Three days later, at the foot of the Profound Pill Mountain Range, Han Yi bid farewell to Zheng Hai and prepared to descend the mountain.
"Don't lose heart, Han Yi," Zheng Hai said, forcing a calm demeanor. "Senior Brother Guan managed to secure you a decent position after all. The Profound Fire Pill Shop is one of the Sect's top second-tier outposts. Working there will give you opportunities to take on pill refinement missions, which will undoubtedly improve your alchemy skills."
"If you manage to break through in your alchemy technique, returning to the Sect next year will be a breeze."
Zheng Hai sighed inwardly but maintained a reassuring smile, trying to encourage Han Yi.
"Don't worry," Han Yi replied, nodding firmly. "Your words are enough. I believe I'll return here someday."
Han Yi had no intention of revealing his recent breakthrough in alchemy—achieving an Initial Glimpse of the Dao—to Zheng Hai. Though Zheng Hai was his first true friend in this world, some secrets were best kept hidden, even from the closest companions. After all, one could never truly know what lay in another's heart.
Having spent years in the corporate world in his previous life, Han Yi had witnessed countless friendships turn into bitter feuds.
After bidding farewell to Zheng Hai, Han Yi descended the mountain alone, heading straight for Mengshan City.
Three days earlier, when he had rushed to Vermilion Bird City to meet Guan Di again, Guan Di had regretfully informed him that the deadline had passed. According to Sect regulations, Han Yi's residence would be reclaimed.
Despite this setback, Guan Di did what he could, within the limits of his authority, to arrange work for Han Yi after he left the mountain. Han Yi was assigned to assist the shopkeeper at the Profound Fire Pill Shop, a Sect-managed establishment in Mengshan City, as an Outpost Disciple.
Guan Di was at the sixth layer of Qi Refining, just one step away from becoming an Inner Sect Disciple. Thanks to his paternal uncle, an Outer Sect Elder, he had secured a minor managerial position in the Management Hall.
Preparing for his own breakthrough to the late stages of Qi Refining, Guan Di couldn't possibly oversee every detail of Han Yi and Zheng Hai's affairs. The fact that he had managed to do even this much was already commendable.
Han Yi expressed his sincere gratitude.
The Great Qian Immortal Kingdom ruled over the vast Qian-Shu region, encompassing Qian Prefecture and Shu Prefecture.
Within these two prefectures, the kingdom established thirty-three counties: twenty in Qian Prefecture and thirteen in Shu Prefecture.
Shu Prefecture was a rugged, mountainous land crisscrossed by nine mountain ranges.
The Profound Pill Mountain Range stretched across three counties within Shu Prefecture: Taibai, Nanyang, and Luofeng.
As the dominant force in the Profound Pill Mountain Range, the Profound Pill Sect boasted dozens of Golden Core True Persons stationed throughout its territory. Within the Great Qian Immortal Kingdom, its influence ranked only below the kingdom itself, the two great Immortal Dao Holy Lands, and the three major sects.
The "kingdom" referred, of course, to the Great Qian Immortal Kingdom, led by a Transformation God Stage powerhouse.
The "two Holy Lands" referred to Immortal Dao Holy Lands, also led by Transformation God Stage experts, whose strength rivaled that of the kingdom.
The "three major sects" were three great sects each led by Nascent Soul Stage Great Cultivators.
Therefore, as long as the Profound Pill Sect avoided provoking any of these six powerhouses with Nascent Soul Stage or higher experts, its continued existence was secure.
Han Yi pieced together this information from the fragmented memories swirling in his mind.
As the saying went, "It's good to rest beneath a large tree." While the Profound Pill Sect might not be the largest such tree, it was still substantial enough to provide him with shelter and security.
Naturally, Han Yi had no intention of letting such an opportunity pass him by.
Yet he hadn't anticipated the comical misunderstanding that greeted him upon arrival.
Still, since the deed was done, he saw no point in dwelling on regret.
Mengshan City was a city within Nanyang County.
According to his memories, he was no stranger to this place; Mengshan City was his hometown.
Han Yi's background was less than ideal. Though Mengshan City was his hometown, he had no family or relatives there.
In short, he had no ties to Mengshan City.
So he headed straight to the location the Sect had assigned him.
As a major sect specializing in Pill Refinement, the Profound Pill Sect operated two types of Pill Shops throughout the Great Qian Immortal Kingdom: Profound Immortal Pill Shops and Profound Fire Pill Shops.
The Profound Immortal shops were first-tier establishments, primarily serving cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage and above.
The Profound Fire shops were second-tier, mainly catering to Qi Refining stage cultivators.
Within the three counties of Taibai, Nanyang, and Luofeng, each city had both a Profound Immortal Pill Shop and a Profound Fire Pill Shop.
Beyond these three counties, every county seat in the thirty counties of the Qian-Shu region also featured this dual setup.
It could be said that the Profound Pill Sect controlled at least thirty percent of the entire Great Qian Immortal Kingdom's Medicinal Pill market.
Mengshan City, Profound Fire Pill Shop.
