Pretty Butterfly still looked doubtful.
Du Heng glanced at her. “It’s an ancient poison pill. Most of its medicinal potency has already faded, but several of the ingredients inside have long since gone extinct.”
“If you want someone to refine an antidote on the spot, you’ll need one of two people—the Pill King of Fire Cauldron Sect or Nanzhou’s holy shaman healer.”
Pretty Butterfly’s eyes darted away. “Th-Then will this laxative really work?”
“Relax.” Du Heng sighed. “What a waste of that poison pill.”
Pretty Butterfly rolled her eyes. “Just wait. I’ll go feed it to him. If it doesn’t work...”
She made a threatening gesture.
Du Heng shook his head in amusement. Once she had left and the yellow-haired fox tactfully withdrew as well, he finally turned to the two of them.
“So I really did end up meeting you.” Yu Qingtang breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed the Heavenly Dao had indeed been working behind the scenes.
“We had no fate tying us together. It all came down to him getting poisoned.” A faint smile appeared on Du Heng’s face. “I saw Pleasure Sect’s ‘wanted notice’ and was just about to flee. If that young lady hadn’t caught me, I would already have left the city.”
Yu Qingtang’s eyes widened in shock. “Why were you running?”
“I was supposed to visit Pleasure Sect in the first place.” Du Heng sighed. “But no one was supposed to know I had come.”
“The notice was so specific that I thought Pleasure Sect was warning me to escape because someone from Fire Cauldron Sect was waiting here to catch me.”
Yu Qingtang: “...”
“Go on, then.” Du Heng smiled at them. “Why were you looking for me? And how did you become involved with Pleasure Sect?”
The news that Ye Chenyan had become the new Demonic Sovereign and the new sect master of Pleasure Sect was still known only within Nanzhou. It had not yet spread to the other provinces.
Yu Qingtang cleared his throat and pointed at him. “This is—”
Amusement flashed through Ye Chenyan’s eyes. “You’re not about to recite every one of my titles again, are you?”
He looked at Du Heng. “You’re still searching for someone to save the old Pill King. You were already planning to visit Pleasure Sect... Were you hoping the demon race would help you rescue him?”
“When the demon race moved into Nanzhou, they promised not to interfere in the affairs of the other provinces.” Du Heng shook his head slightly. “They cannot help me. I came for another matter.”
Ye Chenyan got straight to the point. “What matter?”
Du Heng stared at him without answering immediately.
The two held each other’s gaze, both seemingly weighing their options.
Yu Qingtang looked anxiously from one to the other, wishing he could seize them by their collars and remind them—
You’re on the same side! Stop testing each other! Hurry up, become friends, and work together against the enemy!
Du Heng closed his eyes briefly. Perhaps remembering that Ye Chenyan had once helped pass his message to Tianji Zi, he finally spoke.
“Before my master entered seclusion, he was already in poor condition. His mind was restless.”
“So he entrusted something to me and told me that if he still had not awakened by the appointed time, I was to take it to Pleasure Sect in Nanzhou and fulfill an agreement on his behalf.”
Ye Chenyan’s expression shifted slightly. “Was that thing a pill?”
Du Heng gently shook his head. “Something close to one.”
He fixed Ye Chenyan with a look. “I have answered your question. You should answer something in return.”
Ye Chenyan placed the Pleasure Sect master’s seal before him. “Pleasure Sect wanted that pill for me. Are you truly not here to deliver it?”
Du Heng narrowed his eyes. “You are Pleasure Sect’s sect master? Pleasure Sect is part of the demon race, and they acknowledge only the Demonic Sovereign as their master. That is why the seventy-two divisions have always governed themselves independently. You are...”
His thoughts raced, and realization dawned.
“...I see.”
“Then what I brought truly was prepared for you.”
He shook his head lightly. “But what I brought is not a pill. It is a pill formula.”
“A pill formula?” Ye Chenyan raised an eyebrow. “That is far more valuable than a pill.”
