Chapter 61: Bridge of Heaven and Earth

Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Bridge of Heaven and Earth

Upon hearing this, Chen Jing’s brow furrowed deeply.

"There are only a handful of well-known young Pill Masters in the county, and their Talent might not even match this person’s. For now, have him handle the alchemy and see how it goes. If it really doesn’t work out... I’ll find another way."

Chen Zhige gave Chen Jing a deep look, as if seeing through the calculations and struggles in his heart. But he didn’t point it out, simply nodding as his expression returned to its usual impassiveness.

...

Meanwhile, outside Youlin County, within an ordinary manor.

In a dimly lit Quiet Chamber, only a single lamp burned. Gu Bei, a Steward of the Divine Flame Cult, unhurriedly lifted a zisha teapot and poured tea for the man seated across from him.

The tea was a dark red, emitting a rich fragrance—a mixture of herbs and some strange floral scent—that swirled languidly through the Quiet Chamber.

"Han Envoy, how many more days will it take for all the personnel dispatched by your prefecture to arrive in Youlin County?" Gu Bei asked in a gentle voice, gently pushing the full teacup across to the other man.

Han Yizhou, his face cold and his eyes deep-set, glanced at the strangely fragrant tea but didn’t touch it. He simply said flatly, "Another three to five days. What, is Steward Gu already planning to infiltrate the County Yamen and make a move?"

Gu Bei picked up his own cup, brought it to his nose, and took an appreciative sniff before slowly taking a sip. He shook his head and said:

"You jest, Han Envoy. This matter naturally requires all of your prefecture’s elites to be in place to ensure it’s foolproof.

"Besides, our goal on this trip isn’t slaughter. It’s to use Illusion Techniques to subtly control the County Magistrate, the County Captain, and other key figures, turning Youlin County’s official power to our own use. Causing too much of a commotion would be counterproductive."

Hearing this, Han Yizhou considered it for a moment and nodded. He said no more and rose to his feet. His brocade robes stirred without a wind as he prepared to leave.

"A moment, Han Envoy." Gu Bei suddenly set down his teacup. His voice wasn’t loud, but it made Han Yizhou pause.

Han Yizhou slowly turned, his gaze as sharp as lightning, and looked at Gu Bei.

Gu Bei’s smile didn’t waver as he brought it up casually, "I heard that a few days ago, your prefecture suffered a small loss in Youlin County’s black market?"

Han Yizhou’s eyes suddenly turned sharp. The air around him grew several degrees colder as he stared intently at Gu Bei, then abruptly began to laugh.

"Steward Gu’s eyes and ears are certainly sharp, to know of even such a trivial matter."

Gu Bei waved his hand and smiled. "Don’t misunderstand, Han Envoy. We naturally monitor the black market in Youlin County. Hearing about this was just a coincidence."

Han Yizhou looked at Gu Bei, pondered for a moment, and said:

"We’re looking for two people. One is an Alchemy Master who can consistently provide Upper Grade Bone Marrow Cleansing Pills. The other is an old fox from the black market. Since that night, neither of them has shown their face in the black market again.

"Our men have turned the city upside down several times but haven’t found the slightest clue. They’re incredibly slippery!"

"Oh? Is that so?"

Gu Bei feigned surprise, then clapped his hands and chuckled. "For them to leave even your prefecture at a complete loss, they must be far from ordinary. In my opinion, those two are most likely old hands in the Jianghu, skilled in disguise and extremely cautious in their actions.

"But, as the saying goes, a goose leaves its cry, a man leaves his mark. As long as they are still within the borders of Youlin County, and as long as they still have desires, they are bound to leave a trail eventually."

At these words, a sharp glint flashed in Han Yizhou’s eyes, and he leaned forward slightly. "Listening to you, Steward Gu... could it be that your Divine Flame Cult is confident in finding them?"

"Hehe,"

Gu Bei chuckled, neither confirming nor denying, and simply said meaningfully, "After all, my Divine Flame Cult arrived in Youlin County some time before your prefecture did. Our roots run deeper here. If we truly wanted to find them, with some effort, we could certainly turn up a few clues."

