Chapter 40: The Value of Keeping Her Close; A Terrifying Talent for Alchemy

Seeing the Lin Family members retreat, Gu Changge pondered for a moment before suddenly calling out.

“Miss Qiuhan, please stay.”

“Young Master Gu…”

Lin Qiuhan froze. When she realized what he had said, her heart began to race violently, and her cheeks burned with heat.

In front of so many clansmen… he asked me to stay?

Does he have something private to say? Or perhaps… does he have feelings for me?

Her thoughts began to run wild, and she lowered her head, shy and flustered.

“The Family Head has raised a good daughter…”

The Lin Family Elders exchanged delighted glances, though a tinge of envy colored their expressions. After all, their own granddaughters weren’t as beautiful as Lin Qiuhan.

As the youngest and most beautiful Elder of the Daoji Academy, she possessed hair like flowing clouds and skin like jade. She had the capital to attract countless suitors among the younger generation. Now, it seemed she had caught the eye of this exalted Young Lord as well.

This development made the Lin Family ecstatic.

The young men felt a sour twinge of jealousy, while the women looked on with envy. Emotions were complex and varied, but the overwhelming sentiment was hope.

The Lin Family Patriarch beamed, shooting Lin Qiuhan a meaningful look. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, Qiuhan is obedient and sensible. She saves me so much worry…

If she could use this opportunity to build a relationship with Gu Changge… The Patriarch was already fantasizing about the benefits, his heart swelling with joy.

Elder Ming, too, was calculating. If the Young Master truly favored her, they could bring Lin Qiuhan along when they returned to the Upper Realm. As his descendant, he could look after her.

Of course, the most important factor was whether the Young Master was genuinely interested.

Once the hall cleared out, silence returned to the entrance.

“I must apologize for the trouble last night. It was kind of you to personally deliver those Spirit Cakes,” Gu Changge said with a casual smile.

His expression had returned to the calm, elegant demeanor he wore the previous day. He had swapped his dark robes for white ones, and his long hair was tied loosely behind his back. The change softened his noble aloofness, adding a touch of transcendent, immortal grace.

Lin Qiuhan was momentarily lost in his appearance.

She had to admit, based on looks alone, few men in this world could compare to Gu Changge.

“Did Young Master Gu like them?” she asked, a spark of joy in her voice. However, the nervousness returned quickly. In the academy, she was a figure of authority; here, she felt like a giddy schoolgirl.

“The taste was quite good,” Gu Changge praised casually. “But what surprised me was the trace of ‘Alchemy Intent’ within them.”

He hadn’t asked her to stay just for idle chatter. He had a purpose.

As a woman connected to the Child of Destiny, her Luck Points were excessively high—over 200. For context, ordinary cultivators usually had zero to a handful of points.

This number was staggering.

Su Qingge had started with around 300 and had now grown to over 500. Gu Changge knew Su Qingge was hiding secrets and undergoing changes, but he was patient enough to wait for her to confess.

But Lin Qiuhan? Aside from her beauty and decent cultivation talent, Gu Changge couldn’t find anything special about her.

He wasn’t a man who thought with his lower half. He could toy with her, certainly, but he wouldn’t keep her by his side like Su Qingge without a valid reason.

As for her 200 Luck Points? He could easily make her submit completely with a few tricks. The System had confirmed that subduing a person of Great Providence—even if they weren’t a Child of Destiny—would yield Destiny Points.

To put it bluntly, Lin Qiuhan was currently just a tool for farming points. Until she demonstrated real value, she was disposable.

Asking her to stay was a test.

“Alchemy Intent?” Lin Qiuhan blinked, confused. “I… I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

She knew of Sword Intent, Dao Intent, and Saber Intent. But Alchemy Intent? That was unheard of.

Su Qingge, however, seemed to realize something. Having read extensively from ancient texts, the term sparked a memory.

“To casually bake some Spirit Cakes and infuse them with an Alchemy Intent that even Grandmaster Alchemists lack… Miss Qiuhan is truly remarkable,” Gu Changge said with a knowing smile.

“But… I don’t know how to refine pills…” Lin Qiuhan stammered, embarrassed by the high praise.

She has never touched alchemy?

Gu Changge’s smile deepened.

That is precisely what makes her talent so terrifying.

If Lin Qiuhan had been born into one of the supreme Alchemy Sects of the Upper Realm, she would undoubtedly be hailed as a Goddess of Alchemy, her future limitless.

Indeed. The people surrounding a Child of Destiny are never simple.

Good. My effort wasn’t wasted.

“Miss Qiuhan,” Gu Changge said, his smile unwavering. “It is rather dull sitting here with nothing to do. Would you be willing to take me for a stroll around the city today?”

“Ah… Yes! Yes, of course…”

Lin Qiuhan felt as if a massive prize had just fallen into her lap. She nodded vigorously, her head spinning with dizzying delight.

…

Last night, the Lin Family’s sudden lockdown of the ancient city and the sealing of the void had caused widespread panic.

Cultivators speculated wildly. In the morning, they had heard that the legendary Lin Ancestor had returned from the Upper Realm. By nightfall, the family was in a murderous rage, hunting a fugitive.

Who had the audacity to offend the Lin Family now? With their Ancestor’s return, their prestige in the Central Heavenly Domain was unmatched.

Eventually, rumors leaked. Someone had used sinister means to assassinate the Young Lord from the Upper Realm, attempting to frame the Lin Family.

The culprit? The Lin Family’s infamous “good-for-nothing,” Lin Tian.

The news shocked the city.

Most people in the Central State were now aware of the Young Lord’s terrifying background. To attack him was suicide—madness beyond comprehension.

This event added to the growing turbulence in the Central State.

From the other eight domains, representatives of Holy Lands and Imperial Dynasties with legacies spanning over 100,000 years were flooding into the city. They came bearing heavy gifts, hoping to pay respects to the Lin Ancestor and the mysterious Young Lord.

The location for the Central State’s “Dao Discussion Conference” for the younger generation had even been moved to this ancient city, a decision unanimously agreed upon by the major powers.

The motive was transparent.

News from the Eastern Wilderness had spread: The Taixuan Holy Land had risen to become the absolute overlord of their region, largely due to the Taixuan Saintess—the Number One Beauty—gaining the favor of a certain Young Lord.

Every Holy Land and Dynasty wanted to replicate that success. If their disciples could catch the Young Lord’s eye, it would be a supreme opportunity for their clan to soar into the heavens.

After all, even the Lin Ancestor—a figure from 30,000 years ago—was merely this Young Lord’s “Old Servant.”

Such status was terrifying to contemplate.

As a result, the ancient city became incredibly lively. Every day saw the arrival of new factions.

Even the ancient races from the Immemorial Sacred Mountains had emerged. These were forces that even major Holy Lands usually treated with caution, as they were rumored to be branches of Upper Realm lineages.

Normally, any being from the Sacred Mountains would be treated as a VIP by the Holy Lands. But now, they too were here to pay homage.