Chapter 48 - 46: Mysterious Pill Master, The Pill Storage Tower’s High Regard

Chapter 48: Chapter 46: Mysterious Pill Master, The Pill Storage Tower’s High Regard

If looks could kill, Jiang Hao would have died countless times by now. The group of young men and women glared viciously at him, looking as though they wanted to swallow him alive.

Looking at Qin Xiangying and the others, even Fusheng felt a headache coming on. "Second Miss, what are you all doing...?"

"Uncle Fu, this has nothing to do with you. This is between us and Qin Fan."

Fusheng had just opened his mouth to speak when a direct descendant of the Qin family abruptly interrupted him. The young man stared coldly at Jiang Hao, his face full of hostility.

Seeing this, Jiang Hao felt quite helpless. However, since he was living under someone else’s roof, he could only brace himself and bow slightly to Qin Xiangying and the others. "Qin Fan greets you all."

"Hmph." Faced with Jiang Hao’s proactive greeting, the young men and women merely snorted coldly. They seemed to view him as the ultimate enemy of the Qin family’s younger generation.

"Qin Fan, don’t think that just because your surname is Qin, you’re truly a part of the Qin family. At the end of the day, you’re just a nobody without a proper status. The Patriarch might have acknowledged you, but that doesn’t mean we accept you."

"If you have any self-awareness, you’d better not step into the Upper Spirit Garden. That is no place for you."

"A wild child of the Qin family at the Creation Realm Third Layer, with a Physical Realm stuck at the seventh layer for seven years—what gives you the right to live in the Upper Spirit Garden?"

"Qin Fan, you just arrived at the Qin family, so you might not know our rules. Historically, only geniuses like Sister Xiangyuan are allowed to live in the Upper Spirit Garden. You don’t belong there."

"If you know what’s good for you, decline the offer to the Patriarch yourself. Moving in will only bring you humiliation."

"Don’t think you can become a rising star of the Qin family just by relying on the Patriarch’s guilt. This is only temporary. Once he realizes you’re nothing special and his guilt fades, you’ll be kicked out anyway."

"Rather than being thrown out later, it’s better for you to give up the courtyard in the Upper Spirit Garden today. Otherwise, being swept out the door in the future will make you an even bigger joke."

They all chimed in one after another, sounding as if they were genuinely thinking of Jiang Hao’s best interests.

Watching these proud sons and daughters of the Qin family, Fusheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. No one knew better than him that No. 7 Courtyard was the only unoccupied residence left in the Upper Spirit Garden, and countless young Cultivators in the family had their eyes on it. Now that Qin Shiming was letting this newly arrived and wholly unremarkable teenager move in, how could the younger generation possibly accept it?

Originally, Fusheng also assumed Jiang Hao didn’t understand what the Qin family’s Upper Spirit Garden represented. He figured that after this confrontation, the boy would back down in the face of difficulties. To his surprise, Jiang Hao was all smiles, showing no intention of retreating. Seeing this, Fusheng secretly shook his head, but he still had to carry out the Patriarch’s orders.

"Second Miss, young masters, and young ladies, please don’t make things difficult for me. This is the Patriarch’s decision. If you block Qin Fan from entering, I won’t be able to explain it to the Patriarch."

Seeing Fusheng use the Patriarch’s name, the expressions of all the Qin family juniors shifted slightly. They were furious but didn’t dare to vent their anger. Fusheng sighed as he looked at Jiang Hao. Clearly, even Fusheng felt that Jiang Hao was unqualified to live in the Upper Spirit Garden.

"Second Miss, please don’t make this hard for me. If the Patriarch finds out you treated Qin Fan like this, he might be furious..." Fusheng spoke again, his face full of pleading.

Only upon hearing her father’s title again did Qin Xiangying snort coldly and reluctantly step aside. Seeing her yield, the rest of the young men and women slowly opened up a path, though their faces were filled with unwillingness.

"He really doesn’t know what’s good for him."

"Let him move in. I want to see how he manages to stay there."

