"What happens if we don't swallow it?" Su Qian asked, her gaze fixed on Xiao Heng.
Heh, heh, heh… Xiao Heng's laugh dripped with menace.
"I'll swallow it!" Su Mei declared, taking the lead. She ingested the blue flame, feeling a warm stream flow down her throat and merge with the Dou Qi vortex in her dantian.
"We'll do it too!" The tall, lean man and the pale-faced man followed, seeing Su Mei's compliance. Freedom was worthless if they were dead.
"Fine, I'll swallow it," Su Qian muttered, downing the flame reluctantly.
"That's the spirit. Serving me has its rewards," Xiao Heng said, smirking as he sensed their submission. The stifling pressure in the hall lifted, and the four exhaled in relief.
They lined up obediently, Su Mei at the forefront, the others behind.
"Excellent!" Xiao Heng paced before them, inspecting. "The Rakshasa Sect's operations remain under your control. The four of us will be guest elders. When there's business or battles, he'll assist." He gestured to Zi Ran. "This is Zi Ran, your Purple Elder. You felt his power earlier—one-star Dou Zong."
"Greetings, Purple Elder!" the four said in unison. Zi Ran gave a curt nod.
"Summon him for fights. Report sect matters regularly and inform us of anything unusual. Otherwise, leave us be," Xiao Heng instructed.
"And how should we address you, my lord?" Su Mei asked, her smile beguiling.
"I'm Xiao Heng. Call her Poison Elder, and this is Qing Lin. Her strength is clear, so address her as you see fit," Xiao Heng said, indicating Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin.
"Greetings, Elder Xiao, Poison Elder, Miss Qing Lin!" Su Mei led the salute.
"Good. Send me any herbs for Emperor's Extreme Pills or Dou Ling Pills," Xiao Heng said.
"You're an alchemist, my lord?" Su Mei asked, intrigued.
"A sixth-grade one. Arrange rooms for us," Xiao Heng replied.
"I'll see to it at once, my lord!" Su Mei said, leading her three subordinates out. The despair in her eyes had shifted to exhilaration. A sixth-grade alchemist so young? His future is boundless!
In less time than it took to sip a cup of tea, Su Mei returned with a breathtakingly beautiful maid. "Elder Xiao, the herbs are in the storehouse, ready for delivery. Your rooms are prepared. If you please…" she said, her smile radiant. She'd transformed, shedding her sinister edge for a captivating, mature charm, her pink dress barely covering her long, fair legs.
"You three rest. I'll inspect the storehouse for herbs," Xiao Heng told Xiao Yi Xian.
"Alright," Xiao Yi Xian replied. She, Qing Lin, and Zi Ran followed the maid into the city lord's mansion.
After weaving through several alleys, they arrived at a spacious courtyard split into outer and inner sections, ideal for Zi Ran to guard the outer yard while Xiao Heng's group took the inner. The setup revealed Su Mei's keen insight—she'd grasped their dynamics almost instantly.
"This was once the sect leader's residence, very secure. Call if you need anything. The maids and guards outside are completely trustworthy," the maid explained.
Xiao Yi Xian sensed the staff's strength: gatekeepers were Da Dou Shi, maids at least Dou Zhe, and the head maid, likely a steward, was also a Da Dou Shi.
"Pity. I'll call if needed," Xiao Yi Xian said.
"Rest well, honored guests!" The maid bowed and left. Zi Ran settled into the outer yard, while Xiao Yi Xian led Qing Lin into the inner.
"I'm a 'miss' now!" Qing Lin squealed, overjoyed.
"Focus on cultivation. Strength is everything," Xiao Yi Xian advised.
"I understand," Qing Lin said, snuggling into Xiao Yi Xian's embrace.
"Go train. Once you reach Dou Zhe, your progress will accelerate," Xiao Yi Xian encouraged.
Meanwhile, Xiao Heng followed Su Mei to the storehouse. Her swaying hips and barely concealed legs caught his eye, and he made no effort to look away. Su Mei, glancing at him, felt her unease dissipate. If he's swayed by beauty, I can handle him.
"Is the Poison Elder also a Dou Zong?" Su Mei asked softly, edging closer.
"Yes," Xiao Heng replied.
"Buy these herbs if you come across them," he said, handing her a list of mostly fifth- and sixth-grade materials.
Su Mei memorized the herbs and pocketed the paper.
In the storehouse, Xiao Heng spotted a crimson cauldron. "A fifth-grade cauldron!" he said, admiring the half-man-high cyan vessel.
"My lord, it arrived just days ago," Su Mei said, her smile enchanting.
"Perfect. My old cauldron's grade was lacking. This will do nicely," Xiao Heng said, storing it in his ring.
"Would you like a better one, my lord?" Su Mei asked.
"This is sufficient. It can handle seventh-grade pills. For a better one, I'll take Han Feng's after I kill him," Xiao Heng said with a wicked grin.
"You have a grudge with Han Feng, my lord?" Su Mei probed.
"I do, but he's unaware," Xiao Heng replied. Su Mei nodded, sensing it wiser not to press. She was adept at reading the room.
"There's a good stock of herbs here. Collect materials for common pills, and I'll refine them for you to sell," Xiao Heng said.
"Thank you, my lord!" Su Mei bowed, her curvaceous figure on full display.
Xiao Heng took most of the storehouse's herbs. Su Mei escorted him back to the courtyard where Xiao Yi Xian and the others were settled, stopping at the entrance. "I'm in the next courtyard. Call if you need me, my lord!" she said, departing with a flirtatious smile.
As night fell, faint rhythmic sounds echoed in the courtyard, fading only in the early hours. To shield Qing Lin's innocent growth, Xiao Heng set up a soul barrier to mute the noise.
The next day, with dark circles under his eyes, Xiao Heng began refining pills. He started with third-grade pills, then fourth-grade, each batch flawless. The fifth-grade Dou Ling Pill was more complex, failing once before succeeding. By the third and fourth tries, he perfected it.
From six sets of Dou Ling Pill materials, he crafted five pills. With three sets of Emperor's Extreme Pill herbs, he successfully refined two other fifth-grade pills before attempting the Emperor's Extreme Pill.
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