"There's one," Su Min said calmly.
Her spiritual sense had already mapped the nascent energy fluctuations in the region with the precision of a master cartographer. She could feel the thinning of the spatial veil, a prickle of static electricity against her skin that hummed with ancient potential. To her heightened perception, the air seemed to vibrate with a low-frequency thrumming that was invisible to those below her realm. "According to my observations, it should fully manifest somewhere to the southwest in about a week. Its spiritual pressure is already condensing into what will become a tangible gateway."
At her confident declaration, the two Cao brothers exchanged a quick, knowing glance. While they didn't doubt her word in the slightest, a flicker of unease danced behind their eyes. A shadow of a past trauma was resurfacing, making Cao Yuanmu's fingers twitch against the heavy silk of his robes.
"What is it?" Su Min asked immediately. Her perception was sharp enough to catch the subtle change in their demeanor, like a hawk spotting a sudden shift in the grass.
"Ahem." Cao Yuanmu cleared his throat, his expression turning awkward as the memory, clearly unpleasant, clouded his face. "The last time we explored one of these emerging ruins, there was a hidden Foundation Establishment level beast lying in wait inside. It was a massive, shadow-cloaked creature that nearly tore us apart. If Master Hui Ming hadn't forcibly broken through to the Foundation Establishment realm on the spot and sacrificed much of his own vitality to kill it, our entire expedition might not have made it out alive."
He paused, a bead of sweat forming at his temple. He added with a hopeful, almost pleading look, "But there were indeed a lot of good spiritual herbs and rare ores inside. If you are interested in this new one, Senior, perhaps you would consider letting us tag along? Rest assured, anything that catches your eye, we won't even glance at. We only want the dregs—what you find unworthy of your own collection."
"Hm."
Su Min didn't respond with a direct yes or no. She simply stared at Cao Yuanmu, a clear, amused light dancing in her eyes as she silently observed his embarrassed yet determined expression. She watched him squirm just a little under her scrutiny, his shoulders tensing as the silence stretched between them.
"Senior," he added quickly, seeing her hesitation, "last time we got quite the haul from that place. A good portion of the materials we gathered are still stored in our warehouse, unused. If you need anything for your own crafting, we would be happy to—"
"Tsk."
Su Min clicked her tongue, rolling her eyes in a gesture that was both dismissive and fond. His meaning couldn't be more obvious. They had been hoarding rare materials for years, but without a master alchemist to refine them, they were just expensive, spiritually rich clutter gathering dust. Now that she had returned, she could well imagine the sheer volume these people had stockpiled over the past two decades, just waiting for her touch. Another, more practical thought struck her.
"By the way, how many people have actually been able to inherit and use the alchemy legacy I left behind?"
"Only two have shown any real aptitude," Cao Yuanmu replied. His face fell slightly, and he let out a frustrated breath. "But their success rate at crafting even basic first-tier pills is... pitiful. Even something as fundamental as a Body Tempering Pill is a significant challenge for them; half the time they produce nothing but acrid black soot. Still, having them is better than having nothing. It's been useful for maintaining the basic needs of our forces."
Both men offered a bitter, knowing smile. The more effort and resources they poured into training these alchemists, the more they realized how truly absurd Su Min's own innate abilities were. Her upper limits and consistent, high-grade success rate were nothing short of monstrous. Only now did they fully understand how cheap and reliable her services had actually been.
This was especially true for breakthrough pills like the Qi Inducing Pill, which required incredibly rare ingredients. If a single furnace failed, the financial and resource losses were staggering. Compared to the struggle of nurturing their own, Su Min's near-perfect success rate made her seem like a walking miracle of the cultivation world.
Thanks largely to her previous work, Prince Yong's Manor now boasted five stable Qi Refining cultivators, with Cao Yuanmu himself at the late stage. Outside of the old monk and that wretched Demon Queen, few individuals in the entire world could openly challenge their concentrated power. As for Su Min herself, her disappearance had been so long and complete that most of the younger generation had almost forgotten she ever existed.
Now that she had returned, even if it meant draining their coffers and vaults dry, Prince Yong's faction would move heaven and earth to have her refine more pills. And if she could spare even a few casual tips for their two struggling alchemists, it would be a priceless, transformative gift. True alchemists were simply too difficult and expensive to cultivate from scratch.
No wonder even that proud monk spoke of her with such reverence.
"Amitābha. Twenty years, and you have truly reached Foundation Establishment, and through the Heavenly Path, no less." A sigh, filled with a mixture of awe and resignation, echoed through the hall as a monk materialized before them in a soft flash of golden light. His form solidified from motes of spiritual energy that smelled faintly of sandalwood and old incense.
