The treasure cave had been a turning point. It had armed them with resources and, for Xiao Yixian, a terrible truth paired with a sliver of hope. But Feng Jiuge knew that Qingshan Town, with its web of mercenary companies and competing interests, was a powder keg.
Their discovery, and his own rising reputation as an alchemist, would inevitably draw unwanted attention. The Wolf Head Mercenary Company, in particular, was known for its greed.
'We can't stay here,' Feng Jiuge concluded one evening, watching Qing Lin and Xiao Yixian laughing together as they sorted herbs. 'A conflict is inevitable. I could probably handle them, but it would be a bloody mess. Slaughtering a town's worth of mercenaries isn't my goal right now. It's inefficient and brings too much heat.'
He needed a way to move them without appearing to flee. He needed a plausible reason, especially for Xiao Yixian. The hook was already in the water; he just needed to reel her in.
Later that night, as the three of them sat in the inn's quiet courtyard, he broached the subject. "Yixian, I've been thinking about your path to becoming an alchemist."
Her head snapped up, her eyes bright with interest. "You have? Have you found a lead on the Beast Flames?"
"Not a direct one," Feng Jiuge admitted, "but I've solidified the plan. Acquiring Fifth Tier Beast Flames is not a simple task. It requires immense resources, information, and a certain level of... status. We can't achieve that here in Qingshan Town. This place is a backwater."
He leaned forward, his expression serious. "I have a home, a small one, but it's in Wu Tan City. It's a larger city, with more connections. Specifically, it has a Miteer Family Auction House. If I can establish myself there, build a reputation not just as a town doctor, but as a true, valuable alchemist, I can leverage their network to find the information and resources we need."
"Wu Tan City?" Xiao Yixian murmured, considering it. "That means I have to leave my clinic behind…"
"You can build a new one," Feng Jiuge said gently. "A better one. This isn't just for me, Yixian. This is the fastest, most logical path to getting you the Beast Flames you need to start your own journey. We can continue to get stronger there, in a more stable environment, while I build the connections we need."
Her desire to become an alchemist, a dream she thought was impossible just a month ago, was a powerful motivator. The logic of his plan was sound. After a moment of thought, she nodded, her eyes filled with determination. "Alright. I trust you, Jiuge. We'll go to Wu Tan City."
The return to Wu Tan City felt different. With Qing Lin and Xiao Yixian by his side, the city felt less like a graveyard of his past and more like a base of operations for his future. He rented a larger courtyard house this time, using the proceeds from his pill sales, giving them all ample space.
His first order of business was to contact the Miteer Auction House. He didn't go himself.
He sent a letter, penned in the elegant script of a scholar, identifying himself only as a Second Tier Alchemist seeking a partnership and requesting a meeting with someone who could make decisions. He knew that the mere mention of an unaligned alchemist would bring out their top people.
He was not wrong.
Two days later, a luxurious carriage stopped outside their courtyard. Feng Jiuge had instructed Qing Lin and Xiao Yixian to remain in their rooms. He met his guest in the main hall.
The woman who entered was a vision. She was a mature beauty wrapped in a tight, vibrant red robe that hugged every exquisite curve of her body.
Her curvy waist swayed so radiantly and gracefully from side to side with each step that it seemed designed to make men covet it.
A daring cut ran up the side of her dress to her thigh, both revealing and hiding a dazzlingly perfect leg beneath. Her face was a perfect oval, her eyes sharp and intelligent, and her lips were painted a seductive red. This was Ya Fei, the head auctioneer of the Wu Tan City Miteer branch.
'Well now,' Feng Jiuge thought, his mind momentarily jolted. He was, after all, a man in his late thirties mentally, and his aesthetic preferences leaned exactly towards this type of confident, mature, and devastatingly sexy woman.
The sight of her sent a jolt through him that had nothing to do with Dou Qi. He quickly suppressed it, his face remaining a mask of calm, youthful composure. Business first.
Ya Fei's professional smile faltered for a fraction of a second when she saw him. "You are... the alchemist?" she asked, her voice a smooth, melodious purr.
She recognized him. Her intel network was good. "I remember you. Feng Jiuge. The clever boy who gave business advice to half the merchants in the city a few years ago. Many of them still owe you favors. I must admit, I did not expect you to be the alchemist who contacted us."
"People grow and acquire new skills, Chief Auctioneer Ya Fei," Feng Jiuge said, his tone perfectly level. He gestured to a seat. "Please."
Her recovery was instant. She glided into the chair, her posture perfect, her smile returning, this time with a genuine glint of curiosity. "Indeed they do. So, Master Feng, you wish to discuss a partnership. What did you have in mind?"