Han Yizhou immediately understood Gu Bei’s hidden meaning and said in a low voice, "What are your terms?"

He knew full well that the Divine Flame Cult would never give away such information for free.

Just as he expected, Gu Bei’s smile deepened as he tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "After the matter is settled, when we divide up Youlin County, my Divine Flame Cult wants seventy percent of all the Alchemy Masters in the city!"

"Seventy percent?"

Han Yizhou’s brows knitted together, and he shook his head decisively. "Steward Gu, that’s far too much! Just for providing clues about two scoundrels? That’s absolutely impossible!"

"Is that so?"

The smile on Gu Bei’s face gradually faded as he leaned back in his grand armchair.

"Those two were able to make your prefecture lose two Bone Forging Realm experts. If your prefecture can swallow this grievance and is willing to let the matter drop, then just pretend I never said anything. It’s just..."

Gu Bei drew out his words, "...when it comes to revenge, it’s better sooner than later."

Han Yizhou’s expression was grim, his eyes flickering with indecision. He certainly couldn’t swallow this insult!

Two Bone Forging Realm experts, two in the Refining Flesh Realm, plus one in the Skin Refining Realm—such a devastating loss was rare even for Youquan Prefecture’s recent operations.

If they didn’t drag out the culprits and tear them to pieces, what face would Youquan Prefecture have left? How could they answer to their own people?

"Why does your Divine Flame Cult need so many Alchemy Masters?"

Han Yizhou suppressed his fury. "As far as I know, you’ve already abducted quite a few of the city’s Alchemy Masters recently. Is that still not enough?"

At his words, a strange smile played on Gu Bei’s lips. "Does the Han Envoy know why my Divine Flame Cult is gathering Alchemy Masters, no matter the cost?"

Han Yizhou snorted coldly. "I’m listening."

"Because,"

Gu Bei lowered his voice, a hint of fanaticism in his tone, "we were fortunate enough to create an Alchemy Ghost."

"An Alchemy Ghost?" Han Yizhou frowned.

"That’s right."

Gu Bei nodded, a complex look flashing in his eyes. "Unfortunately, something went wrong during its creation. As a result, this Alchemy Ghost can’t be perfectly controlled. Its Spirituality is chaotic, and it craves the Blood Essence and Primordial Qi of Pill Masters.

"Every so often, it must be fed an Alchemy Master to calm its restlessness and allow it to continue performing alchemy."

"If it’s so difficult to control, why keep such a menace around?" Han Yizhou asked, confused. "It’s just a waste of precious Pill Masters."

Gu Bei poured himself another cup of tea and took a slow, deliberate sip before looking up at Han Yizhou.

"Because this Alchemy Ghost can create the Moon God Pill. Tell me, Han Envoy, isn’t that worth the waste of a few Alchemy Masters?"

"The Moon God Pill!" Han Yizhou’s eyes widened slightly.

As a core envoy of Youquan Prefecture, how could he not know of the Moon God Pill?

This elixir didn’t directly increase one’s Cultivation, but rather nourished and strengthened a Martial Artist’s Power of Heart and Spirit.

For Martial Artists in the Refining Organ Realm, the strength of their Power of Heart and Spirit directly determined whether they could perceive the heavens and earth, connect their inner and outer worlds, and break through the nigh-unreachable Bridge of Heaven and Earth!

Even for lower-level Martial Artists, the Moon God Pill had the miraculous effect of stabilizing one’s Heart Spirit and resisting mental attacks! Its value was far beyond that of ordinary elixirs that merely increased Cultivation.

"How long does it take for this Alchemy Ghost to create one Moon God Pill?" Han Yizhou pressed.

A smile touched Gu Bei’s eyes as he held up one finger. "Limited by its condition, it can produce one per day at most.

"But aside from the Moon God Pill, this Alchemy Ghost can also create other elixirs for increasing Cultivation or for Healing and Life Extension. The quality is no less than that of specialized Pill Masters, and it knows no fatigue. As long as it’s fed, it can work day and night without stopping."

"One a day... That’s already extraordinary!" Han Yizhou murmured.