Dawn crept over Azurecloud City, but Lin Xian greeted it with a long, lazy stretch, as if he had all the time in the world. The tension swallowing the Lin Clan hadn't touched him at all. If anything, it only sharpened the amused glint in his eyes.
Xiao Jin perched on his shoulder, tail curled proudly like a tiny general reviewing his troops.
> "Even my most intelligent disciple, Pride, a genius strategist that helps me conquer Nirvana Realm still needs to call me Master…"
Lin Xian clicked his tongue lightly, staring at the brightening horizon with mild disdain.
> "And these fools think they can toy with me? Ridiculous."
He flicked his sleeve, calm and unhurried.
> "Come, Xiao Jin. Time to visit an old acquaintance."
Xiao Jin puffed his chest and hopped to Lin Xian's arm, looking as if he had been waiting for this command all morning.
---
Scene 1 — The Pill Academy
The grand pill hall buzzed with activity. Disciples dashed around carrying herbs, cauldrons hissed with steam, and the strong scent of medicinal paste clung to the air like smoke.
Xu Tian, the Academy's guest Grandmaster, was mid-lecture — waving a ladle dramatically as he scolded his disciples — when he suddenly froze.
His eyes landed on Lin Xian.
Then they lit up like fireworks.
"Ah! My lucky star returns!" Xu Tian nearly dropped his cauldron lid. "Boy— no, no, Young Master Lin! Heaven has blessed me twice this week!"
He rushed over, ignoring the confused disciples behind him.
Lin Xian raised a brow. "Grandmaster Xu seems… energetic today."
"Energetic? I'm reborn!" Xu Tian thumped his chest proudly. "Since you refined that Thousand Venom Purge Pill, my bottleneck shattered like rotten wood! I broke through that same night!"
He rubbed his hands together with childlike excitement.
> "Tell me—when will you 'accidentally enlighten' me again? I've been practicing that hand seal you used. Each attempt nearly explodes my cauldron. I'm running out of spares!"
Lin Xian chuckled, shaking his head. "You might want to stop before the academy runs out of cauldrons."
Xiao Jin chirped mockingly, earning a wounded glare from Xu Tian.
"Even your little companion mocks me…" Xu Tian sighed dramatically. "Truly, age is a curse."
Lin Xian waved a hand lightly. "I'm actually here for a favor."
Xu Tian straightened instantly "Name it!" Xu Tian said without hesitation. "If you want the academy, I'll— well, I can't give you that, but you get the idea!"
—but everything else is negotiable!"
"I need several of your most trusted disciples," Lin Xian said. "Loyal ones. Discreet."
Xu Tian blinked rapidly. "Trusted disciples? For what purpose?"
Lin Xian's expression didn't change.
> "To make a little noise."
The old man went still. A slow shiver went down his spine.
Xu Tian chuckled nervously. "When you say 'noise'… should I be worried?"
"The kind that shakes the city? Or the kind that forces me to rebuild my courtyard?"
Lin Xian didn't deny either.
He turned slightly, white hair catching the morning sun.
> "Only if you plan to stand in my way, Grandmaster."
Xu Tian paused—then burst into a helpless laugh.
"Fine, fine! You have that same terrifying smile as an emperor who already knows the outcome.Take who you need, but at least warn me before you set something on fire."
Lin Xian bowed slightly in thanks. "You have my word."
Xiao Jin chirped in solemn confirmation.
Xu Tian groaned. "That's not reassuring…"
---
Scene 2 — The Willow Teahouse
The city remained chaotic. Rumors flew like crows:
The Lin Clan is collapsing.
The Zhao family will finish them soon.
Trade routes are halted
Yet Lin Xian walked through those whispers as if strolling through morning mist.
Later that afternoon, Lin Xian met Bai Yusheng at a teahouse tucked beneath the willow trees.
Bai Yusheng stood the moment he arrived.
"Young Master Lin," she greeted, her voice steady but layered with relief. "I was beginning to worry you wouldn't come."
"No need for tension," he replied, sitting opposite her. "The partnership begins now."
Her brows rose. "Now? Even though the entire market is turning against the Lin Clan?"
Lin Xian's gaze sharpened with calm confidence.
"Especially now."
He leaned forward.
"You will open a pill shop—near to the Zhao's, modest appearance. The name doesn't matter."
He paused.
"But the theme should be… cat-related."
Bai Yusheng froze, her mind blanking.
"A… cat theme?" she repeated numbly.
Beside him, Xiao Jin froze mid-bite of a nut, then slowly turned his head to glare at Lin Xian — his fur bristling as if deeply offended.
Lin Xian coughed lightly.
"No offense, Xiao Jin."
