Spiritual mists ascended, and the omen of the pill soared into the sky.
Su Xiaoqing’s body emitted waves of a wondrous, refreshing fragrance that gladdened the heart and refreshed the spirit. Pill vapors swirled around her, flowing through her meridians and rendering her skin as translucent as mutton-fat jade. It was as if she were no longer a living being, but a miraculous, human-shaped medicine.
"I feel like..."
Su Xiaoqing stared at her surroundings in shock; she could actually see tiny particles drifting in the air. She could even hear the sound of mosquitoes beating their wings outside the house with perfect clarity. At the same time, the pill omen faded, and her body returned to its ordinary state, losing that supernatural radiance.
"The Dragon Transformation Pill possesses a heaven-defying, terrifying medicinal power—it can even elevate a person to sainthood." Even though Li Ruoyun had studied pharmacopeias since childhood, she was too stunned to close her mouth. Such a miraculous medicine was a rarity, even in the blessed lands of the immortals.
The heavy weight on Lin Fan’s heart finally lifted. His only regret was that he hadn't been able to fully suppress the pill omen, which had ultimately alerted the Su Family. He said with a look of heartache, "Silly girl, that scar on your brow can be healed entirely with just a single 'Beauty-Preserving Pill'."
"A Beauty-Preserving Pill!" Li Ruoyun was shocked yet again upon hearing this. Though not as potent as a Dragon Transformation Pill, a Beauty-Preserving Pill was still far superior to Qi Refining Liquid. The kind of person capable of refining such a pill was a terrifying existence in the Void Refinement Realm.
Lin Fan confirmed, "You are the one chosen by Great Master Pharmacist Ning; he will refine a Beauty-Preserving Pill for you."
"Would it... be too much trouble for Senior Ning?" Su Xiaoqing asked in a small, timid voice.
Lin Fan took her hand and said, "Refining a Beauty-Preserving Pill is nothing to Senior Ning."
All women desire beauty; Su Xiaoqing finally broke into a smile. However, a look of skepticism soon crossed her face: "Then why did Lu Fan say Senior Ning is a fraud?"
Lin Fan cast a slow glance at Li Ruoyun. He knew that for this question, Li Ruoyun’s answer would be more convincing.
Li Ruoyun’s expression turned desolate. "Mostly, it is out of... jealousy."
Lin Fan found himself seeing Li Ruoyun in a new light. Suddenly, his expression shifted. "We cannot let anyone know that it was Xiaoqing who took the Dragon Transformation Pill."
"The pill omen covered the entire Su Family; many people saw it with their own eyes. It isn't something you can just hide if you want to." Li Ruoyun understood better than anyone how extraordinary Su Xiaoqing had become after consuming the Dragon Transformation Pill.
Just then, shouts drifted in from outside.
"The City Lord’s son, the Su Family’s manifestation of holiness!"
"The True Dragon of the Chen Family, the heaven-chosen son!"
Lin Fan frowned. "Chen Tiange again?"
"I had forgotten that Chen Tiange was also at the Su Family’s estate. A heaven-chosen True Dragon? Does he even deserve the title?" Li Ruoyun pouted and hummed in annoyance.
Lin Fan stroked his chin. "Since everyone says he is the heaven-chosen True Dragon, then so be it."
Su Xiaoqing couldn't help but burst into a giggle. It was clear that Lin Fan intended to make Chen Tiange the "scapegoat." Even Li Ruoyun nodded repeatedly; this was a burden only Chen Tiange could carry. Only Lin Fan knew in his heart that this was not the first time Chen Tiange had played the part of a scapegoat.
"Yo, greetings, Miss Li." Zhao Yingrong approached them with a beaming smile, ignoring Lin Fan completely and nodding politely to Li Ruoyun. Behind her were warriors from the Yang Family. It was clear that the time for Su Xiaoqing’s marriage was drawing near.
"Xiaoqing, I have come personally to send you off to your wedding." The smugness in her eyes was undisguised.
Lin Fan had never seen anyone so shameless, heartless, and cruel. Earlier, Li Ruoyun had mentioned why the Su Family was in such a rush to marry Su Xiaoqing into the Yang Family. Zhao Yingrong’s son, Su Ming, was the eldest son of the family, and Su Yuanshan spoiled him excessively. Consequently, Su Ming had grown up arrogant and overbearing, constantly stirring up trouble. A month ago, he had wounded the young master of the Yang Family, causing a massive disaster. Su Ming had fled the city in the middle of the night to avoid the consequences, and the Su Family had paid a heavy sum in compensation, fortunate that the injury had been minor. But the incident had caused a complete falling out between the two families, and rumors persisted that the young Yang master was still hunting Su Ming for revenge.
