Bai Fanxian's answer truly surprised Tang Xiuhan. He asked further with uncertainty:
"You really just want a house, Miss Bai?"
"Mm... if possible, somewhere quiet." Bai Fanxian elaborated.
"Then my request?"
"I agree. Just tell me the time and date again." Bai Fanxian answered calmly. She raised her teacup to sip gracefully after that statement.
But Bai Fanxian's agreement made Tang Xiuhan extremely pleased. He even stood up and bowed his head thanking Bai Fanxian endlessly.
"Thank you so much, Miss Bai! Really, thank you."
Tang Xiuhan's actions startled Uncle Huang. He secretly reassessed the young woman before him with eyes different from before.
Uncle Huang took the opportunity while refilling Bai Fanxian's tea to circulate qi in his body. His heaven sense swept across the young woman's body. He wanted to confirm that Bai Fanxian herself was also a cultivator.
Heaven sense, besides functioning like radar, if developed to a certain point, could be used to measure the level of qi in another person's body, just as Bai Fanxian often did. Uncle Huang himself was a cultivator of considerable age. He naturally could use this ability as well.
But what shocked him was that he couldn't sense any qi in the young woman's body whatsoever. Bai Fanxian was like an ordinary young woman with only a healthy body.
This made him completely confused.
"...Have you examined enough?"
Bai Fanxian suddenly asked. She raised her teacup to sip calmly. But that question made Uncle Huang startle in shock.
One possibility came to his mind.
"What is it?" Tang Xiuhan sitting across asked with confusion. He only saw Uncle Huang suddenly looking shocked.
"You have a good follower." Bai Fanxian said to Tang Xiuhan.
"I apologize for the intrusion! Grandmaster Bai!" Uncle Huang stepped forward and bowed until almost parallel to the floor. His face went completely pale.
"Uncle Huang, what happened?"
Uncle Huang secretly glanced at Bai Fanxian once. Seeing her nod lightly, he raised his head and explained to Tang Xiuhan.
"Master... I wanted to confirm for certain, so I intrusively used heaven sense to assess Grandmaster Bai's power." Uncle Huang explained with a bitter smile.
Uncle Huang's answer surprised Tang Xiuhan.
Though he only had Qi Gathering level power, because he was the Tang Clan master, he'd heard or learned somewhat about heaven sense abilities.
And he knew well that Uncle Huang was extremely skilled in heaven sense. He could assess people who came to meet the Tang Clan quite accurately. And could do so without the target knowing. His ability in this area surpassed even his father who was a 6th-stage Martial Master.
"But I couldn't sense any qi in Grandmaster Bai's body at all." Uncle Huang continued.
"The first possibility is that you're just an ordinary person, not a cultivator."
"The other possibility is that your power level is much higher than mine. So much that I can't even sense a fraction of your power."
When Uncle Huang finished, he looked at Bai Fanxian nervously.
"What do you think?"
The young woman asked calmly as if this matter didn't concern her at all. She spun the teacup in her hand playfully until she seemed to just be sitting killing time here.
"From your answer, I know now..."
Uncle Huang bowed to apologize seriously once more. Tang Xiuhan wouldn't let his person take responsibility alone. He quickly stepped out to apologize himself again as well.
"I apologize on behalf of my person again, Miss Bai. No, Grandmaster Bai."
Tang Xiuhan changed how he addressed Bai Fanxian to show greater respect. But Bai Fanxian shook her head lightly and said:
"You can call me as before."
That statement from Bai Fanxian made Tang Xiuhan smile happily. That meant Bai Fanxian didn't overthink it or hold it against them.
"Thank you very much, Miss Bai!"
"Thank you for not holding it against us, Grandmaster Bai."
Both master and servant spoke simultaneously.
When the atmosphere in the room returned to being relaxed, after a while a servant came to announce that dinner was ready.
And also announced that the young master of the house, or Tang Xiuhan's eldest son, had returned as well.
So they moved to the dining room. There was a long table set up properly. Many types of food were being served by the servants in charge until the table was full.
Hui'er behind Bai Fanxian secretly watched those foods with sparkling eyes. Though the little girl had just eaten so many snacks, she still wasn't full.
Because she'd been hungry before, she knew well how valuable food was.
At the dining table, Bai Fanxian sat on one side with Hui'er beside her. Across from them were Tang Xiuhan and his wife. Moreover, there were two more empty seats with no one sitting.
"Where did Luotong go?"
Tang Xiuhan asked with surprise.
"Father, Mother, I'm back." Before Tang Xiuhan could finish speaking, a young man walked into the dining room. He was Tang Luotong who held the status of Tang Clan young master, currently 20 years old.
"I went to check on little sister, and also took the medicine grandfather finished concocting to her."
"Oh, and how is Yeye doing?"
"Little sister looks better. Her face is relaxed and energetic. She's resting now."
"Great! After we finish eating, Father and Mother will hurry up to see her."
Tang Luotong reported before sitting down. But he had to pause because in front of him was a small, extremely adorable little girl staring at him curiously.
