Chapter Twenty-Five: The Return

A week later, at the height of noon.

In a canyon atop Bottle Mountain, an intoxicating fragrance of medicine soared into the sky, stirring the poisonous insects and wild beasts of the mountain into restless agitation.

A sudden, menacing hiss echoed strangely from within the canyon, and immediately, the beasts and insects drawn by the scent scattered in panic, as though frightened by some unseen force.

Within the canyon, Li Yang, pale-faced and exhausted, packed away the last batch of pills with satisfaction. The fatigue etched on his features could not be concealed.

Over the course of the week, nearly all the medicinal herbs collected from Bottle Mountain had been consumed, yielding three batches of pills in total.

Sensing the emptiness and weakness in his body, Li Yang could not help but let out a bitter smile.

Alchemy is truly toilsome work; once begun, it cannot be halted. Each batch of pills takes at least a day and night, sometimes much longer, and during this time, one must keep the mind focused and attuned to the changes within the furnace. A single misstep will see the precious pills destroyed. Without sufficient cultivation, one could not even attempt alchemy—before the pills are finished, the person might die of hunger and exhaustion.

This time, Li Yang produced two batches of Essence Nourishing Pills and one batch of Vital Spirit Pills, totaling forty-two pills. Apart from these, nearly fifty failed pills were harvested. This round of alchemy could be considered a resounding success.

He took out an Essence Nourishing Pill and swallowed it, then closed his eyes to meditate. Heat surged above his head, and half an hour later, he opened his eyes, refreshed, the weariness swept away.

After tidying up his belongings, Li Yang cast a longing glance at the pill furnace before him. He found a hidden crevice at the base of the mountain stream and tucked it away.

“I hope when I return, you remain undiscovered. Then I will take you with me.”

He patted the pill furnace wedged in the fissure and murmured to himself. For a sorcerer skilled in alchemy, this furnace was a rare treasure.

It was, after all, a royal artifact, unmatched by ordinary furnaces. Unfortunately, its weight was immense, and Li Yang could not carry it away.

He quickly packed the large bundle of gold and jewels left by Chen Yulou, picked up a piece of beast hide from the ground, wrapped himself in it, let his hair fall loose, and walked barefoot, looking every bit the wild man, as he mounted the golden centipede.

With a thought, the golden centipede straightened its body, transformed into a streak of black light, and sped down the mountain.

The centipede moved with astonishing speed, an inky shadow almost invisible to the naked eye.

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Li Yang arrived at a secluded forest near Nuqing County.

With such a treasure, travel was truly effortless!

He chuckled softly as the golden centipede shrank rapidly to the size of an inch and slipped into his sleeve.

He hurried on, paying no heed to the strange looks along the way, and walked straight to the gate of the He family residence.

By the door stood two guards.

“Who are you looking for?” One stepped forward to block Li Yang’s way.

“Where did this beggar come from? Get lost...”

“The residence has a new master these days, everyone’s busy. If you’re here to beg, come back another day.” The other guard, annoyed by Li Yang’s beast hide attire and bare feet, waved him away impatiently.

“Where is Uncle He? You said the residence has a new master—what about Madam He?” Li Yang, undaunted, asked in a deep voice.

“Madam He? Which lady do you mean?” The first guard sized Li Yang up.

“Isn’t there only one Madam He in this household?” Sensing their confusion, Li Yang felt a pang of unease.

“Brother, what’s the point of humoring a beggar? Let’s focus on guarding the gate and avoid the commander’s wrath.” The other guard pulled his companion aside, stepped forward, and barked at Li Yang, “Get out of here, you filthy beggar! Stop poking your nose in business that doesn’t concern you. Move along, I’m busy. If you don’t leave, I’ll shoot you.” As he spoke, he raised the rifle on his back in threat.

Li Yang’s expression darkened, considering whether to teach these fools a lesson, when the first guard stepped in to restrain his companion. “Brother, let him be. Times are hard for everyone. Calm down.”

He turned to Li Yang. “Young man, you’d best leave quickly. Don’t be stubborn.”

Filled with doubt, Li Yang furrowed his brows, glanced at the two guards at the gate, and decided to wait until nightfall to sneak into the residence and uncover the truth.

With his mind full of worries, Li Yang walked toward the dilapidated temple where he had previously stayed outside the county.

“Li, you’re finally back!”

As soon as he entered, a disheveled young woman rushed up to him—it was Jin Ling, Madam He’s personal maid.

“Sister Jin Ling, what happened? Where is Madam?”

At this, Jin Ling threw herself into Li Yang’s arms, sobbing with heart-wrenching grief.

“Tell me slowly, don’t cry.” Though still confused, Li Yang could only comfort her softly as he watched Jin Ling break down.

“Madam... Madam was seized by those villains. You must save her!” After a long while, Jin Ling choked out her words, her face drawn in sorrow.

“Madam was taken? What happened? Tell me everything…” Li Yang could not sit still. His face grew dangerously grim, his voice cold.

Not only did Madam He treat him with great kindness, but during his time at the residence, her care was meticulous. Those days were the most peaceful since Li Yang arrived in this world, helping him adapt and giving him a sense of home.

To Li Yang, Madam He was like family, one of the few he truly cared for in this world. Hearing of her calamity, his agitation and urgency were palpable.

As Jin Ling explained, Li Yang gradually pieced together the events.

After Li Yang went to Bottle Mountain, within two days, Master He returned, left a divorce letter, and departed from Nuqing County once more.

Though he divorced Madam He, he still remembered their years together. Madam He managed the family accounts, so he left her the properties around the county.

Soon after, the concubine Master He had married in the county arrived in Nuqing, bringing her infant son, claiming Master He had not returned and that she was here to take over the family assets.

Madam He refused, presenting the signed division of property papers and arguing her case.

But the new Madam He was no pushover. Her brother was a notorious warlord in Qianzhou, a sworn brother of Master He, and it was said that she was introduced to him by this same brother.

The new Madam He accused Madam He of plotting against Master He, filing a lawsuit at the county office.

With the Qing dynasty now fallen and warlords ruling everywhere, the county office was formed by local gentry. Under pressure from the warlord’s army, they complied without question.

Poor Madam He, a lone woman, could not resist such a powerful false accusation. The entire residence was seized; anyone who resisted was shot on the spot. Steward He and Xiao Liu died in a hail of bullets while trying to protect Madam He.

Jin Ling managed to escape during the chaos, secretly sent away by Madam He.

Hearing this, Li Yang’s eyes reddened with rage, his teeth grinding audibly, his face dark as iron, and the icy gleam in his eyes sent chills down one's spine.