A mother and son share one heart. To completely resolve the matter, Zhao Yingrong had meticulously planned to marry Su Xiaoqing off to Fifth Master Yang, hoping to use her as a buffer to extinguish the Yang Family’s fury. Furthermore, it killed two birds with one stone: once married into the Yang Family, Su Xiaoqing would be one of them, and everything the Su Family owned would then belong to Su Ming and Su Xi.
"Miss Li, my daughter will be holding her engagement ceremony with the True Dragon of the Chen Family soon. You must be sure to attend." Zhao Yingrong smiled at Li Ruoyun, her expression rich with meaning. Li Ruoyun’s face turned cold on the spot.
"Madam Zhao, hurry it up." A burly man with dark skin and dressed in a tight martial outfit stepped out from among the Yang Family warriors. He was a rugged man with sharp, dark eyes.
"Right away, right away!" Zhao Yingrong, a total smiling tiger, turned and piled on the smiles for the man in the black robe.
Lin Fan looked straight at him and said, "Take a message to Yang Xiong: the agreement for me to face the Yang Family on the Life-and-Death Stage remains in effect."
"A live-in son-in-law of the Su Family, born of the noble Imperial Clan... Lin Fan, if I recall correctly, you have no relationship with the Su Family anymore." The man in the black robe showed no emotion; his eyes were as still as stagnant water.
Su Xiaoqing leaned in close to Lin Fan and whispered, "His name is Yang Tai. He is one of the Yang Family’s internal guards and is at the 9th Layer of Qi Refining. He is the one representing the Yang Family on the Life-and-Death Stage."
The corner of Lin Fan’s mouth curled upward; this was too much of a coincidence.
"Pah! You trash, get lost as far as you can!" Zhao Yingrong did not want Lin Fan ruining her plans. She snatched a whip from one of the servants, just as she did whenever she beat them, and swung it directly at Lin Fan.
But Lin Fan was no "servant." His expression tightened, and the whip suddenly twisted mid-air in a bizarre fashion before rebounding back toward Zhao Yingrong. The whip struck her left arm solidly, causing her to shriek like a slaughtered pig. The servants were at a loss, though some secretly rejoiced; they had suffered plenty of lashes from that same whip.
At that moment, Su Yuanshan happened to arrive and was shocked by the scene.
Yang Tai was enraged. "Is the Su Family going to marry her off or not?"
"We will," Su Yuanshan replied, though clearly against his will.
"That’s more like it. This betrothal was something the Su Family begged my Yang Family for," Yang Tai sneered. "Su Xiaoqing is a second-hand woman, no better than used goods. The Su Family should be burning incense in gratitude that she can even enter the Yang Family."
Upon hearing this, the color drained from Su Yuanshan’s face. Every member of the Su Family present wore an expression of indignation.
"Lin Fan, you actually dare to attack me! Ha!" A figure lunged at Lin Fan. Yang Tai laughed, unleashing his profound energy.
*Boom!*
Lin Fan struck out in a fury, his fist meeting Yang Tai’s.
"5th Layer of Qi Refining—you are too weak," Yang Tai sneered, suddenly exerting his full strength. He clawed out with his five fingers, and all the warped air around them transformed into claw prints pressing down on Lin Fan.
"Be careful!" Su Xiaoqing felt as if she were suffocating from the tension. Everyone believed Lin Fan was certain to lose!
But to their amazement, the palm prints that struck Lin Fan all crumbled into ash. Yang Tai recoiled in terror, his arm stained with flames and billowing black smoke, the air filled with the smell of scorched flesh.
"A protective divine ability!" His face twisted in pain.
The scene fell into a silence so profound one could hear a pin drop. Even the wailing Zhao Yingrong slowly closed her mouth.
*So that’s it,* Li Ruoyun realized. *Qi refiners cannot possess divine abilities. There is only one possibility: this is a protective fire talisman refined by an expert. It must be Great Master Pharmacist Ning!*
"Nothing good ever comes out of a dog's mouth. You deserve a beating." Lin Fan raised his palm and struck Yang Tai.
Yang Tai’s entire right hand was burned down to the bloody bone, the pain so excruciating that he lacked the strength to strike back.
*Slap!* The sound of the blow was like a divine thunderclap, stunning everyone’s hearts.
*Slap!* Lin Fan’s palm landed on Yang Tai’s face once more with fury. Just two strikes were enough to knock Yang Tai unconscious on the spot.
"Tell Yang Xiong: I! Will! Not! Marry! Off! My daughter!" Su Yuanshan, unable to contain his rage any longer, pointed at the Yang Family and roared. It was a rare moment of backbone. As a father, how could he tolerate outsiders insulting his daughter to her face?