Han Yi, dressed in a simple gray robe, walked inside and presented his Sect token to the shopkeeper behind the counter.
The shopkeeper appeared to be around fifty, not particularly old. At this age, his expertise in appraising Medicinal Pills would be at its peak—highly experienced yet still vigorous enough to avoid errors.
"Ah, Junior Brother Han, welcome!" the shopkeeper greeted warmly.
"May I ask your name, Senior Brother?" Han Yi bowed respectfully.
"This old man is Guan Sheng. Guan Di is my nephew."
"Ah, so you're Martial Uncle Guan," Han Yi realized, quickly correcting his address to convey greater familiarity. It seems Guan Di put considerable thought into arranging this assignment for me, he thought. I appreciate his kindness.
The shopkeeper waved dismissively. "Sect seniority must be maintained. Just call me Senior Brother."
He continued, "I, Guan Sheng, am the head shopkeeper of this Profound Fire Pill Shop, and I reside here year-round. Including you, there are four Pill Refining Assistants in the shop. Jiang De, like myself, isn't an Outpost Disciple and stays here permanently. The other two, Xia Qingyi and Xiao Yi, are Outpost Disciples like you."
By "Outpost Disciples," Guan Sheng meant low-ranking disciples who had temporarily lost their housing on the Outer Peak due to insufficient sect Points.
The Profound Pill Sect boasted a hundred thousand Outer Sect Disciples, and each year, a significant number lost their housing privileges due to point deficiencies. Most who left the mountain never regained hope of returning to the sect. Only a select few, through fortuitous encounters, breakthroughs in their cultivation realm, or advancements in their pill refinement skills, managed to reclaim their positions.
Just as Guan Sheng finished speaking, a lean young man in his early thirties emerged from the back of the shop.
The lean, tall youth was also dressed in the grey robes of the Pill Shop.
"Perfect timing! Come, let me introduce you. This is Jiang De," Guan Sheng said to Han Yi, then turned to Jiang De. "This is Junior Brother Han Yi. He just came down from the Sect today."
Jiang De's eyes flickered briefly. Without a word, he nodded curtly at Han Yi, then brushed past him and headed to the second floor of the Pill Shop.
A pungent, acrid smell of burnt ingredients filled Han Yi's nostrils. He must have just ruined a batch of pills, Han Yi thought to himself.
"Don't mind him, Junior Brother Han," Guan Sheng said. "Junior Brother Jiang De has always been taciturn, even with me."
Han Yi nodded understandingly.
Next, Guan Sheng led Han Yi around the Profound Fire Pill Shop, explaining its layout, the types of Medicinal Pills they sold, and their prices.
Finally, Guan Di produced a palm-sized silver disc. "This is the Formation Plate for a courtyard in the North City District," he explained. "According to Sect regulations, all Outpost Disciples are assigned a courtyard. If you leave the Sect or are fortunate enough to return as Inner Sect Disciples, you must return the courtyard to the Sect."
"Junior Brother Han, get settled in first," Guan Sheng said. "According to Sect regulations, all disciples must report to the Pill Shop quarterly. Let me check... Ah, perfect timing! Your next report is exactly seven days from now. There will be Pill Refinement tasks available for you to choose from then. Just remember not to miss the deadline."
"Thank you, Senior Brother Guan," Han Yi replied, accepting the Formation Plate.
After Guan Sheng finished explaining the other details, Han Yi turned and left the Pill Shop.
Once he was gone, Jiang De, the tall, thin youth, descended from the second floor, his eyes gleaming with malice.
"Old Guan," he hissed, "do you think this guy might cause trouble? Our operation can't afford even the slightest slip-up. If it's exposed, it won't just be us—our entire families will face utter ruin."
"To be safe, should I just eliminate him, like before? After all, the Sect never investigates low-ranking Outpost Disciples too closely..." Jiang De's voice dropped to a menacing whisper, a glint of murderous intent flickering in his eyes.
Guan Sheng shook his head, his eyes half-closed. "Not so fast. Killing him would be too hasty. I have a better idea."
"What better idea?" Jiang De, the tall, lean youth, asked skeptically.
"Don't you think it would be more plausible if a disciple who had just lost his Outer Peak Spirit Vein residence and been reassigned to an outpost, driven by a desperate attempt to advance his Alchemy Technique, embezzled Spirit Medicine? Then we discover him, execute him on the spot, and rid the Sect of a troublemaker. Wouldn't that be more convincing?" Guan Sheng's voice remained calm, utterly devoid of emotion.
"Even I don't believe that. Do you think the Hall of Law Enforcement would?" Jiang De frowned deeply, his skepticism evident.
"Don't worry about that. I have ways to make them believe it," Guan Sheng replied, his tone still placid.
Han Yi, meanwhile, was unaware of the conversation between Guan Sheng and Jiang De after his departure.
As he walked out of the Profound Fire Pill Shop, he infused a wisp of Mana into the small silver disc in his hand. Immediately, navigational instructions flowed back, guiding him along the path.
"Interesting," Han Yi murmured, "this is another facet of the hundred arts of Cultivation—the application of Formation Arts."