Xiao Jin hissed softly.
Bai Yusheng burst into a giggle, covering her mouth. "I suppose… that is unique."
"It's symbolic," Lin Xian said. " "It invites curiosity, not scrutiny. And in the best stories, the cat outsmarts the tiger."
"Right," Bai said, smiling. "And what will this shop sell?"
"The Pure Spirit Rejuvenation Pill."
Her breath hitched.
Her eyes lit up like twin spirit-lamps, pupils dilating with barely contained hunger. "We're finally starting the pill? I've waited lifetimes for this moment!"
Lin Xian nodded once.
"Fifty percent efficacy—double the standard market pill, with none of the impurities that cause Qi deviation."
Bai Yusheng's hands trembled. "This will overturn the market… we'll dominate mid-grade pills."
"That's the plan," Lin Xian said simply.
"And the Chamber?" she asked softly.
Lin Xian leaned back, tone casual.
"Already settled. The Thousand Veil Chamber will be your silent backer."
Bai blinked rapidly. "Already? You arranged this before meeting me?"
"I don't move without certainty," he replied. "Now gather your team. The shop opens soon. And let the Zhao family keep laughing. Their laughter won't last."
Xiao Jin purred, puffing out his fur in smug approval.
---
Scene 3 — Thousand Veil Chamber
Night draped the Thousand Veil Chamber in silence, the private lounge bathed in lamplight. Yue Lan stood near the window until Lin Xian walked in with his usual composed steps.
"Lady Yue," he greeted, sitting across from her.
"Are you ready to make money from the storm?"
She blinked in disbelief. "You mean… now? When your clan is hanging on by a thread?"
Lin Xian's expression remained calm.
"When a storm rages, the clever don't hide—they profit."
He laid out the plan:
—The anonymous cat-themed pill shop
—Bai Yusheng's role
—The new pill's advantages
—The Chamber's silent involvement
—The perfect timing to strike the market while everyone was distracted
With each revelation, Yue Lan's eyes widened further.
"You're not counterattacking…" she whispered.
"You're rebuilding the entire market around yourself."
"Exactly."
He rose, cloak falling behind him in clean, crisp folds.
"The Zhao family believes they've cornered me," he said quietly. "But they've only cornered themselves."
He reached the door. The shadows stretched behind him like a calm blade.
> "It begins tonight," he said.
"The masterstroke."
Yue Lan remained frozen, her heartbeat loud in her own ears.
Only now did she fully grasp it—
Lin Xian wasn't simply a talented youth.
He wasn't simply rebellious.
He wasn't even simply confident.
He was dangerous—
Because every move he made…
…was one step ahead of everyone else.
---------------
The door closed behind Lin Xian with a soft click, leaving only the faint scent of jade herbs lingering in the air. For a long moment, Yue Lan simply sat still, fingertips brushing the rim of the teacup he left untouched. The room felt quieter than before — too quiet.
A rustle broke the silence.
"Miss Yue…"
Her caretaker, Uncle Tian, an old man with hidden aura stepped in, eyes darting toward the door Lin Xian had disappeared through. "Forgive me, but… why do you support him? The Lin Clan has already fallen. Meanwhile, the Zhao Clan controls half the city's economy — and their young master is a core disciple of Ironheart Pavilion. Backing Lin Xian is… unwise."
Yue Lan didn't answer immediately. Instead, she rose and walked to the window, watching the busy street below. Her silhouette looked calm, but the air around her held a quiet tension.
"Uncle Tian," she said softly, "tell me — when you looked at him, what did you see?"
Uncle Tian hesitated. "A poor alchemist without any backing?"
A faint laugh escaped Yue Lan. "That is what he wants others to see."
She sighed, remembering the moment his eyes met hers — the stillness, the pressure, the strange sense that he was seeing through layers she herself didn't know she had.
"People like Lin Xian don't come from nowhere. His clan may have fallen, but he is not a fallen person." Her voice dropped, becoming as gentle as it was dangerous. "He carries the aura of someone who has survived storms far greater than anything the Zhao Clan could create."
Uncle Tian blinked. "Miss… are you saying he's dangerous?"
Yue Lan shook her head. "Not dangerous. Unfathomable."
She turned away from the window, her expression calm but eyes sharp like a blade hidden in silk.
"The Zhao Clan is strong, yes. But strength built on wealth can be bought or broken. Lin Xian's strength… that kind cannot be measured with money or influence."
Uncle Tian swallowed. "So you're choosing him?"
Yue Lan smiled faintly. "No. I'm choosing the future. And right now… that future is standing with Lin Xian."
Outside, the wind shifted — as if the city itself sensed that a subtle line had been drawn.