Chapter 62

Chapter 62: Infiltration

After returning to the attic at the foot of the mountain, Lin Shan immediately headed straight to the second floor.

On the second floor of the attic, there was a long corridor, with rooms of various sizes on both sides where all the cultivators guarding the spiritual mine lived.

At the end of the corridor, there was an extremely spacious room.

Lin Shi pushed the door open and entered.

The interior of the room was elegantly and luxuriously decorated, with valuable artwork and exquisite murals hanging on the walls. In the center was a large desk piled high with ancient books.

Behind the desk sat a middle-aged man. He did not look remarkable, yet he radiated an imposing aura without seeming angry. His rugged face featured a pair of sharp eyes, and his tall, straight figure, despite his simple attire, exuded an indescribable pressure in every gesture.

When Lin Shi saw the man, he hastily lowered his head and bowed respectfully, not daring to show the slightest impertinence.

The middle-aged man set down the ancient book in his hand and looked at him lightly. His deep voice slowly echoed around the room.

"Did Zhou Luo not have any dissatisfaction?"

Lin Shi felt a surge of confusion inside, wondering what dissatisfaction the person could possibly have.

But outwardly, he reported truthfully what he knew.

After listening, Elder Si showed a trace of curiosity on his face. His right index finger lightly tapped on the wooden desk as if pondering something.

Lin Shi kept his head down, not daring to move at all.

After a long while, Elder Si finally said, "If he can brew the potions before tonight, tomorrow’s quota will be doubled."

"Huh?" Lin Shi froze for a moment.

Although he did not know exactly how difficult it was to brew those potions, doubling the output would mean at least over two hundred, which was equivalent to brewing over a hundred in a single day.

Could one person manage it?

"Hmm?" Elder Si sounded puzzled.

Lin Shi immediately realized he had lost his composure. He quickly nodded in agreement, then left the room as if relieved.

After exiting the room, Lin Shi wiped the sweat from his forehead and exhaled deeply.

"Wouldn’t brewing potions like this actually kill someone?" he mumbled softly.

Inside the room, Elder Si glanced at the letter on the desk. The signatory was the family head, Lin Tian Xiong.

The content of the letter had only one demand.

That was to refine Zhou Luo and test his limit.

Of course, although it was called testing the limit, as Elder Si of the main family faction, he clearly understood that this was to exploit Zhou Luo’s potential.

The main family had already decided to abandon this outsider who possessed talent in alchemy.

Elder Si’s gaze was deep. With a slight lift of his index finger, the envelope abruptly ignited into flames, turned to a pile of ashes, and drifted out the window.

…

Nearing noon, Zhou Luo had already brewed all the required potions.

All he had to do now was wait for Lin Shi to show up.

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but stroke the smooth fur of Little White in his embrace and murmured to himself, "Soon it will be your time to play a role."

Meow——

Little White lay on his leg and obediently meowed once.

Then, Zhou Luo took out a packet of powder from his bosom.

It was a special poison. Once it entered the body, it could make people fall into a deep sleep, unable to wake up for five or six hours.

He applied the powder on Little White’s soft paw pads. Once it extended its claws, they would become coated with this poison.

After doing this, he placed Little White on the ground.

Just then, the door knocked.

Lin Shi arrived.

Zhou Luo opened the door.

"You’re in for a treat; today there’s a big meal." Lin Shi lifted the lunchbox and showed a happy smile.

Although he had only brief contact with Zhou Luo, he felt the other was a suitable person for a friend.

Especially since he raised a little cat.

Someone who could raise such a gentle cat must have a good nature.

After taking out the spiritual food, Lin Shi eagerly approached Little White, who was lying on the ground.

He reached out to pick it up, ready to begin his daily cat-petting.

However, Little White’s fur bristled. It lifted its forelimbs, extended its claws, swiftly scratched the back of his hand, then jumped aside and hid under the bed.

"Ouch."

Lin Shi cried out in pain.

Zhou Luo looked at his bleeding hand and pretended to panic, saying, "Are you okay? I’ll help you teach this guy a lesson."

With that, he got up and rushed toward the bedside.

Lin Shi hurriedly stopped him: "It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s normal for a little cat to have a bit of a temper; mine at home is even fiercer than this."

It was just a small injury. Lin Shi felt it wasn’t necessary to make a big fuss.

At that moment, Zhou Luo awkwardly said, "My cat is a bit different; if it scratches someone, it can cause them to fall unconscious."

"How could that be?" Lin Shi waved it off indifferently and smiled, saying, "It’s just a little cat; after all, I am…"

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Shi suddenly felt the scene before him whirl. Before he could activate his spiritual energy, his eyes went dark, and he collapsed sideways.

Zhou Luo dashed forward to catch him, then laid him on the bed.

The first step of the plan succeeded.

He looked at Lin Shi, who was already asleep, and took out the Disguise Symbol, channeling a stream of spiritual energy.

The spiritual energy flowed into the talisman, suddenly bursting with a brilliant spiritual light.

Zhou Luo first pressed it against Lin Shi’s chest.

Instantly, the spiritual light radiated out, enveloping his entire body.

After about three minutes, Zhou Luo retrieved the spiritual symbol and placed it on his own chest.

A gentle force surged from within the spiritual symbol, spreading all over his body.

In that instant, Zhou Luo’s facial outline gradually blurred.

The light flickered as his figure and appearance transformed one by one, finally becoming Lin Shi’s form.

The whole process was soundless and quiet, like an illusion.

Zhou Luo went to a mirror and checked carefully. Finding no flaws, he nodded in satisfaction.

Then he took the token from Lin Shi’s waist and walked alone toward the door.

Before going out, worriedly, he stuck a spiritual symbol on the door.

It was a first-tier low-grade spiritual symbol, similar to a door lock, specifically to prevent others from forcing entry.

Last night, while refining the Disguise Symbol, he had casually crafted this spiritual symbol.

This way, when anyone wanted to enter the room, it could create the appearance of him sleeping.

After finishing all this, Zhou Luo packed the chopsticks and bowl into the lunchbox, took the refined potion, and walked out of the room.

Reaching outside, he walked straight toward the stone gate at the entrance to the first floor.

"Stone, that was quick today? No cat-petting?"

At that moment, a patrolling guard saw him and greeted with a smile.

"Zhou Luo exhausted too much energy refining potions last night; he’s resting now, and I’ll come back later." Zhou Luo replied using Lin Shi’s voice.

The other showed no suspicion and asked no further questions.

Arriving at the stone gate, though the guards recognized him, they still required him to present the token.

Zhou Luo was prepared and took the token from his waist, showing it to them.

After confirming it was correct, they let him go.

Exiting the stone gate, Zhou Luo glanced at the azure sky and let out a long sigh.

He had finally come out, and it really wasn’t easy.

Pondering this, he walked quickly along the mountain path down toward the foot of the mountain.