At this moment, Lin Wei felt fortunate that she had exercised caution, avoiding prying eyes whenever she left or returned to the Spirit Medicine Peak. Given the vastness of the place, it wouldn't be easy for Lu Yan to track her down.
More importantly, he wouldn't dare make a scene. What if word got out that his wife was an old crone? What if people found out that the mother of his three prodigious sons was nothing but an old hag? He would be disgraced beyond measure.
For the time being, she was safe.
When she arrived at the alchemy room, Liu Xun and his three young apprentices were already waiting for her. Over the past month, their attitude toward Lin Wei had shifted completely; they were far more respectful now.
"Grandma, why did you bring a bundle today?" Zhao Zheng asked, his sharp eyes noticing the pack on her back.
They had known her for quite some time, yet they still didn't even know who she was.
Lin Wei smiled brightly. "Little Liu, since you're all here, I have something I need to tell you."
Liu Xun’s face turned bitter. "Oh, mercy, please spare me, Old Sister..."
*Don't say it. Whatever you do, don't say it.* He didn't want to hear a single word. This old woman was shrouded in mystery, and the way she was packed up to leave suggested she was fleeing some massive trouble. They were just ordinary, unremarkable commoners; they weren't qualified to know such things.
"It’s too late for that. Once you climbed aboard my ship, there was no turning back."
Lin Wei’s smile remained as she revealed her identity. "I am the wife of the Shangyuan Sect Young Sect Master, Lu Yan. That's right—that man who looks like a celestial being is my husband. And those triplets? I gave birth to them, too. It’s just a pity that Lu Yan looks down on me, his original wife, and even those three ingrates refuse to acknowledge me as their mother."
Liu Xun felt like crying. He wanted to cover Lin Wei’s mouth, but it was too late, so he could only press his hands firmly over his own ears. "I can't hear you, I can't hear you, I haven't heard a thing," he muttered to himself.
Jiang Ya and the others looked equally miserable; they had heard every word.
"What are we brewing tonight?" Lin Wei asked, looking at Liu Xun with a cheerful expression.
Liu Xun resigned himself to his fate, letting his hands drop. "Detox pills," he said dejectedly. "Old Sis... no, Old... uh..."
"Just keep calling me Old Sister," Lin Wei said kindly, noticing how the poor fellow was struggling to address her.
Liu Xun: "..."
He regretted everything. If he had known, he never would have been tempted by the prospect of dangerous wealth. Recently, under Lin Wei’s guidance, their alchemy had reached a mid-to-high grade, bringing in a massive fortune. But he never imagined the danger would arrive just as quickly. Riches are often found in danger, but they can be lost there just as easily.
Lin Wei began to refine the medicine. Liu Xun sighed repeatedly at her side, taking his precious bottle out to inspect it, then tucking it back away, only to repeat the process again. Jiang Ya and the other two looked on with envy, yet they were also at a loss. They were curious and skeptical about Lin Wei’s claims, but for some reason, looking at her calm, composed demeanor, they began to feel that she might be telling the truth. After all, a woman as old as she was wouldn't usually be found within the sect.
"Old Sister," Liu Xun said, carefully tucking the bottle away. He stood up and walked over to Lin Wei, addressing her respectfully.
"Have you thought it through?" Lin Wei asked without turning her head.
They were timid; they didn't even dare to harbor ill intent toward her, perhaps fearing she had some hidden means of self-preservation. It didn't matter. As long as they were useful, it was fine.
Liu Xun sighed. "Old Sister, you see, we aren't people of great talent. We’re just hoping to work here for a few years and then go back to the mortal world to make something of ourselves. We never intended to get mixed up with high-ranking figures like you. Truly, this isn't something we can help with."
As the old woman had said, if she was lying, would the Young Sect Master let her live? If she was telling the truth, that would be even more reason for him to kill her. She had a death sentence hanging over her head, but they didn't.
"I remember you saying that every supervisor has the opportunity to recommend a disciple for evaluation every two years. Recommend me. Just make sure I can take the Earth-grade Alchemy Room exam. In return, I will rewrite the formulas for the pills you are already familiar with. Over the next few years, you'll be able to earn enough silver with ease," Lin Wei said, her tone serious and devoid of its earlier playfulness.
Of course, she didn't count on this small alchemy room to hide her forever. What she needed was the status of a legitimate disciple. Back in the Shangyuan Sect, the original owner of her body didn't even have a status or a disciple badge. The Shangyuan Sect wasn't entirely under the thumb of Lu Qingyuan and Lu Yan, so she had no intention of leaving. The Cultivation World was far too complex, and as an elderly woman, her chances of losing her life if she left the sect were even higher.
"Let me think. Just let me think." Liu Xun could see he wouldn't be able to shake off this hot potato, so he had to come up with a valid excuse.
Lin Wei didn't rush him. Smelling the rich aroma of the medicine, she continued to add ingredients. She had realized recently that they couldn't smell the herbs, which made their timing for adding ingredients imprecise—too early or too late would affect the final result. The detox pills took four hours; she had all night.
Once all the herbs were in, Lin Wei pulled out a chicken and said to Jiang Ya, "Little Jiang, fetch me a pot. Grandma hasn't eaten tonight, and I'm starving."
Jiang Ya nodded. "Alright."
There was flint available, so they set up a tripod. Lin Wei put the spirit chicken in to simmer slowly. Once the soup was fragrant, she began to eat.
"Old Sister, if I agree, could you share a bowl of that spirit chicken?" Liu Xun had been deep in thought, but the smell of the meat made his mouth water. He moved to Lin Wei’s side and watched the chicken longingly.
Lin Wei laughed. "Sure, boil another one." She wasn't stingy. If they were willing to help her, what was a little food?
The group finished off two spirit chickens. By then, it was dawn outside. Liu Xun went to open the furnace; dozens of detox pills lay in the white jade tray, which he carefully packed away.
"Old Sister, come with me." Liu Xun personally brought Lin Wei to the supervisor’s quarters to get her settled. It would take time to process her identity, so she would have to endure these humble conditions for a while.
Lin Wei was truly exhausted; she lay down and fell asleep immediately.
Liu Xun stepped out of the courtyard, spotted his three apprentices waiting, and lowered his voice. "Let’s go to the alchemy room. This isn't the place to talk."
Back in the alchemy room, Liu Xun sighed. "No matter what, we've boarded a pirate ship now. Rather than handing her over and provoking her to drag us down with her, it's better to fulfill her request and send her on her way."
"Master, do you think what she said is actually true?" Zhao Zheng still doubted it. One looked eighty or ninety years old, while the other looked like an immortal; their lifespans were worlds apart. Lu Yan, having entered the Nascent Soul stage, had a lifespan of a thousand years.
Jiang Ya and Li Hui were deep in thought, feeling it was all too unbelievable.
Liu Xun nodded solemnly. "It's eighty percent likely to be true. Before I came to the sect, I was a manager of sorts. I've seen all kinds of people over the years, and some carry a unique aura. This old woman possesses exactly that."
Because she was no ordinary person, she was someone they truly could not afford to provoke.