A few days ago, a smug thought had suddenly popped into my head: I haven't caught a cold in ages. My body really has gotten a lot stronger.
Then yesterday, disaster struck: stuffy nose, pounding head, inflamed throat…
Since when did dreams come true like this?!
…
Yang Kai threw his head back and laughed. "Brother Gu, you actually believe rumors like that? The Seven Apertures Exquisite Pill really is a remarkable pill, but it's not so heaven-defying as all that. From what I know, this pill is useless for enhancing comprehension or improving aptitude, but it does have surprisingly miraculous effects on repairing the Divine Soul."
"I see. Brother Yang, you seem quite knowledgeable about the Dao of Alchemy — could it be that you're an Alchemist?" Gu Jianxin's eyes lit up.
Yang Kai chuckled and shook his head. "I'm not an Alchemist. These two pills were simply things I brought back from the Emperor Garden."
He had long since prepared an excuse for where these pills had come from.
"The Emperor Garden!" Qin Wuhui exclaimed, his appreciation for just how precious these two pills truly were deepening even further.
"So that's how it is." Gu Jianxin also wore an expression of sudden understanding. "Only a place like the Emperor Garden would contain ancient pills like these. It seems Brother Yang visited when the Emperor Garden opened some years ago?"
"That's right."
A look of longing appeared on Gu Jianxin's face, but he sighed. "During the last opening of the Emperor Garden, Gu was in closed-door cultivation. What a pity — otherwise, I likely would have made friends with someone like Brother Yang years earlier."
"It's not too late now," Yang Kai said with a smile.
"True enough." The regret on Gu Jianxin's face vanished instantly.
"Young Master Yang…" Qin Wuhui stood below the dais, his expression caught between gratitude and unease. "Such a generous gift — Qin hardly deserves it!"
"No need for such modesty," Yang Kai interrupted. "I gave you the Seven Apertures Exquisite Pill because I actually have a request."
"Please, speak!" Qin Wuhui said quickly. He had been afraid that Yang Kai would ask nothing of him at all. The saying went that unearned favors brought no blessing — two Seven Apertures Exquisite Pills were beyond any price, and they were not things one could simply accept without giving anything in return. Hearing Yang Kai say this, he actually felt considerably more at ease.
"It's like this." Yang Kai paused in thought. "As you are no doubt aware, I first met the sisters He Zao and He Miao several decades ago. Running into them again across the vast expanse of the Star Domain can only be called fate. Furthermore, I've heard that they have some sort of agreement with your son, and the contents of that agreement…"
Yang Kai did not continue. He was certain that something so self-evident was already perfectly clear to both Gu Jianxin and Qin Wuhui.
It was the sisters He Zao and He Miao, who had been standing behind him the whole time, who reacted. After a moment of stunned silence, both of them perked up, their eyes widening as their gazes filled with a mix of surprise and joy. Even their breathing quickened slightly.
"So that's what this is about." Gu Jianxin let out a low chuckle, his smile loaded with meaning, as though he had just learned some extraordinary secret.
Qin Wuhui, for his part, looked somewhat embarrassed and guilty. He clasped his fists and said, "This matter was entirely my selfish doing. I made the decision without ever asking He Zao and He Miao for their wishes — that was my fault. Young Master Yang's virtue and righteousness are truly remarkable. Having already bestowed two ancient pills upon my son to aid his recovery, I hereby guarantee that the previous agreement is void. Consider it wiped clean."
"Thank you, Elder." Yang Kai raised his wine cup and rose to his feet, smiling. "Your straightforwardness does you credit. This junior would like to offer you a toast."
"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare." Qin Wuhui also hurriedly raised his cup, his expression solemn. "My son was ignorant, and the disaster that befell him was no more than he deserved. Now that Young Master Yang has come to his rescue, this old man is grateful. I will make certain to discipline him strictly from now on, to set him back on the right path. I will absolutely not let him squander Young Master Yang's generosity!"
The two drained their cups, and only then did Yang Kai sit back down.
From a seat in the corner of the great hall, Yue Xi cast Yang Kai a look of quiet gratitude.
She hadn't expected him to resolve the matter so effortlessly. Normally, a situation like this would offend people — no matter how easygoing Qin Wuhui might be, no matter how high Yang Kai stood in Gu Jianxin's estimation, it was still something that would cause a loss of face. But with Yang Kai's two ancient pills paving the way, not only had Qin Wuhui not lost face, he had actually come away with a significant gain.
It was a happy ending for everyone.
Though, of course, this sort of price was something only Yang Kai could produce so casually.
"He Zao, He Miao!" Qin Wuhui had not sat down immediately. Instead, he called out to the sisters, then swept his hand forward. Two streaks of light shot toward them.
The sisters were still reeling from their elation and joy. They caught the two streaks of light almost reflexively, one each, and only then looked up at Qin Wuhui.
"I made you worry these past days, and I'm sorry for it. Consider these two items compensation. I hope you will serve the young master wholeheartedly from now on, and hold no grudge against this old man," Qin Wuhui said, his expression sincere.
"We wouldn't dare. Many thanks for Elder Qin's gifts." He Zao and He Miao bowed in unison, then began to examine the items in their hands.
One glance, and they were stunned to discover that both were Void-grade middle-grade Artifacts! Both were curved blades, and they appeared to be designed to combine into a single circular edge. Spiritual light flowed across their surfaces, making them look quite valuable.
At their current cultivation level, it would be virtually impossible to obtain Void-grade middle-grade Artifacts under normal circumstances — not unless a master or elder gifted them. But Yue Xi herself was not particularly wealthy, so where would she get many Artifacts to bestow? Only someone like Qin Wuhui could casually produce two Void-grade middle-grade Artifacts at a moment's notice.
Both sisters understood that this sort of treatment was entirely thanks to Yang Kai. Without him, how could Qin Wuhui have casually given them two Artifacts?
Standing behind Yang Kai, gazing at his back, both pairs of beautiful eyes brimmed with gratitude.