Chapter 13
Vitality Restoration Elixir
Bai Fanxian's answer truly surprised Tang Xiuhan. He continued asking with uncertainty:
"You really want a house, Lady Bai?"
"Mm...if possible, I'd like somewhere quiet." Bai Fanxian elaborated.
"So what about my request?"
"I accept. Just let me know the time and date later." Bai Fanxian answered calmly, lifting her teacup to sip elegantly after that statement.
Bai Fanxian's agreement delighted Tang Xiuhan. He even stood up and bowed his head to thank Bai Fanxian repeatedly.
"Thank you so much, Lady Bai! Thank you so much!"
Tang Xiuhan's actions startled Uncle Huang. He looked at the young woman in front of him differently now.
Uncle Huang used the opportunity while refilling Bai Fanxian's tea. He circulated qi in his body. His Heaven Sense swept into the young woman's body, wanting to confirm she was also a cultivator.
Heaven Sense functioned like radar. If developed far enough, it could measure the level of qi in another person's body—just like Bai Fanxian often did. Uncle Huang was an experienced cultivator. He could naturally use this ability as well.
He couldn't sense qi in the young woman's body at all. Bai Fanxian was like an ordinary young woman with only a healthy body.
He was completely confused.
"...Are you satisfied with your examination?"
Bai Fanxian suddenly asked, lifting her teacup to sip calmly. That question made Uncle Huang startle in shock.
A possibility occurred to him.
"What's that, Lady Bai?" Tang Xiuhan sitting across asked in confusion. He only saw Uncle Huang suddenly act startled.
"You have a good follower," Bai Fanxian said to Tang Xiuhan.
"I apologize for the intrusion! Grandmaster Bai!" Uncle Huang stepped forward and bowed his head almost parallel to the floor. His face turned pale.
"Uncle Huang, what happened?"
Uncle Huang glanced at Bai Fanxian. When he saw her nod lightly, he raised his head and explained to Tang Xiuhan.
"Master...I needed to be certain, so I used Heaven Sense to intrude and assess Grandmaster Bai's power." Uncle Huang explained with a bitter smile.
Uncle Huang's answer surprised Tang Xiuhan.
Even though he only had Qi Gathering level power, since he was the Tang clan master, he had heard about or learned of Heaven Sense abilities.
He knew Uncle Huang was extremely skilled with Heaven Sense. He could assess people who came to meet the Tang clan quite accurately. He could do it without the target knowing. His ability in this area surpassed even his father who was Martial Master 6th stage.
"But I couldn't sense qi in Grandmaster Bai's body at all." Uncle Huang continued.
"The first possibility is that you're just an ordinary person, not a cultivator."
"The other possibility? Your power level is so much higher than mine that I can't even sense a fraction of your power."
When Uncle Huang finished speaking, he looked at Bai Fanxian nervously.
"And what do you think?"
The young woman asked calmly, as if the matter didn't concern her. She spun the teacup in her hand playfully, seeming to just kill time.
"From your answer, I already know..."
Uncle Huang bowed his head to apologize again. Tang Xiuhan wouldn't let his person take responsibility alone. He quickly stepped forward to apologize himself as well.
"I apologize on behalf of my people once more, Lady Bai. No—Grandmaster Bai."
Tang Xiuhan changed how he addressed Bai Fanxian to show greater respect than before. But Bai Fanxian just shook her head lightly and said:
"You can call me the same as before."
Bai Fanxian's words relieved Tang Xiuhan. She didn't think much of it and wasn't holding a grudge.
"Thank you so much, Lady Bai!"
"Thank you for not taking offense, Grandmaster Bai."
Both master and servant spoke simultaneously.
The atmosphere in the room relaxed again. After a while, a servant came in to announce that dinner was ready.
The young master of the house, Tang Xiuhan's eldest son, had also returned.
They moved to the dining room. There was a long table set up properly. Servants brought various dishes until the table was full.
Hui'er, standing behind Bai Fanxian, looked at those dishes with sparkling eyes. Even though the little girl had just eaten lots of snacks, she still wasn't full.
Having been hungry before, she understood how precious food was.
At the dining table, Bai Fanxian sat on one side with Hui'er beside her. Across from them were Tang Xiuhan and his wife. Two more seats remained empty.
"Where did Letong go?"
Tang Xiuhan asked in surprise.
"Dad, Mom, I'm back." Before Tang Xiuhan could finish speaking, a young man walked into the dining room. He was Tang Letong, the Tang clan young master, currently 20 years old.
"I went to check on little sister, and also dropped off the medicine Grandpa just finished refining."
"Oh? How's Yeye doing?"
"She looked better. She was relaxed and energetic. She's resting now."
"Good! After we finish eating, your mother and I will go check on her."
