On a crowded road, Ling Ye strolled leisurely through the village, a rare sight in itself. He was not alone, Zhou Wu followed closely behind, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.
The villagers were startled by Ling Ye's sudden appearance. After all, the village head was infamous for never leaving his office. His presence could mean only one thing, something serious had happened.
Sensing this, none of the villagers dared to approach them. Whispers died on their lips, and the road cleared ahead.
Undisturbed, the two made their way swiftly toward their destination: the small medicine courtyard of the Qi family.
The courtyard gate stood open. Without hesitation, Ling Ye stepped inside, Zhou Wu trailing behind. The moment they crossed the threshold, Zhou Wu's expression shifted, the color drained from his face, and a flicker of unease clouded his eyes.
Uninvited and unhindered, Ling Ye strode directly into the modest receiving hall, where a Qi family servant happened to be present.
The servant, clearly overwhelmed by Ling Ye's sudden arrival, stiffened in place before hastily bowing. "Greetings, Village Head. Vice Village Head. How may this humble one assist you?"
Despite his nerves, the servant, already an elderly man, was no stranger to such situations. Before Ling Ye could utter a word, Zhou Wu stepped forward with a bright, courteous smile and spoke on his behalf.
"Haha, apologies for arriving uninvited," Zhou Wu said with a warm chuckle. "But the Village Head has urgent business with the Qi family head. Would you kindly announce our arrival?"
Hearing this, the old servant bowed deeply and turned to a younger servant nearby, who had been watching them with curiosity. With a single glance, the younger one understood and immediately rushed off to inform the family head.
As the tension eased, the old servant offered a polite smile to the silent Ling Ye and the ever-smiling Zhou Wu.
"The family head will be with you shortly," he said. "Please wait just a few moments. If I may be so bold, would the esteemed guests care for a cup of tea while they wait?"
Once again, before Ling Ye could respond, Zhou Wu answered with an easy nod and a pleasant smile. "We would be honored."
The old servant inclined his head and led them to a quiet guest room. A short time later, he returned with two cups of steaming tea, setting them down with practiced care. With a final bow, he excused himself, leaving behind a younger servant to attend to their needs.
Ling Ye sat in silence, staring at the cup before him. He felt a faint flicker of irritation, if it were up to him, he would have gone straight to the Qi family head without ceremony. But he knew better than to breach protocol; offending the Qi family now would only complicate matters.
While he waited, unmoving, Zhou Wu lifted his cup and took a sip. "Mm," he said thoughtfully, then turned to the remaining servant. "This is excellent. May I ask what kind of tea this is?"
The servant's eyes lit up with pride. He eagerly explained, from where the herbs were grown, to how they were nurtured, and finally, how the tea was prepared with care by the family's herbalists.
"…Thanks to the matured hibiscus and several accompanying herbs, this blend produces a taste like no other. I hope this humble explanation has satisfied the Vice Village Head's curiosity."
With a slight bow, the servant stepped back. Zhou Wu smiled, nodding appreciatively. He let out a light chuckle and thanked the servant for his detailed explanation.
In truth, he cared little for the tea's origins or its ingredients. He was merely buying time, hoping to give the Qi family head ample opportunity to prepare. Ling Ye, after all, was not in the best of moods today.
Nearly twenty minutes had passed, a considerable wait, before the Qi family head finally arrived to greet them.
The Qi family head was an elderly man. Though his hair still retained much of its color, streaks of white had begun to show. His robe, made from fine green silk, was elegant yet not ostentatious.
While his hair remained thick, his face bore the unmistakable signs of age, a web of fine wrinkles tracing across his weathered features.
He entered the guest room with a light smile and offered a respectful bow.
"Greetings, Village Head. Vice Village Head," he said. "I hope I have not kept you waiting too long."
Zhou Wu returned the gesture with practiced ease.
"Not at all, Family Head Qi. After all, we came unannounced. It is we who should thank you for receiving us on such short notice."
"Haha! Vice Village Head, please, both of you are always welcome in my humble medicine courtyard."
The two men shared a polite laugh, but just then, the door behind the family head opened, and a young man in his twenties stepped into view.
Surprised by the young man's sudden arrival, the Qi family head broke into a warm smile and quickly introduced him.
"Hehe, this young man is my son, Qi Yang. He will soon take over the Qi family's affairs. Yang'er, greet our honored guests."
