Chapter 24: Appeal for Aid

One month later.

Chen Zhao completed the refinement of the Qingming Naling Sword and stored it in his Storage Bag.

His Yellow-Grade Upper-Tier Wind Control Technique had also reached the introductory stage; from now on, he no longer relied on Lightness Talismans.

Over the past month, they gathered every night to exchange intelligence, yet the Fang father and son had never targeted them—this was truly strange.

Chen Zhao checked the Divination charts daily; all showed neutral omens, so he stopped overthinking and began assisting Li Zhiwei in pill refining.

Of course, Sister Li sought his help merely to save time.

They refined only low-grade pills; he could not assist with high-grade ones.

Through this, Chen Zhao learned the Spirit Pill Prescriptions for First-Grade Mid-Tier Yellow Dragon Pill, Return to Spring Powder, and Peiyuan Pill.

Among them, the Yellow Dragon Pill accelerated cultivation, Return to Spring Powder was a high-grade healing remedy, and the Peiyuan Pill fortified the foundation, stabilized cultivation, and strengthened tendons and bones—but at a higher cost.

Chen Zhao wished to refine pills independently, but his Pill Furnace was First-grade Low-tier, so he had no choice but to humbly approach Chen Qingmeng.

Though their positions differed, the other did not mind; he took sixty Low-grade Spirit Stones and upgraded Chen Zhao's Pill Furnace.

That noon, Li Zhiwei handed him a wooden Token, saying there would be a Pill Master exchange meeting at Dan Tang the next day, and he could attend as an observer.

For peer exchange, Chen Zhao naturally intended to go; his Nine-Turn Spirit-Control Art was still incomplete and needed broader learning.

Moreover, he wanted to build good relations with some senior brothers and sisters, so he wouldn't be isolated and unsupported after promotion.

"If our strengths were equal, I might still escape the game—but someone high-level is orchestrating this, and my current cultivation is far too weak."

Chen Zhao returned to his Cave Abode, swallowed a Yellow Dragon Pill, and sat in meditation to cultivate.

The Yellow Dragon Pill alone cost as much as a bottle of Qi Gathering Powder and was notoriously difficult to refine; Chen Zhao spent a month just achieving a thirty percent success rate.

Still, this pill was popular among Outer Sect Disciples; sales were never a concern.

"Once the success rate improves, I'll try the more expensive Peiyuan Pill."

Chen Zhao mused inwardly.

Not long after.

Su Xin and Su Wanyao arrived at the Cave Abode.

Chen Zhao looked up.

Su Wanyao was no longer her usual energetic self; she was completely drained.

No wonder—whether it was a Foundation Establishment Elder stepping in, or even just Fang Zijing, a Qi Refining tenth-layer young master, was more than enough to crush her.

According to her investigation.

His name was Fang Zijing, sixteen years old, who had been exceptionally promoted to the Inner Sect at Qi Refining eighth-layer, and would enter True Disciple status upon reaching Foundation Establishment.

Besides his powerful connections, his abilities were no small matter.

As for what conditions he had offered Su Muqing, she had not uncovered them.

And as for the five of them.

They were punished with two years' salary for failing to properly investigate the Robber Cultivators and the anomalies at Fulong Mountain.

Su Wanyao's reputation had plummeted; she lost many old allies and was now buried in trivial duties, leaving no time for cultivation.

Although Elder Fang had also lost his right to assign the next mission, he remained high-ranking and powerful; had he not been cautious, he would have long since made them vanish without a trace.

"What if I write a sealed family letter, asking our branch to withdraw from the Su Family, preserve our strength, and wait to rise again?"

Su Wanyao fell silent for a long time, then spoke words that shocked him.

Perhaps she had secretly cried; her eyes were swollen and red, her former allure faded by seventy percent, leaving only a fragile, pitiable appearance.

Chen Zhao paused briefly, then said slowly:

"It sounds plausible, but rising again will be difficult."

Aside from being a resource holder, Su Wanyao was also a key insider to this scheme; even if not exterminated, she would never be allowed to develop peacefully.

And if she withdrew from the Su Family, her access to resources would plummet drastically, and Liu Chen and Su Xin would also be dragged down.

More crucially,

Fang Zijing had not openly turned hostile—first, he feared Li Zhiwei's interference; second, he did not wish to clash directly with the Su Ancestor, as that would hinder his infiltration and influence.

And Elder Fang's refusal to act personally proves he is watching, keeping an escape route open.

"Once you lose the Su Family's backing, Elder Fang will openly place his bet—won't that make it easy for him to control you?"