"Don’t worry, I’ve already informed our older brothers inside. It won’t be long before he realizes his place and leaves."

Several direct descendants of the Qin family sneered endlessly, having clearly colluded with the people inside. Trying to claim a spot in the Upper Spirit Garden without the necessary abilities wouldn’t be that easy.

Meanwhile, the moment Jiang Hao stepped into the Upper Spirit Garden, he slightly raised his eyes, revealing a hint of surprise. The Spiritual Qi inside was countless times denser than outside. While it didn’t quite reach the intensity of Qin City’s Level One Cultivation Chamber, it was still dozens of times richer than the outside world.

Perhaps noticing the change in Jiang Hao’s expression, Fusheng subconsciously began to explain. "This is the most spiritually abundant residential area in the Qin family. The entire Upper Spirit Garden is built over a branch of the Spirit Vein beneath Celestial City. Coupled with the operation of the Spirit Lock Array and the Spirit Gathering Array, the Spiritual Qi here is exceptionally rich."

Jiang Hao nodded at his words. Only then did he realize the disparity between the Xingyue City and Celestial City regions. This was merely a branch of the Spirit Vein; it was hard to imagine how terrifying the Spiritual Qi would be around the main vein.

Fusheng introduced the Upper Spirit Garden as he led Jiang Hao further inside. The entire area was lush and green, brimming with vitality. Antique courtyards were arranged in a disorderly yet charming fashion. It was extraordinarily quiet, resembling a private utopia tucked behind the Qin family’s residence. This was indeed the best place for cultivation.

Before long, as the two reached the depths of the Upper Spirit Garden, a beautiful silhouette appeared ahead.

"Uncle Fu, you can step down now. I’ll take Brother Qin Fan to No. 7 Courtyard." Qin Xiangyuan stood under a lush, ten-meter-tall ancient tree, her melodious voice ringing out softly.

Only at this moment did Jiang Hao carefully observe the Qin family’s number one proud daughter. Wearing a pink ribboned dress, she had an oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, bright eyes, and white teeth. She stood gracefully, her skin as fair as jade. Just standing there, she was so beautiful that one hardly dared to look directly at her. In terms of looks, she was another beauty on par with Ye Qingxian and Gu Qingyan, but she possessed an ethereal Immortal Spirit Qi that the former two lacked.

"Brother Qin Fan, follow me," Qin Xiangyuan said with a warm smile.

Seeing this, Jiang Hao didn’t hesitate. He bowed slightly and replied, "Thank you, Little Sister Xiangyuan."

A moment later, Qin Xiangyuan led Jiang Hao into a courtyard. The area was enveloped in Spiritual Qi, featuring elegant pavilions and lofts. It was so large that Jiang Hao’s eyes widened in surprise.

"Brother Qin Fan, this will be your residence from now on. The main room connects to an enclosed Cultivation Chamber where you can cultivate in the future, or you can choose to use the Cultivation Chambers in Qin City.

"By the way, I live in the courtyard right next door. If you need anything, just call for me."

Compared to the direct descendants of the Qin family outside, Qin Xiangyuan’s behavior was like night and day, as if she truly treated Jiang Hao as her own brother. This made Jiang Hao a little unaccustomed. Little did he know that Qin Xiangyuan’s intelligence far exceeded that of the others outside; Jiang Hao had clearly entered her observation period. This girl was much smarter and wiser than he had imagined.

"Brother Qin Fan, let me show you around the layout of the courtyard."

"I’ll have to trouble you then, Little Sister Xiangyuan."

Under Qin Xiangyuan’s guidance, Jiang Hao began to familiarize himself with the surroundings. Little did he know that from several other courtyards, numerous extremely unfriendly gazes were already fixed on him.

Meanwhile, in the inner courtyard of the Qin family, inside the living room of Nalan Feiyan’s residence.

"Feiyan, you have to help me this time. If you don’t, the Pill Storage Tower is finished." The middle-aged man, exuding the air of a merchant, looked at Matriarch Qin with a pleading expression.

