Finally, the day had come when Arthur received his pay.
This moon had been endless toil. Long days of pill refinement, all to prove himself to Duan Zi Xuan, and scroll after scroll of inscription to practice to settle with him. But it was not for naught; Zi Xuan was convinced that Arthur had the talent to craft the fabled Whiteflare Bloom Breakthrough Pill.
This time, Arthur's reward was immense. He received fifty Solar Ascendance Spirit Stones.
Each one gleamed a deep vermillion, darker and richer than the scarlet glow of Amber Radiance Stones. These were equivalent to five thousand Amber Radiance Stones.
And yet Arthur sighed.
"At the end of today… Fifteen will remain mine. The rest must be sacrificed for a greater cause."
Hiding the sum from Zi Xuan was impossible; he would undoubtedly have spies within the Alchemy Pavilion. But what he was worried about was explaining to his father where such wealth had gone.
I must think of something before I return home.
He gazed at the stones once more. Two moons. That was all it had taken for his life to be overturned in Tianyu, from an insignificant failed cultivator at the fringes of the sect, to a genius of alchemy, offending the Inscription Pavilion, and now reduced to a pawn in the struggle for succession.
How do people endure in the Immortal Boundless Firmament? Arthur thought bitterly.
He pushed the matter aside. "First, Zi Xuan. Other concerns later."
He walked to Ming Hao's residence. Arthur found him drenched in sweat in the courtyard, practicing his martial forms. His bulk moved like rolling thunder, strikes smashing the air with shockwaves that stirred dust from the stones.
Arthur paused, a flicker of awe in his eyes.
This Qi still fascinates me… its flow, refinement, and potential to elevate mere flesh into force.
For several breaths, Ming Hao was focused. Only when he drew back, panting, did his gaze turn to Arthur.
"Oh? What brings Brother Qing Tian to my courtyard?"
Arthur replied evenly, "Nothing much, brother. Just here to meet with Uncle."
Ming Hao wiped his brow. "Oh?"
Arthur was about to pass when Ming Hao's voice called after him.
"Aren't you forgetting something, brother?"
Arthur halted with realization. He reached into his sleeve and produced ten Amber Radiance Spirit Stones, pressing them into Ming Hao's hand.
"Here, brother."
Ming Hao's grin widened. "Ah, you do remember."
Arthur had been visiting Duan Zi Xuan often, and Ming Hao, scheming as his father, had found an easy way to profit. Though Arthur could have ignored him and met Zi Xuan elsewhere, ten Amber Radiance Stones were a small price for peace.
"Thank you, brother," Ming Hao said smoothly. "These stones will be useful to me very soon."
Arthur raised a brow. "How so… ah." He deduced it immediately, "Have you reached the peak of the Crimson Furnace Realm?"
Ming Hao chuckled proudly. "That's right. And since Brother Qing Tian refines the best pills in the sect… when the time comes, you will have to prepare for me the Amber Radiance Breakthrough Pill, yes?"
Ming Hao's small talk led to this, and Arthur inclined his head politely.
"Of course, brother. I would be glad to."
"Excellent!" Ming Hao laughed and returned to his training.
Arthur's eyes, however, narrowed slightly. This loudmouth will be his own downfall one day. To reveal one's cultivation so freely, it's one thing if an opponent discerns it, but another to spill it like idle chatter.
As Arthur walked past, he studied Ming Hao's movements. The Rooted Stance, the surging force of the Momentum Strikes, and the reverberating Shockwave Qi, yet there were gaps and subtle flaws in the flow. Ming Hao seemed unconcerned that a precise blow in those moments could end him.
Arthur's eyes sharpened. He realised it was a variation of the Heavenly Boulder Sutra. A man embracing his bulk as strength. But weaker. As the Sword Immortal once spoke about this, a body technique for a bulky physique, but this required detail as fine as carving jade. Without it, the power collapses inward.
From the looks of it, Ming Hao's path was already flawed. Unless corrected, it would betray him at higher realms.
Arthur turned away, leaving the echo of fists and thunderous Qi behind. His mind was already shifting toward the snake that awaited him inside.