"If you withdraw two years from now, they'll exterminate you. If you withdraw now, will they let you develop freely?"

Chen Zhao cut straight to the point.

Of course, he held back more.

He wanted Su Wanyao's branch to divert the Fang father and son's attention, giving him enough time to develop.

If necessary, he could secretly assist her to maintain balance.

Upon hearing this, Su Wanyao's face twisted in conflict, but she nodded.

"Now we're grasshoppers tied to the same rope; we'll need each other's support in the future. Also, I'll send someone to deliver a family secret letter, informing the Su Ancestor to aid us covertly."

Good—she was willing to resist.

Chen Zhao breathed a sigh of relief.

He didn't want trouble, but that didn't mean he'd swallow his pride.

This grudge must be repaid with interest—and the reckoning must begin from the day this list is finalized.

Meanwhile,

The Discipline Hall sent word.

Another team had entered the mountains; all members were Outer Disciples, sent to investigate the anomalies at Fulong Mountain.

Chen Zhao was greatly surprised upon hearing this.

He had assumed the Fulong Mountain anomalies were merely an excuse—but now it seemed they were real.

He remembered the torn map, silently summoned the Divination Tube, and cast a Divination, discovering a definite connection.

But the map was damaged, making it impossible to pinpoint the exact location.

Moreover, his cultivation was still shallow; the middle layers housed numerous Rank-One Intermediate beast beasts, and going there himself would only mean facing their bared fangs.

After sharing their intelligence, they wished each other well.

Liu Chen distributed a Gold Blade Talisman to each person, and Chen Zhao also gave out three Huanglong Pills.

After parting ways.

Chen Zhao sat alone on a meditation cushion, practicing the Nourishing Life Art.

Liu Chen had only just recovered yesterday; after listening to Xin Tong recount the events, he couldn't help but purse his lips and ask curiously:

"You killed Zhao Dehai?"

"Yes."

Upon hearing this, Liu Chen's expression darkened considerably.

He hadn't expected the gap between himself and Chen Zhao to be so vast.

Zhao Dehai had beaten him into misery, yet he died at Chen Zhao's hands.

It's already difficult to win against an opponent of the same cultivation level, let alone slay one across a smaller realm gap.

Chen Zhao paused, then quickly added:

"Thanks to your Gold Blade Talisman severely wounding him, I combined it with the pills and barely managed to kill him."

What he said was true.

If Zhao Dehai had been at full strength, aided by the Qingming Naling Sword, Chen Zhao truly wouldn't have been able to defeat him.

So it was the pills...

Liu Chen's expression improved slightly.

After a moment's thought, he proposed:

"Since Brother Chen's pills are so powerful, and given the current threat looming over us..."

"I have an idea: let's establish a Juxian Pavilion. I'll be the Pavilion Master, you the Deputy Pavilion Master, attracting Cultivators and Registered Disciples to trade goods here—we can take a commission and exchange resources."

Chen Zhao listened.

He was indeed tempted.

Taking a commission, profiting from both sides—the profits would be substantial.

Yet, it's easy to share hardship but hard to share wealth; he didn't want new troubles arising from unequal profit splits.

"I'd rather not be Deputy Pavilion Master—I lack the strength and can't shoulder such responsibility—but I can help you draw people in and support the business."

Where there's trade, there's interaction; where there's human connection, Chen Zhao wouldn't let this opportunity slip.

Besides, with his Divination Tube, he might even find hidden bargains.

But Liu Chen's earnestness was hard to refuse, so Chen Zhao agreed to take only one percent of the profits.

He would offer strategy, brew pills when necessary, and bear no responsibility if anything went wrong.

Seeing Chen Zhao accept the benefits,

Liu Chen finally felt at ease.

Disciples most lack pills; with a Pill Master drawing people in, business should no longer be a concern.

The two discussed the pavilion's details until late into the night.

Following Chen Zhao's advice, Liu Chen decided to first test the waters within the Tiankui Sect, waiving the commission for now.

He would also invite Su Wanyao and bring along a few old comrades to maintain order.

Their target customers: Registered Disciples with some spare Spirit Stones who urgently wanted to boost their combat power, and lower-cultivation Outer Sect Disciples.

The two set up a signboard and a few small stalls before their Cave Abode.

They worked tirelessly until midnight.

【Divination has refreshed】

【Today's Divination·Minor Fortune】: Suitable for opening the furnace; resolving the Divination requires five Low-grade Spirit Stones.