Chapter 102 - 79: Battle of the Filial Sons, I’ll Be the Referee

Chapter 102: Chapter 79: Battle of the Filial Sons, I’ll Be the Referee

The only trouble was...

Getting the Imperial Clan Court to deposit the spider silk into the Merit Library for a mere twenty merit points was going to take some convincing.

...

Zhao Ci sauntered toward Wangshu Palace, swinging a cloth bag and humming a tune.

His meeting with Old Deng had been quite fruitful. It seemed as long as he held the secrets to the Alchemy of Wine, he could keep pulling strings.

Now that Old Deng had upped the ante...

It was Gu Xiangzhu’s turn.

Before long, he reached Wangshu Palace. He stopped humming only when he was at the door, where he straightened his clothes and knocked.

"Your son pays his respects, Mother Consort!"

"Come in, Ci."

Gu Xiangzhu replied coolly.

She was currently seated behind a screen, her posture and voice as cold and noble as ever.

In front of the screen stood Li Shu, Bai Jie, and Chu Ni, all standing in a prim and proper line. These three represented the core families of the Xingyu Pill Association—the Li, Bai, and Chu—and served as Gu Xiangzhu’s spokeswomen within their respective clans. It was said their status at home had risen considerably as a result.

At that moment, the meeting seemed to be winding down.

"That will be all for today. When you return, quickly assemble the new generation of Alchemists. The Xingyu Pill Association’s future business cannot be limited to just Qi Cultivation Pills."

"Yes!"

The three women answered in unison, then bowed to Zhao Ci before filing out of the room.

Zhao Ci mused to himself. ’Although the Xingyu Pill Association has become the fourth giant of the Alchemy Realm through sheer production volume, there’s still an insurmountable gap between it and the top three. The Alchemy of Wine is powerful, but it’s not like photolithography, a technology that would require the effort of an entire nation to crack.’

’I’ve already tested it. As long as the alcohol concentration can reach ninety-five percent, which is around the azeotropic point of water and alcohol, the efficiency of the medicine extraction will meet the standards for alchemy.’

’Even if their medicine extraction costs are several times higher than mine, it would still drastically reduce my advantage.’

’This process might take ten years, or maybe twenty.’

’If some little research prodigy appears, it might take even less time.’

’I can use these next few years to rake in the benefits, but once this grace period is over, the Xingyu Pill Association will just become a low-end alchemy factory.’

’Cultivating high-end, elite Alchemists is indeed a forward-thinking move.’

’It seems Gu Xiangzhu has good strategic vision. And judging by her confident look, she seems to have found a way to improve the Alchemists’ cultivation.’

’This...’

He had tested the waters before. The Li, Bai, and Chu families were fiercely loyal to Gu Xiangzhu. The Zhu Family had once tried to sow discord and break them apart, only to be cursed out and sent fleeing with their tails between their legs. Zhao Ci even felt that if Gu Xiangzhu’s identity with the Demon Sect were exposed, she was confident she could still take the core Alchemists from those families with her.

’This won’t do!’

Zhao Ci had a major headache. ’I now possess the *Feng Ji’s Notes*, a top-tier textbook for training Alchemists, but nearly all the Alchemists in the Pill Association are under Gu Xiangzhu’s control.’

’Even the most skilled housewife can’t cook without rice.’

’If I release it publicly within the Pill Association, I’d just be paving the way for Gu Xiangzhu.’

’No.’

’I need Alchemists of my own.’

"Brat, you here to cook?"

Gu Xiangzhu’s voice held none of the reserve she showed in front of outsiders.

Instead, she was as relaxed as if she were with a friend, a gentle smile gracing her beautiful face.

"Mhm."

Zhao Ci grunted sullenly. This had been his typical behavior for the past few days—saying as little as possible, as if he were sulking.

Gu Xiangzhu emerged from behind the screen, sizing him up with a half-smile. "I heard you humming a tune on your way here just now. If you’re in such a good mood, why the long face now that you see me?"

Zhao Ci shot back, "Do I?"

Gu Xiangzhu was at a loss for words, then said with a hint of indignation, "If you’re here to repay a favor, then you should have the attitude of someone repaying a favor. You keep a straight face the whole time, and just looking at you puts me in a bad mood. What’s the point of repaying a favor like this?"

Zhao Ci mumbled, "You’re the one who said to just get it over with. You clearly don’t care, so why insist that I greet you with a smile? What kind of logic is that?"

Was that a hint of grievance in his voice?

Gu Xiangzhu’s beautiful eyes blinked, and a smile suddenly touched the corners of her lips. "Are you angry?"

"No."

Zhao Ci’s reply was concise, but not entirely truthful.

Gu Xiangzhu couldn’t help but cover her mouth and chuckle. "I was just saying that out of anger the other day. I can’t believe you actually took it to heart. A great big man like you, yet more sensitive than any woman. You’ve certainly made me see you in a new light."

Zhao Ci was indignant. "You..."

Gu Xiangzhu snatched the cloth bag, cutting him off. "Let me see what you brought today... Ooh, the mushrooms are quite fresh today. Go on, cook them for me. We can eat together when you’re done. It’s always a bit lonely eating by myself."

"Fine!"

Zhao Ci scratched his head and walked toward the kitchen, his steps seeming a little lighter now.

Gu Xiangzhu smiled faintly as she watched his retreating back. ’This little one has plenty of schemes and dirty tricks, but in the end, he’s still just a boy.’

’Especially since he was so timid as a child and then suddenly faced such a major upheaval. It’s only normal for him to be a bit sensitive.’

’All his baring of fangs and claws at the world is just a defense mechanism to protect himself.’

’He’s quite pitiful, when you think about it.’

’If I could turn him into a true ally, that would be a tremendous boon.’

’Otherwise, according to the rules of the Demon Sect, not even I could protect him.’

’Or if he stays in Lingge, his fate will be too tragic to bear witness to.’

"Sigh."

Gu Xiangzhu let out a soft sigh and sat down at the dining table, quietly waiting for Zhao Ci to bring over the food.

She didn’t know why, but whenever she was waiting for him to serve a meal like this, she felt incredibly peaceful and serene.

「An incense stick’s time later.」

"Dinner’s ready!"

Zhao Ci walked over quickly with a tray, and after setting it on the table, he took a seat opposite Gu Xiangzhu. He seemed to be trying to act natural, but there was a hint of awkwardness about him.

Gu Xiangzhu smiled faintly. "Go on, eat!"

"Mhm!"

Zhao Ci didn’t stand on ceremony and immediately began to dig in, looking to be in a very good mood.

Only then did Gu Xiangzhu ask with a smile, "So, can you tell me why you’re in such a good mood today?"

In truth, she didn’t think she was actually interested in the matter.

It was just that the desire to share is an emotion that comes from deep within, and nurturing that desire was one way to cultivate a sense of dependence.

Shoveling rice into his mouth, Zhao Ci mumbled indistinctly, "The Emperor gave me the pill formulas for the three great Body Refining Holy Medicines, and he’s going to give me the Heaven-Suspended Spider Silk through the Imperial Clan Court."

His mouth was full of food, so his voice wasn’t very clear.

But the excitement in his voice was unmistakable.

But as soon as the words left his mouth, his expression began to change.

He asked nervously, "Say, the Organ-Swapping Secret Manual can’t plunder Flesh Body Divine Patterns, can it?"

The smile on Gu Xiangzhu’s face instantly stiffened. "???"

’Damn it!’

’That dog Emperor wants to steal my precious boy?’