Chapter 485 – The Problem

Outside the Pill Room, Valley Master Nie had already told Nie Qianyu about Zhang Xiaohua’s utterly unreasonable request. Nie Qianyu, however, was not as astonished or bewildered as Elder Zhang had been. Having followed Zhang Xiaohua all the way back to Mochou City, she had long since noticed that there were many strange things about him.

Although Zhang Xiaohua tried every possible means to conceal them, firstly, the three of them were together every day; secondly, Nie Qianyu paid close attention to his every move. Even the slightest frown or a peculiar expression would make her try to guess his thoughts—how could she fail to see the hints hidden between the lines?

Yet Nie Qianyu was an intelligent girl. Whatever she saw, she kept only in her eyes, never in her heart—let alone mentioning it to Little Orange.

Now, hearing her father’s words, she merely nodded slightly, glanced toward the Pill Room, and said with concern: “Big Brother Ren won’t run into any trouble, will he? He has to refine for fourteen days straight… can he endure it alone?”

Elder Zhang widened his eyes, looking at this girl whom he still regarded as a mere child. He shook his head and said sympathetically to Valley Master Nie: “Valley Master Nie, oh, Valley Master Nie—you’ve really suffered a loss. You’ve had three daughters and raised them all these years, yet not one stands on your side. Alas, what a pity, what a pity.”

Nie Qianyu covered her mouth with a smile. “That’s still better than some elders who have neither sons nor daughters, isn’t it?”

“Little Yu,” Valley Master Nie scolded, “mind your manners.”

But Elder Zhang didn’t mind in the least. “That depends on how you look at it. If they’re like you—never considering your own father—then even having them is useless.”

Nie Qianyu’s expression turned earnest. “Elder Zhang, this isn’t about taking sides. I only think that since Big Brother Ren insists on doing this, he must have his reasons. There’s no need to force others against their will.”

Elder Zhang naturally understood such reasoning. He had thought the same way at first. Yet, seeing that man shut inside the Pill Room, conducting his mysterious alchemy, while they could only wait anxiously outside—anyone would feel a bit resentful. That was why he had vented his frustration again and again.

At this moment, Zhang Xiaohua had already walked out. Hearing Nie Qianyu and Elder Zhang’s conversation, he could only sigh inwardly. Little Fish cared for him far too much. Whatever decision he made, she supported him without the slightest reservation. She never questioned his reasons for acting as he did, nor did she complain about being denied a chance to watch—she only worried about the hardship he might suffer from refining pills for days on end.

Such sincerity… ah. Zhang Xiaohua himself could not put into words the feeling that rose in his heart. If he claimed he felt nothing at all, even his own heels would not believe him.

When Zhang Xiaohua appeared at the doorway of the Pill Room, both Valley Master Nie and Elder Zhang were overjoyed. They brushed past him in haste, slipping inside with movements so swift and graceful that there was nothing to be said about it.

Only Nie Qianyu remained where she was, unmoving. A trace of unease flickered in her expression as she said: “Big Brother Ren, I hadn’t expected that refining this Scarlet Flame Pill would be so troublesome— requiring you to toil for fourteen whole days. I…” She bit her lip slightly, then continued, “I thank you on behalf of Spring Rebirth Valley.”

Zhang Xiaohua looked at the girl—one who wasn’t exactly beautiful, but whose face carried a gentle charm—and said softly: “Little Fish, those words make you sound too much like an outsider. I used Spring Rebirth Valley’s Pill Room, used your herbs, and practiced my own pill-refining art. In the end, I’ll even take a share of the finished pills. No matter how you look at it, I’m the one taking advantage. Shouldn’t I be the one offering thanks to your Spring Rebirth Valley instead?”

Nie Qianyu huffed lightly: “Then go ahead and offer thanks! Why come up with such odd rules that made Father and Elder Zhang so upset?”

Zhang Xiaohua didn’t explain. “Come on, go take a look for yourself. If you have any questions, just ask me.”