"It's simple," Feng Jiuge began, getting straight to the point. "I will work as an exclusive alchemist for your auction house. You will provide the medicinal herbs and the pill formulas. I will provide the finished pills. My identity is to remain a complete secret. No one outside of you is to know who is concocting these pills."
Ya Fei's eyebrows rose slightly. An exclusive, secret alchemist was the dream of any auction house branch. It meant a stable, high-quality supply of pills that their competitors couldn't access.
"An intriguing proposal," she said. "And what do you ask for in return, besides the ingredients?"
"Knowledge," Feng Jiuge stated. "I am on the verge of breaking through to become a Third Tier Alchemist. All I require are the pill formulas. I want every Third Tier pill formula you have access to, especially one that can assist a breakthrough to the Dou Grandmaster realm. In return for each recipe and the necessary ingredients you provide, I will concoct twenty finished pills for your auction house to sell. The rest, I keep."
He had sealed his cultivation before she arrived, using the refined control of his Tri-Unity Genesis Art to mask his aura. To her senses, he appeared to be a 7-star Dou Practitioner. Talented for his age, certainly, but not impossibly so. It was the claim of becoming a Third Tier Alchemist that was truly audacious.
Ya Fei's mind raced. A twelve-year-old boy claiming he was about to become a Third Tier Alchemist? It was unbelievable. But she had heard the stories of his intelligence. She knew of his reputation. And the pills he had used to get her attention were undeniably high-quality Second Tier products.
'This is a gamble,' she thought, her shrewd eyes appraising him. 'A massive one. If he's lying, we lose the cost of some herbs and rare pill recipes. But if he's telling the truth... a Third Tier Alchemist, this young, bound exclusively to us? The profits would be astronomical. It could elevate my position in the main family significantly.'
She made her decision. She leaned forward slightly, allowing the neckline of her dress to offer a more generous view, her voice dropping to a more intimate, conspiratorial tone. "A twelve-year-old Third Tier Alchemist... Master Feng, you certainly know how to make a girl's heart race with excitement."
She let out a light, breathy laugh as she straightened up, her body twisting in a sinuous, seductive curve. "The Miteer Auction House agrees to your conditions. We will provide the ingredients and the formulas... and the Miteer Auction House will have an exclusive partnership with a future alchemist of boundless potential."
Feng Jiuge gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod. He was relieved. The first, most crucial step in his plan for Wu Tan City was a success. Now he would have a steady supply of resources and, more importantly, the knowledge he desperately needed to advance. "I look forward to a fruitful cooperation, Chief Auctioneer Ya Fei."
With the deal struck, life in Wu Tan City took on a new, vibrant rhythm. The Miteer Auction House was discreet and efficient. Every few days, a nondescript cart would deliver crates of precious medicinal herbs to their courtyard, along with intricately carved jade slips containing the promised Third Tier pill formulas. Feng Jiuge's days became a blur of alchemy, cultivation, and, for the first time in a long while, simple living.
He made a conscious effort to ensure Xiao Yixian felt at home. Wu Tan City was his city, and he took on the role of a guide.
"Alright, Yixian," he announced one sunny morning, a rare break from his alchemical experiments. "You can't live in a city without knowing it. Today, we go shopping."
Xiao Yixian, who had spent most of her life in the small, dusty Qingshan Town, looked around with wide-eyed wonder at the bustling streets. But it was Qing Lin who had truly transformed in the time she had been with him. The timid, silent girl who once hid in the shadows was gone, replaced by a curious and increasingly confident young lady.
"Jiuge-gege, look at that dress!" she exclaimed, pointing at a beautiful, flowing green dress in a shop window that perfectly matched her burgeoning wind-attribute aura. "It's so pretty!"
"Then we'll get it," Feng Jiuge said without hesitation.
"And that hairpin!" she pointed again, a silver piece shaped like a delicate dragonfly. "Can I have that too?"
"Of course," he smiled. This was the change he had worked for. Seeing her express her desires openly, without fear or hesitation, was a feeling of joy far superior than any breakthrough.
He took them to the best restaurants, showing Xiao Yixian the various local delicacies. He bought them new clothes, accessories, anything that caught their fancy.
The money from his past pill sales and the advance from the Miteer Auction House made him wealthy by mortal standards, and he didn't hesitate to spend it on them. He was building not just a team, but a family.
Xiao Yixian, however, was growing restless. While she enjoyed the carefree days, her ambition burned brightly. One evening, as Feng Jiuge was explaining a complex herb interaction to her, she finally let her frustration show.
"Jiuge," she began, her tone serious. "I appreciate all of this, truly. But when? When are we going to look for the Beast Flames? That is why I came here with you. Every day I spend just reading, I feel the 'Woeful Poison Body' like a ticking clock inside me. I need to start my own path."
Feng Jiuge looked up from his notes and met her gaze. He saw the anxiety there, the desperate need for progress.
