The days following the forest mission were a study in frozen hostility. Wang Jin moved through the sect grounds like a thundercloud, his aura spiking with barely suppressed rage. He ignored Li Yao completely, a silence more threatening than any shouted insult. Lin and Bao gave Li Yao a wide berth, terrified of being caught in the crossfire. Only Mei occasionally met his gaze, her hunter's eyes holding a glint of what might have been respect, or perhaps just clinical curiosity.
Li Yao, meanwhile, worked.
The single Ghost-Fern was his most precious resource. In the secrecy of his room, under the System's meticulous guidance, he began the process of refining the [Soul-Cleansing Elixir]. It was a complex process far beyond the simple balms and powders he had made before, requiring precise temperature control, spiritual infusion, and a series of alchemical seals he had to form with his own Qi.
"[Soul-Cleansing Elixir] refinement: Stage 1 of 7 complete. Purity: 99.8%. Caution: A single misstep in Stage 3 will introduce neurotoxic compounds."
He worked slowly, patiently. This was not a product for the grey market. This was a strategic weapon.
His cultivation, fueled by his own Purified Qi-Gathering Pills, continued its steady climb. He was solidifying his position in the Late Sub-Realm, inching towards the Perfection Sub-Realm where his core would achieve initial body-soul integration. The [Breath of the Primordial Awakening] cycled tirelessly, its efficiency a stark contrast to the clumsy efforts of his peers practicing the [Soaring Cloud Art].
A week after their return, the expected summons came. Not from Wang Jin, but from Elder Wei.
Li Yao stood once more in the quiet side room of the Soaring Cloud Pavilion. Elder Wei sipped his tea, his expression unreadable.
"Number 77. Your performance in the forest mission was... noted. You secured the resources, avoided casualties, and even turned a potential disaster into an opportunity." He set his cup down. "Brother Kang of the inner sect has petitioned me for information regarding a certain... meridian condition. He seems to believe you possess unique insights."
So, Kang had gone straight to the top, trying to verify and control the information. Li Yao had anticipated this.
"Elder Wei," Li Yao began, choosing his words with care. "The condition is real. The solution I hinted at is also real. However, the full formula is complex and requires my personal attention to prepare. It is not a simple recipe that can be written down."
Elder Wei's eyes narrowed slightly. "You are withholding information from the sect?"
"I am ensuring that the treatment is administered correctly," Li Yao corrected gently. "A flawed attempt could permanently cripple Young Master Wang. Would the sect benefit from a crippled disciple from a... supportive local family?"
He was walking a razor's edge. He was implying that the sect's own alchemists might not be up to the task, a grave insult, but framing it as concern for the outcome.
Elder Wei was silent for a long moment. He understood the subtext perfectly. Li Yao was carving out a niche for himself as the sole provider of a critical service. It was audacious. It was also, from a certain perspective, clever.
"The Wang family has been generous to the sect," Elder Wei said finally. "It would be... unfortunate if their heir were to meet with a cultivation accident. You will prepare this... treatment. You will report your progress to me. Discreetly."
It was not quite permission, not quite an order. It was a sanctioned experiment. Li Yao had just been given official, if shadowy, permission to meddle in Wang Jin's destiny.
"Understood, Elder."
The next step was the most dangerous: convincing the patient.
He found Wang Jin in the training grounds, viciously attacking a stone dummy with blasts of air, his Qi fluctuating wildly. The meridian dysfunction was getting worse, aggravated by his turbulent emotions.
"We need to talk," Li Yao said, standing at a safe distance.
Wang Jin didn't even look at him. "I have nothing to say to you, servant."
"Brother Kang has spoken to Elder Wei. They know about your condition. They expect me to fix it."
That got his attention. Wang Jin froze, his fist still embedded in the stone. He turned slowly, his eyes burning. "You told the Elder?!"
"The alternative was Kang controlling the narrative and holding the cure over you like a slave-master's whip," Li Yao said, his voice low and intense. "This way, it's a sect-sanctioned medical treatment. Your father's face is saved. Your future is secured. And the only person you owe is me."
"I owe you NOTHING!" Wang Jin roared, but the fight was draining from him. The reality of his situation was closing in. The Sect and his own body were conspiring against his pride.
"You owe me for not letting you die a fool," Li Yao said, his tone brutally matter-of-fact. He took a small, crystal vial from his robe. Inside, a single drop of iridescent, silver liquid swirled with a light of its own. The completed [Soul-Cleansing Elixir]. "This is the first dose. It will stabilize the spiritual feedback you're feeling when you cycle your Qi past 70% capacity. The pain behind your sternum will fade."
Wang Jin stared at the vial as if it were a venomous snake. Acceptance meant acknowledging his weakness, his dependency on the person he despised most in the world. Rejection meant a slow, inevitable slide towards crippling or death.
His hand trembled as he reached out and snatched the vial. "If this is poison..."
"Then Elder Wei will have me skinned alive," Li Yao finished for him. "It's not poison. It's a chance. Take it tonight during your meditation. The process will be... uncomfortable. But it will work."
He turned and walked away, leaving Wang Jin standing alone in the shattered remains of the stone dummy, clutching the vial that represented his salvation and his humiliation.
That night, as Li Yao meditated, he felt it. A ripple in the ambient Qi from the direction of the male disciple quarters. A spasm of wild energy, followed by a pained cry quickly stifled, and then a slow, gradual calming. A purification.
"Bio-signature monitoring indicates successful initial application of the [Soul-Cleansing Elixir]. Target's meridian instability has been reduced by 22%. Addictive psychological dependency probability: Increasing."
Li Yao allowed himself a small, cold smile in the darkness. He had not just given Wang Jin medicine. He had given him a taste of what it felt like to be free of the constant, grinding pain of his own flawed cultivation. It was a sensation the Young Master would now find impossible to live without.
The treatment was not a one-time cure. It was a regimen. And with each dose, the chains of necessity would tighten, binding Wang Jin to him far more effectively than any vow or threat ever could. The rat was no longer just evading the lion; he was slowly, methodically, putting a collar around its neck. The ascent continued, not through open conflict, but through the subtle, inexorable leverage of knowledge.