Hearing this, Nie Qianyu felt a warmth blossom in her heart. She nodded and followed Zhang Xiaohua into the Pill Room.

Inside, the scene was nearly the same as before. The furnace and cauldron showed no visible change, though the temperature of the earthfire beneath had clearly risen. Valley Master Nie and Elder Zhang fixed their gazes on that round, “pancake-like” mass inside, but no matter how long they stared, they couldn’t make sense of it.

All they could see was a bit of medicinal liquid bubbling away—gulu gulu—no different from the decoction pills Spring Rebirth Valley brewed with water. The only odd thing was that the quantity of liquid had diminished greatly, which made the sight seem strange and uncanny.

Nie Qianyu fared even worse. After staring for a long while, she still couldn’t say a word. Her face was full of confusion. Indeed, what she saw was utterly different from the alchemy she had studied—it overturned everything she knew. But soon, her gaze cleared, and a bright, eager light shone within it. She asked softly: “Big Brother Ren, I don’t know whether it’s proper for me to ask this question. If it’s not, just pretend I never said anything.”

Zhang Xiaohua was rather puzzled. Hadn’t he just said that she could ask whatever questions she wanted? Why was she suddenly hesitating now?

He nodded and said with a smile: “Little Fish, go ahead and speak. I won’t blame you for anything.”

Nie Qianyu looked a little embarrassed and said softly: “This method of refining pills… could I… could I learn it?”

At that, both Valley Master Nie and Elder Zhang’s eyes lit up at once. Indeed—if he wouldn’t allow them to watch, perhaps he might allow Nie Qianyu to enter the Big Dipper Sect and study this method of alchemy there!

Zhang Xiaohua was stunned as well. He had never expected Nie Qianyu to ask this question—a question that, if answered favorably, could resolve all other difficulties!

This little girl’s mind was truly remarkable; she was no ordinary person.

Elder Zhang blinked meaningfully at Valley Master Nie, hinting, “Not bad, old fellow—both you and your daughter are doing well. Look at how close she is with that young man; maybe something will come of it! You’d better fan the flames while you can.”

Valley Master Nie noticed that Zhang Xiaohua hadn’t immediately refused. In fact, he even looked somewhat thoughtful. Quickly seizing the chance, he cupped his hands and said: “Nephew Ren, my daughter Little Yu’s aptitude isn’t very good. She has practiced martial arts since childhood, but has never achieved much, and hasn’t joined any sect. She’s only cultivated a few of our Spring Rebirth Valley’s family techniques, none of which have reached even minor success. If it’s possible, could you perhaps put in a good word for her before your esteemed Sect Master…?”

Then, glancing at the blazing earthfire beside the furnace, he gritted his teeth and added: “If she could at least learn a little self-defense, or even some of this pill-refining method, Spring Rebirth Valley would be deeply grateful.”

Zhang Xiaohua was at a complete loss. He had never once thought of passing on the immortal cultivation method to anyone else—especially not in an environment where the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth was so thin.

His own cultivation had been a matter of sheer chance: only after drawing down heavenly lightning had he tempered his body and produced his first wisp of True Qi. Though the ambient energy in Spring Rebirth Valley was indeed far denser than that of the medicinal fields at Huanxi Villa, it was still far, far below what the Carefree Heart Sutra required.

Even if he were to teach Nie Qianyu the Carefree Heart Sutra, it would be nearly impossible for her to succeed in cultivating it.

And even supposing she could enter the path, without a yuan stone like his Reclining Ox Stone, she would never progress beyond the first level of Qi Refinement—let alone reach the point of practicing incantations or formulas.

Sigh… Nie Qianyu’s request truly gave him a headache.