"Your impatience is understandable, Yixian," he said calmly. "But you must also be patient. Do you know what it takes to hunt a Fifth Tier magical beast? A beast strong enough to possess a mature Beast Flame? It requires a team of Dou Kings, or at least a powerful Dou Emperor. We are not at that level. To rush in now would be suicide."
He leaned back, his expression turning thoughtful. "My plan hasn't changed, it's just in motion. Right now, I am establishing my value. I need to successfully concoct Third Tier pills. Then, I need to master them and show the Miteer Auction House that I have the potential to become a Fourth Tier Alchemist. With that kind of status, at my age... my word will carry immense weight. I won't need to hunt the beast myself. I can request, or trade for, the Beast Flames directly from the Miteer main family or another powerful faction. We use influence and resources, not brute force. Trust the process. I promise you, I will not let you down."
His explanation was logical, his confidence absolute. Xiao Yixian let out a long sigh, the tension leaving her shoulders.
"I... I don't know why I let a twelve-year-old boy order me around," she muttered, a small, rueful smile touching her lips.
"But you're right. I'm sorry. I will be patient." She trusted him. His plans, though long-term, had a solid foundation that was impossible to refute.
True to his word, Feng Jiuge threw himself into his work. The next two months were a crucible of fire and spirit.
The auction house provided everything he needed. He practiced tirelessly, his powerful Spiritual Strength and the precise vision of his Heavenly Perception Pupils giving him an advantage that other alchemists could only dream of.
He failed, of course. Precious herbs turned to ash, pills formed improperly, but each failure was a lesson.
He quickly fulfilled his end of the bargain, delivering batches of twenty high-quality Third Tier pills for every recipe they provided. His success rate was terrifyingly high, and the quality was consistently top-tier.
Ya Fei and the Miteer Auction House were ecstatic, their profits soaring as they became the sole suppliers of several rare pills in the region.
Finally, he focused on the recipe he needed most.
It was for a unique Third Tier pill called the "Prism Essence Pill."
Its function was to intensely purify and compress a cultivator's Dou Qi, making the transition from a liquid state to a solid, crystalline state—the hallmark of a Dou Grandmaster—much smoother and more stable.
After three tense days of careful refinement in his private alchemy room, a single, iridescent pill, glowing like a miniature prism, shot out of the cauldron.
He caught it, feeling the pure, condensed energy within. It was a peak-quality pill.
That night, he sat in meditative silence. He swallowed the pill.
An explosion of pure, cool energy erupted in his Dantian. The Prism Essence Pill dissolved, its effects washing over his liquefied Dou Qi. He activated his Tri-Unity Genesis Art at full power.
The liquid Dou Qi began to churn, compress, and fold in on itself under immense pressure. It was an agonizing process, as if his very core was being crushed into a single point.
He gritted his teeth, sweat pouring down his face. Then, with a final, shuddering compression, the chaos ceased. In the center of his Dantian, where a swirling cyclone of liquid energy once resided, there now floated a small, dazzling, tri-colored Dou Crystal. It was shaped like a perfect diamond, with the green of wood, the red of fire, and the violet of lightning swirling within its flawless facets.
He had become a Dou Grandmaster. The power flowing from the crystal was on a completely different level—denser, sharper, and far more potent than his previous liquid Dou Qi.
His first act as a Dou Grandmaster was to schedule another meeting with Ya Fei. This time, he didn't just want recipes.
"I need more cultivation techniques," he told her, their meeting taking place in her lavish, private office at the auction house.
"High-grade Yellow Rank, any element. And any techniques you can find that focus on strengthening the physical body. If you happen to have access to any low-grade Mysterious Rank techniques, I would be very interested in those as well."
Ya Fei, who had been informed of his astonishing success and was practically glowing with the profits he'd generated, smiled her most dazzling smile.
"Master Feng, you have already brought us so much success. Consider it a... personal favor. A gift, to celebrate our continued partnership."
She provided him with a wealth of knowledge. He spent the next few weeks devouring the scrolls. He wasn't learning them to practice them. He was dissecting them, reverse-engineering their principles.
'This Earth Armor Art strengthens the bones... this Flowing Water Scripture enhances meridian flexibility... this Raging Fire Fist focuses on explosive power generation...'
He began the painstaking process of integrating these concepts into his own Tri-Unity Genesis Art. He wasn't just aiming to absorb beast core energy anymore. He wanted to refine the art itself, to make it simultaneously enhance his cultivation speed and temper his physical body with every cycle.
He envisioned a version where the wood energy didn't just flow, but actively nourished his cells like a true Verdant Sapling.
The fire energy wouldn't just be a component, but would temper his bones, making them stronger. The lightning would not only provide a spark but would stimulate his nerves, increasing his reaction speed.