When Tang Letong finished reporting, he sat down. He froze because in front of him was an adorable little girl staring at him curiously.
And beside her was a beautiful woman more stunning than any woman he'd ever met, sitting calmly. He'd previously met Song Ruixi, who was equally beautiful. But compared to the woman in front of him, he was certain Song Ruixi couldn't compare.
When their eyes met, Tang Letong felt his heart pounding like never before.
"I'll introduce you. This young lady is Lady Bai Fanxian, or Grandmaster Bai. She's my guest today. You absolutely must not be rude to her."
Tang Xiuhan spoke with a smile.
"H-hello!"
Tang Letong greeted her stammering. He didn't dare meet Bai Fanxian's eyes again, so he quickly sat down. Even the word "Grandmaster" his father spoke didn't register at all.
"Hello."
Bai Fanxian nodded and greeted simply.
Hui'er's little stomach rumbled softly without the little girl realizing. Her eyes were fixed on the food in front of her.
She didn't dare start eating before others began or her lady gave permission. She could only stare at the food while quietly swallowing her saliva.
The atmosphere at the table relaxed considerably. Tang Xiuhan laughed loudly with his wife Tang Xinlan covering her mouth and laughing softly beside him.
"Haha, it's my fault for rambling on. Everyone please start eating. Lady Bai, please help yourself."
When Tang Xiuhan said that, everyone began eating. Uncle Huang served what was lacking flawlessly.
"Letong, how's your grandfather? Any progress?"
Tang Letong, who was watching Bai Fanxian, was asked by his father and startled. When it became serious business, however, he seemed to become a different person.
"Grandpa refined the Vitality Restoration Elixir himself today. Little sister's improvement earlier was because of it." He spoke with a hint of pride.
"Vitality Restoration Elixir? Did he successfully develop its formula?" Tang Xiuhan, hearing his son's statement, asked excitedly.
"Yes. Part of it was because of Yeye. Grandpa devoted most of his time to studying this pill. This evening, after successful experiments on people, he rushed me back to try it on Yeye first."
"So the medicine you mentioned earlier was?"
"Yes. After I gave little sister the Vitality Restoration Elixir, her complexion improved a lot soon after. So I let her rest." Tang Letong smiled happily while telling his parents.
"Good, good! And your grandfather knows already, right?"
"Yes, I called and told him. Grandpa is rushing to finish his work. He'll be back soon."
Bai Fanxian sat listening to the Tang clan chat at the dinner table quietly. She ate a little of the grilled steak with its fragrant aroma. Someone of her level could go a long time without eating food. When the young man mentioned the Vitality Restoration Elixir, it caught her interest.
As an Alchemy Empress, she naturally knew the Vitality Restoration Elixir. It was a level 3 pill comparable to Martial Master level cultivators. From what she heard, Tang Tianjie at Martial Master 6th stage being able to refine it was quite commendable.
Alchemy couldn't be compared to cultivation.
It was just that something in the conversation earlier bothered her.
"So you refined Vitality Restoration Elixir?"
Tang Xiuhan looked at Bai Fanxian in surprise and asked:
"You know Vitality Restoration Elixir too, Lady Bai?"
"Mm."
Bai Fanxian nodded calmly. She lifted her teacup to sip lightly with her usual graceful manner.
"As expected of you, Lady Bai. To even know about a pill with incomplete historical records like that."
Tang Xiuhan praised sincerely. This Vitality Restoration Elixir wasn't a big deal or secret. It was discovered in ancient records and made public to cultivators in general. So he could discuss it freely, even letting an outsider like Bai Fanxian listen.
If she was truly interested, that would be even better. He could give some of that pill as additional compensation.
The problem was that the Vitality Restoration Elixir's records were partially damaged and incomplete. That's why alchemists in this era considered it a challenge and wanted to solve its mystery.
Tang Tianjie, the Tang clan head, was one of them.
At first he was only slightly interested in it. In recent years, his youngest granddaughter fell ill. Her body was in a weak state almost constantly. He tried using many pills the Tang clan had or could refine. Nothing worked. Finally he placed his hope in this pill called "Vitality Restoration."
And he finally succeeded.
The Vitality Restoration Elixir lived up to its name. It could really restore lost vitality to the user. It was just that the "source" of the power it drew to give—that was the problem.
"You used it on your weak little sister?" Bai Fanxian asked Tang Letong.
The young man who was suddenly asked became shy again. He didn't expect to attract her attention—even though it was his grandfather who refined it, not him.
So he answered Bai Fanxian, stammering.
"Y-yes, Lady Bai. I just gave it to my sister before coming down to the dining room."
"Hmm...?" Bai Fanxian set down her teacup gently.
She raised her face to meet Tang Letong's eyes, making the young man feel his heart pounding loudly.
"...Do you want your sister to die?"