Du Heng laughed. “It is certainly precious. My master personally developed this new formula. It would be enough to make pill cultivators throughout the world flock to obtain it.”
“But in terms of practical use, you are the only person beneath heaven who can benefit from this pill. It would be useless in anyone else’s hands.”
Ye Chenyan raised an eyebrow. “With the formula, can the pill be refined?”
“Not necessarily.” Du Heng looked up. “Skill still matters. Otherwise, there would be no distinction between capable and incompetent pill cultivators.”
“At minimum, it requires a third-rank pill cultivator.”
Yu Qingtang asked, “Can you refine it?”
Du Heng chuckled. “If you trust me, of course I can. However...”
Ye Chenyan raised an eyebrow. “However, we must help you rescue the old Pill King?”
“Now that you are the sect master of Pleasure Sect, naturally it would be best if you were willing to help me save him.” Du Heng lifted his gaze. “But whether you help or not, my master ordered me to give you this formula, so I must hand it over.”
“There are only two rare ingredients still missing—Hundred-Flavors Leaf and Mortal Realm Bitter Coptis.”
He sighed. “Had I known this pill was meant for you, I would have swindled more spirit stones out of you back then.”
“Ever since I was expelled from Fire Cauldron Sect, I have spent nearly my entire fortune gathering the ingredients for this formula...”
“Ahem.” Ye Chenyan cleared his throat and suddenly asked, “Does Fire Cauldron Sect possess those two ingredients?”
Du Heng glanced sideways at him, immediately understanding his meaning. He chuckled. “Naturally.”
“Pill cultivators vary in skill, and so does the quality of the pills they refine. In my opinion, the pills refined by my master are still the finest.”
“Brother Ye, gather some people and accompany me to Fire Cauldron Sect?”
“Easy enough.” Ye Chenyan laughed. “We’ll go on ahead.”
Du Heng narrowed his eyes.
Ye Chenyan spoke with perfect confidence. “You cannot seriously expect me to lead Pleasure Sect in an open assault on Fire Cauldron Sect. I am not merely a member of Pleasure Sect. I am also a disciple of Guiyi Sect. That would cause an enormous mess.”
Du Heng laughed softly. “You do not strike me as someone afraid of trouble.”
“But that works for me. I never intended to enter openly either... In half a month, Fire Cauldron Sect will open its gates to recruit disciples. Besides young seedlings with dual fire-and-wood spiritual roots, they will also accept talented wandering pill cultivators willing to join the sect.”
“I intend to disguise myself as a pill cultivator and infiltrate the sect. I originally planned to enter Great Wilderness Mountain and gather medicinal herbs, but since the sect master of Pleasure Sect is here, how about sponsoring me?”
“All right.” Ye Chenyan nodded. “We found a group of Fire Cauldron Sect disciples who purchase medicinal herbs from the demonfolk. We plan to follow them first and find a way to infiltrate later.”
“That is another viable route.” Du Heng’s gaze sharpened slightly as his fingers tapped the tabletop. “Forgive the question, but among those Fire Cauldron Sect disciples, is there someone named Sanqi?”
Ye Chenyan was just about to answer when another knock sounded at the door.
The yellow-haired fox called from outside, “Oh, someone else is here.”
She complained, “Could you stop treating my Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion like some ordinary meeting place? I still have a business to run.”
Yu Qingtang opened the door and saw Scholar Xiao standing outside. He quickly thanked the yellow-haired fox. “Thank you, beautiful sister! You’re definitely going to make a fortune today!”
The yellow-haired fox’s expression eased slightly. “Little fool, your flattery is painfully obvious. Were it not for that pretty face of yours, you would never coax anyone with it.”
The neighboring door burst open with a bang.
Pretty Butterfly stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips. “Yes, yes, I was the one who poisoned you half to death! I’m vicious and cruel, with the heart of a snake and scorpion. Since you’re such an ungrateful little monk, naturally I must teach you a proper lesson.”
“Just wait. Today is only the beginning. In the future, I’ll make you taste all eighteen varieties of poison!”