He also worked on Qing Lin's "Silent Gale Scripture." He integrated principles from several advanced movement and cutting techniques he'd acquired. Her wind Dou Qi, under his guidance, began to change.
It became sharper, carrying an edge like a razor. It became more flexible, able to form both protective barriers and slicing vortexes with equal ease.
Her cultivation art was now easily on par with a mid-grade Mysterious Rank technique in terms of sheer combat utility.
Another six months flew by. The seasons changed, and their little family in Wu Tan City thrived.
Feng Jiuge, with a steady supply of ingredients from Ya Fei and a now-perfected art of absorbing beast cores, had advanced at a terrifying pace.
His reputation as a mysterious master alchemist had solidified, and he had officially become a Fourth Tier Alchemist, a status that commanded immense respect throughout the entire city.
His cultivation, in turn, had reached the level of a 4-star Dou Grandmaster.
Qing Lin, eating his custom-made pills like they were candy, had broken through to the Dou Master realm, becoming a 1-star Dou Master at the tender age of thirteen. Her talent was simply monstrous.
Xiao Yixian, though not activating her physique, followed Feng Jiuge's cultivation advice and used the pills he made for her. Her progress was also remarkable, reaching the 3-star Dou Master level.
In her spare time, Feng Jiuge had taught her alchemy theory relentlessly. She now possessed the knowledge of a Third Tier Alchemist, lacking only the practical ability to control a flame.
The relationship between Feng Jiuge and Ya Fei had also deepened into a complex dance of power, ambition, and attraction. Their meetings now exclusively took place in her private, lavishly decorated chambers within the auction house.
Tonight was one such meeting. Ya Fei was dressed in a cheongsam of deep purple silk, with golden phoenixes embroidered on it.
The dress was cut even more daringly than her usual red robes, with slits that ran high up her thighs and a neckline that plunged into a breathtaking valley of cleavage.
"Jiuge," she purred, her voice a low thrum as she poured him a cup of fragrant tea. She deliberately brushed her fingers against his as she handed him the cup. "You've been working so hard. Your latest batch of 'Jade Spirit Pills' sold out in less than an hour. The elders in the main family are starting to ask about our mysterious 'Master Feng'."
Feng Jiuge took a sip of the tea, his expression calm, though he was keenly aware of the view she was presenting and the deliberate, not-so-innocent touches. He enjoyed them, but he never let them cloud his judgment.
"That is your problem to manage, Fei'er," he said, using a more intimate form of her name, a privilege he had claimed weeks ago.
"Our agreement is based on my anonymity." He then deftly changed the subject. "Tell me about the trouble your second uncle is causing for your branch's resource allocation."
Over the past months, he had used his sharp intellect and her infatuation with his potential to gently pry into the Miteer family's internal politics. He was subtly positioning himself as her indispensable advisor, her secret weapon.
Ya Fei sighed, her facade of playful seduction momentarily dropping. "He is an old fool, trying to divert the high-grade herbs to his own son's faction. He argues that this branch's profits are an anomaly and cannot be sustained."
"Then we will prove him wrong," Feng Jiuge said simply. "Continue as we have. With the capital you've accumulated, you can start bidding for assets outside this city. Expand your influence. When you are too big to be sidelined, his arguments will become meaningless."
He was giving her a path to power, a path that was intrinsically tied to him.
She looked at him, her beautiful eyes filled with a complex mixture of admiration, desire, and a hint of trepidation.
She knew what was happening.
This young man, who was not yet even a teenager in body, was not content with their partnership.
His gaze, when he wasn't being guarded, seemed to want to devour her whole, to make her his subordinate, his possession.
And a part of her, the ambitious part that was tired of fighting for scraps, was more than happy to allow it. Her pretty face and sexy body were assets, tools to secure her connection to this prodigy.
A connection to a Fourth Tier Alchemist, who was on his way to even greater heights, was worth more than anything.
Her standing in the family had already skyrocketed. She leaned closer, her fragrance enveloping him, and placed a hand on his shoulder, her thumb tracing a slow circle. "I knew I could count on you, Jiuge. Whatever you need, you have only to ask."
Feng Jiuge smiled internally. His plans were unfolding perfectly. He had just finished the latest upgrade to his Tri-Unity Genesis Art.
His experiments showed that his absorption and refinement speed of beast core energy was now another four to five times faster than before.
As for Qing Lin, her new and improved "Silent Gale Scripture" was working wonders.
Xiao Yixian was a different matter. Her cultivation was strong, but her true potential remained locked away. 'Her theory is solid,' Feng Jiuge thought, as Ya Fei refilled his cup.
'She has the knowledge of a Third Tier Alchemist. It's time to give her the tools.'
The promise he had made in Qingshan Town was due. It was time to find her the Beast Flames.