Hearing this, Nalan Feiyan furrowed her brows. Looking at her bloodsucking brother, she felt a massive headache coming on. However, she still said with a face full of helplessness, "Lin, I am Matriarch Qin now. You can’t just come to me for everything. Even if Shi Ming doesn’t say anything, the uncles of the Qin family have had complaints for a long time."

"Just this once, Feiyan, just this once. It’s a major client this time. They said that if our family can’t handle this business, they’ll go to the Divine Pill Pavilion from now on."

As the middle-aged man begged bitterly, Nalan Feiyan looked displeased. "You keep saying ’just this once, just this once.’ How many times have you said that?"

"Feiyan, I wouldn’t have come to you if I had any other choice.

"Ever since the branch pavilions of the Divine Pill Pavilion and Miaodan Square established themselves in Celestial City, the small pill workshops in the Celestial City region have been shutting down and closing their doors one after another. You can’t just leave me to die.

"I promise you, this will be the last time. As long as we secure this deal, the other party promised they’ll purchase all their future pills from my Pill Storage Tower.

"That’s a fourth-tier Cultivator clan! If their entire family buys their pills from us, the Pill Storage Tower will be completely revitalized."

Nalan Lin explained continuously. He knew Nalan Feiyan’s difficulties, and if he had any other way, he wouldn’t have come looking for her. Listening to his words, although Nalan Feiyan’s face showed reluctance, she still asked, "Tell me, what do you need this time?"

"Foundation Establishment Pills," Nalan Lin said timidly.

As soon as these words left his mouth, Nalan Feiyan instantly stood up. "Foundation Establishment Pills? Lin, are you crazy? Where am I supposed to get Foundation Establishment Pills for you?"

"Feiyan, you must have a way. The Qin family has a massive business and vast resources; they surely have a few Foundation Establishment Pills. Just consider it a temporary loan. Once I have the stock, I’ll return them to the Qin family."

"Lin, what are you thinking? Those are Foundation Establishment Pills! Although I am Matriarch Qin, the Qin family doesn’t have an Alchemy Master. All the pills in the estate have been accumulated over the years. How could I possibly have the authority to give you such precious pills?"

"Feiyan, please just help me! Help the Nalan family! If the Pill Storage Tower doesn’t get any more business, we’ll have to move out of Celestial City.

"I’m begging you. I’ll even kneel for you."

"Lin—!"

An hour later, at the Pill Storage Tower in Celestial City, Nalan Lin walked inside with a despondent expression.

Nalan Yanyu, who had been waiting inside for a long time, immediately hurried forward, her eyes filled with anticipation. "Father, how did it go? What did Aunt Feiyan say? Did you get the Foundation Establishment Pills?"

Faced with the young woman’s questions, Nalan Lin sighed slowly, looking utterly dispirited. Seeing her father’s demeanor, a flash of disappointment crossed Nalan Yanyu’s beautiful eyes. Although she knew Foundation Establishment Pills weren’t so easily obtained, finding out that even her aunt was helpless still filled her with an unavoidable sense of loss.

Meanwhile, just before nightfall at the Qin family residence in Qin City, Jiang Hao sat in Upper Spirit Garden No. 7 Courtyard. Looking at the Foundation Establishment Pill he had refined during the Pill Master Competition, he made a decision.

He thought to himself that the Qin family had already helped him enough. His future cultivation would require a considerable amount of pills, and he couldn’t just rely on them forever. Furthermore, if he wanted to cultivate in seclusion in Celestial City, he needed a foothold.

With these thoughts in mind, Jiang Hao flicked his hand, releasing a significant amount of the pill’s medicinal power. He forcefully lowered the quality of this top-grade Myriad Phenomena Establishment Pill until it fell below the Myriad Phenomena tier, regressing it into an ordinary Foundation Establishment Pill.

Looking at the pill after its power had been diminished, Jiang Hao gripped it in his palm. He fully circulated his Concealment Art, silently leaving the Qin family residence and hurrying toward Celestial City.