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua remain silent, Valley Master Nie spoke again: “Nephew Ren, the alliance between the Big Dipper Sect and our Spring Rebirth Valley should be a matter of course. I already mentioned this to you before. If you return to your sect and report it to your Sect Master, I believe the name of the Yuli Alliance must already be somewhat known to him. Surely he would be willing to give us this bit of face, no? Even if she can’t study such profound arts, if she could simply be accepted as a disciple under the Big Dipper Sect, I think… that would be enough.”

Valley Master Nie’s optimistic assumptions left Zhang Xiaohua utterly speechless.

Nonsense—there was no one in the Big Dipper Sect from top to bottom except him!

Oh, right—there was also his nephew, Zhang Bairen, who had only just passed his hundred-day celebration.

Given that, how exactly was he supposed to reply?

Seeing that Zhang Xiaohua remained silent for so long, Nie Qianyu’s eyes turned, and she said plaintively, “Big Brother Ren, are you truly so heartless toward a fragrant beauty? Your little sister has already pleaded so pitifully, and you still won’t give even a single word in reply?”

Hearing such soft, pleading tones, Zhang Xiaohua broke out in a sweat. “Stop, stop—quickly, stop that!”

Nie Qianyu’s face bloomed with triumph as she laughed. “So what does Big Brother Ren say?”

Zhang Xiaohua put on a mock look of disdain. “Valley Master Nie is right here. Pretending to be pitiful won’t work. All this time traveling together, I’ve never once seen you act coy, and now that you do, I’ve got goosebumps all over.”

Then he shrugged. “Little Fish’s aptitude for martial arts isn’t very good, and she’s long past the best age for training. It’d be difficult for her to make any progress in martial cultivation. Moreover, my sect has its own elders in charge of accepting disciples—how could I, a junior, meddle in that?”

But seeing Nie Qianyu’s face filled with disappointment, Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help thinking to himself: The Carefree Heart Sutra is a cultivation method of the Piaomiao Sect. If it’s to be passed on, I should probably seek the Piaomiao Sect’s consent. But after the calamity that befell them, perhaps it can only be discussed once I reach the Incense Spreading Sect.

In truth, he had completely forgotten that he had already given the scroll of the Carefree Heart Sutra to his sister-in-law, telling her to teach it to Zhang Bairen in the future. Did he seek the Piaomiao Sect’s approval back then? Of course not.

So he added another line aloud: “Even if I were to speak to my sect’s elders about it, that would have to wait until after I return from the Incense Spreading Sect.”

Nie Qianyu had blurted out her earlier request on impulse, without thinking it through. When she heard his initial refusal, regret immediately welled up in her heart. She knew it was an impossible thing—why had she said it at all, only to make him look down on her?

But when she heard that final sentence, her heart leaped with joy. She had always been proud, yet her frail body had prevented her from mastering martial arts—a regret she’d carried for years. Zhang Xiaohua was only a few years older than she was, yet his skills were so profound as to be almost unimaginable. Surely the Big Dipper Sect had a unique way of teaching disciples. If she could enter that sect, perhaps…

Just thinking of it made her blood stir. Her face lit with excitement as she said,

“Big Brother Ren, you’re not lying to me, are you?”

Much like Nie Qianyu earlier, Zhang Xiaohua regretted his own words the moment they left his mouth. What am I doing? Making trouble for myself for no reason…

But looking at Nie Qianyu’s bright, hopeful face—and remembering how much she’d cared for him—he couldn’t help but sigh. “I’m not lying, it’s just that I can’t guarantee anything, so I can’t give you a promise lightly.”

Nie Qianyu smiled joyfully. “As long as Big Brother Ren agrees to speak on my behalf, that’s enough. Whether it succeeds or not, I’ll still be happy. Who knows—I might even become your little junior sister!”

Zhang Xiaohua rolled his eyes. “Dream on. Eight or nine chances out of ten, you’d have to call me Martial Uncle.”

Nie Qianyu’s face fell in dismay. “That can’t be true, can it, Big Brother Ren?”

“What do you think?”

Zhang Xiaohua burst into laughter.