“Oh dear.” The yellow-haired fox rubbed her temples with a headache.
Pretty Butterfly shouted angrily at him, “Crawl to the latrine yourself!”
Then she spun around and stormed into their room.
The yellow-haired fox sighed and signaled to the people downstairs, telling them to look after Baoshan. Only then did she stroll into the room and examine Pretty Butterfly.
“Angry again?”
Pretty Butterfly turned her head away. “I’m never dealing with that stinking monk again!”
The yellow-haired fox rolled her eyes. “All right, all right. I’ll comfort you.”
She placed a hand on the sash at her waist and slowly began to loosen it, every movement languid and seductive.
“Wait! Why are you undoing your sash?” Yu Qingtang cried in alarm.
He and Scholar Xiao both retreated two steps. With a snap, Scholar Xiao opened his folding fan and held it before both their faces.
“Miss! You mustn’t!”
The yellow-haired fox ignored them.
She pulled open her robe and transformed. A fluffy orange fox with black paws slipped out from the clothes, leaped onto the table, stretched out all four limbs, and sprawled across it.
She glanced at Pretty Butterfly. “There. Come on.”
Pretty Butterfly burst into tears with a loud wail, buried her face in the fox’s belly, and began cursing Baoshan without repeating a single insult.
Yu Qingtang: “...Oh.”
So that was what she meant.
Du Heng watched them with interest. “I heard the demonfolk have been getting along quite well with the people of Nanzhou in recent years, but to think...”
“That depends on the person.” The yellow-haired fox spoke lazily. “I ignore anyone I dislike.”
“This is a secret service offered by Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion. The guest must first coax the demon into a good mood. Ordinary people do not get to touch my fur.”
She raised one paw. “Relax. Our king has an excellent relationship with Pleasure Sect. Say whatever you need to say. I guarantee complete discretion.”
Scholar Xiao examined Du Heng curiously. “Could this be the pill cultivator you were looking for...?”
“He is disguised.” Yu Qingtang invited his assessment. “What do you think of his transformation?”
“It is nearly indistinguishable from the real thing.” Scholar Xiao nodded approvingly. “The only problem is that it is too distinctive and conspicuous.”
“By the way, Madam Xueyao... Ah, she is one of the new Demon Kings now. In any case, she agreed to help.”
“She contacted the Fire Cauldron Sect disciples and told them she wanted to send two more children to study pill refining, even if they merely helped sort medicinal herbs. The Lunar Jade Rabbit clan has an innate sensitivity toward medicinal ingredients, so the other side was tempted and agreed to let them travel with the group to Fire Cauldron Sect.”
“To be safe, I will disguise myself as their human attendant and accompany them. They will leave scent markers for us along the road, so we should not lose track of them.”
Scholar Xiao smiled and waved his fan.
“Senior Sister Tianxin also said that if you have made your decision, then go. She even offered us a suggestion.”
He leaned closer to the others.
“Tonight, raid the Fire Cauldron Sect disciples. Pretend to be robbers and inspect their goods for anything connected to the missing mortals and cultivators.”
Everyone exchanged glances.
Scholar Xiao looked visibly excited. “Everyone, I have already purchased several sets of nightwear. How about...”
Pretty Butterfly drew a deep breath. “I’m going too!”
“Hm?” Scholar Xiao turned toward her in surprise. “What for?”
“I have sedative smoke, and I know illusion arts.” Pretty Butterfly blew away the fox fur stuck to her face. “If their minds are weak, I can make them reveal anything.”
She clenched her fist.
“I’ll show you what it truly means to have Nanzhou’s vicious, merciless heart of a snake and scorpion!”
Yu Qingtang cautiously asked, “You are not planning to treat them the way you treated Baoshan, are you?”
“How could I?” Pretty Butterfly laughed softly. “If I were, I would have to tear out their hearts. Hah.”
Murderous intent filled her eyes. She did not appear to be joking.
Who knew whether little Monk Baoshan in the next room could sense it.
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