Zhou Kai wore a troubled expression, as if Chen Xingze’s words had struck a raw nerve.

“To be honest, Elder Chen,” he said, rubbing his hands together with a look of acute embarrassment, “I, Zhou Kai, have just bought my freedom from the Chen Family. I am truly strapped for cash right now. Forget five hundred Spirit Stones—I couldn’t even produce fifty.”

“However… repaying debts is only right and proper. Though I am poor, I, Zhou Kai, will never default on a legitimate obligation.”

“I truly cannot produce the Spirit Stones now, but I can write an IOU to the Chen Family, pledging to settle this debt of five hundred Spirit Stones within one year!”

“An IOU? One year? Zhou Kai, who do you think you are?” Chen Xingze scoffed.

“Hmph, you’re still just that useless alchemist who can only refine pills to aid chickens…”

Zhou Kai closed the courtyard gate. Outside, the third-layer Qi Condensation disciple sent by Chen Xingze was blocking the entrance like a stone statue. He had received strict orders not to budge until he saw two hundred Yang Locking Pills.

“Brother Zhou, it’s all my fault… If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have clashed with Chen Xingze, much less…” Chen Ziqing bit her lower lip and fished out one hundred Spirit Stones from her small Storage Bag—the very ones Zhou Kai had given her that morning.

“These Spirit Stones aren’t many, but perhaps they could…” She extended the stones forward, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She put on a masterful act of being on the verge of crying, looking as though she would rather suffer herself than burden her beloved.

Watching her performance, Zhou Kai was inwardly amused. Her skill level was indeed high. No wonder they say heroes find it hard to pass the beauty barrier, especially when faced with this kind of seemingly delicate and helpless “little green tea” who actually plans every step meticulously.

Nevertheless, he gently pushed the Spirit Stones back to her.

“Silly girl, what are you talking about?” Zhou Kai smiled gently. “A mere Chen Xingze can’t do anything to me. As for Spirit Stones…”

He flicked his wrist, and a bulging Storage Bag appeared in his palm. Reaching in casually—clatter—

A pile of shimmering Spirit Stones poured onto the stone table in the courtyard, forming a small hill.

Even with over a thousand piled together, the sight of the dense Spirit Qi radiating from them was dazzling.

“Hiss!”

Both Chen Ziyi and Chen Ziqing gasped sharply in unison, their beautiful eyes wide open.

When had they ever seen so many Spirit Stones in one place? Especially Chen Ziyi; back in the Chen Family, her monthly allowance was mere mortal gold and silver. This pile of over a thousand was an astronomical figure!

Chen Ziqing’s heart was even more shaken. She knew Zhou Kai was a second-grade alchemist and guessed he might have some savings, but she never imagined he was this wealthy! This wasn’t being strapped for cash; this was rolling in riches!

That’s why she had pretended to reluctantly offer her own Spirit Stones—it was a calculated gamble that paid off.

“Is this enough?” Zhou Kai asked, a hint of playful amusement tugging at the corner of his mouth as he looked at Chen Ziqing.

Snapping back to reality, Chen Ziqing’s cheeks flushed slightly. She lowered her head somewhat sheepishly and whispered, “Brother Zhou… you… you’re truly amazing.”

Zhou Kai put away the Spirit Stones. “Alright now, don’t worry. Stay here peacefully. Cultivate when it’s time to cultivate; refine pills when it’s time to refine pills. As for that watchdog outside, let him stand guard.”

In the following days, the small courtyard seemed to become a paradise separate from the world outside.

Zhou Kai maintained his regular routine.

In the mornings, he would cultivate alone in the quiet room, his cultivation value slowly increasing.

In the afternoons was his unshakable time for pill refining and teaching.

He instructed Chen Ziqing in refining the most basic first-grade pills, like Qi Gathering Pills and Rejuvenation Pills.

Of course, he wouldn’t boost Chen Ziqing’s alchemy skill too much at once. Instead, he increased her value by a little each day.

This improvement was subtle and imperceptible; even Chen Ziqing herself didn’t notice anything unusual, simply assuming she was naturally gifted and quick to learn.

“Sister! Look! I’ve successfully refined another batch of Qi Gathering Pills! And there’s even one of medium grade!”

Chen Ziqing ran up to Chen Ziyi holding a batch of pills still warm from the furnace, her little face beaming with pride.

“Brother Zhou said I have quite a talent in this area. Perhaps in the future, our family’s pill supply will really depend on me,” Chen Ziqing declared proudly, her chin held high.