"Greetings, Master!"
The Cao brothers bowed deeply and in unison. This monk—or rather, the master controlling this avatar—had been instrumental in mopping up the spiritual mess Su Min had left behind. Without his efforts, Yongzhou would have been bogged down guarding the grasslands corridor against vengeful spirits, crippling all trade with the western desert and the pacified northern tribes. It was only thanks to Su Min's crushing military victory that the shattered grasslands posed no conventional threat. The desert tribes, sparse and spiritually weak, were equally harmless.
Trade now flowed freely, enriching the eight prefectures. It was a prosperity that depended on the restless dead staying pacified.
"I'm well," Su Min said with a light, knowing smile. "But this body of yours, it's just about done, isn't it?"
The monk's avatar hadn't changed much in appearance since they last met, but Su Min's heightened senses could perceive the truth. His spiritual vessel was fraying at the seams, its energy dissipating like mist in the morning sun. A single, focused breath from her could likely tear it asunder. Not that it mattered. This wasn't his true body, so destroying it wouldn't harm the master himself.
"Amitābha. My task here is complete," the avatar confirmed. Its voice was serene and final, vibrating with a gentle resonance. "We have established a stable foothold here. The rest is up to Hui Ming and the other disciples. If the heavens part for us again in the future and you still walk this world, you are always welcome at the Grand Thunder Temple."
"One of the three great Buddhist sects of the central plains?" Su Min raised an eyebrow, filing the information away for future use. "I shall certainly visit if my path leads me there."
"I won't trouble you further then. Once I report back to Hui Ming, this vessel will reach its natural end. I only hope my disciples won't disappoint me and that they can hold this ground with wisdom and compassion."
With those final, parting words, the monk's form shimmered like a mirage and vanished into motes of golden light, leaving the three of them in a thoughtful, heavy silence. The smell of sandalwood lingered for a few breaths before the scent of old wood and ink returned to the hall.
"How you harness the Buddhist sect's influence from here is your problem now," Su Min said. She broke the quiet with a smirk. "My advice? Ideally, tie them down by promoting a rival Daoist faction or inviting in another, competing Buddhist sect. Remember, Buddhism isn't a single, harmonious entity. The internal strife between different schools can be... intense."
Her grin turned wicked.
Heretics; that term struck deeper than infidel. You could reason with an outsider, but heresy had only one end: death. As for managing the Buddhists, that wasn't her concern. Handled well, they were a mighty force. Mishandled, history books held plenty of bloody warnings.
This world was filled with countless restless ghosts and unresolved karmic debts. Brutal, outright suppression often backfired, compressing the negative energy until it birthed something even more terrifying. That was precisely where the pacifying rites of the Buddhist sects came in. That old monk had known this well, using his last days and energy to build a foundation of spiritual peace and public prestige.
He had repeatedly passed on teachings—not strictly dogmatic Buddhist doctrine, but practical, basic cultivation methods suitable for the masses. Even Buddhism had foundational techniques outside its core, esoteric teachings. Whether his disciples could survive, thrive, and avoid corruption in the complex political landscape of Great Wei was now their own test to face.
Su Min rolled her eyes internally, thinking about the stylized statues they had sculpted in her honor. As for those statues themselves, she couldn't care less. If they became a problem, the Prince was welcome to smash them for all she cared.
"Anyway," she said, clapping her hands together. She returned to the matter at hand with palpable energy. "Take me to your warehouse. I need to replenish my ingredient pouch and warm my hands up with a few furnaces. I have just reached Foundation Establishment, so I will need to refine a few practice pills to get used to the new rhythm and power of my flames."
"Certainly! Right away. Please, this way."
Delighted by her practical attitude, Cao Yuanmu nodded vigorously. After a confirming glance with his elder brother, he eagerly led the way out of the hall. He needed a Foundation Establishment Pill desperately. With Su Min gone for twenty years, he had possessed no hope of obtaining one. But now that she had returned—a living legend walking their halls once more—he wouldn't let this golden opportunity slip through his fingers.
He was utterly confident she could refine it. At most, they might lack one or two ultra-rare ingredients, but with the resources of eight prefectures and their extensive trade networks, gathering them on short notice wouldn't be an insurmountable task. Even if he didn't need the pill for an immediate breakthrough, just having it in his possession would bring immense peace of mind and strategic security.
Being Su Min's designated, favored trading partner—her lapdog, as some might crudely put it—was an honor and a privilege countless would kill for. Fully half of the powerful factions in Great Wei would gladly beggar themselves for the chance he now had.