At his father's urging, Qi Yang stepped forward with calm composure. He offered a respectful bow, his tone smooth and practiced.
"Greetings, honored guests. As the family head has said, I am Qi Yang. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Zhou Wu responded with a bright smile, chuckling lightly at the young man's formality. But while he laughed, Ling Ye remained cold and silent, an annoyed expression settling on his face. With a sharp click of his tongue, he made his displeasure known.
The light atmosphere Zhou Wu had carefully maintained shattered in an instant. The tension in the room thickened, everyone understood. Ling Ye had no interest in pleasantries. He had come for answers.
"Where are the results?" he asked bluntly, his eyes fixed solely on the Qi family head. He didn't even glance at Qi Yang, let alone acknowledge his greeting.
Qi Yang's expression darkened for a split second. A flash of irritation flickered in his eyes, but he quickly reined it in, schooling his face into calm neutrality. Fortunately, no one seemed to notice the shift.
The Qi family head, unfazed, responded with a chuckle.
"Haha… Village Head, for you to leave your residence and come all the way to my humble courtyard, surely we can discuss this over a cup of tea?"
Though already aged, the Qi family head was no stranger to tension. He had weathered many storms, and he understood well how to diffuse such moments. Still, how much sway did even he hold in front of Ling Ye?
"No need. Just give me the results."
With those cold, simple words, whatever authority the Qi family head held in the conversation crumbled completely.
He realized it at once, his jaw tightening as if trying to bite back his frustration. Ling Ye hadn't offered even the slightest courtesy.
It was as if he were speaking to one of his own servants. A flicker of anger stirred within the Qi family head… but he knew better. He knew exactly who Ling Ye was and so, he endured.
"Village Head," he began slowly, his tone measured, "you know that we mortals cannot match the productivity of cultivators. Researching a method for a mortal to caught out pure heartblood… it is not something we've ever attempted before. Please, I ask for your understanding and patience, honorable Village Head."
With those words, he bowed low in a humble, apologetic manner, hoping to ease the frost in Ling Ye's expression. But Ling Ye remained unmoved, his cold gaze fixed squarely on the old man.
Watching the Qi family head bow before him, Ling Ye couldn't help but recall their earlier conversation. He had come to this very courtyard to request research into heartblood refinement, specifically for mortals.
The Qi family had once boasted a skilled medicine cultivator, a man who had even earned minor fame among the outer disciples. At that time, the Qi family head had spoken confidently, promising anything that didn't cross the boundary into true cultivation.
And yet, here they were, with no results in hand.
"Heh." Ling Ye let out a dry chuckle, the sound low and bitter. Seeing how far the once-confident Qi family head had bent before him... it was truly amusing to see.
"In the end," Ling Ye thought quietly, "I can't trust mortals with matters like these. They're too unreliable."
With that realization, he no longer spared the Qi family head a glance.
The chuckle had faded from Ling Ye's lips, which eased the tension in the room. The Qi family head let out a silent breath, relieved, even curious now, wondering what Ling Ye would do next.
Ling Ye stared for a moment at the full cup of tea. His fingers tightened just slightly on the porcelain.
"Then it doesn't matter," he said.
The words struck like a gong, both Zhou Wu and the Qi family head were visibly shocked, not understanding what Ling Ye is thinking, but before they could speak, Ling Ye continued.
"Give me your current findings… and don't concern yourself with this matter any longer."
As the final word left his lips, Ling Ye stood. He glanced at the Qi family head, whose eyes remained wide with disbelief. A faint smile touched Ling Ye's face as he reached out and gently tapped the old man's shoulder.
"You know where to send them."
Then, as he withdrew his hand, he turned his gaze, for the first time, toward Qi Yang. There was no malice or recognition in his eyes. Just indifference.
Without another word, Ling Ye left the room. Zhou Wu quickly rose and followed, hurrying to walk beside him.
Once they were gone, the Qi family head sat silently, his expression slowly settling. The room was quiet again, but the tension still lingered in the air.
He stared for a long moment at the empty spot where Ling Ye had been sitting, then let out a long, weary sigh.
"Send someone with our current research on heartblood," he said at last, his voice low. "Deliver it to the Village Head's office."
"Yes, Father," Qi Yang replied, bowing with a salute.
He calmly turned around and exited the room to carry out his father orders.