Arthur entered the courtyard, the faint ripples of the pond catching the late sun. Zi Xuan sat calmly at its edge, his robes immaculate, casting morsels of feed to the koi that swam in languid arcs. The air was still, but Arthur felt the coils of a venomous serpent.
Arthur bowed deeply.
"Greetings, Uncle."
Zi Xuan's lips curled into a faint smile, though his eyes remained cold.
"Greetings, nephew. What brings you here today?"
Oh, your demise, Arthur thought darkly, but aloud his tone was respectful.
"I have come to Uncle to keep my end of the promise."
Zi Xuan sprinkled another pinch of feed into the pond. The fish stirred, flashing crimson and gold beneath the surface.
"Ah… so it is your pay day," he said lightly, as though commenting on the weather.
You know it well, you bastard.
"Yes, Uncle," Arthur replied calmly.
Zi Xuan's gaze sharpened.
"And how fares the Whiteflare Bloom Breakthrough Pill?"
Arthur bowed his head.
"I will not lie to Uncle. I have only studied its theory. Even so, when the formula was in my hands, many in the Alchemy Pavilion turned their eyes upon me. They thought I would dare refine it already."
Zi Xuan gave a low chuckle, neither mocking nor approving, simply amused.
"And would you?"
Arthur shook his head.
"No, Uncle. How could I? I stand but at the threshold of the Crimson Furnace Realm."
Zi Xuan tossed another handful of feed into the pond. The fish churned, snapping greedily at the surface. His voice was soft, but edged with certainty.
"Yet from what I have heard, you will be the one to refine it for me. Even if the pavilion doubts, even if your father despairs — I have no doubt."
Arthur clasped his fists.
"Your praise shames me, Uncle."
Zi Xuan leaned forward, his sleeve brushing the pond's reflection. His eyes gleamed like cold stars.
"Tell me, nephew. Have you spoken of our matter to anyone?"
Arthur's expression remained steady, though his heart thumped like a war drum.
"No, Uncle. Not even to Father. This is only between us."
Zi Xuan studied him for a long, breathless moment, then nodded faintly.
"Good."
Arthur lowered his tone, bowing once more.
"Yet it is for this reason, Uncle, that I must again beg your aid. If Father learns the stones I earn are vanishing, his suspicions will grow. Just as you know what I receive from the pavilion, he too will know."
Zi Xuan's brows rose ever so slightly.
"Oh? You would ask for more from me, nephew? Bold."
Look at this slick snake, Arthur thought bitterly. Counting favors, tallying debts. A hundred thousand years too early to play me, Uncle.
But aloud, he said, "I ask only for a way to explain. Without it, He would know."
Zi Xuan tapped the feeding jar thoughtfully, then gestured lazily toward the residence.
"Very well. In my study, there are a few things. Worthless to me, yet to others, they may hold some value. Choose one, and tell Liang Zheng it was the price you paid. He will not press further."
Arthur bowed deeply.
"Many thanks, Uncle. Then allow me to show my sincerity."
He produced a pouch from his sleeve, placing it reverently in Zi Xuan's hand.
"Thirty-five Solar Ascendance Spirit Stones. And a Spirit Nourishing Bath Elixir, to ease Uncle's cultivation fatigue."
Zi Xuan weighed the pouch, lips twitching in satisfaction.
"Good. Very good. Nephew knows how to respect his elders."
Arthur inclined his head.
"If Uncle permits, I will search the study."
Zi Xuan waved dismissively, scattering the last feed into the pond.
"Go, then. These little lives still hunger, and I must tend to them."
Arthur bowed once more and turned toward the study. Behind him, Zi Xuan watched the koi thrash at the water's surface.
By the pond's edge, Zi Xuan paused briefly, opening the pouch. The faint crease at his brow betrayed a flicker of unease. With no expression, he tilted the elixir gently. The translucent liquid trickled into the pond, dissolving soundlessly into the ripples.
The koi stirred violently, darting in a sudden frenzy. Enjoying the nourishment.
This brat… would he dare to poison me? A silent thought sharpened within him.
Yet his expression smoothed, his lips tightened in the faintest of smiles as he closed the pouch.