smile still fixed firmly on his face.
His narrow peach blossom eyes curved slightly as his gaze locked onto her, carrying amusement and a clear hint of heat.
"What exquisite skill, Fairy. And such a masterful concealment technique." He chuckled softly.
"If not for the uniquely radiant glow of your Purple Mansion Spirit Nurturing Pill, and that fragrance so pure it lingered in my nose, someone who has been immersed in alchemy for years, I might truly have missed you."
He took a slow step closer to her. The sweet incense scent on him thickened abruptly, carrying an invisible pressure of its own.
"It's been six days since Boulder Residence. I have burned incense and prayed daily, longing only for a chance to meet Fairy and explore the mysteries of alchemy together. Yet you kept me at arm's length, even going so far as to change your appearance. That really does leave me… deeply wounded."
A wave of revulsion washed over her at his words, and she wanted nothing more than to erase him on the spot.
The anger and disgust boiling in her chest finally burst free.
She snapped at him without any mercy.
"Put away that nauseating act of false affection. I came to Medicine King Valley seeking nothing more than a quiet place to cultivate. I have no interest in stirring up trouble, and even less interest in discussing alchemy with a scheming scoundrel like you."
"You." His expression froze for a brief moment. Seeing the genuine disgust on her face, confusion flashed through his mind. She actually knew what kind of person he was.
"Bitch. You ignorant bitch."
He couldn't no longer maintain even a shred of his composure. His voice turned hoarse and shrill.
"How dare you. How dare you insult me like this. Fine. Very fine. Just you wait. In Medicine King Valley, I, Lin Xiao, will make sure you can neither live nor die in peace. I will have you kneeling at my feet."
Lin Xiao shot her one last venomous glare, flung his wide sleeve, and strode away.
Her face was dark as water as she watched him leave. There wasn't the slightest sense of relief in her heart, only a heavier weight.
With someone like him, this matter was never going to end well.