"Mother-and-Son Pills? Is there really such a pill?" Luo Jiu was inwardly shocked. As an alchemist, it was the first time he had ever heard of such a thing. He had never even heard rumors of it before.
"Whether you take it or not is entirely up to you. You can choose to swallow it or not," Yu Fan said with a faint smile.
Though he put it that way, if Luo Jiu truly refused to take it, Yu Fan had no intention of letting him leave this place alive today. After all, having witnessed so many of Yu Fan's treasures, Luo Jiu would inevitably stir up endless trouble if he went out and spread the word. If he took the pill, things would be fine; if he didn't, he would die right here today.
Luo Jiu was well aware that Yu Fan's true intentions lay entirely in this final pill. If he refused it, everything that had happened before would vanish into thin air.
Yet, upon second thought, with Yu Fan's help he could become a mighty expert of the Deity Transformation Realm—an achievement he could never hope to reach even if he lived to the end of his days. Following someone else might not necessarily bring as many benefits as following Yu Fan. With that realization, he hesitated no longer.
"Very well!"
Steeling his heart, Luo Jiu swallowed the child pill straight into his mouth.
The pill went down without any unusual sensation, feeling no different from swallowing an ordinary medicinal pill.
The moment Luo Jiu consumed the pill, Yu Fan sensed a connection form between the mother pill and the child pill. All he had to do was crush the mother pill, and the child pill would instantly shatter.
"Once I crush the mother pill, the child pill will shatter instantly, no matter to the ends of the earth you might be. So I advise you to be a good dog and obey. Of course, since you've chosen to follow me, I won't treat you unfairly. I believe you understand that very well," Yu Fan advised once more.
"Rest assured, Master! I will never disappoint your cultivation! I shall obey Master's commands properly."
Where else could one ever hope to find a master so extraordinarily generous, even if one searched far and wide? How utterly deranged would he have to be to even contemplate betrayal? Besides the pills, Yu Fan imparted all the pill formulas and his personal alchemy insights to Luo Jiu. With Luo Jiu here now, the rise of the Yu Family to greatness was merely a matter of time. That way, he could leave with complete peace of mind.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Today, Liu Shuying arrived. This time, Uncle Jiang did not accompany her; Liu Shuying came entirely alone.
"Fan'er, you must listen carefully to Shuying out there. The outside world is not like home. When you caused trouble at home, your father could always clean up your mess, but neither your mother nor your father can protect you out there. You must be extremely careful, stay safe, and not get hurt. Protect yourself well. Don't worry about your father and me; we will take good care of ourselves. Go ahead with a peaceful mind," Bai Ling instructed tearfully.
"Alright, Mother, Father, I understand. Rest assured, it's not like I'm never coming back. Both of you must take good care of yourselves."
"You rascal, you haven't stepped foot on a distant journey for all these years. Just don't end up sneaking back halfway, haha," Yu Cheng teased.
"Uncle Yu, Aunt Yu, please rest assured. With me here, he will only grow better and better. Just trust me," Liu Shuying promised.
After bidding farewell to his parents, Yu Fan stepped onto the journey toward Bihai Academy in Liu Shuying's company.
Behind them, his parents gazed at the tall and slender figures receding into the distance, looking for all the world like a perfectly matched pair. How well-suited they were for each other! Bai Ling leaned against Yu Cheng's shoulder, her heart a complex mix of sorrow and happiness.
What made her happy was that her son was starting a new life of his own, which was far better than staying cooped up with the two of them. Bound to the two of them, he had never once left Qingshan City. Yu Cheng and Bai Ling were always swamped with clan affairs and the textile business outside the clan; when would they ever have time to see the outside world? They were overjoyed that their son had the opportunity to go out and see the world.
Before their own lives ended, they would never be able to leave Qingshan City. They could only pin all their hopes upon their son.
"Disciple, I can see your parents were quite worried about you. Since you've left, they must feel quite reluctant to let you go, and I suppose you feel the same," Liu Shuying said with a gentle smile, her eyes curving into crescents.
[What disciple? You woman really want to be my master, don't you? You don't even look at your own weight and measure—my own strength has long since surpassed yours by a massive margin. You might not even achieve my level of strength in this lifetime, so what on earth could you possibly teach me?]
"I know. After all, I am the child they raised, and I've never left them before this. How could they not worry? But tell me, what on earth do you intend to do by taking me to Bihai Academy?" Yu Fan asked.
"I see that you possess fine natural talent, so I am making an exception to take you as my disciple to help you improve your strength. What? Is there a problem? In any case, your parents entrusted you to me, and I am your master now."
Yu Fan was left entirely speechless.
It was only out of regard for his parents' faces that he hadn't put her in her place already. What was she looking so smug about?
As they rode in the carriage, Yu Fan inadvertently lifted the curtain and caught sight of a carriage traveling in the opposite direction. By this time, they had already left Qingshan City. He glanced briefly at the carriage and felt a flicker of doubt.
[A cultivator at Foundation Establishment Peak heading in the direction of Qingshan City? What could they be going there for? Oh well, never mind. Besides, Luo Jiu's strength has already reached the Late Nascent Soul stage.]
Liu Shuying: "???"
What did you say?! Late Nascent Soul! What kind of joke are you playing? How could that possibly be? Three days! A mere three days! An Early Foundation Establishment cultivator actually became a Late Nascent Soul expert just like that? Is he a monster? He must be joking!
"Late Nascent Soul!" Liu Shuying was inwardly alarmed. She had seen Luo Jiu just three days ago—he was merely at Early Foundation Establishment! Furthermore, a cultivator of his level relied mostly on medicinal pills rather than genuine personal cultivation to build their realm. Reaching the Late Nascent Soul stage could never be achieved by merely piling up pills. Crossing major bottlenecks like the Golden Core and Nascent Soul realms invariably involved heavenly tribulations.
The terror of those tribulations was such that even cultivators with vast combat experience stood a chance of perishing.
Luo Jiu's own combat prowess probably wasn't even enough to defeat someone at the Qi Condensation 5th Layer; how on earth had he reached the Late Nascent Soul stage? Liu Shuying desperately wanted to ask Yu Fan how he had managed it, but upon second thought, the losses would outweigh the gains. If she asked, wouldn't her ability to hear Yu Fan's inner voice be exposed? Unless it was an absolute emergency, she must not let him find out.
Yu Fan's secrets went far beyond this. If her cover was blown now, Yu Fan would certainly keep his distance from her. How would she ever uncover the secrets hidden within him then?
After leaving Qingshan City, Yu Fan frequently gazed out of the carriage window.
Because he had to play the role of a good-for-nothing in the Yu Family every day, during his eighteen years of life he had rarely ever stepped outside the Yu Family estate, let alone leave Qingshan City.
The vast outside world truly could not be compared to a tiny place like Qingshan City.
Yunhe City was said to be even more prosperous than Qingshan City; otherwise, the Liu Family would never have migrated away from Qingshan City. He really wanted to see for himself right now whether it was as wonderful as people said.