She often showed off her “talent” in front of her sister. Watching the little green tea’s panel—[Cultivation Arts: Alchemy (First Grade 35/100)]—Zhou Kai would just smile without exposing her.

Let the little girl be happy. This small bit of vanity is harmless.

The days passed one by one until it was suddenly the fifth day.

Inside the quiet room, a misty medicinal fragrance filled the air.

Chen Ziqing had just finished refining a batch of Qi Gathering Pills; her technique was becoming more proficient, and her success rate for medium-grade pills had stabilized.

She wrapped her arms around Zhou Kai’s neck and said softly and sweetly, “If not for my mentor’s virtuous teaching and earnest guidance, how could this disciple have achieved today’s progress?”

“Oh? Do you know the saying: ‘The new bamboo before the courtyard receives morning dew, awaiting to see spring bamboo shoots reaching for the clouds’?” Zhou Kai hinted meaningfully.

“Hmm… I just learned a new tune recently, but I’m not very skilled at it yet.”

“Oh?” Zhou Kai became interested. “Play it?”

“Then Brother Zhou must listen carefully.”

With that, she moved with light steps to stand before Zhou Kai and slowly bent down…

A moment later, a slightly hurried yet melodious flute tune sounded within the quiet room.

The flute music stopped abruptly.

Zhou Kai’s body trembled slightly as he let out a long sigh of relief.

Chen Ziqing raised her head, her red lips slightly parted, her breath somewhat unsteady. Her clear eyes held a trace of confusion and grievance.

“Brother… Brother Zhou… this tune… why is it… so short?”

Zhou Kai put on a stern face.

“It seems your skill is lacking, yet you dare present it as if showing off!”

He suddenly reached out and scooped Chen Ziqing up into his arms.

“Today, as your mentor, I shall impart all I know thoroughly, so you may learn what true harmony between instruments means, and understand what it is for music to be so sublime that few can appreciate it!”

Chen Ziqing let out a gasp of surprise and instinctively tightened her arms around his neck.

“Then… I’ll trouble my mentor… to teach me well…”

[Ding! Deep Interaction with Red Beauty Chen Ziqing. Alchemy Skill Exchange Points +6]

Time flowed by, and soon it was early morning on the ninth day.

Chen Ziyi, who had been sitting cross-legged in meditation all along, suddenly shuddered violently!

A faint but distinct strand of heaven and earth Spirit Qi slowly seeped into her body.

Wherever the Spirit Qi passed, it nourished her parched meridians and tempered her fragile physique, causing her Vitality to surge and strengthen!

Hum!

A soft hum emanated from within her body.

Chen Ziyi snapped her eyes open, a flash of sharp light disappearing within them!

She had finally succeeded in drawing Qi into her body, stepping into the first layer of Meridian Opening!

“Husband…” Her voice choked up as she looked at Zhou Kai.

Zhou Kai smiled slightly and helped her up. “How do you feel?”

“Unprecedentedly good!” Chen Ziyi nodded vigorously. “I used Spirit Qi to strengthen my meridians.”

[Red Beauty: Chen Ziyi] [Vitality: Meridian Opening First Layer 2/100] [Spirit Root: Fire (Low Grade 20/100)] [Affection: 100 (Unwavering)] [Point Type: Vitality] [Points Provided: 10]

Confirming via the panel, Zhou Kai felt the timing was about right.

He called both sisters into the courtyard.

Under the sunlight, Chen Ziyi’s entire aura had undergone subtle changes; her skin appeared more lustrous, and her eyes held an extra spark of liveliness. She was no longer that purely Mortal woman from before.

Zhou Kai first looked at Chen Ziqing, who wore a curious expression, and asked:

“Ziqing, do you know what your sister has been doing these past few days besides managing household chores?”

Chen Ziqing blinked, somewhat bewilderedly shaking her head.

Zhou Kai smiled and looked at Chen Ziyi.

“Ziyi, show your sister.”

Understanding his meaning, Chen Ziyi took a deep breath and activated her internal Vitality.

Hum!

An invisible wave of energy spread out from her center; though faint, it made the air feel several degrees hotter.

“This… this is…”

Chen Ziqing was stunned!

Though her own cultivation was lowly, she came from a cultivation family after all and could naturally sense the Vitality power emanating from her sister!

“Sister… you… you’ve drawn Qi into your body?!” Chen Ziqing’s voice was filled with disbelief.

Chen Ziyi nodded with a smile.

“Impossible!” Chen Ziqing exclaimed involuntarily. “Sister… you clearly have no Spirit Root… how could…”

Zhou Kai spoke up at just the right moment.

“Who said that without a Spirit Root, one cannot embark on the path of immortality?”