And beside her was a beautiful woman more gorgeous than any woman he'd ever met, sitting calmly. Though he'd met the equally beautiful Song Ruixi before, if compared to the woman before him, he was confident Song Ruixi couldn't compare.
And when their eyes met, Tang Luotong felt like his heart was beating hard and fast like never before.
"Father will introduce you. This young lady is Miss Bai Fanxian or Grandmaster Bai. Today she's Father's guest. You absolutely must not be rude to her."
Tang Xiuhan spoke with a smile.
"H-hello!"
Tang Luotong greeted stammering. He didn't dare even make eye contact with Bai Fanxian again, so he quickly sat down anxiously. Even the word "Grandmaster" his father spoke didn't register at all.
"Hello."
Bai Fanxian nodded and greeted simply.
But before the situation became more awkward, Hui'er's little stomach grumbled softly. The little girl didn't realize it, because her gaze was fixed on the food before her.
She didn't dare start eating before others began or her lady permitted, so she could only stare at the food while secretly swallowing.
But because of that, the atmosphere at the table relaxed considerably. Tang Xiuhan laughed loudly with his wife Tang Xinlan covering her mouth and laughing softly beside him.
"Haha, it's Uncle Tang's fault. Rambling on and on. Everyone please start eating. Please, Miss Bai."
When Tang Xiuhan said that, everyone began eating. With Uncle Huang beside them serving anything lacking perfectly.
"Luotong, how is your grandfather? Any progress?"
Tang Luotong, who was secretly watching Bai Fanxian, startled when his father asked. But when it became serious business, he seemed to become a different person.
"Today Grandfather personally concocted the Vitality Restoration Elixir. That little sister's condition improved earlier was because of it." He spoke with a slightly proud tone.
"Vitality Restoration Elixir? Father succeeded in studying its formula?" Tang Xiuhan who heard his son's statement asked excitedly.
"Of course. Partly because of Yeye, Grandfather devoted most of his time to studying this elixir. Until this evening after thorough testing on people, he quickly had me return to try it with Yeye first."
"Then the medicine you mentioned just now?"
"Yes. After I gave little sister the Vitality Restoration Elixir, not long after her complexion improved greatly. So I let her continue resting." Tang Luotong smiled happily while recounting to his father and mother.
"Good, good! And your grandfather knows, right?"
"Yes. I called to tell him. Grandfather is hurrying to clear his work. He'll be back soon."
Bai Fanxian sat listening to the Tang family chat at the dinner table quietly. She ate only a little of the dinner of fragrant grilled steak. An existence like her could go long without eating anyway. But when the name Vitality Restoration Elixir came from the young man's mouth, it could capture Bai Fanxian's attention a bit.
For an Alchemy Empress like her, of course she knew the name Vitality Restoration Elixir. It was a Tier 3 elixir comparable to Martial Master-level cultivators. From what she heard, that a 6th-stage Martial Master like the Tang Clan's patriarch could begin concocting it was praiseworthy.
Because the art of alchemy couldn't be compared with the art of cultivation.
Except there was something that bothered her in the earlier conversation.
"You concocted Vitality Restoration Elixir?"
Tang Xiuhan turned to look at Bai Fanxian with surprise, so he asked:
"You know Vitality Restoration Elixir too, Miss Bai?"
"Mm."
Bai Fanxian nodded calmly. She raised her teacup to sip lightly with her usual graceful manner.
"Truly worthy of being Miss Bai. To even know an elixir with such incomplete inherited records."
Tang Xiuhan praised sincerely. This Vitality Restoration Elixir wasn't a big deal or secret. Because it was discovered in ancient records. And was disclosed to ordinary cultivators. So when he discussed this matter, he didn't need to be careful. Outsiders like Bai Fanxian could listen without problem.
And if she was truly interested, all the better. He could give some of that elixir as additional compensation.
But the problem was that with the Vitality Restoration Elixir, part of its records were damaged until incomplete. Making alchemists of this era consider it a challenge and want to solve its mystery.
Tang Tianjie, the Tang Clan's patriarch, was one of them.
At first, he was only slightly interested. But these past few years, his youngest granddaughter had fallen ill until her body was in a weak state almost constantly. He tried using many types of elixirs that the Tang Clan had or could concoct without effect. Until finally he placed his hope in this elixir called "Vitality Restoration."
Until he finally succeeded.
The Vitality Restoration Elixir lived up to its name. It could truly restore lost vitality to users. Except the "source" of power it drew to give—that was the problem.
"You used it on your weak youngest sister?" Bai Fanxian asked Tang Luotong.
The young man who was suddenly asked by the young woman became shy again. He didn't think alchemy ability could attract her attention. Though it wasn't him who concocted it but his grandfather.
Making him answer Bai Fanxian stammering.
"Y-yes, Miss Bai. I just gave it to little sister before coming down to this dining room."
"Hmm...?" Bai Fanxian set down her teacup gently.
She looked up to make eye contact with Tang Luotong, until the young man could feel his own heart pounding.
"...Do you want your little sister to die?"